Back to the Land

A series of talks on YouTube by the UK’s TheSoilAssociation.

The rest of the series is in the sidebar of this video, and partially explains why I am so obsessed with getting a viable garden planted and running within the next year.

 

Speaking of press…

My DIY bubble-mailer tutorial got written up in the GreenGirlGuides newsletter! Hurrah!
Thanks Courtney!

 

Craftivism

Anyone following this blog knows one of my side projects is SuperCute!, which is a collaborative project with Becky and Liz. One of the things we feel really strongly about is using our crafting to try and make a difference in the way people think about their day to day lives and habits. We call it Craftivism, but that term can mean different things to different people, so we thought maybe we would take a moment to write a little bit about what that word meant to us as individuals. Everyone’s responses will be up over at the SuperCute! blog, but I thought I’d also put mine here…

_____________
In the most obvious sense, to me Craftivism means Activism, as expressed by Crafting.
I think a big part of it is showing people how their lives can be different by doing things themselves, or by changing their habits to ones that are not only more sustainable, but prettier and more personalized, and just more fun! Craftivism is a way to combat the mass-marketing media, and to really express yourself and your beliefs. I also think a big chunk of it revolves around supporting a different type of economy, a smaller, more local one which by default has less impact overall as well as more transparency and acountability.

 

Bubble Mailer tutorial over in SuperCute! blog

For all you sustainability nuts, I posted a make-your-own-bubble-mailers from recycled materials tutorial over in the SuperCute! blog:
tutorial!

 

squeaky clean?

My Apple Tree is blooming!!!!!!!

*ahem*
sorry, now back to the point of this post:
Mostly this is for my reference, because I intend to whip up a couple batches of this stuff for when our washer gets hooked back up. But, I thought some other people might like the recipes as well, so here ya go!
S.O.’s Home-Made Cheap Laundry Soap

1. 1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (comes out to about 2 cups)
You can find this in the grocery store laundry aisle. S.O. grates it on our cheese grater.
2. 1 c Borax
Comes from the grocery store laundry aisle and some hardware stores.
3. 1 c Washing Soda
My sister can find this at her nice grocery store but we had to order online. Others report that they found it in little grocery stores or Mexican markets.
4. 1/4 c OxyClean (not necessary, but we add it)

Mix it all together into a bumpy, granular mix. Don’t worry about stuff getting correctly dispersed, even if it doesn’t quite look like it does.

Use 1T for a light load

Use 2T for a large or dirty load (It’s true! Only 2 Tablespoons per load!)

Laundry Rinse (instead of fabric softener which is so bad for you and the environment, you don’t even want to know)

1. 1 gal white vinegar
2. 25-30 drops essential oil - optional (This was another internet purchase. We’re currently using “gardenia.” Mmmmm. Straight vinegar works just fine though.)

Use 1/4 c in the rinse cycle. I promise your clothes won’t smell like vinegar. The vinegar clears the last bit of soap remaining on all your clothes and reduces static.

They are both from ModCottage, a nifty blog!

 

glass-etching success!

We might have had a little crafty party with a mustache theme. There’ll be a glass-etching tutorial up over on SuperCute! blog as soon as Becky finishes putting it together.

 

on Craftivism

Someone on the WhipUp forums touched on a topic that’s been dear to my heart as of late.

She wrote:

“There is a definite revival of DIY in our culture. It’s interesting a question as to how this all started. My belief is that it parallels the last revivial of DIY spirit in the 1970s.
At that time as well as today people felt disconnected, isolated, and desperate. People struggle to be heard especially in relationship to war and a repressive government. Art making of any kind is therapuetic and it restores our sense of empowerment. The DIY movement has been sparked by several different, maybe complimentary reasons:
the need for individuals to have an outlet.
the need to form community.
the need to access ones independence as a reflection of the ill equipped nature of the state.
the need to invest in the self.
the need for revolution.
the need for economic independence.
The nature of the DIY movement is thus to satisfy the retaliatory nature that arises when one feels repressed, isolated, and lacking the independence that every individual has a right to.”

………………

Recently I was interviewed for a potential article about the resurgence of crafting, and while I know there are as many factors as there are crafters, some common themes just keep coming up. One of the biggies is the concept of craftivism, or the role of craft in changing the world we live in. In addition to what the above author has written about the empowering nature of craft, I think it’s also about wanting to know the real cost of an item- not just the cash you plunk down, but the political, human and environmental costs that are so often hidden when you buy from the shelves of a chain store. I think more and more people want to look a real person in the eye and have that connection, that realness of knowing who made the item they are about to buy. NoImpact Man calls it transparency, the author of the above quote calls it independence or rebellion, but whatever you call it, the fact that people are looking for it fills me with hope and happiness.

 

Go Go Ready Made!

One of my favorite magazines has now given their eco-conscious readers the option to read their magazine online!!!!!

ReadyMade Online!

The first issue if free for everyone to enjoy, and it’s chock full of extras. This makes me very happy, go check them out!!!

 

CRAFT Magazine Release party!!!

Join us on Sunday, March 9 from 1-5 p.m. for a party celebrating the release of CRAFT: 06, CRAFT Magazine’s “Play” issue. Your friends from the Indie Craft Experience and the Atlanta Craft Mafia will host free hands-on craft fun. We’ll supply you with everything you need to create mini felt monsters & robots at ParkGrounds Coffee in Reynoldstown, where you’ll also enjoy snacks and drinks, fabulous door prizes, and special subscription deals. Come have some handmade fun and check out CRAFT’s new issue while you’re at
it. Hope to see you there!

CRAFT: 06 Release Party
Sunday, March 9, 1-5 p.m.
@ ParkGrounds Coffee
142 Flat Shoals Ave SE
Atlanta GA 30316
http://parkgrounds.com/

 

The Handmade’s Tale