Beaded Crocheted bracelets

I am still fund-raising for Candlelight Books, a literacy program to send used books from the States to remote elementary schools in the Philippines.

Check out my Etsy.Com and buy yourself a bracelet or 2. Some of the proceeds will go to fund the shipping costs for a shipment this September.

Meantime, check out some crocheted and beaded bracelets for sale for only $5 each (plus $4.50 shipping costs).

Many thanks!

Grocery Bag Project

My next project is to crochet my own grocery mesh bags so I may rid our household of the plastic bags that mess up the environment.

Here are the contending patterns I am considering:

DIY Mesh bag pattern for $1.99




or the long shopping bag



among others.

Hope to get started and will let you know about it!

Photos Into a Baguette

I have always liked photos and I have been daydreaming on crafting them into something I could wear.

Check out Baguettes for some affordable possibilities.

Crocheted and Recycled plastic bags

According to statistics at Reusable Bags.Com:

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food.

Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest.

As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected.

Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.

According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone "from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 78° North [latitude] to Falklands 51° South [latitude].

Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation.

What a wonderful way to put our crochet skills to work for the earth by crocheting all the plastic grocery bags into a tote bag for, well, groceries etc.

San Francisco is the first city to ban the use of plastic grocery bags and this kind of crafting will definitely help out. I think I will buy a bag or two from Craftykathi and take them to our local Farmer's Market, so I can stuff the produce in there, without having to bag them in plastic.



The bag is easy to clean and will last for many years. Of course, it will save landfill and maybe ocean-floor or beach space because the plastic bags will not float around as trash.

The other bag I found interesting was the Eco-Organic bag for $6.95.



While we're in the subject of recycled bags, I found a couple more interesting one. There's Ecoist--they make the most colorful bags out of candy wrappers.




A Philippine women's coop makes totes from discarded Doy/Juice packs. And many more reusable bag ideas at
Reusable Bags.com.



Oh, and if you want to crochet your own grocery tote bag out of yarn to rid yourself of the plastic grocery bags, there's a pattern that looks simple at Crochet Me that you would like to try.

More Etsy Inspiration

I don't think I will ever get enough of Etsy. The online array of pretty crafts--from vintage to kitschy, to modern and recycled--seems endless:


This flower pin ($12) is on my wish list. I know it will make a fresh statement for my white t-shirts for summer. Check out the crafter Tamar and her other crafts.

Beads have never been so unique and so much fun to look at. Check out Tsunami Beads:


Collage pendants are my favorite now, but I have no idea how to solder silver or if I am willing to commit to the craft:



Or maybe I could try bamboo tiles:



Actually, I check out their showcase every day, just taking in the creative energy, hoping for inspiration. . .

It's easy to post your creations online at Etsy. It costs just $7. I think about the fabulous Filipino talent back home and how their wares will easily stand out.

Etsy Online--Buy and Sell your Homemade Art

Check out Etsy--the online market for posting your own stuff. They have lots of crocheters, knitters, jewelry, ceramics, and funky artists. I have scoured Ebay and Amazon but Etsy is the champ when it comes to homemade art and crafts.

And if crochet is your craft of choice, check out cute embellishments at Strung Out Design



Check out the cutest vintage-looking pendant and charms from Gee Lizzie, just $10:



How about some doll brooches at Home Artist:



and hats, hats, hats at Tepperwear.



I found precious hand-crafted pendants by Pixnit for $7. Check them out:




They have hand painted furniture, paper art/stationery--everything your crafting heart desires. Who knows, because for only $7 you can post your online store or resources there for 24 hours, you might want to showcase your hidden stash, too?

Exchanging Gifts

This is a special scrap shawl I have just finished. It is a good way to use up all your yarn here and there to create something unique. It is a gift to a good friend who has given me something quite special and different for my birthday last year. Though she gave me a material gift, I cannot peg the value I put on the thoughts that came with it. The only way I can reciprocate is to make her something with my own hands, thinking good intentions for her as I crochet.

I hope she likes it. . .