Green Options

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Nearly two weeks ago I hopped on a plane to San Francisco(again) and translated a presentation based on my “Make Like a Tree” articles into binary code, so the computer programmers would understand it.

Maker Faire is much more than your average craft show. Around every corner, you’ll find a a pointless yet poignant doodad, a jaw-dropping technology demonstration, or the tools and materials that invite you to imagine the possibilities…because we hope to inspire others to make stuff too.

Why is this reconnection to our creativity so important? It was one purpose-driven thought from ordinary individuals that invented the wheel, set out to cross the Atlantic, and revealed the fabric of space-time. Making things, both literal and existential, pulls us through history, and simultaneously brings humanity to the verge of a collapsing eco-system. Most of us had no hand in executing modern manufacturing techniques, but we must use both hands to fix them.

Eco-consciousness was a dominant theme throughout this event. The concerns are now common knowledge, and solutions are surprisingly revealed through grass root efforts.

As promised, here is Part 2 of my article for Etsy in The Storque’s new Earth Tones section. Click here to read Part 1. I’d love to hear what you think about these ideas. It feels a little like Christmas around here at Green Options, so… Merry Earth Day!

Indie crafters have become notable participants in the history of making things, but have a unique opportunity to pioneer social change as well. Since the Industrial Revolution, consumers have been diverted by the science of sales, and derive pleasure largely through conspicuous consumption. I feel that we modern makers seek to lift them out of the doldrums through individual acts of creativity. Yet, as materialism tips nature’s balance, our noble pursuit of culture questions its own validity. There is increasing unrest amongst crafters who feel their creations only add to the clutter on this Earth, but what if we could actually save the world by making things?

About two weeks ago, I was in San Francisco attending Craft Con, a business development conference for the indie craft community, where I had the pleasure of meeting fellow CAGW writer Kelly Rand for the first time! The weekend entailed various sessions and panel talks about a myriad of subjects ranging from the meaning of craft, to computer social networking, and everything in between. I gave a presentation on the environmental impact of crafting, bringing together of months of research and new ideas for solutions. Next week, I’ll be taking off to California once again to give this talk at Maker Faire. The lovely folks from Etsy asked me to write an article about it for The Storque, which is being published in 2 parts leading up to Earth Day. The following is Part 1, syndicated in it’s entirety.

Indie fashion offers an abundance of options from head to toe… almost! Cobbling , the art of making shoes, is not necessarily mainstream. Yet, I see no one walking around barefoot in public. I say, throw those misconceptions out the door about the difficulty of creating footwear. We can do better than plastic daisies hot glued to foam flip-flops.

While researching for my Craft Con presentation on the environmental impact of crafting last month, it felt like I had fallen down a rabbit hole. Merely scratching the surface of commercial supplies, revealed widespread outsourcing and men in suits at the top (whom I would wage haven’t the slightest interest in anything we make) becoming enormously wealthy.

I took an anonymous survey of crafters from across the country, and found that 92% of us use commercial supplies to some extent. My two part article for The Storque (to be cross-published here) will reveal further statistics.

There will also be an extensive list of resources that I have found to be informative about the business practices of retailers, product safety concerns, and environmental catastrophes both in the U.S. and the Far East, where many of our raw materials are combined with highly toxic chemicals.

It’s no longer a hazy shade of winter for most of us. When spring rears her beautiful head, I get the urge to clean and shop. Shedding the long sleeves reminds me that I have wrists, and should put something pretty on them too.

Luckily, some clever crafters on Etsy are using widely discarded materials to make unique bangles!…

Back in high school, while other girls were shopping at the mall, I was waxing curbs and flippin’ ollies. So, it’s no surprise that today I’m drooling over 2ReVert’s recycled skateboard jewelry!

This husband and wife team from Nova Scotia craft amazing earrings, pendants,bracelets and rings from 100% post consumer decks. That begs the question: Where has your jewelry been?

In keeping with this week’s theme of what to do with those pesky plastic eggs, I set out to find a worthy project. My enthusiasm was curbed when I came across reports of lead being found in these things.

At the risk of being the antagonist, telling you what not to do with them seems reasonable, albeit not crafty. At least I get to make a bullet list…

In recent days some much anticipated dialog commenced between two heavy weights in the world of crafting.

In this corner… wearing Amy Butler print shorts with a felt owl appliqué, weighing in at over 130,000 Craftster.org members: The Invincible Indie Craft Movement!

And in the opposite corner…wearing art quilt shorts, weighing in at innumerable pounds of ceramic vases displayed on pedestals: The Fightin’ Fine Crafts Establishment!

It’s a warm sunny day in a quaint suburban park. Children are in line for a turn on the slide, but a bakers dozen have gathered around a picnic blanket under a nearby tree. Puzzled parents suspect a stranger is handing out candy, or has a Spongebob episode playing on their laptop.

With closer examination, they see a tiny woman with a Betty Page haircut manhandling what looks like a large fluff of purple cotton candy. She tears a chunk off and lets the kids pass it around. ” This is what sweaters are made of…most of the time!”, proclaims the woman as she twirls a small drop spindle and continues to draft the fibers into yarn.