Green Options » Becky Striepe

Attack of the Genetically Modified Flax Seed

Becky Striepe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:03:15 +0000

Nope, it’s not a spooky tale left over from Halloween. After word got out that Canada’s flax seed crops had been cross-contaminated with a genetically modified variety, the country’s entire flax industry is in peril.

Read more of this story »

UK Study Links Processed Foods to Depression

Becky Striepe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:36 +0000

A study that followed 3500 participants over five years found that subjects who at the “UK Diet” were more likely to develop depression.

Read more of this story »

Handmade Holidays: Farm Fresh Apple Butter

Becky Striepe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:11 +0000

The weather is getting colder, and we have a handmade holiday on our minds! Handmade gifts have heart, are better for the environment, and, if you opt to buy, it supports independent artists!

If you want to have a totally handmade holiday, now is the time to get started. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be posting about recycled gifts and giftwrap you can make yourself and great handmade finds for sale!

When my pal Jes from Cupcake Punk posted about making her own apple butter, I just new this was the perfect holiday food gift! We’re all about mason jars full of tasty treats around the holidays, and you know we’re into canning around here, so this seemed just perfect! Not only is apple butter a crowd pleaser, but since apples are in season right now, you can probably find local ones pretty easily!

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Recycled Wool Felt from Feltwerker

Becky Striepe — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:45 +0000

Fall is officially here! It’s cool and blustery, and we’ve got cozy fabrics on our minds. What better way to welcome in the lovely changing leaves and chilly weather than with some beautiful recycled felt? Feltwerker, a Chicago fiber artist, offers beautiful recycled wool felt scraps that you can incorporate into your Fall and winter projects!

Read more of this story »

Green Music: The Treasure Island Music Festival

Becky Striepe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:55 +0000

One of my friends recently attended the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco and texted me about their awesome green initiatives. From the show. Yes, I’m sort of a nerd for this kind of thing.

We’re all about musicians lightening their footprints around here. According to the folks at Live Earth: “A single concert event can produce as little as 9,000 kilos (close 20,000 lbs) to as much as 90,000 kilos (197,000 lbs) of solid waste in a single day.” That’s a ridiculous amount of waste and doesn’t even take into account things like CO2 emissions from concertgoers driving to the venue or indirect emissions from the food and whatnot.

The folks at Treasure Island Fest set out to do things a little differently. Not only did they have a kickass lineup that’s making me more than a little bit jealous, they implemented all sorts of impressive green initiatives. Check our their greening and sustainability statement:

Read more of this story »

Handmade Holidays: Wrapping Gifts using Furoshiki

Becky Striepe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:38 +0000

The weather is getting colder, and we have a handmade holiday on our minds! Handmade gifts have heart, are better for the environment, and, if you opt to buy, it supports independent artists!

There are lots of ecofriendly gift wrap options out there if you’re feeling the traditional, paper wrapping thing. If you want to branch out a bit, though, you might try wrapping some gifts this year using the traditional Japanese method furoshiki. Here’s how!

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Coconut Fiber

Becky Striepe — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:30:57 +0000

We are obsessed with food-based fibers around here! From banana yarn to pineapple cloth, I’m starting to wonder if we’re feeling more hungry than crafty.

Of course, when Kelly hipped me to coir, a natural fiber made from coconut, I couldn’t pass it up!

Read more of this story »

Smart Choices Food Labeling Program Suspended!

Becky Striepe — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:28 +0000

Last week was a win for healthy foodies! Food manufacturers opted to suspend the Smart Choices labeling program, which would have deemed products like Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms as healthy picks.

Read more of this story »

Earth-Friendly Disposable Dinnerware from Fallen Leaves

Becky Striepe — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:38 +0000

Not only is VerTerra’s dinnerware all natural, it’s biodegradable and compostable, too!

The holidays are coming fast, and that means you’ve probably got some shindigs in the works! Sometimes, especially with a lengthy guest list, it’s just so much easier to use disposable dinnerware rather than deal with a mountain of dirty dishes at the end of the night. VerTerra wants you to toss those plates, bowls, and serving trays while feeling guilt-free!

Read more of this story »

Handmade Holidays: Recycled Gift Tags from Greeting Cards

Becky Striepe — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:13 +0000

The weather is getting colder, and we have a handmade holiday on our minds! Handmade gifts have heart, are better for the environment, and, if you opt to buy, it supports independent artists!

To get things started, check out Sheryl of Twisted Limb Paperworks’ awesome video tutorial for making your own gift tags from last year’s Christmas cards:

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Scrap Ecochic

Becky Striepe — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:50 +0000

We’ve talked about the awesomeness of crafting with fabric scraps before, but not everyone has a shamefully stuffed scrap bin like the one in my craft room. If you’re not a hoarder of fabric scraps but still want to get your craft on, don’t fret! Etsy seller Scrap Ecochic has you covered!

Read more of this story »

Atlanta’s 5 Seasons Brewery Producing Rainwater Beer

Becky Striepe — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:00:46 +0000

Back in September, Atlanta’s 5 Seasons Brewing debuted their first beer from harvested rainwater at the National Conference for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. Now, the brewery is producing all of its microbrews from rainwater!

Read more of this story »

Gettin’ Crafty in the Kitchen: Home Made Finger Paint

Becky Striepe — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:30:46 +0000

Kids love to get messy! What better way to let them get that out of their systems than with a little finger painting?

Conventional, store bought finger paints are full of polysyllabic mystery ingredients like mannitol, polyethylene glycol, and sodium benzoate. Some also contain mineral oil, a petroleum product. Rather than letting those kiddos get that stuff all over their hands, clothes, and faces, you can whip up a batch of finger paint in the kitchen! It’s cheaper, easier, and you know exactly what your kids are getting themselves into.

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Vintage Finds from Rope

Becky Striepe — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:30:20 +0000

How sweet are these fresh, vintage fabrics from Rope?

Read more of this story »

A Sea Change: Imagine a World Without Fish

Becky Striepe — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:00:29 +0000

Ocean acidification is the undersea equivalent of climate change, as the ocean absorbs 1/4 of the excess CO2 in our atmosphere.

Over time, this is going to have disastrous effects on marine life. The documentary A Sea Change takes a look at some of the consequences surrounding ocean acidification.

Read more of this story »

Yoga for Crafters: Wrap Up Roundup

Becky Striepe — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:30:20 +0000

That just about does it for this round of Yoga for Crafters. I really enjoying putting this series together. I’ve learned some new poses, and it’s kept me focused on my own practice, too! It’s also reminding me that for years and years I thought I’d be a yoga instructor when I grew up. Maybe this was me playing that out?

Thanks so much to all of the fine folks who helped out with tips and suggestions! Below the fold, you’ll find links to all of the posts from this series. If you feel like there’s a sort of craft that was left out, definitely hit me up!

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Banana Cloth

Becky Striepe — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:30:02 +0000

We’re on a funky fibers kick around here, it seems! From pineapple yarn to spider silk, we’ve been exploring some unusual natural fabric options. I sent my post about pineapple fabric to a friend a couple of weeks ago, and she pointed me to yet another interesting natural fabric: banana fibers.

Read more of this story »

Federal Judge Says USDA Illegally Approved Genetically Modified Sugar Beets

Becky Striepe — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:30:06 +0000

[Sugar Beet Field. Creative Commons photo by Gilles San Martin]

A federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the USDA illegally approved Monsanto’s genetically modified, Roudup Ready beets.

Read more of this story »

Yoga for Crafters: The Metal- and Wood-working Edition

Becky Striepe — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:30:51 +0000

Craft show season is getting close, and that means all of you green crafty biz owners are probably working overtime to get merch ready for the upcoming fall shows! Any sort of repetitive action is tough on your body, and crafting is no different. Rather than pop an over the counter pain medication, why not take some time to relax and stretch the soreness away with yoga poses targeted at the places that take the most abuse?

As with any new exercise, please be cautious and consult your doctor before trying anything too terribly strenuous.

This week, we’re taking a look at the aches and pains that come with metal- and wood-work. All of that sawing, filing, hammering, and drilling is rough on your arms and shoulders, and you’re probably feeling pretty groggy after focusing for so long. Here are some yoga poses to help you bounce back!

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Spider Silk

Becky Striepe — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:15:53 +0000

[Female Golden Orb Spider. Creative Commons photo via quintanaroo]

It is in the name of Fab Fabrics and Halloween that I’m trying to put my fear of spiders on the back burner so I can tell you about the spookiest natural fiber I’ve ever heard of: spider silk.

Read more of this story »