Ship by rls: Recycled Frames

Over and Out.

2008-07-27T13:01:00.002-05:00

Sad but true my friends, though I doubt that anyone has ventured out onto this blog since its moldy with neglect. Life has taken over, and what was once a hobby that turned into something great, must fall back into obscurity. Sports injuries, surgeries, recouperation, a 2nd job, an online course, certifications, grad school prep have all come first, often in droves. And so I must say goodbye to ship frames. The Etsy store will remain up, and items will stay until sold out. With a small glimmer of hope, the store will remain open, in the hopes that someday I may have time again to sit and be creative.

If you have any questions, concerns, comments, marriage proposals - forward them on via message on Etsy.

Cheers.

Yes We Can!

2008-02-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

Its Business Time...

2008-01-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

Ship Frames are taking a creative hiatus for the month of January.
It was initially unofficial, but we are making it official to ensure that ship creator, Rebekah, doesnt feel bad about the lack of creative flow she is feeling.

Purchases can still be made. Custom orders accepted.

New items, however, will not be posted until February.

Get excited for recycled frames during the month of love!!!

Stranded on a desert island

2008-01-05T15:11:00.000-05:00

There have only been 5 days in 2008 and already I have must-haves.

Ingrid Michaelson's Girls and Boys.
Sia's Some People Have Real Problems.
Nicole Atkins' Neptune City.

The Up Series Documentary.
Amelie.

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Boxall.

Peanut Butter Company's Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter.

List

2008-01-05T15:08:00.000-05:00

Holidays over. Check.
Store pretty much emptied. Check.
Blog fully neglected. Check.
2008 arrived. Check.
One year anniversary on Etsy. Check.

Day by Day

2007-12-01T15:15:00.000-05:00

Ho ho ho and mistletoe.
Its the holiday season and you know what that means ... its a crafters paradise. I've been upcycling into the evening and therefore ... new items are posted DAILY!

See whats new - Ship by rls

What I Want For Christmas

2007-11-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

What I want for Christmas ... the Etsy addition.

TheOffBeatArtisans' YoYo Blossom neckpiece

Rosewebs' Lawn Chair Web Wallet

Waterfall's Forest Glass Ring

Owen's Wrapped Circle Ring

Nicolya's Large Art Card- London Eye

Damselflycreations' Copper Alphabet Ring

Liana Kabel's Vintage Knitwit Bangle

Bam, how do you like me now?

2007-11-25T15:34:00.000-05:00

I am so damn excited. I made the first page of Gift Guides for Eco Friends. "Looking for a gift that's ecologically sound? This guide is full of them. Gift guides are curated by Etsy admin. Seeking a present for someone else? Flip through all the gift guides with the arrows on the right."

I made the 3rd row! Woot woot!

Eco Friends Gift Guide

If I was smart enough to do a screen shot, I would, but Im not, so you'll have to click the above link.

Buy Handmade!

Why?

2007-11-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

8 Reasons You Should Buy Handmade Products This Holiday

1. Handmade products are unique. Do you really want the same scarf, mug, or other item that 20,000 other people have? Of course not! Handmade items are always unique, even if they are the same type of product because they are not made by machines they are crafted by human beings so each piece will have its’ own unique characteristics.

2. Handmade items have personality. Life is not about being blah. Life is about expressing yourself and to do that your things need to have as much personality as you do. If you are happy with buying mass produced items that have no personality off a shelf at Wal Mart think about what that says about you. Don’t you want to express some personality?

3. Handmade items are special. When you get a gift don’t you feel a little bit more loved when someone gives you a handmade gift? Everyone loves getting handmade gifts or wearing something that was made just for them.

4. Handmade items last longer. Because they are made from high quality materials and handcrafted items that are handmade last longer than low quality imported mass produced items.

5. Handmade goods are high quality. If you are a person who values craftsmanship then you already know that handmade items are far superior to mass produced items. When quality matters, go handmade!

6. Handmade items are not made by children in sweatshops in Third World countries making 10 cents a day. Experienced and trained craftspeople make each handmade item. So while you might pay a few dollars more for a handmade item it’s because you are paying for quality, experience, talent, and craftsmanship. Isn’t that worth paying for?

7. When you buy handmade you are supporting traditional arts and crafts that have passed down through generations. In today’s high tech world the old arts and crafts traditions are being replaced by mass production but when you buy handmade you are saying that you prefer your items to be high quality pieces of art instead of mass produced trinkets.

8. When you buy handmade you are supporting local and small businesses. By paying artists and craftspeople for their goods you are supporting them and all the businesses that they do business with. If you are a person who believes in supporting your community buying from local artists is a great way to support your community and make sure that your money goes to support local businesses.

Keep these things in mind the next time you see a scarf, a bracelet, some great handmade soap or other item and think, "I could get that for half price at Wal Mart."

Please, shop handmade this holiday season!

Thanks to http://cozycatscarves.squarespace.com/ for this list!

Handmade Pledge

2007-11-17T12:47:00.000-05:00

I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season, and ask others to do the same for me.
There is no better place to seek out fun, unique, quality handmade goods from amazing artist then get yourself to etsy.com.

Greenward!

2007-11-12T09:12:00.001-05:00

Ship frames are now available at the eco-modern store Greenward in Porter Square, Cambridge.

Check them out:

Crafting Back-Up

2007-11-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

I have crafters block. There seems to be no creative energy flowing in me.
Im having many mini-issues here:
1. Is it a chicken and an egg situation here - create more pieces and they will sell or do people not dig what I made so why make more?
2. A job + a weekend job + preparing grad school applications + being single (ie. being on the prowl) + having a social life + needing 8 hours of sleep = not that much free time.
3. I just sold 2 pieces after a wee dry spell, will this spur some creative flow in me?

I did just run into some cool blogs lately, and I would like to share them -
Kiwi Punch Designs makes some rad stitched cards. Check her out: Kiwi Punch Designs Shop She also has a pretty sweet blog: Typewriter Blog

The Greenest Entry Ever!

2007-10-27T13:48:00.001-05:00

Think of this as - part book review - part book report - part local resource list
Choose to Reuse: More than 2000 resources, more than 200 topics from air filters to zippers by Nikki and David Goldbeck.
"An encyclopedia of services, products, programs and charitable organizations that foster reuse."

This is a great book broken down by item category, it has sections for what can or cannot be recycled, and where to donate or buy.

I started compiling a list of local 'hot' spots specially noted in the book*:
Boston Public School Recycle Center/ISAE donate arts&crafts
Green Planet (Newton)buy lots o'stuff
Bikes Not Bombs (Jamaica Plain)
Recycle and Disposal Facility (Wellesley) donate&get used books
Anthony's Originals (Naticks) buy instr. recycle kits
Boston Computer Society (Waltham) donate
East West Development Education Foundation (Boston) donate comp

Donations Assistance Program (Boston) buy furnishings

Skip Smith (Quincy)
G & A Recycling Supply (Leomister) buy shipping supplies

*this is not a complete list of all metro companies and organizations.

I hear them talking about me.

2007-10-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

The blog, Mable's did an article on Ship frames.
Mable's is a great shopping blog, seld described as a unique Shopping Blog! It's filled with fun and unique products and online coupon codes! Nothing beats that.

Read the article on Ship!

Are you out there god, its me Margaret

2007-10-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

Now, I know perfectly well that I can find out the link, which I have conveniently forgotten to tell me how many hits my blog has, where you kids are coming from, how often you visit, and all that other reverse voyeuristic information.

Instead, Im putting out a little double dare - I would like everyone who is reading this blog to give me a little shoutout via the comments section. Now dont make me look bad and end with 0 comments still months from now.

To make this even more fun, and give you something to say - tell me the song you cant stop playing right now.

Do it!

Book Review

2007-10-20T13:35:00.000-05:00

Im on a craft book kick (as well as an 'actually posting in my blog' kick). For those of you who do not know me well I am the biggest library nerd. The first thing I did when I decided I was moving down to Boston was to attempt to get a library card. The first thing, I didnt even have an apartment yet! So needless to say I've been fiendish about getting craft books from the library.

In the upcoming month I'll be writing a review of Craft Inc: Turn your creative hobby into a business / Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business for Boston Handmade

Craft Books I Recommend Taking A Look At:
Bazaar Bizarre: Not Your Granny's Crafts!
Ready Made: How to Make (almost) Everything: a do-it yourself primer
Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe
Sew Subersive
Turn your creative hobby into a business / Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business
D.I.Y: Design It Yourself

Love is a Mixtape

2007-10-18T11:37:00.000-05:00

If you have not read Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mixtape, then ... there are no repercussions, but you should read it. If you listened to music in the 90s, or you've been in love, or you have ever read a book, then this book is a requirement.

Sheffield cronicles his love and relationship with his wife via 22 mixtapes that they made in their life together. "Each chapter begins with song titles from the couple's myriad mixes—"Tapes for making out, tapes for dancing, tapes for falling asleep"—and uses them to describe a beautiful love story: "a real cool hell-raising Appalachian punk-rock girl" meeting in graduate school a "hermit wolfboy, scared of life, hiding in my room with my records," and how they built a tender relationship on the music they loved."

I've been making mix tapes of my life since I had enough music to put on a tape, and even before then when I'd put a song I couldnt stop listening to on a mix 2-3 times. There are break-up tapes, and secret crush tapes, road trip tapes, pretend you're a rockstar while driving around tapes, super depressing tapes and then the inevitable songs I cant stop listening to at this very moment tapes (often simply titled the month and year).

October 2007:
Ageless Beauty (the most serene republic), The Stars
I Was Married, Tegan and Sara
O Mary Dont You Weep, Bruce Springsteen
Have You Ever, Brandi Carlile
To The Dogs or Whoever, Josh Ritter
Coyote, Jenny Owen Young
Bucky Done Gun, M.I.A
My Moon, My Man, Feist
Mind's Eye, Josh Ritter
If I Fall, Azure Ray
If You Knew, Neko Case
13 Dias, Manu Chao
This Piece of Poetry Is Meant To Do Harm, The Ark
Little Thing, Lily Allen
Challengers, New Pornographers
Kolla Kolla, The Ark
Quelqu'un M'a Dit, Carla Bruni
Jesus Saves, I Spend, St. Vincent
London Calling, The Clash
Blacklisted, Neko Case
Nineteen, Tegan and Sara
Smoke Detector, Rilo Kiley
The Minnow & The Trout, A Fine Frenzy

Camerao Obscura

2007-10-18T11:30:00.000-05:00

My camera is broken. Its been broken since late July. Its still not fixed. Surprisingly, cameras do not fix themselves, and so it remains broken. I think I just need a new battery. But what if I dont? What if the expensive camera that I got for Christmas last year is broken? Its this question, combined with complete laziness that keeps me from doing anything about it.

And yet, if I had my camera, I could take pictures, lots of them. Pictures of my 'studio' for another blog, pictures of my actual items. Essentially what I'm saying is that my blog, and quite clearly, my life, would be better if I fixed my camera.

Therefore, my blog may, quite possibly, continue to suck so long as I am without camera.

Without digital photography capabilities ... well lets just say, I'll be a better person when I fix my camera.

Cooler Than Cold?

2007-09-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

Im in a fit of jealousy. There was currently a forum on Etsy asking what kind of craft people found that they wished they could pick up after having spent exorbinant amounts of time and money on Etsy. I, my friends, want to screenprint. Nothing is cooler than screenprinting. Ok, maybe gocco. I have no idea what gocco IS, but I know that I love it all. Screenprinting and Gocco artist are cool, they are possibly the coolest of the artists I know. No one is cooler - no metalsmith, no woodworker, no painter, the "sce-cco" artist is rad.

loaded hips press

magic jelly

Saturday Night Fever

2007-09-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

Its Saturday night and that means ... its time to hunker down with a new movie, a glass of wine, and ... some old cardboard.

I have recently moved to a great new space, and as of last night my desk/mini-studio area has been set up (pics to follow). Its screaming for a new layer of glue and stuck bits of paper. I cant let her down, so after a run to the HiLo Food Mart, after a quick run with the dog, and the first load of laundry ... a new frame will be created!

Im sad to report, I was rejected from Bazaar Bizarre. But Im really excited for everyone who got in and will of course attend and spend a small fortune. This weekend is also JP Open Studios, and though I got in last minute, I had to bail and so today was slightly sad as I spent the day at the bookstore while our Featured Artist was showing.

The new love of my life is WithRemote an artist from Minnesota on Etsy who creates some rad graphic art and screen printing. Check him out, buy his stuff before I clean him out! Love, love love!

Ta Da!

2007-09-14T12:34:00.000-05:00

New frames have been posted up on Etsy. There are lots of 4x6, 4x4, 2x2. New materials used - Parking Ticketn envelopes (below), childrens books, graffiti graphics, vintage art book pics, and advertisements. Check out the new work -

Reading is Sexy Part Duex

2007-09-13T10:49:00.000-05:00

If you know me, and most likely you dont really, but if you did, you'd know I was a psycho reader. A voracious reader. A nightly pre-bed no matter what time in the morning reader.

As someone who reads like its going out of style you tend to forget all the books you've read and did you like them and what were your thoughts on them.

Question: What is a reader to do?

Answer: Go to GoodReads.com.

Check out my Good Reads page, see what I've read, see what I thought, judge me solely based on my dislike for certain classics, or my love of random lame reads, and then friend me so I can judge you based on your love for James Patterson or hatred of Nabokov.

Live and In Person

2007-09-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

Ship was just at their first fair!
Boston Handmade (Etsy's Boston Street Team) held their Artisan Fair in Jamaica Plain's First Thursday on September 6th.
Thanks everyone who came out, who bought frames, and who made Rebekah feel like a rockstar of a recycling artisan.

Ship will be at Truth Serum's Urban Country Fair in Union Square from 3-7pm.

Fingers crossed that Ship gets into Bazaar Bizarre!

Reading is Sexy

2007-09-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

Ship frames are going to be in a book. Now you too can make these frames. I was torn about whether or not to submit my frames as a DIY craft but ... its not really rocket science, and if it gets other people reusing and recycling their goods, then more power to us all!

Kate Shoup Welsh has written other craft books - Not Your Mama’s Beading & Not Your Mama’s Stitching. She is putting together her latest book - Rubbish: Reuse your Refuse and is due out ... EARTH DAY!

On Earth Day, grab your bike, and pedal over to your local bookstore and ask for the book and check me out!

ps. New frames! We got tons, just waiting to be found and loved, they will be posted on Etsy Friday, September 14th.

Plastic Bags....

2007-08-08T07:31:00.000-05:00

**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.
**Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
**About 1% of the plastic bags used are actually recycled
the average time of actual use for a single plastic bag is under 1 minute.

Reusable Bags
Fused Plastic Bag Bag

In like Flynn

2007-07-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

Newly listed items. All frames can be found on Ship at Etsy

Rockstar

2007-07-12T10:41:00.001-05:00

My brother is a god damn rockstar. A few years ago he started making movies.

His 'classic' Police Chase and Chance are available on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/user/fatSlimfilms

You can also see some of his work and hit him up for some graphics (click the image below):

Top 10

2007-07-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

Everyone hates the question "whats your favorite....book, band, cd, movie." Its a known fact. Everyone eventually is required, as part of humanity, to ask someone this question. And that person, is required to say "I hate that question." And then you feel dumb for asking, but you had to, and you know that if that person could just answer the question it would tell you multitudes about their personality. Their answers could right there decide if you can actually survives as friends. The difference between answering Pans Labrynth vs. Legally Blonde...well it goes without saying, you'll remain aquantances (sp?) at most.

I've been working at Rhythm and Muse on the weekends, and we've been talking about making lists of 'Essentials.' (music and books that people really need to own/read/hear). As I've embarked on my daily commute I've thought more and more about this. And so I will begin my very own essentials list.

Disclaimer: this is my own personal, bizarre, poor, awkward tastes. It doesnt mean it something that is a classic or essential, but Im lovin' it, and its my blog, so I can do what I want!

Books oh how I have loved you:
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Golden
The Red Tent, by Diamant
Cradle to Cradle, by McDonough & Braungart
Rebecca, by duMaurier
Letters to a Young Poet, by Rilke
Heart of Darkness, by Chantler
Paper Bag Princess, by Munsch

Music to my ears:*
Buena Vista Social Club
Pixies' Death to the Pixies
Sufjan Stevens's Songs for Christmas and Illinois
Johnny Cash
Erin McKeown's Grand
Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack
Mark Knofler/Emmylou's All the Road Running
Hole's Live Through This
Melissa Ferrick's 70 People at 7000 feet
Stevie Wonder's Definitive Collection
Simon & Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park
Lucinda Williams' Carwheels on a Gravel Road

Top 5 CDs I'd bring on a road trip if I left right now:
Amelie Soundtrack
Tegan and Sara's If It Was You
Mark Knofler/Emmylou's All the Road Running
Buena Vista Social Club with Ibrahim Ferrer
A heinous pop mix with - Rhianna's SOS and Gwen Stefani's Sweetest Decline.

Summer in the city

2007-07-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

The city is an interesting place. It thrives on creativity and art, and yet I find that Im having a hard time sitting down and ... doing. There is too damn much to do! Last week I had full intentions of spending my Thursday sitting tight, doing laundry and creating 3-4 frames (half for etsy, the other half for stores here in JP). I did not stay in, in fact i didnt even stay in my house for 5 mintues after work. I trekked around JP for "First Thursday" (stores are open late, artists show their work in stores) and then was off to see an elderly man sing the blues in Roslindale. My creativity went into overdrive, but the extent of my output was clapping at other people putting their art into action.
I will be moving in August and Im excited for my new place and new roommates. We are striving for a very intentional home life, vegan family style dinners, and time spent together in the living room. The living room where we have toyed around with the idea of making half of it a studio for my roommate and I to work in. THAT, my friends might just be the answer. Look out August, Im going to be spewing out my art!

FYI - coming this week I will post my newest frames!

Phrancly my dear....

2007-07-02T11:36:00.001-05:00

Phranc, the rocking lesbian jewish folk singer is a cardboard artist! Holy crap. Its kismet!
Im loving her work, check out her blog:
http://phrancthecardboardcobbler.blogspot.com/

Nice Forest

2007-06-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Holy cool -
Yuken Teruya is a Japanese artist who createst mini - dioramas in shadowbox form from discarded paper , take out , & commercial bags, etc. His work "subtly draws our attention to the effects of consumerism and globalism."

ship available at Indigena, Jamaica Plain

2007-06-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

Thats right folks, head on down to Indigena, 42 South Street Jamaica Plain.

Newly reopened, ship frames will be appearing in the store by the end of this week!

Look for some jazzy patterns, bright colors and lots of fun.

My Etsy store is being cleaned up, silly pieces are gone, look this week for some new pieces, retro prints, funky patterns, moving up, moving on!

Witness Protection Program

2007-06-07T08:21:00.001-05:00

Im not in it, I just moved, which is why I have been completely MIA.

Check out the new frames on ship by rls

ship available at On Centre, Jamaica Plain

2007-05-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

Thats right folks, head on down to On Centre at 686 Centre St Jamaica Plain, for some great ship frames as well as other great pieces by other equally worthy craftspersons.

On Centre is selling 4 of the smaller frames (yet to be seen on etsy) that are 4x4, as well as 4 medium frames (also yet to be seen on etsy). These frames are in funky retro prints from a vintage learn to draw/paint book.

Thats right, Im that exclusive, some things are only available in stores!

Photos of the pieces coming soon!
Check in on etsy this week as new fun pieces will be added daily!

Boston Bound!

2007-05-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

Well kids, its official. Im moving back to Boston!

"Life Plan # 25" is underway and looking more and more like its my official life plan! For those of you who missed the first 24 life plans, let me catch you up on #25:

1. Move to Boston June 1st
2. Begin new job as Activities Assistant at a Retirement Community June 4th
3. Volunteer at another Retirement Community in JP, and at Hearth (organization to end elder homelessness).
4. Study for and take GREs and take online course with Institute of Gerontology
5. Apply to get my Masters in Social Work with a focus in Gerontology
6. Become an adult, who has a purpose and a path

To Do:
1. Get new engine on car, as current engine died on Tuesday
2. Find an apartment in Jamaica Plain that will allow dogs and is not a 420 haven.
3. Buy a mattress (I need a new one)

Tagged!

2007-05-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

OK, I've been Tagged. Impybat got me, she's great. Check her out.

These are the rules:
1.List seven random facts/habits about yourself
2.Choose another seven bloggers to tag and list their names in your blog
3.Leave your seven tagged bloggers comments to notify them of their tagging and to direct them to your blog for tag instructions.

Here me is:
1. I collect Pez
2. Im a strict vegetarian, and would be vegan if cheese didnt count. I love me some cheese.
3. I have a gay dog, his name is George
4. I dont like tv, but am a sucker for the Discovery Channel and Law and Order
5. I like girls. :-)
6. Im an out of control salt addict
7. I played Division I college ice hockey

I tagged:
limon verde. love, gemma. megs lemonade. etsa sketch. curbside treasure. cat bishop. hundreds of sparrows.

What to do next?

2007-05-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

Im feeling like Im hitting a bit of a slump, not so much in my creativity, but in my sales. And so this brings me to the question of creation. Do I continue to push out some new work and add to my store? Do I hold out that some of this will sell? Is it not selling because people are not feeling it?
Ahhh the vicious cycle.
Now add the South End Open Market and my need to bring a heap of materials to that.

Calling all experts:
For those of you who have done markets...
How much product should I bring? 25? 50? 100?
What else do I need? What makes a good display?
What is unneccessary?

South End Open Market

2007-04-27T12:26:00.000-05:00

Come one, Come all!

On May 19th I will be in Boston at the South End Open Market.

Its my first fair, so check me out, make me feel good, bring me a coffee, buy my stuff, be my friend.

Blocked

2007-04-12T09:41:00.000-05:00

Im having crafters block. Ok, thats not fully true. There is not so much a block, as too little time. Im home, suddenly its 6pm. Gotta take the dog out, gotta eat. Now Im trying to move down to Jamaica Plain ... asap, and so I need to find a job, and somehow I cannot justify not spending 3 hours on the computer searching for jobs. This gets me to 9:30 and who wants to bust out an exacto knife and create a stencil then?
Normally I would, but Im feeling lazy. And this is making me feel guilty because I have not created anything in about 2 weeks and I havent sold anything in about 3 weeks.
I have ideas, lots of ideas.
Im starting a Prepster Collection. Whales, Sailboats, Anchors... you get the picture.
I've got a dirty word foreign collection going as well, but havent decided if I will put those up.
Im really interested in stenciling and so Im trying to work on that.
Its interesting the world of crafting. I feel like I should be productive and get pieces out there, but at the same time I grapple with just playing and creating stencils and sketching and getting better at that. I guess its like the idea of working on a skill or actually getting out there and showing something.
The other kicker is that during the day while Im a cubicle hermit I would kill for an exacto knife and manila envelope and no boss coming around the corner...

Love the artist

2007-04-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

I have been constantly updating the area I call "Noteworthy Art-eests." I have put links to my favorite people and their stores. They are absolutely amazing and Im completely enthralled by their creativity.

Cat Bishop "recycling fine junk into so-so art" its more than so-so, its so cool!

Jared in Kansas takes gorgeous photographs, now I know there are a lot of photographers out there, but his photos make me want to go and sit by myself and just be in them.

Meg's Lemonade is Meg can do amazing things with fun fabric. Im loving the Mama Hen coin purse.

Esta Sketch sketches like none other. Again, I know there are lots of artists out there, but she does such simple ideas and they are so engaging.

Hundreds of Sparrows makes crazy great jewelery. Its unlike anything you've seen before. I want about half of what she sells.

Curbside Treasure is a girl after my own heart, she takes what she has and makes these amazing collages and creations. I particulary love the recycled slide mount pin.

Love, Gemma is a jewelery designer and one of the best. Her work is like poetry.
Check them out, support them, love them.

Koko

2007-04-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

It should be noted that I am obsessed, obsessed with Koko the gorilla. If you have not looked into my girl Koko, then you really should. She is positively amazing. I would like to befriend her. In fact, Im currently looking for a roommate and I think she'd be ideal. I mean she'd love my dog, she's a vegetarian, she watches "Pretty Woman" daily, she blogs, she's an artist who sells her paintings for thousands, and she's a constant learner. Plus she's a few years older than me and has her own place.

Check her out - Koko's World

Stencil

2007-04-03T09:25:00.000-05:00

Im all about the stencil.
I love the stencil.
I could spend my day creating stencils.
But sadly I have a job and its apparent when Im curled up in one corner of my desk playing with paper and pencils that Im not doing anything considered 'productive.'

Rookie works:

Glue

2007-03-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

Im going to admit it....I use rubber cement. I love it, I really do. Its the most perfect of the glue family. Ifs teh friendliest, your good friend who has been with you all the years and never lets you down. It is comforting. However, I have been reading and I'm learning that it is evil. Its considered hazardous and toxic for the air. So that might defeat the whole making recycled goods thing if Im continuing to support rubber cement factories.
I need a new glue, and it needs to coexist happily with the world (and it cant be that guerilla glue cause that stuff is intense and scares me...)

One World Projects

2007-03-27T07:51:00.000-05:00

One World Projects is an amazing site that carries recycled plastic mat bracelets made by women in Africa. "These recycled plastic bracelets are crafted in Burkina Faso from old plastic mats that are used for rugs and prayer mats throughout Western Africa. They are routinely discarded on the edges of villages. A group of 4-10 women, lead by Rose Bere, collect them to make these colorful adornments."

Busted

2007-03-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

I feel like some seedy craft addict.
I was carded the other day...at Target...when I went to buy Rubber Cement. And to make matters worse it wasnt even enough rubber cement, I wanted more!

Back in Action

2007-03-26T11:56:00.000-05:00

Im back. Its been a few weeks, throw in two weeks of crazy work schedule, and one week of family emergency and funeral and you get yourself one emotional drained and physically exhausted recycler.

But last night I made two new pieces which Im really happy with.

Im trying to get the word out to some more buyers and maybe even some stores to carry my frames.

A great seller on etsy suggested I get in contact with this great store in California - http://www.theroadlesstraveledstore.com. Check them out!

lampshade?

2007-03-12T08:56:00.000-05:00

I am on a constant mission to look at the way I see things. How can I take that piece of trash Im about to bury into my garbage and make something I can use? How can I make it beautiful?

I came across this article about a guy named Heath Nash in South Africa-
Check out his gorgeous lamp made out of old plastic bottles-

Frame Me

2007-03-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

Etsy

2007-03-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world of crafting!
I have opened up my own shop on Etsy.
I make frames out of recycled goods - maps, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, dog chow bags...you name it.
I can make custom orders as well.
Saving the world and making it pretty one piece of cardboard at a time...
Check me out! ship by rls

Sail On

2006-12-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

There are certain people in your life who come around and grab a piece of your heart, and no matter how inexplicable it is, their spot stays, like a solid mass in your heart. That is their place, and no matter the quantity of their time with you, it was the quality that made you love them.

My cousin John's place is a mass in the side of my heart, its a solid, strong, beautiful bond created almost out of nowhere. John died this past Sunday, and I dont think he would have known the connection I felt to him, or how much I would cry when he died, the hurt and the loss I would feel. The unspoken desire that he would come 'home' again. In conventional terms, John and I were not close. John was not close to any of us, as his closest cousin he and I had last spoken 5 years ago.

John was a sad soul. You could feel it, you knew deep down it was there, but more often it was bubbling right there on the surface. As Russian-Irish decendants, secret alcoholism had always plagued our family, John (or Ship, short for Shippe) was no exception. Add losing his mother at 17, his grandmother at 18, and having grown up around the world and lacking a home base, John disappeared out west, only to return for two visits before he would die at the age of 43.

I was a Junior in college on a quest to connect with this man I hardly knew. Years had passed and we were generations apart, but before long the familial blood bond drew us together. We were shining examples of the Polchowski ancestry, little mini versions of our grandfather with our non-stop story telling. We started in 2001 and took ourselves right back to 1979.

I remember pacing in my room, my body animated with the excitement and power of this moment on the phone - a country apart, estranged for years, but the same blood coursing through our body, connecting us through a phone line. I remember standing in front of my door, talking animatedly with my hands as we recounted our lives, our connection, giving each other the missing pieces to memories we couldnt quite put together.

That November evening was frozen in time, I can feel the phone in my hand, I can see the lighting in my room, I can feel my heart grow just that much bigger. John was making his mark. I would write him letters, and send him cards, but just as quickly as he was there, he disappeared.

I thought of him often and wished there would be a miracle to return him home to his family. John will be returning to us, and we will welcome him home, and he will stay with me in my heart just as he has been. And as my heart grows bigger, I hope that his is now at peace.

Hohoho and mistletoe...

2006-11-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

and psycho obsessive crafting.

Its the holidays and I love it. Some would say its not the Holidays yet, but there is already a 24 hour Christmas station on the radio and so that means its official. I personally will not accept it as fact till I see the Macy's Santa on Thanksgiving and then my friends...let the holidays begin.

And so to commemorate my holiday cheer I have decide to embark on a non-stop craft fest. Yesterday began with the first attempt at the recycled basket. Needless to say I wouldnt describe the first one as beautiful. In typical Rebekah fashion Im goin to take the lame directions I found online and rock my basket out. Recycled baskets for everyone! Journals, well you know they're my forte.

Im putting some serious thought into taking a class on either - jewelry making. I want to learn how to sodlder silver or widdle wood into rings. I dont know if this class exists, but Im on a quest to find it, and a dream that it might be a free class, with free materials.

But in reality I have a dream. I have a goal. I have a mission. I have a holiday purpose. I will build a gingerbread house. Less you think I'm going to throw some damn graham crackers and some stale Betty Crocker frosting and a bag of gum drops and call it a day, behold, I will not. I am taking this event seriously. Probably more seriously than I take my own actual job. I plan on building a New England Cape say, with a garage. That is right...preferrably a two car garage. I have already begun my research for the most effective gingerbread recipe, as well as the best 'frosting' and have found that a recipe created in Honolulu will do. Gum drops and candy canes my lone accessories you ask? No, and I mean, no. I'm going to start hording from my local Hannaford on my way home - everything from coconut shavings (I know, a typical staple) to crackers (I cannot yet tell you what for).

We're talking -

not

What possesses a sane person to do this? ... I do not know, but when I decide I hate Christmas and father Christmas and Holiday cheer, we can just blame it on the gum drops.

VH1 Book Club?

2006-11-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

I have a constant need for productivity. Now if you told anyone in my immediate family this, they would look at you, tilt their head to the side and stare blankly at your face like a dog who hears only select recognizable words "......Rebekah......productive......never relax......" All along they'd be wondering if you were talking about the same person. As I sit here resetting my blog font, I'm tucked into my cubicle, Starbucks Dark Roast in hand, and a bunch of work projects pushed off to the side, - I have a blog to update, priorities! Productivity to me is relative. Work - not so much. Increasing my gym workouts - still no. Getting any further on grad school applications - put that on the todo list, I'll get to it later. I like lists; I make lists for everything - things to do before I die, errands to run on Saturday, cds to buy in the next few months. And the best part, I get to prioritize it.

I like to feel productive, like I'm doing something, sleeping till 1pm on a Saturday is a legitimately productive activity because … I am catching up on sleep. Its all about the verb, ‘catching’ up on something I deem important is therefore productive. Waking up at 7am on Saturday to get all the errands for the weekend done… ‘waking’ up… not as important.

I'm the type of person who cannot commit to a movie. Instead of spending two hours with Angelina Jolie, I could be filing away my bills, cutting my nails, tweezing my eyebrows, reorganizing my closet or brushing my dog. If I do in fact sit and watch the movie, you will not get me to sit quiet, I will at least need to do a puzzle to stay… “productive.”

I'm not a tv person. But don’t get me wrong I love the tv, I really do, throw on some VH1 I Love Your Mom Part II 80's version and just the sight of Michael Ian Black talking about that argyle reindeer sweater with 2 inch shoulder pads your mom work Christmas of '82...I'll stop and giggle saying to myself ‘Oh Mike, I’m so glad I found a friend as witty as you,” and he'll just suck me right in, hoping that they will only show funny semi-closeted gay men saying things that I'll want to repeat later at Happy Hour for colleagues impressing them with my quick wit, for the next 27 minutes. But you end that show and go right into We're Fat and Famous and hang out with a Clown of an 80’s Rapper and I do a dash for the clicker. If I'm going to voluntarily watch tv, I want to learn something. The Discovery Channel, History Channel, Animal Planet or if you're really pushing it Bravo. I'll sit mesmerized for an hour watching about the effects on the Californian coast a Tsunami that happened 100 years ago in Thailand, or how the Prince of Dubai is building a palm shaped island...because I feel as though that is productive. I am learning. I now know how to build a 100 mile, tree shaped island without eroding the nearby coast, these are good things to know. I decided not to become a forensic scientist because I'm slightly squeamish, but I will happily sit for the next 30 minutes, as you explain how you tracked down a killer because you found a bone fragment in the sand and will forego flashing vomit-inducing graphic photos, because now I know about the latest in DNA technology.

But really I'd rather read a book, but not casually. I have two bookshelves at home - one for books I've read, the other for books I have not. The goal, as there always is a goal in the world of productivity, is to move all the books to one shelf. I am on some kind of crash course in intellect, if I were training for something it would probably be known in some circles as an English Literature degree. For every two fictional, Oprah recommended reads, I read one non-fiction fact filled, mesmerize my colleagues at my extensive knowledge kind of books. Two months ago I had 40 books, 8 books down, 32 more to go. There is no timeline for this training session of study, but as soon as I finish one book I grapple in my head about the next choice of novel. I wonder - do I read Zula - thats short, but is that really a good follow-up to Fast Food Nation? Or jump into A Beautiful Mind - more pages, smaller text... takes too long though. So I grab Odd Girl Out AND Marley and Me and read ferociously at night till its suddenly 1am and the whole point of going to bed early (3 hours ago) is defeated by the fact that I'm ravaging a book. And then I think what would be more productive… staying up till 6am to finish the book and calling in sick to work or do I actually go to my job?

Buenos Dias!

2006-11-10T16:20:00.000-05:00

"This law ... does not require anyone else to change their thinking, nor does it hurt the concept of the nuclear family," said legislator Juan Bustos of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution Party in Mexico which has pushed to legally recognize gay civil unions in the capital.

Cubicle Hermits

2006-11-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

I used to work in a converted farmhouse. Creaky boards, leaning floors, mice in the walls kind of farmhouse. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer. It had a wrap around porch and it made you want to sip on cocoa while you were in a staff meeting. The staff meeting was held in an old living room with a large office table crammed in, and 15 year round staffers sitting around it chatting in fleece and flannel.

I left the comforts of the farmhouse for a corporate building. More money, less time.

Now the temperature at my desk is regulated. It I want it to be 68.5 degrees exactly, I can make it that. What I cannot do is import fresh air. There are no original 1800's windows here to hoist open and let the country air in. I can however, circulate the air that has been trapped in here for the past 5 years. When I walk down the corridor today I smelled a smell that made me think of fat sweaty men lifting trash. Its not that the office smells bad, its jsut the flash of corporate stale air and the chubby sweaty currier mixed together and I thought I might faint. I craved air, I wanted to run out of the building and gasp the chilly fall-winter air outside, but that would require me to weave in and out of a maze of cubicles.

Cubicles - metal and marbled polyester create my office. Jam a bunch of pieces together and you have my daily abode. My desk doesnt slant, no. But I think the blinding flourescent lighting is doing something to my pschye. I feel like a chick under a heat lamp, turn it on and watch me work. I will work, and grow and be productive until I become a grown chicken, and move up to middle management.

I can hear everything the people in my adjoining cubes do and say. You sneeze, I say god bless you. You whole punch consecutively for 10 minutes and the slamming sound stabs my ear drums, you call the police to get a restraining order against your ex-husband and I listen. How can I not? No longer do I have the office to myself, the picture window view of a lake, the ability to blast music and tune my colleagues and the phone out. I'd have to wear headphones to listen to music and then you could creep up behind me and see that I'm not working on a proposal but sending a long email to my best friend on last night's happy hour encounter with a co-worker.

But what I lack in privacy, fresh air, and natural wood I make up for in ... my daily life and my wallet. It amazing what happens when a company can afford to keep 300 people on its payroll, they tend to be able to pay you more. Funny how that works. Sad as it is, but after awhile you cant keep rocking the 20-something save the world mentality, when Sallie Mae turned on you the second you got that diploma. I no longer hear conversations about how my boss is sad that I'm keeping tabs on exactly how many of the 40 hours I work. That it saddens here that I would think to rush out of work at 5. Or how hurt she is that she feels Im really being a stickler to make sure I'm working exactly 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. Today I will leave at 4:30, in fact i will start to pack up at 4:25. The beauty of corporate is that no one is expecting me to have such a severe dedication to this place that for no comp time or overtime, will I put myself, my rest, my happy hour, my Nancy Grace time, my sleep to write another proposal or get that memo out.

So thank you corporate America, you may be frying my brain with flourescent lighting and molding my lunge with stale air... but you're giving me more money to deal with it.