Holiday blah

Phew, another Christmas is over and I'm still (barely) sane! I always love making gifts for friends and family- usually a cute little cuddly creature for my niece and daughter, a few ornaments, maybe a few batches of cookies. This year however, I was so uninspired, I was the craft scrooge! I didn't want to make anything, buy anything, go anywhere, or in general do anything. At the last minute I thought, ok, I'll just make one quick ornament, no pressure. That "quick" ornament turned into a renewed desire to create create create! I added buttons, stitches, details, and spent over two hours finessing my ornament creation. And it turned out great! Christmas day I spent the morning making a new bag, which should be up on my etsy site very soon. I hope you all are having a very happy and creative holiday.

Rockin' the catwalk

Over the weekend I participated in a Thriftonista fashion show! We each showcased 3 vintage looks at The Fabric Lab. You can check out some photos here. More should be coming soon- there were photographers everywhere!

November News

Well, I'm afraid I let another chunk of time pass without a blog. Sorry! What can I say? I just look at my dog's adorable face and get a irrepressible urge to take her out to play! Speaking of that, here's sweet Rosie: I think she just might be one of the cutest things! Get ready for ReLove dog accessories- I've already started mulling over some creations for my "guinea dog". It's really amazing how quickly a dog can change a life. I never thought I'd become a fanatic dog owner into everything dog, but here I am!

October

My sister pointed out that I haven't had any new posts in quite some time. She's right! I don't know where I've been or what I've been doing that has kept me away so much- probably just all the little things that make up my days. I DO know of one place I've been pouring a lot of time into--- our dog Rosie! We got her a few weeks ago. She is a beautiful, wonderful dog, and even has a heart-shaped patch on her rump! How perfect for a ReLove Projects mascot.
One other time consumer/distractor has been preparing for a gallery debut. I will be displaying many of my animal cut-out cards at Clementine Studio Gallery. The opening reception is November 7, 6-9 pm, at Clementine Studio located in The Steelyards 2950 31st Street, Boulder, 80301. It will be a very kid-friendly event with recycled materials projects, appetizers, and of course, my unique art! I hope to see you there.

Make someone's day!

Make someone's day, or their week, or maybe even their month- and send them a fabulous, unique card by ReLove Projects! I just added this Whaley Whale to my Etsy Store, made from a very cool vintage print.

Fishy Fun

Today's Etsy listing is this fabulous fish card. It is made from a black and white fabric, a recycled blue button eye, and stitched with dark blue thread. Every card comes with a matching 'To: & From:' envelope, which I think makes them an extra-special gift! To view my Etsy store, click HERE.

Retro Squirrel (and other delights)

Today's Etsy listing is Retro Squirrel. He's emerged from a very funky shirt! I also made an elephant from the same fabric.

Friday and Flower Bursts

Phew, made it through the week adding at least one new thing each day to my Etsy shop! This weekend I am visiting my sister, but I will resume daily postings again on Monday. Today's listing is a new turtle card, called Flower Bursts. I love his button eye- a long time ago (before ReLove Projects), I bought a little box of tiny tiny buttons at a rummage sale. I knew that some day I would use them!

Etsy's Daily Treat

Today's ReLove Projects' Etsy listing is this owl guy. It is a card made from a 50's house dress that I actually used to wear! It started to fall apart a bit, but there was still a lot of usable (but unfortunately not wearable!) bits of fabric. I made a few other cards from this fabric, and I have some more left, so we'll see where my creativity takes it!

BlueMaroon Bag

I liked the sound of 'BlueMaroon' all squished together, so that's what I titled my latest bag- and my daily etsy listing. It is a really special bag- bucket style with fabulous embroidery. It is one-of-a-kind, and made from recycled materials including a pair of pants and a tablecloth (the lining). You can buy it here!

Happy Whale Card

I will be posting one new item DAILY on my etsy shop! Today's posting is this happy whale- I don't know why, but every time I look at it I'm happy. Hopefully it makes you happy too! If you would like to buy it, click here.

Clementine Art Studio

Lately I've taken a little hiatus to respark my creative juices. I've been working the summer camps at Clementine Studios here in Boulder. It has been great getting my hands covered in craft supplies with the kiddos, and they made some wonderfully inspiring works of art! The drawing by Roan (age 5)is of someone doing the yoga pose 'down dog', and a butterfly.

Old and New

I brought the cool hawaiian-looking purse back to my Etsy store. I was thinking about keeping it, but every time I look at it I just feel like it belongs to somebody else... So, whomever that may be, go to Etsy and claim it! I reduced the price a little too, just to make sure it has a better chance of finding a good home. I also added a few new cards. My latest thing is working with black and white but adding a small splash of color (the purple stitching around the border!).

The everlasting mumu

The fabric used to make these two cards are what started things in the very beginning for ReLove Projects. I found this GIGANTIC mumu at a thrift store, and just had to buy it because I adored the fabric. When I brought it home I even tried it on just for fun! Everyone thought I looked a little kooky, so I knew I couldn't wear it. Instead I turned it into a little purse and I got so many compliments that I made a few more, and then I found some other fabric that I made into some unique things and realized that I had found one of my passions. I STILL have some of the fabulous fabric left over, so you'll see it pop up in some cards and other small things occasionally (I mostly just have small pieces). I still just love this print and I love all the memories that are tied up in the crazy green, brown and orange paisleys!
PS- AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN BUY THESE (AND OTHER FABULOUS ONE-OF-A-KIND THINGS!) AT MY ETSY STORE.

Recycling in Style

Recycling is coming up everywhere! I liked this one on the bottom of a shopping bag.

Card Crazy

Someone came along and bought ALL my cards! While that was so great, and I'm so thankful, it sent me into a mad frenzy to make more. They are really taking off, and I'm trying to keep up the supply. I suppose there are worse things in the world than to do something that I thoroughly enjoy! Here's some new ones.

Etsy Shop

Giraffes, whales, turtles, oh my!

I've been busy busy busily making new cards for my etsy shop! I'm adding new ones daily, so visit often! Here are some of the recent additions:
Rif-Raff Giraffe
San Fran Whale
And soon to be added, Orange Motley Turtle.

Sea Turtles and Love Your Earth

Good news! ReLove Projects cards and bags are now being sold at Love Your Earth, located at 4110 Tennyson in Denver. I made a few special sea turtle cards, just for them. They are a limited edition, exclusive to Love Your Earth. Check out their website here, or go and stop by the store! Love Your Earth is really cute and sells ALL local and eco-friendly products. I found a few treasures!

Earth Hour Winner!

Congratulations go to Chase and her roommate, with ohthecuteness, for the Earth Hour Give Away. She was the only comment! Come on people! Geese. I'd still love to hear some commitments to the environment- and here are some ideas:
-Bring a coffee mug with you when you need your espresso fix. Those paper cups add up quickly!
-Switch your lightbulbs to energy efficient ones, use natural detergents and house cleaners, and make other positive household changes. Check out www.biggreenpurse.com for shopping links, information, and tips.
-I know it's a pain in the rear to get in the habit of remembering to bring bags back to the store to reuse, but it really does help! And some stores either give you cash back (that's always good!), or donate money to a local cause. Some of the grocery totes I've seen are so colorful and fun, and they're way less likely to break. I keep some in my car all the time, that way I won't have to think about it before I head out the door.
Please please please, if you can't integrate these ideas into your daily life, try it for a day, a week, a month. Every little bit helps!

Punk Rock Flea Market

ReLove Projects is going to be joining Thriftonista at the Punk Rock Flea Market! It's a really good time. I'll have some new cards and bags for sale, and possibly (if I can finish them by Saturday) some clothes too! Come and check it out.

We are excited to announce the 7th Punk Rock Flea Market brought to you by your friends at Suburban Home and Vinyl Collective in association with 3 Kings Tavern. The date is Saturday, March 8th. The Punk Rock Flea Market happens every 2nd Saturday of the month. If you have stuff for sale, email me. Everyone is welcome, there is no cost, and the more the merrier. We will again have a ton of vinyl, used and new CDs, and a ton of overstock t-shirts. There will be tables from bands, clothing shops, artists, fashion designers, and more.

What: Punk Rock Flea Market plus various acoustic acts

Who: Your friends at Suburban Home / Vinyl Collective plus a number of other great vendors(if you have stuff for sale, get in touch)
Where: 3 Kings Tavern, 60 South Broadway, all ages, all are welcome
When: Saturday, April 8th, noon to 6pm

Buy Vintage!

I had a little shopping spree with Thriftonista over the weekend! I meant to buy just a few things, but everything was perfect and the prices were great (and negotiable). The belt is so cool- I'm going to try to reproduce a few for ReLove Projects. It has pockets! Sort of like a vintage fanny pack.
If anybody is in the Denver area this weekend come and check out Thriftonista's Outdoor Boutique. This was posted on their myspace blog:

We are hosting a garage sale next Saturday, April 5th from 10am until dark. We will have super cheap thrifty finds (some free stuff, some as cheap as $.50) as well as many of our fabulous, gorgeous Thriftonista items that you see pictured in our albums. There will also be homemade treats, books, baby clothes, crafty stuff and vintage housewares. This is guaranteed to be an incredible sale. Don’t miss it.
So, stop by 3016 California St in Denver next Saturday and help us to celebrate spring, thrift, and BEING CHOSEN AS THE WESTWORD’S BEST SPOT FOR ONLINE THRIFTING!


I will be there as well with some ReLove Projects bags and baked goods. I hope to see you there!

Earth Hour give away

Millions of people across the world signed up for Earth Hour 2008, and probably millions more participated and didn't sign up (like me!). The idea is that for one hour people and businesses turn out the lights for one hour in order to reduce emissions and make an environmental statement. This one hour made a HUGE impact worldwide! Emissions in Sydney (the pioneer of this movement) were reduced by over 10%, which is like taking 48,000 cars off the road. Imagine what could happen by Earth Hour 2009- Sign up, get local businesses involved, tell a friend, set up your own Earth Hour in your community. Visit www.earthhour.org for downloads, information, tips, and links.
We had a lot of fun turning things off. It was surprising how much electricity we used without realizing! There are many things- like power strips, kitchen appliances, radios, computers- that are still turned on (and using electricity) even when not in use. My new commitment is to keep all those things unplugged until I'm actually using them. Every little bit helps! Leave a comment with your environmental commitments- After 2 weeks I'll put your names in a hat and send the lucky winner one of ReLove Projects' fabulous recycled cards!

Post Due March Swap

I signed up again this month for a .post due. swap! Both cards are made from recycled materials. The sheep one is made from: A vinyl record lining, paperboard box, wrapping paper (used twice and originally a bag from Japan- how many times can I reuse something?!), old encyclopedia images, and a MoMA guide. It is mistletoe hanging over the sheep, just in case anyone was curious. The Japanese writing was cut out from the MoMA guide- I don't know what it says and it probably makes no sense whatsoever!
The rhinocerous one is made from: A Cheerios box,a map, and the same old encyclopedia. I drew the rhino on there and gave him a REALLY big horn, just for fun. Both are stitched because I can't help myself!

My cards have gone to the dogs!

These one-of-a-kind creations were made especially for Rescue Rehab Home to auction at the annual benefit event. I knew I had to help when I read about all the abused and neglected dogs that Rescue Rehab takes in, nurses back to health, and then finds loving homes for. Read some of these stories for yourself HERE! Go to www.rescuerehabhome.org if you would like to attend the benefit dinner, donate to the organization, and learn more.

Greeny Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I am very pleased to announce that ReLove Projects was interviewed for the IndieFixx Blog! The questions were great for me to think about, and my answers will hopefully inspire more people to take some green steps. Check it out at www.indiefixx.com!

Business Cards

The business card is essential for every crafter to have- it's what turns our hobby into a money-making word-spreading bonified business! It can be so challenging for us artsy folks to divert our creative energies away from the projects that we would so much rather do and towards the business end. That's always a struggle for me, which is why I'm so proud to announce that I finally have a business card that I like! It is a balance between my craft and the business I'm trying to grow from it. They are made from recycled paper which is then stitched onto reused paperboard. Just like my purses and gift cards, there are no two alike!

Here bunny bunny...

Here is the latest card design-- bunnies! You can buy them in my Etsy store. (click here to go there!) They are made from recycled materials including paperboard and vintage fabric. All cards are always totally one-of-a-kind!

Sold! And more elephant cards

Say goodbye to the amazing Blue Josephina Elephant Card- it sold! This has been a favorite of mine for awhile, so I'm happy it has found a home. If you loved this card as well, don't worry, there are plenty of other elephant cards in the Etsy sea for sale!

NEW Blue Embroidered Bag

This bag was made from an embroidered dress. I love its blue color and pretty rainbow flowers! It has a [recycled] button closure, two handles, and a white cotton lining. Approximate measurements are: 13 inches wide (at the top), 9 inches deep, hangs about 18 inches from the shoulder. It'll go on my etsy site soon, but as always, blog readers get the jump! I'll post it for sale for $40+shipping in a few days (when I get some decent photos of it!), but if you love it and mention this blog I'll sell it for $35- plus shipping, usually about $5, depending on where you are. Write quick, as always, it is one-of-a-kind! reloveprojects@yahoo.com.

Denver Day

Today was so inspirational and exiting! I met the hot mama behind Thriftonista through myspace. Thriftonista is a Denver-based online site that sells vintage clothes at a very reasonable price. She responded to my desire to borrow a typewriter. What a funny world- sometimes you put something out that you're hoping for and you get more than expected! After a delicious piece of homemade cake and a lovely time at T's house I stopped by a thrift store and scored:
A long time ago I made The Sound of Music Bag from, you guessed it, curtains! That bag sold, and I have only scraps of the original material left. I found a really similar brocade-type curtain in a nice yellow color, so hurrah, the Sound of Music Bag lives on! I found enough of these curtains (that my hot new boots are on) to make a whole series.
My sweetheart picked this up for me at Salvation Army awhile back. $1 for these two sheets! What a rad summer dress this will be someday.

Introducing the Owl Cards

Say hello to my new card design- owls! I really love these guys. I still have to make the envelopes and tags, so they haven't hit my etsy store yet. If you are interested in placing a hold on either card (before they are even finished! lucky you!) email me at reloveprojects@yahoo.com.

More new cards!

More new cards were added to my etsy shop today! (go see them here)