Cotton Lunch Bag by WhoaItsMe

I am off to the seaside today. While I am gone taking lovely photos to share, hop on over to ThisNext and see this eco-friendly and sophisticated cotton lunch bag. Feel good about carrying your lunch! (via WhoaItsMe)

Change The World Wednesday

It's that time again...changing the world, one Wednesday at a time. I am going to make this our regular Wednesday post here at Hoarders Unite. We are eco-friendly as a group, since our mission statement is to use up stash to curb consumerism and hoarding, after all. This week, we are doing it with a snazzy new logo. If you click on the logo, you will be taken to Reduce Footprints' blog (the creator of this challenge) to see all the official stuff like rules and such. Do you like the change? Answer my poll on NatureWithMe in the right hand column...

Last week was composting, and otherwise reducing your contributions to the landfill. Though I did not create a new post this week for it, I did follow the challenge by continuing to compost and recycle. We took our twice yearly trip to the dump (we do not have municipal trash pickup) and got rid of the things we could not compost, upcycle, recycle, freecycle, or otherwise use or donate. How did you do with the challenge? If you need composting tips, you can read my older posts here and here.

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Now, for this week's challenge:

This week's challenge comes from one of our new bloggy friends, Millenniumhealth, at ... well ... Millenniumhealth. It's an easy activity and once again shows us that small actions matter ... especially when we all do them. Here it is:

This week, put your computer to sleep or set it to hibernate when it's not in use. If you need help in doing this, check out these sites:

Use Standby and Hibernate

Manually Put Your Computer Into Hibernation

Or ...

Typically, if you're already doing the first part of the challenge, I ask you to write about it on your blog. This week, however, we're going to do something different. If you are already in the habit of putting your computer to sleep or turning it off when you're not using it, look around your home and identify one other "sneaky" area that uses electricity. Come back here and, in the comments section, tell us what it is and how you'll either eliminate it or reduce it.

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I started this last night by shutting completely down for the night. I would like to see a change in my energy bill to reflect the environmental love I am sending out!

Also, if you Twitter, please retweet this post and add the hashtag #CTWW.
Visit the new forum for CTWW at Blog Catalog, set up by Tony Beach.

And, I am adding the CTWW Honor Society to this post as well:
Weekly Honor Society:

Tony Beach and at http://entrepreneursocialnetwork.blogspot.com/2009/08/smallfootprints.html and at http://www.retaggr.com/Page/TwitterOnlineSystem

Harveyavatar

Sharon Hightower and at http://www.jewelrytreschic.etsy.com and at http://artisanjewelrydesigners.ning.com/profile/SharonHightower

Cindygeenotes at http://dragyourfeet.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/small-footprint-gentle-hand/

The Wayland Springs Cook at http://waylandcook.blogspot.com/2009/08/compost-for-change-world-wednesday.html and at http://waylandcook.blogspot.com/2009/08/honor-soceity-for-cange-world.html

The Dafthermit at http://dafthermit.ning.com/ and at http://theblackbuscompany.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-wednesdays-by-our-friend.html

Connie Mishali at http://seewhykinsman.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-challenge.html

TC at http://livesmartbook.blogspot.com/2009/08/recycling-made-easy-with-earth911com.html and at the BlogCatalog Group he started here: http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/change-the-world

Green Gal at http://greenbeangal.blogspot.com/

Brian at http://the-new-author.blogspot.com/

Harmony at http://harmonytravel.blogspot.com/2009/08/welcome-to-my-world.html

S. Engelmohr at http://sengelmohr.blogspot.com/2009/08/recycled-items-in-your-home.html and from last week's challenge: http://sengelmohr.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-wednesday-this-week-i-want.html

Joe Todd at http://www.myqualitytime.net/2009/08/change-world-wednesday-time-to-start.html (I also hear that Joe put CTWW on his facebook page so if you're a facebook member, look him up there).

Annie Kelley at http://akannie.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/august-20-2009/

Elizabeth Barrette at http://gaiatribe.geekuniversalis.com/2009/08/20/how-to-shrink-your-garbage/

Eemilla at http://eemilla.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/clean-and-green/ (for last week's challenge).

Sober White Women at http://thoughtsofasoberwhitewomen.blogspot.com/

Dora Renee' Wilkerson at http://y2k-hippie.blogspot.com/

EcoGrrl at http://ecogrrlnetwork.blogspot.com/

Ken at http://www.thegreenapartmentblog.com/apartment-recycling/

Harripao at http://blogodril.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-wednesday-and-karinda.html

Kate at http://holdfastseeker.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-thing-for-planet-compost.html

Rewinn at http://rewinn.blogspot.com/2009/08/carbon-neutral-book-shipping.html

Swap-O-Rama-Rama

(photo from swaporamarama.org)

Have you heard of Swap-O-Rama-Rama.org?

"Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing.

The Swap When you attend the swap bring at least one bag of your unwanted clothing and a small donation (each swap varies depending on available funding). Every swap begins with a giant collective pile of clothing, the unwanted clothing of all who attend. Everyone is welcome to dive in and find their next new/used items from the pile. Take as little or as much clothing from this pile as you like, it's all free"

Doesn't that sound like a wonderful way to share the spirit of giving (and receiving), and to promote recycling and upcycling? I would love to see one of these in my area, and one of the wonderful aspects of this organization is that the opportunity exists for anyone to produce an event in their city. Ashland, Oregon anyone?

Hop on over and take a look...

Handmade Hope- September Challenge

In my Internet travels, I ran across a succession of blogs that led me to one called Craft Hope. I am very happy to have found this site because it puts important things together. It combines the importance of beauty, appreciation, caring, sharing, helping, and hope all into a tidy bloggy box of love.

In doing so, it puts helping people together with those who are in need of help. Here is what the founder, Jade, says in her About section:

"Craft Hope is a faith-based, love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those less fortunate. It is our hope to combine our love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world."

This is similar to my goal with my sister blog, Sharing Our Gifts. I have not been as faithful in developing that blog as I would like to be, but finding Craft Hope has helped kick my thoughts about it back into gear. Meanwhile, I think I am going to join in on the Craft Hope current project to make a sock monkey for the Little Heroes Preschool Burn Camp in Sacramento, California. The camp is by the Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento, and runs from September 25-27, 2009. I encourage you to join me in this September Hoarders Unite Challenge and do the same.

So, the link above to "sock monkey" will take you to a place to learn how to make a sock monkey, and to purchase a sock monkey kit if you (like me) have never made one. Even more exciting, a message on the Craft Hope Nest Bulletin Board from Tamara at sockmonkey.net states that she will give a discount on sock monkey kits to any person purchasing specifically to make a monkey for this project. If you don't need a kit or a discount, sockmonkey.net is just a fun place to visit for free pattern ideas and monkey inspiration.

The deadline to get your sock monkey in for this project is September 18. If you're interested, visit Craft Hope and get started!

Loving Hands Embroidery Project

I took Amilia's Loving Hands piece and photocopied it to transfer onto some yellow linen (left over from my porch swing project). In keeping with this week's Change The World Wednesday challenge and my Hoarders Unite July Challenge, none of the tools or materials were purchased new for this project. They are from my hoard (supplies stash).I do not have any transfer paper or other nifty transfer device, so I decided to use the ol' stipple method. I pinned the sheet to my linen cloth, then pierced holes in her design. I then used an orange permanent marker (because I am/was planning to use orange thread for the embroidery) to make a mark in each of the holes.Voilà! Now I have the design on my fabric. I'm sure I could have used fabric marker or other quilting marking pencil, but Sharpie is my friend, so I accepted its help.Next, I placed my embroidery hoop and began threading.I have chosen to use a mix of orange and sage, and it is yet to be determined how this will turn out on Amilia's small hand. The dots are somewhat visible under the sage thread, even though I am using 3 strands of floss, but my vision is to give it a twisted cord effect with orange on top. I am using an outline (stem) stitch in sage, then I am planning to whip it (whipstitch over outline stitch) in orange. If you want to see a how-to, I found an explanation at CraftTown.com.

Are you in suspense yet?
Stay tuned for the Final Product...

Member Feature: Nancy

I am still writing all the posts myself, so we do not yet have daily posts. However, the plan is to have no less than three per week, and this week, I have not made the quota. If you want to exercise your writing muscle by guest posting, drop me an email!

Nancy is always willing to be involved, engage in challenges, and is always chipping away at her hoard. She has two shops on Etsy and one on Artfire, and maybe more that I have missed. Her items on Etsy carry the 'teamhoardersunite' tag, and many also sport our badge. If you have not yet begun to use the badge, but you would like to, you can find it on our Yahoo Groups Page. It is in the Files section, and is called HUavatar3.jpg.

Victorian Visions by Nanalee on Etsy carries a mix of vintage and vintage inspired items that are a must see. I love this 1934 boxed card game of Rook!There is also a green and white crocheted vintage apron that I have my eye on. It would go great paired with her cocktail button ring for some retro-kitchen-bread-baking photo ops. You could get in a good game of Rook while the bread bakes and fills the house with the aromas of bygone days.

Her second Etsy shop called The Mail Bag carries cards, bookmarks, desk accessories, gift tags and other needful paper items.Do you know someone who has had a recent accomplishment? Opened an Etsy store? Started a blog? Made the advanced drama class? Had a baby? This card is for you - - for them. Just proud of your teen for a job well done? Congratulate her (and include a coupon for unlimited hugs and kudos). This card is happy, upbeat, colorful, and right in your budget!

You might also want to visit Nancy on Artfire at The Chickadees' Nest to snap up a lovely vintage tea setting for your curio cabinet. Or, you might want to use this beautiful cup on your deck in the early morning to sip coffee or tea and watch the birds flutter in their birdbath.Either way, it will lift your spirits to hold this delicate vintage piece. Even more so if you have an equally delicate crocheted doily upon which to display your find.

Wander on over and support your fellow hoarder...

Featured Artist Friday

While the works of this artist are not yet available on Etsy or Artfire or 1000 Markets, I think it is important to nurture budding young artists and encouraging their continued growth. In that spirit, I give you this feature.

Today, our featured artist is Amilia. Her works are currently on display at Deer Palace, and are being kept in a private collection. She plans to make some works available for purchase in the future, and to further develop a current series on which she is working into a gallery showing.

(the whale)

She loves the use of color and line shape in her drawings. She likes to experiment with movement, line depth, and shading to convey expression.

(robot #6)

She draws inspiration from daily occurrences and the images she finds all around her, and rarely passes a day without working on a creation.

(Mom,Dad, & Scarecrow)
(missing mom)

She is currently working on a series about hands and the many ways they interact with the world.

(loving hands)(marriage of hands)

Upcoming projects include illustrating a childrens' tale, and rewriting and illustrating her own first book.

If you have artwork by a budding artist that you would like turned into a wearable piece, visit Analiese on Etsy! Or visit Deseta.net where you can have a picture of your child's turned into a hand embroidered pillow.

Etsy shops by child artists:
Age 9: Lauren's Castle
Age 9: Little Banana Bug

Have you viewed the world through your Artist's eye today?