I Want It - Sky Blue Eco Headband

Ever since I cut my hair and had the brilliant idea of getting long side bangs, I've learned that I don't like my hair poking me in the eyes and falling in my face while I am working. What's the best way to avoid that? Headbands!! Check out this super cute and eco-friendly headband by Jaydemia:


If you like what you see in Jaydemia's shop, don't forget to check out her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter!

New Dishcloths!

Need to spruce up your kitchen? Tired of that stinky, grimy sponge? Want something that is durable and colorful? Check out my 100% cotton reusable dishcloths!



They measure 4.5 inches wide and 3 inches tall - about the size as your typical kitchen sponge.



These are machine washable and will last forever! Get that stinky sponge out of your kitchen and stop throwing money away.



Don't see a set that matches your kitchen? Convo me in Etsy and I'll make you a custom set!

Item of the Week - January 12, 2010

Well, here it is week two, and I am already behind on posting the item of the week! Forgive me, as I was a little distracted by my interview with Matt Pinfield from 101.9 WRXP. Anyway, the item of the week is this set of seven make-up remover pads.



Some info on the set:
This set of seven 100% cotton facial scrubbers/make-up remover pads measures just under 4 inches wide.

These are super soft and provide gentle exfoliation. They can be used with any type of soap or facial cleanser. Stop throwing money away on cotton balls! These guys are 100% machine washable and dryer safe.

And for the bonus - just put "seven days a week" in the notes to seller at checkout and I will refund you $1.00 via PayPal, that's 7 face scrubbers for just $4.50 plus shipping!

Make-up revmover pads can be made in any color and number, so please feel free to contact me via Etsy or via Facebook if you'd like a custom order. The same $1.00 discount will apply to all orders for 7 or more pads placed and paid for between now and midnight on Sunday, January 17.

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

The Most Viewed

One of the stats that is public on Etsy listings is views - how many times a listing has been looked at. What does it really mean? If you see an item with a high view count that could mean that it was featured in a treasury, perhaps on the Etsy main page, maybe it was blogged about on a high traffic blog or maybe it was simply relisted over and over again and never purchased.

This tshirt bowl by far has the highest views of any item in my shop. Yes, its been renewed a few times, but, in this case, I believe these tags have something to do with it: "t shirt, cotton, yarn, eco friendly, recycled, repurposed". It is a unique, one of a kind item that I had really hoped would get snapped up right away. Instead, its still hanging around and the longer it stays with me, the more I think about keeping it for myself.



I can think of tons of things that need to be stored in an awesome bowl made from a worn down, yet very clean, t-shirt. Keys, change, cell phones, make-up remover pads, jewelry, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, etc, etc...

What item in your shop has the most views? Are you surprised by it?

~Melissa~

A Pat on the Back!

The EtsyBloggers have an interesting question for this biweekly blog carnival. They ask the following:

What was your most successful sales event or product, and why do you think it was?

Hands down, my most successful sales event was my Earth Day sale from earlier this year. I offered free shipping on all eco-friendly items - washcloths, make-up remover pads, dishcloths and upcycled jewelry.



During that period, I sold several sets of white make-up remover pads. I'm not sure why white was so popular, but I really should get my butt to the store and get more white cotton yarn!!



I think the sale was popular for two reasons:
1) My washcloths/make-up pads/dishcloths are very reasonably priced, and in some cases, by offering free shipping, I cut the total price almost in half.



2) Now more than ever, people are looking for ways to eliminate waste, save money and keep their families healthy. My washcloths and make-up remover pads are machine washable and last a very, very long time (I am tempted to say that they will last forever, but I can't be 100% sure of that) and the dishcloths replace stinky sponges that can hold mold and bacteria. All of them are pretty and give the sense of luxury while still being good for the environment and helping to save money.

I was surprised at how well the sale went, up until that point, I had little success with sales. Will this be an annual event?? You'll have to keep reading my blog to find out! ;-)

Hemp Dish Scrubber

As you all know, I recently stumbled upon a yarn shop with some different and fun yarns called Darn Good Yarn. I made a great scarf from their recycled silk yarn and I also played with their hemp yarn.

I pictured the hemp yarn as a dish scrubber before I even got it, I just assumed it would be sturdy enough to really scrub out that stuck on gunk. And, I was right! I was surprised by how thin it was, so I had to go all the way down to an E hook, which for me, is pretty small. Here's a picture of the finished product:


I've been thinking of making coasters with this yarn as well and bordering each one with a different color of equally thin yarn - perhaps sock weight or even embroidery floss.

As I mentioned before, I also have the white recycled banana silk yarn waiting to be used as well. I just visited the website and now they have it in some really cool colors! This yarn is really chunky, so I can't wait to play with it, I think it will make a fabulous scarf.

PS - as a follow-up to the previous post on the recycled silk yarn, I talked to the Darn Good Yarn folks about the softness factor and found out this: "let the silk settle and break in... it gets really soft..." See? I was just too impatient!

Recycled Silk Scarf

I was surfing the net a while back looking to find some interesting new yarns to play around with. I was mostly looking for some organic cotton and bamboo (hopefully cheaper than it is in the craft stores), and instead I came across a fabulous yarn shop called Darn Good Yarn. The recycled silk yarn was quite intriguing and the shop owner is just sweet as pie. After much debate, I ordered me up some recycled silk, hemp and banana fiber yarns.

When the yarn arrived, it was thicker than I had anticipated, which I was very happy about, I love working with chunky yarns and big hooks. Being that it was silk, I expected it to be soft, its not, I was bummed, but the yarn itself is so cool, that I wasn't bummed for long. It was so much fun to work with, the colors changing and the thick and thin nature of the yarn. Here's my first finished project - a breezy and lightweight scarf.



I also had some time to work with the hemp yarn, so stay tuned for details on that!

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

I Want It - Organic Cotton Yarn

I drool over Pancake and Lulu's shop all the time, there is some amazing handspun yarn in there! This Caramel Organic Cotton is my new favorite, its undyed natural color and its thick and thin which I totally love.

Earth Day Eco Tips

Did You know?
It takes upto 15 years for a paper cup to decompose in a landfill.
Paper cups are not recycleable due to the plastic lining that keeps the liquids from soaking through the cup.
Similarly, plastic utensils such as forks and spoons are not recycleable and neither are paper plates.

The green solution? Use a ceramic mug for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water and pack reuseable forks, spoons and plates and bring your lunch in a cloth tote bag or reuse your shopping bags until they get dirty or torn. A ceramic mug and other utensils can be used up to 2,000 times before they need to be replaced.

References:
How long do paper cups take to break down in a landfill?
EcoTip: Coffee cups - spilling the beans

Today is the last day of my Earth Day sale! Get free shipping on all washcloths, make-up removers, dishcloths, pot holders and upcycled/repurposed jewelry!

Happy Earth Day!
~Melissa~

Earth Day Sale - Just FIVE Days Left!

Earth day is coming fast! There are just five more days until my fabulous Earth Day sale comes to an end. Purchase any washcloth, dishcloth, make-up remover set or upcycled/repurposed jewelry item from my shop before midnight on April 22 and automatically get free shipping!



You'll also get free shipping on any custom washcloth, dishcloth or make-up removers that are ordered and paid for before Earth Day comes to an end.




Go Green!
~Melissa~

Earth Day Sale!

Earth Day is April 22 - all dish cloths, wash cloths and eco friendly items will ship for FREE from now until April 22. Show your love for Mother Earth by reducing your waste and showing off how cool recycling can really be!

Washcloths, Dishcloths, Make-up Remover Pads:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=28859§ion_id=5165195



Don't see a color that matches your style? Shoot me an email or an Etsy conversation, custom orders placed before April 22 also ship for free.


Upcycled T-shirt bowl:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13851874



Upcycled Plastic Pendant:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22313597



Go Green!
~Melissa~

Awesome Recycling!

Inspiration tends to hit at the oddest moments. I was unpacking a new remote control car for my son and noticed these little plastic thingamagiggies that sit against the styrofoam with those annoying twist ties that hold every possible edge of the toy down. Now, I understand we want to make it hard for people to reach into the box and pluck out the toy and sneak out of the store, but gosh, have these people ever sat with an excited kid that just wants to play with their new toy?!?

Anyway, I had these three little pieces of plastic sitting on my table and noticed for the first time that they are pretty cool looking. I played around with them and finally decided that they would make an awesome layered pendant and I just happened to have blue and black satin cord in my supply stash. Voila! Recycling at its best!



Be sure to snatch this bad boy up before someone else does because I don't anticipate many new toys coming our way until my son's birthday in May!

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Repurposed T-Shirts

I saw the idea a while back about cutting up old t-shirts into strips and making yarn from them. I thought, wow, I have TONS of t-shirts and I wear very few of them. That's a great idea, so much better than tossing them in the trash. Then life happened and although the idea stayed filed away in my brain, I never got around to doing anything about it.... until now!!

I had a lovely pink cotton sleep shirt that I simply don't wear anymore. Its soft and comfy and a very pretty color. So, I got the scissors and started cutting away!! I thought for sure I would mess it up somehow, but I didn't and I got a lovely continuous strand of roughly 1 inch wide "yarn". I also cut up a 3X grey t-shirt that I wore almost every day for the last 2 months of my pregnancy (I had that and a Yankee jersey that still fit over my belly).




Now time to think, what to do with it? I had wanted to make a large rug for my entrance foyer in my house. But that would take too long and I would be bored with it after a few weeks. Plus, my back hurt from sitting on the floor hunched over a t-shirt with a large pair of scissors. Hrm.... a hat? a scarf? wrist warmers? NO! Even better! Drum roll please.....



Ta-da! A bowl! This bowl would be perfect sitting on a foyer table holding keys, a kitchen counter holding keys or a cell phone, in a bathroom or bedroom filled with potpourri or sitting on a night table holding extra change.



I have another small ball of the same color "yarn" and a ball of light grey. I also have several shirts just begging to be cut up and repurposed - they are white, grey, purple and a hot shade of green. And believe me, there are MANY more shirts in my storage space just waiting to find a new life holding your small objects.

What? You said you are in love with my little bowl? Well, you are in luck, its available now in my Etsy shop - just click here!

Stay tuned folks, I hope to take some before and after pictures of the next shirt I cut up. I know, I rock like that! :-D

Happy Recycling!
~Melissa~