21Jun
I was one Happy Camper this weekend at Shenandoah National Park. Want to know why? Not only did my family and I did some great hiking with gorgeous vistas, we saw bears! And not just one, four! And not just adults but two cubs!
We even were stopped by one along the trail who ran up a tree! We saw the cubs wrestle with one another, try to turn up rocks for insects and follow their mother who happened to be following the Appalachian Trail. I was in heaven.
Here are some more photos highlighting the beauty of the park:
(The purple-fringed orchid…generally pretty rare to be seen)
06May
I definitely am behind the artwork of Jill Bliss of Portland, Oregon whose works are inspired by nature.
She has many more lovely items in her shop.
05Apr
I believe this magazine’s inaugural issue came out last fall. I found it awhile ago on re-nest and just re-discovered it while rifling through my desktop. (Spring cleaning!)
It’s called Green Craft Magazine and I believe the name says it all. I bet there’s lots of great inspiration and lovely finds in there. Too bad it’s only bi-annually!
16Mar
Pure, beautiful and good for the earth:
1. & 2. VivaTerra
3. Laurence Brabant
4. Gaiam
21Jan
Handmade ink from plants and berries? Yes please! I always wonder how my rubber-based ink fairs on the environment while doing letterpress. Not good I’m sure. I use such a tiny amount for each project though. But how about Britt Browne from the PaperMoonProject on her ink made with cranberries. This is how ink was originally made and I love the idea of going back to it.
Here’s her step-by-step process.
Here’s a list of different berries/plants you can use to make certain colors from red onions and beets to tea and turmeric.
Hm… I wonder if this would work for letterpress?
How about plantable letterpress paper from Porridge Papers?
Seems very challenging to letterpress with handmade paper because the paper won’t be perfectly even so your design/type won’t be perfectly even in my mind. But Porridge Press does a beautiful job!
Thick Neck Arts makes paper out of fruit/egg crates ( you know that soft brown layer in between fruit in grocery stores?) and here are her step-by-step instructions.
12Jan
Even though holding a clutch is not very practical for me, I LOVE these clutches from Mad Imports. They’re hand-woven from sustainable goods and are fair-traded from Madagascar.
This one is more practical for me; it’s even called “The Lug”:
This is a perfect beach bag — or even a magazine holder at home:
One of the best parts about these handbags? They all come in a rainbow of colors!
(The purple-fringed orchid…generally pretty rare to be seen)
