Upcycle Jewelry

In honor of the Semi-Annual Jewelry Sale at The I.D.E.A. Store last Friday, we will be sharing our top 5 creative reuse jewelry inspirations!

Via Henry Happened

Full Tutorial at Halfway to Hipster 

Via WhollyKao

Check out Son of a Sailor Blog

and the best for last! 

Check out more of Margaux Lange's work here

Do you have any favorite reuse jewelry inspirations? Please share!

Get Great Compost NOW!

Soon, we’ll be putting our gardens to bed for the winter by removing dead vegetable plants, pulling out weeds to haul to Urbana’s Landscape Recycling Center, and aerating the soil.  My husband loves to grow tomatoes, and we chop up some of their spent branches to degrade in the heat of our compost pile which will be heaped high and covered with a black cloth until spring.   In past, you’ve been able to get finished compost, a.k.a. “black gold,” at The I.D.E.A. Store early in the year to work into the warming soil, but you’ll have that opportunity this month instead.

When I asked Sandy Mason of University of Illinois Extension about best times to can add compost to garden beds, she advised that you should do it “whenever you have time.”   She explained that although people have the best of intentions about fertilizing their gardens in spring before planting, she hears so many say that they didn’t get it done because the season’s to-do list is long and the window of planting time isn’t.  Just work about a quarter-inch depth of compost into vegetable beds now, and the soil will be more porous, richer and easier to work when you are ready to plant next year. 

At The I.D.E.A. Store:  While they last!    Gallon bags of homemade compost. $2.00 each.

Contributor: Carol Jo

More than you might imagine...or maybe not!

So this creative reuse thing is pretty special.  Right?  Well, there IS the old saying that there is never anything new under the sun.  Indeed, reuse is something that we all practice and that we grew up with, our parents grew up with and their parents before that.  Anytime we use something a second time, we are reusing it.  So what makes it special now?

It's probably that we have finally become aware that new isn't always necessary and that used is okay - again - and in fact, it's kinda hip.  We are relearning that objects can take on a new life once we think of them a little differently.  I know that I started thinking of stuff differently when I realized that I could think about it by the material from which it was made.

Thanks, Two Girls Being Crafty !

"That's not a toothbrush, it's plastic."  Or," This isn't a screen, it's metal."  Or whatever.  It is what the object is made of that defines it, not what it is "used for." And THIS is the essence of creative reuse.  By redefining a material by what it is made out of rather that what it is used for, we get permission to look at it differently and subsequently, USE it differently.  That is what makes this creative reuse movement different from those before.  It isn't poverty-driven or guilt-driven, it is curiosity-driven! (and probably a little of both of the others, too.) And, it is environmentally driven.  We are beginning to realize that there just aren't enough raw materials in the world to last forever.  It is time to mine our past for objects of the future and consider these discards as raw materials.  Creative reuse doesn't have to be artistic - but it sure is a great way to break through some of the perception barriers - it can be practical.  It can be the basis of problem-solving simple issues.  In fact, as fun as the artistic creative reuse is right now, like all past times, it will probably wear out.  But the need for reusing objects will not.
 
I think you might find this interesting - here is a list of creative reuse centers around the world,  http://www.artofrecycle.org/our_neighbors.html#online_resources, take a look.  Learn about what is going on.  And, check out this effort being made to form an alliance of reusers, http://www.reusealliance.org/.

Shop reuse, have fun doing it and make a difference at the same time.  And know that reuse is here to stay.  We might as well make it fun.

Submitted by Gail Rost, 10-24-13

Artist Showcase: Denise Aumick

Our Artist Showcase is where we feature a series of questions answered by talented artists around the world who use trash and everyday household objects to create artistic treasures.

We are excited to announce our first Artist Showcase with Denise Aumick from Wallkill, NY! 

What do you make? What do you make it out of? 
I make assemblages and assemblage sculptures out of antique, vintage and headed-for-the-trash objects.

Do you have an art background/education or are you self-taught? 
Completely self-taught via a combination of desire, observation and reading plus many hours spent creating less-than-successful pieces. These pieces have taught me much and helped move me in certain creative directions.

What originally inspired you to start making art from stuff that others may regard only as potential landfill fodder?
I’ve always been interested in the mechanics of creating or fixing something by using unrelated or unusual objects. Old fashioned jeriry-rigging of machinery or tools has always held particular fascination for me. There’s something compelling about resurrecting a piece of equipment rather than tossing it away and buying new. I also love the look, quality and patina of old objects. Their aged appearances hold mysterious stories that spur my imagination. I think these factors were a stepping stone in my journey of creating art by repurposing vintage objects.

Ever been Dumpster-diving? Stopped the car to grab something from the curb?
Dumpster-diving, barn-picking, ground-digging (for old bottles), turning the car around to grab a find, moaning about that lost opportunity that didn’t end up coming home with me – have done them all.

Do your friends leave junk by YOUR door?
People who understand and appreciate what I do often bring me vintage-object gifts.

Where DO you find your best source materials?
Estate, yard, garage and barn sales are paradise. I often covet what no one else is interested in owning. Hooray for me.

Do you have a favorite piece — or body of work — you’ve created from repurposed/upcycled materials? Tell us about it!
I’m currently working on pieces that combine the use of fibers and/or textile related materials with vintage objects to create assemblage sculptures. I began sewing at a very young age and started down the art road by creating art quilts, so these pieces hold special meaning for me.

How do you think your work makes others feel when they experience it — in ONE word?
Intrigued

Where can people see your art and learn more about your art?
My blog is one place to learn a bit more: www.wildthreadstudio.blogspot.com. People can also feel free to contact me at daumick@hvc.rr.com. I’ll be happy to answer and questions they might have.

2013 Business ACE Winner

Well Done is Better Than Well Said

Ever wondered how we get from this:

 to this:

Why, with volunteers of course! Here at The I.D.E.A. Store, volunteers make up about 95% of our staff and we wouldn't be able to function without them. Volunteers work to process through our inventory, package items, test materials, assist with front of house customer interactions, help with birthday parties, field trips and outreach. Whether you enjoy working on a small specific task or you’re more of a big picture person, we could benefit from having you volunteer! And we think you could benefit from being a volunteer as well, if we do say so ourselves. Not only do you get a chance to meet amazing and caring individuals, you get to see everything “behind the scenes”. We also have a few incentives built in including the earning of I.D.E.A. Bucks, 20% off shopping days, a chance to sign our volunteer wall and access to Fannie May chocolate during all your shifts!

For a quick rundown of what it means to volunteer, read on:

• Volunteers help us sort through donations, test materials, prepare inventory for sales and assist with parties and outreach.
• We schedule by the month and are very flexible. We have some volunteers who can come every Tuesday and Thursday and some who are available once or twice a month. Any time you can give us is invaluable!

“Well all that sounds just great! How and when do I sign up to be a volunteer?”

We are always looking for organized, energetic, enthusiastic individuals to help out at The I.D.E.A. Store and we are recruiting all year round.  You can stop by the store, fill out the application on our website: www.the-idea-store.org/volunteers/ , or contact the volunteer coordinator (that’s me!) Maura Healy at 217-352-7878 or by emailing volunteers@the-idea-store.org.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Cue AWARDS...and we - are - rolling!

What a great evening as our favorite creative reuse store, The I.D.E.A. Store in Champaign, IL, was celebrated with an ACE Business Award!  As the store celebrates the end of its 3rd year of business - it opened in October 2010 - this is just THE best recognition!  The 40 North Arts Council gives these awards to celebrate the arts in Champaign County - a place where the arts are rich and welcomed.

If you aren't too familiar with The I.D.E.A. Store, you need to learn more about it!  At the-idea-store.org, their website is pretty good - especially if you are trying to find the store.  Check out the "where" section.  They have a good map and pix of their doorways.  Their Facebook page is lively, too!  They post highlights of product from the store, other re-purposers post their ideas and creations, and sales as well as upcoming events are posted pretty regularly.  And, you can follow their Twitter feed @the_idea_store or sign up for "The Green Flash Newsletter" on their website.  This store is a social enterprise for the local education foundation, CUSF, and all the profits go to support K - 12 education.  Everything that is sold is donated to the store and most of the work is done by volunteers.  It is just a great opportunity to make a difference.

And, the big news coming up is that their semi-annual Jewelry Blowout sale is next week, Friday and Saturday the 25th and 26th.  More on that to come and it's a Facebook event, too.  If you are in the area, make plans to come.  Usually there is quite a variety of jewelry, findings, books, doodads - that kind of stuff.  And, prices range from 25 cents to $200 per piece.

So, are you a Reuse Shopper? You betcha!

Lights, Camera, Eco-Action!

Welcome to the Reuse Shopper!

We are excited to start exploring re-everything - reuse, repurposing,  and recycling! We will do this by showcasing artists, sharing inspirations, raising awareness about the environment and what just one person can do to help slow down the waste stream, and of course, highlighting The I.D.E.A. Store. 

With that said, we will have 6 themes that most of our posts will fall within:

1. All about re-everything

2. The people behind the scenes: our volunteers 

3. Inspirations

4. Artist showcase: who uses this stuff anyway? 

5. The green environment

6. The I.D.E.A. Store: about the stuff and the fun we have!

We can't wait to get this started. Thanks for reading and happy blogging!