The Upcycle Exchange

Part of the thrill of being a trashion artist is the hunt for supplies. Looking through thrift shops, close out sales, auctions and flea markets for the perfect find. It is nice however to sometimes have the supplies come to you. Thats where the upcycle exchange comes in. As an artist at the recent 'Green with Indie' craft show I feel the upcycle exchange was a success. The basic premise is artists in the show submit ahead of time a list of supplies they could use, be it paint, bottle caps, wine corks or candy wrappers. The list is distributed to people who will be attending the show. The people who bring supplies from home for the artists get a 10% discount at participating booths and the artists get free supplies. I would definitly participate again in the future

St. Louis Upcycle Exchange

Green with Indie

Now that St. Patrick's Day is over its time for another green occasion: The Green with Indie craft show! This coming Saturday and Sunday, March 21st and 22nd, artists from the St. Louis area will be getting together to show off the earthfriendly portion of their crafty sides. I'll be there with my candy wrapper bracelets and I can't wait to see all the goods that the other artists will have.

The most exciting part of the show is the upcycle exchange. Visitors are encouraged to bring craft supplies from home like fabric, buttons, and paper as well as non-traditional supplies such as potato chip bags, pop tops, and candy wrappers. The otherwise unloved supplies will be put to good use by the artists and in turn the donators will get a discount at participating vendors.

For more info on Green with Indie go here: http://www.greenwithindiecraftshow.com/

And go here for the upcycle exchange: http://lucoop.com/pilot/

That's not garbage!

As a trashion artist I often find myself saying 'That's not garbage' when convincing people to not throw away their potato chip bags, candy wrappers and other 'art supplies'. They often look at me like I'm crazy. This time I think its my turn to give the crazy eye. When helping to organize a silent auction for a local charity last week I found two hand crocheted lap blankets among the donations. They are covered in beautiful bright colored flowers. The auction organizers told me to put the blankets aside 'Nobody will want those we'll just throw them away'. I was shocked and insisted that they not be simply tossed in the trash. So today I'd like to say thank you to the anonymous crafter who donate these blankets, they will always be treasured in my home.