Pregnancy Update

The baby is fine. I just need to rest for a little bit.
~Hyla

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Labels: Life with my kids

Giveaway - Sweet Memories Quilt

We have a Giveaway today!! Don't forget to sign up for the Monday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway comes from Jenn at Sweet Memories Quilt! She is offering one of her Neck Warmer Wraps!

The winner will receive on Neck Warmer Wrap in one of the following colors Pecan, Almond or Macadamia. Because she has broken her arm she can only offer colors that are already made.

Jenn get well soon and make sure to take your pain meds!

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Giveaway Details

The giveaway will run from today Wednesday, Jan. 7th, until Sunday Jan 11th at Midnight.
The winner will receive a Neck Warmer Wrap from Etsy seller SweetMemoriesQuilt.

To Enter:

* Official Entry: Tell me what else you love from SweetmemoriesQuilt.

* 2nd Entry: Blog about this giveaway and link to this blog. Leave a comment with your blog address.

* 3rd Entry: Visit my Etsy Shop and tell me what you like best.

*2 Extra entries: Email 3 friends about this giveaway and CC me. (hylawaldron@gmail.com)

*Leave a comment for all of your entries.
* You MUST leave me a way to contact you.
* If winner does not respond to the winning email within 72 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

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Labels: Giveaway, etsy seller

Cara Taylor Handbags

Name: Cara
Shop Name: Cara Taylor Handbags
Shop Link: http://carataylor.etsy.com
Location: Northampton, MA
Ships To: Everywhere in the US and beyond...just contact me about shipping.

What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products? I use recycled plastic grocery bags that I collect from people and recycling centers.

Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products? Years ago I began experimenting with transforming materials that were otherwise useless and plastic bag were so available. Everyone I knew had dozens piling up in their kitchen cabinets so I started crocheting with them.


What inspires you? I love to look at fashion and design, visit contemporary art exhibits. The indie craft market is so amazing right now that I can get lost looking online at etsy or wandering from my table at a craft fair.

How long have you had your shop on Etsy? I have had my shop for at least two years I think but I didn't actually post anything until about a year ago. I was slow going on getting started.

Is this a job for you or a hobby? I do have a full time job as an art educator but crocheting handbags feels like a second job.

Besides your business practices, do you do other things to live a green life? I do try to live life in the spirit of being green. That could mean looking up a new natural cleaning concoction or walking to down the street to the farmer's market for my weekly vegetables. I also try to create a green classroom for my students so that they learn green habits.


How did you get into your craft? Like so many others, my mom taught me to crochet and knit and I have always loved it.

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners? I am still learning so much but I know that good pictures are key to selling your work and I would say to keep up with it often. That's how I got familiar with how things work.

Anything else you would like to add? Thanks for reading and looking at my handbags! If you have bags to recycle visit my website www.carataylor.com to find out how you can do so and get a free mini change purse.

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Labels: Etsy seller, interview

Pregnancy Update

Yesterday I slipped on some ice and fell. Everything hurts and they are doing a sonogram a little later today. I don't know if I will get another blog post up today.

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Labels: Life with my kids

Marang97

~Name: Angela Pennock
~Shop Name: Marang97
~Shop Link: http://marang97.etsy.com
~Location: Santa Fe, NM
~Ships To: Anywhere

~What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products? Mostly t-shirts and magazines.

~Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products? It wasn't a decision, it kind of just happened. I tend to use things that I already have. I was already making my art from magazines and then I designed my Carnation Flower Pins and thought to use old t-shirts. There are always extra t-shirts and tons of magazines around.


~What inspires you? Creating. The act of creating inspires me to create more. That feeling of making something yourself and being able to step back and say - I made it myself.

~How long have you had your shop on Etsy? 1 1/2 years.

~Is this a job for you or a hobby? I am trying to make it into a job. It's really my life. I am constantly making something and Etsy has been a way for me to market and sell my creations.


~Besides your business practices, do you do other things to live a green life? I made fabric bags to use at the grocery store. I recycled all cardboard from packaging (like cereal boxes) to use as business cards and my products' packaging. I pick up trash when I am out walking. I use the recycling offered by my neighborhood. Magazines are used for my artwork.

~How did you get into your craft? My mom started me making things when I was really young and I just haven't stopped. I have a never-ending need to try new medias and make new things. I never know what I will make or try next.

~Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners? Not really advice, just want to tell them to keep creating. I look through Etsy constantly and am amazed at the creativity that is there. It inspires me to create.

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Labels: Etsy seller, interview

"Safe" at What Cost?

Photo from Mountain Pulse. Click on the photo to read their post on CPSIA

written by fellow blogger and Etsy seller Sarah from My Charmed Life

You know what keeps me up at night? Well yes - two fussing four month olds - but what do I lie in bed and think about after they are again sound asleep? What interrupts those precious few minutes of peace I get each morning in the shower and hangs over my head like a dark cloud for the rest of the day?

Five letters. CPSIA. Implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act begins on February 10. Sadly, most of the general population has never even heard of it. Many of those who have heard of it may assume it's a good thing - with a name like that, how could it be bad? We want safer products, right?

This legislation is troubling on so many levels. It will have a severe impact on my business to be sure, but it also affects me generally speaking as a parent. I love my children, they are my world. Of course I want to protect them. The original intent of the CPSIA was likely just that, to protect our children from harmful substances such as lead and phthalates. Somewhere it got off track, way off track, and now I firmly believe it will do more harm than good.

From my Etsy shop MyFairyBabies

The CPSIA comes after a year which saw recall after recall in the toy world, largely involving toys imported from China which contained dangerous amounts of lead. As written, the CPSIA requires that each and every children's product (the definition of which is VERY broad) be subjected to costly third-party testing and issued a certificate of compliance with stated levels of lead and phthalates. Products which do not have this certificate of compliance will be treated as banned hazardous substances. Even inherently lead-free items such as unfinished wood and unembellished fabric are subject to these requirements. Simply stated, under the CPSIA, products will be treated as hazardous until they are proven otherwise.

From Etsy Seller SweetMixCreations

The cost of compliance will simply force many small businesses and artisans who produce small runs of handcrafted items out of business. The vast majority of these products are safe and ironically, in many cases, were intended to provide an alternative to the questionable, mass produced, imported children's products on the market. It's hard to imagine how the new law will be enforced, but the penalties for non-compliance are stiff.

Raising kids in today's economy is not easy and I like to save money where I can. This past fall, I went to a local kids consignment sale. The sale was held in a large warehouse and everything from clothes to highchairs, toys to baby carriers and more was available at a fraction of the retail cost. I was able to purchase two enormous bags of clothing for my kids, along with a couple of puzzles for around $150. These clothes will make up the bulk of their wardrobes for the year. Included in the haul were many items that look just like new and several complete outfits for my daughter (Gymboree, no less) with the tags still on them. Kids outgrow their clothes so fast, particularly in the smaller sizes, that many hardly get worn at all. It makes sense as a budget-conscious mom to take advantage of this fact, right?

From Etsy seller LemonDropBay

Being that the twins are our last children, we had planned to sell some of their gently used things as they are outgrown. Clothing, bouncer chairs, furniture...these things aren't cheap and recouping some of their cost would certainly help us down the road. You'll find parents reselling items on Craigslist, eBay, at yard sales, consignment sales and the like. This is about to change. The CPSIA is retroactive. This means that any selling of children's products currently in existence is about to become illegal. Billions and billions of products will become contraband literally overnight. They will have to be destroyed because they cannot legally be sold. Imagine the environmental impact.

From Etsy seller AverysAttic

There will be no more consignment sales, or bargains to be found on kids items at thrift stores and yard sales. We'll have no choice but to shop retail, from products produced by manufacturers who are large enough to incur the required testing. Undoubtedly that cost will in turn be passed onto the consumer. Poor selection at a higher price, just what we need in an economy that already finds many on the verge of bankruptcy.

Is there hope that this legislation can be amended before it is too late? I wish I knew. There are efforts underway by the handcrafting community to bring attention to this issue, but time is growing short. In an article published in Friday's Los Angeles Times, only one of six children's thrift stores contacted had even heard of the law. Many parties who will be deeply affected have yet to learn of those five little letters: CPSIA.

Cool Mom Picks has put together a wonderful page of resources, information and breaking news related to this issue. You'll find it here: http://www.coolmompicks.com/savehandmade/

From Etsy seller SpiderBite

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Labels: Did you know, etsy sellers

Giveaway - Soapnuts

This photo belongs to me, please link back to my blog if you use it.

That's right you can win a bag of soapnuts today! I have blogged about the benefits of soapnuts before, here is a little snipit;

"Soap Nuts are becoming a well known word in the Green Community. I first found them on Etsy.com and thought it was a hoax. The listing claimed that with the shell from this fruit I could clean my clothes with no detergent..........hmmmm........ok. So I did some Google-ing and came up with a Wikipedia reference.

"Soap nuts, also known as Sapindus, contain saponin, a natural detergent which is used to clean clothes. Soap nuts, especially Sapindus mukorossi, have become popular as an environmentally friendly alternative to manufactured, chemical detergents . A few nuts can be placed in a cotton drawstring bag in with a washload and reused several times. Soap nuts are safe for washing silk, woolens and other delicate fabrics.

Soap nuts, especially Sapindus mukorossi, are used medically as an expectorant, emetic, contraceptive, and for treatment of excessive salivation, epilepsy, chlorosis, and migraines. Studies show that saponin from soap nuts inhibits tumor cell growth. Soap nuts are among the list of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda. They are a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic shampoos and cleansers. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema, psoriasis, and for removing freckles. Soap nuts have gentle insecticidal properties and are traditionally used for removing lice from the scalp.

Soap nuts are antimicrobial and are beneficial for septic systems and greywater. Soap nuts are used in the remediation of contaminated soil. They are used by jewelers, especially in India and Indonesia, to remove the tarnish from silver and other precious metals."

READ THE REST HERE

This photo belongs to me, please link back to my blog if you use it.

The soapnuts that I will be awarding a winner come from the company BuySoapNuts.com, the same company that gave away a Safix Conconut Fiber Sponge on this blog.

The winner will receive a package of soapnuts, with instructions, and a cotton bag to use them in your laundry.

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Giveaway Details

The giveaway will run from today Monday, Jan. 5th, until Friday Jan 12th at Midnight.
The winner will receive a package of soapnuts, with instructions, and a cotton bag to use them in your laundry.

To Enter:

* Official Entry: Tell me why you want to win this bag of soapnuts.

* 2nd Entry: Blog about this giveaway and link to this blog. Leave a comment with your blog address.

* 3rd Entry: Visit my Etsy Shop and tell me what you like best.

*2 Extra entries: Email 3 friends about this giveaway and CC me. (hylawaldron@gmail.com)

*Leave a comment for all of your entries.
* You MUST leave me a way to contact you.
* If winner does not respond to the winning email within 72 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

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Labels: Giveaway, eco online shopping

Hydra Heart

Name: Molly Puzo
Shop Name: Hydra Heart
Shop Link: http://hydraheart.etsy.com
Location: Southern California
Ships To: Everywhere

What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products? Organic cottons, brocades, vinyl, and wood. All of the products in my store are vegan.


Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products? I try to live my life with respect and purpose. I wanted to provide people with an earth and animal friendly option for clothing and footwear because that is what I was always looking for and could never find!

What inspires you? Nature is ancient but surprises us all. ( one of my favorite Bjork lyrics). I love organic shapes and the gradient of the sky at dusk.

How long have you had your shop on Etsy? I've had my shop open almost 3 months now.

Is this a job for you or a hobby? Right now my store is my only source of income. I stay at home with my 16-month-old daughter so its perfect for me!


Besides your business practices, do you do other things to live a green life? I'm always conscious of how much waste I'm producing. I always use reusable grocery bags and I don't eat meat!

How did you get into your craft? My mother taught me how to sew when I was 6 and I've loved it ever since!

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners? Find what you love to do and do it. I know that over thinking things can lead to the absence of action- so keep being creative! <3

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Labels: Etsy seller, interview

Shop Zazzle

Zazzle is a website that you can buy custom made t-shirts, posters, skateboards, shoes, hoodies, calendars, etc. You can buy from many different artists designs to the average person design or create your own designs.

What I like about Zazzle is you can make a purchase that is good for the environment. They have organic T-shirts which is 100% organic fine jersey cotton or they also have a shirt style which is called Edun Live T-shirt which is 100% African made grow to sew. To find out what the product in question is made out of check out the product descriptions.

If you have any questions about their products or business in general go ahead andc ontact them, I did and I received a very quick response!

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Labels: Eco online shopping

Pigs or Pesticides??

Photo from A Storybook Life

Jim Koan is doing something revolutionary on his Flushing, MI farm. Or, is he? Instead of using pesticides to rid his orchard of a pest, Koan is going old school and using pigs.

Koan’s 120-acre apple farm in has been plagued by the Plum Curculio Beetle that lays its eggs in apples and makes the fruit drop too early from trees. He could have used frequent sprays of pesticides for years to get rid of the beetles, or he could use pigs. (He tried chickens and guineas, but they weren’t hard enough workers and the guineas were taken away by hawks. He contemplated sheep, too, but in the end hard-working pigs, too big for any hawk or coyote to steal, were the best bet.) Now he has a group of pigs who shuffle through the orchards when the apples infected with beetles start to fall. They eat the apples and the eggs that would have spelled disaster for next year’s crop, and clear the ground and eat weeds in the process. The pigs make short work of an apple orchard, eating every last contaminated apple. And, bonus: once the pigs have solved the beetle problem, Koan plans to sell them as organic pork.

Photo not linked.

The Detroit Free Press reported on Koan’s farm on January 28, 2008. I like this story for a few reasons. First, I like the image of pigs rooting around apple trees in Michigan, especially when juxtaposed with the image of tractors driving through the same field spraying pesticides on low-hanging Golden Delicious fruit. And, I like the idea of using pigs when it comes to my own health and the nutrition in my food.

To give you an idea of where pesticides fit into life today: in a 2005 report, the Centers for Disease Control found that toxins used in pesticides (neurotoxic pyrethroids) were found in people’s blood and the Environmental Working Group discovered that developing fetuses are born with an average 200 toxic chemicals inside them (taken from The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved by Sandor Katz). Some of theses toxins ended up in bloodstreams, not because anyone was chugging chemical waste, but because they were eating apples, pears, lettuce, and other fruits and vegetables that had been coated with pesticides as part of the ‘growing process.’

So, revolutionary or not, pigs are a refreshing idea.

via RiverWired written by Samantha Cleaver

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Labels: Did You know

Sarah Pinto Planners

Name: Sarah Pinto
Business Name: Sarah Pinto
Web Address: http://www.sarahpinto.com/
Location: San Francisco
Ships To: Anywhere

What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products? Recycled Paper 100% post consumer waste fiber (pcw), soy based ink

Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products? I’m just trying to think about the planet and try to do any small thing that makes a difference. With kids, we have to think about the future.

What inspires you? Simple, bold, colors and patterns.


How long has your business been up and running? Fall 2007

Is this a job for you or a hobby? My full time job is taking care of my two boys (Jack 5 and Charlie 3).

Besides your business practices, do you do other things to live a green life? We recycle, walk to school, take the bus whenever we can, use our own water bottles. We try to make small decisions each day to make a difference.



How did you get into this business? I couldn't find a cute and purse friendly planner, so I designed it myself

Anything else you would like to add? A portion of proceeds from the pink tapestry planner goes to California Pacific Medical Center Pediatric Cardiology because they saved my son's life.

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Labels: eco online shopping

Unclog Your Drains

Photo not linked.

Ever made a volcano in school? Remember the ingredients?...........How about baking soda and vinegar? Well that is what you can use in your drains! Much safer than those store bought drain cleaners and much much cheaper! This is very ECO friendly!

Pack the drain with baking soda and pour 1 cup of vinegar into the drain and cover for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes pour boiling water down the drain and your done! Whoo hooo! Wasn't that easy?

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Labels: make your own, helpful tips

Product Review - Green Works

I received this wonderfully soft baby shirt from Maura at Green Works! Now I have featured her shop before and I absolutely love her designs. This baby shirt was a special request, she normally only does adult clothing.

I absolutely LOVE this shirt and I can't wait till I have a baby to wear it (June 10th!). It is made from 100% natural unbleached cotton, which is grown in living soil. The soil is free from synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. If that weren't enough, the shirt is certified organic (ECOCERT).

Maura is located in Ireland and ships internationally and she does quick work, you won't be waiting long for your treasure! So check her out and make an eco friendly purchase today!
(Did I mention it will come from Ireland?! I love that fact! I have a "little" obsession with my Irish Heritage!)

Clothing available now from Green Works;




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Labels: Product Review, etsy seller, eco online shopping

Mandinka Designs

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All Green Earth Journey readers get a 15% discount/refund on their purchase!
Enter code "GEJ" in the notes to seller upon checkout and Mandy will either send you a revised invoice or will refund 15% if you have already paid!
Thanks Mandy!
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Name:
Mandy Curl

Shop Name:
Mandinka Designs

Shop Link:
http://mandinka.etsy.com

Location:
Springfield, IL USA

Ships To:
Everywhere

What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products?
We use men's suit coats (and sometimes pants).

Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products?
The eco-friendly aspect was actually secondary to my designs. I wanted to make a line of handbags and was trying to think of a less labor intensive way to make nice pockets, and thought, ooh!-suit coats have very well made pockets, and the idea was born. Of course, the bags turned out to be extremely labor intensive after all.


What inspires you?
Everything inspires me. It's a bit annoying - I have way too many ideas that will never come to be.
How long have you had your shop on Etsy?
I've been on Etsy for about a year and a half.

Is this a job for you or a hobby?
This is my full time work. I also sell in a local co-op and do wholesale.

Besides your business practices, do you do other things to live a green life?
Yes. I'm a nut for recycling everything, try to conserve electricity and water, etc. whenever I can, use recycled packaging and paper for my biz.


How did you get into your craft?
I received my MFA in Fibers, worked independently for a while doing custom home furnishings, and then had my suit coat handbags idea. I always new I wanted to have my own business selling my own product line.

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners?
I like shops that have a consistent look, a "brand" if you will. It's something I really strive for, but feel I still need to work at.

Anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for the feature here on your blog! And for helping to spread the word about living "greener".

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Labels: Etsy seller, interview

Need to Vent a Little

It really makes me sick that I will be having a baby in June/late May and I won't be able to by handmade for them. I planned on purchasing cloth diapers and clothing, blankets, burp cloths and you cant just do that all in one month, not to mention, I am not going to find out the gender until the 22nd!

I am emotional right now and I feel close to tears.

Hyla

Comic

"Each night, the bears moved the sign twenty more feet out"

Sign: Now Entering Wildlife Refuge

Labels:Random

Jesse Danger

Name: Jesse Danger

Shop Name: Jesse Danger

Shop Link: http://jessedanger.etsy.com

Location: Burlington, Vermont... well just outside of Burlington.

Ships To: Anywhere!

What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products? I use recycled silver and gold, as well as recycled packaging and shipping supplies. My new website is hosted by a small business that uses only solar power. On top of that I try to use chemicals and materials in my shop that are non toxic and ECO friendly.


Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products? I strive to have as little of an impact on the environment as possible in my everyday life, so it was a natural progression to create my business this way.

What inspires you? Oh so many things, Japanese art, Machines, textures of so many varieties, my wife too, she's a huge inspiration when my creative vision starts to blur.

How long have you had your shop on Etsy? It has been almost exactly a year since I listed my first piece.

Is this a job for you or a hobby? Both in a sense, I still work a full time job at a local jewelry store, But I take my Etsy Shop very seriously, as I would love to be doing this full time.


How did you get into your craft? Mainly through my Art Degree in college, I took a few metalworking classes and was hooked right away.

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners? The biggest thing I have learned this year on Etsy is that I need to be more efficient. Finds was to simplify tasks, and make things easier to do.

Anything else you would like to add? I always try to have fun with what I do, and set aside large blocks of time to design and create new works, because I find that is something that doesn't work when forced.

Labels: Etsy Seller

Bamboo Clothing - The Facts - Not So Great

Click on this image to read a similar article

Via OrganicClothingBlog
The manufacturing processes where bamboo the plant is transformed into bamboo the fabric are where the sustainability and eco-friendly luster of bamboo is tarnished because of the heavy chemicals, some of which are toxic, that are often required. Very, very little bamboo clothing would qualify as sustainable or organic clothes. Here’s the scoop.

Botanically categorized as a grass and not a tree, bamboo just might be the world’s most sustainable resource. It is the fastest growing grass and can shoot up a yard or more a day. Bamboo reaches maturity quickly and is ready for harvesting in about 4 years. Bamboo does not require replanting after harvesting because its vast root network continually sprouts new shoots which almost zoom up while you watch them, pulling in sunlight and greenhouse gases and converting them to new green growth. And bamboo does this the natural way without the need for petroleum-guzzling tractors and poisonous pesticides and fertilizers.

Bamboo the plant is wonderfully sustainable; bamboo the fabric isn’t so easy to categorize. There are two ways to process bamboo to make the plant into a fabric: mechanically or chemically. The mechanical way is by crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant and then use natural enzymes to break the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. This is essentially the same eco-friendly manufacturing process used to produce linen fabric from flax or hemp. Bamboo fabric made from this process is sometimes called bamboo linen. Very little bamboo linen is manufactured for clothing because it is more labor intensive and costly.

Click on this image for bamboo facts

Chemically manufactured bamboo fiber is a regenerated cellulose fiber similar to rayon or modal. Chemically manufactured bamboo is sometimes called bamboo rayon because of the many similarities in the way it is chemically manufactured and similarities in its feel and hand.

Most bamboo fabric that is the current eco-fashion rage is chemically manufactured by “cooking” the bamboo leaves and woody shoots in strong chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH – also known as caustic soda or lye) and carbon disulfide in a process also known as hydrolysis alkalization combined with multi-phase bleaching. Both sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide have been linked to serious health problems. Breathing low levels of carbon disulfide can cause tiredness, headache and nerve damage. Carbon disulfide has been shown to cause neural disorders in workers at rayon manufacturers. Low levels of exposure to sodium hydroxide can cause irritation of the skin and eyes. Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkaline base also known as caustic soda or lye. In its dry crystalline form, caustic soda is one of the major ingredients of Drano. This is basically the same process used to make rayon from wood or cotton waste byproducts. Because of the potential health risks and damage to the environment surrounding the manufacturing facilities, textile manufacturing processes for bamboo or other regenerated fibers using hydrolysis alkalization with multi-phase bleaching are not considered sustainable or environmentally supportable.

Photo not linked

While specifics can vary, the general process for chemically manufacturing bamboo fiber using hydrolysis alkalization with multi-phase bleaching technology – which is the dominate technology for producing regenerated bamboo fiber – goes like this:

1. Bamboo leaves and the soft, inner pith from the hard bamboo trunk are extracted and crushed;
2. The crushed bamboo cellulose is soaked in a solution of 15% to 20% sodium hydroxide at a temperature between 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C for one to three hours to form alkali cellulose;
3. The bamboo alkali cellulose is then pressed to remove any excess sodium hydroxide solution. The alkali cellulose is crashed by a grinder and left to dry for 24 hours;
4. Roughly a third as much carbon disulfide is added to the bamboo alkali cellulose to sulfurize the compound causing it to jell;
5. Any remaining carbon disulfide is removed by evaporation due to decompression and cellulose sodium xanthogenate is the result;
6. A diluted solution of sodium hydroxide is added to the cellulose sodium xanthogenate dissolving it to create a viscose solution consisting of about 5% sodium hydroxide and 7% to 15% bamboo fiber cellulose.
7. The viscose bamboo cellulose is forced through spinneret nozzles into a large container of a diluted sulfuric acid solution which hardens the viscose bamboo cellulose sodium xanthogenate and reconverts it to cellulose bamboo fiber threads which are spun into bamboo fiber yarns to be woven into reconstructed and regenerated bamboo fabric.

This gives some feel for how chemically intensive the hydrolysis-alkalization and multiphase bleaching manufacturing processes are for most bamboo fabrics that are promoted as being sustainable and eco-friendly.

Click image for bamboo facts.

Newer manufacturing facilities have begun using other technologies to chemically manufacture bamboo fiber that are more benign and eco-friendly. The chemical manufacturing process used to produce lyocell from wood cellulose can be modified to use bamboo cellulose. The lyocell process, also used to manufacture TENCEL®, uses N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide to dissolve the bamboo cellulose into a viscose solution. N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide is a member of the amine oxide family. Amine oxides are weak alkalines that act as surfactants and help break down the cellulose structure. Hydrogen peroxide is added as a stabilizer and the solution is forced through spinnerets into a hardening bath which causes the thin streams of viscose bamboo solution to harden into bamboo cellulose fiber threads. The hardening bath is usually a solution of water and methanol, ethanol or a similar alcohol. The regenerated bamboo fiber threads can be spun into bamboo yarn for weaving into fabric. This lyocell processing is substantially healthier and more eco-friendly because N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide is supposedly non-toxic to humans and the chemical manufacturing processes are closed-loop so 99.5% of the chemicals used during the processing are captured and recycled to be used again. Only trace amounts escape into the atmosphere or into waste waters and waste products.

Other chemical manufacturing processes for bamboo fabric are appearing such as using acetic anhydride and acetic acid with sulfuric acid as a catalyst to form acetate fiber which is then spun into a yarn.

Finish Reading this Article HERE

Labels: Did You Know

Save Handmade

On Feb 10th all handmade items for children will have to be tested for lead, every single item. This will cost thousands and most handmade artists will not be able to afford this. Including me. My shop is here http://myfairybabies.etsy.com . If I dont sell everything made for children by Feb 10th I will not be in compliance with the law, I can not sell it to international buyers and I legally can not give them as gifts.

Help me and other artists out. Please sign this petition
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/Home
And whenever you can please purchase your items from handmade artists until Feb 10th.
Feel free to pass to pass this email on and let everyone know.

I have started a trade list as well on Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5977448

Thank you and lots of love
Hyla Waldron

Mom of 3 soon to be 4

Labels: Did You Know

Product Review - Pure & Natural Body Wash

We have been using this body wash by Pure & Natural for more than a year now and we love it! It does not dry out the skin and the "Almond Oil and Cherry Blossom" scent is great for me and my husband even likes it. For those that don't like a heavy scent this is a product for you! The price is great, I have found the product available at my local Wegmans and Walmart.

From the website:

Drawn from and inspired by nature, Pure & Natural(TM) offers consumers what they need to keep their bodies and environment clean and healthy. Pure & Natural(TM) uses ingredients derived from nature and recycled packaging to form a brand that is truly eco-conscious.

The product line consists of a Body Wash, Liquid Hand Soap and Bar Soap which are each available in three ingredient combinations: Moisturizing Almond Oil & Cherry Blossom, Cleansing Rosemary & Mint and Renewing Grapefruit & Pomegranate. All Pure & Natural(TM)
products are biodegradable: the Body Wash and Liquid Hand Soap packaging are 100% recyclable, the Bar Soap packaging is made of 100% post consumer paper with seeds embedded inside, so users can actually plant the wrapping in the ground and watch it sprout a few weeks later.


-- 98% Natural Origin
-- Hypo-allergenic
-- Biodegradable formulas
-- 100% Recyclable Packaging
-- Paraben Free

-- Not tested on animals

Labels: Product Review

Prix-Prix

Name: Laura Skelton
Shop Name: prix-prix
Shop Link: http://www.prix-prix.com and http://prix-prix.etsy.com
Location: New Orleans, LA
Ships To: Worldwide!

What materials do you use for your ECO friendly products? I use recycled neckties, recycled men's suits, recycled Mardi Gras beads, recycled cereal boxes, and 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Why did you decide to make ECO friendly products? I worked in sustainable architecture before starting my accessories company, and I wanted to carry over eco-friendly practices into my handmade designs. Recycled materials are inexpensive, abundant, and have unique qualities that can be inspirational in themselves.


What inspires you? The fabulous patterns of the materials I work with inspires me, and the challenges of creatively reusing and repurposing items into my work.

How long have you had your shop on Etsy? I've had my shop on Etsy since August 2007, so for about a year and a half.

Is this a job for you or a hobby? This is my (more than) full-time job! I'm working on taking my business to the next level in the coming year, and it's been so exciting to get great feedback from my customers.


How did you get into your craft? My mom taught me how to sew when I was a kid; she owned a fabric business with two of her friends when I was growing up. I started refashioning clothes when I was in high school, making bags out of old pairs of pants, and shirts and skirts out of scrap material and old clothing. After I left my architecture job, I started designing fun little accessories and spent all my free time sewing, which refreshed my sewing skills very quickly. It was so nice to get back to creating things with my hands.

Do you have any advice for fellow Etsy shop owners? Stick to it! The more often you practice your chosen craft, the faster your skills will develop and improve. Be realistic about the time it might take for your shop to build a following, and make things you love.

Anything else you would like to add? I would encourage people to find a supportive group of crafters. If you choose to craft full time, it can be isolating suddenly not to have any co-workers. I'm a member of the New Orleans Craft Mafia (http://www.neworleanscraftmafia.com), which connects me with other local crafters and gives me great support and collaborative input in my work.

Labels: Etsy Seller, interview