Going Greener

My daughter gathered some art supplies for me, so I could finish up a challenge I was making for GreenCraft magazine.  I have never submitted anything to them before, to me this magazine pays for itself.   There are sooo many unique and wonderful ideas on using recycled items, to create gift ideas, ways to present a gift, and many wonderful ways to use what is on hand.  It is a brilliant publication~

My husband retires from the Navy next June. I have been thinking about our humble beginnings, how I tried to make our new nest home. I have made seventeen nests.  The hardest move for me was Adak Island.  There were only three places to shop, for household items, the Navy Exchange, the thrift shop on Bering Hill and yard sales.  Oh, yes mail order, but when you live on an island, in the Aleutian chain, shipping is double.  I remember some of the unique creations I made.  I remember women fighting at the thrift shop, like it was Christmas Eve at Macy's.  I remember crocheting around coffee and other tins to make organizers and tea dying fabric. I remember painting boxes to make art. I remember the day a new friend took me to the other side of the island.  We only had 5 miles of tarred road,  but we were considered civilized because we had McDonald's, lol.   I remember what it felt like when the road ran out and we drove up a mountain. I remember seeing whales off in the distance and how it rained every day.  Yes, if it wasn't raining, it was snowing.   I remember the sun would come out wink and disappear.  I saw a rainbow almost everyday.  The sun for me, was this tiny hobby n' craft store, on the other side of the island.  It had something for everybody.   Car models and paint, glitter and Make it, Bake its along with wooden cut outs and felt, etc.  This place was my sun!  It was like the clouds parted and heaven spoke the day I found that shop!  I could cope with the gloomy weather, the isolation of living on a remote island that shook, at least sixteen times a day.  Yes, we were twenty-six miles away from a volcano.  I am sooo glad I didn't know all of this.  No one could come visit us on the island without being cleared, approved by the military.  Who would want to, lol!  ( More about that later, perhaps another time).

I decided to make some green crafts to submit to this publication. I grew up green. Mom was always recycling something.  Ok, maybe hoarding jars, berry baskets and boxes.  Me, I hoard paint chips...sssshh, don't tell!   Here is a peek of some of the crafts I sent in.

What do you think it is made out of?   Yes, it is a box, a Magic Sponge box.  I did remove the sponges and used the box.

What about these?

 

 These are Crystal Light lids.   I did punch holes in these and added some string.  I made these for my daughter, to put on gifts.  She is always going to a birthday party!   Chalkboard paint would be fab on gift wrap!  You could write and doodle your own design ;D  I know they do make scrapbook paper.
 

I also used the paper towel cardboard tube, to make this.

I think I have been watching too much of  My Fair Wedding!

Are you green?  Do you reuse items?  What do you recycle?