Earth Day Give-Away: Awesome Tote Bag for You!

I hope you will join me in celebrating Earth Day on Monday, April 22nd! In looking around my studio, I realized I could continue on the path of operating an environmentally savvy art studio by donating some of the fabric overflow I've stashed for years. It seems to me that kids learning to sew in the after-school program in our community could better use that fabric: it will save them money and it breathe new life into that fabric stash!

How are you going to celebrate Earth Day? The first Earth Day happened on April 22, 1970, and over 20 million Americans from all walks of life  participated, which is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. "Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world."

I would like to announce the first EARTH DAY GIVE AWAY here at Nestle and Soar! Most of us like to use canvas tote bags instead of plastic or paper bags, and I always keep my eyes open for fun, washable totes to use! Tell me in a comment to this blog post how you plan to celebrate Earth Day, and you will be entered into a drawing to receive a sturdy Nestle And Soar Tote Bag of your very own! From the posted comments, I will randomly draw one winner on May 1st. You will be notified of your awesome winner status and this great tote bag will be mailed to you with my compliments.

I hope you will all enter to win, and it would be great to have your friends enter, too! Let's make a nice long list of ways Earth Day will be celebrated in 2013! We will learn from each other and be part of a hugely successful worldwide movement to honor mother Earth.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

My new favorite things...

I stumbled upon two new favorite things this morning and I want to get to know these Etsy artisans. I think we have similar passions.

I create only 2D work with wool, but I do like this folk art bird pattern from Cheswick Company in Connecticut. I especially like their button eyes and the feathers on their heads! I like that this is a pattern, not the finished item for sale. I think Etsy is a great source for those who make things, as well as a source for those who want to buy things. I know I look at other artists to be inspired. I have a few patterns in the works of my own designs, which is fun. I never thought to clamp the soft sculpture like this. Love it.

I also found a great bright green tote bag (and how many tote bags do I need... unending urge to collect them). I like this Love Languages tote by Buck Toothed Bunny in Boston because I am entranced by the best way to add words to art. There is silk screening, iron-on transfer, printing directly to fabric, decoupage, applique...can you think of any more techniques? I most recently embroidered words by hand and that is very time consuming! My particular OCD comes out when I do hand embroidery of words as my stitches are never as even as I think they should be. I really like how the words on this tote form a heart.

What has caught your eye already today? What will be your favorite thing this week? I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne