GLEAN creative reuse

2011-02-18T08:50:00.002-08:00

yeah! Creative Reuse centers got a mention on Oprah recently... how encouraging:

I love hunting down these amazing places online and we make a point to visit any nearby centers when we're traveling. In fact, on our recent trip to Los Angeles we took an afternoon out to head south and visit the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse. It's run by the very inspiring and energetic Lisa Hernandez, who is overflowing with great ideas not only about creative reuse, but about building community, supporting small businesses, and stimulating local entrepreneurship. Lisa has even reached out to the First Family, sending the Obamas gifts made from recycled materials. We left smiling ear-to-ear and feeling so energized! If you are in the LA area, I highly recommend a visit to this tiny shop with a huge heart.

image: Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse

Just one more thing: Lancaster Creative Reuse in Pennsylvania has done an amazing job compiling an exhaustive list of creative reuse centers, which is posted to their website here. You can peek at their shop at http://www.lancastercreativereuse.org/. Take a browse through their list, and if you are lucky enough to live near one of the shops, go check it out!

image: Lancaster Creative Reuse

Have a great weekend!

getting a little geeky about birds today...

2011-01-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

I thought this recent New York Times article, about black kites scavenging and intentionally selecting pieces of white plastic to decorate their nests, was fascinating on so many levels!

image courtesy www.nytimes.com

I've always loved reading about bower birds, the original avian gleaners-slash-curators who assemble elaborate courtship bowers from found materials, often carefully choosing from a limited color palette (click here for some beautiful examples... love those blues especially). But nests in general are amazing little constructions in themselves, sort of like assemblages based on available materials and practicality. I love examining them to see what my little bird friends have chosen as their building materials.

Out here in the country I've seen several nests with a lovely, cushy lining of horsehair; and recently encountered this little gem, cleverly woven with strips of audio tape:

And here is another with a beautiful assortment of colors and textures:

I could go on and on with examples, but as lunch is waiting, I will simply recommend that you do a quick online search for bird nests next time you are creatively stuck... their ingenuity is inspiring. :)

Have a great week!

2011-01-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

we happened upon this very mysterious message today on our first annual New Year's Day beach walk.... I thought I'd share it with you ;)

Best Wishes for 2011 from all of us at GLEAN Creative Reuse!
Emily and John; Jack, Milo, and William the cats, and the three chicken-girls

2010-12-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

check out this great series of photos I just stumbled across (while looking for something totally unrelated, of course)

As I understand it, Vancouver artist James Nizam has created this series of in situ assemblages from furniture and other elements found in an old public housing development. His playful re-arrangements of mundane objects into beautiful compositions remind me of Andy Goldsworthy, and I love his titles- imaginative collective nouns a'la "a murder of crows" and "an Exaltation of Larks".

‘sheaf of pipe’

"lattice of doorknobs"

"stabile of drawers"

"entanglement of chairs"

and on another note, I wouldn't mind nicking a few of those lovely wooden chairs...hmm ;)

images via designboom

more at gallery jones

THE ULTIMATE ROLLER COASTER RIDE: A Brief History of Fossil Fuels

2010-12-10T17:12:00.002-08:00

* it snowed! *

2010-11-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

here's my view out the window today as I worked at my day job... add to that a crackling fireplace, kitties rubbing against my legs, and Astrud Gilberto on the stereo... I am feeling very lucky indeed.

Hope your holiday weekend is a lovely one.

beauty

2010-11-21T17:52:00.001-08:00

there are many tributes and imitators to be found online, but I say this performance is simply not the same without the tiny motes and specks of dust on the film itself, creating the sprinkles of stars surrounding Loie Fuller here

2010-11-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

ridiculously cute. and now I don't look quite so silly saving all of my glove onesies 'because they might come in handy someday'...

Great way to recycle old, mateless gloves

via Etsy's Tumblr : femmebot: asesinaenserie: rimiti: sra-interesante

2010-11-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

magical.

and yes, I do want to live in the pattern room... and peek into all those labeled boxes!

http://theanthropologist.net/#/PEGuerin/Craft/Intro

Have you Hugged your Kitty Today?

2010-10-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

We lost our dear friend Alice yesterday. We had two lovely years with Alice and were lucky enough to know her literally from birth. She was a teeny-tiny girl with an equally tiny meow but a super big heart. If you have kitties at home, give them a big hug today, and maybe an extra treat, just because!

Rest in peace, little lady.

2010-10-05T11:38:00.005-07:00

One of the main reasons I started my Etsy shop was because I absolutely love to collect creative supplies, but never get around to actually making things with them... call me an artist in theory but not in practice, I suppose. What gives me a real thrill, then, is being able to see the many amazing projects my customers make with the things I sell (almost like a proud godmother might feel)!

Vintage Map Covered Notebook by mrYen

Today on Etsy's Facebook feed I spotted some Glean Creative Reuse maps crafted by mrYen into lovely notebooks with hand-cut detailing on the covers. Each is filled with paper that is gridded on one side and lined on the other - something my friends in architecture classes were always on the lookout for. I love the hand-cut detailing that obviously took much care and precision- not only does he use it in the books but in his other listings as well. This image of whales is my favorite:

Original Papercut Whales by mrYen

His pieces remind me of Hans Christian Andersen's cut paper pieces and also of an artist (I'm hoping someone can remind me of her name) who cuts lacy grids into vintage ledger papers.

Here is a link to a music video featuring these whales... it's a truly lovely and imaginative piece:

'Lost Things' by Gallant + Keen

Beautiful work! I'm looking forward to seeing future projects from this shop...

PS. I will be featuring artists who use materials from my shop in the weeks to come~~ keep an eye out for collage artists, music makers, and jewelry artisans... they are truly a talented bunch.

If you would like to share your own images I really love seeing them... please send them along to gleancreativereuse (at) gmail (dot) com.

Have a great week!

2010-09-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

another lovely idea by Lori Weitzner: newspaper woven on a hand loom

for all sorts of applications

more here!

2010-09-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

The debate in the comments section of this Apartment Therapy Re-Nest blog post really gave me some food for thought. I've never been the type to purchase single-use gadgets like banana holders and avocado slicers, but I know that I could easily do without many 'useful' things in our own home...

2010-09-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

This is not the Future from oneedo on Vimeo.

"This is not the Future" : Music Video for the lo-fi troubadour that is Casionova

Yet another clever video using scraps. It reminds me a bit of Michel Gondry. Did you catch the crayon scribbles and the inside pattern from an envelope?

I am so inspired by this! I think to myself... I have boxes of scraps, I have scissors and glue...hmmm... all I need is lots of spare time, awesome music, and a similarly brilliant idea...

gleaners, I need your ideas

2010-09-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

images courtesy www.craftster.org

okay, anyone out there ever been to an ABC party? It's not as dirty as it sounds- you simply have to attend wearing unconventional attire- Anything But Clothes. I have a friend attending one next weekend (not me~ parties like this are few and far between on tiny islands full of retirees!) who's in search of costume ideas. The simple solutions all come to mind- duct tape, bubble wrap, black garbage bags... but I'm trying to think of something more creative... it needs to be a basic concept, hopefully using materials from around the house, that can come to fruition inside of a week.

Okay, crafty re-users, any ideas? I'll randomly select someone from the comments to receive a found paper scrap pack from the shop- I'm chopping up new squares as I write this! (well, I was just a few minutes ago, anyway...)

beautiful objects for repurposing...

2010-09-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

...at one of my favorite online shops, Three Potato Four. Apparently they have now opened a brick-and-mortar shop, in Philadelphia- yet another reason for me to visit the East Coast. I. am. covetous!

2010-08-31T15:33:00.001-07:00

~+*+*+*+~

in the shop today: vintage locker baskets made in Portland, OR and jadeite-green metal letters from Mr. Taylor's garage

~+*+*+*+~

waste not...

2010-08-31T09:29:00.002-07:00

some choice selections from the US National Archives' Facebook page today:

(have you checked out their Flickr page yet? it's fascinating stuff...)

2010-08-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jenni Rope: Kiipeilypuu / The Climbing Tree from Jenni Rope on Vimeo.

I am so enamored of artist Jenni Rope's beautiful animations lately (I posted her film Yöllä kello kolme / 3 AM recently, as well)! Here is another animation by Ms. Rope that has my creative muscles itching to be used again. Her fluid manipulations of material, color, and texture remind me of early Sesame Street clips (and I mean that in a really complimentary way), and her hypnotic films inspire me to dig out all manner of found papers and objects and create my own stop-motion dreamscape. How about you? any humble materials lying around the house that you could set in motion?

want to glean for a living?

2010-08-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Gleaners. Jean-François Millet. 1857

this job description in no way suits my slightly chaotic personality, but this is a great opportunity for someone in the Seattle area, so I'm passing along the info.

From their ad on Craigslist:

As a project of Rotary First Harvest, the Harvest Against Hunger gleaning program creates a much needed way to enlist small to medium-sized farm operations to benefit hunger relief efforts in local communities throughout Washington. For 26 years, RFH has focused on making connections between different groups (farmers, truckers, food banks and others) to gather food that would otherwise go to waste.

This is an opportunity to work with an innovative organization whose project mission is to act as a conduit between food producers and hunger relief agencies in the state of Washington. This position will build the volunteer capacity for local gleaning and farm projects and increase the quantity and variety of produce donations for Skagit County food banks, Meal Programs and others fighting hunger in Skagit County. If you are a highly organized, self-directed person with strong communication skills and are passionate about building community and working to address issues of hunger, Harvest Against Hunger has an AmeriCorps*VISTA position for you! Help increase capacity and inspire more people to volunteer to feed the hungry.

Title: AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer Program Coordinator
Status: Stipend Volunteer Position
Reports to: Distribution Center Coordinator
Commitment: 12 months, 40 hrs per week beginning November 2010
Training: Attendance at two AmeriCorps*VISTA training sessions is required
Stipend: $10,296 Living allowance ($858 per month); plus $5,350 Education Award and Benefits

you can contact Rotary First Harvest for more information here:

www.firstharvest.org/hah
www.sccaa.org

and here are some more ways to participate in their gleaning program:

http://www.firstharvest.org/hah/Participate.asp

Words cannot express how glad I am a program like this exists! These people are my heroes.

2010-08-11T14:45:00.001-07:00

link via BoingBoing. erikaceous.org, photo courtesy erikaceous

What a clever and beautiful creative reuse idea! I knew I was saving these little capsules for a reason... ;)

(Do you ever save odds and ends without a real clear idea of what you might do with them, except that they may have a use down the road? I can't be the only one...)

Anyways... if anyone in the Bay Area is reading this and has not yet visited the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse (the source for the capsules), you should turn off your computer and head over right now, for it is splendid. While you're there, head up the road to Urban Ore in Berkeley! You will not regret it.

Happy Wednesday!

2010-08-10T17:07:00.001-07:00

a visit to our island's local junkyard is always a gamble, and I must admit I'm usually too intimidated to haggle with the women who run it. but the lure of hidden rusty finds brings me back again and again... what I found this week was this rusty, lopsided (and a bit mangled) industrial metal cart. Someday when I grow up I'll open my own brick and mortar shop-- and this will be in it, after I've hammered it straight and set some fancy silver hotel ware on it for contrast. Until then, it will hold my succulent collection in the front yard!

the reopening

2010-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

good news- glean is now reopened for business!

I will be adding many new items daily...

enjoy!

2010-08-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

couldn't resist a few more... ;)

2010-08-02T15:34:00.001-07:00

here's a sneak peek at some of the items soon to be listed in the shop. As you can see, I've been having fun with the iPhone Hipstamatic app lately... it turns any shot into instant toy-camera art :)

the return.

2010-08-01T16:56:00.001-07:00

Well! Coming back from summer vacation wasn't easy as a kid, and I am here to report it has become no easier as an adult... :)

I have taken a few months off from my etsy shop (but never from gleaning more found objects) and have been heartily enjoying the beautiful weather with family and friends. The mornings have become cool and misty lately, though, and as fall-time very slowly creeps back into my consciousness, I find that Glean is calling my name once again. This summer I've amassed quite a collection of rescued bits and pieces waiting to be repurposed into something new. I can't wait to start sharing them!

In between regular visits to area secondhand shops and thrift stores, we've been making the summer-season rounds of yard and barn sales and have traveled off the island to flea markets, church and school rummage sales, and the occasional honest-to-goodness junkyard. I've been keeping an eye out for anything with interesting textures and colors, vintage patinas, offbeat shapes, and mysterious origins- if the cashier doesn't squint puzzled-ly at at least one item and ask either "what on earth is this?" or "you want to buy THIS?", I can't consider it a successful buying trip! The old saying 'one person's trash is another's treasure' was constantly in my head as I marveled at others' inability to recognize creative potential hiding in plain sight. I snapped up a few of my favorite pieces literally just as they were being tossed out.

Here are a few snaps of the places we've explored thus far. Hope you enjoy the new wares as much as we've enjoyed hunting them out!

Glean Creative Reuse will be opening early August 2010. Please check the shop's homepage at www.gleancreativereuse.etsy.com for updates.
See you soon!

~~Emily and the gleaners

I love outdoor flea markets.

the local junkyard

a school rummage sale

Frida Fraenka in Reykjavik, Iceland

more beautiful bits

2010-03-04T18:58:00.004-08:00

one of the most poetic snippets of film I have ever experienced; gentle and sad:

today's bit of beauty

2010-03-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

found today in my online wanderings...

more here: www.jennirope.com

2010-02-20T13:23:00.003-08:00

I just discovered this book at our local thrift store--it's by my favorite writer/illustrator team, Alice and Martin Provensen. I love the linework and bright blocks of color...

shapes and shapes

2010-02-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! (better late than never) It's a beautiful day out, sunny but chilly. Here I am cutting felt pieces and admiring the shapes created by the negative space.

Jeffrey DeCoster

Gloria Bornstein, "Double Dad"

i found this rusty metal door at the Presidio.

five milliseconds of fame.

2009-12-13T13:01:00.001-08:00

Hurrah, Glean Creative Reuse made it to the front page on Etsy! It's quite an honor to be included in such a well-curated collection. What resulted was a virtual stampede of requests for these thin metal strips which are shed by urban street sweeper machines. They are a great versatile material that I've used in so many ways- as stakes for retail signage, in collages and assemblages.... they've even proven to be a good surface for screenprinting and etching.

I've been collecting them for years, finding them here and there in various city streets and byways... I guess a trip into the city is in order so I can replenish my stock! Keep an eye out in the shop if you are interested- more are on the way.

Hope you are having a great holiday season- it's snowing here :)

Urban Craft Uprising This Weekend

2009-12-05T10:07:00.002-08:00

If you're in the Seattle area this weekend, make sure to stop by the Urban Craft Uprising at Seattle Center:

"Our mission: We are funky, independent designers with craftitude. We will bring to Seattle, Washington an annual juried show of over 50 vendors whose work is handmade and reflects the current DIY revolution. Our goal is to provide the optimal environment for vendors to showcase their creations and for the public to have the opportunity to buy unique, handmade, one-of-a-kind items."

more peeking around corners

2009-11-17T14:54:00.004-08:00

images copyright gleancreativereuse

peeking around corners

2009-11-17T11:49:00.004-08:00

notes from a paper hoarder

2009-11-16T09:15:00.010-08:00

Design Sponge guest blogger Brooke Reynolds talks paper love in her recent post- and highlights some great ways to reuse those little bits and pieces of printed and found papers you just can't bear to throw away. I love her color palette here:

spotted via everyeskimo, one of my favorite Etsy sellers :)

here are some beautiful creations from lovelydesign, the shop responsible for planting the seed of vintage paper love in my heart:

and some from my own collection:

some paper scrap love, available for purchase in my Etsy shop:

enjoy your Monday~!

in a pinch...

2009-11-12T13:30:00.004-08:00

ai, the winter sun is coming in different windows now
and blinding me at the computer!
old map + vintage pants hanger + push pin = low tech window shade.

object lesson

2009-11-03T09:26:00.005-08:00

i love mysterious shapes with lots of possibility.

From the Glean Library

2009-11-01T15:22:00.004-08:00

"Design by Accident: How to Create Design and Pattern by Accidental Effects"
by James F. O'Brien 1968

When creative block strikes, I can flip to a random page in this book and find inspiration. The author creates beautiful textures and patterns, seemingly drawing from the deceptively simple techniques and basic materials used in childhood art-making.

scooting ink across paper with an airbrush or drinking straw

an india ink wash over a thick layer of paste

paint-covered string / an accumulation of paper punches

scraps, randomly dropped

india ink in water

soot from a candle flame (don't try this one at home, kids ;) )

Associations

2009-10-28T12:19:00.004-07:00

This project by Felice Varini (spotted via BoingBoing and Make Magazine):

reminds me of this (spotted by my boyfriend on our favorite rocky beach):

We are assuming they are tracks made by some snail-like critters, making their way over and around the rocks. A jewelry design... or t-shirt.... journal... wallpaper?

Gemytligt

2009-10-17T13:25:00.006-07:00

Hugo och Rosa by Bengt Jagerskog

Spending a rainy afternoon wrapping etsy orders for shipment and scrounging bits and pieces of this sweet and quiet documentary from the internet. (thank you, YouTube) Does anyone out there know where I can purchase the entire film?

The Swedish word for coziness, gemytligt, is my word for today. Perhaps it is the accidentally-felted sweater I found in my stash that still fits, or the muffled sounds of my sweetie hammering large window-shaped holes in the downstairs wall, or the multiple cups of coffee I'm carrying around from room to room. This movie makes me want to need an oil lamp.

...Danish=hygge
...Norwegian=koselig
...Polish=pohoda

PS. I discovered this film via one of my favorite blogs, Tas-ka. They have a beautiful aesthetic.

Re-Threaded

2009-10-17T11:33:00.010-07:00

thinking of warm and cozy holiday presents and that huge box of thrifted and accidentally-shrunken sweaters I dug out of my studio today.

alas, true to my nature, I will most likely continue to snap up vintage cashmere and merino wool and not get around to making anything with them. Any takers out there for an instant collection? ;)

here are some ideas from those more craftivated than me (I just made that up; a portmanteau for those who go beyond thinking up craft ideas to actually making something. Oh, I admire you!) Also some great gift ideas for those like me who are inspired-but-time-deprived.

found tons more gift and project ideas at the Flickr Recycled Sweaters Pool and at etsy.com

Little Beaver Pincushion from Lucy's Locket on etsy.com

prism scarf by Greenleaf Goods on etsy.com

a tutorial on a very cool and informative website, whipup.net
via Make

bunny softie by Kayte Terry at the Craftzine blog

cashmere baby blanket from Kistner Supply

more colorful abstracts

2009-09-14T20:27:00.002-07:00

details of a dropcloth found on a thrift store children's easel.

accidental abstracts.

2009-09-13T13:26:00.005-07:00

i took to collecting these lovely abstracts (caused by light leaks) a while ago when I
happened to spy my friendly photomat technician tossing images like these in the trash.

Seattle Sells Street Signs by the...

2009-09-07T09:10:00.007-07:00

image courtesy The Seattle Times

This is when I wish I didn't live an hour and a ferry ride away from Seattle...

The City of Seattle's Department of Fleets and Facilities (I really like the sound of that name) is currently selling off its discarded street signs to make way for newer, more reflective ones!
Street signs are a really great material- thick and heavy aluminum, made strong to withstand the elements, but malleable enough to be altered in lots of different ways. A quick internet search uncovers all sorts of interesting ways to creatively reuse them, including briefcases, coasters, furniture, even back scratchers.

some of my favorites:

The Dwight Way project in Berkeley by Leger Wanaselja Architecture

Rhode Island based Boris Bally offers a plethora of interesting items which used to be street signs.

here's a link to the article:

Seattle%20selling%20off%20old%20street%20signs%20again

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from the alleyways and gutters

2009-08-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

A Scholastic Surplus.

2009-08-22T14:58:00.005-07:00

found at a local school's surplus sale this week: stacks and stacks of withdrawn children's library books
(along with a stack of vintage mid-century Heywood Wakefield school chairs and a matching desk!)
The pages will be included in ephemera packs, sold in my shop starting next week... I love the graphics and colors!

most of all, I love the endpapers. there you'll find the entire history of each book denoted in dates, stamps, and scribbles. I remember carefully writing my name in the back of each book I checked out as a child (I notice here I'm not the only one to check out the same book over and over and over). In retrospect, that must have required an incredible amount of work on the part of librarians. How on earth did they keep track of it all?!

The only aspect of this sale that left me heavy-hearted was the enormous amount of unwanted school-parts that, if unsold, was headed for the local dump (actually, to be accurate, our trash all goes across a ferry, to Seattle, and hundreds of miles south to the Oregon high desert). What really got to me were the stacks and stacks of hundreds of chairs in nearly-new condition---I wish I'd taken photos. Larry the Amazing Heroic Janitor, who was spearheading the sale, admitted that the cost of shipping these perfectly usable supplies to a district in need was prohibitively expensive (meaning that the reality is that it's cheaper to simply toss them out).

I heart maps

2009-08-06T17:33:00.005-07:00

I'm taking a bit of a break from my etsy shop to prepare new found bits and pieces for sale.... they will be listed early next week.
In the meantime I'm spending all of my time, it seems, cutting maps and other paper ephemera down into square-sized snips for scrap packs for the shop.

I'm a real nerd for the graphic depiction of information. If you are too, you'll need to read some Edward Tufte. His work is beautiful and succinct.

Here are some of my favorite maps so far:

from the city planning department in my hometown of
Springfield, Oregon.

from an ecological study in the Puget Sound, Washington

Munich, I believe.

Italia!

I had tremendous difficulty cutting up this
beautifully illustrated map of Istanbul

a vintage aerial shot of a mystery location.

You can sort of imagine yourself inside this 3D map of Switzerland.

Lost and Found Photos, and A Labor of Love

2009-08-05T15:22:00.007-07:00

I discovered this amazing flickr set by vieilles_annonces while researching our upcoming vacation... Entitled "A Soldier's Shots of Hawaii from 1940 to 1950", it is a series of abandoned vintage images rescued from obscurity and painstakingly given an extended life.

As she explains it:

These slides and photographs are just one set from my "estate sales" collections. They were dusty, darkened, bent, underexposed and were destined to be trash. Through the help of Photoshop, they can be displayed once again.

Local News | Iconic Ballard home sold; plan is to push it skyward | Seattle Times Newspaper

2009-07-08T13:16:00.003-07:00

I dunno... something about the idea of this little house balanced precariously 30 feet up in the air.... makes me feel a little embarrassed.
I'm sort of obsessively focused on the knick-knacks that remain on Ms. Macefield's windowsills.
I get a nonsensically superstitious feeling that if they have cause to fall down, bad luck will be visited on the project.

A cafe always sounded like a nice idea to me, with a beautiful mural on the surrounding walls.

Local News | Iconic Ballard home sold; plan is to push it skyward | Seattle Times Newspaper

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The Aftermath.

2009-07-05T11:44:00.003-07:00

We spent some time Sunday morning doing a little cleanup at
Double Bluff beach...

I reserved one of my trash bags for later experimentation.

Found Patterns II

2009-06-26T21:06:00.004-07:00

nature inspires once again.
found patterns from a whidbey island walk, this time all created by little critters.

:||:||:
nibbling patterns
growing-up patterns
burrowing patterns
living patterns
:||:||:

makes me think about

heiroglyphics
jackson pollock
language
graffiti
subways
and cave paintings.

Re-Cycle: Urban Ore in Berkeley

2009-06-18T13:37:00.010-07:00

pictures from a recent trip to the Bay Area... at Urban Ore in Berkeley.

Their website says it all:

"Our purpose is to end the age of waste by advocating and developing total recycling."
"We receive unwanted things and sell them as-is for reuse."
and finally
"...3 acres of well-organized used goods..."
I could spend many hours here, but none of my pals seems to share that kind of stamina. The key is to be willing to dig at the bottom of the boxes. That's where all the good stuff falls. You can't just glance at the top layer of stuff, oh no. One must dive right in. Of course, my selections show that the notion of 'good stuff' is extremely subjective; here are some shots of the interesting oddnesses I found (I will be posting the instrument panel and other odds and ends in my Etsy shop this weekend.). The gadget in the last photos is from some sort of marine vehicle. Upon close examination you can barely discern that the labels once read Bow, Stern, Mast, Cabin, Autohelm...The switches flip and the knobs turn this way and that-- it's like a twisted version of those Fisher-Price baby toys. When we returned to Seattle, there was a note from TSA in my checked baggage saying something like "We thought you had some bombs, but we guess you don't. P.S. You are WEIRD."

Sacrifices and Found Serrations

2009-06-18T11:53:00.005-07:00

Why hello, little ignored blog. I apologize. It is much harder to find time for you than I thought. You nearly became one of those blog casualties you read about in the news. Will you forgive me? To appease the gods of blogging, I will toss these images into the sacrificial firepit, along with some fresh strawberries from our garden, for we have an abundance.

*toss*

humbly offered from my recent Boston trip:

in the Harvard Bookstore basement, the walls are papered in ephemera found in their used books- photos, bookmarks, and the uncategorizable. My fellow Eugenians, please take note of the Mother Kali's bookmark. And my fellow Seattlites, both Bailey-Coy and Twice Sold Tales. I personally enjoyed the patterns created by the overlapping serrated pieces of cellophane tape.

Tiny Winged Gleaners

2009-05-14T17:03:00.005-07:00

I should be working to ship products out; instead I've spent an inordinate amount of time watching swifts. They come back every year to play at building a nest in the eave above our bedroom window. Eventually they decide it is not an appropriate location and move to a small hole in our neighbor's garage facade. This year I noticed their interest in our chickens' down and feathers. A swift will swoop about the yard, focusing his attentions on one area. Shortly he will come up with a feather clutched in his beak. The feather will drop, and the swift will dip back to catch it. This dropping and catching happens many times in a row, and I haven't tired of observing and admiring their great skill and precision. I also can't help but appreciate the fortunate timing of the chickens' moult- they are providing plenty of material for the little scavengers.
For quite some time, I've been saving the chickens' feathers for an as-yet undecided project. J. will be happy to read that the feathers are no longer loosely stashed in the bottom bathroom drawer; I have released them into the yard to provide cushy little nests for a family of swifts!

There should be a parable which is based on the difficulty of trying to capture a swift in motion, especially when it is snatching a feather in midair. As you can tell by the photos, it is not that easy. I think the parable should also mention something about the ineffable nature of life.

Mom, I'm on my way! Happy late Mothers Day!

collage city

2009-04-25T12:55:00.003-07:00

More than any city I've visited, the Los Angeles area seems to me to resemble one giant collage- a palimpsest of erasures and additions. It is constantly in flux, many authors and artists creating their own layers without much heed to the previous, so quickly that successive layers coexist similtaneously in the same time and space.
Concealment and revealment play daily roles, re-concealment follows stealthily in the night. The result is a compressed narrative, rich and full of stories.

Totally Wonderful Possibilities

2009-04-23T08:07:00.007-07:00

Dy Gul, ANT
image courtesy southpolestation.com

Hamilton Cty Twp, IA 1918
image courtesy Iowa Gen Web

Cass Twp, OH 1925
image courtesy US GenWeb Project

Yesterday I addressed a package to a customer living at such-and-such Twp. Now, being a curious person who is interested in language in an extraordinarily geeky way, I was shocked to see this unfamiliar abbreviation. A little internet search revealed to Her Geekiness that not only does TWP stand for Township (which sounds very quaint and is most probably full of butchers, bakers, corner traffic cops, and the like) but also for interesting things like:

Travelling Wave Phase
The Washington Post
Tropical Western Pacific
True Whig Party
Total Wood Preservative
Tactical Warfare Program
Team Work Plan
Temporary Work-Around Procedure
Total Wavelength Power

I also found abbreviations for such picturesque-sounding locales as Hollow (HLLW), Gulch (GL), Ditch (DIT), Slough (the aptly-spelled SLU), Bottom (BOT), and Loaf (LF). (Next blog post: what is a Loaf?)

I love that our world is sufficiently complicated to warrant such lengthy indices for abbreviations.
Thanks to the millions of geneology sites, the free dictionary and USPS for your beautiful lists and lovely images!

taxonomic collages

2009-04-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

or, bits of beach detritus, all lined up.

I'm not saying the first thing backwards, I'm saying something new

2009-04-20T21:36:00.007-07:00

(Sesame Street clip found in Mt Holly Mayor's Office, via boingboing.net)

Re-thinking flowers

2009-04-19T10:26:00.005-07:00

this has naught to do with much, but I have been neglectful toward this poor blog lately and feel a bit capricious with my posting topics.

A Post-War Playground, Rescued

2009-04-15T12:06:00.005-07:00

We just returned from an adventure to Southern California to visit my sister. I brought back a memory card full of photo sketches, and lots of inspiration.
Here is Monster Park (otherwise known as Vincent Lugo Park) in San Gabriel. It's a magical little playground full of colorful oversized concrete animals of the imaginary sort- a dragon, a pink whale, a sea monster, a six-foot primary-colored snail. It was designed in the early sixties by Benjamin Dominguez, a graduate of Mexico City's School of Concrete Art (!!) and completed in 1965. A few years ago, it looked like the park was in danger of demolition. A group of concerned citizens gathered together and put a lot of work into making sure that did not happen, and I'm so glad they were successful. The park is beautiful- someone even took the time to carefully rake the sand beneath the creatures...

mossy microcosms

2009-04-08T15:17:00.004-07:00

while watering the greenhouses at my day job yesterday, I couldn't help but be more attracted to the miniature worlds of moss growing in some of the older pots than the actual saleable plants. The colors and shapes are beautiful-- they look like undersea gardens, Seussian landscapes, full of moisture and tropical heat.

Marie, if you are looking at this... I took these on my lunch break !! ;)

2009-04-02T09:03:00.004-07:00

image courtesy of alisha henson

I am writing for myself and strangers. This is the only way that I can do it. Everybody is a real one to me, everybody is like some one else too to me. No one of them that I know can want to know it and so I write for myself and strangers.
– Gertrude Stein

I encountered this quote today on a new-to-me blog, alishahenson.com, and found it quite relevant to my current experiences. Alisha is the very talented proprietor of palindrome press in Portland, Oregon. Here's the notecard I just received from her shop-- I had been planning to send it to my mom for Easter, but now that I have it in hand, I think it belongs on my wall instead...

ubiquity, II

2009-04-01T20:45:00.006-07:00

postcard on my nightstand

Karel Marten's Printed Matter

I also am reminded of Miranda July's works where she used orange office-supply dot stickers to enhance blurry photographs, but I can't find any substantial reference to them online right now, and I am getting sleepy. So take my word for it, please, or look it up yourself. Goodnight.

Painted Patterns and Human Tracings

2009-03-30T20:24:00.006-07:00

school playgrounds

All images courtesy Google Maps.

one for the reading list

2009-03-30T09:09:00.005-07:00

J found this review for me on boingboing today. I haven't had time to look into it, but when I saw that the author encapsulated everything I believe about wasting resources in a few sentences, more articulately and succinctly than I ever could, I knew that it was fate. Author Anneli Rufus says, among various other things:

"I hate it when I see really good stuff in garbage cans. Just chucking stuff away? Junking it? That makes me really mad. It's going to go to a landfill, and some person, poor or not poor, could have had it."

vintage color dots

2009-03-29T21:09:00.004-07:00

hello, internet!

2009-03-28T14:23:00.004-07:00

...and hello to those who have happened by in the last few days, and a pre-hello to those wandering by in the days to come. Thanks for stopping by! My blog, as you might not know unless you are inside my head, is still pretty formless (or nascent and inchoate, as I like to say when I have my dictionary nearby). I'm still pinching and pulling at it, trying to make it look like what it looks like in my mind, but in the meantime feel free to kick a path through the clutter and poke around a little. I'll be in the other room, working on my brand-spanking-new Etsy shop, so just give a holler if you need anything. Leave a note if you like, your comments/ complaints/ constructive criticism are very welcome!
Oh and by the way, here is some driftwood for your viewing pleasure. We found it on a very cool walk the other day, which took us over pastures and farmland to the beach on Admiralty Inlet. Nice colors, and interesting patterns here and there.

abstract art found in alleyways

2009-03-26T09:22:00.002-07:00

thinking of Cy Twombly today.

tomorrow, I think

2009-03-22T14:37:00.004-07:00

I've been working for a while on getting an etsy shop online, along with this blog (which is still private) and a flickr site. What I've come to realize through hours of work is that they will never, ever be ready the way I want them to be. I am too much of a perfectionist and simply have too many things going on to devote the amount of time I need to get it all 'just right'!

That's why I've finally thrown my hands in the air and decided this week will be my 'soft opening', as some call it, whereupon I pound that tiny 'Now Open For Business' sign into the grass outside and reveal my little collection of odd scraps and found objects to the wild throngs who must be waiting, breathless, on the other side of those online shop doors.
It's a bit nerve-wracking, actually, that final leap into releasing everything which has heretofore resided only in my head into that vague and eerily public realm of the internet. I'll readily admit it is a heck of a lot easier to just wander aimlessly around the house all day, carrying my coffee cup from room to room, rearranging stacks of papers, and vaguely talking about the 'website I'm working on' than to commit and take action.

So here goes nothing! Wish me luck.

multicolored

2009-03-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

I love vintage children's books

2009-03-17T15:25:00.007-07:00

Here's a kids' book I found at the thrift recently, "What Makes A Shadow" (1962) written by Clyde Robert Bulla and illustrated by Adrienne Adams. It's not in the best of shape, but the illustrations are incredible. I love the color combinations, which remind me of a little box my mom always kept spare bits in when I was a child. I also like the contrast between the blocky, broad color bands and the ornate line-detailing given to the trees and flowers. Upon close examination, I found that the reason the illustrations have such depth is that each area of color is very subtly underscored by a tiny snip of a complementary color. It makes a real difference in the richness of the printing. Enjoy!

the knick-knack box, handmade by our neighbor in the late 70s

(I think she gave my mom cookies in it!)
Turns out my memory of the colors was a bit off, but you get the idea.

the blue tarp day

2009-03-16T09:35:00.013-07:00

Whoops, hi, it's been a while. I'm afraid I haven't the discipline for a blog... Good thing no one knows this one exists yet, and as such, isn't depending on their daily dose of brilliant gleaning wisdom to get them through the day!

Do you ever have a color stuck in your head, sort of like how you might have a catchy bit of tune that won't go away? That ubiquitous Blue Tarp-blue has been on my mind lately, and I seem to spot those bright plastic tarps everywhere I go.

Actually I think it is sort of an awful color. It is so very glaring, a bit tacky. It was one of my high school's colors, and as I did not enjoy school sports, I have particularly negative associations with it. And it seems more appropriate for tarps to be brown or green, as they are most likely to be found outside amidst these colors. I find the blue to be bit of a blight on the landscape.

Because of this, my goal today is to find even the tiniest scrap of inspiration in Blue Tarp Blue.

For starters, I did a quick Flickr and Google image search for 'blue tarp'. That was rather edifying. People are making clothes out of them, using them in ingenious ways for housing (humbling for me to see), and tagging them even if they compose just a tiny, insignificant portion of the image. Then:

hey, it's the high school yearbook and some trusty tools.
aaghh...90s graphics...

small wooden mystery item found at Urban Ore.
It is not so bad as a shiny enamel paint.

Oh no... I'm guilty, too:

this is our clawfoot bathtub outside in the wintry weather,
the tarp held down with a gross old honeycomb mat.

there, that's better. and now I see it has a nice woven texture

I found this in a puddle next to the tub.
obviously this picture is honeycomb-related, not tarp-related.

and lastly:

I took these last year on a windy day
somewhere in British Columbia

Blue Tarp Blue, are you worthy of creative inspiration?
My verdict is not yet in.

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dots and bars

2009-02-24T16:32:00.004-08:00

These registration marks were given to me in a fat envelope by my boyfriend's mother, who liked them because they're the part of product packaging you're not supposed to see. She would draw faces on the glue splotches and make them into tiny critters (there are a few on here if you look hard enough!). I love the colors together, especially the small circles on yellowed newsprint.

Found Inspiration

2009-02-23T10:11:00.012-08:00

Happy Monday!
Some interesting bits and pieces from our weekend mini-hike:

patterns chewed by insects

a bit of moss

moss print

fern prints

fireworks stems found in the tide line; nice range of faded pinks

Finally, Some Scraps

2009-02-06T14:53:00.006-08:00

image via TrumanLibrary.org

I realize I haven't actually posted much about "creative reuse" here yet. I suppose that for me, the idea of scavenging and reusing scrap extends beyond shreds of paper and bits of string, to notions and images as well...

But more material reuse is coming, though... here's a start: a quick little collage I made today from the flaps of security envelopes and an old manila file folder. Turned inside out, the envelopes' inner patterns kind of remind me of a mens' suit shop, and of elegant words like 'haberdashery' and 'sartorial'.

PS. Out of curiosity I just looked up the etymology of the word sartorial, and found that it comes from the Latin word 'sartus', meaning 'patched' or 'repaired'.

Lily Pads

2009-02-02T15:10:00.001-08:00

Lily Pads, originally uploaded by gleancreativereuse.

It's been a busy few days. Here's some more circles, though, found while readying my Flickr account for public viewing. Bye for now!

Soporific Crafting

2009-01-27T14:18:00.003-08:00

This pom-pon maker has a soft and mesmerizing accent, at once lulling and captivating. Watching her, I feel like a child riveted to a Mr. Rogers episode.

random keyword search

2009-01-26T20:50:00.006-08:00

:
elephant mask
swimming pool (think ed ruscha)
kids fort

image courtesy

via Marlow Harris, unusuallife.com

via swissmiss.typepad.com

more circles today

2009-01-22T20:19:00.005-08:00

Busby Berkeley is a magician-choreographer who lived and worked once upon a time in the 1930's and 40's. He used dancing ladies' legs and a military-formation aesthetic to create humongous, surreal, kaleidoscopic fantasies. Despite my aversion to sing-a-longs and most anything done as a group, his crazy imaginative numbers hold a certain fascination for me.

This particular bit doesn't really get good until 2:45. Then, look out. Surreal neon hoops fluttering in sync, large discs defying gravity, and disembodied heads dancing and singing about. Remember, all this was done before any sort of digi-photoshop-wizardry was even thought of...

The Opposite of Snow

2009-01-19T11:22:00.015-08:00

We spent last weekend in Phoenix visiting family. Even though frost is still on the ground here at home (it's 11:30 AM), we were able to wear our summer clothes and enjoy sunny days above 70 degrees the whole time.

I'm still processing the whole 'one-continuous-strip-mall' aspect of the USA's fifth largest city (population-wise, that is) ... the impossibly pleasant weather was only one contributor to the very surreal feeling I had there. What is this fascinating and strange sprawl of buildings in the middle of the desert, littered with saguaro cacti and faux-stucco Wal-Marts? That will have to make for a later post, perhaps.

Today I'll limit my comments to these intersecting circles that followed me around this weekend. At first I thought it was coincidence but now I'm not so sure. After I saw my first few circles, suddenly I saw them everywhere-- inspiration for pattern and design is all around!

Beautifully intersecting crop circles seen from the airplane

patio chairs and screen at Taliesin West in Scottsdale

Frank Lloyd Wright used circles in a similar way.
(Book from Amazon.com)

watercolor by artist Ann Arnold

I can't leave out 'Geometry of Circles', done by Philip
Glass for Sesame Street. Look it up on YouTube--
the original version, not the remixed ones.

<:><:><:><:><:><:><:>

It all makes me wonder how our self-perception as a society changed when we were finally able to see ourselves and the landscape from a different perspective-- first from an airplane, and then from space (and now with interactive satellite maps). Looking down from such a distance reveals so many hidden patterns...

Marks in the Snow

2009-01-11T17:19:00.008-08:00

Snow, snow, and more snow. I hope I am not being obnoxious, carrying on about this snow issue. I find myself missing how cheerfully it upset daily routines here, and I miss seeing people sledding and skiing to work and to do their shopping. Now it is boring, and regular, and pretty wet besides.

What I was really going to say was all the snow made me think alot about mark-making, specifically impression-making. The snow revealed all sorts of little secrets about our surroundings. On my walk to work I could see how busy the bunnies and deer and other unidentified critters had been overnight-- and I could see they had been up to FUN but also NO GOOD and also SNUCK into places I didn't know they would ever go-- a new construction site, a front doorway at the end of a very steep set of stairs, the bag of chicken feed I hadn't taken indoors yet. But I'm getting off on a tangent.

Impressions are a very basic form of mark-making and one which is easy and incredibly cheap to do. So this past month I tossed out all those expensive artist's paints (no, not really, I'm not crazy) and focused on studying the basic essence of impressions. I wish I could've taken plaster of paris and made molds of the fascinating things I found:

squirrel

looks like a cookie roller

Little Girl wanders

she reminds me of Billy's dotted lines.
by the way, this is Bil Keane's very talented son.

The snow made for an excellent surface for practicing and observing this age-old method of leaving one's mark. Why not get out there (if you're lucky enough to have snow around, that is) and make some patterns? Try it later with something less meltable, like clay or mashed potatoes. Play around with making a cast of it, or simply take a photo and watch it melt or eat it up. Here's my little experiment:

The Snow Is Gone

2009-01-06T11:19:00.001-08:00

...and with it all of the mystery and blemish-covering it provided.

I'm surprised by how much I miss it.

A Crunchy Walk

2008-12-16T21:08:00.002-08:00

Silver and Gold

2008-12-16T18:56:00.007-08:00

the simple line where snow buries an object.

paper and chalk.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

much like a contorted carrot.

me, and mine.

tracks of all sorts.

As cynical as I feel sometimes, I am enchanted by the sparkle and glitter of the holiday season, especially when it blankets my yard and the valley beyond in shades of white, translucence, and mystery. It snowed last night, and we woke to a land that was wholly changed.
I'm not a person with a snowy childhood. There were no sleds, no fuzzy ear flaps, no lined snow boots. I remember a few chilly winters where two inches of snow were enough to close schools and shut down roads (we simply didn't know how to handle it). Icicles were in the range of nonexistent to an inch or so long, and the treasured snow had to be played in before noon or it would be gone. I remember taking my trusty Nissan Stanza out the first year it snowed after I got my license, skidding into the curb two blocks away from my house, and heading for home to look up the bus schedule. So I am excited to see some snow on the ground this year, especially before the holidays and just in time for my long weekend. I put on my heavy boots and headed out for a little exploratory walk, the usual route down our rural road to the place we used to get our eggs before we got chickens. It was a completely different walk- everything was muffled; edges smoothed out and details obscured. I was able to do something unusual today (for me, at least)-- that is, encounter my own set of footprints (and only my footprints, it's that rural) going the other direction along the road.

It al reminds me of the illustrations in my all-time favorite book, childrens' or no-- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. If you have never picked up this book, allow me to be your personal LeVar Burton and recommend you do so immediately. In a simply and beautifully illustrated 28-page-papercut, Keats tells the story of Peter, a child who rediscovers his inner-city environs under a cover of snow. The story is sweet, the illustrations are inspirational and help me remember why I hold on to my ever-growing bin of paper scraps.

Wishing everyone a glittery day.

PS. I just looked and used copies are going for twenty-nine cents. This is unbelievable; in an age where one cannot buy gum for less than fifty cents, one can buy a copy of a sophisticated masterful work of art for a pittance. I am in awe of the internet...

The Bins: An Adventure in Thrift

2008-12-13T20:17:00.009-08:00

Must find bargain

fifteen pounds of zombie bargain on my kitchen table

A word of warning: before you head out to a dirty warehouse on the outskirts of town on my recommendation, know that the Goodwill Outlet Stores, here in the NW often known as The Bins, are not for the casual thrift store visitor. This is Extreme Thrifting, where one goes armed with hand sanitizer and a steely resolve. You may be shoved. Greedy shoppers may pluck items directly from your cart when your back is turned. You will most certainly handle something unpleasantly sticky, wet, or sharp. But buried treasure awaits those who are willing to do a little digging!

The Bins, which are not your ordinary Goodwills, get their nickname from the rows upon rows of huge wheeled plastic bins heaped with stuff-- junk that is making its last stop on its journey to the landfill. Some of it, honestly, should not have stopped at all... a shopping trip here is a little like dumpster diving, with carts and better lighting. Most everything is priced by the pound, which is a surreally cool equalizer by the way. One pound of feathers or one pound of lead, it doesn't matter. Both cost roughly a buck and a half.

It may all sound off-putting at first, but the moment you find your heart's desire hidden under a pile of old t-shirts for sixty cents, it's hard not to get hooked. I like to scour the bottoms of the bins for bits of collage material-- that's where loose game pieces, old photos, even money, all eventually settle. I could spend hours digging.

Although it isn't immediately apparent, there is a subculture there, complete with hierarchies and hidden rules of the road. Its certainly worthy of a low-budget documentary, or at least a George Romero-style spoof. I'm no expert on the place, but if I haven't scared you off yet here are a few tips I've picked up:

1. Respect the regulars- they are a hardcore bunch with their own reasons for being there. And they really know how the place works- watch them and you may learn a thing or two. There is some great scavenging skill involved here.

2. Get there early (unless you're like me and huge mobs of scarily motivated, often aggressive shoppers intimidate you)

3. Watch the bins. They are rotated on a mysterious schedule, with fresh ones replacing those that are picked over throughout the day. It's a fascinating process with rules and rituals, and all the social interest of a zombie feeding frenzy. Which brings me to my final rule (unless you want your hand smacked or gnawed off):

4. Stay behind those yellow lines until they say so!!!

.

Mystery Quote

2008-11-17T08:53:00.006-08:00

"Everything has a value, provided it appears at the right place at the right time. It's a matter of recognizing that value, that quality, and then transforming it into something that can be used. If you come across something valuable and tuck it away in your metaphorical suitcase, there's sure to come a moment when you can make use of it."

I came across this quote in one of my notebooks today and found it very relevant to this blog and to myself (although I don't have a metaphorical suitcase, I tuck everything into our very real basement!).
I have it attributed to Dutch designer Jurgen Bey, but an online search did nothing to back this up. I can't find the quote, or parts of the quote, attributed to himor anyone else for that matter! Did I dream the quote? Do I have the quote wrong?

Trip to Seattle

2008-11-10T18:00:00.007-08:00

We hopped across the water to visit Seattle for the weekend. Celebrated some birthdays, indulged just enough, slept on the floor, and were able to wander a bit downtown. I wish I had a better camera than the one on my cellphone with me...
Telephone poles present a very interesting collage opportunity. Clearly at least one Seattleite (top photo) is aware of this.

The Web we weave.

2008-11-05T09:17:00.008-08:00

"Hitler swallows Gold and Spouts Junk" John Heartfield, 1932

“Join, or Die,” by Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania Gazette (Philadelphia, PA),

May 9, 1754. Courtesy, Library of Congress

I must say I am stunned. I woke up today, excited to see what many of my favorite bloggers had to say about the historic election our country observed yesterday. Out of the ten or so blogs I looked at, only one had mentioned it at all-- and received several negative comments about the mixing of art and politics. Granted, these are not political blogs I am looking at. These are creative blogs, run by creative, intelligent, caring, ostensibly engaged individuals. But since when did art not mix with politics? Since when did politics NOT affect art, aesthetics, creative ventures? How is this topic not relevant to all of our lives, not affecting us daily? I am uncomfortable with this lack of acknowledgment on many levels. I'm not looking for a partisan celebration or condemnation. I don't care how anyone voted in this case; I am simply looking for acknowledgment that this big thing happened, and that it affects all of our lives in many ways.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about it in the days to come. Perhaps everyone is still in disbelief!

::UPDATE:: I'm pleased to see that weeks later I'm reading and seeing responses to this everywhere. Maybe I wasn't looking in the right place, or maybe it took a while for the news to sink in. I must admit I was a little nervous talking politics myself, no matter how generally... I hereby retract my stunned-ness. :)

where might one go from here?

2008-10-29T18:35:00.007-07:00

oh my.

makes you feel sort of lucky, doesn't it? And yet... how amazing to have seen this, and survived to tell the tale. How would living through such a terrible situation change a person's constitution? How would it change a society's constitution? Do we as a modern society lack true fear? We seem so invulnerable today; untouchable. But this is a false sense of security. How vulnerable those small houses look under the looming dust storm. How does this type of experience change us? I think there are valuable lessons here; lessons quite pertinent today.

Making Do

2008-10-29T10:06:00.008-07:00

Farm Security Administration: School in Alabama (1935)

Young Oklahoma mother; age 18, penniless, stranded in Imperial Valley, California (1937)

Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Housing, Fentress Co. The sole water supply of this section of Wilder, Tennessee.

WPA Sewing Project

Unemployed, destitute man leaning against vacant store:photo by Dorothea Lange

Today is the anniversary of Black Tuesday, the last of three stock market crashes in 1929 and the one generally noted as the beginning of the Great Depression. There are countless parallels to draw between then and now, but right now I'm hoping that perhaps we could take a few lessons in frugality and economy from our forebears here. I know things won't be easy, but if we could collectively develop just a smidgen more respect for our nation's resources, I'd be one tickled optimist. By the way, these images are courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Museum and Library. I strongly encourage you to spend a few minutes browsing the photos; they are fascinating and give poignant context to today's crisis.

beautiful plastic

2008-10-28T09:06:00.002-07:00

san francisco

collection

2008-10-25T21:41:00.003-07:00

chasing vague shapes.

why I am here.

2008-10-23T09:32:00.004-07:00

I came to the idea of gleaning and reuse from many directions, but it boils down to three basics:

1. Using Castoffs is Cheap.
In today's economy, that means a lot. And even when we're not experiencing an 'economic downturn', throwing money at a creative project when cheaper alternatives to materials are readily available is just silly.
2. Gleaning is Environmentally Kind.
Buying something that has already been made and used saves resources. Materials, labor, water, electricity, and transportation all go into the cost of a new product. Buying used avoids those costs in an elegant way.
3. Reusing Tickles Your Creative Muscles.
Thinking of a new use for something is a challenge I enjoy. Sure, it's easier to buy something new, but it's not nearly as fun or satisfying!

Harvest and Ingenuity

2008-10-22T09:21:00.012-07:00

calendula, squash, cosmos, nasturtiums, cabbage, spaghetti squash

I have been collecting seed from the garden the past few days. Between that and actually harvesting our own veggies, I feel a bit like a busy squirrel stocking up for winter with piles of this and that stowed here and there around the house. It is quite satisfying.

I feel I could write an entire thesis on my fascination with seeds. The fact that a plant is built to maximize reproduction is amazing, especially when you see the different ways each plant does this. Talk about creativity and ingenuity (if you can apply that to a plant)! A sunflower grows high, develops seeds, becomes top-heavy, and falls to the ground. If left untended, the seeds would grow there next year, mulched by the composted remains of the flower. Right now ours are face-down in the garden, although the chickens are consuming any seeds that the wild birds may have left.

And the cucurbits! Squash, cucumbers, melons... they send their fruits snaking out here and there, winding tiny tendrils around anything they can find. I imagine a winter squash in the wild, quietly decomposing, several feet from the original plant, seeds getting ready for the spring under a layer of rotting fruit and leaves. Maybe a baby mouse taking up residence inside the empty shell.

I could go on, but I won't right now. Except this-- just look at those calendula seeds. A beautiful shape, perfect for digging down into the soil. Very sculptural; beauty created by practicality and purpose.
I'm a seed nerd!

Serene Maxwelton Valley

2008-10-21T09:27:00.005-07:00

Our backyard and the valley beyond. Just a thin speckle of frost this morning...

A Post from twin kittens

2008-10-20T12:26:00.004-07:00

Sweet William and Little Alice wish to convey that although Emily has every intention of resuming work on her blog, she has been unable to find the time. Just see how sincere William is, with his tongue on his nose. This is not an easy feat; try it sometime!

Dont give up on us!

hello, internet

2008-10-06T19:34:00.004-07:00

Yes, Sir, That's My Baby.

I feel a little shy. It's a bit nervewracking beginning this blog, even though it won't be live for quite some time now. That doesn't keep me from wondering 'will they like me?'

I told my boyfriend the other day that my motto should be something like "I store it in my basement (in toppling piles), so YOU don't have to". He failed to find the humor, as he peered over my shoulder into my basement 'studio' (pictured above).

I can't bear to see something with potential thrown away- not when it could go on to a better life. The problem is that SO MUCH is thrown away-- I'm constantly astounded by what we toss out. I also see potential in many, many things; things that others would think was...er...junk. BUT IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE JUNK!!

My secret lifelong fantasy is to scoop up every single wayward object, idea, or notion, and put it to better use somewhere else, somewhere there is a need. I would have a gigantic clearinghouse of cool gleaned stuff, with a vast searchable database, accessible by anyone. And I would be the gleaning superhero, with a cape and tights I found at the thrift store.

Until that lofty dream is realized, I'll start with this humble blog/shop, which I hope might do several things: act as a forum for discussion about reuse in general, serve as a resource for all things reusable, provide inspiration for those in the market for a little creative kick in the pants, and create a place for me to share my finds. I'm always on the lookout for something--whether it be a material, an idea, or just a notion--that can be rescued from its original context, reconfigured, and reused in a different and meaningful way. I find inspiration everywhere; and it seems that if the right bits and pieces can be married, creativity can happen... I hope you find some inspiration here. Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or comments.

Thanks!