Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Happy birthday
A pretty chiffon furoshiki, ideal for wrapping soft, light things like a scarf and gloves.
And with the flap brought back and over the knot, then tucked in to form, what Oli (my sister) in Australia calls, a kangaroo wrap to hold a card.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Make your child's birthday party eco-friendly
On the subject of birthdays, here are some great tips from Alan of Green Pepper on how to
Make your child's birthday party eco-friendly
Please take a moment and think back to the last child’s birthday party you attended, fast forward to after the fun and games were over and think about how much cardboard, plastic and paper was strewn around. There was probably enough to fill at least 2 bin liners, and that’s just from the packaging and the wrapping. What many don’t realise is that the laminates, dyes and glitters in the packaging make it unsuitable for recycling.
Add to this the fact that batteries and plastic toys can take over 5 centuries to break down and also the 275,000 tonnes of plastic we send every year to landfill sites, is there any reason why we should send even more?
An innovative new website, EthicalCommunity.com has recently been launched, and one of its main aims is to help parents to buy eco-friendly products for their kids. Parents who are eco-conscious can browse around the 7000+ products on the site, read the story behind each item and buy them directly from the eco-sellers who made them.
It is quite amazing what a difference parents can make just by making a few subtle changes to thing that they do on a daily basis. This can have an enormous impact in the environment yet no compromise is made on fun, and you can more often than not save money too.
1. Switch from disposable to reusable. Use ceramic plates, bowls and cutlery over their paper disposable alternatives, as a one-off dishwasher load is certainly easier to manage than scraping paper plates clean enough to recycle. If you are looking to treat yourself then ‘Eko Earth’ Products , one of many eco sellers found on EthicalCommunity.com, have just released a stylish range of tableware made from the by-product of bamboo and is the first ever fully biodegradable tableware to hit the UK market. Don’t be fooled however, as Biodegradable in this case doesn’t mean disposable but instead means that the collection is reusable and durable.
2. Ditch the “Goodie Bags!”. From one parent to another does any child really need another paper hat or tub of bubbles? Experience based parties such as a trip to the zoo or pottery making leave a lasting memory, which doesn’t get lost at the bottom of the toy box. If you are a traditionalist and are determined to give out goodie bags then why not consider switching to a re-usable gift bag and filling it with sustainable and natural goodies.
3. Loose the wrapping. Spending money on wrapping paper which is only going to be torn up and thrown away is a bit of a waste, instead why not make the wrapping part of the gift itself by wrapping it in Myfuroshiki fabric gift wrap which is a fun and affordable take on the Japanese art of “Furoshiki” (cloth wrapping). With just one of these any shape of object can be easily wrapped with no sticky tape, no scissors and no waste!
5. Use eco-friendly candles. Candles made with beeswax are naturally fragrant, nontoxic, soot-free, and non-allergenic. They’re completely renewable and require little, if any, additives which makes them a great alternative to Paraffin wax candles.
Many thanks to Green Pepper for allowing me to reproduce this article. For more of their eco-friendly tips and information, follow them here.
Make your child's birthday party eco-friendly
Please take a moment and think back to the last child’s birthday party you attended, fast forward to after the fun and games were over and think about how much cardboard, plastic and paper was strewn around. There was probably enough to fill at least 2 bin liners, and that’s just from the packaging and the wrapping. What many don’t realise is that the laminates, dyes and glitters in the packaging make it unsuitable for recycling.
Add to this the fact that batteries and plastic toys can take over 5 centuries to break down and also the 275,000 tonnes of plastic we send every year to landfill sites, is there any reason why we should send even more?
An innovative new website, EthicalCommunity.com has recently been launched, and one of its main aims is to help parents to buy eco-friendly products for their kids. Parents who are eco-conscious can browse around the 7000+ products on the site, read the story behind each item and buy them directly from the eco-sellers who made them.
It is quite amazing what a difference parents can make just by making a few subtle changes to thing that they do on a daily basis. This can have an enormous impact in the environment yet no compromise is made on fun, and you can more often than not save money too.
1. Switch from disposable to reusable. Use ceramic plates, bowls and cutlery over their paper disposable alternatives, as a one-off dishwasher load is certainly easier to manage than scraping paper plates clean enough to recycle. If you are looking to treat yourself then ‘Eko Earth’ Products , one of many eco sellers found on EthicalCommunity.com, have just released a stylish range of tableware made from the by-product of bamboo and is the first ever fully biodegradable tableware to hit the UK market. Don’t be fooled however, as Biodegradable in this case doesn’t mean disposable but instead means that the collection is reusable and durable.
2. Ditch the “Goodie Bags!”. From one parent to another does any child really need another paper hat or tub of bubbles? Experience based parties such as a trip to the zoo or pottery making leave a lasting memory, which doesn’t get lost at the bottom of the toy box. If you are a traditionalist and are determined to give out goodie bags then why not consider switching to a re-usable gift bag and filling it with sustainable and natural goodies.
3. Loose the wrapping. Spending money on wrapping paper which is only going to be torn up and thrown away is a bit of a waste, instead why not make the wrapping part of the gift itself by wrapping it in Myfuroshiki fabric gift wrap which is a fun and affordable take on the Japanese art of “Furoshiki” (cloth wrapping). With just one of these any shape of object can be easily wrapped with no sticky tape, no scissors and no waste!
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4. Get Baking. Mum’s cooking is always best, so bake the birthday cake yourself using local Organic and Fairtrade ingredients and avoid all the unnecessary packaging and cost that comes with shop-bought food.
5. Use eco-friendly candles. Candles made with beeswax are naturally fragrant, nontoxic, soot-free, and non-allergenic. They’re completely renewable and require little, if any, additives which makes them a great alternative to Paraffin wax candles.
Many thanks to Green Pepper for allowing me to reproduce this article. For more of their eco-friendly tips and information, follow them here.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The birthday season
One of the things I love about this time of year is that it's the birthday season! Not just mine but those of many relatives and friends. Obviously (!) I''ve lots of lovely furoshiki for wrapping all those presents - here's one I did earlier this week, a simple blue wrap for a 15 year old boy.
As well as enjoying experimenting to find the right wrap for a gift, I'm always on the look out for eco friendly and original cards to add to my stock. I have some great re-usable Cloth & Card cards like these made by my sister, Oli;
Dig the Earth is another favourite for his bright, zingy designs;
Aleximo Croissant's alien is a big hit with my nephews;
and I was really pleased when I finally got round to visiting The Gift Tag, a gem of a shop in our village, to find a great selection of handmade cards and photo cards with local views.
As well as enjoying experimenting to find the right wrap for a gift, I'm always on the look out for eco friendly and original cards to add to my stock. I have some great re-usable Cloth & Card cards like these made by my sister, Oli;
Dig the Earth is another favourite for his bright, zingy designs;
Aleximo Croissant's alien is a big hit with my nephews;
and I was really pleased when I finally got round to visiting The Gift Tag, a gem of a shop in our village, to find a great selection of handmade cards and photo cards with local views.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wrap in rap
Just spotted the myfuroshiki wraps featured in this great 'Please, think about the planet' rap from Ethical Community!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
1000 birds project - every little helps
This project has been set up by Makiko Hastings, a Japanese ceramicist who currently lives in North Yorkshire, with the aim of raising money to help Japan recover from the devastating earthquake / tsunami on 11th March 2011. Makiko has family and friends in Japan, where many others are affected by the earthquake. As you can imagine, Japan’s recovery will take a long time, it could take decades for people to get their lives back. They need help more than ever. Makiko believes every little helps and can make a difference, which led her to the idea of selling 1000 handmade ceramic birds. All sales of the birds will go to Japan Earthquake appeal.
Makiko explains more about the project in her blog here.
The birds are available to buy at CAKEWALK in Ilkley or at Makiko's stall at Knaresborough Easter Fayre on Saturday 23rd April.
Monday, April 4, 2011
It's a wrap!
So pleased to see one of the myfuroshiki silk dupion furoshiki featured in this great, 'It's a wrap', Etsy treasury selected by DG Designs. Thank you, Debbie!
Lampwork Turquoise Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Bracelet
by DG Designs
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Auction for Japan
Whilst the awful images of the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami on Japan are no longer dominating the front pages, the suffering continues with over 10,000 people confirmed dead, over 16,000 still missing and many living in evacuation centres. The scale of destruction and upheaval is so immense that it's hard to comprehend. It's heartening nonetheless to see how people around the world have responded with so many gestures of support.
One of these is a fabulous auction of bespoke jewellery and handmade textiles being held by The Collective to raise money for the Japan relief fund via OXFAM. The auction will run from Monday 28th March 2PM GMT until Monday 4th April 8:30pm GMT. All of the money raised will be paid into a PayPal account which will then be paid onto the Japan fund via the OXFAM site.
One of these is a fabulous auction of bespoke jewellery and handmade textiles being held by The Collective to raise money for the Japan relief fund via OXFAM. The auction will run from Monday 28th March 2PM GMT until Monday 4th April 8:30pm GMT. All of the money raised will be paid into a PayPal account which will then be paid onto the Japan fund via the OXFAM site.
Joy Funnell ; Izzy of Flame and Glass; Barbara Lewis ; Emma Ralph; Lush Lampwork; Lori Anderson; KookieDesigns; Clair WolfeDesigns; Kristin Smith of K S Jewellery Designs; CeeGee Jewellery Designs ; C-Urchin, Anna Stassen Saukura Jewellery; Jemima Lumley
plus stunning artisan Lampwork beads donated by the following artists:
Ray Skene, Annelyse Taylor, Glittering Prize, Rebecca Weddell, moogin, c-urchin, Emma Ralph, Chameleon Designs, Clare Scott , Cheeky Cherubs , Sublime Beads and Flame and Glass
and beautiful handmade Textile donations from:
Lisa Pidgeon of dharmaflyer; Bev Hicklin of Hattie Rae and Atelier Glass and Lazy Daisy Glass and myfuroshiki.
Please pop over to the auction page and have a look. It is easy to bid, just follow the e-mail link and state your name, auction lot number that you are bidding on and your bid amount in £ sterling please.
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