the handmade olympics {event 3}

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update! april 17th, 2012
thanks so much to everyone who has entered!
what an amazing & talented bunch you are!
nominations are now CLOSED. 
and YAY you can go VOTE on the judges' SHORTLISTS here! 

vote in event 1

 vote in event 2

vote in event 3

vote in event 4

vote in event 5

vote in event 6

vote in event 7

 

 

VOTING ENDS friday, april 27th @ 11:59 pm EST!

thanks again,
k.

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yay!
please see the MAIN handmade olympics post for all of the fun-filled details & rules on the events!

now.. welcome to event 3: please leave comments here nominating:

your favourite handmade eco-friendly item!

one you love by another maker & one you've made yourself!

for this event
think beautifully recycled, repurposed, sustainably-minded creations.
think organic or eco-forward.
think of an eco-friendly handmade item that you just love!

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thanks so much to our fabulous judge for this event, kathreen ricketson of whipup fame. former eco craft and lifestyle columnist for Treehugger,  she's also the author of Whip Up Mini Quilts (Chronicle 2010) and Little Bits Quilting Bee (Chronicle 2011). most recently she has been writing, editing, designing and publishing a kids e-magazine: Action Pack.

find out more about this nicey here!  

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remember, you can nominate yourself + another in EACH event! PLUS get bonus ballots for twittering, blogging, facebooking & more about the #handmadeolympics! yay!

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the amazing PRIZES

the handmade olympics prize packs are just gosh-darn fantastical!

this EVENT will award the following prizes!

including $150 worth of handmade goodness:
a $50 gift certificate to jake + cleo

a $50 gift certificate to remaker

a $50 gift certificate to rikrak

+ an *i WON GOLD*  handmade olympics badge to use on your site/blog/shop 

+ an artist/crafter feature on the rikrak studio blog!

with $60 worth of handmade goodness:
2 months of advertising {may & june} on the rikrak studio blog : value $60

+ an *i WON SILVER*  handmade olympics badge to use on your site/blog/shop 


 

one FREE month of may 2012 advertising on the rikrak studio blog! yay!

+ an *i WON bronze*  handmade olympics badge to use on your site/blog/shop 

PLUS, there will be ONE overall random nomination selected from all handmade olympics entries ( & extra ballots!) to WIN the FAN PRIZE PACK (a $50.00 shopping spree in the rikrak shop!)

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now check out the other events + nominate more fun folks!

( event 1 ) :: our favourite handmade goodie with an innovative design

( event 2 ) :: our favourite handmade goodie for kids

( event 3 ) :: our favourite handmade eco friendly goodie

( event 4 ) :: our favourite handmade item that inspires loveliness + wellness (in our homes, for ourselves, etc.)

( event 5 ) :: our favourite handmade personality/group forwarding kindness thru handmaking

( event 6 ) :: our favourite FUN-FILLED handmade OR vintage goodie

( event 7 ) :: our favourite handmaking-focus blog

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happy handmaking, nicies!

** PLEASE NOTE: please make each nomination its own comment! thanks! **

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great green-ie: green post

greening.... i find it exciting and hopeful that while there sure are lots of terrible things going on to pollute & harm our planet, there are so many wonderful folks doing fabulous things to help make the world a greener, healthier place! so, the rikrak studio is happy to feature great green-ies : snapshots of amazing, inspiring. eco-forward-thinking folks & groups from all sorts of fields and paths in the greening movement. some inspire by greening at home, or in their business; in their art or the larger world, or on many levels at once! i've asked each green-ie to suggest an easy eco-idea or tip we might all be able to add to our daily lives. today i'm honoured to present the next in this series! 

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what could be a better gift than one that keeps on giving? 

gosh... none!

so join me in a visit to the wonderful world of *green post*: an eco friendly shop with something green green green for everyone. i just love artist kendra' s beautiful works: handmade papers, plantable tags and cards, and papermaking supplies for the DIY in all of us! and i love what she writes about her work: Green Post was created with the intentions to re-use, recycle and upcycle all the "junk" paper that comes into my life: junk mail, useless bills, receipts, tags etc. and what a beautiful sentiment that is: turning junk into beauty!

how delightful it would be to give green post tags as a treat at your next event, or to put one in a card to a friend, or to use them as wedding favours or gift tags. the possibilities are sustainably endless!

it's fantastic to see greening in such a beautiful and functional way. and a special thanks to marnie of crafterall, a fave artist of the rikrak studio, for recommending green post in my call for green artists. it's a great collaboration, indeed, as crafterall, along with other etsy sellers, contributes paper scraps to be used in the making of green post goodies! yay to that!

now... how about  green post's eco tip: if you want to become a handmade recycled papermaker, you will need to become a super paper collector!  collecting paper means you will need lots of storage for all the receipts, tags, notes, misprints and misc. paper scraps that you find.  want one of my simple storage solutions?  

if you are like me, you own lots of bags, totes, purses, backpacks etc.  They hang on a hook somewhere in your home, empty and waiting to be in your favor once more!  why not give your bags and totes a new purpose and use them to store your paper collection? the papers can easily be sorted, will stay clean and free from debris and when you are ready to make paper you can simply grab your bags and go!
paper recycling never looked so good.

green post

shop | twitter | facebook  | blog

have a great green day, nicies!

{and don't forget to nominate your favourite eco friendly items for event 3 of the handmade olympics! go green!}

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earth hour: the followup!

kudos to the millions of folks who participated in earth hour this past saturday night! as promised, here's a round up of what some handmaking lovelies were doing to celebrate! thanks to everyone who wrote in, emailed me, tweeted and more! {& don't forget to upload your pics to the earth hour 2010 flickr group so the world can see!}

* simply inviting was going to try making her handmade papers by candlelight for the first time! how'd it go, jen? {photo #1}

* string me along looked forward to their annual Earth Hour Crazy Eights tournament by candlelight! hope you won, carol! ;) {photo #9}

* Lil Fish studios had (wisely!) taught her kiddies about nocturnal creatures and was going to sit outside and watch deer and flying squirrels! {photo #4}


* alex keller and the family looked forward to flashlight tag in the dark! {photo #3}

* ridleyworks was looking forward to making a cup of cocoa and sitting under a blanket! {photo #10}

* charlotte hupfield was off to find paper lanterns to add to her festivies for the night! {photo #8}

*jo annie was planning a candle party birthday dinner at her place!

* Luv2Have was looking forward to some cuddling candle time after their little guy went to bed! {photo #6} ... yay cuddling!

* Sewn Natural looked forward to singing & drumming with her little one! {photo #7}

* mchen promised all power would be off at her place for earth hour, as she'd be at an arena playing in a hockey play-off game! {so she happily bumped her earth hour to another day!} {photo #2}

* tara m. looked forward to her singing circle's annual earth hour song circle by candlelight!

* rosy und posy decorated luminary jars with the kids! {photo #11}


* holly gems thought they'd do the dishes & read the kiddies their bedtime stories by candlelight! {photo #12}

* squid planned to look at the stars. {photo #5}

* denny was off camping. no electricity. no tv. no computers! yay!

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wonderful stuff, handmakers!
love it all.
happy mindful monday, nicies!

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VOTE: event 3

thanks so very much for all of your fantastic nominations in the 2010 Handmade Olympics. what a wonderful celebration of handmade!

without further ado, i'm thrilled to present our judges' shortlist for event #3!

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thanks so much to our eco-forward judge for this event, the sustainably-saavy Garth Johnson, of extreme craft & the fabulous new eco-friendly book: 1000 ideas for creative reuse!

what our judge had to say about the nominations: "Wow! If 1000 More Ideas for Creative Reuse ever happens, I'll have a great foundation. It was incredibly hard to winnow the list of submissions down to a dozen. This list reflects my own interests. I picked projects that had significant elements of creative reuse--often ones that dictate the function of the object (or comment on it, (like the brilliant moneybag wallets). There are also obsessively crafted objects, like the harlequin chair and cherry blossom wedding dress. I couldn't resist offering up Humboldt the Owl for your consideration, since he's representing for Humboldt County, where I live. I also love objects with a very specific purpose. Not everybody is going to need a wood-carrying tote made out of carpet samples, but everybody should be wowed by its ingenuity. I also love an object that comes with a story. Almost everything that I nominated is dripping with personality and history. I hope that these objects inspire you as much as they did me."

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congratulations to the following & please cast your vote for your favourite handmade eco-friendly goodie!

broken plate pendant by the broken plate




old print renewed by OldRenewed

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eco wedding dress by threadhead


harlequin slipper chair by reclaim the throne
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money bag wallet by chakrapennywhistle

silverware garden markers by buttermilk hollow
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humboldt hoot owl by buttercupbloom



real wood vase by EDCCollective
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wood tote by greencouch design


telephone wire earrings by lalipourie
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rewreath by janssendesigns

pistachio shell flower brooch by reloveddesigns

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wow! what a list!
let's vote for our favourite!

voting rules:
1. you can vote once in each event.
2. voting closes on wed. february 17th at 5pm
3. the top 3-vote getters in each event will be announced on thursday february 18th!

okay... please VOTE!





please be sure to head over to cast your vote in EACH of the 8 events:

vote in event #1
vote in event #2
vote in event #3
vote in event #4
vote in event #5
vote in event #6
vote in event #7
vote in event #8

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:: and THE PRIZES!::

don't forget, there are over $2000 worth of handmaking prizes to be awarded! yay!

this EVENT will award the following prizes!

:: a GOLD prize pack
including $150.00 worth of handmade goodness:
a $50 gift certificate to alex keller: jewelry recycled
a $50 gift certificate to tangente
a $50 gift certificate to polarity

+ an *i WON* the handmade olympics banner/button image to use on your site/blog/shop
+ an artist/crafter feature on the rikrak studio blog!

:: a SILVER prize pack with $100.00 worth of handmade goodness:
a $50 gift certificate to remaker
a 50% off on one item gift certificate to adorn+cherish

:: a BRONZE prize pack
of one FREE month of March 2010 advertisting on the rikrak studio blog! yay!

best of luck, nicies! yay handmade!

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great green-ies: with CandyCalamity

greening.... i find it exciting and hopeful that while there sure are lots of terrible things going on to pollute & harm our planet, there are so many wonderful folks doing fabulous things to help make the world a greener, healthier place! so, the rikrak studio is happy to feature great green-ies : snapshots of amazing, inspiring. eco-forward-thinking folks & groups from all sorts of fields and paths in the greening movement. some inspire by greening at home, or in their business; in their art or the larger world, or on many levels at once! i've asked each green-ie to suggest an easy eco-idea or tip we might all be able to add to our daily lives. today i'm honoured to present the next in this series!

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candy is just delightful, isn't it?
something even more delightful? creating gorgeous jewelry & accessories from the beautiful, bright and fun, but usually discarded, wrappers!

a jaunt thru Candy Calamity's beautiful & brilliant handmade Shop, is as delightful as a trip to the candy shop - but without the calories or cavaties,! and WITH the fabulous joy of gorgeous works of wearable art that are eco-forward, fashionably fun and let's be honest... the most fun & festively eco-thoughtful accessories around! candy-wrapper rings, bracelets, purses and more! yum yum!

so visit CandyCalamity's sweet sweet shop. you'll just love it!
and here's an eco-tip from Emily of CandyCalamity we can all put to use:

"Beware the phantom load.
Cellphone, ipod, laptop and other electronic device chargers
constantly suck up energy even if they are not charging anything,
so only plug them in when you are using them."

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thanks so much, CandyCalamity!
yay to summer treats and sweets and finding a re-use for everything!
have a great, eco-forward weekend, lovelies!

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playlists: with jesse danger

i just love a great playlist. i think it stems back to those glorious mixed tapes days where i'd either make, sometimes receive and always always covet a fabulous collection of tunes by various great artists! *bliss!* ... so i've asked some wonderful artists if they'd make up a little playlist on a theme for this new rikrak studio series. i thought we might get a glimpse into what musically inspires these fabulous folks... i'm thrilled to present the next in the series. today it's playlists: with jesse danger: songs for a rainy thursday.

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mix tape in ash gray by uncommon

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dj: jesse danger
theme: songs for a rainy thursday

Radiohead- Video Tape
Modest mouse - Gravity rides everything
Sigur Ros - ny batteri
Decemberists - eli the barrow boy
Arcade Fire - my body is a cage
Fiest - my moon my man
Godspeed you black emperor - dead flag blues
Explosions in the sky - your hand in mine
Dead Confederate - the Rat
Failure - another Space song
Notwist - this room
Radiohead - ideoteque

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"I'm really into dramatic and dynamic songs, a lot of music that's considered post-rock, or instrumental rock. I don't listen to music while I'm working for the most part. I've always lived aways away from where I work and do a lot of driving and that's where I listen most the time, or sometimes when I'm at the computer. I enjoy so many types of music, but these listed are some of my favorites for a rainy Thursday." - Jesse

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thanks so much, jesse. great songs for the rainy thursdays so many of us are swimming thru today. i just adore jesse's amazing ecometalsmithing. such beautiful lines, such gorgeous shapes, and so very wonderfully eco-forward, working with recycled gold, silver & platinum. hope you enjoy a delightful escape into his lovely, lovely shop.

have a great rainy thursday, lovelies!
& tune in tomorrow for a fabulous new giveaway from another gorgeous shop.

* nicies: tell us what song would have to be on YOUR playlist for a rainy thursday & i'll try to include
as many as i can in the followup post! * stay dry!

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congratulations!

yay! thanks so much to everyone who entered my little twitter giveaway! it's so nice to have you all as twittery pals!












random.org kindly selected 2 winners, who will each receive a prize pack of 4 iron-on birdies (in their choice of fabrics!)

and the prizes go to.... twitter followers #184 and #529 .congrats to harrilu / muttsywonder (@harrilu on twitter!) and benconservato (@benconservato on twitter!)

be sure to take a look @ these lovelies' lovely handmade shops! you'll just love benconservato's fabulous artwork, and harrilu's fabulous hand silkscreened clothing! woowee!

so thanks to everyone for playing! and happy twittering!

AND now.. there's a new rikrak giveaway on for you to try your hand at! please see here for more details... this week's prize: a $21.00 rikrak shop gift certifcate, to buy whatever you'd like in my little shop! yay!

so come and enter.. and happy tuesday, nicies! Pin It