great green-ies: singapore's solar powered supertrees

 {via co.exist}

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have you seen the new supertrees of singapore? 

a magical solar-powered canopy of artificial tall *trees* towering over the urban seaside.

i'm fascinated by the lovely design & shape,  & intrigued by the green-li-ness of the project. the tree-towers also convert sunlight into usable energy, collect rainwater for reuse and act as air-vent ducts for nearby conservatories. cool!

(& you know how i love vertical gardens & that vertical forest!)

what do you think? yay or nay?

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{thoughts on shops} + everything eco fabulous!

morning sweeties!

all this month i'm guest blogging over on the FABULOUS (i mean FABULOUS) Team Eco Etsy blog! each and every thursday in april you can catch my {thoughts on shops} Etsy shop analysis. it's a friendly look inside a different shop each week with my thoughts on what they're doing fabulously and some ways i think they can expand their business!

the first review is up today {it's the lovely lovely 5seed shop} and i'm talking branding ideas, product photography, photo editing and listing analysis!

so i hope you'll come on over and say hi!

AND... while you're there, be sure to visit the 2nd annual handmade earth day auction, ON NOW! there are amazing prizes up for grabs and all for a fabulous cause, with all proceeds going to habitat for humanity for japan.

honestly, i think the eco etsy blog is one of the most resourceful, insightful blogs around: for eco friendly makers, eco friendly folks, eco friendly ideas and more!(and i'm not just saying that cause i'm a proud team member!)

who are YOUR favourite eco-friendly handmakers? 

i'm always looking for new folks to feature in my great greenie series here on the rikrak blog!

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great green-ie: terre mum

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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eco friendly is great. 

and handmade eco friendly with a gorgeous design? even better.

meet terre mum. 

the beautiful eco homewares shop of designer jennie harland is filled with beautiful cloth napkins, java jackets, snack bags and more handstamped in gorgeous designs.

i just love her beautiful selection of eco linen & eco cotton options, and her use of unbleached natural fabrics. with something for everyone, i can think of a list full of folks who'd just love something from this beautiful handmade shop!

jennie is a wonderfully active part of the eco-forward handmaking community and i just love that.  and now... a terre mum eco tip: My eco tip is one that I love and use all the time! At my house, we brew a lot of coffee.It was a couple years ago that I started searching for a natural cat repellant for my garden. Unfortunately, I don’t remember where I read that I should try the coffee grounds. Anyway, after you brew your coffee, save your used grounds! Sprinkle them around your garden and the cats (unless unnaturally determined) will stay away because they don’t like the smell! But wait!! There is another benefit!! Coffee grounds add nitrogen to the ground which your flowers love!! When I started adding the coffee grounds to my gardens, I also noticed some serious growth in my plants! Last year my daisies were absolutely gigantic! So brew up some joe and save those wonderful old used coffee grounds!! Add them to your compost or sprinkle them around your garden like I do! I really think you will like the results!! Your little flower friends will love you for it too!

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terre mum

shop | twitter | blog

thanks so much, nicey!

have a great green day.

{ ps: thanks so much to the lovely this little bird who nominated terre mum for this great green-ie! nominate your own fave green artists here!} 

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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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nominate an artist!

the recycle clock :: All15Designs

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i love how open january is as a month for discovering new things. and so... i ask you... who are some eco artists you LOVE?!

i'm looking for some fabulous eco-forward artists/handmakers to feature in my ongoing sustainable *reduce, reuse, recycle* series here on the blog: great green-ies. who are your favourites? have a handmaking eco artist you'd love to see showcased?

nominate them!

just leave me a link below to their shop or site, and tell us why you love their eco-forward genius!

can't wait to discover some new lovelies.

and... we have a winner... congrats to #189   Larissa of Reef Botanicals! such a gorgeous handcrafted soap shop! you've WON the rikrak studio *i love my sponsors* gift certificate giveaway for december! yay!

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giveaway & great greenie interview: with elisa shere

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ever just need a little pick-me-up?
i wholeheartedly think feeling well about ourselves is an internal kinda thing, but every so often i think there's nothing better then a lovely smile, that perfect skirt we love that helps us feel just lovely, or a pretty pair of earrings to make us feel wonderful, inside and out!

for just such times, i love eco jewelry artist & metalsmith elisa shere's work. handcrafted from 100% recycled, non-mined sterling silver, i just adore elisa's beautiful designs. they're fashion forward, eclectic, romantic, modern, rustic and artistic all in one!

you can see her gallery of work in her lovely shop.
visit her lovely blog.
and follow her on twitter and facebook.

and now... you can WIN a piece of your very own! (read on!)

but first, i asked elisa to share some great green beauty tips!



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My green beauty tips by Elisa Shere:

*Use all natural products. There are so many to choose from, by my favorite, earth-friendly products I use are:

-Spa Therapy Works - Velvet Face moisterizer. I LOVE this stuff, makes my skin look all glowy! This shop has tons of all natural items, like scrubs, masks, deoderant and more. Plus, Jussara, the owner of Spa Therapy works is a sweetie.

-Biggs and Featherbelle - I always, always use their soap. They use essential oils for their fragrance and use rich oils, like avocado, to make their soaps. I love their scents and fun packaging. Even my husband is crazy about their products. My favorite scents are: Fixins' Bar, and Barlesque. Also, polka dots make me happy.

-California Baby Sunscreen - Using a good, chemical free sunscreen is the best thing you can do for your beauty routine. The sun isn't kind to our faces.

*Last but not least - Stay hydrated and get your beauty sleep. This may seem pretty basic, but are so essential. I drink filtered water, and try to get my 8 glasses a day. I think it makes a big difference. And sleep, I know it's hard because we are all such busy girls, but you'll look amazing after 8 hours. I promise.


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thanks so much, elisa! great ideas!

and now, elisa is giving away a pair of her Little Pebble Drops earrings
to one lucky rikrak studio reader!

elisa writes: "These are one of my most popular items! Description: These elongated drop earring are earth friendly and oh so sexy! A sweet little pebble is cut from sterling sheet, curved and attached to a handcrafted an earwire. Made from 100% recycled sterling silver, 1" total length."

1. go visit the lovely elisa shere jewelry shop.

... come back and tell us about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!
= 1 entry

2. next, visit the beautiful elisa shere blog & follow it.
... come back and tell us.
= 1 entry

3. follow elisa shere jewelry on facebook.
... come back and tell us.
= 1 entry

4. follow elisa shere & the rikrak shop on twitter.
(she's http://twitter.com/elisashere and i'm http://twitter.com/therikrakshop) .
come back here and tell us!
= 1 entry.

5. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :)
= 1 entry.

6. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

7. do a facebook update about this giveaway
come back and tell us.
= 1 more possible entry

8. do a blog post about this giveaway
come back and tell us!
= 1 more possible entry

9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the Elisa Shere giveaway will be chosen on wednesday, june 23rd @ 9pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

thanks, lovelies!
and gosh - you look beautiful!
always.

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great greenie: with lalipourie

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!

...............................

back when the snow flew & today's hot hot humidity was the stuff of dreams for folks in my neck of the woods, Lalipourie's amazing telephone wire earrings took the gold medal in the rikrak studio's 2010 handmade olympics: event 3: fave ECO goodie!

isn't her pretty, sunny handiwork just perfect for such a warm & sunshiney month as june! yay! so creative & such a brilliant use of old telephone wires, i just love the lovely ways designer laurie weaves these lightweight, delicate, mini-masterpieces for wear! yay repurposing! be sure to visit her fun eco shop here. and her beautiful blog here.


so i've asked our great green-ie for an easy eco tip! here's Laurie's: I'm from California but now live in Panama City, Panama. It was tough at first living in a country that's {at a different point} when it comes to recycling or knowledge of what it means to be "eco-friendly" or "green"... But it's getting there! Already after 2.5 years living here they've started offering cloth bags at major super markets! I do what I can to reduce my carbon foot print. Sometimes the minor things we do daily make the biggest difference such as drinking tap water instead of bottled water, buying in bulk, bringing your own reusable bag to the grocery store, reusing things more than once such as zip lock baggies (rinse out and refill), putting my clothes to dry in the sun, using recycled materials for my designs, and walking to work. These aren't major things but they do help...

thanks so much, laurie! and yay to living eco friendly, in our homes & in what we handmake!

wishing you all a weekend filled with great green thinking!
(and hopefully lots of sunshine, too, nicies!)
see you monday!

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great greenie & a giveaway: with jules mae clothing

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yippee!
it's handmade earth week here @ the rikrak studio: 7 days of celebrating eco-friendly handmade, and meeting some of the amazing artists behind future-friendly, sustainable indie businesseses that you & i love!

today's our 4th giveaway: a fabulous redesigned moo moo dress/ shirt/ mini GIVEAWAY with the wonderful JULES MAE CLOTHING.
and enter to WIN with the other giveaways so far:

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

each giveaway will be up for 8 days. be sure to come back each weekday between now and earth day (this thursday) to enter all 7 giveaways - you're gonna LOVE them! - and meet some of the fabulous folks behind the green handmade movement!

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happy monday, nicies!
it's earth day on thursday! yay!

now... i just love a wardrobe re-vamp.
fresh fashions :re-done.
re-designed.
stylish beauty re-created!

well today's lovely eco artist, julie of jules mae clothing, does just that, and with such FLARE!
her amazing eco-forward clothing lines are born of rescued fabrics (and ethically sourced materials) and using her original designs, she creates fashion-forward styles like no other!

i'm most especially in love, of late, her fabulous moo moo 100 project: she's creating her way to 100 fabulous moo moo dresses: all recrafted/redesigned glamourous sensations, with something for everyone... and this week she's offering the first 25 dresses for sale for the first time in her lovely shop (woohoo to that!) .... AND is GIVING one away here as our latest eco week giveaway! you can win it! woohooooooo!

so check out the fab moo moo's so far here. and her lovely shop here. catch up with her on facebook & twitter .... and see below for a fabulous chance to WIN a moo moo!

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so i asked julie, as a great green-ie, to share an easy eco tip with us for earth week: love what she came up with!

'"What comes to mind for me, since we have mega hard water on this side of Canada , is how to deal with hard water caused build-up in your hair!! We moved to Ontario from BC last summer and the change in water hardness was destroying my hair!! It felt gross. It looked dull and sometimes wirey. I hated it!! So, before going out to buy some chemical hair care product to fix it, I did a little on line research. Turns out just plain old vinegar and water will do the trick! There is a recipe here: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shampving.htm . I’ve done it a couple times, and it really works. In addition to the vinegar rinse (which I do about every month to six weeks or so, but apparently it can be done more often) we bought a shower head water filter. The filters need to be changed ever six months or so, and it truly makes a difference. "

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thanks so much, julie!
and what lovely hair to go with your amazing moo moos! :)

now .... this one shoulder jules mae original moomoo #10 can be yours! woohooo!

that's right ... it's a one shoulder jules mae clothing wonder! with a narrow elastic carefully added to the hem, you can wear it as a long dress, a mini, a top, or anywhere in between! and it fits most! yay versatility! {you can find out more about this dress here.}

so here's how to win!

1. go visit the fabulous jules mae clothing shop!
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment about what you'll be doing to celebrate *earth day* this week!
... = 1 entry

3. join jules mae's facebook page. then come back here and tell us!
... = 1 entry.

4. invite a friend to join jules mae's facebook page! if they do, come back here and tell us who did!
... 1 entry

5. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing an eco tip.
come back here and tell us about it. = 1 possible entry

6. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

7. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog (that's my blog!)
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

8. visit jules mae's lovely blog. check out her moo moo series.
come back here and tell us which NUMBER is your fave so far!
= 1 more possible entry


9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the jules mae giveaway will be chosen on tuesday april 27th @ 5pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
................................................

yay to beautiful DIY recycled style!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

and see you tomorrow for eco giveaway #5, nicies! yay! Pin It

wow wow wow!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.
7. a gorgeous rose organza purse by *karen meyers* , here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

get ready, nicies!
something fan-tastical is coming to rikrak studio blog next week, sweetiepies!

that's right!
7 days.
7 amazing eco giveaways.
7 fabulous eco artists.

right here.
starting next wednesday, april 14th!

so get ready for earth day week.
and you're gonna LOVE the amazing giveaways, nicies!
you're gonna wanna be here - i promise! :)
WOW wow WOW!

have a great weekend, cuties!
hope it's filled with eco-wonderful discoveries out there! Pin It

great green-ies: with alex keller

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!

...............................

you know what i really like & admire about handmade artist alex keller?
pretty much everything!

she's an eco-forward jewelry artist that crafts gorgeous new statement pieces from precious vintage works.

she's a fabulous cheerleader for the handmade world & is always encouraging the extended handmade community with interesting ideas, great posts and more.

she's a fun & engaging mommy who inspires me with her great ideas on parenting & participating in eco-forward living in greener ways.

she's an enthusiastic thrifter who shares my joy of vintage finds!

she's an amazing leader in the eco-artist & trashion world, where i think she's trend-setting the way for trashionistas to add beauty, glamour & style to their ensembles. (i love it when trashion doesn't look like it's necessarily trash! :)

and she's always sending a little note or hello or comment that certainly cheers my blogging days and those handmade folks that know and adore her! i think that's a great thing!

so thanks, alex. you're wonderful!
you're a wonderful, talented soul, and the world is a greener ,and better, place because of you!

and here's alex's eco. tip:

"my simple eco tip is a result of living in the desert:
when you run the shower to get warm water, use a bucket to collect the water and then you have water for your plants!"

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love it! thanks alex!
check out alex's gorgeous upcycled jewelry shop. be sure to follow her fun tweets.
and catch her fabulous small-business articles here. (great suggestions and ideas, nicey!)
& have a great green weekend, lovelies!

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