Repurpose Anything

I’m Bethany from i love SoOh and not only do I love Southern Ohio but I also love repurposing. I spend most of my days exploring Southern Ohio but when I’m not doing that I love taking on repurposing projects. Repurposing is all about reusing an item for a different purpose. I try to keep all my repurposing jobs simple because for me it is all about being thrifty and creative. I try to either use supplies I already have or buy supplies from a thrift store. Today, I’m going to share a project that I hope inspires people to start looking at things that they would normally throw away as items you can repurpose.

Project: Laptop-packing-holder Picture Frames

Supplies: Chalkboard Spray (I highly recommend buying a can and using it for all sorts of projects) and Laptop Packing Holders

The picture to the right is one of the four corner holders for a package that contained my shipped laptop.

Hmm…it looks like something to me…?

Bingo!

I simply sprayed painted the cardboard corner holder with black chalkboard paint. As you can see, it sits just like a picture frame so I adhered a photo to the frame using double-sided tape. I also could have used glue stick to make it lay flush against the frame.

Now, I didn’t share this project for people to necessarily do themselves. If you are lucky enough to have corner pieces like these by all means go for it but the beauty of repurposing (in my mind) is that projects come to you serendipitously. You don’t have to spend the time or money seeking items and buying craft supplies. It is all about on the fly creativity. So keep your eyes open and your wheels turning and you’ll find all sorts of neat repurpose projects that fall in your lap.

I’d love to read other repurpose projects so please share yours. Also, I often save items because I know I could use it for something but I don’t know what. Of course that can get dangerous if it turns it hoarding (shudder). So, if you are in a pickle of not having any ideas for what to do with an item, share it here! I’m sure I or someone else can give you some ideas.

Thanks for reading and you can find occasional craft projects at my blog as well as lots of posts on what to do in Southern Ohio.

Cinncinnati Clay Alliance Holiday Fair

Clifton Cultural Arts Center

Saturday Dec. 10
11 am - 5 pm
Free admission!

A juried show and sale featuring ceramic artists from the Clay Alliance. There are artists who work in clay in that show that make everything from beautiful functional cups and plates up to high end art and more.

See website

CrazyEtsyCool: Elegant and Artistic Accessories

By Lauren Martin, Artsybibliomaniac

When it came time to pick a featured shop for August, I was torn. I looked through each and every shop of our members, wavering between original paintings, amazing artistic photography, and unique jewelry designs, just to name a few.  Rather than feature only one of our diverse array of talents, I went with accessories as a theme and gathered a few of my favorites into a treasury to share.

Two of my choices deserve to be highlighted because of the striking and/or unique pieces they create.  Flowerandpearlstudio’s Peggy Hamlin handcrafted quite the frog prince whom I just couldn’t bear to leave out, despite the fact that he falls no where in the category of accessory.  Although molds would be easier, Peggy sculpts and and glazes each individual piece in her shop by hand, making my little frog prince a unique work of art.  

                                               

 

                                       The most striking piece in the treasury is an exquisite Guinevere Inspired Celtic Pendant by Royal Rocks.  The clear blue cubic zirconium set in the elegant swirling silver wire had me at hello.  I cannot wait to see what else this shop comes up with!

 

 

Each piece in this treasury is a work of art; what better way to express one’s individuality than with unique hand crafted accessories?  View the full treasury here, or peruse all our members’ shops through our team member list on Etsy.  This is one team in Cincinnati we can be proud to cheer for!

6th Annual Art Affaire

Jointly presented by the Greater Area Milford Historical Society and the Greater Milford Events & Arts Council.

The 6th Annual Art Affaire will feature fine, hand crafted art works—paintings, clay, sculpture, jewelry, glass, fiber, wood, photography, mixed media—by local and regional artists.

Promont House Museum
906 Main Street - Milford, Ohio

Saturday, September 24, 2011 (11 AM - 6 PM)

Website

The Lazy Gardener

By Christa Kenefick of theshinybuttons

I am a self-proclaimed lazy gardener! I manage a garden center and spend a great deal of time watering and taking care of plants at work. After a crazy busy spring or sticky summer day, the last thing I want to do is come home and take care of my garden!

More and more I hear from customers who want to plant a low maintenance garden. A balanced garden including shrubs, evergreens, perennials and annuals is the best way to achieve yearlong interest, high impact color and low maintenance with the right plant choices. The shrubs and perennials will be the “bones” of the garden with annuals being the best and longest lasting color.

There is a misconception that annuals require a lot of work but I find them to be lower maintenance than perennials. Yes, you do plant them every year, but spend a few hours planting, use a slow release fertilizer, water the plants occasionally to help them become established, and that is it. They are not hardy, but bloom all summer until the first frost and little cleanup is necessary. Best of all, you can change up your design year after year keeping your yard from getting boring. Bordering the front of your beds is a great way to add a huge impact of color or tuck a few here and there to change things up a bit.

The following are some of my favorite plants that are drought tolerant (once established), bloom a long time, and require little to no maintenance. My kind of plants!

Annuals:
Tidal Wave Petunias - this annual is the biggest bang for your buck. They spread like crazy and get taller than the traditional wave petunias. Tidal Wave Silver is my personal favorite color.

Lobularia ‘Snow Princess’ - This was introduced last year and blooms a short mound of tiny white flowers from early spring into late fall. It has to be the longest blooming annual I have ever seen! Mine was blooming past Halloween last year.

Lantana - I like the spreading varieties. They cover a tremendous amount of ground and just love it hot and dry. If you can’t water, this is the plant for you.

State Fair Zinnias and Cosmos - are great seeds that are easy to mix with your taller perennials. The get fairly tall, but sprinkling seeds and watering to get established is all you have to do.

Perennials:
Leucanthemum ‘Becky’ - a three foot daisy that spreads and divides easily.

Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ - a traditional black-eyed-susan

Echinacea (many different varieties)

Coneflowers - These have been huge in the plant breeding world lately. They are no longer just the traditional pink, but come in oranges, yellows, reds, whites and doubles.

Heuchera (Coral Bells) - Mostly desired for their foliage colors which range from black, green, purples, silvers, oranges, maroon, peach and chartreuse. Some varieties are for shade and others for sun, so ask a gardener or reliable salesperson.

Shrubs:
Hydrangeas - There are many different varieties divided into three groups. The macrophylla types are big leafed, mop-head type flowers and do best with afternoon shade, the paniculata types have white conical flowers that can change to a dusty pink as they dry and are best in full sun and finally the oakleaf types which also have white conical flowers with large tropical looking leaves shaped like leaves of Oak trees. The oakleaf hydrangeas work well in sun or shade.

Butterfly Bushes - A lot of recent breeding is going into these reducing the size of the plant and maintaining the long lasting blooms. Flower colors range from dark purple, pink, light blue, light purple, yellow and white and plant sizes range from 3 feet to 8 feet tall.

Knock Out Roses - Not the typical rose! These are shrubs that bloom from May until late November and love it hot and dry. They are very disease resistant and come in red, pink, light pink, yellow and a pink with a yellow center.

CAHC Audience

Did you know, our CAHC team blog is reaching audiences across the globe! Since it's official launch in May just a few months back, we've had close to 900 views from 10 different countries worldwide. (Click on the above img for a larger view.)

Thank you to all the members for contributing to our success, this team is awesome!

Crafty Supermarket

Crafty Supermarket's next show will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center in Cincinnati! Our last holiday show had 50+ vendors and more than 2,100 shoppers!

Applications for the Holiday 2011 show are open from July 15 to Sept. 1, 2011. The link to apply is on our 2011 Holiday Crafters page, and there’s all sorts of details there about who we are and who we’re looking for. It costs $10 to apply, and the table fee (includes an 8-foot table and chairs) for accepted vendors is $65. Crafters will be notified of their acceptance status by Sept. 25. Hope to see you there!

Download application.
View website.

Cincy Ladies Fair

Cincy Ladies Fair 2011 and Entrepreneurial Extravaganza
Saturday, October 22 at 9:00am - October 23 at 5:00pm

Sharonville Convention Center

Function Conjunction is organizing a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure on Saturday & Sunday, September 22-23, and are looking for crafters & vendors for the event, Cinci Ladies Fair and Entrepeneurial Extravaganza.

Booth Fee: $375 10x10 booth (2-days). During the month of July crafters/vendors receive $75 off joining them on the Function Conjunction Page. Electricity is available for an additional fee.

They are expect 1500+ per day in attendance at this event, and have invested well over $30K in their marketing plan which includes radio advertisements, signs, and internet media.

For more information, please contact:
Jocelyn Storr (513) 405-3085 or Mimi Ector (513) 227-2920
Email: info@functionconjunction.n​et

Download application.
View website.

Garden Friend or Foe?

Etsy treasury curated by theshinybuttons:

"...a tribute to all of the sweet garden friends and pesky foes!"

Paperie for the Inspired Wedding

By Lindsay Braud of lulufitizgerald

Unique paper shops right here in Cincinnati!

Stylish wedding favors are the perfect way of saying “Thank You” to your guests for  sharing in on your big day. If you are looking for distinctive yet classy wedding favors, stop by the Paper Acorn.

Custom luminaries are an elegant yet simple way to add an air of sophistication to your wedding. For beautifully handcrafted custom luminaries stop by the Paper Acorn and Lulu’s Little Shop.

Both shops offer safe, flameless luminary lights to add ambience without the worries.

Luluslittleshop also offers uniquely designed origami wedding cake toppers. They are completely customizable to look just like you!

For the perfect invitations to your wedding, look no further than the Chocolate Paper Boutique. Her original designs are absolutely stunning.

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town

CAHC Team Treasury
Curated by theshinybuttons:

"A collection of ruby red items in honor of July's Birthstone with a song title made famous by Kenny Rogers and most recently recorded by The Killers. Listening to it as I make this treasury and having great fun!
Enjoy!"

Special Wedding Edition: EventsByTammy

CAHC Featured Shop: June 2011

June is wedding month!

In celebration of all things romantic we are featuring EventsByTammy, an Etsy shop dedicated to helping brides find beautiful items for less. “I believe you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a beautiful wedding,” said shop owner Tammy McGhee.

Tammy started her event planning business after planning her own wedding several years ago, and opened her Etsy shop in October 2010.

Her shop features items that are both beautiful and unique. One of her favorite items is the birdcage veil. She has added her own twist to this wedding classic by attaching peacock feathers, making it more interesting.
“I offer products that the brides I work with might like to use in their own wedding,” Tammy shared. “When event planning, I always try to find my clients the most affordable option possible, so in my shop I offer affordable products that won’t put you over your wedding budget. I’m on the web a lot searching for the best deals to share with my followers. I’m all about saving everyone money. In this economy, we need to save wherever we can.”

One way to put a little glam in your wedding without driving up the cost is to add a sash to your dress. “I love making sashes because you can buy a wedding dress that may be inexpensive and make it look more expensive by adding a beautiful sash. It can take a dress that may only cost a couple of hundred dollars and make it look like you paid a thousand dollars.”

Tammy finds inspiration for the items she creates for her shop from her brides, wedding shows, the internet, and just about anywhere. She always makes sure to add a twist to make it more unique though.

When she’s not planning an event or creating an item for her shop, Tammy is very busy spending time with her husband – the love of her life – and her 3-year old son. On top of that Tammy also maintains her own blog. Here she gives brides-to-be advice on how to create the perfect wedding without breaking the piggy bank.

And since it is wedding month, we asked Tammy what her favorite wedding memory was. Her answer? “My favorite wedding memory is dancing the first dance with my husband. It felt so good to finally be his wife.” What is your favorite wedding memory?

You can find EventsByTammy on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/EventsByTammy.

Article written by Lindsay Braud

Edited by Lu Sun

Delicate Romantic Visions: The Ethereal Realm of Paper Acorn

www.highfivesalon.comCAHC Featured Shop:  May 2011

              

The Paper Acorn Shop is full of handcrafted goodies, all made out of paper!   Focusing mostly on wedding décor, Jessica Wolf’s shop on Etsy has all the decorations  you’ll need for the big day, from napkin rings and place holders to favor boxes and garlands. She even creates custom luminaries.

Jessica has sold her incredible handmade paper acorns on Etsy for two years; however, she wasn’t always a full time Etsian. Prior to opening Paper Acorn in August 2009, Jessica worked for a package design company. While there she opened her first Etsy shop, Libellus, selling handmade books and artwork. “The packaging industry taught me so much that I incorporate into my work now,” Jessica said. Her products feature a clean, simple style with modern elegance “and a little bit of cute thrown in for good measure,” she said.

The acorn boxes, the shop specialty, were Jessica’s first original design and the idea  that spurred her business. “Acorns have been a significant symbol of growth in my own life, so I guess there’s a special place in my heart for these little guys,” she said. The acorn boxes are one of Jessica’s favorite projects to work on.

Everyone who creates needs inspiration and Jessica is no different. She loves getting inspiration from custom orders. “Just about the time I start getting tired of making the same old thing, a customer will request something completely new.”  Jessica relishes the chance to create a new design to fulfill a buyer’s vision. She also finds inspiration by browsing Etsy and seeing the creations of other talented crafters.

A typical day for this Paper Acorn shop owner is very busy. Her days involve answering e-mails, cutting paper parts for orders, and taking time out to feed herself and her cats. In the afternoon she assembles parts while watching shows or movies on Netflix. Then it’s off to the post office to ship orders. After that her work day is officially over, even though she often gets back to work later in the evening after dinner and the housework is finished.

Jessica has been happily married to her love, Adam, for three years. “We don’t have any kids yet but we have raised three perfectly dysfunctional cats,” she said. Since much of Jessica’s paper creations involve weddings we asked what her favorite wedding memory was.  It turns out Jessica is very romantic at heart; her favorite wedding memory? “ Standing at the altar with Adam in my parents’ yard as the sun was setting and the birds were singing, enjoying the perfect weather – and knowing it was supposed to thunderstorm that whole week!”

Jessica enjoys working with brides, thrilled that her work gets to be part of their special day. “My favorite part of that whole process is receiving photos from customers’ weddings and seeing my paper creations in real life. Getting a small glimpse into someone’s big day and seeing a bit of your own work as a part of it is very rewarding,” Jessica said.

Besides working hard for the Paper Acorn, Jessica and her  husband are very involved with their church volunteering on a team that builds fun play areas for kids. “I also get to hang out with an awesome 5th grader who is part of the church’s special needs program,” she said.

On occasion, Jessica also makes art and show work for the Redtree Gallery in Oakley (www.redtreegallery.net). If you stop by the High Five Salon in O’Bryonville you’ll see a sculpture installation commissioned by Sam Hills of www.highfivesalon.com.  Most recently, she had the fabulous treat of collaborating with an artist from Visionaries and Voices to create a paper sculpture for their annual art auction, check it out at www.visionariesandvoices.com.

“When I’m not craftin’, artin’, or volunteerin’, I like to dig around in my little veggie garden, and have friends over for dinner and scrabble,” Jessica said.

You can find Paper Acorn on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/paperacorn.

Article written by Lindsay Braud
Edited by Lu Sun and Lauren Martin

VisuaLingual: A True Urban Couple Creating Locally Influenced Designs

Team CAHC Featured Shop of April, 2011.

Interviewed by Lu, Luluslittleshop,
written by Lindsay Braud, Lulufitzgerald 
and edited by Lauren Martin, The Artsy Bibliomaniac.

Maya and Michael find inspiration in the everyday, unexpected items they find while walking through their city.  This creative couple owns and operates VisuaLingual, an all media design and print studio located in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.  Learning to see is vital to creating art; Maya and Michael walk through Over-the-Rhine with wide eyes, absorbing the rich visual wonders of the neighborhood and translating them into colorful, unique designs.

For as long as they have known each other, Maya and Michael have been collaborating on design work that relates to the idea of place. Soon after moving to Cincinnati, they started focusing on the locally inspired products that led the opening of their Etsy shop. “Initially, our focus was on home accessories like prints and coasters, inspired by Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine,” they said.  “The shop has evolved to include more items that relate to place in different ways, and which aren’t limited to the Queen City.”

Maya and Michael design products and ephemera that celebrate urban experiences. When they are not working on seed bombs, tea towels, prints of Cincinnati, ceramics and more, Maya and Michael can be found wandering Cincinnati in search of inspiration. They read a lot about urban planning, the history of cities, and architecture. On their walks, Maya and Michael search for beauty in hidden plain sight:  the cobblestone in old alleyways or faded commercial signs on the sides of historic buildings.

A typical day for the VisuaLingual couple starts with a lot of e-mail, followed by seed bomb production, packing orders, running to the post office, followed by even more e-mail.  “Sometimes we make in-person deliveries to neighborhood stores that stock our work, which is always fun,” they said. 

Maya and Michael aren’t just suburban commuters driving into the city every day to work; their Over-the-Rhine studio is also their home.  The domestic and the design work ebb and flow with one another in a rhythm that has some great advantages, especially for creative work,   They can prepare dinner, do laundry and take TV breaks in between meeting the demands of running a business and creating artwork.  Living and working in the same place means the couple has everything they need on hand should inspiration strike; however, it also deprives them of the ability to leave work at work.  “The disadvantage is that we’re never far from our work, but the immense advantage is that we have all the comforts of home while working. And with our iPhones, we can quickly reply to queries and handle other administrative tasks while we’re running errands for the studio.”

For Maya and Michael living in Cincinnati means being involved, active residents.  Over the past three years they have participated in special events and exhibits at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Contemporary Arts Center, ArtWorks, KraftHaus, Nicholas Gallery, and MICA 12/v.  They are also active members of the Southwest Ohio Street team and one of more than 60 shops represented by the Cincinnati Area Handmade Creations team, two locally based Etsy teams.  Michael also works as the program coordinator for the non-profit ArtWorks, an organization that strives to develop and support both established and future artists while using art to enhance and enrich the Cincinnati community. 

Their work has been featured both locally and nationally in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, House Beautiful, The Cincinnati Enquirer, CINWeekly, BuyCincy, and Cincinnati Magazine, just to name a few. In addition to the VisuaLingual Etsy shop, their work is sold in several Cincinnati-area stores including Park+Vine and MiCA 12/v in Over-the-Rhine, and at the Contemporary Arts Center gift shop downtown.  Their popular seed bombs can be found in stores across the United States. 

Maya was born in Gdynia, Poland and raised in Gdynia and Brooklyn, New York. Michael was born and raised in Indianapolis.  Maya holds an BA in Philosophy and Critical Theory as well as an MFA in 2D Design, and has an impressive professional background that includes teaching, lecturing, writing and curating design exhibits internationally.  Michael received a BFA in Visual Communication and earned his Master’s Degree in Community Planning, with a focus on Urban Design.   They met almost ten years ago in Indianapolis and have been wandering city streets, taking in their unique characteristics ever since.

Check them out at:
shop: http://visualingual.etsy.com
blog: http://visualingual.wordpress.com
connect: www.facebook.com/visualingual

CAHC Now on Facebook!

Cincinnati Area Handmade Creations now has its very own Facebook page!  We're working on adding content, etc, to the page, but its up and published!
Follow the link below to check it out; click that happy little "Like" button at the top to show us some love and get updates on what we're doing as a group, as well as which members are doing unique, impressive, and notably cool things as individuals.
CAHC on Facebook
Go ahead and click it!  You know you want to!

Thanks-
Lauren, Your Friendly Neighborhood Artsy Bibliomaniac

Queen City Neutrals

CAHC Team Treasury

Curated by Donnaandchild:

"Lovely things from Cincinnati-area creators."

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to our CAHC team blog! We are Cincinnati Area Handmade Creations, a talented blend of artisans and hand-crafters from the greater Cincinnati area with unique shops on Etsy.com.

Our number one goal is to promote local artisans and shops by actively supporting one another and encouraging an open dialogue between members in en effort to garner ideas for exposure, team projects and events, both locally and on the net, creating a local presence.

As of today, we have 56 active members, and counting! If you live in the area and would like to join this wonderful local handmade team, please submit an application here by clicking on "Join this team."

I hope to see you soon!

Best,
Lu

CAHC Team Leader
Luluslittleshop.etsy.com