Spring is here and it finally feels like it!  We made the wreath pictured above for Kevin’s mom, Irene, at least ten years ago. We inherited it after her passing, and got a nice surprise when we came across it in a storage bin. We used a piece of handmade paper as backing. It really brightens up our living room and our hearts, remembering the pleasure the wreath gave to Irene.

April 22 is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.  This crucial holiday focuses on the fact that the earth is our home and we have to take care of it. We are committed to these “3 R’s”: reduce, renew and recycle. It’s a great way to limit our carbon footprint and conserve our natural resources. As artists and craftsmen, we try to carry these ideas into our work. It is important to use materials wisely and to reduce or eliminate waste as much as possible.

We also are focusing on our patio garden. We picked up our seeds and starter kit to get the flowers and herb garden going. It’s the first time we are growing plants from seed. Looking forward to planting the pansy, marigold and basil seeds. Updates to come!

 WE ARE READY TO PLANT!

 A COUPLE OF BASIC EARTH DAY FACTS FOR EVERYONE TO CONSIDER:

WATER BOTTLES

Americans throw away an estimated 24 billion water bottles a year and they sit in landfills for hundreds of years. Using reusable water bottles is an easy way to reduce this number.             Source: Livestrong.com

SHOPPING BAGS   

Total amount of plastic bags used by U.S. citizens each year: 100 billion! Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Only 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled in the U.S. The rest end up in landfills, the ocean, or other places in the environment. It’s estimated that 1 million birds and thousands of turtles and other sea animals die each year after ingesting discarded plastic bags. Reusable shopping bags help and don’t forget to bring your plastic bags back to the store for recycling. Sources: Statistic Brain & Huffington Post

Please note: We certainly are not experts on this topic, but have enjoyed learning more about Earth Day by researching on the internet. Here is a great website with more information about Earth Day and what you can do to help our home, the Earth.

http://www.earthday.org/takeaction/

CRAFTY RECYCLING

We enjoy re-purposing items. Here are a couple of ideas for reusing coffee cans and plastic or glass jars.

We use coffee cans as canisters to hold art supplies, kitchen items, pens and pencils, or whatever. Peel off outer plastic label and use plain for an industrial look. To color coordinate with your decor, paint or cover with cloth or paper.

 

 

We use plastic or glass jars as vases – in this case, apple sauce and peanut jars. Decorate with ribbon that matches the flower color, or put the whole thing in a colorful lunch bag.

 

 

EARTH FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTS

We got some of our favorite, environmentally friendly, home-made cleaning solutions from this website :

http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm#substitutions

 

SINCE WE ARE RECYCLING, HERE’S AN IDEA FROM A PREVIOUS POST

We sometimes buy cold cuts that come in Tupperware-like tubs. They make great containers for storing art, sewing supplies or whatever fits!

Happy Earth Day and Spring!

Roy and Kevin