Using trash in artistic gardens

 Todays two artists love using reclaimed objects to add design and definition to their homes.  Check out their work and an open collaborative upcycle sculpture project being run by Danielle Barbour in Warwick, NY this summer.

Stacey Monks

While looking for do-it-yourself garden projects, Tennessee mother and crafter Stacey Monks was inspired by a dresser-turned-planter she found online.  

“Someone had this dresser in the garbage,” she said.  “We nailed it to the tree, shimmed on bottom, and… put a brace in the back and drilled it into tree so it doesn’t move.”

The drawers are filled with perennial creepers that will eventually spill over the edges, using their root systems to hold the dresser together when weather begins to break it down.  She also left room to plant new annuals every year that will reflect the changes in her yard and her life in this ever-changing piece of upcycled art.

Stacey upcycles not only because she loves to craft, but because she is trying to downsize on some of the items in her home.  She’s used dome light coverings to make bird baths, and an old tractor tire to make a garden pond. Crafting with reclaimed materials allows her to use things she already has rather than adding to the clutter in her home.  In addition to keeping things out of landfills, it also saves her money.

Garden pond made from an upcycled tractor tire

“I’m an efficiency expert at work,” Stacey said.  “I make things faster, I work towards getting companies to go paperless, maximizing resources and minimizing waste.  I can’t do efficiency at work and not do it here.  I have two kids and in a few decades they’re gonna get what I throw out.”

decorative flowers made from soda bottles and spray paint

Crafting keeps Stacey busy and keeps her creating.   “I like making something pretty out of something that’s simple… Not only am I making something pretty, but I’m making something pretty out of something that’s not going in a landfill.”

Find Stacey Monks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stacey.monks

Stacey will seal this mosaic made from reclaimed jewelry and place it in her garden.

Danielle Barbour

Artist Danielle Barbour of Warwick, NY has a newfound love for pallets.  She’s used them to provide structure for an artistically designed couch, and a bar built with an old fish tank stand and a piece of granite countertop that was being thrown away.

She’s even used pallets to create a meditative garden in her yard.

Danielle's mediative garden made from pallets is in its first year

Danielle has a background in fine art, and is using that knowledge and talent to coordinate a collaborative sculpture project.  Participants in the project will use their creativity to create a sculpture using donated pieces of coroplast [http://www.coroplast.com/] that were destined for the trash.

This free day of art will be held on August 17^th in Warwick, NY.  If interested contact Artist Danielle Rose Barbour [https://www.facebook.com/ArtistDanielleBarbour]  or visit the Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/517060631754159/ to RSVP.  

This and other events can also be found on the Mind Key Calendar  click www.MindKey.me/calendar, or use the calendar tab in the menu bar above.

This week's blogroll:

"Art or Garbage: What is Upcycling?"
"'Retrash': Finding Beauty in Lost Things"
"Poptabs Purses: Weaving art from tiny shiny things"

Poptabs Purses - Weaving fashion from tiny shiny things

Upcycling can happen with even the tiniest of items.  Today, Rita Wilson of Poptabs Purses shares her fairy tale of creativity and the magic of tossed things.

Poptabs Purses
Now you can keep tabs on your purse

          The Fairy Tale of a Pop tab

“Once upon a time, I kept a cold, refreshing beverage secure in a beautiful, shiny can. One fine day, you pulled me, clinked a hearty ‘prost!’ with your friends, and I was part of the celebration.”

Such is the story of the pop tab who led a fairy tale life… until of course, the can was empty.  Then the shiny pop tab was separated from its can and sent to the dark and frightening recycling center. 

“But one day, Poptab Purses came to the recycling center… and thanks to a crochet hook and sturdy nylon yarn, I am … a beautifully bedecked princess at a ball!”

This real life pop tab fairy tale, written by Rita Wilson, the talent behind Poptabs Purses, and her sister-in-law and editor Brandy Wilson, accompanies every Pop Tabs purse or item.

“Someday, I might go to the big recycling bin in the sky,” the pop tab says, “but having a second chance at life has been great for me, for the planet, and now for you”

It all began three years ago when Rita, who always loved being crafty, took up a friend’s suggestion to make things from pop tabs.

“I took the tabs and some fishing line from my husbands tackle box and made a purse,” Rita said. “I definitely fell in love with it!”

 Since then Rita has built a business making purses out of pop tabs, including a Facebook page with over 8,000 fans, and an Etsy store.  The intricate weaving of colorful nylon yarn and pop tabs is almost chain mail-like in nature, but with an edgy, feminine feel.  Recently her work has expanded to include runway-worthy clothing as well (check back for more photos or go to the Poptabs Facebook Page).

Whether making making purses, painting or knitting, after a busy night working at a hospital, crafts lift Rita’s spirits.  Not only that, but they represent creativity in life.

“[Crafting] is my own world where I can decide and work on my own terms.”

What’s more, what she does supports recycling and reusing.

“Pop tabs are out there whether I make beautiful things or not,” Rita said. “They are definitely a conversation starter and make people think about recycling.”

To learn more about Poptabs Purses and see more of Rita’s upcycled handiwork, check them out online at:
www.facebook.com/PoptabsPurses

www.etsy.com/shop/PoptabsPurses

This week's blogroll:

"Art or Garbage: What is Upcycling?"
"'Retrash': Finding Beauty in Lost Things"
"Using trash in artistic gardens"

"Retrash" - Finding beauty in lost things

Today’s guest blogger, Nathan Devine has pulled together the work of 82 designers that create beauty from trash in his book “Retrash.”  Learn more at www.retrash.com and facebook.com/retrash

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“Retrash” is a book all about trash.

I remember going to the dump when I was a kid and being excited by what treasure I might find, and at the same time feeling saddened and confused by the amount of trash that was being thrown away. I feel the same way today as an adult as I did back then, and I want to do something to change all of this.

I’ve spent the last three years compiling the work of 82 designers and artists from 20 countries around the world to show the beautiful and innovative things that can be made by recycling and upcycling.

Retrash founder Nathan Devine

This gorgeous scarf is made from old jumpers,
and is the work of Australian designer Morgan Wills.

This lamp was created by French artist Gilles Eichenbaum,
by transforming an old kettle into a piece of art.

This seat made from broken skateboards, is the creation of American upcycler Jason Podlaski.

“Retrash” is broken into chapters such as metal, plastic and timber, to focus on different materials that can be given a second life.  “Retrash” is not about teaching you step by step projects, instead it will inspire you to view waste differently and to use that shift in perspective to create things from what essentially ends up in landfill and oceans. “Retrash” tells a story about human ingenuity, imagination and creativity, something we all have within us.

The designers and artists that are featured in “Retrash” each have their own unique vision and style, and are helping to redesign the future of recycling. The book itself is a recycled piece of art as it is printed on 100% recycled paper, which supports the recycling industry.  Without the recycling industry, all rubbish would end up as landfill.

I believe that Retrash can inspire a small step for change and I am passionate about getting this book into the world. I am currently running a funding campaign to raise money to print this book. You can get a copy of “Retrash” at a reduced price during the funding campaign here, and you can even have your name printed in the book to show your support.

Learn more at http://kck.st/1nD5KKz

-Nathan Devine

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The Mind Key Project would like to gather a group donation to support “Retrash.”  If you are interested, please contact Danielle at danielle@mindkey.me

With sufficient interest, the first five Mind Key supporters who donate between $10 and $24 will receive a free e-copy of “Retrash.”   The first five Mind Key supporters who donate $25 or more will receive a free hard copy of “Retrash.”  The Mind Key supporter with the largest donation will have their name printed in the book!

Although Mind Key would love to make this group show of support, please feel free to place your donation directly at the Retrash kickstarter campaign page: http://kck.st/1nD5KKz

This week's blogroll:

"Art or Garbage - What is upcycling?"
"Poptabs Purses - Weaving fashion from tiny shiny things"
"Using trash in artistic gardens"

Art or Garbage: What is Upcycling?

Upcycling is defined as: “to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.’”

Whether making use of old baby stuff (I once saw a crib-turned-kids desk that was amazing), or dumpster diving for unique items to turn into art, upcycling is becoming an incredibly popular way to not only reduce landfill, but to stretch creative wings and define oneself.

Nathan Devine, founder of Retrash, a website and book devoted to finding inspiring ways to sustainability remembers being excited about trash even as a kid.

“I remember going to the dump when I was a kid and being excited by what treasure I might find, and at the same time feeling saddened and confused by the amount of trash that was being thrown away,” he said.

In the garden, the studio, and at home, upcycling provides limitless sources of creativity.  No longer bound by traditional mediums, saving items from the trash gives intriguing or sentimental items a second life, while giving us a second chance to appreciate something we would otherwise have had to let go.

If nothing else recycled art is a way of living and looking at things.

As Rita Wilson of Poptabs said:  “Whether I make beautiful things or not, [my pieces] are definitely a conversation starter and make people think about recycling.”

This week we’ll see how Rita Wilson uses soda can pop tabs to create runway worthy purses and clothing, how Stacey Monks repurposed a piece of furniture in an unexpected way, and how Heather Bradley created a piece of art from reclaimed refuse.  Check back each day to see what these artists, and others, have to say about creating something new from something garbage.

This week's Blog Roll
"Retrash" - Finding beauty in Lost things
Poptabs Purses - Weaving Fashion from tiny shiny things
"Using trash in artistic gardens"

Divination as a modality of healing and growth

Divination is becoming more and more a tool for self development, healing and growth.  Most often it comes in the gentle form of intuition that health care practitioners use to guide them in their decisions. This is especially true of certain alternative healing modalities, but it holds water even in standard medical practices.  Think of the analytical character, House M.D., who relies as heavily on traditional medicine as he does his gut.  

We use our gut when we need to make decisions with no right answer, with pro and con lists that are evenly balanced, or when we simply know something “isn’t right.”    Our intuition leads us to chose our profession, our partners, our homes.  We convince ourselves that we’ve made these choices because of XY and Z, but realistically the final decision comes down to just “knowing” it’s the right (or wrong) choice… Which is why so many times we end up someplace in life even though logically it may not make sense.

Tarot and other oracle readers use their intuition, and often acute psychic abilities, to read the symbols present in a spread and incorporate them in a meaningful way into the querent’s life.  Often the cards are simply a representation of what the we already know.  Sometimes they advise a different path, or how to enhance the path already taken. 

When used this way, rather than an expectation of what the future holds, readings of any kind become a tool - a way to connect with our higher selves and discover our true selves as a result.  The reader may sometimes be wrong, but our intuition covers that department, letting us know exactly what’s right for us at that given moment.

The following is a post from friend and psychic, Sarah Guartafierro.  She has been guiding people for over two decades using tarot cards and her abilities as a medium.  Here she sheds some light on what tarot is all about, how people become psychics, and how divination can be used as a tool for healing and growth.

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Greetings. Many Blessings to you all. My Name is Sarah, and welcome to Mind Key

I'm offering my knowledge as a psychic and tarot reader today. 

I've been a tarot reader for many, many years. And while (sadly) it is true that there are charlatans out there, the majority of readers I have come across are authentic. 

Can tarot tell the future? Depends on your perspective. I use them as a guide. They refer to situations that are affecting you at the present, and how the past has brought you to this point. Using this as a reference point, the cards will illustrate the possible outcome if one continues along this path. Personally, I don't believe the future is carved in stone. I'm a deep believer in Free Will. So the tarot (for me) can only illustrate a "potential" future. Whether you chose to listen to the advice, or proceed in a "business as usual" fashion is entirely up to you. 

The other thing you need to be aware of is that the Universe has a great sense of humor. No matter how much effort I put into a reading for a client, if the Universe is in a perverse mood, nothing will make sense. For a lot of people, that sounds like an excuse. But unless you've put as much effort and study into tarot reading as a proficient reader has, you have no idea. Too many people ridicule matters, simply because of their own ignorance and arrogance. 

 We are all psychic, but for the majority the gift or the belief has been long knocked out of them. Educated out is another way of looking at it. Many professional psychics have grown up in a psychic friendly environment. Perhaps a grandparent or parent with the knowledge has helped bring the extra sense out in the open and encouraged its use. But there are as many practicing psychics who have not had the benefit of caring psychic guidance and who have still managed to develop and hone this natural extra sense.

In short, tarot cards are a very powerful guide. How you choose to take the advice given is entirely up to you. 

Sarah Guartafierro has been a tarot reader and psychic for 22 years and is also a novice medium.   She loves Mother Earth and all the gifts she has given us. She is also a certified in Buddhist Meditation. 

Sarah has trained in Kauai, Hawaii under the guidance of  Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami at the Hindu Monastery. She loves all animals, yoga and hiking. She is married to her husband Joe and they have one human daughter Samantha, and four "Fur Children," their dogs, Saffron, Simone and Cain, and their cat Panda.

For Readings, Meditation or any other information contact Sarah@MindKey.me

The magic of spring today

Merry Beltane!

Today is May Day, or Beltane as some call it… an ancient festival celebrating the turn of seasons, life, warmth and fertility.  Whether you honor the ancient celebrations or not, it’s hard to deny the magic in the air come May.

  Halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, Beltane represents things that are bursting into growth - the tiny seedlings are pushing out leaves, drinking in water and nutrients, and getting ready to flower.  Animals of all kinds are mating, the frogs’ chorus filling the evening air with their song, birds busily building nests, and insects filling their air with their humming buzz.  

What new signs of spring are cropping up by you?

Here on my mountain the dandelions are showing their furry heads and you can almost see the tiny pink teardrops on the bleeding hearts.   The hostas and daisies are almost too big to split.  We saw a butterfly the other day, and I swear I heard a humming bird whiz past my head while standing at my mother’s bird feeders. A few evenings ago a huge bear lumbered through the yard.  Spring is most certainly here.

In life, things are bursting as well.  I’m looking forward to planning some hikes, a weekly yoga/meditation class, and starting up a faerie retreat for late spring.  Perhaps most exciting of all is the budding friendship between Mind Key and Growing With the Seasons.  Much to say about that soon, but for now please stop by their website and check out the offerings at their location in Boonton, NJ.

The weather is a beautiful expression of the season today - at least in North Jersey.  The foggy, rainy morning gave way to exorbitant sunshine and warmth this afternoon.  I spent some of my day in the garden, swinging with my girls, and just enjoying the beauty of the day.  

What a great day to light a bonfire, dance with the elementals, plant, make love, and… be outside!  What are you doing to celebrate spring today?