Give A Way: Up Cycled Decorative Metal Container

Win your choice of one of these

up cycled, decorative, metal containers by Art Recycles on Facebook. 

Top: Rust Mandala.  Left: Green Butterfly.  Right: Flip Flops at the Beach

 

Help me think of additional uses; what would you hold/display/organize in one of these decorative cans? 

Enter for a chance to win, click Art Recycles.  Become a fan of the page, "LIKE" and write your idea for an additional use under the comment section of the giveaway post! It's that simple. 

Be an active fan of Art Recycles; blog, tweet, share this giveaway- please pass the opportunity along to all of your FB family and friends.

Organize in Style

What will you hide in yours?

Highly crafted with fun embellishments

Thinking Green by Art Recycles

Winning entry will be selected at noon on Sunday, February 5, 2012. 
Thanks for playing along.

Enjoy-
Tracey

My First Craft Show

Gallery of the Arts in Sellersville, PA

When I signed up to do my first craft fair I had no idea how much prep work it would take! 

Thankfully (and lucky me) I have an extremely handy husband, Sam, who also supports my creative endeavors.  He, and our neighbor Jeff, spent Labor Day weekend making 6 display boards for my organizers.  They did a great job; in the end, my idea for rustic was replaced with Sam's incredible attention to detail. 

I did help stain them.  Here's how they looked all set up at the craft show....

You guessed it, Sam helped me set it all up too!

The display boards look so nice in their orange-brown color.  Just perfect.

While he was slaving away at the board construction I was busy working on a sign...

Signing the booth with my business name Art Recycles worked out perfectly even though  I shared my space with my friend Jenny.  Jenny makes wonderful tea-stained fabric dolls out of recycled, up-cycled and
re- purposed blankets, afghans, quilts etc.  Her dolls and my organizers made a really nice display of "green" creativity!  One of these days I am going to get Jenny's dolls on Etsy and blog all about them!

This weekend is my second craft fair. I am hoping it doesn't get rained out.  I noticed this weekend in Sellersville that Halloween items were a big hit, so I have been working feverishly to create Halloween inspired products. 

Here is a sneak peak at what to expect if you attend Saturday's Environmental Fair at Fisher's Park in Lansdale PA.  The fair is from noon until 4 pm.  Lots of fun events for the whole family.

Upcycled Jack-O-Lantern and Mummy containers (made from a large cardboard tube found in my neighbor's recycling bin!)
For the show I filled the containers with bags of candy corn.  I posted a couple on etsy because I am so happy with the way they turned out.

Candy container

Pencil holder

I have been collecting metal can lids.  I love it when a can has a top and bottom lid that can be removed- ahhh, the simple things in life!  I created this Klimt like tree to display my magnets on using the lids.  Under each magnet is a metal lid. 

Upcycled magnets.  Bottle caps and cardboard circles

Then I discovered that I could make a spider web Halloween pin with them too.  I love these!

Up-cylced boxes with Halloween patterns...  I've even recruited my neighbors into saving these boxes for me, I have the BEST neighbors! 

And I have a few more ideas up my sleeve, so I'd better get back into my studio.

Enjoy,

Tracey

Officially A Crafter

This fall I am trying something new...
Craft Fairs
Art Recycles has been accepted to two craft shows in September (two more are pending approval for November).

The first fair is September 18, 2011 in Sellersville, PA.  It's called Gallery of the Arts located on the main streets of Sellersville from 12-5 pm. 

The second fair is September 24, 2011 in Lansdale, PA.  It's called The Environmental Fair at Fisher's Park located on Bustard Road in Lansdale from 12-4 pm. 

I have been working diligently every night in my studio to create high quality up-cycled organizers to accompany my tuck-it and tack-it boards.

Here is a sneak peek...

Magnets are a must. On the fridge, filing cabinet, chalk board...

The many faces of a Jack-O-Lantern
Up-cycled Ribbon Spools, raffia and a strong magnet on the back



Harvest Moon and Blue Moon Owls
Up-cycled Ribbon Spools, raffia and a strong magnet on the back


Sturdy decorative boxes. 101 uses...

The tuck-it board gets 3D

Hair Barrette Holders.  Simply clip the barrettes onto the ribbon...

24 inches of ribbon...

for all those barrettes!

Easy to hang with top loop.

And some new Tuck-it board designs.  Mandalas...

If you are in the area, I hope to see you in September.

 

Don't forget to Like ArtRecycles on Facebook.   Inbox me to place an order.  While on Facebook, check out all of my custom Tuck-it and Tack-it boards.  Leave me a message, tell me what you think.  Always looking for suggestions for new ideas; mermaids and fairies are on the way!

Art Recycles is also on Etsy.  See what is already in stock.  Easy payment with PayPal.  Fast Shipping.

Enjoy,

Tracey

Bucks County, PA... why I love it!

I've decided to share the treasure that is Bucks County, PA in a series of posts.
I'm beginning this series close to home; with the walking/biking path that begins across the street from my development.  It's a great path, with lots of things to see and do along the way.  I think from start to finish it's approx. 8 miles, so it's a nice bit of exercise.

Along the way...

Back up....before we got to this photo, Logan fell off his scoot and scraped his elbow.  We weren't too far from home, so we went back for a band-aid.  Neighbor Jeff was in his garage and fixed Logan up with a piece of gauze and duct tape.  He also wrapped the other elbow just in case. Thank goodness duct tape doesn't really stick to skin.

Sometimes our first stop is along this bridge.  We look for turtles.

When Sam is with us we have to fish.  This is the first opportunity to throw a line in the water.

Finally we get to the play set.  Great slides for shocking; the boys can build up quite a charge, ZAP!!! 

Dairy Queen is a yummy landmark that we go by.  Once we cross a street, the path continues behind houses.  Here are our rides.  We are a Trek family.

One day the boys were throwing in their lines and we spotted this SNAKE

And they continued to fish!!! Not me, I was all about staying as far away as I could from that snake!

Finally we are looping back home, it's always an adventure.
8 miles of adventure = two tired boys.

They only snuggle, without fighting, when they are dog tired.

Enjoy,
Tracey

Fun In My Neighborhood

I cannot think of a better way to spend the dog days of summer than with great neighbors and their children, around a table, making art.  Lucky me because that's what's been happening; check out what we've been up to so far this summer...

Tie-Dye T-Shirts



Tie-Dye was a big hit, even with the parents!  All you need is a box of Tulip One-Step Tie-dye and white t-shirts.  The great thing about this kit, it included 2 sets of dye packets, so we were able to make more shirts with our cousins over the Fourth of July weekend.  The kit was $19.99 (minus 40%; I always make sure to bring a coupon when I go to Michael's Craft Store!)

Designer Logan

Happy Results

Magic Tree Houses

My two boys would love an actual tree house but we don't have any trees!  I guess that's why I fell in love with Tiny Tree Houses, another great idea found in Disney's Family Fun Magazine.  I have made 2D and 3D versions of this idea several times with my elementary art students, renaming them "Magic Tree Houses" after Mary Pope Osbourne's book series Magic Tree House - a perfect text to art connection. 

Here is a 2D version made by one of fifth grade students a few years ago. I love the people climbing the steps and the tissue paper flowers!

Here is a 3D version that was made today by 4.5 year old Caitlyn.

Great job Caitlyn!

Caitlyn's House

A terra-cotta pot with a piece of floral foam pressed into the center made a great base.  Sticks were gathered from the woods; the best ones to use are the thickness of your index finger, straight and letter "Y" shaped.  Simply sink the sticks into the foam to create an interesting visual arrangement. 

There are many different things you can use to create the house.

We used recycled cardboard items- soap boxes, ribbon circles and paper towel centers along with craft items- Popsicle sticks, ribbon and sequins.

Logan's Castle

Rachael's Zen Paradise

Hot glue works best to instantly bond, it was used to secure the house to the sticks (try to nestle the house on a letter "Y" stick for support) and to attach the Popsicle stick steps.  Tacky glue was used for all of the other craft items that make the tree houses so magical! 

The best part of this project, it's endless.  One can always add things like tissue paper flowers on the branches, another house or two (depending on stick space) and people!  Great use for some of those lego mini-figures, army men and plastic insects/animals.

You decide, is it a decoration or a toy?

Enjoy,

Tracey