Handmade Gift Suggestion for One of the Nights of Hanukkah

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY


This time of year there are lots of thought about Gifts - what to give, what you will get - maybe a wishing list????

As most everyone who has read my blog, I am big on Handmade!!

For everyone - for every Holiday and Occasion!!

I am also very big on Recycled!!

Debby Arem Designs, who I Featured here on my blog back in October of 2009, is one of my favorite Artisans of Handmade.  I love her Recylced Circuit Board items - actually, some of them make me laugh, but what it comes down to is that from old Printed Circuit Boards, which would otherwise be trashed, she makes some really neat items -  which you can see in her Etsy shop, her Artfire Studio or her own website!!

Not only is she making neat things for people to buy -- but she is doing all of us and the planet a big favor by Recycling or Reusing these Printed Circuit Boards!!

The one pictured above - a Magnet with a Hanukkah theme made from Recycled Circuit Board -- might be a great little gift for your "lover" of Geekery for one of those nights of Hanukkah!!

There are plenty more Handmade Gifts in Debby Arem's online shops!!

Have some fun -- and think -- by supporting Handmade -- and buying items made from Recycled materials, you are doing yourself and everyone and the planet a favor!!

More REUSABLE Bags!! Handmade! Eco!! This Time Small Ones in Thread!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


I like making REUSABLE Bags!!

The ones I make are all Cotton, Washable, -- but most and best of all, REUSABLE -- in fact, from personal experience and use, bags like the ones I make last quite a while!!

This is about some small ones I have made - all hand-crocheted "fabric" in different sizes of Threads - in Seasonal or Occasional themes. They can all be found in my Etsy Shop (each picture links to the Etsy listing)!

You know, Handmade REUSABLE Bags are Eco for several reasons: Handmade is Low Carbon Emissions, most of my materials are washed/bleached cotton with non-toxic dyes -- and always made to be REUSABLE and replace disposable alternatives!!

Here they are:


In Red and Green and White -- usually associated with Christmas, but also a Nature theme year round:




In Blues - a popular color theme year round, but also associated with Judaica ... Hanukkah ... French Country ... Nautical ... Beach Themes ...




In White with Silver Accents in the form of blending filament crocheted in -- Made with Weddings and Graduations and Summer Evenings in mind ....



Eco Reusable Bags, such as these are popular with my fellow team-mates of Team EcoEtsy!!

ARTISAN FEATURE: Debby Arem Designs Three Ring Circuits

Ruth Sandra Sperling

It was shortly after I joined my first Etsy Team, Eco Etsy Street Team, that I discovered Debby Arem's Designs and her repurposed circuit board creations - and loved them!! I have told my pro-environment family and friends about them with very positive responses!! So, here on my blog, I am finally doing a Feature of these great repurposed circuit board creations!! Some of them make me laugh and the rest of them I just think are really great -- one of these days I am going to get one of her clocks I think .... !!

Debby of Debby Arem Designs Three Ring Circuits

Question: What is(are) your Craft(s)/Art(s)?

Answer: I use vintage circuit boards from the 1980's that have never been stuffed and repurpose them into many many different products! Since 1992, I've been making earrings, pins, and necklaces as well as men's cuff links and tie tacks. -- I also, along with my husband, make a variety of green office products such as clipboards in all sizes including magnetic ones for your fridge, bookmarks, key chains, pencil boxes, pill boxes,business card holders, magnets and rulers. -- In addition, we also make sun catchers, clocks, picture frames and last year we introduced a menorah for Hannukah! I've probably forgotten to mention something as our line has expanded so much in the past 17 years!




Question: Are there places you sell your Craft(s)/Art(s) on the Internet?

Answer: I of course have a shop on Etsy: http://DebbyAremDesigns.etsy.com
- as well as on ArtFire: http://ThreeRingCircuits.artfire.com
- on Da Wanda: http://en.dawanda.com/shop/debbyaremdesigns
- on Cosa Verde: http://cosaverde.com/store/debbyaremdesigns/
-- and my own website: http:// DebbyArem.com !!






Question: Are there places you sell your Craft(s)/Art(s) off the Internet?

Answer: We currently are selling a variety of our green office products at the gift shop at Chicago's Museum of Science and Technology, the Newseum here in Washington, D.C., and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill's book shop to name a few.

Question: What/Who has been the inspiration behind doing your Craft(s)/Art(s)?

Answer: I have a degree in Fine Arts and a background in silk screen design.
I was and still am a bead artist ( you can see some of my work at another one of my Etsy shops http://ForeverInStyle.etsy.com as well as my own personal website http://DebbyArem.com). -- I wasn't intending to start another company, but one day in the early 1990's, I literally wandered into the back room of my husband's company which manufactured PCBs and saw a circuit board for the first time in my life . I was immediately hooked and I remember thinking "These circuit boards have the most fabulous patterns - what great jewelry you could make from these!" -- I love to do custom work for people and have even combined my 2 lines and made necklaces using all vintage beads as well as recycled circuit boards! Here is an example of one of these custom designs.

Question: Can you briefly explain to our readers how you do your Craft(s)/Art(s) (methods, skills, materials)?

Answer: After a number of years of trial and effort figuring out how to ' cut' huge circuit boards down to size, we figured out the perfect method which still remains a secret to everyone else but us! ;-) I then add recycled metal from scrap metal facilities, vintage beads, and many times recycled old electrical components to create the pieces we sell. I use wire, jump rings and industrial epoxy to assemble our various products.


Question: How did you learn or develop your Craft(s)/Art(s)?

Answer: After LOTS of trial and error, cut fingers, and broken fingernails, my husband and I figured out how to cut some of the larger circuit boards that we salvaged into smaller more usable sizes. None of the circuit boards that we ever use have ever been 'stuffed' so they're all very smooth. -- People are always asking us this - especially in the case of a clipboard because they want to know if the surface will be smooth enough to write on and the answer is 'yes'! --- We were most fortunate because at the time, we had a neighbor who manufactured circuit boards and any prototypes that had imperfections had to be disposed of so we had plenty of material to work with to perfect our trade. We always joke that we were 'green' before it was a movement back in 1992 and our neighbor was wonderful and let us acquire circuit boards from her before they would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.


Question: Are you continuing to study your Craft(s)/Art(s) - and, if so, how?

Answer: I would say that I'm definitely still 'studying' my craft because I'm always coming up with new products to add to our Three Ring Circuits line. My husband is wonderful as he's the one many times who figures out how to execute my idea. We work as a team many times to bring the product to the marketplace!

Question: What is your personal history in your Craft(s)/Art(s)?

Answer: I received my B.A. in Fine Arts from American University here in Washington, D.C. and have been an artist for almost as long as I can remember!
I got my first big break in the early 1980's when I had begun stringing and knotting beaded necklaces for friends. I feel like a dinosaur in that respect because I knotted all my necklaces and still do (which protects the beads and gives a nice finished look.) --- Nowadays, most people merely put the beads on wire which of course is much less time consuming. --- Anyhow, I approached the buyer at Bloomingdales' jewelry department to see if they might be interested in carrying my line which I was in the process of developing and that's when I got my first break - a trunk show! --- From there, I moved on to trunk shows at Saks Fifth Ave and a number of other upscale dept. stores all over the country and ultimately sold my necklaces through the Smithsonian's museum shops and mail order catalogs on a regular basis. When I began Three Ring Circuits, since I already had an 'in' at the Smithsonian, I was able to approach the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum who began to sell my recycled circuit board products.


Question: Are there other interests in your life that you would like to discuss here (hobbies, charities, other careers, etc.)?

Answer: When I'm not designing jewelry, my husband and I both volunteer with 2 rescue groups for dogs. We're always trying to educate people to 'spay and neuter your pets' and we try to help out as much as possible doing home visits, vet checks etc. I also am an avid knitter and gardener and love to cook!


Question: To anyone aspiring to do the Craft(s)/Art(s) you do, do have any suggestions or recommendations?

Answer: I'd say to definitely try to find circuit boards that aren't stuffed or you'll spend hours trying to remove everything!


Please Note: Features on RSS Designs In Fiber are based on the artisan's answers to questions I give them and the photos they send me or choose or approve -- I give all artisans I Feature full editing rights.

Designs from Etsy for Decorating

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


One of the things I love about Etsy is the creativity in the Handmade items all over the shops.

There are various ways you can show this -- you can do what they call "Etsy Minis" of items from your own shop - or your favorites - and, I believe, of some Gift Guides. Then you can put the "Etsy Minis" wherever will take the code (then it links to the items on Etsy) - or you can make an image of the Etsy Mini to put in things.

But the Etsy Teams I belong to have come up with all kinds of additional ways to show our creative items on the Internet - various Blog postings and websites.

As I have talked about before, I am in 3 Etsy Teams:

• Design Style Guide
• Eco Etsy
• Etsy Thread Artists .

This time I am showcasing something on the website for Design Style Guide: http://www.designstyleguide.net/ . On this website, members of the Design Style Guide Etsy Team can pay for having listings on the website, which is advertised to Interior Decorators and people in Home Decorating. One of the features on this website is that members can create "Treasuries" of 12 listings (curated galleries) on http://www.designstyleguide.net/ .

Well, I have 2 listings on http://www.designstyleguide.net/ and I just updated one -- and I decided to make a Treasury on the theme of the Late Summer to Early Fall Harvest Summer: Grapes, Vines and Leaves.




These Treasuries on http://www.designstyleguide.net/ are really beautiful galleries of items members of Design Style Guide have crafted themselves. Take a look! They change every few days!!

Find uniquely hand-crafted aesthetic items for your home or office or any room or building with Design Style Guide and Etsy!!

If you like to decorate with hand-crafted finely detailed crocheted items in thread - check out Etsy Thread Artists!

If you are eco-minded and are looking to shop from like-minded people who run their businesses "eco" or "green" - check out Eco Etsy!

Etsy Sellers can be in multiple Teams, so you may find some in multiple Teams - just like me!

Yet Another TREASURY on ETSY: These BRIGHT SUNNY SUMMER Days!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers

I am really getting into making these Treasuries - or Galleries - on Etsy.

It takes a bit of time to find the items to put in it -- and then you have to find the time to get the slot for it, but I still find it enjoyable and I think it is worth the time. (I am still finding time to crochet and/or knit inbetween all the "online stuff".)

This Treasury is about our Bright, Sunny days this Summer: "These BRIGHT SUNNY SUMMER Days"!!

I was pleasantly surprised when I searched on Etsy in my 3 Etsy Teams (DesignStyleGuide, TeamEcoEtsy, ThreadArtists) - and found such great Arts and Crafts of Sunny things!!

The screen shot above shows what is in it -- but you should go to it on Etsy and click on the individual pictures and really take a look at what is there!!

Hope you enjoy it -- I enjoyed finding them!!

Ruth

ETSY VOTER - 6/22/2009 AMERICANA DECOR - AND I'M IN IT!!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers

I believe in exercising my right to Vote -- and that includes on ETSY!!

ETSY has a Voter -- each week from Monday morning to the following Monday morning 7 days later, there is a Gallery of items you can view and then Vote on the one you prefer.

I have been following this fairly regularly for about the last month -- I think it is a great way to voice one's taste and help get the items you prefer on Etsy in the Gift Guides.

You see, that is what happens -- is a certain number of them who are at the top of the voting get into the Gift Guide for that theme.

The last few weeks when I voted, though I have never voted for the one that got the most votes, the one I voted for was up there in the top 10. I admit -- one time I didn't vote at all because I couldn't choose one item to vote for -- none of them were really to my taste, which is unusual!

I am a big fan of HANDMADE!! Been doing HANDMADE since I was a kid - maybe a toddler - got my first camera at 6!!

Anyway -- if you look at the picture (screen shot) at the top of this page, you will see an image of the Etsy Voter as I saw it this morning when I checked it - except one of the items has a red border on it -- that is my item that got put in this week's Voter:

"Basket - Doily Lace Bowl" -- in Shaded Blues and White :

I have included all the pictures of it in this post, so you can see it from different angles and get a good idea of what it is.

It is a decorative Basket or Bowl in Lace --

-- made in DMC Pearl Cotton size 8 in what I call "Shaded Blues" -- a high quality thread of variegated blues with white. It is shaped and stiffened with glue -- and has a blue satin ribbon running through it.

Blue and White is definitely AMERICANA!!

I am also a big supporter of our country -- its Constitution and its Bill of Rights -- I believe in Democracy -- and exercising your right to Vote!!

So, Please -- I invite you and encourage you to Vote in the Etsy Voter -- and exercise your right to vote your taste for what gets in the Gift Guides on ETSY!!

AND BUY AND DO HANDMADE!!

And special thanks to my Etsy Teams that do so much to back up and support me and my fellow team members on Etsy:

• Design Style Guide
• Eco Etsy
• Etsy Thread Artists

Ruth

Kootsac Reusable Bag Giveaway -- A WINNER!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers









There is a WINNER on IndieNorth today for Kootsac's Reusable Bags (of EcoEtsy fame!)--



Laura! -- Congratulations!



-- And I hope more people know more about available Reusable Bags now!!





Ruth

REUSABLE BAGS - For Produce, Grains Etc. -- GIVEAWAY THRU SUNDAY MAY 31ST

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers





Reusable Bags -- I have a whole bunch of them. Have for years!! Actually, I grew up with some, though when the family went shopping when I was a little girl, there were all those paper bags -- but we use to save them in the Kitchen closet and reuse them!!

What is even a bit funnier is that I remember my Grandmother had some string cotton reusable bags -- I wonder -- did she bring them over from Germany when they emigrated here in 1936???

I think you get the point - re-using bags and reusable bags are not a new thing in my life -- or in my family.

The disposable plastic bags, now so prevalent in stores, are a relatively modern creation that is part of our throw-away society, that I dislike so much.

So, today, I want to feature a Giveaway on IndieNorth of Reusable Bags from Kootsac on Etsy.

If you buy a lot in bulk, I think these bags would be a great asset to you -- and much better for you and our environment than the plastic bags available in the stores. They are also much more attractive.

I am going to feature two styles of the bags that Kootsac has on sale on Etsy, though Kootsac has quite a few different colors and sizes -- and even weights.

The first is my favorite bag - a Produce Bag in 100% natural cotton in white with attached ties. Part of the reason this is my favorite is that this bag has ties attached, which I think is very convenient. I also like cotton.










The second is a Large Light Nylon Blue Food Bag -- can be used for quite a variety of different types of items according to the description!!










Kootsac's Profile on Etsy covers why these are better than plastic bags.


Did you know that it can take 1000 years -- or never -- for a plastic bag to disintegrate in a landfill?? Boy -- all these disposable plastic bags are going to be haunting this planet for a long time!!!


I think the Giveaway on IndieNorth is a great way to introduce people to these Reusable Food Bags -- participate -- learn what is available -- and maybe win some!!!


And - OH - Kootsac on Etsy is a member of one of my Teams on Etsy -- EcoEtsy!!


I have blogged previously about Reusable Bags -- I think they are important part of living an ethical, healthy life -- check here http://rssdesignsinfiber.blogspot.com/search/label/reusable%20bags for my other posts on the subject!







Ruth

ARTISTIC CHALLENGE VOTING IN PROGRESS ON ETSY THREAD ARTISTS

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers

One of my ETSY Teams, Etsy Thread Artists is having its 2nd Artistic Challenge on its blog, http://etsythreadartists.blogspot.com/.

The theme is "Floral" and there were certain requirements for doing it. (The theme was chosen by the winner of the 1st Artistic Challenge, Brenda.)

We have 8 entries, one of which is a doily that I made -- ROSES AND SHAMROCKS. Here are some pictures.

You can find it for sale on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25116802 .

The voting is going on from May 16th to May 31st on the Team blog in the upper right-hand corner. My entry is #8.

VOTE!!

I really enjoyed making it, though it took a lot of work because there are 11 flower motifs (including the center motif) and 10 shamrocks -- and each of the 11 flowers has 3 colors in it (all made in DMC Cebelia size 20)!!

The close-ups really show the detail in different parts of the doily.

Doing these designs in thread crochet, it is really delightful to watch the design unfold as you crochet -- or, in this case, when you put it all together!!

Though I don't actually teach crochet, if anyone has any questions or comments about making a doily like this, why don't you leave a comment on this post -- and I will respond here on the blog as soon as I can.

I am self-taught, but I use patterns, books -- and now years of experience -- to be able to do a project this complicated -- and in multiple colors.

Though I sell my completed craft projects, I also like to encourage others to do it themselves - either for themselves - or others - or to sell.

It is really amazing what you can do with crochet thread and a crochet hook -- just take a look at the work showcased on the Etsy Thread Artists blog !!

Ruth

NATURE AND MY CRAFTS

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers

For anyone who has taken a good look at my shop on ETSY, RSS Designs In Fiber, saying that NATURE has had an influence on my crafts -- would be -- like stating the very obvious.

Flowers, leaves, trees, even a bear head -- hard to miss!! The pictures are all over the shop!!

You see, I love NATURE -- yes in capital letters!! As long back as I can remember as a child, I loved being out in NATURE -- even if it just meant the NATURE as I walked home from school on the streets of Chicago.

Yes, on the streets of Chicago, what I remember is the trees (some of them seemed like giants to me as a little girl) and the bushes and the squirrels and the birds of all different colors. Oh-h-h, the trees --on the North side of Chicago where we lived, there were all kinds of trees along the streets and I remember the trees budding in the spring and turning gold and orange and eventually brown in the fall; then the stark design of the bare branches with the grey winter sky showing through.

I just loved it -- all of it!!

And if anyone wonders why I want NATURE protected so bad, well, I admit that it isn't just the beauty of it or my pleasure in it, though those are big points for me -- at this point I am also worried about survival.

-- I would hate living in some of those Sci-Fi civilizations which are mostly enclosed "bubbles" so us humans can breathe.

And now as I do my crochet or knitting and I think of designs -- and even the ones that don't depict actual things out of NATURE -- the colors and the designs still come from my experiences in NATURE!!

So, when you see in my listings for my craft items -- crochet or knitted or whatever -- "Inspired By NATURE" -- it is really so!!

Following are pictures of a few items I have made trully, trully Inspired by NATURE that I have actually seen!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16769201

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=15977462

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13105129

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12896989

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10949909

Ruth

My DESIGNS IN FIBER Are Back Up for Sale

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Gifts and Home Decor In Fibers





My Designs In Fiber -- for gifts -- or useful, eco-friendly items for your own home are now available in my Etsy shop again!!


I have some things that some Mothers might like for Mother's Day!!



Some designs with flowers that last forever (flowers in fiber don't wilt!!):




A PINK EVENING PRIMROSE BLOOM -- check the listing to see!!





A ROSE GARDEN RAMBLE










YELLOW FLOWERS IN SPRING GREEN









A KEYCHAIN OF IRISH ROSES AND LEAVES








IRISH ROSES IN A HEART










And I have some useful baskets, potholders and cloths for around the home:




NESTED BASKET SET








DAINTY SHADED BLUES BASKET










KITCHEN POTHOLDER AND CLOTH SET









Each item has a link to the listing in my shop.

Take a look around the whole shop -- in the different sections you could find something just right!!


Also - just a reminder -- I do Custom Orders by request - email me!!




Ruth

MY ETSY TEAMS and THEIR BLOGS

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


Though I am currently taking an obligatory break from selling on the Internet, "my" Teams on ETSY are still going strong.

So, I thought I would just mention them -- and their BLOGS, where you can find out what is going on with them:

ECOETSY STREET TEAM -- http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com

DESIGN STYLE GUIDE -- http://designstyleguide.blogspot.com

ETSY THREAD ARTISTS -- http://etsythreadartists.blogspot.com

Thanks to blogspot.com AKA www.blogger.com, our ETSY Teams have places on the Internet where we can tell the Internet world what we are doing!!

They all have ongoing "things" -- take a look and you might find something you'll like!!


Ruth

"LOVEBIRD IN A HEART" DOILY MADE IT TO THE VOTER POLL FOR ETSY'S GIFT GUIDE "How Do YOU Say Love?"

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items


ETSY is putting together a Gift Guide for Valentine's Day - the "Season of Love": How Do YOU Say Love?

There is an ETSY Storque article on it: http://www.etsy.com/storque/etc/vote-how-do-you-say-love-3292/

Here is the actual Voter Poll on ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=28

I was quite honored today to find out that my hand-crocheted doily, "LOVEBIRD IN A HEART" made it into the Voter Poll for this Gift Guide.

There is a total of 59 items that made it to this Poll. When I last checked (a minute ago), it showed 988 votes and there is about 6 more days to go on it!!

If you are a member of ETSY, you should vote - you can help to determine what gets into the Gift Guides on ETSY!

I love doing my crochet - especially the finer items that really reflect artistic composition.

Elizabeth Hiddleson, the crochet designer, created this design - as I explained earlier in a post, I have a book with a picture of it in the back of the book - and I created a chart to crochet it from from that picture. I just love the flying bird inside the heart!!

This doily is listed with tags for the following ETSY Teams:

Eco Etsy Street Team-teamecoetsy (http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/)
ETSY Thread Artists Team-threadartists (http://etsythreadartists.blogspot.com/)
Design Style Guide-interiordesignteam (http://designstyleguide.blogspot.com/)

All of these Teams have some good artists in them, who make and have available for sale in their shops some beautiful - and sometimes even useful - handmade creations!!


Ruth

EcoEtsy STREET TEAM IS SPONSORING A BENEFIT FOR www.heifer.org

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread

One of my Etsy Teams, ECOETSY, has a benefit currently going on to raise donation funds for http://www.heifer.org/.

The participating shops on ETSY are donating 10% of all sales for a team-wide donation to http://www.heifer.org/ to help with their programs to help the needy around the world provide for themselves. I have gotten brochures in the mail from http://www.heifer.org/ so I know what they are doing and I think they are making a valuable contribution to society. I think their principle of "Teach a man to fish..." is a really good way to help others.

At the following link, you can get a pdf document about the EcoEtsy event, "Proceeds of Promise" with information about the event, EcoEtsy and Heifer International.

http://www.lolaness.com/EcoEtsy/ProceedsofPromise/Proceeds%20of%20Promise.pdf

By buying things at the participating shops, including mine:

-- http://www.rssdesignsinfiber.etsy.com/

-- http://www.rssdesignswearables.etsy.com/

-you will be helping to make a contribution to bettering someone's life.

This 10% donation is in addition to the 15% off sale going on in my shops.

So, if you buy in my shops, you will get 15% off the listed item price plus 10% of what you pay (not including shippping) will be donated to Heifer International.

Have a good Holiday season!!

Ruth

MY CROCHET ON TOP TEN LIST ON ETSY!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread

I was just looking through The Storque on http://www.etsy.com/ for some more data - and I found the Top 10 Lists - and, low and behold, I was looking at the "Top 10 for Decor - Giving Thanks For Primitive" and there was one of my crochet pieces!!

http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/my-top-10-decor-giving-thanks-for-primitives-2843/

You can find it here in my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13152136

Actually, this crochet piece is one of the more detailed pieces I have done. It is made in a very fine thread - size 12 DMC Pearl Cotton - which translates, for crocheters, to about a size 45 crochet thread, which is pretty thin, so you have very fine detail in this piece.

Pearl Cotton is such a beautiful thread -- no photograph really reflects its sheen -- this piece, if you look closely, has a lot of detailed graphics, with the main focus being a ring of red flowers.

I hope someone eventually gets it and enjoys it!!

Ruth

ECOETSY AUCTION FOR A CAUSE - About 10 hours left to bid!!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread

Well, folks, this is the last day -- about 10 hours left on our auction for a donation to The Nature Conservancy!!

Check out the EcoEtsy blog: http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/

Check out the auction page: http://www.ecoetsy.com/auction-oct2008.html

Check out the photo album of what's being auctioned off: http://ecoetsyauction.myphotoalbum.com/

What we are doing is part of a green economy.

What The Nature Conservancy does is part of a a green economy and a live planet!!

Be part of it!!

Ruth

UPDATE! EcoEtsy AUCTION FOR A CAUSE - 1 Day Left To Bid!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread

October 30th is tomorrow!! 1 day left from the time I am writing this to bid on our basket of eco-friendly goodies with the proceeds going to The Nature Conservancy!!

Read our EcoEtsy blog, http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com for news and pictures of the donated items -- and the update! See some detailed photos and info about the people who made them and how!!

Bid and get the auction information at: http://www.ecoetsy.com/auction-oct2008.html

Photo Album of the items donated: http://ecoetsyauction.myphotoalbum.com/

The Nature Conservancy, with all the land and ecosystems they have protected over the years, is very deserving of the donation!! And, actually, what a fun bunch of goodies to win!!

If you haven't already -- check it out!! If you have - or have bidded, see where the bidding is at now!

Ruth

EcoEtsy AUCTION FOR A CAUSE Ongoing!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread

Our EcoEtsy AUCTION FOR A CAUSE is still ongoing with some bids already put in -- yes, we have some bids and if you are interested in it and haven't bid yet, you'll need to bid yourself by the Thursday evening (Oct. 30th)!

Check here! http://www.ecoetsy.com/auction-oct2008.html

After today (Sunday), there are 4 days left to bid on the collection of about 60 handmade, eco-minded items!!

Take a look at the pictures of what has been donated and is being auctioned off:

http://ecoetsyauction.myphotoalbum.com/

Remember -- the proceeds go to The Nature Conservancy!!

I have a picture here of the bag I crocheted for the Auction. It is a small bag - about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 5 inches high. It is green, ecru and glittering sienna.

Us like-minded folks in EcoEtsy really have the welfare of our environment and the people who live in it on our minds (you should see our emailing sometimes!). We really make an effort to live our lives and conduct our businesses in such a way as not to harm our environment and maybe even help it!!

Below I will quote my favorite philosopher on the environment, Aldo Leopold, in that there is a value to protecting our environment even if there doesn't seem to be a commercial profit in it. Protecting elements in our environment that are essential to its healthy functioning, even if that protection doesn't have a commercial value, is important for our lives. Of course, if you find new ways to use things that would otherwise be thrown out, you can reduce waste (good for the environment) and save money you would otherwise have spent on something new (good for your pocketbook), but some economists would tell you that consumer spending is a good sign of the economy - I would say to find other things to spend your money on while Reducing, Reusing and Recycling.

Aldo Leopold from "Substitutes For a Land Ethic", which is part of "The Land Ethic", which is part of "The Upshot" in the book, A Sand County Alamanc, copyright 1966 by Oxford University Press:

"To sum up: a system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided. It tends to ignore, and thus eventually eliminate, many elements in the land community that lack commercial value, but are (as far as we know) essential to its healthy functioning. It assumes, falsely, I think, that the economic parts of the biotic clock will function without the uneconomic parts. It tends to relegate to government many functions too large, too complex, or too widely dispersed to be performed by government.

"An ethical obligation on the part of the private owner is the only visible rememdy for these situations."

We, in EcoEtsy, who are putting on our AUCTION FOR A CAUSE, are private owners.

The Nature Conservancy is an organization who's funding is based on donations from private owners and who works to protect those uneconomic parts that are so essential to the healthy functioning of the land community we live in -- to our "web of life".

We, at EcoEtsy, are trying to be ethical in our lives and businesses - and our AUCTION FOR A CAUSE is part of that.

From me, Thanks to everyone who has participated - our EcoEtsy Co-Leaders, the donators, the bidders and all who helped promoting!!

Ruth

P.S. - You can find the book, A Sand County Almanac, online - and through the Aldo Leopold Foundation, http://www.aldoleopold.org/.

EcoEtsy AUCTION FOR A CAUSE is ON!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread

OUR AUCTION IS ON!

The auction information: http://www.ecoetsy.com/auction-oct2008.html

THE PHOTOS ARE UP!!

The photos of what is in the basket being auctioned for the donation:
http://ecoetsyauction.myphotoalbum.com/.

A VARIETY OF THINGS FROM JEWELRY TO BAGS TO CARDS TO SILVER -- TAKE A LOOK -- ALL HANDMADE, ALL ECO-FRIENDLY, SOME THINGS MADE FROM RECYLCED, RE-PURPOSED OR "RESCUED" MATERIALS!

FINAL PROCEEDS TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY!!

Ruth

ECOETSY AUCTION FOR A CAUSE - Starts tomorrow Monday, October 20, 2008!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread





STARTING MONDAY OCTOBER 20TH --

YOU CAN FIND IT ON THE ECOETSY WEBSITE:

ALL AUCTION DETAILS INCLUDING HOW TO BID AND WHERE TO FIND THE PHOTOS OF OUR ECO-FRIENDLY GOODIES ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 20TH.

As more than 60 eco-friendly items are in this basket being auctioned off, you can find some things for yourself -- and some gifts for Birthdays and Holidays (Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Years).

And make a donation to a very worthy environmental organization: The Nature Conservancy!!

REALLY SHOW YOU CARE ENOUGH ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT TO BUY AND/OR GIVE "ECO"!! BIDDING WILL BE GOING ON THROUGH OCTOBER 30TH!

Though not all of our EcoEtsy members have donated to this auction basket, we all sell on http://www.etsy.com/ and are really dedicated to Reducing, Reusing and Recycling in our businesses.

You can find the shops of the EcoEtsy members on our Profile page on etsy: http://team.etsy.com/profilest/eco.shtml.

Ruth