Take a look!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=41911
Pass it on! :)
Monday, February 2, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Marie Antoinette Bracelet
This was a special order from someone who LOVED the movie, "Marie Aontoinette". I used pink and aqua glass beads and pearls. And added birds, painting of Marie, a little french dog, silver shoe and even a slice of cake! More photos on our flickr site.
Friday, January 30, 2009
TREASURY TODAY!!!
Hooray for our wonderful team! Look at all these fabulous Valentine goodies available from the Honeybee Helpers!Check out our treasury!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=41505
Thursday, January 29, 2009
February Challenge Entry
For the February challenge, I created two lovey-dovey bug Valentine (or any time) cards! They are in the cards section of my Etsy shop.
I created two little (about 5" x 5") works of art which I scanned in, added some text and a background to the design on my computer. Then I printed them onto fine art paper, and mounted them onto light green cardstock- it was fresh and bright and springy, but since I had Valentines day in mind, I'm going to have to go find some red cardstock and make a couple more. But getting the art itself done was the difficult and time consuming part, so here are the two cards! :)
The honey bee and rose was done in pastels and black ink.
The lady bug and grass art was done with colored pencils and black ink.
I'll probably eventually sell the original art, too- I would like to frame it and mat it though, since they are small, and I think that would make a nice presentation.
I created two little (about 5" x 5") works of art which I scanned in, added some text and a background to the design on my computer. Then I printed them onto fine art paper, and mounted them onto light green cardstock- it was fresh and bright and springy, but since I had Valentines day in mind, I'm going to have to go find some red cardstock and make a couple more. But getting the art itself done was the difficult and time consuming part, so here are the two cards! :)
The honey bee and rose was done in pastels and black ink.
The lady bug and grass art was done with colored pencils and black ink.I'll probably eventually sell the original art, too- I would like to frame it and mat it though, since they are small, and I think that would make a nice presentation.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Weekly Green Tip: Birthdays!! And Laundry --BONUS!
Since it's still early in the year, it's a great time to plan ahead for all of the birthday gifts you will be giving this year!
So this year, why not pick one green/eco-friendly item to give everyone on your birthday-gifts-list? It'll make shopping so much easier, and maybe you'll influence some friends or family to be a little more green this year!
Some great gift suggestions that everyone (well, almost everyone!) can use:
- An aluminum reusable water bottle (posted about these last week). You can get a high-end one from a company like Sigg, but if you're looking to spend a little less, Old Navy has some reusable aluminum bottles too. At full price they were $7.50, but Old Navy has great sales all the time and you could probably stock up on them if you bargain hunt!
- On a similar note, a travel coffee/tea/hot beverage mug. If you always keep a clean one in your car, the next time you stop for a coffee you won't have to use another paper cup/plastic lid! ...This is great for long road trips! You can also put iced drinks like iced teas and chais and iced coffees in them too, of course. No more plastic cups!
- How about supporting the handmade community on a site like Etsy and giving everyone a handmade item this year? Or if you're crafty... make the items yourself! Everyone loves a personalized piece of art.
- If the recipient has a yard, look into a plant store that sells local plants and flowers, and buy them a flowering plant that's native to the area. They'll have minimal care to maintain it since it's used to the conditions of the area, and the pollinators will love you for it!
- Keeping with the local theme- if you can find a local farm or orchard, look into homemade jams and jellies, sauces, and other local farmed canned goods.
- Laundry products. Everyone has to do laundry, right? So why not make it greener? Give the gift of eco-friendly laundry and send the ingredients needed to make your own detergent, along with a couple of dryer balls!
Recipe for homemade powder laundry detergent:
All you need is one tablespoon per load of wash. I open the washing machine and turn on the hot water until it's about an inch deep. Then I turn off the water, add my detergent, and mix it around with an old wooden spoon until it dissolves. It won't be foamy. Then I switch the water to cold and let the machine fill up about half way and then I add my clothes. I've heard it's best to let the water dilute some before adding the clothes as some of the chemicals can make a peroxide and you don't want to bleach your dark clothing by adding it too quickly.
And if you need dryer balls, Etsy is a great place to look for them!
Add a comment if you've got some more great eco-friendly gift ideas!!
So this year, why not pick one green/eco-friendly item to give everyone on your birthday-gifts-list? It'll make shopping so much easier, and maybe you'll influence some friends or family to be a little more green this year!
Some great gift suggestions that everyone (well, almost everyone!) can use:
- An aluminum reusable water bottle (posted about these last week). You can get a high-end one from a company like Sigg, but if you're looking to spend a little less, Old Navy has some reusable aluminum bottles too. At full price they were $7.50, but Old Navy has great sales all the time and you could probably stock up on them if you bargain hunt!
- On a similar note, a travel coffee/tea/hot beverage mug. If you always keep a clean one in your car, the next time you stop for a coffee you won't have to use another paper cup/plastic lid! ...This is great for long road trips! You can also put iced drinks like iced teas and chais and iced coffees in them too, of course. No more plastic cups!
- How about supporting the handmade community on a site like Etsy and giving everyone a handmade item this year? Or if you're crafty... make the items yourself! Everyone loves a personalized piece of art.
- If the recipient has a yard, look into a plant store that sells local plants and flowers, and buy them a flowering plant that's native to the area. They'll have minimal care to maintain it since it's used to the conditions of the area, and the pollinators will love you for it!
- Keeping with the local theme- if you can find a local farm or orchard, look into homemade jams and jellies, sauces, and other local farmed canned goods.
- Laundry products. Everyone has to do laundry, right? So why not make it greener? Give the gift of eco-friendly laundry and send the ingredients needed to make your own detergent, along with a couple of dryer balls!
Recipe for homemade powder laundry detergent:
- 1 cup shredded bar soap
Fells Naptha works well (Zote is also recommended), you can use a cheese grater and then turn the little grated curls into a powder with a food processor- but it's not necessary. Another tip is to leave the soap out for a week or so to dry out a little before you shred it. It makes the soap easier to shred and more powdery. - 1/2 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer makes it). This is sometimes hard to find, but call and ask around, or order a bunch online.
- 1/2 cup borax (you can find this with the cleaning supplies or with the laundry supplies)
All you need is one tablespoon per load of wash. I open the washing machine and turn on the hot water until it's about an inch deep. Then I turn off the water, add my detergent, and mix it around with an old wooden spoon until it dissolves. It won't be foamy. Then I switch the water to cold and let the machine fill up about half way and then I add my clothes. I've heard it's best to let the water dilute some before adding the clothes as some of the chemicals can make a peroxide and you don't want to bleach your dark clothing by adding it too quickly.
And if you need dryer balls, Etsy is a great place to look for them!
Add a comment if you've got some more great eco-friendly gift ideas!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Dear Mythbusters,
Dear Mythbusters,
On behalf of the many hapless honeybees who are falling victim to CCD: How about next time you feature a segment on killing them (whether the myth is busted or not), you kindly remind your viewers that it is not necessary to ever kill a swarm of honeybees at all, but instead, call a local beekeeper who would probably be more than happy to have them. If that beekeeper does not want them, it's likely that they can refer you to someone who does!
The honeybees would greatly appreciate your popular show bringing some awareness to CCD and enlightening the viewers that there IS a humane way to rid their property of honeybees.
Sincerely,
The Honeybee Helpers
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Meet "Buzz, the Spiffy Caller"
Doris of Honey Bee Crochet http://www.SturmDM.Etsy.com created this Valentine's Bee Shelf Sitter for our HoneyBee Helpers Team Challenge. He is a OOAK original, designed and created by Doris. He was crocheted entirely freestyle (without a pattern.) Buzz has all sorts of embellishments to make him attractive, like heart shaped wings, a buzz hair do and perky antennae, a lady bug on his nose for good luck when he asks "Bee Mine" for Valentine's Day as he's giving you his heart (with a little pink satin rose.) He even has a stinger, but it's just for show. He's wearing yellow booties with a pony bead on top of each.
His bottom is stuffed with rice and polyester fiberfill to keep him sitting securely on the shelf. He measures 9" from head to bum, 15" in circumference (around his belly.)
You can see more of him here
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20142010
Buzz is for decoration only and NOT a toy. He is purely for enjoyment and meant to make you smile!
Doris enjoyed making him because he represents her love of bees and the HoneyBee Helpers team member friendships that unite us in our mutual concern for the environment and the world in which we live.
THE END
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