there's so much goodness happening right now.

{photo by Ruben, aka Rubonix; post-processing by me.}

happy happy earth day, dear-hearts! you know it fills me with great happiness knowing that so many souls are focused on the health and well-being of our planet on this day (my other career is in environmental law, for those of you not yet in-the-know). earth-consciousness has certainly grown this year from where it was last year. this is so good. i hope it is more than just a passing fad and folks take this seriously from now on (please?).



take a moment, if you will, and tell me how you are celebrating earth day! {we will be eating a vegan feast by candle-light, sending out some positive vibes and powering down tonight.}



also, if you have taken steps to green your business, let us know in the comments! {i use recycled paper and vellum exclusively in my studio and have for the past year. i upcycle and re-use packaging whenever possible.}



what good things are you doing for the environment at home? are you carpooling? bussing? walking? biking? composting? tell me, dear friends. {we are looking to dig up our driveway to replace it with something that allows for groundwater infiltration, presently. we compost. we recycle. we bike & walk. you know all about it, so i'll keep this from sounding "soap-boxy."}



what are your favorite green businesses? {right now i'm LOVING Nimli, Stewart + Brown, Olio United, just to name a few.}



*** Feel the green, right down to your heart. Green is associated with the heart (anahata) chakra, by the by.



In other lovely news...



* Kelly Rae Roberts (who is now living in our Emerald City of Seattle) has lots of lovely offerings that would be perfect for Mother's Day. Check her shop out right here. It is chock-full of positivity.



* Mrs. French is hosting an amazing Stewart + Brown giveaway on her blog, Bliss. Go here for details.



* My sweet & talented friend Jess Gonacha is now offering necklaces in her shop. LOVE them! Buy one or two or three.



* Some of my favorite artists & designers are participating in a wonderful cause by donating their art to an online auction for Carolyn's Compassionate Children. You can bid on these items here. {Don't miss pieces by Jen Ramos, Marisa Haedike, Jess Gonacha, & more.}



*EPA {finally} published findings confirming what the scientific community has been saying for years, our greenhouse gas emissions "endanger the public health and welfare of current and future generations." A-men. Here's to speedy promulgation of regs on point.



With that bit of good news, I send you off with peace. & LOVE. always.

pounced! Green Girls Global.

LOVELIES, hello! check it out! i pounced Green Girls Global on Etsy & fell in love with the sweet, sustainable wearables they offer.
a bit more about the GGG...
Green Girls Global is a collaboration of women from different locations, experiences, skills and interests. Our common aim is to live a greener, more sustainable life and sharing our views and ideas.
music to my ears. you simply must visit the GGG website! it is an outrageously wonderful hub of information about living the green life.

{everything they make is sweet,

but i especially love "chicks in the city" & "pause to replenish the sea."}

visit the Green Girls Global shop right here.
and the GGG blog here.

pounced! Norie and Lee.

darlings, at long last, i'm back from another trip pouncing. {for those of you not yet in the know about POUNCING, it is a delightful feature on Etsy that allows you to visit (pounce) on new shops or shops that have just sold items. to experience pouncing yourself, click right here.}

this trip has yielded bountiful results, including the eco-friendly stationery & design at Norie and Lee. you KNOW i love anything or anyone with a mission of making beautiful things that also respect the environment. Norie and Lee use high recycled content in their cards & envelopes, earth-friendly printing techniques and biodegradable packaging. Norie and Lee are taking it one step further and including social justice in their gig: a portion of the proceeds from holiday cards will benefit a non-profit that installs solar panels on the homes of low-income families in California. WONDERFULNESS!!
here are a few of my favorites from the Norie and Lee shop.

gnarly card & surfing buddies card.

to visit the Norie and Lee shop, click here.
to vitis the Norie and Lee website, click here.

Pounced. Xmittens

Just like last Monday, I found myself pouncing on Etsy and finding some truly hip & unique new shops in the process. Dears, it would be unfair for me to keep these fabulous finds from you, I promise; therefore, I'm dedicated to bringing you back the booty from my pouncing trips whenever I go on them. Enjoy!

Today, I was lucky enough to happen upon Xmittens, a shop featuring the re-cycled, re-tooled, and re-fashioned art-wear of Amber Coppings. I love re-tooled clothes (especially now that I'm committed to refraining from buying any new clothes until August--a whole year), and I really dig how Amber revels in the story of these multi-layered pieces. Right on. My two favorite pieces from Xmittens are these darling cropped pants and this little tee. They would look so fabulous together, yes?

Pure fabulousity! Lo & behold, my dears, Amber's fabulous work continues on her website where you can find her collection of gorgeous wearable art and on her totally wonderful blog. I just re-visited Xmittens and found out that Amber has another shop on Etsy called Ambermayhem-- hello jewels and wraps and the such!

Dig it!

What I'll be doing later.

No joke, I've decided to make my own underpants using old t-shirts. I'll let you know how it goes. I found the pattern on SuperNaturale after discovering the link on LifeHacker. Check it.

xo

Blog Action Day:

Today is blog action day, folks! Today, bloggers of the world are uniting to focus our attention on one issue: the ENVIRONMENT! Making art can be a dirty endeavor, and I mean this on several levels. Obviously, the afternoon in the studio may result in paint-spattered clothes or clay-stained floors, but have you considered the more global ramifications of making art? I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately, since my environmental ethic permeates the rest of my life and I really *want* to make my art as green as possible. How can I do this and make the kind of art that moves me? Well, there are many little steps we artists and art-lovers can take to make and support earth-friendly art. Dig this:

Fabriano makes watercolor paper that is not sized in animal fat. It is high-quality paper just the same and even smells better.

Instead of gallons of paint thinner, maybe I will try some of the fabulous Gamblin Oil Mediums that use safer ingredients like linseed oil and beeswax.

EcoArt Works sells art supplies that are non-toxic. Some of the goodies I am itching to try are the hemp watercolor paper and the plant-based pastels.

I'd like your thoughts on this idea, dear readers: I have been using cardboard left-over from moving (and the such) in some recent paintings and wonder how others would feel about displaying a watercolor mounted on cardboard in their home. I love the added dimension and weight of the back-board and do like re-using the cardboard. Any thoughts?

Green-Art provides a database of artists using eco-friendly techniques and supplies. This comprehensive site features artists working in print, fiber, paint, sculpture, architecture, design, poetry, and more.

Blue Flip Art sells fine art prints at great prices and donates a portion of the proceeds to non-profit organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund.


MORE Green to LOVE:
Austin Green Art is a public art project in Austin, Texas, focusing on environmental themes. Check 'em out.

Swan Diamond Rose creates amazing tees and bags using thrifted, over-stock, dead-stock and low-impact fabrics and materials. She is a super-cool independent spirit. Check out her Etsy Shoppe and her Ebay Shoppe.

Environmental Art Museum is an online museum featuring environmental artists and their art. It also serves as a collaborative tool for making and promoting environmental art.

Do any lovely readers have thoughts about greening the art process? Do tell! You have a captive audience!! Happy Blog Action Day!