Happy Earth Day!

There's a lot of talk these days about being green. You can't turn on the TV or radio, read a magazine or go shopping without someone imploring you to be more environmentally aware. I don't think we've been this conscious of Mother Earth since the late sixties and early seventies. At least I haven't.

So, how green are you? How green is too much? Is there such a thing? Do we need to go hog wild and completely change our lifestyles or is even a little bit enough? We could go crazy trying to find definitive answers to these questions. Some think we already have.

I do my part, albeit in a small way. I use a reusable water bottle that I fill with tap water. I don't use paper cups or paper plates. I save plastic grocery bags for a variety of uses. They make great packing material for Christmas ornaments, etc. and I use them as tote bags and lunch bags. I even put customer purchases in them at craft shows.

My absolute favorite contribution to the green movement is what is now being called upcycling. In a nutshell, it's taking something that otherwise might sit in a landfill and making something new out of it. I love to give things new life, especially discarded jewelry. Give me broken, tarnished or ugly jewelry and I'll play around with it until I end up with something beautiful, funky or interesting. It might not be everyone's taste, but it won't be boring! Buttons are a favorite but I'll use an old clasp, beads, charms or pretty much anything. One of my biggest hits with customers was a necklace made from a rather garish pair of leaf earrings. The leaves were so cool but they were a bit overwhelming as earrings. I made them the focal point of a necklace and it was a huge draw whenever I showed it. As a matter of fact, when it sold, I had several people disappointed because they had intended to buy it themselves. Remember, when it comes to one of a kind anything, you snooze - you lose.

Today, I'll be at the Earth Day celebration at Lynchburg College. If you happen to be in the area, stop by and say Hi! If you tell me you read this blog entry, I just might have a special Earth Day deal for you.