What exactly is Upcycling?

Recycling, Repurposing, Upcycling – what’s the difference? …and what exactly is Upcycling?

We all know what recycling is. A plastic bag is used to carry home groceries then is later reused by the owner who uses the bag a second or third time, perhaps to again carry groceries or store items. The bag has been recycled by its owner. The bag is being reused but the value of the bag remains the same.

In upcycling, the item is often no longer being used for its intended purpose but is repurposed – given a new purpose – and along with this new purpose it is also given an increase in value (usually both aesthetically and monetarily) It is worth more in its new form.

Recycled – used again and value remains unchanged

Repurposed – used again but with a new purpose

Upcycled – used again, with a new purpose, and with greater value than its original state

Why are upcycled items so desirable?
They are created with innovation and creativity!

Necklace pendant made from broken Shelley Blue Rock teacup

Wisegeek said it best:

“Upcycling is designed to work in opposition to consumer culture, encouraging people to think of new and innovative ways to use things, instead of simply buying new consumer goods. It also benefits the environment, by promoting reuse over discarding whenever possible.”

There you have it!

Laura

Belt buckle made from a broken plate

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

          Own Gold Directly Where it is Cheaper, Easier and Safer – Bullionvault.com

For the weary stock investor, this year has been one filled with uncertainty and volatility, but Gold has prospered, setting new price records with each passing month, and showing no signs of pulling back in the near future.  In fact, Gold prices have been on a tear for the past decade, outstripping any traditional investment instrument in total return.  For the average investor, the question then becomes, “How do I invest in this valuable commodity?”

There are actually a variety of ways.  You can invest directly in gold mining companies or exchange-traded or mutual funds that focus on this sector of the market.  You can buy gold coins at retail prices that are unreasonably inflated, thereby defeating the ability to achieve a decent return.  Lastly, you can invest directly in owning the precious metal by working with a transfer agent that buys the bullion on the market at wholesale and then secures the asset in a formidable vault for safekeeping.

The leader in this field of agents is Bullionvault.com.  This company has been devoted to this primary service since 2005, and their website will both educate you on how to invest in Gold and facilitate the process online.  The key things to know are:

·         You can buy gold here today. You will own proven, pure gold grams of approved bullion market gold;

·         Buying gold bullion directly on a gold exchange gets you a far better gold price;

·         Store the gold you buy in the professional vault of your choice: in New York, London or Zurich.

For those investors that wish to balance their portfolios or prefer owning Gold directly, the process has never been easier.  As with any international dealer that receives monies from across a border, there are necessary precautionary procedures required to validate your identify and comply with regulatory requirements.  For this reason, it is recommended that a basic wire transfer from your bank be used to fund your account.

Before your account is funded, the company will actually give you a gram of Gold to get started.  What could be easier than that?  As for bullion storage charges, as one satisfied customer stated, “The monthly cost is the same as a beer.”  Experts are on hand to help you, and customer testimonials on the Internet have been quite favorable.  Bullionvault.com – The safe way to own Gold!

   

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How To Make Awesome Hang Tags

These tags make great personal touches for gifts, or, if you’re a crafty, use them in altered art and scrapbooking projects. If you sell your work, use these as jewelry cards or hang tags for your handcrafted items, as I have done above.

Supplies needed:

Manila hang tags –available at office supply stores, or if you prefer you can cut your own from cardstock. I prefer to use the purchased ones, just because it is more time efficient for me.

  Teabags and hot water to brew some strong tea (or you can use coffee)

Medium sized stovetop pot or bowl to soak tags in

cookie sheet and oven to dry tags

rubber stamps and inkpad for stamping tags with designs

Other Optional supplies & embellishments:

Spray bottle (optional)

Ribbon scraps

Carnival tickets (office supply stores, Walmart, and Party supply stores)

Misc. ephemera

Glue stick

STEP 1

Brew a strong pot of tea and when cooled, pour it into a medium pot (I keep the teabags in). You can brew the teabags right in the pot on the stovetop. I use about 6 teabags per every 4 cups of water. If you prefer you can use coffee instead of tea.

STEP 2

Submerge and soak the manila tags in the cooled tea until stained and saturated. They do not have to be evenly stained. The less-even the stains are, the better. You can either just dip them for a lighter look, or you can allow them to soak for a while for a deeper shade. Experiment until you achieve the look you like.

STEP 3

When the tags are the color you like, remove them from the tea soak and lightly blot them on an old tea towel. Next, arrange them on a cookie sheet and bake in a warm oven (about 200-250 degrees F) until they begin to dry. Watch them carefully so that you do not burn them. Then remove them from the oven.

when dry, your tags should look like this

STEP 4

This step is optional, but I like to go the extra mile for the look: spritz the tags with a spray bottle filled with tea or coffee to add some extra, darker stain marks. If you don't want to use a spray bottle you can just randomly drip the tea on your tags. This step helps them look old and worn or grungy: that is the look we are going for. Bake again for just a few minutes until dry and remove from oven.

I love drip stains on my tags!

STEP 5

Embellishing: Once your tags are completely dry you can rubber stamp them with designs. Using the rubber stamp and stamp pad, stamp your tags with whatever designs you desire. Some nice stamps that I like to use are seasonal designs and nature designs. You can stop here and use your tags as-is, or read on for more embellishment ideas.

For Those Who Want More

*Thread a few scraps of ribbon through the hole in the tag and tie for a colorful look (see below).

Just thread the ribbon through the hole...

...and then tie in a simple knot

I coordinated these earrings to the ribbons to complete the look!

Getting Fancy

*Use rubber stamps to decorate carnival tickets, punch a hole in each with a hole-punch and then attach these with ribbon through the hole on the tag (as shown above). Or, if you prefer, use a glue stick and glue the carnival ticket directly to the tag.

You can buy carnival tickets by the roll

use a simple, small stamp on the carnival tickets

a colorful, whimsical look

A Few Other Ideas

*Distress the edges of your tags by running the edge of the tag along the stamp pad or by tracing along the edge of the tag with a marker.

*Add some color to your rubber stamp designs by coloring with colored pencil.

*Add vintage ephemera to your tags with a glue stick for an altered art look.

*Good idea: If you’re using these as tags for items you are going to sell or as jewelry cards, use the reverse side to write pertinent info about your item (such as materials used, etc), or, stamp the reverse side with a sticker or personalized rubber stamp to advertise your business name and/or website. I had a custom rubber stamp made by Etsy seller terbearco, and I love it!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad