VHS tape & podcast

Day 18 of the eco craft challenge.

Yesterday I spent a few hours cleaning my studio space (in my basement). Of course my toddler gets his own table in there. I really made a big dent in the clutter. Now I can think easier while in there.

While cleaning I listened to several podcasts. One of them was the newest Stash N Burn podcast with Nicole and Jenny. Around 10:40 and 13:50 on the counter (time in min:sec) they talked about me! Wow! I've been listening to their podcast ever since I got my 1st ipod. I am KristyRecycles on ravelry, and I follow their forum on there. I posted the eco craft challenge in their forum when I first started it. I thought that it would match up with what they talk about, using your yarn stash. I couldn't believe that they mentioned the challenge as well as some of the things that I make. It made my day.

I can't get over how much yardage is in one VHS cassette tape! Its crazy! It really seems like a waste to just throw this much in the trash. If you or someone you know are getting rid of VHS tape via the trash, please take out the tape (unscrew the case to do this). If you don't knit, crochet, or work with yarn in one form or another then maybe someone you know does. Here is Cindy's blog where there are some free VHS patterns. Cindy also has tested her VHS tape bags with credit cards. They do not demagnetize the cards. Thank you Cindy for doing that test! Also check out how to use cassette tape for gift wrapping in Jennifer Perkin's blog. Also one of Danny Seo's books shows how VHS tape makes nice ribbon when gift wrapping. I donated all of my VHS tapes to Goodwill 3 to 5 years ago. This supply came from someone who attends the recycling comity meetings in my town. Since my town does not recycle them, the person was more than happy to let me have them. I've been spinning them like crazy. One ball I plied with spun white plarn. I have a few ideas of what to make with this material. It's exciting.

I also dug into my fabric stash and found some fabric that I don't want to use in a quilt. I began making a reusable bag out of it. I have enough of the fabric that I can make a matching set.

Day 16 of Craft Challenge

Yesterday I broke open a VHS tape and took out the tape. I then spun it. I had some white plarn that I had already spun. I then plyed the 2 together. I think I want to crochet a granny square style purse out of it.

The VHS tape is not stretchy like the plarn, so I don't want to make a tote bag out of it.

I need to make some more plarn out of the newspaper bags. This is as far as I got with the spun plyed plarn crochet bag.

I finished 1 side of the purse that I am crocheting out of the pink and black plarn. Time to make and spin some black plarn. Then ply it with the ball of pink spun plarn that I have.

I have also been cleaning a juice pouch art project that I started earlier this year. Cleaning = sticky straw part. Yes I did say art project. I have always wanted to be a gallery artist. It's time to start trying for that.

I am thinking about making a video on how to crochet soda tab flowers. I think that it is to detailed to do on my tv show. It might be better to use my webcam to film it so that I get really close up, and I can take my time making it.

Organizing my juice pouch stash

Yesterday I went through my massive amount of juice pouches and organized them by type and "flavor."

I also cleaned a few (sticky straw part) for an ufo (unfinished object) art project.

All of these juice pouches have been cleaned, they just need the sticky straw part removed.

Plyed Plyarn Projects

I am on day 14 of the eco craft challenge. As of Friday, I spent all of my budget for the challenge ($20). The remaining $10 was spent on supplies that I needed to tape an episode of "Its Easy Being Green." It was for episode 6, back to school supplies made from juice pouches. I have decided to post the show on youtube after it airs on the local channel here. I am currently uploading episode 4 onto youtube as I type this. Each episode airs every 2 weeks here.

I had posted pictures of my spun & plyed blue newspaper bag plyarn before. Here are pictures of the bag that I am crocheting from it. The base of the bag is pretty large. I'm crocheting it in the round. I just ran out of the spun plyed plyarn today. I'll have to make some more.

Last night I started spinning a ball of pink plyarn and a ball of black plyarn. I then plyed the 2 balls together. I am crocheting a different kind of bag in the round. I think that I want to make 2 circles and join them to make a purse. I'll probably line it with black fabric. It reminds me of the movie Grease (the jackets that the girls wore).

It's Easy Being Green: Episode 4: Fused plastic bags

Here is a link to a past blog DIY post on fusing plastic bags.

Here is a link to past fused bag blog posts.

Hopefully tonight or tomorrow I'll have the video from the show on my youtube channel.

If you have any questions on how to fuse plastic bags, please feel free to ask. A good tip is to fuse 2 layers at a time. You should fuse at least 4 layers of plastic together for a sturdy new fabric.

Martha Stewart also showed how to fuse plastic bags on her show. They made a holder for doggie poopie bags.

Eco Craft Challenge Day 11

I have spent just under $10 so far. That is half of the budget. One of the items is actually to repair the couch where the seams are coming apart. I'm counting it, because I'll be able to use the supplies in my crafting as well.

For 3 days I made and spun plyarn. One ball was only blue newspaper bags. The other ball was Kohls bags & light blue, gray, clear, and green

newspaper bags. I then plyed the 2 balls together. I am currently crocheting this double spun ball of plyarn into a bag.

I have also been prepping for my show tomorrow night. I am taping 2 shows. One will have a guest, Melina Goodick, who will be showing how to sew your own reusable bag. The other show I will show how to recycle juice pouches for back to school supplies. A friend of mine's daughter might be joining me for one of the projects. I want to show people how easy it is. I've made that particular project with 1st grade girl brownies (girl scouts).

You can view my show on youtube under my user name textiles4you. There is also a video clip up of me cleaning juice pouches. I just finished cleaning 44 of them, and I have a headache as a result (Goo Gone & my sensitive nose).

How to clean juice pouches

Watch my new video on youtube on how to clean juice pouches. This is the first step that you need to take before you can craft with them. You can see other how tos with juice pouches in earlier posts & in future tv show episodes.