Window Lockets- New in My Shop!

New Etsy shop listings- awesome window lockets (I love playing with these) holding tiny art collages! Each little collage has a different theme, and images created from vintage and antique materials like glass jewels from the 1940s; a page from a 1920s calendar; an old botanical journal; discarded encyclopedias, children's and art books; rare little copper stampings, fabrics from vintage sample books; handmade paper; bits of chain, jewelry, and millinery; and natural materials like dried leaves, flowers and twigs! I've been having a ball with the whole process, especially hunting for old materials in thrift stores, at flea markets, and online vintage shops.

I shared pics of a couple of these a while back. Two of those are now available in my shop, plus more- hope you like the new ones, as well! :)


"Autumn Woodland" (This one is in an autumn-themed creative contest on the EtsyVeg blog- please go vote for it!)



"Heart Song"



"Madame X"

The Web Out Loud: What's Worth Paying Attention To This Week?

My latest finds worth paying attention for the ethical web surfer: great articles, awesome sites, and other juicy tidbits!

Articles

Animals Don’t Want to Eat GMOs, So Why Are We?, healthychild.org

There is No Vegan's Dilemma, PowellsBooks.blog

4 Million Pounds of Space Junk Polluting Earth’s Orbit, ecoworldly.com

In-vitro meat: Would lab-burgers be better for us and the planet?, cnn.com

Monsanto's Global War on Farmers, organicconsumers.org

New Film on Ocean Acidification Reveals Unseen Face of CO2 Pollution, solveclimate.com

Elephants Pass Self-Awareness Test Passed Only By Humans, Gorillas, and Dolphins, ecoworldly.com

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism, MelanieJoy.org

Activism

Protest Ringling Brothers' Animal Cruelty! Sign PETA's petition calling on the USDA to seize the abused, neglected, and heartbroken elephants Ringling hauls around the country in filthy boxcars and forces to perform under the constant threat of punishment. Watch PETA's undercover videos from RinglingBeatsAnimals.com if you need convincing.

Tell your Senators that the path out of world poverty isn't through Monsanto and GMO crops. Sign this CREDO petition to promote helping farmers in developing countries produce and distribute their own food, rather than implementing an Obama administration goal to use genetically modified seeds and chemicals as tools to fight hunger.

Cool Sites

Your Daily Vegan: the daily vegan spin- Your source for all things vegan: intriguing facts, thoughtful editorials, intelligent quips, food talk, news bits, and so much more, all in one place.

Green Lashes and Fashion- Love this blog by a fashionista with a compassionate conscience! Stay informed about ethical fashion, natural beauty, green living, and vegan/vegetarian food- way cool!

Environmental Graffiti- A veritable playground for the eco-conscious, planet loving, ethical, and off-the-wall. An "eclectic mix of the most bizarre, funny and interesting environmental news on the planet... on behalf of all environmentalists who don’t take themselves too seriously and compile it into a daily blog." What lured me in initially were breath-taking, brilliant photos of animal life, like these.

Other Stuff

T-shirts upcycled from plastic bottles?
Two companies, be present and A Lot To Say, launched tees made from recycled plastic last week! They are super cute on top of being super green! be present states on their site that 3-5 plastic bottles are diverted from landfills with every tee made, and A Lot to Say calls their 100%-recycled-bottle tees "eco-revolutionary." Maybe plastic is fashionable after all. ;)

I am in love with this bike! Madsen's Cargo Bikes are dream cycles for those who rely on or choose biking for doing errands like grocery shopping and even moving! I swoon every time I see one... If only I could even think of affording it... ;)

The Web Out Loud: What's Worth Paying Attention To This Week?

I've been coming across so many great articles, sites, and other juicy tidbits of info lately that I want to start sharing them! Hence the start of this weekly or bi-weekly column. Here are this week's finds worth paying attention to!

Articles

"Six Ways to Become an Ethical Fashionista", GreenLashesandFashion Blog

"Urban Panning: The 10 Meanest Cities In America", NPR.org

"A Revolution of the Heart", Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach Blog

"10 Ways to Support Charity Through Social Media", Treehugger.com

"Rethinking the Meat Guzzler", NYTimes.com

"Veganism is Too Difficult", ElaineVigneault.com

Activism

peta2's Meat's Not Green Petition- Sign peta2's petition mandate that all meat be labeled with a warning that it is the number one cause of global warming.

Cool Sites

CraftWeasel- Thanks to my pal Cari for sharing this tool! Type in your Etsy username, and Craftweasel will look through your favorites to get an idea of your tastes. Then it searches through all the items that have been listed on Etsy within the last 24 hours and recommends things you might like. Fun!

Butterflies and Moths of North America- For nature lovers, an awesome gallery with information about and photos of every butterfly or moth you might come across.

Other Stuff

Anti-war Medallion- Remember that anti-war phrase from the 60s, "War is not healthy for children and other living things?" Well there's a great necklace/medallion imprinted with the historically significant phrase available on the site of Another Mother for Peace, an organization created "to empower and encourage citizens to take an active role in convincing our elected leaders to work for peace." The medallion is a silver or gold metal mini version of the classic poster for a very affordable $15 (which benefits the organization)- so sweet and so moving!

If you live in "the Burgh" you know how awesome this tee is! The phrase is available on all sorts of tees and sweats by Dirty Jerzey on CafePress.com.