Sunday

Girl In A Hat



...Girl in a hat with circles appliqued onto it. After making my Swiss cheese sweaters for several months I quickly realized that something creative needed to be done with all the circles that came out of the holes. I had hundreds of them. This might just have something to do with the fact that my 86 year old Mom grew up in the depression and likes to use up "every little bit" :-) Plus, they were all so beautiful together in that big basket... Now, the circles have become the hallmark, and the real beauty of, THE HOLE THING, recycling them in my felt & button necklaces, felted pins, and t-shirts as well.

Treading Lightly On The Earth


I can't be happier that we are waking up to the reality of all the harm we're doing to our planet. What do you think it is that has made us more aware? Is it the effects of global warming that we've all experienced to some degree or Al Gore's documentary " The Inconvenient Truth"? Maybe, but I think that more than anything it is suddenly very hip to be Green. Eco-friendly products are everywhere. We're building and decorating our homes with them, we're wearing them and as time goes on more of us are even driving them. They are the new luxury.
We began this decade with an awareness to "recycle, reuse and restore" and are now adapting to a new concept which is "Refuse". Do we really need one more plastic toy from Toys R Us or another pair of sneakers? People forget that it takes energy and creates pollution to manufacture all the things we think we need. The reality is that a lot of what we buy only gives us temporary happiness.
Having recently visited Costa Rica, I am impressed that this developing country has such an ecologically conscious attitude. Their commitment to save the rain forest is commendable. From hotel's suggestions not to change sheets and towels daily, to the use of bio-degradable soap, energy efficient light bulbs and environmental libraries- it was refreshing to experience up close how simple it is to make a difference. It is very clear there that it's not just our planet- that we share it with many, many species. Hopefully we can start doing a better job in all areas environmentally. Congratulations to Timberland, the clothing and shoe company based in Stratham,New Hampshire. They are the first US company to put a carbon index on their product labels. We will be seeing more monitoring of carbon imprinting by other companies soon I imagine.

Friday

Welcome to Summer


Caterpillar shirts are made with the leftover circles that come from THE HOLE THING sweaters. Pretty nifty ! Six other t-shirt designs are now available at www.theholething.etsy.com

Thursday

Felted Bracelets




The Hole Thing felted bracelets are now available on Etsy ( Betsy without the B ) http://www.theholething.etsy.com/ which is a fabulous website selling artisan's wares from around the globe. My bracelets have been a hit with all ages- from teenagers at Lexington High School to my hip 85 year old Mom. They come in a wide variety of colors ( see some in the bowl above-click on photo for better detail) and can also be special ordered. I will have more of my line on Etsy soon.

Saturday

Wednesday

A-Tisket A-Tasket


This present might be just right for your little lady Valentine. She can put her tooth inside and tuck it in under her pillow at night to await the tooth fairy or she could put any of her little treasures inside so they always have a safe home. Available at www.theholething.etsy.com





Monday