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I have created a reCREATE page on Facebpook... it is an easy way to post events, and put out information. You can see it here.

If you like it, please consider becoming a fan!

The Only Good Use for Plastic Water Bottles!

 

Plastic water bottles are such a problem for our environment. It takes a lot of energy to process them for recycling. Collection, baling them, trucking them for recycling, cleaning, chipping, melting and re-manufacturing.... and that is the ones that actually get recycled. Many don't end up getting recycled.

If you aren't aware ofthe problem plasic is creating for our world type in Great Pacific Garbage patch in google. It is so nasty.

I was pretty excited to see something beautiful come out of a water bottle... the project is here.

I actually used a smaller bottle (the bases of tennis ball containers) than they used in the example, as we didn't have any big bottles around. If you make these, please be sure to recycle the rest of the bottle!

Placer Recycles Day

We had a great time making art at Placer Recycles Day. There was an amazing fashion show by Haute Trash (Clothes from trash)... but I think the highlight of the day for me was the Trash Can Band called the Petting Zoo. I loved the great sounds they made from trash! Here is a short clip from them.

Upcoming reCREATE Events

reCREATE at the Utility Exploration Center


Kids Activities:
Holiday Green Gift Making Workshops Ages 8 to 12

Design and construct gifts for family and friends from repurposed materials in our Green Gifts Workshops led be reCREATE. Drop in between 10:30am and 2:30pm. Parents – drop off your kids and get a little shopping done on your own, or enjoy some quiet reading in the adjoining library.

Dates
Saturday 11/29
Saturday 12/13
Saturday 12/20

Fee for each day $30.00 / $26.00 Resident Discount


Adult and Family Programs
Sustainable Gifts – Jewelry Making Workshop
Avoid the mall and join us to create a one of a kind piece of jewelry from beautiful and repurposed materials. You will design and complete at least one piece of jewelry during the course. $12 material fee due at class.

Saturday 12/6 10:30am to 1:00pm
Fee $24/$20 Resident Discount plus


Sustainable Gifts - Garden Treasures – Gift Making Workshop
Forget the garden gnome. Join us to make a decorative bird house from repurposed materials. The perfect gift for the gardener on your list. $5.00 material fee due at class.



Wednesday 12/10 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Fee $18/$14 Resident Discount

For more information email donna@recreate.org
To register call 916.746.1550

Fun in the Classrooms

I am having such a blast in the classrooms in Rocklin. We got a grant through the City of Rocklin and the Department of Conservation. 2000 Rocklin elementary kids are getting the chance to particiapte in our environmental lesson, "shop" for treasure in the truck, and then make art. There are always a few kids that just make me grin ear to ear with how they respond to our program. Highlights of my class visits include:

The 3rd grade boy who spontaneously gave me a hug and said, "Thanks for letting me do art with your neat stuff!"

The reCREATE "groupies" who come and talk to me at lunch time and want their experience to last longer. Love these kids!

The girls who used their materials to make me a gift for the truck.

The Giant Thank You card I got from the kindergarten class at Stoneridge after my visit.

I had a nice meeting with the Assistant Superintendent with Roseville City School District. He had some great ideas about how to move our project forward. It is not exactly the best time to start our program, with the economy being what it is... but people are embracing it anyway. If we can make it now, we will be GREAT when the market turns around.

Ready to Visit the Classrooms!

 

 

 

We got the truck back today with the wonderful vehicle wrap - I am so excited - I think it came out great.
What do you think?

And the Winner to our Vehicle Wrap Design is

Side of Truck


Back of Truck


April Dawn - with this entry.
I'm not sure we will use all of you design - but you definitely win the inspiration prize. I have the desgn at the wrap company - and should know exactly what they come up with shortly!

April Dawn, Please email me your favorite digi store and we can arrange your prize!

Thank you to everyone that submitted entries!

Vehicle Wrap Contest

 

 

 

Here are some more pictures of materials that could be used.

reCREATE Vehicle Wrap Contest

(pictures except Zach and the truck are from Jen Stewart Photography)

We need help coming up with a design for our vehicle!!!

Here are the things you would need to help us design our vehicle wrap:
1. We want the design to be "clean" like our logo
2. The vehicle is going to schools
3. We want the design to give a sneak peek into the fun of our program (attached pictures)
4. While what we collect is "trash" - it is actually good stuff.
5. The both sides of the vehicle and the back will be wrapped... The back is basically square - and I need room to thank our sponsors.)
6. You can integrate the existing paint job - or cover it.


Possible names for our truck:
Rolling reCREATE
ReCREATE's Truck of Super Stuff
??We are open to ideas!


The winning design will be given to a professional vehicle wrap designer to professional design it for the truck. Winner will get a picture of the final product for bragging rights! Winner will get a $50.00 gift card to their digi shop of choice. If no design is chosen - the most inspirational will get a $25.00 gift card. I will post the final vehicle design - once the vehicle is wrapped.

reCREATE is a registered non-profit in California. More information on reCREATE can be found at www.recreate.org

Questions? email me at donna(at)recreate.org

Contest Deadline tomorrow (Sunday September 21st) at midnight Pacific Time. Winner will be announced Monday.

Please remember you can't use most digi scrap papers/embellishments, etc. on the design - but textures/ideas can be integrated into the design. I don't want to get into trouble!

Oh! You can email me your submission - or post it on you blog and give me a link through the comments here.

Challenge - a month without plastic

Yesterday I was out picking up some treasure and heard this woman on NPR radio talking about trying to go for a month without plastic. She is blogging about it for the BBC.

I have pondered this exact challenge several times but have always opted to "severely limit my plastic" - because it is EVERYWHERE in our daily lives.

You can read more about her journey - and also some other inspiring people who have decided to seriously look at their trash behavior here.

What do you say - can you stay off plastic for a week?

Backyard Garden!

It is amazing what you can grow in your backyard with a bit of patience and a green thumb. I am "babysitting" a garden at the moment and the bounty has been amazing. The BEST heirloom tomatoes of the season, and my kids are eatting the cherry tomatoes like candy. There is nothing better than cleaning the dirt off the food you brought in from your own yard.

Gorgeous reuse art

I have an incredibly talented woman on my board name Vicki who makes GREAT jewelry - green too! Not only has she made masterpieces from old watch pieces, she even patented a new type of concrete from slag and fly ash.
You can check out her stuff here. Go ahead - buy something you deserve it!

Greenraising!

My son is heading off to kindergarten this year, and I was dreading the inevitable fundraisers. Really - who needs a bucket of cookie dough, or more wrapping paper? It seems so wasteful.
So I ran across a really really cool idea called green-raising. This group lets school and non-profits (reCREATE is already signed up) sign up to sell/refer shoppers- and they get from 25 to 40% back on the purchases, depending on the program chosen.
As I mentioned, reCREATE is signed up, so if you need any Sigg Bottles, or reusable shopping bags, green cleaning products, or eco-friendly wrapping paper, you can shop here, and help us fund our vehicle!

Fun thing I stumbled upon

I stumbled upon this site after seeing a business card someone made from this program. It is called wordle. I want to play with it more another day.

Sacramento News and Review

Got some really nice press on our program today!

Celebrating our Greeness!

At art camp this week, we made art from repurposed materials all week long. On Friday the kids made their own Green Trophies - all from treasures we saved from entering the landfill. Here is a picture of the class with their trophies! The kids were so great all week long. We had so much fun. We also came up with a list of 50 ways to be green that they took home so they could implement some of what we talked about.

Some good Press :)

This is a great telephonewire tree scultpure made in art camp.
We got a nice write up in the Placer Herald - the local paper for Rocklin today...

Here is a link

http://www.placerherald.com/detail/88439.html


I was misquoted - I said "millions of pounds" - and it was written as millions of tons... but still all in all a nice write up on the program!

Your Favorite Green Tip?

Ok... What is your favorite green tip?
It could be something small - like turning off the light when you leave the room - or something big - like the hybrid you are cruising around town.
Don't have a fav? Do you have a question on how green a particular bevhavior is? Post it and lets talk!

Green Clothing Choices

See that rack of endless t-shirts for $3. Seems pretty harmless right?

But if something is too good to be true - it probably is.

-Think of the amount of pesticides used in the cotton.
-Who made the t-shirt - how much could they have been paid if the shirt is that inexpensive... what could their work conditions be like?
-Will life be better if you own that shirt? What are the unseen costs associated with buying it?

Organic t-shirts are a lot less expensive than they used to be.
Also, take a look at your local reuse store - they're often lots of cool fashions there, and for a lot less money.

Kudos to a local business

So, besides trying to be green myself, I have been trying to encourage others along my journey- in a happy, non-preachy way. Last night I had a green moment and they were in that green place already!

Last night we went to Utopia Grill in Roseville for dinner. It is natural, organic fare cooked without all the yucky stuff that is bad for you. First the food was excellent -yum! The portions were very generous, and I forgot to bring my own container... and was feeling guilty for asking for one, and so the server came back and she had a compostable container. I wanted to dance - it made me so happy!

We gobbled up our left overs today, and washed those containers so they are ready to take them next time we eat out!