Upcycle Magazine Feature

Check it out, I'm featured on Upcycle Magazine!

The Art of ReUse Contest

Green is Universal and Etsy recently teamed up to sponsor The Art of ReUse contest.

Thanks to my friend Jess of Some Fine Folks for bringing the contest to my attention! Once in a while I miss important items in the Etsy newsletter, and this would have been one of them if it wasn't for her.

Many creative & eco-friendly DIYers entered, and last week it was time for the public to vote. Today they announced the top ten, and I'm honored to be one of them! Next week a panel of celebrity judges will choose 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. This judging panel includes Andy Cohen, Angela Matusik, Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee, Lauren Bush, Martha Stewart and Tori Spelling. Learn more about the judges here.

I'm not even going to hide it, the idea that Martha Stewart is going to be looking at my earrings makes me so excited I squeal. Not to mention I'm a big fan of Hoda & Kathie Lee on the Today Show, and I love pretty much any programming Andy Cohen creates.

Check out this Etsy treasury showcasing the top ten, as well as some other contestants with entries I absolutely loved.

Thanks to everyone who voted. Now lets wait and see what the judges decide!

New Listings on Etsy

Check out Designosaurus on Etsy for these and more new jewelry listings, just in time for spring!

www.jessiekatz.etsy.com

Lasts Year's Holiday Cards are This Year's Gift Tags!

I’ll admit it, I have a hard time getting rid of stuff… I’m not a hoarder, it’s just the crafter in all of us!

It’s the idea that you can make something out of anything. You know as soon as something is thrown away you’ll undoubtedly have a brilliant idea of how to reuse it.

One thing I have a hard time getting rid of is Holiday cards. I save them, then the next year I usually end up tossing them, knowing I’m just going to get another group from the same people.

Finally I decided to do something with them. There are a lot of possibilities, but the one I went with this year was gift tags. Use them on holiday gifts, host/hostess gifts, thank you tags on favors, or even as place cards tied around a glass/bottle.

Materials:

Scissors and/or X-acto

Hole punch

Tag-shaped punch (optional)

Ribbon

Any or all of the following for decorating: pens, markers, crayons, glitter, paint, puff paint, beads, sequins, feathers, yarn, twine, raffia, tissue paper, stickers, charms, wire, twigs, acorns, pine cones, dried flowers and berries, stamps and anything else you can think of!

Steps:

(If you are using a tag-shaped punch skip steps 1-2)

1. Use the backs of a few greeting cards as stencils. Draw the shapes you want on the back of a few cards and cut them out.

2. Trace your stencils on the front of your greeting cards.

3. Cut your tags our with scissors or an X-acto knife. (Or if you are using a tag-shaped punch, just use that to punch the shapes from your cards)

4. Decorate your tags. This is the part where you really get to be creative! I stuck to glitter paint, pens and beads, then layered varying sized tags on top of each other for texture. The possibilities are endless! Go with a glam theme sticking to metallic paint and glitter, or keep it natural with twigs, dried berries and raffia.

5. Punch a hole at the top of each tag.

6. Thread ribbon through the hole and tie a knot. Add a bead if you’d like, for even more decoration.

Now your tags are ready to go, bringing a personal, handmade, eco-friendly element to every gift you give this holiday season!

Designosaurus Earrings in Rockland Magazine!

Hey, look up there, that’s a pair of Designosaurus earrings in print!

A pair of my Designosaurus earrings have been included in Rockland Magazine’s annual “In the Bag” gift guide, part of their Nov/Dec holiday issue! This 5-page guide includes gifts to fit any budget, and even better—you can purchase them all right here in Rockland!

This is the first time I’ve seen a Designosaurus piece in print, so needless to say I’m pretty excited. I feel honored to have been included, and am happy to represent ML Gifts & Accessories in this way.

Stop by ML Gifts & Accessories to pick up a pair, or check out Designosaurus on Etsy (lots of new items added!)

www.jessiekatz.etsy.com

Below is the issue’s cover and the entire “In the Bag” guide…

The holiday issue has some other great features as well, including tips for throwing a Hanukkah party and holiday-worthy restaurants. Contact The Journal News to get your copy.