Designosaurus Interview with Eco Designer Jessie Katz: Jewelry and More

Jessie Katz makes wonderful upcycled jewelry in her DESIGNosaurus shop, which actual on Etsy under her name, JessieKatz.etsy.com.  From Nyack New York to the Today Show, Jessie tells all and even gives a bonus coupon code in the end!



Upcycled teardop earrings, lovely, $15, HERE.

  Q: What fuels your passion for making sustainable jewelry?

The environmental benefits are one obvious reason why I strive to make sustainable jewelry. It wastes less energy to REUSE something than to recycle it. So even though some of the plastics I use could be recycled, its saving energy to reuse them in my sustainable accessories.

Even more exciting for the customer, I love when jewelry can tell a story – its fun to see people try and figure out what gift cards make up each piece. The jewelry becomes a conversation starter, telling a story about where the gift card or scrap wood came from. And as an artist its more fun to create things from an ever-changing inventory of supplies, and you get that when working with recycled, found materials.
 

Jessie Katz's Designs are lovely and professionally displayed!

 Q: What is your favorite piece and why?



My newest piece is always my favorite, whatever I haven’t been staring at as long. Currently one of my favorite pieces is this nautical inspired pair of earrings:

Nautical Earrings, $20, Here

Q: What does Etsy mean to you? 



I love that Etsy fosters communities of artists. Communities based on product, location, or mission; like those of us passionate about reusing materials in the Recyclers Guild!  Plus, Etsy means I’m able to spend more time creating and less time marketing. …Ok… maybe not that much less, but it makes those marketing and selling tools readily available and easy to use, it would be much harder to start from scratch.
 

From Nyack with love...

 

She is so very talented!

See this full size on her BLOG.

Q: Tell us how your earrings came to be on the Today Show!



Etsy and Green is Universal sponsored Art of ReUse, a contest for artists who create handmade products with repurposed materials. I heard about the Art of ReUse contest from my friend Jess, another Etsy seller. (Plug: Check out her shop at Some Fine Folks!)  I entered my gift card earrings and was blown away with the support from my customers, friends, and new fans who voted for my entry! As one of the top ten finalists my gift card earrings were featured on the Today Show. It was a really exciting experience; from addressing the package to 30 Rockefeller Plaza all the way to seeing my earrings live on TV.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Q: What are some of your favorite things, and who is Jessie Katz?



I grew up in a very small town, which really helped foster creativity, especially when it came to repurposing materials. We couldn’t just take a quick trip to the art store, so when I wanted to start a new project I had to find materials outside or around the house.

Hartford Art School.

Later I attended Hartford Art School, where I graduated in 2007 with a BFA in Visual Communication Design. After a couple in-house design jobs I’ve found working as a freelance graphic designer affords me the creative flexibility and variety I crave. When I’m not working on these graphic design jobs, I make time for my own projects including sustainable jewelry for DESIGNosaurus and hand drawn typography for my other Etsy shop, TriSERIFtops.

Jessie is quite talented, this "all occassion" card is found in her second shop!

Name Branding is important.

Q: What are some of your favorite things? 

Festivals and craft fairs.  Collecting materials from thrift stores and flea markets.
Experimenting with repurposed materials I haven’t used before. Typography!
Sketching outside or at a café. Coffee. Reorganizing and redecorating my apartment. Autumn. Good vegetarian food! TV comedies!

Special Savings for Fans of Sustainable Art:

I’d like to offer you all a coupon code for 5% off in either of my Etsy stores, valid until June 30th, 2011: Green11

CONNECT WITH JESSIE:

On her Facebook Page!

On her Blog!

In her Etsy Store!

In her Second Etsy Store!

Tweet with her!

Welcome Sweet Buddha - Journals, Supplies, and A Blog YOU Must Read

The Hand of Life Set of 5 Cards , $12

Welcome to Sweet Buddha's Etsy shop.  Diana is a mixed media artist who creates out of her studio in Brooklyn, New York. More often than not, she's referred to as, "The Craftaholic".

Summer Vacation Mini Scrapbook, $25

She admits her speciality is upcycled cardboard art journals but her love for art and inspiration to share with others (check out her post on Fantasy Fiber Journal Cover) expands beyond that.  She loves knitting and crocheting (a couture shop on Etsy for that too), making shrine boxes, designing, blogging, and teacher workshops in and around New York City.

Gorgeous tags she made with bottle caps appeared on her blog, "Confessions of a Craftaholic".

In her Etsy shop, you may find handmade Lino Blocks (stampers), thank you cards, gift tags, and some of her handmade art. These are under the category she calls  'stuff to make stuff.'  These items should be nabbed up immediately, as they are cute, chic, and priced right.  Probably why they don't stay around too long.

Paper Embellishments (Flowers) normally available in sets of three!

Custom Lino Blocks are available, if out of stock convo her and she'll set up a listing!

 
She told Art Glitter Blog , "I describe my style as 'Vintage City Grunge', and take my creative inspiration from the artist Jean Michel Basquiat, The Buddha, Nature, and from my collections of vintage paraphernalia including records, perfume bottles and vintage cookbooks."

Hand Carved Tibetan Buddha and Lotus Stamp Set $18

I'm very much in awe of Sweet Buddha's shop, and the fact she does great with social networking.   She has an awesome blog you should read, by clicking HERE, or on the butterfly below.  Make sure to check out all her great links in our member directory for more information and her photo galleries. Lastly, welcome her to our team!

Turning Trash into Treasure

by Sarah
For the past week I have been pounding the pavement in Brooklyn looking for my first New York apartment. During my daily outings, I often come across piles of unwanted items being thrown out. Some piles are neatly organized as if they are for sale, while others are just large heaps which require some scavenging. But always, there is plenty to choose from. From wood scraps to old sofas…from clothing to old books…it seems like every corner I turn I find a homeless item patiently waiting to be upcycled into something great!

Check out what some fabulous members of the Etsy Recyclers Guild have done with items otherwise bound for the dump.


Pop Can Tab Bracelet by AmbidextrousOctopus


Denim Tote Bag by wrapcycle


Upcycled stool by shemakesremakes


Upcycled vintage shirt by Brokenghostcouture


Salt and pepper shakers made from old chair legs by kentuckygreen

Next time your out on trash night, don't forget to take a peak at that heap…just maybe you too will find something worth turning into a great treasure!

Posted by relove

Spotlight Award April 2010

April 2010:

Please say congrats to "NICKEL CITY GIRLS"

Kelly and Sara are two friends who are upcycling the earth one object of trash at a time. These soon to be objects d'art are quickly making a scene into all of Buffalo and across the nation.  

Their love for painting and furniture got a wee bit out of hand, when they continued to rescue items from thrift stores, unwanted junk piles, and had donations from local contractors.  Their homes were quickly full of these totally revamped creations, so they opened a company that makes all this fun, recycling, and repurposing possible.

This table, upcycled and adorned with vintage keys is too cute.

Sara explains, "We regularly get donations of scrap material from local contractors (paint, wood, tile, discarded furniture and windows from sites), paint stores (wall paper books, Oops gallons) scrap fabric from interior designers and others....as an additional effort to re-use something that would just be put to a landfill."

"Work in Progress"  by the NickelCityGirls

Kelly says, "And thats when we decideed to start selling....we couldn't stop collecting!" 

I envy those two, wouldn't we all like to spend time with our BFF crafting, painting, and repurposing trash into treasure?  Then to make a successful business out of it?  You go girls! What an inspiration to us all.  Notice how they take something that would have otherwise been overlooked, and add the beauty to it. 

A regular record bowl has transformed into a work of art, looks like exquisite pottery.  Amazing. 

Their items are featured in brick-and-mortar shops called "Thin Ice" on Elmwood Avenue, and the "464 Gallery" on Amherst Street if you are local to Buffalo.  They also have a shop on Etsy, a Facebook Product/Service Page and do a lot of networking (like the NickelCityGirls Blog) to promote their business.  Even better, they offer layaway options, and promote trading with other Etsians.  Gotta love that.

Elwood Avenue "Thin Ice" store with Sara and Kelly's stuff "Festival of the Arts."

They've been all over looking for great items to resell.  Sara explains, "We are very lucky! There is a place in Vermont called ReStore that we are able to get a lot of interesting finds, also! It amazes us the things we find just tossed away....mission chairs and antique vanities..."

Locally the repurpose and sell a lot of that otherwise-tossed-out furniture, but that's not all.  They go the extra mile to look for ways to teach others how to do this too. 

Sara continues, "We are also trying to partner with a local not-for-profit (Buffalo Re-Use) to set up classes for them, to teach local people how to use the materials that are donated to them, that they sell (a 'think outside of the box' type of thing)."

It's people like Sara Lusky DiNatale and Kelly O'Shei  who think "outside of the box" that make a difference in this world.  Thank you Sara and Kelly for doing your part to live green, repurpose, reuse, upcycle, recycle and be just such awesome role models to the rest of us.  If we could all get involved in our communities like you are, the world would be a greener place. 

Follow Sara and Kelly by clicking on the links above.

I leave you with this platter, never will you be bored.

Author Note: S&K You have restored my faith in Buffalo, NY ....I admit I was a little jaded after Mr. Big broke my heart.............sigh.....curse you J D!)

Mike Esposito : One of my Favorite Eco-Artists

Mike Esposito: From Trash to the Gallery 364 in Brooklyn NY - Read How This Eco-Artist is Reducing the Carbon Footprint!

A giant 8-ball made out of upcycled trash hangs at Gallery 364 in Brooklyn!

 

When Mike Esposito walks up the sidewalk of his New Jersey neighborhood, or goes to work in the streets of New York his eyes are scouring the gutters. There lay broken  pen caps or pieces of metal, maybe even scraps or parts of broken toys. Surely this is all evidence of the ongoing carbon footprint of mankind. Most would scowl and walk away, but not this guy. Mike carefully collects these pieces of trash; as for him, it’s his lucky day. Some may call it a bit of a curb cleanup, maybe even a greenie way to live, but as Mike sees it, these pieces spell opportunity—for Mike is an artist and these are his art supplies.

Mike’s definitely not your average 49 year old. When he sees something abandoned, in the trash or on the way to the dump, he sees its’ alternative use. To him, trash is treasure. Mike has always been one to want to make or build something experimental out of parts or pieces. A rusty old cement mixer headed for the scrap pile gives way to components he can use in his metal sculptures. Old bikes found in the trash provided parts for him to restore an old 1950’s Schwinn into a functional ride. An old 1957 jukebox headed for the landfill was overlooked by many, but to Mike it was love at first sight. Soon this gave way to a restoration project that took years in the making, as he had faith it would someday play romantic tunes again. Now the ‘ol jukebox, fully restored is a functioning part of history that he and his family enjoy and use. Reclaim, repurpose, reinvent, recycle, reuse are just a few of Mike’s favorite vocabulary words.

The American Flag” as displayed at 364 Gallery in Brooklyn

Look closely at Mike Esposito’s “The American Flag” sculpture to see all reused parts.

 


One of this earlier projects,  "The American Flag" came together gradually and went into competition at Gallery 364 in Brooklyn. Mike said, “I just kept bringing home items that were found in the street and on construction sites that were trash. These items were red, white and blue. It took me a year to gather all the discarded material for the flag. When I had enough pieces my son Anthony and I would put them on the floor all together to see how they looked. I was surprised at how great it actually was. It took four months to assemble. I glued them on a board –yes-- even the plywood that holds it all together was found in the garbage. “

So what does Mike’s family think of this? Anthony, now 12, and his lovely wife Rachel love the fact he’s making great art and doing his part to keep the world greener. Rightfully so, Mike is saving the environment one trashy piece at a time. Mike said, “They also helped in my Peace Sign sculpture which contained over two thousand plastic army men!”

“Peace Sign” sculpture by Mike Esposito as shown in 364 Gallery. 

Notice how the grenade really sets this piece off

“Peace Sign” details-tiny army men, imagine 2000 of them!

Mike is currently working with old metal tools and rusted horse shoes, having showing his first piece in a new series recently. Behold,   “Mr. Ed.”  Made primarily of horseshoes and found metal, he is simply amazing.

Mike stands with "Mr. Ed".

Just how easy is it to find supplies for metal work? Mike says, “The metal tools, rusty bolts and iron are easy to find --a lot of people just throw away things that you would never believe. I found a box not far from my house with 80 year old rusty tools that were from a Model-T Ford sitting out for trash.”

A reclamation project in the making, this soon will be painted black and functional to hold  coats.  Not to mention, Mike send me one made with pliers in the middle.  See photos of that on my Personal BlogSpot.

So I wondered, what else do Mike’s eyes see in a pile of trash that we may miss? He says, “I found a ton of old books and 45 records once. I gave the books away and sold some of the 45s but the ones that were no good I’ll l be using for a different art project. “ (I think I see some of those in the “Eight Ball” sculpture that was also shown at Gallery 364…)

What’s down the road for Mike? He replies, “My big idea is to work with a group of people who are artists and have the same views about recycling that I have. My dream is to build an ART CAR, a car totally made from trash.”

Something tells me he will...which is why Mike is one of my favorite artists of all time, and truly an inspiration.  

To see Mike’s work or to contact him for a commission, contact Gallery 364 located at 364 72^nd Street, by appointment only.

Mike says, "Gallery 364 is the best in Brooklyn!" He extends his special thanks to Georgine Benvenuto for her dedication and help in featuring his work in the gallery.

To read more on Mike, who has been featured in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle and the talk of several blogs, you may browse some of the articles below.

Article about Mike featured in The Daily Eagle of Brooklyn, NY

ArtBikeMike online gallery on Flickr  make sure to check this out, you can see photos of the jukebox!

Green Beat Brooklyn Blog showing The American Flag sculpture by Mike Esposito

Official Site and Blog of Gallery 364

Associated Content

©2009 and used with permission. Check out additional reprints of this article on Ira Mency's Associated Content Page and Ira Mency Blog.   Credit for all photos to Mike Esposito .

Scavengerjo

Shop Name: Scavengerjo

Name: Jody

Location: New York City

Etsy Link: http://www.scavengerjo.etsy.com/

Raised in Richmond, VA, now living in NYC, Jody, aka "Scavengerjo," received a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and has since enjoyed gluing found objects on frames and furnishings.

Jody's work has been featured at The Central Park Zoo and Mitrebox Framing Studio. Her work is made from upcycled, recycled, discarded and used goods found in the streets of NY, donated, or from thrift stores. Jody says it best, "All that's new is the glue"

Visit her Etsy Shop HERE.

NickelCityGirls

This store won the "Member Spotlight Award for April 2010"  Read about them HERE.

Shop Name: Nickel City Girls

Owners: Sara and Kelly

Location: Buffalo, NY

Shop Link: http://www.nickelcitygirls.etsy.com/

These girls have it going on in their shop--they reuse and repurpose everything! They offer vintage finds, and one of a kind repurposed items. Here you will find everything from cool hand painted serving trays to roofing tiles turned chalkboards!

They have networked with local contractors, often getting donations of scrap material from them including paint, wood, tile, discarded furniture and windows! They have also links to paint stores allowing them to obtain wall paper books, and "oops" paint gallons. They even obtain scrap fabric from interior designers and make every effort possible to re-use something that would just be put to a landfill.

They are trying to partner with a local not-for-profit group to teach local people how to repurpose, and reuse materials that are donated to them!

Check them out on Facebook HERE.

Or, visit their Etsy Shop NOW by clicking HERE.