recycle

Marolsha Jewelry

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000

When you live in a city like New York or Chicago, it's fairly easy to find your way around. For the most part, urban planners patterned these cities on a grid with numbered streets indicating one direction (East/West) and avenues or named streets indicating the perpendicular other (North/South). So if you're at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the East Village and want to get to my favorite all-veg diner in the Lower East Side, you can do so with ease simply by knowing the cross streets. Easy peasey.

Like most things in India, however, navigating the chaotic streets of Kolkata isn't so simple. There is no helpful grid to indicate the desired direction, and good luck finding anything in its proper place on Google Maps. In order to get where you're going, one must rely on the kindness of strangers who live or work locally to point you in the right direction. But sometimes that direction isn't clear. I mean, how do I know I'm still walking south when the street I'm following seems to have veered to the left?

Instead of going the route of a Boy Scout and carrying around some clunky chunk of magnetized metal, Marolsha has come up with a solution to help you find your way in style: the Vintage Compass Silver Ring. Lightweight with an adjustable band, the silver compass ring is a utilitarian's dream. I tested it out in a place where I am direction literate to be sure it works, and sure enough, it pointed north. Although the aesthetic is a little reminiscent of something you'd get out of a machine for a quarter, the construction is vastly superior and ensures a significant cost per wear lifetime of getting you where you're going.

The compass ring isn't the only offering from Marolsha that piqued my curiosity. I was also interested in two seemingly opposite feathered finds: Twin Owls Earrings and Mod White Love Birds Earrings. Owls are birds of prey, which means they are solitary by nature to facilitate their livelihood, and, based on their appearance in Hieroglyphics, that rugged individualism has kept them around a long time. Love birds, on the other hand, form long-term, monogamous bonds marked by a social demeanor and affectionate nuzzling. But you won't find their likeness in Egyptian caves. Despite their differences, both birds make regular appearances on adornments, as they captivate the human imagination.

Twin Owls Earrings are made of a sturdy antique brass and fall two inches below the earlobe on a thin kidney earwire that is easy to attach and detach. Their color is so bright it could be mistaken for a matte gold. The Mod White Love Birds Earrings are about a half-inch in length and dangle from silver plated leverback earwires. The color is painted onto the pair with a white enameled finish. Like the compass ring, both set of earrings are well-constructed.

Based in Singapore and created by Canadian fashion lover and jewelry designer Maddy, Marolsha peddles unique, vintage-style jewelry that is inspired by the natural world. Whenever possible, Maddy repurposes and recycles her findings in the process of creation. This eco-friendly sentiment is also found in the paper box in which the pieces arrive along with a handmade gift card that resembles a postcard. All of which is to say that Marolsha's jewelry reminds me of both the abundant joy of travel and the warmth of returning home.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, April 20th 2010

Green Arm Cuff with Wooden Marble Buttons / Flax Farm Hoop Earrings / Face Scrubbies

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

By Le Chat Crochet

I have a proud family history of hand-me-downs, secondhand stores, and thrift. My mother once had a bumper sticker: “This car stops for yard sales.” I am familiar with “rummaging” as a sanctioned, communal activity for acquiring goods; have visited flea markets in several countries; filled paper sacks at $1 “bag sales”; and as a child, I often accompanied my realtor father to tag and estate sales. For years, I have longed to visit the Highway 127 Yard Sale. My grandmothers—who stayed friends long after my parents split up—used to convene every summer in my hometown to go “saling”—that is, to buy a local Thursday/Friday/Saturday newspaper, circle the best garage sales in pen, and drive around all day looking for bargains. They didn’t need a map. Thrift is bred early.

When one of my grandmothers moved into an assisted living community several years ago, I was sent in to sort her closets jammed full of old magazines, spools of ribbon, shoe horns, and half-burned candles. At the time, I lived across the country, yet there was no one better for the job. I sat in heaps of recipes, plastic bags, and cloth scraps for days, sorting old letters, checking sell-by dates on canned food, and reclaiming a childhood record player found hidden in a large leaf bag in the pantry. In the end, we donated, sold, and shipped antiques and knick-knacks to relatives in several states.

After I’d gone back to my East Coast home, my father called from Indiana. “I’m sitting in grandma’s garage!” he announced. “Dad, I already went through that stuff,” I said, wary of his excitement. “You threw away things that could be recycled!” he hollered. He went on to explain that he had brought back all of the garbage bags from the dumpster in the alley—seven, he chided—and at that moment, sat pulling out the plastics and metal cans while listening to a sports game on the radio.

Despite the eccentricities passed down in my genes, I understand that reclaiming an old sweater to make new wearables is not only currently en vogue but also intelligent economics. It should also come as no surprise that I marvel at the exquisite and interesting ways artists and craftspeople upcycle. Le Chat Crochet, a modest Etsy shop based in Amsterdam, is one of the best examples of this modern reclamation I have found. Astrid, the shop’s mastermind, offers a simple selection of upcycled goods, from earrings and arm bands to hot pads and face scrubbies.

My awesome selection from Le Chat Crochet’s shop includes a deep green armband with marbled wooden buttons and hoop earrings with fifty-year-old reused flax yarn crocheted on the bottom edge for dainty decoration. I also received four face scrubbies that are modeled after coaster crochet patterns and are perfect for the astringent that removes dirt and oil from my slightly cranky face. If you’ve ever used a facial tonic, you know how quickly you can get to the bottom of a bag of cotton.

Astrid’s philosophy is more than eco-friendly. Her commitment to reuse is thoughtful beyond fashion, anti-consumerist, and truly without waste. My goodies came wrapped in reused packing paper and cardboard. She also keeps an inspiring blog about her trash digging, used goods swapping ways. Stories about reclaimed bathtubs housing turtles and curbside books going to a local cat spaying charity are among my favorites, though a meditation on the usefulness of a dot matrix printer is especially relevant since it prints the lovely Le Chat Crochet cards that come with every order.

With such a thrifty family, you’d think it would be hard to impress me by recycling. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The frugal, upcycled finds from Le Chat Crochet make me feel a little closer to home.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, November 29th 2009

Cherrystone Earrings

admin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:09:00 +0000

By Cherrystone Earrings

When I was a kid, my mom would stop at the same gas station every week to fill the tank. The spot was a local affair with a tiny convenience store attached that housed assorted odds and ends. I always looked forward to those trips to the pump because my mother's way of occupying my sisters and I during the seemingly endless flow was to give us a quarter each to buy ourselves a piece of candy. My favorite were the giant chewy Sweet Tarts.

Before leaving the store, I would start salivating just thinking about the taste of the round sour chews, and by the time we got home, I would have gobbled all four of them up. On the rare occasion that sweet tarts were unavailable, I moved on to my second choice: a sour apple Jolly Rancher stick. Despite the stick being second to the chew in taste, it easily won out in aesthetics. The hard candy was slick, green, and deliciously transparent—not unlike Moonrise Jewelry's Cherrystone Earrings.

Made from deep green recycled glass beads and fair trade sterling silver ear wires, the Cherrystone Earrings ($25) are a perfect accent piece for outfits both casual and dressy. Adaptability is a common theme among the stylistic and ideological vision of this progressive, eco-friendly jewelry maker. Whether rolling up your sleeves to build a habitat for humanity or hosting an art auction fundraiser for charity, this pair would be perfectly at home in your ensemble. In fact, they may well steal the show.

Handmade in Virginia, I wonder if these lightweight yet sturdy earrings aren't named after Cherrystone Campground, a nature getaway alongside the Chesapeake Bay where luxurious cabins and tent-style "roughing it" cohabit nicely. Another possibility of the moniker's origin is a throwback to a particularly small type of quahog that was used as currency by some Native Americans, but given the latter's decreased geographical relevance—and my own irrational bias against crustaceans—I'm going to bank on camping over clams.

As further demonstration of its social justice mission, Moonrise is providing Feminist Review readers a 15% Discount off anything and everything on their website. The discount code is 'FEMINIST' and there is no expiration date. Anyone up for some holiday shopping?

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, October 4th 2009

Marimekko Iloinen Change Purse / Red Flashlight Pendant

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:44:00 +0000

By Pinkkis

To an outsider in search of a good meal, what is perhaps most striking about Helsinki are the vegan options. In every restaurant, you will find lactose- and meat-free meals without requesting special treatment. As this aspect of Finnish life becomes more greatly incorporated into the wider culture, it isn’t uncommon to find vegan designers like Pinkkis. Dainty donuts, plastic veggie brooches, and soft cloth pouches are all made from reused, recycled, and all vegan materials in her smoke-free, Helsinki home. Though I might have a soft spot for anyone on the Vegan Etsy team, it’s easy to be won over by Pinkkis’ quirky style.

My Red Flashlight Pendant does not actually light up, but it certainly appears that it would. I often feel lost in this world; maybe this is the metaphor for which I’ve been searching. Made from a one-of-a-kind plastic charm, many of Pinkkis' necklaces use cute, out-of-the-ordinary miniatures. Whether you wear this in jest or to accessorize your spelunking gear, the sturdy ball chain won't snap if you snag it on your headlamp. I have owned a number of small assembly line and handmade pouches along the line, but Pinkkis is above and beyond other coin purses and makeup bags. Made with soft, beautiful Marimekko fabric, the colors are striking but not garish. The inner lining is reused fabric with no rough edges, plush and soft to the point where I might resist using it to carry around my grubby loose change. “Iloinen” means “happy” in Finnish, and the retro aesthetic of all things Marimekko certainly make me iloinen. Unfortunately, that is one of the few words of Finnish I can pronounce.

Another reason to patronize Pinkkis: her favorite materials list includes “boy, do I love glitter.” Her child-like fascination with creation is wholly appropriate, but her designs are not suitable for small children. Keep the tiny pieces away from teeny loved ones for maximum enjoyment by all.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, September 7th 2009

Chesapeake Necklace

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:33:00 +0000

By Moonrise Jewelry

Moonrise Jewelry had me at hello. The woman-owned and operated, Virginia-based, eco-friendly company doesn't simply produce amazing jewelry; they "design, manufacture, and sell high-quality handmade jewelry while adhering to values that contribute to a stronger and healthier global community." Are you in love yet? Because it gets better.

Meredith Restein runs her business using raw and recycled materials gained from Fair Trade and ethical vendors for whom community economic development is a priority, and whose employees work in safe and healthy conditions and are provided with fair wages and labor standards. She insists on supply chain transparency to ensure the legality of all international transactions, and to maintain an ethical and sustainable business practice. When possible, Moonrise keeps production local to stimulate the rural Virginia economy, as well. And if that weren't enough, the company courts philanthropic partnerships to whom they give monetary and in-kind donations. Head over heals now, aren't you?

Delivered in a royal purple box with a metallic pink Moonrise Jewelry logo on the lid that was wrapped with a single, sage green ribbon tied in a bow, the initial presentation of the Chesapeake Necklace was stellar. The round pendant cast in 100% recycled silver is hand carved in a way that resembles ocean waves, which gives the delicate piece a sense of movement. The sterling silver chain with a ring clasp is available in multiple lengths—16", 18", or 20"—and the pendent is attached in an unconventional fashion by looping the chain through the intentionally off-center hole in the pendant. While the price tag ($78) might be off-putting, go re-read those first two paragraphs and remember that cheap usually equals exploitative.

The Chesapeake Necklace has become my FN2 (favorite necklace for now). It's simple enough to be casual, elegant, or sexy—not that the three are mutually exclusive. The Chesapeake also has mass appeal, as both my mom, my sister, and my best friend were all keen to relieve me of the piece, and weren't shy about making this known. Good thing they're all on the other side of the world now, or I'd have to be making frequent paranoid checks of my jewelry box, especially since this necklace has since sold out! No worries, though, there are plenty more to choose from.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, September 6th 2009

Found Object Necklace

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:22:00 +0000

By Malcolm Studio Shop

Found object art first made an impression on me studying the Dada movement in a mixed media sculpture class. Evolved from ready-made, or “manufactured objects raised to the dignity of works of art through the choice of the artist,” the re-purposing and re-perceiving of found objects in art made a political-cultural statement that was at once empowering and irreverent, an inspiring combination for a passionate young student.

When the opportunity to review a Found Object Necklace from Rhode Island-based Malcolm Studio Shop arose, I accepted and eagerly awaited the necklace’s arrival in the mail. In the meantime I perused Karen Malcolm’s Etsy and Cosa Verde sites and was enchanted by her collection of found object art, jewelry, and boxes. Natural themes and muted, antiqued earth tones are predominant. She uses “eighty percent upcycled, recycled or reused” objects in all of her creations.

I had actually forgotten what my one-of-a-kind found object necklace looked like and that added to my sense of delight when I removed the necklace from its black velvet bag. The pendant is an assemblage of burnished metal pieces, their previous incarnations a mystery, and an acrylic amber piece that I suspect was once a button on a 1960s coat. This skillfully constructed centerpiece hangs from one of the coolest chains I’ve ever seen: circles and pointed ovals in a burnished metal, accented by three complementary, but not matching, beads. The necklace is much longer (about twenty-one inches) than those I normally wear, but the clasp allowed me to easily adjust it to a choker length.

Back to that sense of joy, what I love about found object art in general and Malcolm Studio Shop’s work in particular is the mysterious composition of treasure chest bits and magpie booty artfully arranged and disguised with re-purpose. It’s timeless because it comes from all eras and is essentially sustainable, reducing the demand for additional production. Malcolm’s work is also very reasonably priced; most necklaces are under $50 and original art and upcycled assemblage boxes range from $35 to $169.

Written by: Matsya Siosal, August 12th 2009