Etsy Recyclers Guild Team Growing by Leaps and Bounds

For those of you who don't know, Etsy has many "teams" which comprise of sellers who band together for a common cause, belief, purpose, or sometimes in a general location or regional area. Last count there were over 450 teams on Etsy. There are teams for just about everything and anything you can think of. Busy Moms have a team, there is a Team for Hookers (this would be needlecraft), Team of Hoopers, Team of Pagans, one for Christians, another for Muslims and one for Buddhists, even one called The Queer Team. There is a team called KindFolks, one called JustBeachy, and one called Hempsters. The Team of Beagles, which I assume is in the same genre as the one called Dachshunds so as you can see, just about anything you can think of.

The team I run is the Etsy Recyclers Guild Team and I'm proud that we are a global team. We are now comprised of artists, crafters, vintage sellers and green gurus who believe in making steps towards greener living by reusing, re-purposing, recycling or finding alternatives for every day trash and unwanted objects. The members span across the entire world. We include male and female members from all nationalities and walks of life. These are all like minded people who believe they can change the world one item at a time and their beliefs have become reality in their everyday lives.

Everyone shares a similar belief-and everyone is important. We have a fashion model who designs clothing and a doctor who has found a replacement for the plastic sandwich bag. We have several book authors from crafting to fiction novels who create stuffed animals, Eco art or sculpture.

We have soccer moms who double as crocheters, stores which incorporate mother and daughter teams of crafting (nothing like some quality time with the family.) We have grandmothers who love to knit and father and son duos who silversmith together.

Most enlightening to me personally is a middle school student from Seattle named Anna Boyar of the shop AnnaBGreen, who with her parent's help is up-cycling her entire community and making handmade creations! She runs her own blog on recycling and upcycling called Girls-Go-Green!

We have a real live Fashion Eeek award winner, and one member who won a national contest for her t-shirts and one whose daughter was in the Olympic Games! We have art gallery owners, antique shop gurus and the guy and girl next door. Quite possibly we have someone you probably don't know who knows someone who knows you! We have teachers and art instructors and even someone who teaches belly dancing. The list goes on and on. It doesn't matter what race or religion you are, there is no age discrimination, and we don't mind what your voting status is, here everyone with green values is welcome and everyone is appreciated!

The best part of my non paid job is seeing how much trash is up-cycled, recycled, or saved from the landfill and learning how to appreciate the time and effort it goes into all these stores whose owners make a difference. I hope you will take time to review my lovely team and think of them when shopping for that special something. I still am amazed with the talents of this unique group of people.

I am amazed by the creations of sellers like VintageChase who makes gorgeous designer handbags out of vintage leather coats (a new twist for that Welcome Back Kotter or Happy Days' Fonz jacket your husband has been saving all those years......) NansRedesigns does the same with vintage fabrics, and SolarSeamstress takes it a step further only using solar power to sew her one of a kind bags. TheOnlyGirl has taken bits of plastic and fuses them together to make her bags which is quite time consuming but the end process is absolute perfection. MeganLeone works wonders with old zippers and incorporates her own designs into old things that are now transformed into wearable art and accessories. We have the likes of LoveIsMyReligion crocheting rugs and baskets from old rags. (I so want one of those circle rugs.) 42Things has a huge love for paper and offers recycled cards, envelopes and gift tags-all very affordable, and was recently raising money for two young boys who lost their mother.

SalvagedBeauty has great decor and art animals made from old metal and up-cycled scrap metal! LaRocaGallery uses a lot of metal in her work and her jewelry and art designs are exquisite. AdrienArt uses leftover clay that would otherwise be discarded (from students) to make gorgeous dinnerware and accessories. There are whimsical mixed media gifts you can find at RekindleMe.

Books are big and never tossed out. BookJournals uses old book covers to make usable journals and keeps quite busy as these are great gift ideas! Along these lines are DustyMoon, who uses VHS covers to make her journals and RetroGrandma who uses old books as purses. Amazing to think so many things can be done before they meet their ultimate demise in a landfill. KrisAmels from New Jersey has been known to make journals that have medical X-Ray covers on them. ColeraineCreations gives new life to old records. I'm still in awe of my Elton John "Honky Chateau" record bowl I purchased for my husband.

Most of us donate old clothing to our favorite thrift store. If unsold after time some stores (yes, once upon a decade I worked for one who did) often bundle these unsold clothing and fabric items and sell them overseas where they were repurposed or made into rags. Instead of that, my team has found ways to re-purpose clothing into functional items for resale. Canoo has cute and scary monsters for all who love adorable things made out of up-cycled wool sweaters! LaurensDesign has t-shirts that are great for all occasions, and even for the hard to please man in your life -her designs are award winning I might add! ATruantPortait makes clothing out of other clothing or reclaimed fabrics! There are even upper crust couture clothing like the kind you see on Rodeo Drive and accessories in stores like BrokenGhostCouture, GeorgieGirls3, SewMoe, KissingStrings, GlenandConstance, and ChelsieBelles. If you enjoy the carefree bohemian style visit LilahBloomCreations. An electic mix of bohemian meets hippie style for us Woodstock lovers can be found at LovePeaceandDye.SweetandDirtys is my book marked place for a one of a kind purse as her designs are mostly made from old clothing. I saw one bag made out of a Pucci style shirt my grandmother used to wear but before I could nab it, it was gone. HowAboutGreen uses old wool sweaters and re-purposes them into bags and totes. Re-purposed vintage clothing and accessories from BuffaloHeart are one of a kind and worth looking at.

One great shop for accessories is CristinesMittens who makes one a kind mittens from recycled sweaters. I was a firm believer they were only for kids until the two Baltimore blizzards hit this year. That said, I wish I would have stocked up on these. Costume Designer Cynthia of TranzendentalArts has accessories for all occasions including wonderful hats and head adornments , some remind me of "flapper style." JenLucasDesigns has the cutest hair bows. UniqueEuphoria has home decor and accessories like cute handmade ducky hats for your loved ones-nothing like dressing up that special child in your life.

Practical uses for everyday discarded things is a way of life here. Others on my team are crafters who combine this love for our environment by thinking up greener solutions on their own. Much like WasteNotSaks who has come up with greener ways to replace the common plastic sandwich bag or lunch bag. GreenTrunkDesigns makes yoga mat bags and other up-cycled bags that are so lovely and so useful replacing common plastic, which reminds me, I have to sign up for one of those classes soon. WrapCycle offers bags for all occasions and takes custom orders, with chic bags to fit most laptops. KoolBagsPlus has found ways to reuse those foil type bags by fashioning them into totes and wallets which otherwise would take zillions of years to breakdown (quietly cursing Capri Sun!)

Crochooley has found a home for old plastic- weaving old plastic grocery bags into plarn (plastic yarn) and fashioning them into the best bags that are so cool they look like they came from a design boutique on 5^th Avenue! AnnaBGreen has the coolest up-cycled wallets from the nutritional labels on boxes and bags, I wonder how she does it? ABeachBreeze also uses old fabrics and linens to provide you with a vintage reusable shopping bag to replace those nasty plastic store bags-and fold up small enough to fit inside your purse, great for greenies or even non-greenies who live in states who will soon tax or outlaw plastic grocery bags.

One of my members from Ireland, ConsciousCrafts, weaves old fishing rope into mats, I so love the fact she's cleaning up the beach and making old things new again. She ships into the states also. Speaking of home accessories, check out the pillows out of Derby, UK from Tushemeriirwe or from TheEarlyGirl who is on an island in Maine! StilNovoDesign utilizes wood from old wine barrels and fashions them into household decor and accessories from candelabras to key chains, mixed with the accent hand painting these creations are wonderful. If I lived closer, I'd have a whole set of chairs from this shop. ChersPassion makes bird feeders from otherwise discarded plastic two liters and keepsake boxes out of up-cycled cigar boxes. Bottlehood makes drinking glasses out of no-deposit beer and wine bottles, which will finally please my brother at the holidays. (He's tired of socks and gift certificates.)

For really cool up-cycled gifts along the artwork side, BeatUpCreations offers whimsical creations made of discarded items. Upscale artwork made from discarded goods that featuring bold colors and unique designs can be found at ColleenAttaraStudio. Bring a piece of an art gallery into your home! Go big with sculptures from LucidDreamers ,ScavengerJo, and RetroChaletStudio who have one of a kind mixed media and assemblage sculptures, each one unique in it's own way - made of beads, old toys, vintage parts, or discarded trash. (For metal see the previous entry on SalvagedBeauty.) For the ultimate collector, PRKC of Boulder, Colorado, offers handmade corn husk dolls, that are sought after by adult collectors and will add a touch of charm to anyone's curio.

Jewelry is a broad category and we have all kinds of sellers who have their own style and flair. Some incorporate it into their shops and others specialize in it. TheFloatingMarket takes bits and pieces of old findings and vintage items to make hers, proving everything can be re-purposed. The bus token cuff links are my favorite. DoLoBoJewelry uses semi-precious stones with Celtic hand knit designs for one of a kind sterling or gold filled designs. FabooshStore, CinCinCreations, and BabyInTheCorner has unique up-cycled creations using bits and pieces of broken jewelry that would otherwise be discarded, with no two pieces alike you can be sure no one is copying your style!

MWGregory fashions old plates into wearable pendants. 32Lives makes hers out of game pieces. Junck of Ontario Canada and MorganJoyMinear of Chicago makes the coolest designs from things I've never thought to use! In a class all his own, Tommy Conn and his gang at SouthernSilverworks takes vintage silverware and makes gorgeous pieces out of them. Each one is inspected to make sure it's of the highest quality. I can't even look in that shop without buying something. Poppyland brings you one of kind jewelry creations all the way from Estonia as does RecycledRings where they have the best in unique jewelry.

If you are more of a nature girl like me you'll appreciate the shops of WestCoastSeaGlass , LakeErieBeachGlass and Ecstasea who all find the beauty in natural sea glass and have a huge array of jewelry and gift ideas from their part of the world-only the most beautiful creations you will find in their shops. ShellRifficHeirlooms re-purposes seashells into her designs which include both treasure boxes and wearable designs, as does RetroChaletStudio who features a line of North Carolina seashell pendants. Sellers like Promirta, QuirkyKitty, JacDesigns10 of Austrailia, Happypeartree of London, the famous UrbanWoodsWalker , and IslandGirlzJewelry of Las Vegas believe in taking the best from vintage or discarded parts plus mixing in some handmade love and touches to offer their one of a kind items. From old doll house furniture, broken pieces of wire, vintage baubles and beads, to Red Bull cans, these sellers items are all unique. All the way from Australia, Resurgence is bringing you one-of-a-kind up-cycled wearable creations that take much time to make and incorporate found objects with lovely metals.

Vintage sellers like TheBabyKitties , ATimeSaver , NaturePoet, HandsDownVintage,WeCanDoItVintage, HeyIRememberThat,RetroClassics, and RetroChalet all believe that buying a cool vintage item is yet another way to keep items out of the landfill. You will find great vintage items in their stores. TheLittleGreenButton mixed her love for vintage buttons with paper and her own art to make one of a kind creations such as greeting cards or mixed media offerings. The lovely NickelCityGirls re-purpose everything vintage into something useful and desirable for your home and there is a gift in this store for everyone! LBJonRiver has been known to make windchimes out of vintage golf clubs. Members like AllThingsMadeNew believe in going greener plus go the extra mile in donating a portion of their sales to their favorite charity.

Shopping for gifts and novelties on this team is easy too. Cute little toys and gifts can be found at FeltedWoolies, WooldeBeast, Canoo, or StupidCreatures, where they re-purpose sweaters and old stuffing into adorable creatures, stuffed toys , magnets, and other fun things. HemingwayFun has great gift ideas and novelties using old medicine bottles. VeesWear has incorporated some of her grandma's top secret fudge recipes into her store!

If you have a pet lover to buy for, TheBackyardBear offers portraits of your pets painted on natural items like stones and rocks! Blankets for that special someone can be found at NobleUpcycling. MWStudios offers one of a kind bags, hats, shawls and up-cycled jewelry. RulaTwal has the best in wine bottle covers and these of course great for any occasion.

Done shopping? Don't forget to pick up a one of a kind gift bag from SecondDraft, whose gift bags are made from discarded blueprints and architectural designs! Go with a felt or fabric reusable gift bag created by ReduceReuseRepurpose! Top it off with a handmade bow from SerendipiT -great to top that special box or or bags.

So you can see we are a one-stop shop. What if you just want supplies to make your own creations? No problems, try Emporesszia, which sells up-cycled yarns, or ReDiscover, which sells otherwise discarded supplies (locally she has a shop if you are near Los Angeles) and MyBrokenArt has kits for all mixed media, assemblage or scrap-bookers (or if you are just getting started look here!) RetroChalet has a lot of vintage print blocks and paper ephemera paper packs. Check out the other stores mentioned in the vintage section like TheBabyKitties for ads of yesteryear or vintage ephemera that you can re-purpose, or the different sea glass shops listed above as they sometimes offer natural pieces for your art.

This list goes on and on and I've only named a few of the many lovely shops here on this team. The point is, they all make a difference in the world item by item and practice many go green core values in their lives and in their communities.

The Recyclers team originally lay dormant in December of 2009, but has grown by leaps and bounds. New members are added monthly and I was shocked when my first blog crashed because we had outgrown it. We have a new home, member support links, monthly member spotlight awards, an official team directory where you can read more about each active members and what they offer. I've now taken on an Assistant Team Leader Melissa Gregory of MWGregory in North Carolina and named the Official Cheerleader Jo at 42things who is in Alberta, Canada who is so wonderfully helpful in promoting our team.

The best reward of all this is learning how each of these team members promote green and greener living-all with their own unique ideas. Much work has gone into their stores and I hope you will tell others about them. "WasteNot", which is their official team tag, is essentially what they are all about.

To check out all our current members you may visit our blog, or to find any team specifically visit Etsy. Once on Etsy, click on the "Community Tab", go into the "Teams tab" and then click on Profiles. You will find our team listed as "Recyclers "and by clicking on the hyper link you can see current and active members of the team. Do check back often as new members are added each month so some are still pending. If anything, this group will perhaps they will inspire you to live greener and think twice before throwing that trash turned potential treasure away.