Introductions

[#1]

Please introduce yourself & your shop below. Welcome to the team! :)

[EmmaSadlerDesigns]

Hello!
My name is Emma, I prefer Em though! Thank you for inviting me to join!

I make all kinds of things mainly aimed towards young people! I try to use recycled where possible so some of the yarn I use is made from recycled fibres. I am currently making key rings from old jeans :)

[Wintercroft]

Hi,

My name is Steve, thanks for the invitation to join the group.

I live and work in Cornwall and i design animal masks made from recycled cardboard. The idea is to supply templates and instructions digitally so that the masks can be made by anyone, using the waste materials available to them locally without the need to ship anything.

I also make other low environmental impact products such as wooden lunch boxes.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Wintercroft?ref=si_shop

[Becorations]

Hey Everyone!

My name is Beck, and I make handmade recycled decorations, or rather 'Becorations'.

Do pop over and take a browse to see what I do with old guitar strings, buttons, fabric, stained glass and broken jewellery and shell :)


(I also work full-time for the NHS in research!)

[carolcapaldicrafts]

Thanks for inviting me to your team! Im form scotland and this is what I do. I recycle unloved crockery and make mosaics from them. Here is a couple of my items. Look forward to networking with you all!

Carol♥

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/188155237/shabby-chic-mosaic-peacock-plaque?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/188056651/shabby-chic-mosaic-plaque-tea-solves?ref=listing-shop-head...

[alijoedesigns]

Hello and thanks for inviting me to join the team!
I upcycle vintage plates using hand cut ceramic decals - I love the juxtaposition of weird and wonderful images on the pretty plates.
Only been open for a couple of weeks and learning the ropes - but had some sales so feeling upbeat at the moment!

I look forward to sharing work and experiences with others.
Debbie

[LoveFromJennieWren]

HI!
Im pretty new to Etsy! I create art out of recycled fabric and beads! Ive also just started a card collection

Im trying to raise money to support a worker to help with the victims of child sex trafficking in Brazil so all funds will go towards that!

Thanks for the invite!

[Former_Member]

Hi guys :)
Thanks for the invite! Im pretty new to etsy so Im still kinda finding my feet. I create jewellery, art work, home decorations etc from whatever I find washed up on the beach.

I am marine biology and coastal ecology student at Plymouth Uni and I'm obsessed with the everything to do with the seas and oceans, and if you hadn't guessed... wanting to be a mermaid :D

I look forward to getting to know you guys in the coming weeks, months, years

[KTsCreatureComforts]

Hi, thanks for the invitation to join the team.

I make steampunk plush dolls, or 'creatures' out of scraps of fabric, or old clothes, and aim to make every creature unique. I've recently started making tiny creature keyrings as well.

And when the number of creatures threaten to take over my free space, I enjoy making fabric wrist cuffs and the odd piece of jewellery.

[Former_Member]

Hello. Thank you for inviting me to the team. I am working my way through the membership list getting to know shops that are new to me.

I embroider a variety of accessories including items of jewellery, bags, purses etc. I have a stash of fabrics, threads and wools - many of them vintage, others upcylced, and I take care to use all the snippets and off-cuts which my work creates - often giving rise to a need to 'make more off-cuts' ! I particularly enjoy re-purposing vintage table linens - although only items which have been too much loved to continue in their original purpose.

I'm looking forward to continuing my tour of fellow team-members' shops!

[WolfSpeakersWorkshop]

Hello everyone,

I make a range of items that I create by upcycling denim.
All my materials are currently sourced from charity shops or donations.
I love knowing that everything I make not only helps a good cause but gives a new lease of life to the materials themselves.

I am currently expanding my range of creations to include pet toys, bags, books and cushions.
I am always on the look out for new ideas and items to create.

[Former_Member]

Hi guys,

I am an upcycler from Manchester, I quit my job last year to dedicate my time to doing something I love. I focus mostly on creating home ware using glass bottles, reclaimed wood and any materials I find in skips locally.

I can't wait to explore all the members shops on here and contributing to the community!

[TangleCrafts]

Hi Alex - welcome, and good luck! :) I hope you don't mind me suggesting you take a look at our 'Upcycling with trademarked items' thread? (Here's the link: https://www.etsy.com/teams/19773/upcycle-uk/discuss/16026993/) One of the posts there gives full details about what can & can't be done with Jack Daniels bottles, straight from their legal department.

You do need to be really careful about using trademarked names in your titles & tags because a lot of companies do 'sweeps' of Etsy for items which infringe & could get you shut down. From what I've read, it's wisest just to contact the individual company's websites & check their specific policy on re-purposed/upcycled items, because some are far more lenient than others.

Sometimes it's okay to use the trademarked name in your item description instead - for example, where you have 'Grolsch-beer-bottle tumbler' you would be best to re-phrase as 'tumbler made from Grolsch beer bottle'. But it's far safer to stick with your more generic titles, like 'stubbie candles' and 'beer bottle candles'.

Again, hope you don't mind my diving in there, and hope the above makes sense. Your stuff is cool & I would hate to see you get on the wrong side of someone's legal people. A little tweaking of titles now could save you a lot of hassle later! ;)

[Former_Member]

Hi Su and fellow members!

I create Bauhaus inspired industrial lamps from upcycled materials only. I mostly use recycled bicycle parts, scrap metal and glass bottles.

Besides the obvious environmental reasons, by digging for materials in metal junkyards I am able to save dozens of beautiful, sometimes century-old steel masterpieces from being crushed and melted away forever. To recycle 1 kg of scrap iron takes 1.540.000 Joules of energy, while the welding and additional work done to upcycle these items costs only about 40.000 Joules. The energy saved is 1.5 million Joules which equals the energy “cost” of about 900 intense sexual intercuourses. (Just imagine the amount of heat!)

I believe, however, that upcycling should never compromise the design or the quality of the final product. The fact that my source material is scrap metal doesn’t mean that my designs have to look recycled or makeshift. GUNGLAMPS stands for upcycled materials paired with smart design and meticulous craftsmanship, resulting in clean-cut, top quality products.

you can check out my shop here:
www.etsy.com/shop/GUNGLAMPS

and my blog on tumblr: gunglamps.tumblr.com


Lots of love from London,
Tibor

[SeaGlassSeaham]

Hi

I am new to this team, what an inventive lot you are! I am looking forward to visiting your shops.

I love knitting and wherever possible I use organic or fair trade yarn. I live on the coast and have recently started to make pictures from sea glass and pebbles that I collect from the beach. They make pretty pictures and I can customise them with an individual message.

[ThePaprikaJewellery]

Hi, I've just joined and am excited to discover some awesome upcycled items. I've always been conscious of the environment and living near Brighton allows me access to some amazing creative shopping and art.
I LOVE buttons and w
Hen I saw some button jewellery at a handmade fair a few years ago, I knew I had to make some for myself. I had my nana' s button tin that I'd loved playing with as a child and decide to use these beautiful buttons and so opened my Etsy shop with lots of vintage button and bead jewellery. I now make accessories too and make my own packaging using recycled materials as much as possible. I also sell recycled guitar plectrum jewellery and keyrings.
I have a rare brain disease that leaves me in chronic pain and I work mainly in a low lighted room, so my amazing husband(of 14 years) helps me with things I struggle with, such as photography and postin my orders. He is my best friend and I am so lucky that he encourages and supports me. Not only does this business give me back some independence, but working on my different projects helps to distract me from the pain and other symptoms. I halve had 3 brain and skull surgeries and lots of quite invasive procedures, but my last operation has given me enough relief that I am niw yang to build awareness of my business and join in more networking.
I have 2 wonderful children, that along with my husband and part time carers (during school hours). help to look after me. They are 13 and 11 and are such lovely boys (I'm biased..yes) and they are very mature for their age. If anything, my illness has given them more skills to deal with life's hurdles and has even brought us closer together as a family. I also blog about life with a chronic illness and how important crafting is for me. I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you.
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ThePaprikaJewellery

[EchoesofEarthDesigns]

Hi all & thank you for letting me join.
I am very new to etsy & only opened my shop, Pixel&Grain designs, at the end of last year.
I upcycle wood furniture from second hand stores, friends & family. The 'pixel' part comes from my photography (@HannahJaynePhotos on FB). I use image transfer to add my own original images to my pieces, where possible, to add a unique design. I use a variety of chalk paints but always try to leave some wood exposed to let its natural beauty come through.
I also upcycle smaller items such as frames, which I will soon be adding to my shop.
I would really appreciate any feedback on my shop & designs. I am currently working on a logo & branding so it is a work in progress!

[RAW1977]

Hi Everyone

Massive thanks for the invite to your team.

I am a UK artist based in Southport and make art using reclaimed wood as my canvas.

Happy to be here amongst other like minded creators

Regards
Mark