How green is my handbag

I was rummaging around in my bag on my way home tonight, looking for my shopping list and I felt inspired to write this post.
I wonder how green is my bag and its contents?

I'm certainly not qualified to assess environmental credentials or impacts in any sort of scientific way. All of the following is assumption and perception. But it is interesting I think to stop and assess critically our everyday moments. It helps us identify improvements we can make, even in small ways and inspire us to be a little more green, a little more organised or whatever else our dream may be.

So lets see.

My bag itself is pretty green, well I call it blue but you may disagree;)

I made it on Saturday from a vintage linen tea towel given to be by a good friend. She bought it from the Love Vintage show last year and as I was going to it on Sunday I felt it was past time to make something from the tea towel. The towel features Australian pelicans and is a souvenir of Green Island, off Cairns, a resort I visited as a child. And it is a gorgeous aqua. Most of my clothes are aqua or turquoise! My bag is lined with pretty blue floral fabric. I picked up a couple of metres of this at an op shop so its recycled.

Next is my journal. The book itself is made in China and the paper is not recycled. Hmmm, not good. The cover is delightfully recycled though - the main print is a vintage place mat, trimmed with fabric from an old pillowcase, both from op shops. Gives it that gorgeous vintage look I love.

I keep a small pouch in my bag with tissues, bandaids etc that you don't want rolling around in the bottom of your bag. This zippered pouch is very cute and came free with a popular magazine that has no particular commitment to recycling or carbon offsets that I know of. The free gift also prompted that particular issue to be covered in plastic wrap. Inside is a portable pack of tissues. Well I can't bring mysel to use hankies even though they have such a long, tested tradition. What would be better is to make a little cloth pouch and add tissues from a big box - reduces the need for plastic packaging. Well that's easy fixed. I'll use recycled fabric or scraps. My shopping list - I recently bought a five pack, oh wrapped in plastic, of notebooks with coloured plastic covers. I was seduced by the blue cover. Not good. Recycled sraps of paper would be preferable. At least I'm not using sticky notes. Hmm, will need to think creatively about this one. (Biggest problem is it will take me a while to go through the pack I bought.) And a plastic pen. I used a Parker pen with refills for years and years. When it finally was irreparable (got crushed) I started using disposable pens. I have contented myself with the thought that I buy my own pen, and hang onto it until out of ink. I don't just toss it aside and pick a new one because the other is misplaced. But on examination I can do better.

My purse. Because I find it easy to use a tote bag going back and forth to work you can easily lose your keys, money and phone. So I keep them in a purse/pouch. This one came from Oxfam and is made under a fairtrade scheme.

I also keep a fold up shopping bag in there to help me reduce the number of bags I collect. I find that not accepting bags at the supermarket is not too hard - as long as my reusable bags are in the car I'm set. But when it comes to all the other bits and pieces I don't do as well. But this little bag works well for clothes, fabric or the odd bits of groceries collected at lunchtime. It was a very welcome Christmas gift.

I feel there is a rather glaring omission from my bag today - no lunchbox or cutlery. I have not been taking lunch often lately. As we all know buying lunch is expensive, there's all that packaging and its too easy to buy 'treats'. Definately not as green there as I could be.

So an action plan
1. take lunch to work
2. make a tissue pouch
3. replace my pen (when it runs out) with a refillable pen
4. think creatively about shopping lists

So, what do you think? How did I do? Are you up for the challenge? Are you going to examine your own bag and share your findings?

Can't wait to hear about your own adventures.

And a reminder to enter my giveaway - its a recycled lingerie wrap - very pretty.

Enter my blog giveaway as I celebrate 100 posts on homespunblissblog

I kind of knew that 100 posts was coming up but then it snuck up in the end.
Yay, 100 Homespunblissblog posts!

As I said in the beginning, if I don't have anything to post about then I'm not living the life of my dreams. 100 posts down I'm certainly getting closer.
Recently I have added chickens to my menagerie, I am sewing, mosaicing, holding stalls at markets and working actively on my business, DarlingBridget. I make soap, preserve fruit, cook and garden. All of these activities equal homespunbliss for me.

Yes its an eclectic mix but diversity keeps me interested.
So what is my plan for 2012? Scary that its March already and I'm just getting going, but still.

• Attend at least 6 markets this year with DarlingBridget.
• Re-launch my DB art to wear label with brooches, earrings, pendants and bib necklaces.
• Keep blogging about everything I love and my journey to achieving homespunbliss.
• Connect with other bloggers and increase my followers to 50 this year!
• Be authentic to me and my dream.
• Hope to strike a cord with others and create a community of people who dream of homespunbliss!

To find out how to win this pretty lingerie wrap keep reading below.  This wrap is made from a white vintage tray cloth with lace trim, lined with white satin and finished with a ribbon tie.

To enter do one or more of the following. Leave me a comment for each one.

1. Sign up as a follower to this blog.

2. Share my blog with your friends.

3. Follow my DarlingBridget page on Facebook

4. Share my DarlingBridget Facebook page with your friends.

5. Go to my DarlingBridget store on etsy.com and come back and tell me which product you like best and why.

You get one entry for each of the above tasks. Just remember to leave me a message to tell me about them.

I'm sure you're wondering why you'd get your friends to join in, the more

entries the less chances you have to win right? So if you share my blog with your friends and they become followers, you'll gain a bonus point. The same goes for my DarlingBridget Facebook page, just tell me about it or I won't know who to give the points to. What do you think, does that entice?

So how do you leave a comment?

At the end of each blogpost or article, you will find # comments.

1. Click on the word comments.

2. You will find a comments box (you might have to scroll up a little to see it). Type your comment in the box. Choose from the drop down list labelled Comment as. If you have an online profile such as Google (or gmail account), choose from the list and log in. Otherwise choose Anonymous.

3. If you choose Anonymous please leave me your name in the comment box.

4. Click publish.

Its that easy.

What else is new for homespunblissblog in 2012?

Monday nights I share a post on Make, Grow, Thrift on the habygoddess.blogspot.com

Wednesday nights I am reinstating a list post - I stopped doing my 10 things Mondays because I wanted to get involved in Make, Grow, Thrift. So Wednesday nights will now feature 5 homespun things.

Other nights - always plenty of stories and photos about my chickens, cooking, growing food, making soap, sewing for DarlingBridget, going to markets and in all other ways striving for a homespun life!

Good luck with the give away and thanks for sharing my journey. You keep me on my path.

Sewing new things for DarlingBridget label

 I've been sewing cute new satchel bags for my DarlingBridget label. This bright red bag features a towel with embroidered Japanese lady and crocheted edge. The bag has a magnetic clasp and long strap. Very cute.

 Same satchel design but this time a green embroidered motif with scalloped edge over funky "ice cream" fabric. This satchel is finished off with a pale pink satin trim with beads.

 And a lingerie wrap in simple white. I have had one of these myself for years and it adds a little bit of luxury to one's luggage. And does away with that fear that you bags might be opened in public ;).

 A white lace trimmed cloth has been lined in satin and is held together with a simple white satin ribbon. This is going to be a give away so watch this space.

All these bags include some upcycled fabrics, repurposing hand towels and cloths that normally are tossed in a drawer or sadly, tossed away. Now they're pretty again.

2012 is going to be a wonderful year

It is getting late in January and I haven't completed my list of goals.
I am supressing panic. Its fine I'm just warming up.
I thought this was going to be easy when I was holidays from work but I have a new theory.
Real time, real life feels suspended sometimes when you take time out.

I mean let's face it that's what we want when we take time out.
Get off the clock. Let go of the daily grind.
So it's only now that I am returned to work and routine that I feel ready to face the new year.
Ironic isn't it?
'cos now I have less time, less thinking space.
Ah well, it will happen. In fact, it is starting.
All sorts of creative ideas are bubbling, I just need to give them space and a little time to perculate.

• I am going to go with some image changes on my blog.
• I am going to promote my blog more by getting word out that we have a conversation happening here and a journey to pursue.
• I am nearing 100 posts so another give away is in order.
• I am going to offer more tutorials.
• I love lists but am moving 10 things to another day so I can participate in a 'live life greener' segment on a blog I love.
• I am going to put my DarlingBridget bags and ournals into more shops, more online opportunities.
• And I am going to launch my art to wear as a separate line - perhaps DB art to wear but you can have a say on the label.

Hmm and I'm going to conquer the work/life balance!

Wow and I am only just getting started. Hope you keep on the journey with me.

Love having you to along! Happy 2012. Please share your goals, I'd love to hear.

Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who joined my giveaway!

I have used a random number generator from Random.org to draw the winner.

I put everyone who entered into a spreadsheet - those who entered more than once had their name entered multiple times. The number from the random generator corresponded to the line number in the spreadsheet.

The winner is Sarah Stewart who liked my DarlingBridget facebook page. Congratulations Sarah.

I decided in a fit of Christmas spirit to make a second draw. Rebecca Mo-Anne Ready will also win an item from my DarlingBridget range.

Thanks again for entering!

DarlingBridget at Handmade Canberra Markets

DarlingBridget giveaway

More ways to enter and win my DarlingBridget giveaway.

This darling pouch is made from a pretty vitage doily, crisp cotton and lovely gingham ribbon. You could use it as a lingerie wrap when travelling, as a holder for your journal, art materials or other special things.

How to enter:

Visit my DarlingBridget facebook page and leave me a comment about my range of products.

Leave me a comment here.

Visit my DarlingBridget etsy store and come back and tell me about your favourite product.

Share my DarlingBridget facebook page.

Sign up to this blog as a follower!

Do them all for even more chances to win.

Drawn 19 December 2011.

DarlingBridget at Art + Design market, Wollongong

I am preparing for next weekend's Art and Design Market at Pioneer Hall, Wollongong. I have sewn some fun and funky handbags from vintage tea towels. These are seriously cute! Mostly they date from the 70s so are genuinely retro.

I also have a range of bags made from old embroidered and chrocheted doilies and tray cloths. Its so lovely to give these handmade cloths a new lease of life. I have been collecting them for ages and have finally found a great way to use them. Lined in bright cottons or corduroys they become cute and one of a kind handbags or iPad bags.

And naturally I have some Art to Wear brooches to sell. 

If you are in the Southern Highlands, Sydney area I hope you pop down to Wollongong for the market. The ladies who run it are very inspiring and by the look of the stall holders they have chosen it is going to be well worth a visit.

I am also running a give away promotion. If you Like my DarlingBridget facebook page by Friday 16 September you can go in the draw to win a DarlingBridget silk purse.

My pink give away heart finds a new home in Oxford

One of the winners of my hearts give away, Debby, has received her heart and posted about it.  The great news is she loved my little heart and was kind enough to post some encouragement about my DarlingBridget business. Thanks Debby!
Read her post here.  You might like to stay a while and read some of her other posts on Cooking up a storm in a tea cup.

Congratulations to heart winners

Congratulations to Emily, Debbie and Mandi on winning my silk hearts. I will be contacting you directly and sending the hearts along to you. I hope you enjoy them.

Last days to enter heart give away

Don't forget to enter my heart give away.  I will be drawing the lucky winner on 4 July 2010.

Give away hearts - share your sewing tips

I was recently inspired to sew some silk hearts and fill them with lavender. But my hearts turned out terribly. They were flat and pinched.  So I bought a book (Sew pretty homestyle) that taught me some new tricks and my new hearts are gorgeous.

Tip 1: Don't cut out the shape until after sewing. I cut out two rectangles, drew the heart, sewed and then trimmed around the shape.

Tip 2:  Use small stitches.  I hate unpicking when I make a mistake so I have gradually developed a habit of using large stitches - easier to unpick. But the small stitches handled the curves of the hearts so much better.

So in honour of my new found sewing skills I am offering to give away three of my pretty little hearts.

How to enter:
Leave a comment here describing your favourite sewing tip or recommending your favourite book.

Closes: 
4 July 2010

I will use Tara Frey's random number generator to choose three blog entries to win.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you and learning your tips!

Please note, the hearts are filled with lavender - postage will be subject to customs/quarantine conditions in the winner's home country.  I will send an alternative version of the hearts if necessary.