.tomate d'épingles.: 2008.11

.tomate d'épingles. 2008 Holiday Gift Guide -- tag! you're it!

We love paper!
More paper goodies today :)
Here are lovely tags to adorn your packages.

tree tags by kabibimei

Plantable Tags - handmade recycled paper tags embedded with Wildflower seeds! Once the tags use is over, it can be planted to grow wildflowers. by ClaudiasCreations

scrap cardboard tags by mungo

recycled 1920s Christmas cards tags by HeyLady

hilarious Christmas tags by thecraftpantry

notebook gift tags by everyjotandtittle

handprinted tags by melissakate

dont forget...

A Case for Eco-Fashion - Eco-Couture Is Changing Fashion for the Better

By Starre Vartan E/The Environmental Magazine!

Change, at least in fashion, starts at the top. Maggie Norris, a couturier who designs with gorgeous vintage and antique fabrics, has dressed the likes of Nicole Kidman, Diane Keaton, Mischa Barton and Halle Berry. She says, “Seeing eco in high-level fashion elevates it to the top of society. It starts at the top and then people will think it’s really cool and it becomes more mainstream.” Like other aspects of design, the trickle-down effect from high-end to low-end is part of how fashion functions.

Eco-fashion has been embraced by everyone from emerging designer Philip Lim with his organic cotton separates for Barney’s house label, to Calvin Klein with his hemp ankle-grazing trenchcoat, to Stella McCartney with her breezy organic cotton dresses. Rogan Gregory, who designs for Loomstate and Edun, put together a sustainable collection for Target, which included an organic cotton shorts romper, a cheetah-print shift dress and more. Due to his reputation as a high-end designer, the collection sold to plenty of buyers who were about the designs, not the eco aspect of them.

And while plenty of us chafe under the costs of organic food and natural products, there are others who can afford higher prices (and are willing to pay them), whether a product is eco-friendly or just happens to be the next cool thing. An up-and-coming eco designer gets a leg up, and that designer is then able to use his or her leverage in the industry.

“We’ve got to be real with ourselves,” says Summer Rayne Oakes, model and resident fashion expert for Discovery Channel’s all-green network Planet Green. “It’s worth it to pay more for environmentally conscious design.”

The good news is that there is agreement among the fashion elite: Eco-fashion is here to stay. “It’s not a trend,” says Oakes. “The way that it’s being presented in the press is very ‘trend-driven,’ but that doesn’t mean it is a trend. What’s going to change is not the practice or principle [of eco-design], but the presentation [in the press].”

For change to reinvent the industry, eco-fashion has to be more than a fad. “This is about rethinking and transforming the fashion industry,” says Marci Zaroff, president of Under the Canopy, an organic home and fashion store. That means everything from convincing farmers to grow organic instead of conventional cotton, changing transportation systems, moving production locally, assessing water treatment, changing the types of dyes used, instituting and enforcing fair labor and educating the consumer about why this is worth spending money on. All of these things take time.

Luxury is, in part, about the story behind the style. It follows then that our very understanding of what fashion and style are must change, so that part of the style aesthetic of a ball gown or pantsuit is not just how it looks and how it feels, but also who makes it and what it’s made from. “If in fashion, it’s style first, we have to define what style is,” says Julie Gilhart, the fashion director for Barney’s New York. “Style can then become not just the way something looks, but what it is, what it embodies.”

Like the slow food and organic food movements, there’s a learning curve with eco-fashion until people understand that what we buy not only determines the quality of our own lives, but also the quality of all the hands that touch what we consume. Could there be such a thing as “slow fashion”? Instead of throw-away-after-a-season clothes from discount stores, could we all learn to buy just a few beautifully made, luxurious, versatile pieces and wear them year after year? “Let’s buy less and make a better product,” says Gilhart. “I think things should be made to last.”

Read more on the E/The Environmental Magazine website.
STARRE VARTAN is the founder and editor of eco-chick.com and the author of The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to be Fabulously Green

etsy eco finds : Under The Root

Shop name: Under The Root

Shop address: http://www.undertheroot.etsy.com

In a nutshell:
Hand-Structuring Undergarments/Findlings for Women and Men!
A Burlesque State of Mind...
Sustainable, Recycled Textiles for Your Wears!

Tell me a little about yourself ...
My name is Jennifer M. Brown.
A Seamster who began assembling used/vintage textiles into theatrical costumes during high school. Clothing came next with a secondhand Black Lacquer Singer and the used/vintage textiles laying all over the country for me to find. Soon, the need for craftsmanship directed towards undergarments and findlings had become like a gravitational pull.

While studying Dance in Columbia College Chicago, costumes became an important role for performances. Projection and movement, in each piece, was tantamount for me and others as dancers, performers, and individuals. The structures, today, reflect the use of cotton and the grace of the human body.

What are your favourite materials?
I adore working with textiles which are vintage, satins, shirtings, ribbons, sustainable, recycled, and all cottons with a slight stretch. That is the tip of the iceberg!

What inspired you to do this?
I believe I have been breathing this since out of the womb. It has become part of me like movement of the species.

Do you remember the first thing you made? What was it?
The very first thing I made was a Houndstooth Cape. It was Black/White with a Hood, Pockets, and Lining. The Cape came down to my mid-thighs and it only took me 6 months to
make it... teehee. The concentration was on learning of patterns, sewing machines, and the body. I, basically, was in love.

What's new and exciting in your store?
There are many things happening for us here... Monthly Trivia Challenges, Wednesday and Friday Momentous Discounts, a blog for updates, undiscovered designs, and more devotion than I can shake a stick at.

What is your favourite item? And why?
The items I favor the most have been with me from the beginning and include the Blumen, Arm Spats, Bloomers, Brassiere, and Scarves.

Why should people buy handmade?
There is no comparison in authenticity when buying handmade. This way of conducting commerce has an intimate approach and leveling in our consumption.

Anthing else?
Under The Root is designed to connect wearers with their personal charm, burlesque nature, conscious sensibility, and utilitarianism character. The hope is for your sensuality, once uncovered, to release the humor and desire for textiles that overlay the skin and 'turn on' the need of what breathes underneath.
It is my personal pleasure to offer these structures!

.tomate d'épingles. Holiday 2008 Gift Guide -- Season's greeting... cards!

I LOVE to send out Holiday cards!
Here are some of my favorites.
I'm minimalist this year :o)

Red Nosed Raindeer Flat Notecards by pinklilypress

Flyer Sleds Cards by winifredStudios

green tree cards by secondparty

Candy Cane cards by darlingclementine (these are our absolute favorites! wow!)

modern scenery card by terusaru

Peace On Earth Deer card by InkDropDesign

Snowflake block print cards by margogo

envelope seals by KisforCalligraphy

faux wax seals by lifesoulheart

Sustainable Clubbing - Around the U.S., Dance Clubs Are Making Green Moves

By Kimberly Telker
E/The Environmental Magazine

The average dance club uses 150,000 watts of electricity. And while we can’t place the blame for global warming on the shoulders of their sweaty, dancing masses, these clubs could be doing more—reducing bottle and cup waste, conserving energy used for lights and sound and putting all that people power to good use. Clubs across America are responding to the call and stepping up their environmental commitment—some with technological innovations to rival the DJ’s complex beat-mixing.

Temple Nightclub in San Francisco, California, opened in 2004 and boasts an 89% diversion rate of landfill waste. The nightclub, which is housed in a 100-year-old building, uses corn-based, biodegradable cups to combat generated waste. “We’re also thinking about giving a discount on drinks, maybe $1 or so, for reusing the same cup,” says Mike Zuckerman, Temple’s director of sustainability. To conserve water resources, Temple uses a rainwater collection system for toilet plumbing. The club also boasts a vertical garden that landscapes the exterior of the club. This provides thermal and noise insulation, as well as counteracting carbon dioxide emissions.

But it’s the soon-to-be-installed energy-generating dance floor that’s getting all the attention. Through piezoelectric technology, crystals in the dance floor will be activated and generate electricity when stepped on. “This is just one small part of our commitment to the environment,” Zuckerman says. “We want to be stewards in the community.”

The Butterfly Social Club in Chicago uses kinetic energy from a bike in the front of the venue to generate some of its energy. Employees pedal the bicycle, thus powering the DJ booth and the drink machines. The sound system from the DJ booth has speakers made from recycled wood that resemble tree trunks. The bar, deemed the “eco-friendliest” by the Chicago Tribune, was built of recycled waste products like clay and straw. The club’s 30-something owner Mike Klemen told the Associated Press that the key to sustainability “is not to recycle more, but to use less.” All drinks and mixers are organic, and the venue’s website boasts that organic alcohol does not contain the impurities (like nitrates in wine) that are the real culprits behind hangovers.

In Denver, Colorado, the 16,000-square-foot Beta Nightclub is in the process of instituting a widespread recycling program to counteract its waste, separating glass, plastic, aluminum and paper products. Spokesperson Catherine Nguyen says, “We use tons of Red Bull cans and vodka bottles here, so it’s really silly not to recycle.”

The club recently opened its 5,000-square-foot outdoor patio, complete with tall hedges, comfortable cabanas and green grass. Like Temple Nightclub, its goal is to offset carbon dioxide emissions, as well as provide a botanical experience within a secluded lounge area.

Thanks to Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth, New York now offers its own sustainable night club. Jon B., renowned owner of New York’s GuestHouse and Home, had a private screening of the film in his apartment, and felt moved to act. Greenhouse mixes eco-friendly features with upscale ambience. Slated to open in November, the club was constructed with recycled eco-resin materials, and uses a rainwater collection system for toilets. Furnishings come from recycled products, and the club features all-LED lighting.

Greenhouse spokesperson Adam Starkman says that the new venue “cost quite a bit more than our other clubs to make,” but that “Prices for Greenhouse will be the same as any regular New York club.”

The management debated whether or not to implement an energy-generating dance floor into the venue, but because of the makeup of a Manhattan nightspot, it may not contribute to Jon B.’s environmental mission. “Typical New York nightclubs are banquet-style—serve alcohol, have patron tables and play music,” Starkman says. “They don’t really have a dance floor. People just kind of dance where they can.” Because a human-powered dance floor would have to be installed throughout the entire venue, nightclub officials didn’t find it practical.

Still, the club has received significant corporate attention, generating buzz from the Hollywood fashion circuit to Mercedes Benz and the United Nations. “We’re really proud of this idea,” Starkman says.

American venues are following the example of Sustainable Dance Club in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The company was the first to devise the energy-generating dance floor. The technology is not identical to the piezoelectricity used to craft the floor at Temple; rather, Sustainable’s floor uses energy-generating coils beneath the surface of the floor that, when stepped on, send electricity to the lights and sound system of the club.

Vera Verkooijen, the consulting firm’s director of communications, points out that the energy generated from the dance floor will not power a nightclub on its own. “Every tile of the dance floor produces five to 10 watts [of energy] per person,” she says, “de-pending on someone’s weight and the intensity of dancing.” This voltage, Verkooijen says, is not high enough to accommodate the en-ergy needs of a traditional dance venue. But it’s pretty cool nonetheless.

we love: inprint

We just received this lovely planner and wanted to share with you just how wonderful it is! We LOVE it and had a blast buying from inprint. We highly reccomend them!

.tomate d'épingles. Holiday 2008 Gift Guide -- BYOB... bring your own BAG to shop for gifts!

Even if we'd all love to shop exclusively online, we sometimes absolutely have to go to a shopping mall and do some real shopping too... I did that just this week-end! What a work-out!

Here are some items to make the Holiday rush shopping more eco-friendly! Bring your own bag, and please dont accept plastic bags at the counter :)

Produce or Bulk Food Bag by ponyup

go green magic shopping bag by goldcrestbags

crochet shopping bag by thepottyknitter

Pink and White Reusable Shopping Tote by Chikabird

Re-usable food bags by kootsac

re-usable produce bags by fabrik

recycled tshirt bags zJayne

collapsible market crate by fullerworks

.tomate d'épingles. Holiday contest!

'Tis the season to be jolly, and .tomate d'épingles. wants to spread some of that Holiday spirit with a contest open to all the blog readers!

To participate, it's easy:

1. visit our shop at http://www.tomatedepingles.ca/ and select one gift (a value of 20$ or less) that you would like to give this Holiday, to a friend, a family member, or even yourself!

2. send us the link to the item via a comment on this very blog, and tell us who you'd like to receive this gift, and why.

The winner will receive the gift of his or her choice, in a lovely eco gift-wrap!

Winner to be announced December 1st, at noon!

Good luck!

Etsy finds : fabbiz

Foo and Bim and very talented stitchers

We absolutely love and admire their work

Here is a little bit of info about them!

Shop name: fabbiz
Shop address: http://fabbiz.etsy.com

Tell me a little about yourself:
Fabbiz is a compact and casual design studio in Bangkok, Thailand, where 2 closed friends; Foo – a graphic designer and Bim – a textile designer, are working together. We love handmade things and home decor products and always get inspired by them. We love to experiment with different materials. Also, we like to combine graphic and textile by using most of what we have and create some new stuffs. Our processes of making takes some times but we are quite comfortable with them as we think it's worth for doing so. Or, it might happened to be a charm of handmade that makes us so happy while making 'em. :-)

What are your favorite materials?
fabric, yarn, paper, leather, canvas, anything eco and local

What inspired you to do this?
Definitely, the love of art and handmade stuff. We always think that the home decor and handmade technique are great combination. We fall in love with embroidery technique and we think it should be nice to firstly experiment with our wall-art collection. Yeah, we had fun playing and mixing this and that together. We are quite happy with it since it adds more depth and life to the image as well as surface and texture.

Do you remember the first thing you made? What was it?
It is called "Breezy Twinkle", a muti-purpose hanging partition. We manually wove paper and ribbon together on our handmade frame loom, sew and decorated it by putting the light in. In fact, we did it for the Lokta Paper Design Contest 2006 in Nepal, as the Nepal trip reward for the winner was so tempting! (for picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabbiz/sets/72157603958619358 )

What's new and exciting in your store? We are working on stitching on handmade paper and the new products should be in store very soon. Please stay tune!

What is your favorite item? And why? It’s hard to pick one since we love ‘em all.

Why should people buy handmade? It makes you feel good and definitely it always have a heart of the maker living in it!

Anything else? Thank you for stopping by and you already make our day! :-) We are happy to know any comments 'cause they made us feel that we are existing in this handcraft world! Cheers!

the November November Modish giveaway!!

It's time for the November November Modish giveaway, a contest so nice, I named it twice!
Go visit the fabtastic Modish blog to enter a fabulous giveaway!
Included, you'll find yours truly's START. FOCUS. negatives earrings

But its not all!
There are tons of tempting goodies! We would totaly participate in the contest if we could!
Some of the good stuff: ECLECTIC ELEMENTS, MUDPUPPY and ITY-BITY BAGS swag!
So go, see the awesomeness, and win!

y'a du changement dans l'air (et de l'amour aussi)

Ça fait un bail que nous vous avons écrit pour vous donner des nouvelles... Parlant de bail, c'est précisément ce qui se passe, chez .tomate d'épingles. : nous déménageons!

Comme certain d'entre vous le savez, le duo déménage son atelier dans le quartier Saint-Roch.

Aussi, sur Internet, vous pouvez maintenant nous trouver à l'adresse suivante

www.tomatedepingles.ca

et vous pouvez nous contacter à l'adresse suivante info@tomatedepingles.ca

Merci!

Guylaine & Isabelle

.tomate d'épingles.