With winter around the corner I thought it would be a perfect time to share the cozy creations of Bure Bure. Inga and her husband Peter design wooly pieces of wearable art on their farm in Lithuania. Bure Bure has such a variety of beautiful designs, from modern and minimal to delicate and romantic. All are handmade using soft merino wool, silk and local coarse wooled sheep wool. Inga explains the motivation behind her work, " I love the purity, ecology of the wet felting process and such features of handmade felt as its adaptability to the environment temperature, its curative characteristics. Until now felt for me is like an archaic miracle, the first textile technology that has survived for thousands years, so complex at a first glance and so brilliantly simple when you master it. Felt is a natural and renewable material, made of wool, using just hot water and olive oil soap - one of the purest processes in textile."

One of Inga's unique designs are the 2 color felted booties made of Australian soft Merino wool that gently message your feet. The insulation properties of the wool make your feet warm when the weather is cold and cool when the weather is hot. They are available in a variety of colors with the option of four different soles allowing them to be worn inside and out.

Bure Bure shoes are custom made to fit even in children sizes. A family set makes a wonderful gift!

The ecological slipper below is especially "green". This style is made using local resources only,a Lithuanian local coarse wooled sheep breed with a certificate of Lithuanian national heritage. Contributing to the preservation of Lithuanian coarse wooled sheep, current population is only 134. The wool is carded locally, during carding process wool is washed and cleaned without any chemical treatment. It is not carbonized just 100% unbleached and undyed natural fleece. Inga says the coarse wool texture stimulates blood circulation, invigorating your skin.

Bure Bure has so many beautiful and colorful styles stop by their Etsy shop to take a look around and get in to a cozy winter mood!

Tania Cavenecia Torres is an artist and jewelry designer who finds her Peruvian heritage and love of travel a constant source of inspiration. She shares a peek into the lives of artisans and their creative use of natural resources from around the globe. She also writes on her own blog, taniacaveneciatorres.blogspot.com.

Find her on cosa verde here

So those bath tissue rolls and paper towel rolls have been staring up at me from the recycle bin and I got to thinking there has to be a fun way to reuse them. I've seen wreaths and other fun stuff made with them but I knew there had to be other possibilities.

Here's another eco friendly way to reuse them for storage or as giftwrap.

You will need:
-glue or double stick tape
-a ruler
-scissors
-craft knife
-pen or pencil
-a bit of ribbon
-a piece of pretty scrap paper (I used sheet music)

1. Select a kraft paper tube from the recycling bin.

2. Measure the roll to the desired length and leave an additional 1.5" or so to from each end. (desired length + 3")

3. Measure your pretty paper to be 2" longer than the tube. 1" will hang over the edge of the tube at each end. (desired length + 2")

4. Let's try a test wrap here. You'll want about .5" overlap of the pretty paper. Trim to fit.

5. Run a small bead of glue along the long edge of the paper and carefully wrap it around the tube. Hold it for a moment to make sure it's secured well.

6. Cut a small slit where the paper overlaps and tuck in the pretty paper "overhang" into the tube.

7. Stand the tube on one end and press about 1.5" of the tube toward the center of the tube. Turn the tube 180 degrees and do the other side.

8. Repeat step 7 on the other end of the tube.

9. You can use your ribbon to embellish your gift tube if you like.

These little tube boxes are great for storing things like office or school supplies, fragile ornaments. They are also great eco gift wrap and can be reused.

Happy Crafting!

As a child Alicia enjoyed coloring, origami and being read to. She loves to create the unexpected by using colors, textures and found objects. She wants to create things that make people happy — things that provide an unexpected reason to giggle, and hopes that her creations will serve as a “muse” throughout your day.

find her on cosa verde here

Recently, we've been asked to review a number of crafting products. While we don't take paid posts, we do reviews when we feel there is something in the product that will be of interest to our readers.

When we moved into our new house, my crafting space moved from being a room with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows to a poorly-lit corner in the basement. C’est la vie. So, when OttLite offered to send me one of their Craft Caddy lights to try out, I jumped at the opportunity. Here was my chance to brighten up that dim creative corner in the house.

And let me tell you, that little lamp is BRIGHT. I was pretty impressed at how much light it puts out, and the color (or, rather lack of color) and crispness of the light. The bulb is an energy-efficient 13-watt fluorescent, and I’d say the claim that “you'll love seeing colors accurately and details easily under the cool, clear OttLite illumination” is a pretty solid one.

So. Some pros and cons. Or rather, some really cool features, and a few areas for improvement.

Really cool features:

• The light folds down, and the whole thing doubles as a materials caddy, with pop-up handle
• There is cord storage in the base, for when you are caddy-ing around your lamp
• Extra outlet in the base of the lamp for plugging in your glue gun, soldering iron or what have you.
• I’ll say that again: extra outlet in the base!!!
• Caddy trays are removable for easy cleaning
• Comes with an energy efficient lightbulb with a lifespan of 10,000 hours

Areas for improvement:

• The handle feels a little weak, so I imagine there is a limit to how much weight the caddy can carry
• Caddy compartments are a little shallow for my taste: They’d be good for craft paints and binder clips, but are shallow for pencils and paintbrushes
• The energy efficiency of the light is great, but opening the box up to find styrofoam packaging turned me off a bit. It would be great to see a switch to molded cardboard packaging inserts
• Price. I’m not gonna lie. At a list of $79.99, this seems a bit pricey to me. Like  not-gonna-pick-it-up-at-the-craft-store-myself-but-would-love-to-get-it-as-a-gift pricey. However, savvy consumer that I am, I checked Amazon and they sell it for only $32.95 with free shipping, which seems like a darn good deal.

The Details:
OttLite is the 508 natural sunlight company that understands that color, detail and comfort are critical to doing the stuff you love. OttLite helps you do what you love longer and offers the 100% delighted guarantee! Ottlite.com
Craft Caddy Lamp SKU# : 915083
Price: $79.99 ($32.95 on Amazon)

Recently, we've been asked to review a number of crafting products. While we don't take paid posts, we do reviews when there is something that we can share with you—look for a couple of giveaways as we get "back to craft" during September, our version of back to school.

STC Craft | Melanie Falick Books recently sent over a couple of books for me to review and share with you-we have a copy of this book to give away to a reader/follower/friend of cosa verde, see the end of this post for details on how to enter to win.

It made perfect sense that The Repurposed Library would wind up in my hands. You know how we feel about repurposing around here, and as the daughter of a librarian and devout book lover/collector, I have a healthy respect for books.

Naturally, the first test in my mind of any book devoted to deconstructing other books is to make sure the author, too, has a healthy respect for books. I was very happy to see that I only had to get to page 9 to read her admonishments to be sure that you are not cutting into something valuable - in literary or sentimental terms - before starting your project.

As far as reuse goes, I commend the author in encouraging her readers to use books that will otherwise wind up in the landfill, and to look to all books for usable parts - a cracked spine might still have good paper within it, or the cover may be salvaged off an otherwise stinky book.

The 33 projects range from simple folding to building a lamp out of stacked tomes (I respect any craft project that requires power tools), and the writing is clear and accompanied by sweetly hand-drawn diagrams. There are some more typical projects - a repurposed journal and a few takes on the "book" shelf, but there are also some that really break the form of what I would have expected from altered book craft, which is nice to see. I appreciate that there are both projects in here celebrate the book's intact form and projects that completely deconstruct it.

My only criticism - and it is a small one - is that for a book about books, it is darn difficult to read. Maybe it's my militant inner graphic designer, maybe I'm just getting older, but the light weight of the typeface had me squinting when I pulled this out in the living room at night. Definitely one to use in a good work space with bright lights.

The details:
The Repurposed Library: 33 Craft Projects that Give Old Books New Life
by Lisa Occhipinti
STC Craft | A Melanie Falick Book $24.95 US

We have a copy of this book to give away! Enter to win by commenting on this post, commenting on the post on our Facebook page, or by tweeting a link to this post (be sure to include @cosaverde in your tweet so that we see it). You may each of the three ways for a maximum of 3 entries per person. Winner will be chosen at random and will be notified by the end of the month.

Recently, we've been asked to review a number of crafting products. While we don't take paid posts, we do reviews when there is something that we can share with you—look for a couple of giveaways as we get "back to craft" during September, our version of back to school.

STC Craft | Melanie Falick Books recently sent over a couple of books for me to review and share with you-we have a copy of this book to give away to a reader/follower/friend of cosa verde, see the end of this post for details on how to enter to win.

I have to say I'm pretty impressed by Modern Paper Crafts. First and foremost, it is a beautiful book: spiral-bound to sit flat as you work, with clear instructions, helpful diagrams, and beautiful photography. Paging through it at first, I was impressed by the complexity of some of the projects, but looking at the diagrams (as someone who is all thumbs when it comes to things like origami), none of the projects seemed insurmountable.

The book is divided into four sections of projects: Folding, Cutting, Scoring and Sculpting, and Pleating, plus a final section (dear to my heart), Recycling, which has a few projects of its own and gives suggestions on how to repurpose found papers in the earlier projects.

In all, there are 20 projects in the book, ranging from the simple-but-adorable candy cones (which will likely be making an appearance at my next party) to the complex-but-I-really-want-to-attempt-someday pleated lampshade. I mean really, how many craft books include lamp shade instructions?? And if you think the lampshade is cool, just wait until you see the section on paper sculpting. I make a lot of things out of paper, but this way of scoring and sculpting is completely new to me.

Overall, while the projects are great, I think this book really shines in its introductory pages, in which the author steps the would-be crafter through different types of paper, different considerations in choosing materials, and various tools - all in great detail. As someone who sat through a lot of lectures on specing paper, using adhesives, and the correct way to cut with an x-acto knife during those Intro to GD classes oh-so-long-ago, I was really impressed with how in depth the "Getting Started" section off the book goes, an how much of that same (crucial!) knowledge is imparted. The first 20 pages of Modern Paper Crafts will be a great resource for the projects that follow in the book - and beyond.

The details:
Modern Paper Crafts: A 21st-Century Guide to Folding, Cutting, Scoring, Pleating and Recycling
by Margaret Van Sicklen, photogaphy bt Jen Gotch
STC Craft | A Melanie Falick Book $24.95 US

We have a copy of this book to give away! Enter to win by commenting on this post, commenting on the post on our Facebook page, or by tweeting a link to this post (be sure to include @cosaverde in your tweet so that we see it). You may each of the three ways for a maximum of 3 entries per person. Winner will be chosen at random and will be notified by the end of the month.

I came across Nuk's shop Luxury Lanna crafts on Etsy. Her wonderful bags of bright colors and detailed fabric designs are very special. Nuk uses handmade vintage tribal textiles which she recycles with love from places such as Hmong (Miao), Karen, Banjara, and Kutch, India. Her goal is to recapture this amazing craft by rescuing unwanted traditional handmade fabrics like Hmong baby carriers from being thrown away.  What inspires her designs? She explains, "Lanna is a place of outstanding beauty and inspiration, it is where I live, and where I continue to feel inspired by the culture and crafts of tribes people. It is important in keeping a tribal culture alive and has knock on effects in keeping these tribes with traditional work to do in the future."

The bags come in all shapes and sizes and many are one of a kind due to fact that the fabrics are handmade and vintage. One of my favorites is the Travel bag pictured above. The size is definitely great for travel and I love the detail on the wide leather straps, little felt flowers with the centers being metal studs keeping them firmly in place.



The Tribal Boho Bag is made of a vintage Indian fabric with colorful patterns. Nuk's designs come with so many nice details. The front of the bag is embellished with beaded tassels and small silver beads and coins.



This tote bag is made from vintage baby carrier textiles, hand embroidered with gorgeous blooming flowers in red and pink. Trimmed in a deep chocolate brown leather with braided like leather handles.

Another beautiful square tote with leather handles and intricate hand embroidered flowers. I especially love the wide border along the side and bottom of the bag. The vibrant shades of pink, red and aqua green make this bag very eye catching.

I hope you enjoyed my picks from Luxury Lanna Crafts, visit the shop to see the new Autumn / Winter bags   ♥

Tania Cavenecia Torres is an artist and jewelry designer who finds her Peruvian heritage and love of travel a constant source of inspiration. She shares a peek into the lives of artisans and their creative use of natural resources from around the globe. She also writes on her own blog, taniacaveneciatorres.blogspot.com.

Find her on cosa verde here

Name: Erin Mapes
Shop: EarthenKnit
Website: http://erinmapes.etsy.com
Location: Washington, DC

What do you make, and how are your products environmentally-friendly?

I strive to live my life in a simple, peaceful, and environmentally conscious way, and I believe my craft reflects that way of life. I take great pride in creating heirloom-quality handknit accessories, using only natural and sustainable materials, such as local humane wool and organic colorgrown cotton. You will never find anything synthetic at EarthenKnit.

Why did you start making earth-friendly goods?

I have always loved to create, and I've always had a love of nature, but within the last couple of years that the two really started coming together. I started to question where my materials were coming from, how they were made, and what exactly was in them. It was a very eye-opening process at times. I think what it comes down to is this: if I am going to bring something new into this world, I want it to have a positive impact, not a negative one.

What is your favorite material to work with? Why?

Definitely handspun yarn, for a few reasons. I love to support fellow artisans, and one way to do that is purchasing handmade supplies. It also allows me to work closely with people who share my philosophy of environmental consciousness. Even though it tends to be a bit more expensive than commercial yarn, handspun yarn is so unique and has lots of character, just as all handmade goods do. I love the variations in texture and color!

What's your favorite thing you've ever made? Why?

That's a really tough question! Everything is my favorite when I finish it. I think currently it is my Fluttering Leaves Capelet, because it is simple and elegant. It's also my first foray into custom, knit-to-order garments, which I'm very excited about and would like to expand upon soon.

Aside from that, I think my proudest accomplishments were a dress I knit for my sister, and a sweater I knit for my mom's enormous Doberman.

Give us a link to one of your favorite resources for running your business

Etsy Earth is a group of eco-minded artists and crafters that I belong to, and the support and inspiration I receive from them on a daily basis is wonderful! It makes me feel like I'm part of something larger than myself.

Give us a link to one of your favorite handmade artists

Just one?? Hmm...How about two? They are two of my teammates from Etsy Earth. OliveAndOud, who makes the most amazingly fragrant soap, and HerbanLifestyle, who has the best shampoo bars I have ever used.

What's your #1 tip for living greener?

It's a classic, but follow the 3 R's — reduce, reuse, and recycle — in that order! I think a lot of people tend to focus on recycling, and reusing to a lesser extent. But the most important one in my mind is reducing what you consume. We live in a very wasteful society where more is always better, and advertising is everywhere, always convincing you that you still don't have enough. We do have enough though, more than enough, but we just don't realize it. As individuals and as a society, we really need to be conscious of our consumption and take steps to reduce it.

What's your #1 tip for crafting greener?

Investigate your sources. Learn everything you can about where your materials come from, how they were made, what the working conditions of those who made them were like. Some materials may have a cheap price, but they come with a high cost to the environment and society. Look for materials that are organic, fair trade, local, recycled, and upcycled in order to make your work more sustainable.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I would love to be able to transport myself to any place in the world at a moment's notice. Traveling is a passion of mine — I love experiencing new places and cultures. So it would be great to snap my fingers and be in China, or New Zealand, or Italy, and not have to sit through a super-long plane ride to get there!

Are you dreading the lost math book, missing sock or running out the door late? With the new school year right around the corner, it's time to streamline and simplify.

The Closet
Do you (or your children) look in your closet and say that you don't have anything to wear? Here are a few suggestions to get you away from that feeling of frustration in the morning:

Take a critical look at what's in your closet. If you haven't worn it in the last year, it's probably time to let it go. If it's still in good shape, someone else could be delighted to wear it instead of it junking up your closet space. It's a great green practice to pass things along. (Check out all the items in there - clothes, jewelry, shoes, handbags, sweaters, hats, back packs, sports equipment etc.)

If you have clothing items that have sentimental value that you can't bare to part with, try repurposing them into something else. Your favorite shirt whose best days are behind it could be made into a scarf or a pillow. You still have the fabric you love but in a different form to enjoy.

Strategically speaking, picking out what you'll wear the night before, gets you ten steps ahead of the pack with getting out the door on time in the morning. Yay!

The Kitchen
Are you tired of looking at that pasta machine every time you open the top cabinet? Do you really need to keep it?

Consider dedicating part of a cabinet to packing lunches. Keeping all those supplies in one place makes putting lunch together a snap! A lunch box with reusable containers and a thermos are good supplies to go to keep packing lunch easy, green and healthy.

Lunch could be made the night before to save time in the morning to keep you on the mach5 out the door menu.

I've Tidied. Now What?
So, you have amassed a pile of items that you're ready to part with, don't trash them! Try one of the following green options:

• Hold a Garage Sale
• Donate the items to Charity
• Take items to a Consignment Shop
• Hold a Swap with Friends and Family

I've created a set of labels and a checklist to help you get it all done easily and swiftly. Click here to download the one page .pdf file.

By doing this little Back to School Tidy Up, you will save yourself time searching for misplaced items during the school year while making a little extra wiggle room around your home for extra comfort and peace of mind. You may also be lucky enough to add a little extra green to your pocket in the process.

As a child Alicia enjoyed coloring, origami and being read to. She loves to create the unexpected by using colors, textures and found objects. She wants to create things that make people happy — things that provide an unexpected reason to giggle, and hopes that her creations will serve as a “muse” throughout your day.

find her on cosa verde here