Beyond The Recycling Bin: A Sunshyne Silverwear Giveaway!

As most of you know, all of the wearable creations I make have an element of recycling.  I absolutely LOVE when an artist makes something beautiful out of something that might have ended up in a landfill. As a society I believe we need to do a lot more of that. 

Test Tube Chandelier by Pani Jurek

As a way to spread knowledge about the many marvelous things that can be created from recycled, upcycled and reused materials I am doing a special giveaway where you can enter to win a

$25 Sunshyne Silverwear gift certificate!

To enter, go to my Facebook Fanpage  and find the giveaway post pinned to the top of my page. 

In the comments of the post, paste a link to ANY item that has a recycling element to it. Then "like" the comment that you believe is the most original submission. (sorry, you can't "like" your own submission) 

Every "like" you get from others on your submission is another entry for you! So don't forget to share with your friends and ask them to vote! 

To get you started, here are a few wonderful Facebook pages that share an array of extraordinary products and artwork made with reclaimed ingredients. 

Eco-artware.com

Recyclart

Custom Made.com

Here are just a few of the curiosities you will find from the links above...

Sculptured animals made from shattered glass

Night-lights made from vintage cameras 

Garden Alligators made from recycled used tires.

So go ahead and explore the marvels of modern recycling! 

An Ode To Valentine's Day Past

My sister and I were joking earlier on Facebook. She  was asking why does a guy have to wait for Valentines Day to be romantic and how she would like to be surprised with flowers randomly throughout the year.  I responded with:

Obviously Valentine's Day is no longer a whimsical time of the year for me, plus I am a pretty practical person, but there is someone who used to make Valentine's Day very special for me, and to this day, there has been no one who has made me feel more loved...

When I was a child, my mother used to surprise my sister and I with a little Valentine's Day gift every year.  We would wake up and run downstairs to find our annual goodies. There on the kitchen table would be a little box of chocolates (in the shape of a heart of course) and a card wrapped up in a pink or red envelope. "Happy Valentine's Day, Love, Mom" It would read. It was a small gesture, but it meant so much to us.

Mom always had many ways of letting us know we were special and that we were loved. Our V day present is just one of countless memories colored by love and gratitude. 

So I guess the moral of the story is this,  for me, it doesn't take a dozen roses and an expensive dinner to make a life long impression on me. Just a little thoughtfulness mixed with love goes a long way. 

What are your favorite Valentine's Day pasts? Do you or your family have a special V Day tradition? 

A Fraction Of My Two Minutes Of Fame

Ok, well maybe I didn't make it to the news, but one of my pendants did!!

While vending Fairport Canal Days last year, I remember this woman tell me all about her ice cream shop, Moonlight Creamery, and how one of my pendants fit right in with the theme of her biz. I'm sure the fact that it's made from a spoon didn't hurt either!

Check out "Moondance" around the 29 second mark.

FYI, your computer speakers are not broken, the audio 

on this clip leaves much to be desired. 

Just for fun, here is a link to the first time my wares were highlighted on the local news back in 2010. Click here to watch me make a fool of myself at the 1:19 minute mark. 

Have you ever been on the local news? What was it for?! Were you happy with what was shown?