Last Wednesday, I and three of my best crafty pals and fellow STE admins, headed to the awesomely eco-friendly Creative Reuse Pittburgh (Pgh), a local green organization that accepts unwanted materials for reuse and sells them uber cheap to the creative public! According to their website, Creative Reuse Pgh, which was founded in 2007 and became a project of the Pennsylvania Resources Council in February, is a nonprofit organization that seeks to "keep perfectly good stuff out of the landfill, provide opportunities for people to put it to good (re)use, help forward the movement toward a greener globe, and encourage folks to explore." Sound too idyllic? Maybe... except for that they actually make all of that happen!
A haven to those who can make something out of anything (or anything out of something), the organization's brick-and-mortar stash-shop is located within Construction Junction (who donated the space) on Meade Street in Point Breeze. Creatively cluttered, the two-level space is packed from floor to ceiling with everything you can imagine that could be re-used in making art and given new life. Exploring the nooks and crannies, boxes and piles is really an artsy flea market/thrift store shopper's dream, and during our trip revealed wooden dowels, vintage fabric and notions, office supplies, containers, vintage art, books filled with fabulous wallpaper and fabric samples, random hardware, rubber toys, paper of all types, glitter, hardware, old lab beakers, and so much more! Their stock includes not only unusual things you may not find anywhere else, but items that sell at craft stores for 20 times the price! The fact that these wares are priced unbelievably dirt-cheap ("starving artist" anyone?) just adds to the already-high bliss factor, as does the fact that each item purchased keeps landfills from growing and leaves the earth a little cleaner and greener. :)
Tamara of Barker's Herbs and Heirlooms, Lynne of Charmed By Nature, Niffer of 19 Moons, and I (Kylie of SilentLotus Creations) had a fabulous visit, all coming away with finds from there and Construction Junction downstairs. Some of us even left feeling a bit "lighter" after donating our own materials to Creative Reuse Pgh- Nif donated "nif"ty payphone and typewriter hardware and Lynne donated -uh- a big box of rubber poop (don't ask). All of us are big on repurposing vintage or discarded materials in unique ways, me just in the last year or so and mostly from their influence. :) Check out our shops linked to above to see what craftastic creations we each come up with!
Creative Reuse Pgh gets new donations regularly, making it a potential new treasure hunt each time you visit. But despite all of their current finds, they can always take more! Next time you have a box or stack of something ready to be discarded or taken to Goodwill, consider stopping by to see if what you have is something they can use. Donating your discards is easy, and much appreciated. And while there, browse for some new goodies. Need creative inspiration or some obscure piece of something that will make your art piece or craft just perfect? I highly recommend making a trip to Creative Reuse Pgh to purchase materials- what you are wishing for just may await you there. :)
Just keep in mind that shopping open to the public only on Wednesdays from 12-5. Other hours are available by appointment only, so if you can't get there on a Wednesday, make sure to give them a call at (412) 202-4036 or email them to set up a different time to go.
A section of Creative Reuse's upper level.
Fabulous vintage prints.
A view of the first floor from above.
Lynne's poop was put right out on the floor (front and center)!
The view that greeted us when we arrived: fabric, notions, and so much more.
More upper level goodness.
David and Chloe of Etsy's Sleeping Bunny make up a talented pair of crafters who create adorable plush animals made from recycled sweaters and unique, handknit awesomeness. And they are members of Steel Town Etsy, of course! David answered the following questions while Chloe was at class, so what's written is from his perspective. :)
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Sleeping Bunny is made up of David and Chloe, who live on the edge of the city near Crafton. David is a full-time chef who currently works at Blue Dust bar in Homestead, and Chloe is a full-time student working toward a Radiological Technician degree.
Apart from creating things, how do you like to spend your time?
While crafting takes up a good bit of our time, we also enjoy just being out of the house. Our group of friends all meet once a week at a local bar to catch up on things. We both cycle recreationally and like being in the great outdoors when the weather's good.
What first made you want to become an artist?
Chloe has always had the artistic touch, and picked up knitting a few months ago while we were looking for a hobby to pass bad weather days stuck indoors. I've always known how to sew, but picked up making stuffed animals after seeing a book on it in a local bookstore. We love expressing ourselves, and are always looking for new ways to expand our crafter-tunities.
What does your creative process look like- how, when, materials, etc.?
I started out just making a few things from the book I bought on making sock animals, but after learning the basics and a few other techniques from the examples, I decided to branch out. My inspiration comes either from an idea I have for a specific finished product I want and then working the sock to match, or from the sock itself just asking to be made into a certain shape (i made a frog out of frog-printed socks, for example)
Chloe usually makes knits by seeing a yarn she thinks would make a great specific piece of attire. She's new to knitting, as I am to hand sewing, so her repertoire is still expanding. She just makes things that she likes and learns along the way.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I made a vest that I have yet to finish that I really like. It's deep brown corduroy with a blue and brown flannel lining. Chloe made herself a knit change purse that she uses, but I can't say if it's her most cherished. As far as the sock animals go, Chloe really likes this striped giraffe I made (she even has it in her Facebook profile pic). I'm partial to my sock-o-dile made from a green/brown argyle sock.
What advice would you give to artists who are new to the Pittsburgh craft scene?
Being new to the crafting scene ourselves, I consider us blessed to have done as much as we have so far. If I could give any advice, though, it would be to network. Steel Town Etsy is a great opportunity that's helped immensely, and we couldn't have done nearly what we have without it. I would also suggest buying the book "Crafty Superstar" by Grace Dobush. It really helped us lay out, and figure out, what to do when and how to do it, as far as selling crafts goes.
How do you promote your work?
We try to promote our work shamelessly. I always carry our business cards around with me so I can plaster them wherever I can. Any bulletin board is fair game to me. We also promote heavily on Facebook and through our circle of friends. Our blog isn't well publicized, but it's located at http://sleepingbunny.wordpress.com.
Thanks so much for the interview, Sleeping Bunny! We're honored to have you as part of the STE family! :)
Check out Sleeping Bunny's handcrafted wares at I Made It! Market's Chili with the Works: Spring Art and Chili Festival coming up on Saturday, April 10th!
