RECYCLED CLOTHES

Check out the lovely ladies greeting people on the door at the Progressive Greeting Live Show. All their clothes were made out of Gift Wrap and Greeting Cards. 

They looked like they were having so much fun!

COOL 4 CATS

My husband and daughter have been putting together this fantastic paper kit made by Tim Bullock.

See more of Tim's Designs at: Cool 4 Cats.

Invisibly Bad for You and Me

I’ve just got back from Thassos (relieved guilty feelings by offsetting with the Woodland Trust), knowing that I would return with some photos of beautiful sandy beaches, littered with rubbish, like the one below. There for all to see and do something about!

Which made me start to think about the environmental pollution which can’t be seen, but can still have a damaging effect. I know that I used to wonder if any of the old lead water pipes were still part of the plumbing in the kitchen at school, which was built in 1870. Then there was the ceiling in my classroom, a semi- permanent, prefabricated structure, which was added to the school in 1966. Thoughts of asbestos flitted through my mind, but surely not? Then I had an email from a representative of an asbestos awareness group, who asked if I would be willing mention the hazards of being exposed to asbestos. My knowledge of this is very limited, so, thank you Jack Bleaker for providing the information below.

Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial and consumer products, including ceiling constructions, for many years because it was fire retardant and proved to be a useful insulation component. Unfortunately however, asbestos was also found to cause cancer. Microscopic asbestos fibers, which will often become airborne as their surrounding compounds break down or age, are easily inhaled, often without even knowing. Once in the body, asbestos is associated with the rare cancer mesothelioma, known only to be caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Many would be amazed by how many of these types of products are still found in schools today. Pipe coverings, floor tiles, drywall, and other products that permeate schools all contained asbestos. These are the invisible hazards we may encounter every day.

The Bee's Knees

Teaching children about recycling and caring for our environment in a practical way, can be an ideal introduction to learning about all the issues that will effect on our planet's future. Sustainable use of our dwindling resources and climate change are perhaps the two most urgent problems.

So why the bee photo?
Well, some authorities believe that their global decline is a good indication of worsening environmental conditions.
Why Bee's Knees? (Something outstandingly good)
The Recycling Fund's paperwork has just been returned by our accountants, Larking Gowen. It shows a healthy income of £3,875.27 last year, which is less than previous years, but when you consider the economic slow-down and the amount of waste that we have rescued from landfill sites, it's great!

ELBOW GREASE DESIGNS

Elbow Grease Designs 

produce the most fantastic items out of recycled banners!

Jenny Hurth says: "Everything you see on this site has been designed & hand sewn in the San Francisco Bay Area from discarded vinyl signs and banners. Originally printed for local trade shows, conventions, municipal or private advertising, these ENORMOUS banners would otherwise end up in the landfill.

Jenny has been a great friend of mine for years and I am totally in awe of the fantastic designs she creates out of, what would have otherwise been junk.

Look at her wonderful website: Elbow Grease Designs.

OBAMA COAT

Obama Coat made out of Obama leaflets