GOOD GARBAGE HAS A HOME!!!! Grand Opening set for November 30!

First let me apologize... I am very sorry for the lack of information on this page! I know it's been a very long time since I have been able to write here! I am not a very good blogger so I sure hope you have been following me on Facebook and Twitter!  I had a blast over the summer working with all the kids, doing camps and reuse art programs. I also was on the Planning Committee for the Louisville Mini Maker Faire which was last Saturday, September 28! If you didn't get to attend, check out our Facebook page and this great article!

During my posting absence I was working very hard selling every chance I could and appreciate The Flea Off Market organizers, Courtenay and Nathan. With them offering non-profits free space, I was able to at least keep the storage space paid for each month and buy some glue to keep the kiddo's happy with their art projects.

I had also been actively pursuing a cool home for Good Garbage! I searched high and low and visited lots of people and places to find a good fit. It's not easy! Louisville is a big city and there are a lot of vacant buildings and sometimes I wonder if people ever really want to see life in them. I have a small budget, so a place that is pretty much move-in ready and well, cheap! I have learned one thing, if I have learned anything... You never know who is listening when you are talking. Through a conversation with one friend, a friend of theirs heard my needs and Voila! A building was found! And a new friendship was made.

We will be located in the Portland neighborhood and if you haven't heard about the Portland Initiative, then check that out! I looked at many places in Portland and knew that is where I wanted to be. This space is in an old neighborhood corner store, that more recently was a laundromat. And low and behold it is smack dab in the middle between the old retail district of Portland and the up and coming artist area! About four - five blocks from either.

Besides keeping perfectly good stuff from the landfills and providing inexpensive items for teachers and artists, I want to take free art to kids in disadvantaged areas. And driving through on a Sunday afternoon... There is no shortage of kids! There are many schools nearby and that means teachers can easily get cool items they need; kids can play with good garbage to create art and use creative thinking skills; and there will be new life in that pink building that was once the cornerstone for the area. I am looking forward to becoming a part of the neighborhood!

There is a lot of work ahead to get the place ready and move from my storage space to the new building. I am looking at an opening of November 30. We begin work this week!!!! Ambitious? Yes! But I know that with a little help from my Louisville Timebank friends and my cheerleaders within the community, we will have the building prepped and ready for the Grand Opening! Our first community clean-out of the building will be October 11. If interested in helping, email me at Lynn.GoodGarbage@gmail.com. There will be lots of chances if you can't make that date.

Be sure to subscribe to the blog, like our Facebook page and find us on Twitter for updates to follow us down the Green Brick Road to Good Garbage.(Fell way short on a take of my favorite Yellow Brick Road, but I tried.) If you would like to be added to our mailing list to get special offers, announcements and newsletters, please click HERE. There will be more details to follow soon. Please share with your friends. Thank you all for your support and I look forward to sharing my vision LIVE very soon!!!
~Lynn

Jam Packed Summer Camps, Week One

This past week was jammed packed with fun, creative activities for the kiddo's. At Shelby Park Community Center we created these awesome abstract 3D art pieces. The cardboard shapes were cut from the box that my fair tent came in. It was cut into cool shapes and the kids got to express themselves and learned a little about texture and 3D vs 2D art.

At Passionist Earth & Spirit Camp Odyssey, we made magazine picture frames, paper bag kites, toilet paper binoculars (see below) and paper rockets from magazine pages. Then on Friday we launched the rockets and watched them with our binoculars. The binoculars also came in handy to find my rocket that landed in the trees. Unfortunately we couldn't figure out how to get it down.

The binoculars are a great way for the kids to go exploring in your own back yard, parks, on walks or on long trips in the car. Here's how to make a pair to keep around for these fun days.

What you need:

2 Toilet Paper rolls
String/yarn
Paint or Markers
Glue
2 Paper Clips
Hole Punch

Glue the two tp rolls together by running a single line of glue end to end on one of the tubes and putting the two together. Place the paperclips at each end to hold the tubes together while drying. This allows you to decorate with paint or makers while the glue is drying. When the paint is dry, punch one hole on the side opposite the glue of each tube and tie the ends of the strings through the holes to allow the binoculars to be worn around the neck. Now the kids can enjoy bird watching, searching for things on a scavenger hunt or spying on their siblings. 

Have a creative and fun week and I'll see you back here later this week to show you how to make simple paper rockets and the launcher for some more summer fun from your "I'm bored! Box."

The Garbage Lady, Finally an Introduction

Hi all! Thought I'd tell you a bit about how myself and my vision for Good Garbage. My name is Lynn Quire, born in Louisville and raised in Southern Indiana now back, residing in the wonderful area of Old Louisville. I am an avid advocate for reduce and reuse. A self-taught sewer and crafter, I mainly love to create  bags from shirts, pants and other various reused material. I have worked in business from the time I was 18 and have a love of learning new things. This has given me the opportunity to learn businesses inside and out from accounting to human resources to information technology. With this love of learning also comes a passion for teaching.

I have been involved with many non-profits, volunteering, fundraising and organizing events. Though mainly my focus has been on school and youth organizations, I have logged many volunteer hours teaching various skills and working at area events.

As Executive Director, I will be working hard to take the message of reducing and reusing across our community by working with reuse artists, teachers, community centers, other non-profit organizations and Corporations through workshops, classes and camps for preschoolers to adults. My goal is to get our community to stop and think before an item is tossed or recycled as to the other lives that item could potentially have; if not by you, by someone else.

In turn, this will help the community, especially teachers, obtain inexpensive materials for their classrooms, art and craft projects and masterpieces.

During this time I will be searching for the perfect place to call home for our retail store, workshop area, gallery and boutique. I'm always up for a challenge and this one is a dream I'm making a reality. 

You can reach me at Lynn.GoodGarbage@gmail.com or 502.437.9021. I would love to hear about places (Community centers, senior centers, after school programs or summer camps) where I can share the Good Garbage message and ideas on reuse projects and crafts. I believe the only limitation I have is the imagination...and seems there is no end!!!

I am plowing through fundraising and events, shedding blood, sweat and tears, to make Good Garbage: Center for Creative Reuse an Institution in our great city of Louisville!!! 

It's Time to Start Those Seeds... And Reuse That Shredded Paper

Today is looking to be a very cold day and we are expecting ice this evening! Yuck! But I know spring is right around the corner. My friends at Timebank and various blogs are talking gardening and I realize I'm missing my garden, badly. Moving to an urban apartment, I don't have a great green space I can just till up and community gardens have waiting lists. This year, though, I have decided I'm not going to let that stop me. I am planting a container garden! 

Of course, I don't want to just go buy plants...I want to grow from seeds! And NOW is the time to start them... So I found this great way to reuse shredded paper or torn newspaper to make seed starters. It was so easy! 

You need: Blender, Newspaper, Water, Strainer, Muffin tin, and the sun preferably or an oven will do. 

Tear the paper in about 1" squares (doesn't have to be precise) or use shredded paper and fill your blender about half way. I don't have a blender, so I used my 'shake maker.' Fill the rest of the way with water. I let it soak for a little bit because the newspaper soaks it up. Blend until its a soggy mess paste. Add water or paper as needed.

Pour in the strainer and press most of the water out,until just moist. You don't want it to be completely dry. Then just put a bit of the goo the muffin tin, spreading it up the sides and making sure your bottom is good and covered. You don't want too thick, but you do want it strong enough to hold your dirt. 

I would have preferred to use the sun's heat to dry these, but the day I decided to make them was cold and rainy. I set the oven to 250 degrees and put the muffin tin in. I honestly didn't time it and at one time I turned the oven off because I could smell them baking. Later, I turned it up to 350 because they weren't drying fast enough. My suggestion is to turn it up to 400, then turn it off and put the muffin tins in. Best time is after you bake something and you can put them in when you've finished cooking and use the heat left in the oven. 

Once completely dry, they pop right out of the tin. Fill with compost, soil, seeds and give them sun, water and love. When ready to put them in your garden, the whole thing can be planted. Happy Gardening!

For more awesome repurpose, reuse and recycle ideas, follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@GoodGarbageSDF) and Pinterest! 

The PosSOUPbility Experience

What on Earth is posSOUPbility?

PosSOUPbility is an easy and fun way to bring our community together over food to support new and emerging projects that create innovative ways to celebrate, and/or benefit people, places and things in the Louisville area.  Applicants and projects can be based in a variety of fields and disciplines - the only requirement is creativity!

Somewhere along the way of building Good Garbage, I came across this wonderful group. I wanted to be part of it, not just as a presenter, but to go listen to all the new innovative happenings around this town I love! 

Anne had spoken with Nick Covault, one of the wonderful people behind the event and he really was excited about Good Garbage and our vision and encouraged us to apply. And we did. Since we are currently still completing the piles of paperwork to become a non-profit, and building our followers, we thought this would be a great way to one, get our word out to like minded folks, and maybe even possibly get enough money to buy a used trailer so we could start a mobile popup shop and give us something to pick up large donations with.

Compassionate Louisville
Trackers

The application process was simple. Once they receive the applications, they are looked at by a blind panel and three are chosen to present at the event. This was their year anniversary celebration and word is getting out. They had a record six applications. We were one of the lucky ones chosen to present, along side Educational Justice and Compassionate Louisville Trackers at First Unitarian Church on Sunday, January 27.

Anne and I worked long and hard on our presentation. We practiced and edited and practiced again. We had a lot of fun with sharing our vision while sharing a few laughs with our audience, and from the video, +Rhoden Streeter,  did for us (and we will share once it's edited properly), and the grand response we received afterwards, it seems we did exactly what we set out to do. 

They had a record crowd and amount of money to give away. They collected $1490, which at $10 per person, means there were 149 paying supporters. WOW 149 people paid to eat some fabulous soup and to see the small projects happening in Louisville! How awesome!!!! For us, that meant there were a minimum 149 more people we got our vision out to. There was one person in the audience that couldn't stand the odd dollar amount and offered up another $10 right before the winner was announced to make the take and even $1500!!! This means that the winner received $1350. PosSOUPbility holds 10% to cover their costs, but if that is more than needed, they will add it to the amount the next winner receives.

Nick Covault, Organizer

Educational Justice, Winner

Unfortunately for us Educational Justice won, hard to beat out the needs of our kids. But you know what? You will not find any disappointment here!!! What we took from this event is exactly what we wanted. We got to meet so many wonderful people, garner lots of support, and make Louisville aware we are on the road to build another way to assure waste that could end up in the landfill, will have an alternative home, a place teachers, artists and crafters will be able to access inexpensive materials to help keep the arts alive, as well as a source of education on reducing, reusing and recycling! 

Thank you Nick, Beth and all the other volunteers for the wonder thing you are doing with posSOUPbility and the opportunity you are giving all your presenters and the Louisville community. Please check posSOUPbility out on their blog possoupbility.blogspot.com or on Facebook. Their next event is on April 7, 2013. Be sure to mark your calendar!!!!

(Photos all courtesy of posSOUPbility)

CALLING ALL LOCAL REUSE ARTIST, CRAFTERS & THINKERS

We would love to showcase your artwork, crafts and reuse ideas on our Community Pinterest Board. Email me a picture, a short description and a link to your blog or website or Facebook page, if you have one. From kids to adults, amateur to professional! Show us what you got and what the Louisville area can keep out of the landfill!!! I plan to showcase some of you on our blog itself, as well. These need to be pictures and things you have actually done yourself, not just reposts from Pinterest.

Even though I have tried to incorporate pictures of local items on our Facebook cover photo, I wish I could take full credit for this, S.C.R.A.P. Bin posted this wonderful idea on their Facebook page, and I thought it would be a cool idea for us to do too.

Looking for this to be a fun project!

~Lynn

AND THE WINNER'S ARE....

Congratulations to Jennifer Elizabeth Dulles and Brian McMahan! Though it wasn't announced I also want to congratulate our 200th Facebook fan... Virginia Poole Parks!!!! 

I have decided to give each of you a choice of the five t-shirt grocery bags or a vinyl LP clock.  For the bags, if any of you happen to be a Kentucky Wildcat fan, I have received a donation of quite a few t-shirts and can make all your bags supporting your Cats, otherwise you will receive a random variety of bags. The clock if that is your choice, are made from some old albums and clock mechanisims and numbers from the Habitat for Humanity Reuse Store. Please message me or email me at Lynn.GoodGarbage@gmail.com with your preferences and your address so I can be sure to get your gifts to you in the next week.

Thank you for your support!

Good Garbage Gab: A BREAK FROM BEING CRAFTY

Good morning Gab followers!!! I have so many exciting reuse and repurpose projects for the upcoming year... But I thought I would give you a break today. As much as I love crafting, I said Good Garbage Gab would be about finding ways to repurpose all sorts of things. 

Today's topic? Dryer Sheets! Do you know how many ways you can reuse a dryer sheet before you decide to toss it? Well, there are LOTS!!!! Some I've used, some I haven't, but can't wait to try. 

• Keep some used dryer sheets in a container in your car for wiping the dashboard. Place one under the driver side seat to give it a fresh smell. 
• Use them for cleaning bug splats from your windshield. Just wet one or more softener sheets and wipe over splats. Wait a couple minutes, wipe again and then flush with water. 
• Place a used dryer sheet near the trashcan at your next barbecue or picnic; it will repel bees and flies. Also, wipe one over your arms and legs to repel mosquitoes. I've even heard of golfers keeping on in their back pocket to keep the bees away. 
• Soften the soles of your feet by soaking your feet in some warm water and rubbing them with a used fabric softener sheet.
• Place them in the rafters of your home to keep spiders and other bugs from nesting.
• They're great for removing stuck on foods from your pots and pans. Fill the grimy pan with water and drop the sheet inside. - - Let soak for about an hour and wash as usual.
• Use old dryer sheets to easily wipe up messes like talcum powder and flour.
• Use old dryer sheets in the bottom of flowerpots to cover the drainage holes.
• Use them instead of paper when doing 'paper piecing' for quilts. First ironed them smooth, then trace your pattern onto the dryer sheets. They’re lightweight, don't add bulk to your quilt & they smell great.
• Use them to remove pet hair from your clothes and furniture.
• Use them to remove soap scum on your glass shower door, or use to wipe windows when cleaning.
• Used dryer sheets make great dusting cloths for your wooden furniture.
• Use just like you would a Swiffer sheet on your floors to pick up dust and pet hair.
• I have used them as the interfacing when using my small embroidery/sewing machine.
• Use as stuffing for small sewing projects like felt ornaments.

Grab an old Kleenex box or the like and start collecting those used dryer sheets. Let us know if you have other ways you might reuse those dryer sheets!

You can find more at Recyclebank. Recyclebank is a great interactive way to learn how to be green. You earn points and can redeem for things such as coupons, gift cards and magazines. To join click HERE. 

Celebrating Our Friends and Creating New Ones

T-shirt bag given away at DIY Louisville Ornament Swap

It's hard to believe that we have been at this already for nearly 4 months, but yet at the same time, it is hard to believe we have only been at this for nearly 4 months!!! In that time we have been out passing out brochures and business cards at  the Flea Off Market, Trolley Hops, the Bluegrass Bioneers event, the Mighty Kindness Festival and numerous other events and shops. We have had lots of coffees, some lunches and wonderful conversations. We have been able to meet some of the most amazing and talented people in Louisville and made lots of new friends along the way! We are very lucky! 

Today we hit 149 fans on Facebook! WOW is all I can say. But...I want to see now, how quickly we can hit 200! Please share our Facebook page and our Blog with all your friends and family and coworkers! We also would love to see you sign up to follow our blog. We will be posting lots of information here and as much as we love Facebook, it may not always get there and we would hate for anyone to miss out on all the great things happening with Louisville's first and only creative reuse center! All you have to do is enter your email address to the right of this post, confirm the email you receive and that is it!

Once we hit 200 Facebook fans we will be giving away a set (or two) of really cool t-shirt grocery bags and maybe a few other neat, repurposed items! If you also start following our blog you will have a second chance to win. We will announce the winner by the weekend after we hit the 200 fans! 

Photo courtesy of D.I.Y. Louisville 

Happy New Year!!!!!

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas, or another holiday you may have celebrated this season! We've had sicknesses, birthdays and lots of family time this week and still working hard to start the new year off right for Good Garbage. Good Garbage Gab will continue next week! 

Remember to continue saving things like bottle caps, corks, plastic containers, tp and paper towel rolls, and other items on our list found HERE. 

Wishing you a happy and safe New Year from our families to yours!

Like us? Well be sure to share our page with all your friends and family! We will have so much going on in 2013, everyone will want to continue watching us grow!! 

From Cards to Boxes...

Over the weekend, Barbara, a Facebook friend, asked for instructions on using a Christmas Card to make a box. I found these instructions from Margie's Mark...   Greeting Card Boxes  

Be sure to checkout our Pinterest page for this and many more creative reuse ideas! 

Holidays . . . A Time for Giving!

While you are trimming your tree, entertaining your guests, shopping for and wrapping all those wonderful gifts and before you throw things away, stop and take a look at what you are tossing and see if it could be re-purposed. Check out our list Good Garbage Accepted Materials and see if it is on here. You will also find the link on the right side of this page at all times. It is updated often and always current. At times you will even find a wish list attached to it.

Set aside a box and fill it with these items instead of throwing them away... Bottle caps, can tabs, corks, wine bottles, excess wrapping paper, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, decks of cards with missing cards, game pieces to old games and left over scrap from all your handmade gifts... there's a multitude of items we could use for art projects. 

If you own a business (and even if you don't) and you want to reduce your waste, take this list to work with you and see if there is anything you can donate. Maybe it isn't on this list but you think it could be re-purposed... Email us! We will be glad to talk to you about it. 

After the first of the year, we will have some days we will be setting appointments for drop offs! Thank you for your wonderful support!

Our First Showing of Support!

We have our first showing of support!  Along with two more commitments of $50 each! I will keep updating as we continue to grow!  No amount is too small! - Thank you! Thank you!

Securing Our Spot in the Louisville Sustainability Movement - We Need the Community's Help!

Imagine if you will... A retail shop whose shelves are filled with a colorful array of left over, unused and recycled crafting material donated by artists, crafters and corporations from over-runs and collection drives. Glass - tiles - marbles - fabric - paper - buttons. On the far wall sits a grandiose display of artwork made from materials you see on the shelves—created by everyone from preschool kids to adults—being showcased for everyone to see; some even for sale. Then,  tucked away in a corner you can hear children and adults laughing while learning how to re-purpose a plastic bottle into a spider for a Halloween decoration or learning how to take wire from an electrical cord and make a pair of earrings. THIS IS OUR PASSION... 

Our mission...To provide a sustainable means for collecting scrap material before it enters the waste stream and making it available to the community for creative reuse.

You've been watching us over the last couple months here as we work on building shelves, sharing ideas and talking to just about everyone we come within 20 feet of. The behind the scenes meetings, hashing out ideas, brainstorming, researching and making educated decisions have been continuing beyond what we have been posting here.

After researching many options and existing reuse centers across the country and meeting with various people around town—from the Center for Non-Profit Excellence to civic leaders, to artists, teachers and environmentalists—we have decided to pursue a fiscal sponsorship with SCRAP USA (SCRAPpdx) in Portland, Oregon. Our mission and vision are closely aligned, and they have a sound business model, proven track record, and many projects all over the country. They will give us ongoing administrative help, access to grants, and the ability to begin functioning as a 501(c)3, tax-exempt charity, as soon as they approve our application, which could be as early as January 1, 2013.

In addition to our application, SCRAP has asked us to show proof that our Creative Reuse Center will have community support. A key part of that is to raise $1,000 in start-up money. This does not go to the sponsor, but serves as seed money to help us take our message to the streets through classroom demonstrations and workshops, environmental and arts & craft events all over Louisville, and to help us open our Creative Reuse Retail Store. Any money we receive in this campaign is not tax-deductible, nor does it give any ownership or provide any return on investment. It is an investment in OUR community to serve under-funded groups and support another part of Louisville’s sustainability initiatives.

We have started an email campaign and are now asking you, as our followers and those who would support the store either by donations or as patrons, please consider supporting us in this initial $1,000 campaign. Our goal is to send our application for fiscal sponsorship to SCRAP by December 1, 2012, so any amount you contribute before that would be greatly appreciated. We would like nothing more than to meet with you personally, discuss our vision further and to pick up your contribution. No amount is too little.

We are also always on the lookout for a building where we will be able to set up a retail shop, workrooms, etc. Have or know someone who has space that could be donated to us for a year? Or dirt (and I mean DIRT) cheap? Let us know.

Thanks for your time and thanks for your continued support by following us on here and on Facebook! Please be sure to share us with all your friends!

Anne Walker & Lynn Burgan

Anne.GoodGarbage@gmail.com

Lynn.GoodGarbage@gmail.com

We accept checks or you can contribute using PayPal (anne.goodgarbage@gmail.com).

We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place in living systems, not from above but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously. 

Grace Lee Boggs

What we did this weekend...

Anne worked this weekend on finding ways to reuse these plastic red discs that we received from the Printing House for the Blind, looking for a fun and creative craft project for our up coming booths at local arts and craft fairs. Aren't they just AWESOME?!?!?!?!

I went picking Friday near Waddy, Kentucky. A wonderful lady let me go through a vast collection of office, Christmas and crafting supplies that were her Mother's. After I chatted with her more about what it is we are doing exactly, she showed me some place mats and a gorgeous bowl her Mom made out of Christmas cards. She ended up giving me the bowl, which we will have on display at our booths.

As we secure spots for our booths, we will be sure to update everyone so you can mark it on your calendar! 

Be sure to like us on Facebook and watch us grow!!!

-Lynn

Good Garbage Gab, October 30, 2012

It's starting to get here in Louisville and I thought this would be a great re-purposed idea for today.  And with Halloween tomorrow I thought I'd include a link to instructions on using two-gallon milk cartons to make a Storm Trooper mask for those who have waited until the last minute. (Note: You can use pool noodles cut down and the bottom wrapped in foil or masking tape as light sabers.)

Ever wondered what you could do with that dryer lint that you so quickly throw in the garbage? How about making fire starters? Fill an empty toilet paper roll with the dryer lint. Use it at camp or in your fire place in place of kindling. It's that easy! 

Here's the link for the Storm Trooper mask... This is on my to do list for sure, just so I can say I have one. I love Star Wars!!! 

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/10/milk-jug-storm-trooper-helmet.html

And for good measure a picture of the light saber idea. I really wish I could say I came up with these two ideas...  

Another "WOW! Now why didn't I think of that," moment has hit you! Yay! That is the purpose of these posts. To get you thinking beyond the norm. Making you look at everything you toss in the trash a second time to see if there is somewhere else the item could be of value if re-purposed. We encourage you to seek proper recycling if you can't figure out another way to use the item. If you are unsure, email us. We will help you find the best place for it!

Good Garbage Gab, October 19, 2012

Welcome to the first edition of Good Garbage Gab, where we offer useful tips and crafts for re-purposing items that you may normally just throw away (or hopefully recycle), or save not knowing what you can do with them. We may  also showcase local reuse artists and give you links to articles we think you might find interesting. We are doing this to get your motor running and thinking about the various ways you can reuse everyday items to keep them out of our waste streams.

     In order to keep from scaring off those new to repurposing, I thought it would be nice to start slow and easy. So I'm offering up a simple tip and a simple craft.

 2-Liter Bottle Canisters

You can use these for tons of items: Coffee, tea bags, sugar, crayons, markers, cotton balls, q-tips, change, and a host of other things. I like them because you can see what is in them so easily and when something is on the top shelf, with me being so short, that comes in quite handy. No guessing...

    What you need: Two 2-liter Bottles, washed, dried and any labels removed, Sharp knife such as an X-acto knife and a sharp pair of scissors.  

    Using the knife, cut the two bottles to look like the pictures here. Using the scissors, trim the bottles neatly.

Place the shorter one on top of the taller one and there you have it... a lidded, clear canister.

Another option is to paint them like these and use them as piggy banks, or whatever you can dream up! Both designs were painted with Rust-Oleum 2X satin spray paint and then details added with acrylic craft paint. 

Be sure to recycle the left over plastic!

And if you thought that was easy... Here's something even easier. No craft skills involved.......Button Earring Holder

You know all those extra buttons you get on a new shirt? Or the ones you take off a shirt before you reuse it as a rag or for other re-purposed items? Use them to keep your matched earrings together in your jewelry box or when taking  a trip in your jewelry bag. 

Did you go DUH?!?! Why didn't I think of that? Yeah, me too. 

Hope you enjoyed this new feature of our blog and can put to use the ideas we share. If you have something you've done and would like to share, please let us know by emailing or commenting here. Share our blog and Facebook page with all your friends and let's all work towards a better Community! 

Yarn, Yarn, Yarn...and Ideas

Yarn, Yarn and more Yarn!!! Oh my goodness the yarn! Received two, well stuffed black garbage bags full of all types of....yep, you guessed it YARN! We are quickly filling the shelves we built last week. We have to build more ASAP!!!! We are in need of scrap plywood, 2x4's and anything else that can be used as shelving, or stackable bins, plastic shelves, bookcases, etc.

Besides collecting stuff, we have been busy working on our plan and talking with everyone we possibly can about the creative reuse center. Passing out cards to anyone who will give us a minute. We have received a very warm response to our idea and hope we are building a great team of future volunteers as well!

We are starting a new feature this week simply called Good Garbage Gab. At least once a week (possibly more) we will be featuring ideas on repurposing items in your house, showcasing reuse artists and sharing thought provoking articles and such. We hope this inspires you to find ways to repurpose other things you might throw away and to keep as much out of the waste streams as possible.  Please feel free to post or email us with your own ideas. You are welcome to send us pictures of your finish products too. If you know a reuse artist, we'd also love to hear all about them. Be on the look out for the first post coming soon!

Thank you for following along, supporting and sharing our adventure in building Louisville's Creative Reuse Center. Keep watch for some exciting news over the next few weeks!

-Lynn & Anne

Hard at work...

We had a fairly productive week... Got some shelving built, had some great meetings, made some great decisions. We are moving forward!!! Each day Good Garbage is coming closer to reality!

Here are some pictures of the storage unit and one volunteer, who also donated the lumber, building shelves.

We have a home...

... at least for storage. This past Sunday we made it feel like home. Sort of anyway. We worked our butts clearing and cleaning up (as best you can a dusty, old buildings basement) our storage area.

Fortunate to get a jump start, we also couldn't do as much as we hoped because the old tenant hasn't moved out of it completely yet. Though we were very lucky to get a great start on collecting "junk" left behind by old tenants in the Hope Worsted Mills building. Lots of wood for shelves, the old plexiglass from the original windows that are being replaced, various types of paper, old computer keyboards, windows and lots of other stuff. With it being such an old building, we also felt very lucky we didn't run into any other furry 'tenants.' We left dirty but truly energized.

Today and over the next couple weeks we will build shelves, and continue looking for bins, storage containers, tables, and of course donated items we will be able to sell in the reuse center. The behind the scenes work for the center is keeping us extremely busy as well. We hope in the next few weeks to be sharing some very exciting news. Be sure to keep checking back on our progress...