the ReFab Diaries

Remember the eyelidcanvas feature and giveaway? Well, the amazing Kim just did a little repurposing for me and it's glorious. Right???? I bought the little copper leaf earrings at the One of Kind show a few years ago and have hardly warn them. Why? Because they looked odd on me. So they've sat around taunting me. I never stopped thinking they were beautiful. But I was also not wearing them and that felt like a huge waste. I'm betting that many of you know exactly what this feels like!

Here's some inspiration from South Africa! Thato Kgatlhyane was only 18 years old when she and two friends set up Rethaka (Pty) Ltd - a for-profit, woman-owned purpose-driven business. Their first product was the Repurpose Schoolbag, a solar-powered, waterproof schoolbag for children, made from recycled plastic.

Lanae, congrats! Expect an email from me later today to get your shipping details. Thanks to everyone who entered for your interest and thanks to eyelidcanvas (Kim!) for the great giveaway!

Keep up with eyelidcanvas on Facebook and Instagram

Kim's work is available directly through her website and at:

Celebrate Earth Month by supporting Retrash — a new book about upcycling, recycling, and living a sustainable lifestyle.

I love the steampunk / trashion punk aesthetic. I'll be heading to Cape Town in March and at the top of my to-visit list is Truth Coffee, where steampunk is not just about decorating but has, in fact, inspired a built-from-scratch "coffee bean contraption". Because of its appeal, I've spent quite a lot of time looking around for jewelry DIYs. They're hard to find. But here's a small collection for you, inspired my February sponsor, Sleepless Storyteller. 

I've been crafting and writing as long as I can remember, but writing came first as a career. I studied professional writing at the University of Victoria. After graduating in 2001, I worked in roles that utilized my copywriting and journalism skills. 

I started making my own jewellery probably as far back as high school. I have very petite wrists and fingers, so the best way to find rings and bracelets that fit was to make my own. I'm also fond of chokers, which I need a small size for as well.

Today, the two pursuits really weave into each other at a higher level. My work as a communications and marketing writer gave me the training I needed to handle the promotional and graphics side of having a shop, backed by a website and social media.

2. You are strongly oriented to repurposing, upcycling etc... where did that come from for you

Being a writer, even working mostly in the corporate world, is rarely a lucrative pursuit. I start the answer there to explain that recycling, for me, began as simple thrift. Already making my own jewelry, I found myself remaking old designs I became tired of, and from there, experimenting with clockwork and computer parts I had access to at home.

3. Advice for folk who are trying to turn their passion/craft into an online business?

Turning a crafting hobby into a business isn't as big an undertaking as you might think, now that sites like Etsy, Big Cartel, ArtFire and others make it fairly painless to upload and offer goods for sale. In addition to your products of course, you need a decent camera, photo editing software, and time. Time for things like copywriting and social media, as well as the time spent crafting.

The main challenge is trying to grow that shop into a recognized brand with a sales volume that covers a real wage, after expenses are deducted. Most crafters work on their business while holding down a job, often while raising a family. Growing a business when you can't devote all your time to it is a process that takes several years at a bare minimum.

4. What are you excited to read this year?? 

Great question! This year, I'm doing quite a bit of research reading, so my list looks something like: Cryptids And Other Creepy Creatures by John D. Wright, African Mythology by Jan Knappert, Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece by W.H.D. Rouse and Dictionary of the Occult by André Nataf.

For fun though, I'm reading Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Before that it was A Clash of Kings. Is there anyone left who's not a Game of Thrones fan?

I hope that list isn't too long! When start talking (or writing) about literature and crafting, I can really get going.

Visit Christine's Etsy store and follow her Facebook

Last weekend, I spent many hours wandering the One of a Kind show at Chicago's Merchandize Mart. It's a massive show - big enough for Etsy to sponsor a whole section and still be hard to find. I like the show. I try to attend every year. It's a great place to see incredible jewelry, fine art and high-end functional art from across the US. 

Paper beads (think magazine pages) are easy to make (I made book-page beads a while back) and can have a great visual impact when displayed together ... like this wonderful curtain from Trashy Crafter!  I love the colors :) Click through for the complete DIY.