The Woman Behind Sinister Urge

In Roller Derby you meet all kinds of people, and these folks are, more often than not, amazing. I am on a derby team that boasts artists, musicians, writers, chefs, and crafters. These people are impressive! The stuff they do and make is astounding. The creativity that seems to explode out of  nowhere is amazing as well. I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to two of the awesome ladies I have had the pleasure to know and skate with.

Joannie Atkins, better known to the Derby world as Strawberry ShortSkate, runs an Esty shop called Sinister Urge. She specializes in re purposed and recycled clothing. Her shop is small right now, but she is adding new stuff every day. From her profile on Esty:

The whole refurbished and recycling idea came from the saying “Waste not want not” or “One man’s trash another man’s treasure. I read an article once upon a time on how clothing is the one of the largest amount of space taken up in land fill’s, I thought ” What could I do to help reverse some of the damage?” Plus, I grew up making my own clothing and just couldn’t bear to toss a shirt I loved so much because of holes, or bleach etc. got on it so I started figuring out ways to hand craft them into usable household items!

At the moment, she has several re purposed t-shirts that she has turned into aprons, and not just run-of-th- mill aprons, but really COOL aprons!

Look at the apron ($30.00) to the right!! Joannie made that out of a shirt she found in a thrift shop. All the ruffles and stitching is hand done and there are no two designs that are alike in her shop because everything she does is one of a kind.  If you’re looking for a gift for someone special and want something unique, look no further. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Joannie does custom work, too. Have a favorite concert T that you can’t really wear any more, but can’t bear to part with? Joannie will turn it into anything you can think of! A scarf, a hat, an apron, a table runner…. you name it! With prices ranging from $17 to $30, and custom work being negotiable, this is a great idea for affordable, unique gifts with flair!

Jessie Schneider Of Cannibal Crafts

Next, I’d like you to meet Jessie Schneider, AKA- PB Arlene. She has a shop on Esty called Cannibal Crafts. She has all kinds of kitschy baubles and beautiful fused glass jewelry that she makes by hand! Jessie’s shop is a little bigger, but the hand crafted feel is still in each of her offerings. Her fused glass jewelry is especially beautiful. As described by her:

I love fusing glass. Ever since I was able to wield scissors my brother took to calling me “Destructra” because anything I got my hands on ended up changed forever (for the better, in my opinion). The process of fusing, getting the glass red hot, perfecting the temperature and time for each piece, and the painfully slow cooling period give me just enough time and inspiration to come up with the next combination of glass bits. These pendants do not come from an assembly line, each one is planned out and created one at a time with consideration and time given to my own quirky creative process. To me, these pendants are like wearable art. Each one is different and unique.

Look at this beautiful pendant! ($24.00)This monster of a pendant came from mixing different scraps of shiny dichroic glass into what looks just like a blob from an oily lagoon. It actually kind of reminds me of how Stephen King described the lake monster in his short story, “The Raft”. With its multiple layers and strange mix of colors, it  is a one-of-a-kind.

Jessie also makes these stiff felt moustashes ($16.50)that she sells in this “‘Stash Pack,” which according to her, “Moustaches and masquerades combine in a fun game of dress up with facial hair. I made a batch of these for my friend’s Moustache Bash as party favors back in 2008. Now I’m sharing the fun with you.  They’re fun to try on, trade with friends, and aren’t as stuffy as masquerade masks. A quick and clever disguise for any PI, though not nearly as incognito as say, a ski mask. I’ve found that carrying a couple in my purse creates even better photo booth pictures when out on the town.” Imagine having these around at your next party. Just add a photo station and instant awesome memories, not to mention really cool swag to send home with your guests. And those are just two of the many awesome crafts she has for sale in her Esty shop!

I hope you’ll take a moment to go check out these two shops on Esty that are run by two totally awesome roller girls.  I’ve personally owned items from both these crafty girls and I love them! In this Occupied Economy where we are trying to support the small business owner, here are two entrepreneurs who have their finger on the uncommon and the unmatched.

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These two values have come into conflict on more than one occassion.  It can be expensive to choose eco friendly products, and the easiest way for me to help the environment is usually to just consume (and buy) less whenever possible.

And so it was with extreme hesitation that I began the search for recylced business cards – that is, business cards made with recycled paper, not someone else’s business card that they’re no longer using because they got fired or something.

I’m going to a BlogHer conference in Chicago this summer and I want to take business cards with me.  Apparently people show up to these networking events and expect you to have more than a cocktail napkin with your email addresss hastily scribbled on the back of it.   If at all possible, I’d like to hand out business cards that are printed on recycled paper – because I’m pretty sure that most of them will be used to hastily scribble someone else’s email address on the back of them and it would be nice if they were at least doing it without killing a bunch of trees.

However, I will be paying for these cards myself so cost is a major factor.

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Read the rest of Recycled Business Cards from 123 Print

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