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Monday, September 5, 2016

Invented: Trash Co-op

Today is trash-a-palooza here in the hood. It's that rare, eclipse-like event where trash day, recycle day and "white trash day" (bulk collection) occur on the same day. AND Labor Day, so we are all home to observe the shenanigans!

Since I get a lot of Stampin' Up! boxes, I am always sad that recycle day is only every other week instead of every week. Ours is always stuffed full of cardboard, which I hate having in the house. Bugs love cardboard. I break the boxes down the instant I get them and take them out to the recycle bin. But it fills up fast. Too fast.

The other day I was longingly eyeing my neighbor's recycle bin, and I'm not gonna lie, I thought about sneaking over there and offloading some boxes.

It occurred to me that we could easily form a trash co-op. I'm a power recycler, but we don't generate a lot of trash, and they pick up our trash every week. So I could offer space in my trash bin, and maybe one of my neighbors could offer me space in their recycle bin. You could have an app that pinged everyone on Sunday night, telling them who had space in which bin. We could all run outside and start distributing our trash and recycling in the most efficient method possible.

I think it's genius. Please let me know when your ten year old has developed the app and then give me part of the proceeds. Thanks. This is a binding contract.

So since 2010, we've been doing an annual event at Splitcoaststampers called Hope You Can Cling To. It was an amazing event, which generated about 4,000 cards a year for patients undergoing cancer treatment at MD Anderson. The community did fantastic work and we loved turning October a pale pink every year in honor of the event.

This year, we are doing something that's anchored in that event, but is more focused on the best crafting season of the year - the "fallidays", which you can read about below. Our contact at MD Anderson has retired and they have enough cards to carry them into the next century, so it was time for a change, which we are very, very excited about.

So I made a card in honor of the anchor, using some Rainbow Tape to create a weathered wood background. I love, love, love that copper is in in a big way this season, because I really love it with blue. Particularly navy.

Weathered Wood Rainbow Tape & Stampin' Up! by Understand Blue
Links to supplies:


To achieve this look, I first adhered the 1/4" crepe tape to the cardstock, leaving a gap between the "boards". Then I covered the entire panel with warm white acrylic paint. When that was dry, I rubbed Marina Mist ink in the gaps for that weathered, seaside look. I finished the card with an anchor image from the Guy Greetings stamp set, some Night of Navy twine, and a die cut sentiment with the Sunshine Wishes thinlets and copper foil sheets. Fun, right?

Okay, now a little more about the Falliday event! This will kick off on October 9th.


 We are going to have TEN holiday crafting tutorials, four days of tips and card drives, prizes, and a little surprise you'll have to wait and see. Be sure and follow the instructions in the story about this event to get updates!

I hope you're enjoying your long holiday weekend. Let me know when my app is ready.

Loveyameanitbye.


3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the background on the change. Change is always hard, but this new event looks exciting. I hope it will be a smashing success!!!!

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  2. I have had the exact same thought about the trash situation! Although I don't think any of my neighbors would use an App... so my best bet is still to sneak my recycling into their bins in the middle of the night.

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  3. Looking forward to the challanges. Our neighborhood just goes up and down the street looking for unused space in anyones bin and drops it in.

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