Scrapstores, Reusing Courier Bags, Kaka Beaks and More

In my last post I mentioned looking for a dress for a Great Gatsby event - well I looked in the costume hire shop, and the ones in there were awful. Since then I have found one, but it has meant that I have broken my 1 year pledge of not buying any clothes by 2 weeks, ah well, that's still pretty good. I will just say that it is a beaded, black, preloved number, and if I had waited I may never have found one as good. I will post a pic when the event comes up. I am trying to persuade the boys that they should dress like the band in the movie....

I have sourced the white bow ties and fezzes - I think the boys would look awesome like this. 

Market

Dahlia tubers - 50 cents/ clump

A couple of weeks ago we went to what was billed as a collectibles market - but really it was about 10 stalls in an old local hall. We whipped around it in about 10 minutes, but I did pick up these dahlia tubers for 50 cents each clump. Hopefully they will be a bundle of bright blooms in late summer.

Scrapstores

We don't have these here - shops where commercial and manufacturing waste is sold for reuse by schoolchildren, artists and anyone really.
At present all those roofing scraps, pallets, bits of leftover leather or canvas or lace or cardboard just go to the dump. I have been talking to the people at Ecosolutions about getting a shop going here, and they are keen to support the idea, but really not to do the work. I am a bit worried that it is way bigger than me, so I will need a team if it is to get going...still planning. Anyone keen, apply in person.

The Parcel is in the Mail..

We all get them - items sent in courier post packaging. Sometimes just a plastic bag, other times a paper or plastic covered bubblewrap bag.
Well you don't have to throw them away - they can be reused.
I took three and gave them the treatment.

Before

After

The first one is just a plastic courier bag, which can simply be turned inside out, and either a label stuck on with cellotape or written on in permanent marker.
The second bag I just peeled the old labels off and it can now be reused, using tape to seal it closed.
The third bag I tarted up by gluing vintage wallpaper over then zooming around it with the sewing machine.

And while I was on altered packaging, I decided I could make this one reusable just by sewing it shorter to remove the logo.

And here are my latest plantings - Kaka Beaks. These are a New Zealand native shrub, so called because their flowers are shaped like a parrot's beak. (Kaka is the NZ native parrot). These plants are endangered in the wild with only about 153 known plants remaining as they are apparently delectable fodder for goats, hares, snails etc.

Kaka Beaks awaiting planting

Kaka Beak flower

Phew, that was a bit of everything thrown in.
Thanks for visiting.