BAGS BY MELISSA .....Environment Hero

Back in January I did a blog post 'Until Plastic Bags are Banned' drawing attention to the harm plastic bags are to the environment and even more so, what they do to our animal friends. Until a permanent fix is in place, we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to keep as many plastic bags out of the landfill.

There are multiple shops on Etsy that take this responsibility very seriously. I refer to them as 'Environment Heroes'.


Let me introduce to you .....
Environment Hero - Bags By Melissa

Q: What is the creative process you use to decide what to create for your Etsy store? I never really start out with a vision for a finished bag or wallet. It just sort of happens. I start out with a finished piece of fabric and then collage over it. I can find inspiration anywhere from bread bags to fortune cookie bags or sushi grass. I love to watch the bags take form.

Q: Are you selling your products on any other online venue other than Etsy? Not at the moment, but perhaps sometime soon. Etsy is the only online venue that I am currently using to sell my bags, but I do post many of them on my facebook page and have gotten lots of good response and ideas that way.

Q: Do you have any interest in selling your product in an actual store/market place? Absolutely. For a potential customer to be able to handle and try on a product would definitely have its advantages. I did have my bags in a shop here here in downtown Greensboro. I did a few holiday Bazaar's here also. I have a few places that have shown interest in carrying my bags locally and plan to get on that right after the Holidays.

Q: What are your favorite things to make with plastic bags? My favorite things to make with bags are purses/handbags. I get a lot of satisfaction out of turning trash into something that I see as beautiful. Often my handbag will catch someone's eye and they are wowed when they find out what it is made of. I also like to make wallets, business card holders and checkbook covers.

Q: Take a wild guess on how many plastic bags you have used to-date for your creations? It would be a very difficult guess as to how many plastic bags I have kept out of the landfill. Each bag that I make takes at least 8 bags just for the foundation and then I add on several layers. Best guess is that it is up over a thousand, maybe two. I bring my own bags to the grocery, and when I need more, I hit the recycle bin. I wish that more people would think to recycle their bread bags, news paper bags, food bags...etc.

Q: What will you do when plastic bags are officially banned in the U.S.? I am not really worried about what I will do when plastic bags are banned in the U.S. It would be better for the planet. We are currently drowning our oceans, our forests, and our back yards in them and I do not think that I will find a shortage of plastic bags anytime soon. If there is a shortage of them in our near future, I am a pretty resourceful person and will find a way or another passion.

Q: For someone to get to know you, how would you describe yourself? I am a Mother, a Massage Therapist and an Aesthetician. I have always had a passion for crafting and for re-cycling. y My home is decorated in found, refurbished objects. I was home from work about two years ago with acute tendonitis when a friend told me that you could make fabric from plastic bags. I was living in a town in Louisiana that did not recycle and had a mountain of bags that I did not know what to do with. My first couple of attempts at fusing were hysterical. Determination, trial and error is about the only advice that I can give. I gave up on the idea for a little while and started to crochet things made from plarn (plastic bag yarn). When I moved to North Carolina, my sewing machine came back out of storage and I went back to the ironing board. Once I got the hang of it, it did not take long for my creative juices to start flowing. I have always been the sort of crafter that only gifted. When I started making bags, the really fabulous friends that I have here encouraged me to market them. I was reluctant at first, but it has really been loads of fun. It makes me happy when I sell a bag to see the smile on the purchaser's face and how happy that they are with their new "green" bag. They also feel that they are doing something for the planet by carrying one of my creations.

Here are a few additional creative designs for you to enjoy:

Don't forget ........ Green is the new Black!

I hope you enjoyed meeting Bags By Melissa as much as I have.....

Please come back and visit soon so you can meet the next Environment Hero!!!!

FANTASTIC PLASTIC ....Environment Hero

Back in January I did a blog post 'Until Plastic Bags are Banned' drawing attention to the harm plastic bags are to the environment and even moreso, what they do to our animal friends. Until a permanent fix is in place, we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to keep as many plastic bags out of the landfill.

There are multiple Etsy shops that take this responsibility very seriously whom I refer to as 'Environment Heroes'.

Let me introduce to you ..... Environment Hero -

Q: What is the creative process you use to decide what to create for your Etsy store?
Plarn (plastic yarn) has become an increasingly popular material to work with. I started playing around with it about 4 or 5 years ago. Once I discovered the possibilities behind making wearable forms I was pretty much hooked. I am always looking to diversify, but for the time being the plarn accessories take up the majority of the shop. I have a few grocery totes as well.

Q: Are you selling your products on any other online venue other than Etsy?
Not at the moment, but perhaps sometime soon.

Q: Do you have any interest in selling your product in an actual store/market place?
Absolutely. For a potential customer to be able to handle and try on a product would definitely have its advantages.

Q: What are your favorite things to make with plastic bags?
I really enjoy the freeform accessories. Taking something like a plastic bag and making something sculptural and chic is a satisfying venture. It also just seems a little funny. Not to mention that moment others have when they see what you’re wearing isn’t yarn or hemp. Working with something that is intended to be worn provides an extra challenge. Aside from working with what can sometimes be an awkward material, I’m working with the body. I like knowing that each accessory is totally unique. Since I’m not working from a pattern each time I make something new it can become more complex with even more skillful construction. Good times.

Q: Take a wild guess on how many plastic bags you have used to-date for your creations?
I’m not sure I could guess. A lot. To give you a reference, many of the cuffs are anywhere from two to five bags. The necklaces are about double that. I have made larger items that took hundreds of bags. Also, I have a few large baskets of plarn skeins. This stash consists of hundred of bags. A decent amount for a one woman operation. Although, as we all know this is not even a dent in the massive amount of bags that still make their way to the landfill.

Q: What will you do when plastic bags are officially banned in the U.S.?
Well, when I run out… I run out. I suspect it will be a little while yet, particularly for those of us here in the Midwest. I have friends that save them for me. This keeps me fairly stocked up. There are always materials to be repurposed. Despite the current green movement, we are consumers. There will always be some waste. I’m a scavenger. I will adapt and find other materials to work with.

Q: For someone to get to know you, how would you describe yourself?
I’m an artist and college art instructor, both which I thoroughly enjoy. I prefer summer to winter, the city to the country, and dogs to cats. I have a tendency to speak my mind even when I shouldn’t. I love word and strategy games and can be a bit competitive. I watch a lot of movies and if I love them I will indeed watch them many times. I’m a scavenger and a collector and a domestic. I’ll make something out of anything that lands in my little paws.

Here are additional jewelry pieces for you to enjoy:

I hope you enjoyed meeting Fantastic Plastic as much as I have!!!!