Green-living.

In starting up an online crafting "business" (and by putting that in parenthesis I only mean that I have not yet reached the "business" level that I would someday like to, and not that I don't view this adventure with wholehearted professionalism), I've realized that it is so much more complicated than I ever thought. One thing that I'm repeatedly going over in my head is how to make a small home-based business "Green". (I know, more parenthesis - it's become such a catch-phrase lately, it almost seems cliche.) But it's not a cliche. It's an important movement that, I believe, is growing a lot more slowly than it needs to.

So how do you run a green home-based business, much less a green home? There are a lot of things to think about. It's nearly impossible to be completely impact-free, but there are a lot of steps we can take to reduce our footprint on the earth. In searching for answers for my many questions on how to live the green life, it has proved difficult to find real-world answers. So one day I tried using one of my favorite features on Etsy: the Forums, were fellow crafters and artists from all over the world can discuss any topic under the sun. I started two different threads in different categories, both under the same name, hoping that this would give my topic the attention it deserved. In the end, I was surprised at the almost overwhelming amount of replies! It made me so happy to see so many others out there thinking about the same things I was, and that I wasn't the only one having a hard time giving up certain bad habits. Now that the posting has died down somewhat, my next step will be to compile all of the green-living tips into blog posts to share with everyone! Keep an eye out for updates!

Here are the links to the threads in the Etsy Forums:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5494463
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5494434

My first commissioned book.

I recently finished my first commissioned book. Click here to see it in my Etsy shop. A friend of mine came to me and asked me to make a custom journal for him, which was exciting for the both of us, since he got to pick out exactly what he wanted it to look like, and I got to work on my first custom design.

I liked the way he put it when we were discussing how a custom journal would inevitably cost more than he would pay if he went to a store and bought a similar book. He told me that he was fine with paying me for doing this for him because otherwise he would just have to go to Barnes & Noble or some other store and give them his money, and he would much rather give that money to me. I'm glad he felt that way, and I wish more people realized that handmade items are well worth the money!

What I'm all about.

So maybe you're wondering what RedWickerBag Design is really all about. Well, coincidentally enough, I'm still working on figuring that out myself. But what I can tell you is what I'm all about right now. Right now, I am working on developing a few different lines of handbound journals and other bookish items. Ever since I took up bookbinding as a side project, I have become hooked on strange and interesting papers with unique textures, vintage patterns, and rich colors. One paper that I am currently working with is called Ellie Pooh Paper (www.mrelliepooh.com), which is made from 75% elephant dung and 25% recycled rice paper, and is helping preserve the elephant population in Sri Lanka. I know, I know...everyone's first reaction is the same: "Elephant what?" Yes, elephant dung. And yes, I know what that means: elephant poop. I also know what your first question will be: "Why would anyone make paper out of poop?! And how?!" I'll explain...

Since elephants are pretty huge, they need to eat a lot of plants every day. Pretty obvious, right? But not everyone thinks of what happens after all that eating: waste. And by waste, I mean poop. (Let's be candid here.) How much poop? Five hundred pounds a day, actually. That's a lot of poop! And the resource that's in it is pure plant matter, which as we all know is what paper is made out of. And once you let it dry in the sun, then boil it all down (using margosa leaves, a natural disinfectant), you have all the pulp you need to make some nice acid-free, tree-free paper. (And no, the paper does not smell.) So that's how you make the jump from plant, to poop, to paper.

But how does making paper out of elephant poop actually help the elephant population? In Sri Lanka, elephants are being killed not for their tusks or their hides, but simply because they cannot live peacefully alongside the farmers who are trying to make their living through agriculture. Elephants are invading their farmland and eating their crops, meaning that in this area, man and beast just can't get along. One solution to this conflict is called Project Peace Paper, organized by Maximus (www.ecomaximus.com), the manufacturer of the paper in Sri Lanka. This project is meant to be a way for the rural people to see their elephant neighbors as assets rather than liabilities, and as an avenue to raise global awareness of their story.

I suppose it sounds like what I'm all about these days is just poop. But really, I'm just all about paper. What makes me love this elephant dung paper is not just how eco-friendly it is (no trees are cut down and no bleaches or chemicals are used) or how nice it is to those cute elephants, but how cool the paper actually is! It feels silky to the touch, and it almost has a felt-like quality to it. The texture of it makes writing on it an experience just in itself. My ambition is to make this paper into journals, notepads, and other bookish products so that everyone can experience writing on elephant dung! It is a very inexpensive alternative to non-recycled paper products, and you don't have to worry about what it will do to the environment once you're done with it.

You can see how I'm using this paper in my handbound books on my Etsy shop: www.redwickerbagdesign.etsy.com.

Introducing...RedWickerBag Design's New Blog.

Here it is, the online journal of happenings and goings-on in the world of RedWickerBag Design, otherwise known as Sarah Logterman (that's me). What this blog will focus on is all of my current projects, my ideas on designing and creating, as well as ideas of others who I find inspiring. It will also serve as the online promotional tool for my Etsy shop.