I recently had the pleasure of interviewing an amazing local artist, DeAnna Cochran, who specializes in crafting gold, silver and bronze jewelry. At first glance her jewelry is visually stunning and very unique but don’t be fooled by the pretty looks, there is a complex and very clever process that goes into making her artwork;

If you look a little deeper into the process behind DeAnna Cochran’s jewelry pieces you will uncover a fascinating story including recycled cell phones, recycled computers, Japanese scientists and a zero waste business model!

DeAnna is passionate about running her charity focused “Jewelry for a Cause” business and she tries to keep the business operating with a zero waste policy.

Simply, I love creating and more so I love that what I create holds a higher purpose of giving back and making a difference.

- DeAnna Cochran, Metalsmith and Artist

During my interview with DeAnna I could clearly hear the passion that she has for the “craft” involved in creating her jewelry, the part that fascinated me was that her jewelry is made with a Precious Metal Clay which uses re-claimed metals from scrap electronics! The Precious Metal Clay contains small particles of gold, silver or bronze and when it it freshly out of the packaging it is very soft and workable. DeAnna explained that PMC looks and works very much like a regular clay compound, it uses a water based binder and is completely non-toxic. DeAnna’s wonderful jewelry creations are full of fine details and she said that the PMC allows her to create these fine details with a high level of confidence in the final result.

Once DeAnna has finished her design the PMC can be fired or cured in a kiln. The PMC generally shrinks in size by approximately 10% due to the organic binders being burnt off. What is left behind is a wonderfully pure gold, silver or bronze piece of jewelry! DeAnna explained that she has enjoyed working recently with bronze, it is relatively new to the PMC line of products.

Needless to say, my curiosity was lit and I went off to do some research into Precious Metal Clay. Let’s start with some of the science… Did you know that all cell phones and computers, in fact pretty much anything with a circuit board, contains small amounts of silver, gold and other precious metals?

To quote Richard Alcorn from Finishing.com;

One ton (2000 lbs) of “average” circuit board from modern computers and electronics generally yields (in a very good system) between 8 and 11 troy ounces of 24k gold.

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Our front yard has lots of thriving plants, mainly roses and bushes of various types, but we noticed that the plants in an area next to our driveway had been struggling.

Last year we planted five large Rhododendron bushes and four Hydrangeas. Our wonderful Mom suggested that the soil might not be acidic enough for the Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas. She gave us a large bag of used coffee grounds which were provided by the excellent “Roots Coffee House” in North Richland Hills.

Used Coffee Grounds Can Increase Soil Acidity

The used coffee grounds can increase the acidity of soil and help plants which need higher acidity. I did some research and found that coffee acidity is the bright and dry taste that adds life to a coffee. The acidity of coffee is similar to the dry but bright sensation experienced while drinking a red wine. The brewing of coffee removes alot of the acids but the discarded coffee grounds are perfect for adding some well needed soil acidity for plants like Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas.

Rhododendrons

Most Rhododendrons prefer acid soils with a pH of roughly 4.5-5.5 and the local Texas soils are probably only a pH level of about 6.9. Adding used coffee grounds to the soil brings the pH down from 6.9 to a lower, more acidic value, which is perfect for the Rhododendrons.

Other advice is that Rhododendrons have fibrous roots and prefer well-drained soils high in organic material. Rhododendrons are often grown in raised beds with a liberal addition of composted pine bark. Mulching and careful watering are also important.

Making High Acidity Soil

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas can tolerate a range of pH, soil acidity, conditions however for some varieties the color of their flowers is determined by the relative acidity of the soil. A pH below 6 (acidic) will usually produce flower colors closer to true blue, whereas soil with a pH above 6 (more alkaline) will produce flowers that are more pink. The flowers on all of our Hydrangeas were all very pink in color which was another indicator that the soil was not acidic enough. We’re hoping that if we can increase the soil acidity with the used coffee grounds then we will get more blue Hydrangea flowers.

High Acidity Soil for Hydrangeas

We have already noticed an improvement in the look of our Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas and we will be taking advantage of free used coffee grounds from our local coffee houses to keep them looking healthy for years to come.

Our High Acidity Soil

If your household is anything like ours then you will likely have several old cell phones lying around in a virtual technology graveyard. We have two LG shines collecting dust due to our insatiable love of the iPhone! I have seen lots o f places where you can drop off used cell phones in a recycling bin but just haven’t been confident in how they would dispose of the cell phone. Today I stumbled across a way to go green and get paid by not only recycling my old cell phones but also making a little “green” as well!

There are several companies offering this service now but we have found the best, especially if you happen to live in the UK, to be SellMyMobile.com, they offer a great service where you can search for your particular old cell phone and see exactly how much you could get paid for it.

I searched for my LG shine and discovered that several companies would pay me 10 GBP (approx $15) to mail the cell phone to them for recycling! Some companies even offer free shipping;

See How Much Your Old Mobile is Worth!

Once you have searched out the best deal you can follow easy links to the right sites and sell your old mobile for cash to the phone recycling companies, it’s that easy!

I am going to gather up my old cell phones, wipe the memory chips and get them sold / recycled / de-cluttered / out of the house… If I make a couple of dollars then at least I’m helping the environment at the same time as working my way towards that new iPhone.

So what are you waiting for? If you are interested in mobile phone recycling then just visit Sell My Mobile and get started.

I stumbled across a wonderfully intriguing image on Flickr.com and it turned out to be an eco friendly coat made from reused plastic shopping bags. The green fashionista responsible for the wonderful creation is UrbanWoodsWalker and her creations are truly inspiring.
This post will show you how to turn your used plastic bags into “plastic fabric” and make your own eco clothing. (Warning: The plastic fabric requires the use of an iron. Please be very careful whenever using a hot iron and ensure your work area is well ventilated)

1/ Collect a bunch of brightly colored plastic bags (The super thin ones work best such as the type newspapers are delivered in), most shoppers have eliminated plastic bags from their homes by using reusable totes but you can probably still find some plastic to use;

Step 1: Gather up Your Used Plastic Bags

2/ You will need the following, an iron, an ironing board, a pair of scissors, some paper (wax paper or parchment paper works best).
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Since it is oh so cold but it is almost February and warmer weather will be just around the corner in March (hopefully), I thought I would do some sprucing up around our house. Touching up the paint on walls and trim or better yet, painting a wall an entirely different color, can gives your home a whole new feel.

I ran across some ways to be planet friendly and preserve the paints I use. Here are some of those ideas:

1. Keep paints stored in moderate temperatures in the home, a closet or pantry. Temperature lows and highs can cause the ingredients in paint to separate. Extended exposure to extremes can make the separation so severe that no amount of shaking and stirring will restore the paint’s texture.

2. Don’t paint from the can. Pour paint into an open bucket or a roller pan and dip your brush or roller in that. The fewer items you stick into the paint can, the less likely the paint is to become contaminated.

3. Keep paint cans closed as much as possible while you’re working. at the end of the day, put a piece of plastic wrap over the top before securing the lid to help create an airtight seal.

4.When saving leftover paint, make sure the can lid is on tight, then turn the can upside down to create an airtight seal and to avoid the formation of a “skin” of thickened paint on top.

5. Keep some paint in a baby food jar or canning jar for touch ups. It saves opening a gallon of paint each time you need to use just a little.

Here we are at the end of another year. 2010 is just around the corner and for me, it is the beginning of another opportunity to make life choices. What will I do in the coming new year to help my home, my planet be a better, healthier, greener place? Lets see, there are so many things, here are my top 5 green resolutions:

1. Plant more plants in the yard, in the community, on the planet. Trees are like the lungs of the planet. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Additionally, they provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. Trees also absorb sound and reduce noise pollution. Check out this site if you don’t have space to plant a tree around your home:  Trees for the Future

2. Reduce my use of an automobile. We have now become a one car family. With just my husband and I, it seems to be working out for us. We have found that we don’t need two cars. We also own two bikes and are in good health so walking is also an option. So far so good. There really is no need to drive short distances, I recommend getting a bike or if you have the money, an electric scooter.

3. I am absolutely going to start using my eco-friendly/reusable grocery bags. I have them, they are in the car; I am going to take them into the store, I mean it!!

4. Any new appliances we buy will be the energy star variety. As we get into the new year, any item we need to replace we will research and purchase the most energy efficient  item. First on the list, our electric can opener is near its end. My choice, an old fashion hand crank can opener. Not as quick but we just don’t use that many can goods, so I think it will work.

5. Recycle more. Reduce our purchase of packaged products and buy more bulk with less extra wrap! Don’t forget to make lots of visits to Our Everyday Earth.com in 2010, we hope to make a difference in our lives and others by passing on as much earth friendly information and ways to simplify your life.

There you have it, my top 5. What about you? Leave a comment on any resolutions you think might help out planet.

In the beginning

We have a small area in our side yard that we are going to turn into a garden spot. We had a couple of tomato bushes and some onions last year, but the roses around the area did not allow for much sun. So we have moved the roses and made a space around 8 x 8. We would like to grow tomatoes, oni0ns, and put a trellis for zucchini and squash. I also have some strawberry plants I would like to put in the center in a raised bed, still working on that idea. We have put a four foot fence around it with a gate to keep out the dogs, rabbits, etc. This was made out of left over cedar pieces that our contractor friend had. We now have to put in the boards to keep in the soil and then add organic soil. Come spring, we will plant our little garden. I can already visualize the paintings from the produce and the good tasting homegrown veggies on the table.  We’ll see how that works out. I’ll keep you posted.

New fence out of cedar scraps