It’s the final count down, for the Christmas morning present tear down. In our family’s case the carnage starts on Christmas Eve. Many of us have had to scale back on making grand gestures with expensive gifts due to the economy. This year also marks, a shift in eco-awareness about how we present our gifts. How can we save trees, money, and space in the landfill? Many of us are seeking out the best way to make memorable eco-friendly presentations for our heartfelt gifts. In this two-part blog, I will share some eco-fairy ways to celebrate the pleasure of unwrapping gifts. In part I will examine gift bags and wrapping paper. Part II will include some fun ways to recycle trash into clever eco-friendly containers and a hilarious way to give greenbacks and a green message.

Lets start with the classics wrapping paper and gift bags. We all know that gift bags are versatile and pretty. They’re really just fast and easy fixes for packaging gifts, that don’t require sharp objects crisp folded edges and tape. The good news is that just because they are made from paper doesn’t mean we should abandon their easy- to- fill construction. Gift bags should always be recycled, but not by the city recycling department. We should reuse them until their bottoms fall out. By reusing gift bags we are keeping them out of the landfill. Hurray! This closes the loop on the cycle of, buy, use, and then toss. Save the bags that don’t get trashed in the excitement of unwrapping. Bag swap with friends and family. For eco-fairies, “Old to you is new to me.”

Wrapping paper isn’t so easy to keep reusing but these ideas might have you folding and taping till your hearts content without feeling guilty about using paper by the rolls. I’m not going to tell you never buy wrapping paper but I will say this: choose wisely. It should make you react in Joy. Pick something that makes a real statement. Save the paper after the presents has been opened. Be an eco-fairy and reuse the paper for scrap booking, cards, and covering storage containers. Go greener and get a roll of plain brown recycled paper and make your own wrapping paper. If you have kids get them involved in painting, stamping, and glittering. The possibilities are endless and the paper becomes a little work of art. You can also start to look around your house or office for paper. Newspaper, magazines and your child’s school art are all great starts. In the end if the eco-friendly paper sounds like ripping paper as they tear into the package then, mission accomplished.

Now it is time to talk about unconventional present presentations; which happens to be my favorite part. I have three eco-fairy ideas ready for you to try out. First project, Take-out. That’s right, save those take-out containers. Many of them make great boxes. Think, Chinese To-Go boxes. If you quickly wash and wipe dry a to-go box that had steamed rice you could be half way done with a unique and truly recycled way to package a gift. My favorite container comes from the deli counter. Those clean, clear plastic containers make fresh and simple homes for fantastic gifts. Start by washing and removing the labels from the container. If the label won’t come off clean, use paper, fabric, or stickers to cover it up. Fill the container with shredded paper, raffia, or tissue paper and add your gift and a note. Close it and tie ribbons. Just don’t forget to recycle the container afterwards.

My second idea doubles as a second gift and a craft project. Save coffee cans or soup cans and remove their labels. At this point you can cover the tins in paper, photos, paint, or fabric. Or you can leave it as a craft project for the receiver of the gift. Fill the tin with your gift, wrapping it in tissue as needed. Then wrap up the tin in fabric
eco-friendly paper. Tie ribbons at the top and you are ready to go. Once the gift is opened they can use the tin to hold office supplies, candies, or bathroom goodies. Eco-fairies can never have to many storage containers.

My third idea is an eco- remake on a classic presentation/prank my grandma Gracie pulled on my brother, Ian. My grandma gave my brother a huge beautifully wrapped present. Inside of it was one roll of toilet paper. What? I know we were confused too. Did Granny fall of her rocker? After a little hint from Grandma Ian started to unroll the T.P. After a couple of rolls one-dollar bills started to fall out. Ian really scored that year and we all had a great laugh. Why not recreate this Christmas prank with an eco-fairy twist? Buy a package of eco-friendly recycle toilet paper. You’re only using one roll, so you can use the rest or give the whole pack with the money as kind of a boobie prize. Get your hands on the cash. Small bills work the best because they draw out the excitement of the reveal. Carefully unroll the toilet paper at least a quarter to half way. Then start rolling the money and the T.P back up, trying to keep it even and looking like it hadn’t been unrolled. Make sure that you give yourself enough at the end to do a couple rolls with out the money. Replace it in the pack and wrap. Or seek into the bathroom and replace the old roll with the money T.P. Or wrap just the money roll up with a lot of bells and whistles, like my grandma did. Then wait… and enjoy the reactions the look of confusion, disgust, and then pleasure on Ian’s face is forever “wrapped up” in my Christmas memories. More importantly than buying eco-friendly T.P, the key to making this an eco-fairy prank, is using the roll that had the money in it!

Well I hope I opened your eyes to some eco-friendly and funny ways to wrap up the joy this holiday. If you have other ideas or want to share your experience of trying one of these ideas out, Please post a comment or a photo

I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to create fairies and send and eco-friendly message (I am after all an eco-fairy!). What better way to physically represent fairies, then with natural elements? These tiny gourds are just the right size to create the plump little bodies of woodland pixies. Their pear shaped bodies, echo ancient images of goddesses throughout time. I molded polymer clay, into the shape of a wise grandmother’s face. The fairy’s skin glimmers as if they where caught dancing in the light of the moon and stars. Their details of wire and gilding are simple, but it is the message in their wings that should have you pondering about the magic of these fairies.

The wings of these fairies don’t come from nature, but from our world of consumption. They’re trash. Plastic tissue paper that I saved, rather than sending it to the landfill. It sends a quiet message about the three R’s on conservation (reduce, recycle, reuse). Think about it; the natural part of these fairies will someday return to dust but the plastic of their wings will flutter about this planet forever. I’m hoping that these gourd fairies make us think about our consumption of plastics. We have to be vigilant about recycling and coming up with cost effective alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics.

Want one these quiet reminders of the balance between nature and man’s trash? Go to my Etsy store, Miss Fi’s Kingdom

Still haven’t gone to Esty to become a member? I know, I know, one more thing to have to sign up and make a profile for, right? But I think Etsy is worth spending a couple minutes on the computer. So I’m going to state my case for Etsy and my shop, MissFiKingdom. Plus I will give you some helpful hints that I’ve been picking up on the way.

Etsy is a great place to see what handmade artists are doing around the world. Color trends, fashion trends, and retro flashbacks are updated daily on Etsy. You can network with talented artist and buyers. Etsy even offers online crafting classes, competitions, forums, workshops, and critiques.

I think one of the most unique things about Etsy is, Alchemy. As a buyer you can post what you want made and how much you want to pay for it. As a seller you can respond with a proposal to the buyer. Check it out and you will see it is a great place to find a truly handmade one-of-a-kind item.

Finally Etsy has great support! They are quick to resolve any questions and concerns buyers and sellers have. They have a great track record with me. I sent more than my fair share of questions when I was starting my Etsy Shop. Every time I got a quick response. I got answers that had links to even more information and online feedback from others at Esty. It isn’t just the Etsy support staff that is helpful! I’ve gained a lot of helpful free advice about the art of running a business through convos with other artists on Etsy.

So now that I have you all excited and ready to be a member of Etsy let me give you some pointers on your account setup. Here is the link to register with etsy, https://www.etsy.com/register.php . Choose your username wisely and read the advice Etsy gives on names. Use your imagination this isn’t a work email account. Don’t forget to use “MissFiKingdom” as your Etsy Referral. Most importantly take the time to set up your profile and download an avatar. Sign in to your account and go to “My Etsy”. This is your information hub. Select “Public Profile” to get started with a brief Bio. In your profile include things like; what handmade art you like, what are you shopping for (jewelry, eco-friendly art), what crafts do you like to do, who do you shop for (myself, grandchildren). Not everything in a profile is necessary if you aren’t selling, but putting some kind of information gives people an idea of whom you are and what you are interested in. It is very helpful to sellers like me, who want to know who is buying or looking at their shop. An avatar is the little picture that accompanies your username. It is your icon whenever you buy something, posting a comment in a blog, or “heart” someone. It can be a picture or a graphic of anything. Whatever it is, an avatar should reflect you (and not violate etsy’s policies). If you don’t upload an image then your initial will be your avatar.

Now that you have created an account on Etsy… Will you “heart” me? Go to my shop, http://www.MissFiKingdom.etsy.com and add me as one of you favorites and “heart this seller”. When you “heart” an artist you are giving them kudos and warm fuzzies. By “hearting” you are expanding the seller’s network of possible clients. Famous companies, investors, and most importantly Martha Stewart use Etsy as a treasure trove! By actively participating on Etsy, you can have a deciding role in the outcome of an up and coming artist. So I’m asking you to help me by “hearting” my shop and the items in it. When you “heart” me my network grows and more and more people will come to my shop. When you “heart” an item it gives me an idea of what potential buyers are really interested in. It is a good way to for me to chart the interests in my shop.

Want to get a little handmade treasure from Miss Fi? Be one of the first 20 people to post a comment under this blog posting, http://www.missfikingdom.com/blog/ . Include your new username for Etsy and what you found surfing Etsy and Miss Fi’s and/ or “heart” Miss Fi’s Kingdom and you will get a free bookmark. (bookmarks shown on the www.missfikingdom.com home page and will be randomly picked). No need to include your address… I will contact you to get that information. Don’t forget to come back here and comment under this blog!

Curtis brought home some; tea bags, stir sticks, and instant coffee after a business meeting. Of course I tucked the tea away but the “coffee stuff” sat on my kitchen counter for weeks because we aren’t big coffee drinkers and we when we do make coffee we use spoons to stir not disposable utensils. Right? Not using disposables is one of the ways to positively impact the environment and reduce your waste. I didn’t want to send them to the landfill, but they were going to end up in my cabinets collecting dust. I knew I wasn’t going to use them in the kitchen, so…

I put my recycling cap on and started think about how I could transform these silly wooden sticks into something more use full, more entertaining, and hopefully send a message about looking at the items we use and toss in a new way. I thought about all the items we use to make coffee and tea; stir sticks, tea bags, coffee filters, individual packets of sugar and creamer. Many of them we just use once and toss. I pulled out a coffee filter and stir sticks and started to let my imagination go. Coffee Fairy! I got my wire out and started to bend and twist the core anatomy of the fairy. I looped hip, neck, and shoulder joints to attach the limbs and head of the fairy. I made a spine, ribcage, and even a spiral heart to fill the space under the dress. Adding cotton balls gave Stacey a little more substance to her body. The sir sticks could make simple stick figure arms and legs. I cut the stir sticks in half and wired them to the fairy’s frame.

A filter would make the most beautiful, fluffy, and chic dress for an eco fairy. The hardest part was coming up with a head and wings for Stacey. I eventually found the right size and shape for her head and figured out the simple lines of the copper wings. Now Stacey the Coffee Fairy is ready to hang on your tree or by your desk. Just be careful not to leave a cup of Joe out, she might just drink it down to the last drop!

I named this one-of-a-kind fairy after my close friend and graphic designer, Stacey Pastor. She has been the reason I have a website and wonderful graphics for Miss Fi’s Kingdom. She has works hard for me. She took my pencil drawings of Miss Fi and my vision of her Kingdom and turned them into pixels and points on her Mac. Stacey LOVES coffee! So when we work she has to have to have a cup of coffee or a latté or two. She is one of the reasons I bought a coffee machine. So I thought naming this fairy ornament, Stacey, would be the perfect tribute to her and all her work for me.

Stacey the Coffee Fairy drank all her coffee and she wants some more! Go to www.MissFiKingdom.etsy.com to purchase this very special ornament. There is more to come from Stacey the Coffee Fairy but this is the 1st of her kind.

Gourds are a type of fruit. They are in the pumpkin family and grow as a flower and then fruit from growing vines. They don’t like to grow on the ground like pumpkins. Gourds like strong support like a trees, trellis, or fence. The plant produces oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. When the gourds are harvested and the plant has died, the decaying plant matter is great for nourishing the soil. Gourds are grown around the world for practical and decorative uses. Gourds are used for all sorts of items such as drinking vessels, food storage, decorative baskets and musical instruments. Gourds have played an important role in human progress.

These particular gourds are very small, grown for more decorative uses rather than carrying life-sustaining food and water. However, they still share a history, beauty and function. These ornaments may be decorated very differently but they all speak to the fact that there was a natural, beneficial, living plant cycle that took its course to create it. Covered in paper, painted, gilded, and wired these gourd ornaments are definitely a great way to “go green” for the holiday season. Give it as a gift or hang it with care. Enjoy!

My name is Jessica King…
I was doing simple beading at age 3. Beads where always around and something that I could do quietly anytime. I was so into beading growing up that for one of my birthday’s I took my friends to a bead shop and we all made a necklace. I still have but it only fits as a choker. Getting into my grandmother and mother’s jewelry drawers was a favorite pastime activity. The sparkling cocktail pieces where my favorite. I experimented with silversmithing at college and also made some unusual found object pieces and a necklace made from the fronds of a date palm and a cut up placemat.
I have been an artist since I was 4 years old. It’s in my blood, passed on through the generations of relatives that worked with their hands. My love of getting down and crafty, lead me to get my degree in fine arts. My concentration was Sculpture with a minor in Women’s Studies. I started out with steel fabrication. It was challenging and very rewarding. It allowed me the opportunity to be the master of some very powerful tools I created. But I found many draw backs to working with metal; the cost and the dangers of physical injury and long-term toxic exposure were the issues I directly faced. Another factor that was a cause for concern is that metal is a precious resource. Plus add the fact that large metal sculptures need a lot of room to house and a large pocket book to afford them. I made the transition to mixed media art as a way of expressing a truer part of myself. I use the everyday materials that are around all of us to not only speak about the world in which we live in but the inner dimensions of my soul. My artist abilities never came from just what I learned from school. They come from places of stillness and chaos, where I love to dwell.
I was about seven or eight when I got my first camera. At first I used it to document my summers spent on vacation and summer camp. But as I got older and more into fashion magazines I really got into taking pictures of my girlfriends. We posed in front of bed linen backdrops. By the time my senior year of high school came around I was on the yearbook staff. I took three semesters of photography in college. I really began to focus my lens on nature. I found unusual beauty in the weeping wounds of trees. My first wedding photographer gig was in 2001 for my brother who lives in Indiana. Since that time I’ve been behind the camera at several weddings and captured expectant mothers and precious babies.
As long as I can remember wanting to be an artist I can also remember being a nature lover. As a young child I got caught throwing Kleenex shreds on the ground in a bookstore by mother. My punishment was picking up all the trash, in the whole store! After I got home I wrote a poem and drew some pictures about taking care of Mother Nature. From that moment on I have felt the call to be a steward of the environment. It is important to me to think about how I live affect more than just my family and the place we live. My example might help shape how others treat the world. I’m not perfect, I still use paper towels, I get carry out and to go containers but I recycle everything I can. I take too long of a shower and I have a lot of grass to water, but I have low flow showerheads and faucets and I do turn the shower off when I’m not rinsing and I don’t use fertilizers or pesticides. I compost, have a vegetable garden and have wild flowers for the butterflies and bees. But now that I have a child and I see the state of the planet now more than ever I feel the pull to make a difference.
The first time I saw behind the fairy veil I was eight years old. It was in the books that my mother and aunt bought for me and in the gardens around my home. Out amongst the flowers and trees I saw them dancing and fluttering in the branches and petals. I think I must have collected every fairy book in and out of print from the 70’s on including all the folklore and artwork dating back thru medieval times. I hoarded anything and everything on the subject of fairies from Herself the Elf to Tinkerbelle Back in my day that was all there was commercially available concerning fairies. Now there has been a blossoming of fairies within the mainstream. Many more personalities, culture, characters, accoutrements, fiction and media are readily available to all ages of fairy fans.
I always wanted a child to pass fairy lore on to. So when I found out that I was pregnant I whispered to the fairies to give me a “child of the fae”. I wanted to know that my baby would be watched over by my winged guardians. I made a promise that I would teach my child about the ways of the fairies and how important it is to believe in things unseen as well as to protect the wilds in which they dwell. They answered my prayers with a beautiful baby girl. She is everything I hoped for. She has many fairy qualities about her. From her tipped elfin ears to the jeweled twinkle in her eyes, she has the glimmer of a child who sees beyond the material world. Fiona a pixie toddler but she also has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Whatever her limitations are or may be they will not stop her from making an impact in the lives of all that know her. She has this certain way about her that illuminates through her whole being. Her personality is always light and jolly. Her smile is enchanting and so grand that it shines through her whole being. My beautiful daughter, Fiona Grace King is the living and growing inspiration behind Miss Fi’s Kingdom and all of the wonders within it.
With in Miss Fi’s realm you will find my journey through creative discoveries and greener living. I design things that I think the fairies would like. Using common items and unique finds I will create items that will inspire a more magical lifestyle. Most important I will find ways to make things that are useful and benefit to the world we live in.

Once upon a time there was an extraordinary little baby named Fiona Grace. She lived in the sunny valley near a huge city. She was a sweet and kind soul. Fiona was loved by everyone especially her mama and daddy. In a time when all babies were expected to fit into charts, time frames, and labels, Fiona was allowed to be who ever she was and take all the time in the world. She decided to be daring, and be different than other little children in the land…
She blossomed into a smart, funky, artistic, tot, with a lot of spunk and style. Despite all her delays along the way she made-up for it with a determination to just be herself. Fiona loves to read books and to sing. She loves to be creative with her hands and use her imagination. Fiona loves to write letters to her cousin; Jack about her adventures both near and far. But more than anything Fiona Grace is a little girl who cares about the environment. She lives by The Code of the Three R’s: Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce…
Fiona has always had a special magic with in her heart. It goes beyond what we can see or explain. She has the gift that allows her to go to the fairy realm. Fiona Grace travels across the threads of spider webs on nights when the moon is full and shines through the trees like silver beams of light. Once on the other side she is transformed into Miss Fi. Miss Fi is a little fairy princess in charge of her very own kingdom. With in her kingdom she rules over land and fairy with kindness and laughter in her voice….

I kissed Curtis for the first time after a football game, November 9, 1995. I walked down the aisle to kiss him as husband and wife, November 9, 2002. Today we celebrate out 6th Wedding anniversary.

In honor of our passionate love for each other, I’m posting a special card in Jack and Fiona Press on www.MissFiKingdom.etsy.com. This card is a honest admission of some down and dirty truth! It is a call for action. This card loudly hints at fun and passion waiting to be set afire.

Go to http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17114856 to enjoy this card and find out what the card says.

Curtis I love you. Happy Anniversary… Now lets tire out Fiona so she goes to bed early!

oxox,
Forever and a day
Jessica

I’m just putting out an F.Y.I.
I know you are going to love all my stuff at Etsy and you are going to want to become a member. When you are becoming a member of etsy (which is really easy) please you my user/store name (missfikingdom) as your referal. It helps me keep track for how many people are interested in my website and etsy rewards me for my referals.