This Sunday I checked out the Around the Sun Blog (a blog about saving money around Portland). Taking a cue from its event listings (all free!), I checked out Hip Drip Café’s 2nd Sustainability Fair. Read the Around the Sun Blog here.
My friend and I biked over to Hip Drip Café, which is housed in EcoMotion’s car dealership on 16th and NE Sandy. We checked out these cool ZapCars which are three-wheeled electric wonders. I really liked the version with the flatbed in the back (pictured); perfect for errands around town. The saleswoman explained that the cars are registered as three-wheeled motorcycles, so their insurance is minimal (like, $200/year).
Seeing as I am perfectly content with my two-wheeled mode of transport, my friend and I moseyed over to the tables with recycled items made by local artists.
I think my favorite was Susan B. Schenk’s collage art (pictured, above) that she makes from ripped up paper. Also, Richard Cawley welds some pretty neat art sculptures and candle holders out of old chains and bike parts (not pictured). Finally, SCRAP (School and Community Reuse Action Project) had a table (pictured). SCRAP always puts a smile on my face because I know they take in paper bag after paper bag of craft materials… and then distribute the materials back out into the community at super low prices. At the Association of Oregon Recyclers (AOR) Conference last year they said they diverted something like six tons of material from the landfill. Even though I know in the grand scheme of things, six tons diverted from the landfill isn’t that much, I still think that’s pretty cool. (Who cares about the grand scheme of things when you can care about the minute scenes of things? J)
Finally, Trellis Earth Store had a booth (pictured). Trellis Earth keeps popping up in my life. I saw them for the first time a few weeks ago when biking home from work: they’re up on NE 60th and Sandy. They sell a huge line of biodegradable serviceware (bags, forks, knives, spoons, cups, bowls, etc). Unlike most distributors, they repackage the forks and knives sell them in smaller bundles. I think their business will expand even further when Portland does curbside organic collection and households want to use more biodegradable serviceware. (Remember, though, durables first!) Trellis Earth products are not yet approved by Cedar Grove (the facility where the Portland Metro region sends its organic waste for composting)… but they are working on it.
I took business cards from some of the artists; I have listed their contact information:
Susan B. Schenk (the Collage Artist)
503.682.1572
Sj.schenk@verizon.net
Richard Cawley (Sculptor)
503.319.7688
Richartsculpture.com
richardcawleysculpture@gmail.com
Scrap (they have a Chinook Book coupon for 25% off materials.)
www.scrapaction.org
503.294.0769
Trellis Earth Store
6017 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR 97213-3962
503.281.0307
info@TrellisEarthStore.com
Doni Barzoloski
503.289.0183
ReFashioned by Lisa (purses, jewelry, and paper crafts)
www.fashionsbylisa.com
360.241.2233
Dena Designs (Image Fashion Interiors)
dbarskin@yahoo.com
503.841.8367
Carolyn Quinn Designs (Unique Handcrafted Jewelry)
carolynclairem@yahoo.com
503.450.9980
Cat and Octopus
Amy Holmes
www.catopus.etsy.com
amy@catandoctopus.com
206.372.6849
Julia Bray Garretson (Metalsmith, Designer, Papermaker, Recycler)
“Bringing you unique and production items inspired by reuse”
www.JuliaGarretson.etsy.com
503.502.2015
mamadready@aol.com
EcoShuttle
“Your Sustainable Transportation Alternative”
www.ecoshuttle.net
877.eco.4.pdx