CARRY-A-BAG

JANUARY 2012

2012-01-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

Yes - I am still here! I know I have neglected my blog for a very very long time and apologise to anyone who likes to read it. I fully expect to have lost all followers by now.

Its been a funny time with many distractions. These have mostly been nice ones and there are two new books to prove it. The Little Hastings & Rye Cook Book 2 was published on the final day of November and the whole process was a bit of a whirlwind. It was second only to Jamie Oliver in the pre-Christmas sales at our local Waterstones and I promise we will sort out the typos in print edition 2.
HOME SEWN HOME comes out later this year. Its a starter book on sewing for your home (it's all in the title really)with a vintage twist. I used to write 'how to' books before I started CARRY-A-BAG and like to keep my hand in. This year I plan to refresh the bag business and will begin with the website, so keep an eye on it and let me know what you think via email. I shall be introducing a newsletter and urging everyone to join up for regular updates and special offers.

I love the New Year and all the plans that come with it. I wish you all a HAPPY ONE - there is so much to look forward to.

love & peace

xx

Sally

ELDERFLOWERS ARE EVERYWHERE

2011-06-01T11:28:00.001-07:00

It has been an odd Spring this year with heatwaves in April and such cold nights in late May
that weve taken to lighting the fire in the evening. Everyone's noticed how early the flowers and fruit are and we'll have a monster crop of figs in a month or two. And there seem to be more Elderflowers than I've ever seen before. I made cordial on Monday and bottled it up yesterday but actually cannot bear to look at the trees covered with flowers without planning to make another batch. I should like it to last till next year but will be lucky if it makes July the way we're guzzling it. Free seasonal food should never be ignored.
Workwise Aveda keep me busy with lovely collaborative bag projects and the latest ones will be in Liberty's this month to celebrate the new Beauty Rooms. I'm also making another big batch of Union Jack cosmetic bags with pretty floral linings for them, so sign-up with Aveda online http://www.aveda.co.uk for newsletters and their special offers ....which may be one of my bags.
Living beside the sea, when summer looms I find Beach Bags are on my mind and this year I've been trying my hand at silk screen printing, putting big red arrows on vintage striped canvas. I love the results and by the look of it my favourite customers do too - thanks xxxx you know who you are!

Enjoy the summer & Make Elderflower Cordial & Be Happy

LOVE & PEACE

Sally
x

GENEROSITY

2011-03-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

A very long time ago somebody who lived in Hastings left land and specified that it

was never to be built on. Instead certain rare trees were to be planted for the enjoyment of future generations. One of these is the Magnolia Grandiflora, now a familar garden feature

but when it was chosen it must have been extremely exotic and unusual.

The wonderful thing is that this tree has now grown so huge it towers over all other trees and the surrounding meadows. It stands tall, a bizarre mass of sugary pink set against bare branches, so wonderfully out of place that it makes you gasp with delight.

By next week all the buds will be open and the earliest ones will drop creating a carpet of pink beneath the tree.
Its extraordinary and wonderfully generous.
So thank you.

love & peace

this time of year

2011-03-07T08:54:00.001-08:00

I have been in Dorset, in the heart of the countryside where I was
thrilled by the views of rolling hills, newly ploughed fields and
trees just starting to green up. The lanes were lined with snowdrops and every tree seemed to boast at least one singing bird. The green of the grass was vibrant and the sky a brilliant blue. It was pure joy.
As we drove back to Sussex today something else caught my eye.
Dirty shredded plastic bags stuck in hedges, flapping on barbed wire and woven through branches. In a week or two the new leaves will hide this evidence of people's indifference. Till Autumn.
Grrrrr! There was a car in front of me with an English Flag sticker on the back windscreen and the driver threw his chocolate bar wrapper out of the window. There he was surrounded by fields of green and I wondered what it was he loved so much about England - not the countryside I'm guessing. He's probably never noticed that.
Lately I have realised that the only way for me to deal with this is to pick up the litter that the careless ones leave behind - being angry spoils my day and their messy behavior spoils my neighbourhood and our countryside. That's my plan.

Enjoy that view..........
I took the photograph this morning
with love & peace

Sally
x

ITS FEBRUARY ALREADY

2011-02-02T01:10:00.000-08:00

I seemed to have spent an entire month sorting through fabrics and trying to tidy up my workroom. This means business has been quiet, as it always is in the depths of winter. People turn to weatherproof bags
and let's face it without a plastic content nothing is waterproof - well, I suppose there is rubber and oiled cotton but those are not on my 'pretty vintage' radar. So, January is the time to fold and stack. Until an order comes in for something that I know I've seen somewhere....
then I start messing things up again and frankly, that's where I'm at right now. It looks as if nothing has changed but, on the bright side, I have done a mental audit of my fabulous bag potential - and there is plenty of it! Snowdrops have come up, tulips are pushing through and I've seen a couple of blue tits checking out my birdbox.
It's a way off yet but I'm definitely feeling more energetic and so looking forward to the Spring.

LOVE & PEACE & HAPPINESS

X

S A L L Y

ON THE LAST DAY OF 2010

2010-12-31T02:13:00.001-08:00

WHAT A GREAT PIECE OF NEWS TO END THE YEAR
THE ITALIANS HAVE BANNED SINGLE-USE CARRIER BAGS!

From now on only biodegradable bags will be allowed.
It is such an admirably bold move,
no messing about the 'deterrent' of charging for the polluting plastic
or making it optional or advisable - an outright ban.
It will be interesting to see how this works and whether
other European countries follow suit.
If it is possible in Italy..... fingers crossed.

I wish you all the happiest of years in 2011
with much love & peace

Sally
xxx

FIRST SNOW TODAY

2010-11-28T05:55:00.000-08:00

I love the seasons and this year each one has been very clearly defined - although thinking back I'm not quite so sure about summer. Still, moving on, autumn colour seemed more glorious than ever and now we have proper snow before December. I love snow.
Next week we have a stand at the Midwinter Fair http://www.wealdentimes.co.uk/events/MidwinterFair2010/index.asp
It is being held in huge heated marquees at Bedgebury Pinetum which is just off the A21. We were at this event last year and can thoroughly recommend it for getting into the Christmas Groove. I am sharing the stand with my husband Stewart and the recycling project PLEASE watch their new film about their Christmas Trees on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHBWoodRecyclingCo#p/a/u/0/xWQXTFRPR2A
I shall be selling purses, tiny bags for the tree, spec-cases and The Little Hastings Fish Cook Book which is now in its 3rd print edition.

Life gets pretty hectic from now on
but you know, there should always be time
for a cup of tea with a friend
Love & Peace
Sally
x

AUTUMNAL ACTIVITY

2010-10-17T03:50:00.000-07:00

The seasons have not been so clearly defined this year. There is usually a day when you see the change and feel the difference. The trees have hung onto their green leaves and the sun, when it shines, seems too hot somehow. But last night we had our first log fire and the house now has a homely aroma of coziness. Bring it on - I'm ready.
My husband Stewart and our son Roo are busy making hundreds of wooden Christmas Trees, wreaths and stars from recycled pallets for the Conran Shop's Christmas displays worldwide. It's been a huge operation and I am super-proud of their achievement. If you live in Paris, New York, Dublin, Tokyo or London you MUST visit the Conran Shop and see them. The Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Project really know how to raise the bar & hats off to the Conran Shop for commissioning this work in England.
We will be sharing a stand at the Wealden Times Midwinter Fair again and this year it is being
held in giant heated marquees at the awesome Bedgebury Pinetum just off the A21 where they grow the largest assortment of pines in the British Isles. This is a superb and atmospheric Christmas Fair held on 2nd, 3rd & 4th December - please come and say hello. .http://www.wealdentimes.co.uk/events/MidwinterFair2010/index.asp

Wealden Times Midwinter Fair 2010So what with that, the Christmas Trees and at last beautiful Autumnal colours to inspire me, I am snipping and stitching lots and lots of new purses & bags. Watch the website for new additions to the range plus the revival of my most popular shopping bag - the organic calico shopper.

But today I'm having a day off. I shall be looking at the leaves & taking Bizzy the dog for a run on the sands at low tide.

Love & Peace

SALLY
X

TAKE YOUR BAG TO MARKET

2010-09-09T01:17:00.000-07:00

It's Farmer's Market Day in Hastings today and the sun is shining. We will go with our Market Bags and fill them up with seasonal treats - English apples and perhaps the first fat pumpkin. Autumn has been trying to creep up on us but here on the South Coast we resist until the very last minute. I am continuing my collaboration with the lovely people at Aveda and have just finished a very special order of gorgeous linen and velvet purses that are heading off to New York for fashion week. I wonder whether their handmade-ness will be appreciated...I hope so.
I heard this week that plastic bag take-up has dropped by 47% nationally. That's really is something to celebrate. Look around and notice that people everywhere are now carrying shopping bags. It has become second nature to reach for a bag before leaving home. Success! I am going to be re-introducing my original shopping bags to celebrate - watch the website for a promotional offer on organic calico bags at the end of the month.

Till then carry-a-bag, ride a bike & greet your neighbours
with a smile.
love & peace

x
Sally

SUMMER FUN

2010-07-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

Blogging has taken a bit of a backseat this year for all the right reasons - I've been very busy working and playing. My collaboration with AVEDA continues and I am up to my ears in striped, printed bags due for delivery by the end of the month and there are lots of other interesting projects on the go - more of that later.

I am happy to still be getting online orders from devoted customers all over the world too - so thank you for loving your bags xxx
Anyone who follows the blog will know that I do love a summer festival and this year we has been better than ever with sunshine and warm nights. Glastonbury and Latitude were glorious and I spotted quite a few Carry-a-Bag's which brought a warm glow. (The one in the pic is a 2005 shopper now carrying baby stuff)
My blog entry would not be the same without a little rant and this week I am concerned about the plastic containers used by restaurant's around our way for Take Away food orders. Margins are tight so I am certain they are used because they are the cheapest option - as are plastic bags as opposed to paper bags or cardboard boxes.
"These are absolutely reusable" I thought as I fished them out of my kitchen bin, where my son's tidy friend had deposited them. And they will be used many times in our household but it makes me wonder how many thousands of these perfectly reusable lidded plastic boxes are sent to landfill every day in the UK?
WAY TOO MANY is likely to be the answer. I'll let you know how my research goes.

love & peace & sunshine

Sally
x

Searching for the Environmental Good News

2010-05-02T02:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was close to nature walking in bluebell woods but today is
a rainy Sunday so I nipped out early to get a newspaper. I don't buy them very often anymore but I like to see what reviewers recommend music and book-wise and read the clever funny people's columns.
Environmental news always catches my eye and I read that a dead whale was washed up on the shore in California with a stomach filled with plastic bags and an assortment of other man-made items.(PLEASE DON'T USE PLASTIC BAGS) The oil slick from the ruptured pipeline in the gulf of Mexico is 135 miles long and growing. The oil threatens all marine species and people who make their livings from fishing these waters. ANOTHER MAN-MADE ECOLOGICAL DISASTER THAT NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO FIX.

There was also some GOOD NEWS....
The Danes are building incinerators that burn any non-recyclable household waste to provide both heating and electricity. These new-style incinerators filter out all the bad stuff so that it does not escape to pollute the air or the ground. Toxic compounds are isolated and securely stored in facilities deep underground in abandoned salt mines. They can be sited close to the homes that need the power and heating without the usual protests because they do not emit smelly smoke or dominate the landscape. People want to live nearby to gain the benefit of low cost heating and energy. I think whoever is in government after our election this Thursday should be encouraged to take a serious look at this option.

love & peace
Sally
x

Nadja's Very Special Card

2010-04-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Those who work from home will understand that sometimes you miss
the daily interaction with the rest of the human race, especially your customers.
Being an online shopkeeper is a lot less chatty than selling your wares over the counter.
People order and I post their parcels and occasionally they email or send a card back to tell me how happy they are with their new bag - and that makes my day.
This week I was blown away by Nadja's purple thank you card.
I was asked to make a bag printed with "Nadja's bag of love" and lots of hearts and stars.
I didn't know anything about Nadja until I received this card - and it made me smile all day.
I'm going to take a leaf out of her book and send more cards - spread the love!

LOVE & PEACE

Sally
x

NO PLANES

2010-04-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

What an extraordinary week it has been. If someone had told us that this would happen nobody would have believed it but here we are with a volcano close by and the travelling public are all over the place. We all know someone who is either stuck here waiting to go or stuck somewhere else not able to get back. My darling daughter was in the queue at the airport on Thursday waiting to fly to the US and now hopes to go on Tuesday (she says by the way that British Airways staff have been incredibly helpful - credit where its due!) other friends have been taking Trains, Boats and Automobiles to get back home.
It's a tough one.
I met a lady today who should have been in Russia at her only son's wedding and there will be tragic stories too. It's all too easy to say GREAT NO POLLUTING PLANES but it isn't great if you are a flower grower in Tanzania who won't be paid for flowers that could not be delivered or a surgeon who cannot cross the world to save a life.
Perhaps the best thing that could come out of this is more funding for solar powered planes - they are being tested now in Switzerland.
Maybe......the volcano will calm down and everything will get back to normal.

Nobody knows the answer right now.
love & peace
and get home safely
x
Sally

EASTER HOLIDAYS

2010-04-04T01:46:00.000-07:00

I recently gave up buying newspapers in a big sulk after the
Observer changed everything I liked about it but today I woke up early and succumbed to Sunday Paper Temptation. Tucked inside the Observer is a section of the New York Times which I like to read because it makes me feel more Metropolitan. Anyway, this morning there is a diagram of the Plastiki craft which has begun its journey across the ocean. The craft is constructed from plastic bottles and is travelling across the ocean to focus the world's attention on the massive floating island of plastic wste in the Pacific. They are following the route of the 1947 Kontiki expedition, which was one of the more inspiring things I remember from my schooldays. That expedition leader Thor Heyerdal's name, although probably not its correct spelling, is one I always remember despite forgetting those of my closest friends when I turn to introduce them..." this is er...my friend" I digress. Read all about the Plastiki and track their progress on this site http://www.theplastiki.com/trackplastiki
There is a button on their site where you can pledge not to buy any more bottled water - its a tough one when we have all grown so used to it but I have good intentions so I have clicked on that button. A shocking fact on their site is that 50% of all plastic waste is in the sea. We have to start picking up after people who don't know any better and perhaps someday they will notice and join in.
love peace
...and a bit of chocolate

Sally
x

The antidote to grey

2010-02-24T02:51:00.000-08:00

I live by the sea and I'm lucky, I know.
When the sky is brilliantly blue so is the sea, but the same goes for grey and these grey skies are spoiling my sea view. My antidote to this is to surround myself with colour. My workroom is a riot of pattern and colour so I gather up an armful of fabric, sweep aside the breakfast dishes and clear the kitchen table for fabric cutting. I delve into a box filled with ribbons, rick rack and fringes and spend half an hour sorting out old buttons from the tin. Now my old Bernina is raring to go and I've finished my mug of tea so I'll sign this off and make beautiful bags to brighten up the day.

love & peace
Sally
x
STOP PRESS: MIRACLE TO REPORT - SUN NOW SHINING OUT OF BLUE SKY ON TWINKLY BLUE SEA!

IT'S SNOW TIME!

2010-01-13T03:55:00.000-08:00

CARRY-A-BAGS ON MY SNOWY APPLE TREE

It has been ages since I've posted a blog one of the reasons is that something has changed on
blogger so my saved sign-in details are no longer recognised. Remember when we only had a pin number to remember those were the days! Now I have long lists of combinations of letters and numbers stored in my head - and inevitably they do get mixed up. Anyway - that's why I've been so quiet.
Two thousand and ten has a good ring to it and I am full of hope. Hope is good but I have heard that optimism should be diluted with a good dash of realism. So I shall hope for a good year but
not pretend its going to be a breeze.

Love & Peace
xx
Sally

Carry a Christmas Shopping Bag

2009-11-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Last week was a bit of a milestone for plastic bags as the Welsh environment minister announced her intention to make it law in Wales for retailers to charge customers between 5p-15p (maybe 5p for useless bags and 15p for really smart ones?) for every plastic bag they use. She gets my vote - even though I'm not eligible to vote in Wales. Reading Lucy Siegel's column in the Observer yesterday I detected that she has moved on to greater issues and was a bit dismissive about the importance of refusing plastic bags in a saving the planet sort of way. It would be a shame if now that 'ordinary folk' have taken the idea to heart it has loses some of its momentum - I hope I misread between the lines. She did however remind us that each bag takes 1000 years to bio-degrade so we should re-use the ones we have over and over again. I'm with her on that and I have no doubt that if its raining and I've just bought some presents I will want the waterproof properties of plastic - so I'll be carrying the best of the under-sink stash from back in the day with me when I shop this Christmas instead of saying yes to any new ones.
Six weeks to go!
love & peace
Sally
xxx

New venture for Autumn.

2009-09-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

I have neglected the blog for a very good reason - I've been writing a book - well not so much writing more 'putting together'. Three of us have formed a small publishing company called SeaSaw Books - because we live by the sea and this is what we saw. Our first book arrived back from the printers on Friday and we launched it last weekend at the local Seafood & Wine Festival. A whopping success it was too!
It is called the Little Hastings Fish Cook Book and it features more than fifty recipe contributions from family, friends, fishmongers and chefs with the focus being on the fish our local fleet brings ashore each day. They are not permitted to land any cod until March 2010 because of the EU quota system. It allows them to catch a certain amount of cod each year and because it is quite plentiful around Hastings they have already caught theirs! Now they have to throw back all the cod they catch - dead. How crazy and disrespectful is that?
Our idea was to encourage people to buy the less usual choices such as Gurnard, Huss, Squid and Coley as well as Sole, Plaice and even Lobster - which are all caught in these waters. We have had such fun reading and testing recipes and my husband Stewart has been doing the illustrations on the beach. Debi Angel our world famous designer has put all of this together to make a perfect little cook book for a fiver - Can't say fairer than that guv! Our website is up and soon there will be a Paypal checkout where you can get your copy - a perfect stocking filler. Oh I am SO proud of this! And dear friends ...on the inside back page I sneaked in a little message to ask people not to use plastic bags.

Happy Autumn
love & peace
Sally xx

SEAGULLS LOVE RUBBISH

2009-08-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

I love nature and wild creatures but its so hard to love seagulls when you live by the sea. Especially on a Tuesday.
Tuesday is rubbish collection day and people put bags out on the pavement when they go out
to work. Seagulls know this. As soon as one bag is spotted the call goes out "Come on down guys and let's see what's on the menu!" They circle, they swoop, they strut about screeching while one of them attacks the plastic bag - it only takes a well-aimed peck or two and the contents are spilled all over the street. There are no secrets anymore - we know how many plastic bags they throw away each week at Nº6 and how many cans of strong lager the chap in the upstairs flat doesn't bother to separate out for recycling. We know who throws out their bills unopened and so many other things we didn't want to know about our neighbours.
By lunchtime the seagulls will have devoured anything they can eat and the wind will have picked up the empty plastic bags and blown them into the trees - the tin cans roll about noisily on the street until crushed by a passing car. The lorry comes along eventually and the heroic 'binmen' jump out with brooms and sweep up what's left and the seagulls move away to another street where the bins are collected on a different day. And so it goes.

THE FESTIVAL & BEACH SEASON

2009-07-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Followers of this blog will know by now that I simply cannot resist a long weekend in a tent in a field at a festival so I've been to Glastonbury and it was ....lovely. The family were with me and we all carried our bags, used sunscreen and wore wellies. If only everyday life was just a little more like Glastonbury where strangers smile and hold out a helping hand when you need help jumping over a puddle. The Love the Farm - Leave No Trace slogan is having an impact and there is far less mess than there used to be. Perhaps now that we recycle at home we are all more aware of the work involved
in collecting and sorting through litter. And when you've paid good money to live alongside 150,000 other music fans in a field you quickly realize the sense in keeping your space tidy.
I wish everyone on the beach would leave no trace. Instead they bring bottles and cans of beer that are lined up for pebble target practice, spare nappies that are thrown aside and polystyrene containers of fish and chips are abandoned to the gulls.

Perhaps our council should start a Love the Beach - Leave No Trace campaign.

love & peace
xxx
Sally

S U M M E R

2009-06-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

I love the sunshine, it makes the flowers grow. While we've been stuck inside waiting for
warmer weather I have been hard at work making a huge new batch of vintage floral bags.
The colours and patterns are scrumptious and I'll be loading them all up onto my website tomorrow. They are very limited edition - sometimes just enough old fabric for one big bag
especially when the pattern repeats are huge I can't bear to cut into them so the bag sizes
are adjusted accordingly.
Take a peep at the Specials on my website in the next day or so and you'll also get a glimpse of my garden which I have to say is looking ravishing!
love & peace
Sally

CONRAN SHOP LOOKING C-A-B FAB

2009-05-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

I've been super-busy making banners for The Conran Shop to use in their Summer Promotion called HOLIDAY AT HOME. It was the best fun job ever involving everything I love about vintage fabric patterns, printing and stitching.
And so rewarding to see them surrounded by great design.
I can't stop now and will be making banners to order from the website - so if you have a message that needs to be writ large like .......MARRY ME or DANCE TILL YOU DROP then email me sally@carry-a-bag.com and let's get this party started.
love & peace
xxx
Sally
via the website

Bags, Bottles and Bin Liners

2009-05-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

In my last post I made a rash statement about trying to live plastic-free and I have to say that until I actually tried it I'd have thought it was do-able without too many adjustments. Dream on.
The next day I got up and into the shower reached for the shampoo and wondered what the alternative would be...I used to buy a solid shampoo bar from Cosmetics to Go but I think they've gone (I'll check that). Out of the shower into the bathroom where I reached for my toothbrush ... perhaps I could get one with a wooden handle next time? and the tube of toothpaste (I will buy metal not plastic next time). Picked up my comb (change to metal or wood?) and then moisturiser, foundation, mascara, lipstick ...oh dear and then there's the hairdryer. Dressed and downstairs in the kitchen I took the milk out of the fridge..............

I think you get the idea and it certainly would not be a good idea to throw this lot out and replace them before they have been used up or worn out, so I'm changing my commitment to something more manageable. I will look for alternative non-plastic versions of these everyday containers and products and definitely re-use my plastic then ultimately recycle it. And whenever I find a replacement that is less plastic and more natural I will pass the good news on.
In the meantime I feel better for 'fessing up to my failures.

love & peace
Sally
xxx

CARRY-A-BAG on Vogue.com

2009-05-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Had to share this with everyone.

Annecka Griffith, photographed by Aimee Farrell

30 April 2009, 07:00AM

Camden Crawl – Island Records Party

Annecka Griffith, 23, music PR

"My jacket is by Rag & Bone and my floral bag is from CARRY-A-BAG.COM. My boots are from Russell and Bromley. I would describe my style as being haphazard. I love the Fifties era, so I go to Old Hat on the Fulham Road quite often - it's a Fifties dressmaker. I like wearing dresses because I'm lazy and with dresses I don't have to think about matching everything."

WAKE UP CALL ON PLASTIC USE

2009-04-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

In my small world I had begun to think that the anti-plastic message had got through. Not everyone, but quite a good proportion of people at the checkouts seem to have brought their bags along and people walking in the street had their own bags...I was feeling optimistic.
Well I am not feeling good any more.
I have just read an article about the PLASTIKI expedition and urge everyone to go to the website and sign up to follow their progress. They are sailing a boat made from recycled plastic to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where an island of plastic particles the size of France is growing bigger every day. Plastic bags are one of the key contributors to this pollution and we have to stop using them. Plastic water bottles are equally bad - they are the second worst polluter and we don't need to buy them. Our water is clean and delicious.
I'm committing to a great big effort not to buy any more plastic and out there in the oceans there are billions of tons of reasons why we should all TRY to live a plastic-free life - the stuff was only invented in the last century and it was never something we needed, just something convenient. For us perhaps but not for our planet.
love & peace
x
Sally
http://www.theplastiki.com

Happy Easter Everyone

2009-04-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

This may be one of the first weekends when families get out into the sunshine together ...actually it's raining already...but it may brighten up. I am making little Easter Egg bags with shiny fabric and will fill them with small chocolate eggs. It's a good time to support the Fairtrade and organic farmers by choosing Divine, Co-op or Green & Black's if you can find any at this late stage. Recycle the packaging too and when you're out for that Spring walk remember to take a litter bag and pick up as you go. Not everyone is on-message about not throwing their rubbish about and it feels good to leave a litter-free path behind you.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx
HAPPY EASTER
love & peace
Sally

TALKING RUBBISH

2009-02-17T01:46:00.000-08:00

I heard a story on Breakfast News today that supermarkets are still massively over-packaging despite claiming green concern with boastful anti-plastic bag initiatives. Our bins are loaded with plastic and cardboard boxes and less than half of this packaging is recyclable.
We are paying extra for goods to cover the cost of the packaging and then paying extra on our council taxes to pay for its disposal
Here is a pretty good idea.....
When you do the 'big shop' in your car take your own boxes along but don't take them into the shop - keep them in the car.
Then before you leave the car park
unwrap your goods and load them into your boxes
then leave all the packaging in the trolley. The supermarkets will have to clear the trolleys, store the rubbish and also pay to have it taken away. Ka-ching!!!!
If loads of us do this the message will soon get through.

love, peace & happiness
x
Sally

Tabloid News!

2009-02-13T02:12:00.000-08:00

A very nice article about making beautiful things from cast-offs.
with love
Sally Walton

BACK TO BAGS

2009-01-29T01:52:00.000-08:00

India is waking up to the health and environmental threat posed by the proliferation of plastic bags and they are not messing about with ASKING people not to use plastic bags ....this article from the Guardian tells how they are enforcing the ban....

Randeep Ramesh in Delhi
guardian.co.uk, Friday 16 January 2009 14.44 GMT
Article history

An open drain filled with plastic bags and other waste flows alongside a slum settlement in New Delhi, India. Photograph: Amit Bhargava/Amit Bhargava/Corbis for The Guardian

Carry a plastic bag in Delhi and you could be imprisoned for five years. Officials in India's capital have decided that the only way to stem the rising tide of polythene is to outlaw the plastic shopping bag.

According to the official note, the "use, storage and sale" of plastic bags of any kind or thickness will be banned. The new guideline means that customers, shopkeepers, hoteliers and hospital staff face a 100,000 rupee fine (£1,370) and a possible jail sentence for using non-biodegradable bags.

Delhi has been quietly filling up with plastic bags in recent years as the economy boomed and western-style shopping malls sprang up in the city. There are no reliable figures for bag use but environmentalists say more than 10m a day are used in the capital every day. Not only are the streets littered with them, but polythene takes hundreds of years to decompose and creates demand for oil, which is used to make plastics.

At first the ban will be lightly implemented, giving people time to switch to jute, cotton, recycled-paper and compostable bags.

Newspapers in India quoted city officials as saying that the authorities did not "want people to be harassed and no prosecution will take place immediately; [once they] understand that by using plastic bags they will be in contempt of court, they will start using other material". The first targets in Delhi will be the industrial units that manufacture the plastic bags in the capital, which officials say will be closed down.

Civil servants said that punitive measures were needed after a law prohibiting all but the thinnest plastic bags – no thicker than 0.04mm – was ignored.

Although the government had originally concluded that plastic bags were too cheap and convenient to be disposed of, the authorities appear to have been swayed by environmentalists who pointed out that used bags were clogging drains and so providing breeding grounds for malaria and dengue fever. There is evidence that prohibition of plastic bags can work. Countries such as Rwanda, Bhutan and Bangladesh have all had bans enforced.

I wonder how that would go down over here? I have been keeping an eye on shoppers at the tills and think a few big fines might sort this one out! The automatic response of the person manning checkout is still to peel off four or so bags as a customer passes through to load the goods. We still have a way to go.

love & peace

Sally

JANUARY 2009

2009-01-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

What's news on the plastic bag front?

Well M&S have a window display saying they have saved the world from millions of plastic bags - that's good. I do think that people who walk to the shops in this country have taken the no more plastic bag message to heart - but I'm not so sure about those who drive to big supermarkets. Maybe the walking shoppers understand the need for a strong bag that is comfortable to carry and the trolley-to-car brigade simply don't. If you do have plastic bags at home please take them along to your local charity shops who will really appreciate them.

Winter looks so drab unless there is a frost or better still snow, but most days are a dull grey.

Not good for lifting the spirits and business is far from booming, so what to do?

Make marmalade of course!

Its another seasonal must and well worth making even if you don't like the stuff - a gift of a jar of home-made marmalade is always appreciated and you will be quietly thanked every morning at toast-time until their jar is empty. Make it for the delicious citrus aroma when you boil the mixture for a couple of hours. It fills the house and is better than the most expensive perfumed candle because the result is something delicious to eat. And for me making the labels is all part of the fun - my letters are too big or labels too small so I make M.M.Lade ; M.mlade ; Seville or Mama Made.

All we need now is TOAST and TEA.

Love & Peace
x
Sally

Goodbye to 2008

2008-12-30T05:26:00.000-08:00

This year is all but over now and it is time to look optimistically forward to 2009. Listening to the news there are a thousand reasons not to expect happier times ahead, but that's just the news.
I have a garden filled with little birds, the sky is clear blue and one of my dear friends is getting married tomorrow. I'm going to put on some music, drink a toast to those who are no longer with us, those who are and we have still to meet.
Look forward to another wonderful year.
Love & Peace
Sally
xxxx

WORLD AIDS DAY

2008-12-01T03:17:00.000-08:00

Spare some time to think about how you can positively help.

Not everyone can make speeches, visit hospitals or donate large sums to charity but in December most of us do a spot of shopping.

Why not help by targeting your spending.

It may be that you buy a project red T shirt at Gap or a pair of
special edition Converse. Have fun holding a Tea Party to help South African grandmothers care for vulnerable orphans and send the money raised to Grandmothers United (http://africansolutions.org. If you have a baby girl or need to buy one a present look at this lovely
website http://justjo.co.za where you can buy exquisite little smocked dresses with profits going to care for the South African Aids Orphans. Use your buying power to help raise money and awareness of how this dreadful disease has affected millions all over the world, but most especially in Africa where children need so much help.

We can help in so many ways & we can't all be Bono
(wheww... that's a relief)

love & peace
x
Sally

Is it almost December and is Christmas really coming?

2008-11-27T04:30:00.000-08:00

Working from home its quite easy to lose track of the date - the week - dare I say ...even the month? It has suddenly dawned on me that it is almost December. Time is flying by and despite
the dire financial news I suddenly have a sense of excitement that soon it will be Christmas.
In a way I think all this financial gloom has been quite helpful in making lavish spending seem somehow inappropriate and rather vulgar. Excellent news as this fits right in with my budget! So Christmas can now down-scale and receiving any home knitted, baked or stitched item will not produce the usual rolling of eyes from the urban cool people - at last these offerings will have real value. Of course not everyone has time to produce these themselves but don't worry because shops now have lots of lovely "Church Bazaar" standard stitchery that you can pass off as your own. If you do have time to make someone a gift then do it - the pleasure is doubled, you get the enjoyment of spending money on materials and time on the making and they get something from you that took time, thought and effort. And if it looks a bit wonky then you all get a laugh as well!
Warm glows all round.

love & peace
x
Sally

A Great Day for the Planet

2008-11-05T03:54:00.000-08:00

Today is a day for celebrating President Obama's BIG WIN and the changes he is going to bring to the world.
I'll be sewing with a smile on my face.
love & peace
Sally
x

SO PROUD TO BE CALLED AN ECO HERO

2008-10-25T03:25:00.000-07:00

On cloud nine today having picked up a copy of the Saturday Telegraph magazine where my lovely husband Stewart and I feature as this week's ECO HEROES on page 77. It is specially wonderful when you work from home without the usual daily feedback from colleagues who remind you of where you are and what you're aiming to achieve. So today as I sit in my room surrounded by untidy piles of recycled fabric that await transformation into very desirable shopping bags I will be basking in the warm glow of recognition.
Thanks everyone
love & peace
Sally
x

Reality check

2008-10-02T02:06:00.000-07:00

This photograph was taken last week of the coast near Mumbai (formally Bombay) in India. Looking up and down the coast in both directions this is the way it was. The trees and bushes draped in shreds of plastic bags washed up by high tides and floods and left there to blow in the wind. The reason I find this so shocking is that I was beginning to think about the plastic bag message as something that had got through to people - I was feeling positive.
This is such a horrible sight and there must be so many others like it. Our plastic waste is shipped to the East, their waste is thrown into the rivers, the rivers flow into the seas, the tides carry it around the world. And all that plastic will never go away.
No amount of words can carry the anti-plastic bag message more forcefully than this image.
love & peace
Sally
x

MONEY RAISING TEA PARTIES

2008-09-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I read an article about African Solutions to African Problems, a charity that goes
right to the people who need the help and gives it to them ASAP - as soon as possible. It is often hard to know whether you are really helping when problems are far away and so many agencies are involved, but this is different. One of the main aims of this organization is to help the grandmothers in South Africa who have survived to care for their Aids-orphaned grandchildren. Please do have a look at their website http://www.africansolutions.org then arrange to have a Tea Party to raise money for Grandmothers United. I am proud to be a Grandma myself and am getting together with friends to hold a Fabulous Tea Party next month. It will be such fun with bunting, table cloths, pretty china cups and saucers, raffles, cup cakes and cucumber sandwiches. So if you are a Grandma please get involved and if not then tell your Gran and offer her your help on the day.
Love & Peace
Sally
x

NO MORE BLOGGERS BLOCK

2008-09-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

I have been suffering from bloggers block but someone has rattled my cage enough to get me out of it. I have been avidly reading all comments, interviews, opinions and (if only) gossip about Sarah Palin and am convinced she is more dangerous than all the conflicts in the world put together. My heart sinks and right now I'm hoping someone, somewhere will dig up some dirt that will stick because so far she seems to be turning all the negatives into saintly positives. Pardon me - concealing your pregnancy, being so fiercely ambitious that you fly across the continent to deliver a speech while leaking amniotic fluid, then having the baby induced and delivered a month early and returning to work within 3 days - when did these actions become laudable? Now she brandishes her Downs Syndrome infant and pregnant teenage daughter like must-have accessories. I'd imagine that in the US you criticize her at your peril. Well, she's scaring me and if elected she would be one side-step away from what the Americans describe as Leader of the Free World.
Please America - don't put her in a position to make any decisions about our planet.
Well - I've got that off my chest for now and will share some news about my other obsession - the pollution that is plastic! Courtesy of the Saturday Telegraph's Q.I. I can share that only 5% of the six billion tons of plastic manufactured each year is recycled - and even more shockingly most of the plastic that has EVER been made is still around. It is not biodegradable so it doesn't go away it gets buried, blown away or thrown into the sea where there is a soupy island
of it the size of North America floating in the North Pacific. It's too big to comprehend but the
very serious small message we have to take to heart is to make a huge effort to avoid adding to the problem. Small changes make a big difference so carry a bag or a basket everywhere and buy fruit and veg loose and local.

love & peace
Sally
x

Money too tight to mention?

2008-08-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well, let's try not mentioning it so much. I am feeling mildly hysterical about the overload of statistics about the economy that I am digesting at the moment. Yes, times are hard, bread and milk ARE more expensive than they used to be but I wonder if I really need to worry about the lower than expected profits of the Royal Bank of Scotland and all the other world banks? Too much financial information seems to be aimed at inducing financial panic - and its working. I was musing the other day about the credit crunch (the expression has now entered the dictionary) and whether shrinking household budget would mean a return to buying cheap deals rather than making ethical and environmental choices at the supermarket. I am not the only one giving this some thought as I have just read an article in today's Guardian that addresses the issue. It's really worth reading. There has been a fall in the rise ( if you get my drift) of people choosing to buy organic if you look at supermarket sales alone and Wholefoods/Fresh & Wild have discovered that there may not be the demand they were expecting at the luxury end of the organic market - well perhaps Waitrose and M&S already have that covered.
I wonder whether the huge rise in the number of people growing their own vegetables may be having an effect. Here's a nice statistic - the demand for vegetable seeds outstripped the demand for flower seeds this year! We have re-discovered our love of growing food and buying local, getting veg boxes, knitting, swapping, charity shopping and farmers' marketing and there are only so many hours in the day. Maybe that's why the organic shopper numbers are leveling off a bit - perhaps we simply don't have the time to waft about selecting from all that stuff anymore - too much choice is really exhausting.

My tip on how to avoid depression brought on by the credit crunch is to listen to music instead of the news - something uplifting.

love & peace
Sally
x

All these cotton bags

2008-08-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

In the past year or two this country has been flooded of cotton tote bags and we all think its a good thing - right? Not sure....I'm starting to worry that the cheap cotton tote bag is becoming a bit of an environmental hazard in its own right.
IF the cotton is Organic and Fair Trade then it truly is wonderful that people are using them instead of plastic bags.
Unfortunately a very large proportion of cotton tote bags are not ethically or environmentally produced. Cotton is responsible for major pollution and chemical contamination in the Third World and tote bags are a huge growth industry in India and China. At Carry-a-Bag I receive emails almost every day from the Far East offering to make and ship bags for me at an ridiculously low cost - even with economies of scale the prices are way too low. Perhaps its time to take a closer look at the labels and make sure that the cheap cotton totes we carry tick all the right ethical and environmental boxes.
I heard a report the other day suggesting that we are fooling ourselves about our diminishing carbon footprint. We have outsourced our manufacturing to the Far East and we should therefore be including their escalating carbon emissions in our sums.
That rings true.

love & peace
Sally
.

lovely latitude

2008-07-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

L A T I T U D E

I've just got back from Suffolk where we've been partying in the fields and woods with our family and friends at the very lovely Latitude Festival. There was a bit of everything and something for everyone and the site was ...
SO CLEAN. In fact the cleanest and greenest festival site I have ever been to.
We were encouraged to sort our litter and helpful stewards made sure that we put our plastics, paper, cans and food in the correct bins.
One of the biggest contributors to the lack of waste was paying a deposit of two pounds for a returnable pint cup with your first drink.
There was the opportunity to reclaim your money when you gave it back - a shrewd move because not only was there none of the usual mess but most people choose to take their Latitude cups home as souvenirs.
The £2 on return meant that any that were left around were soon picked up by smart kids who kept their eyes peeled for the chance of getting some free money ....ching! ching! Just like the good old days.
Helpfulness abounded and the campsite stewards offered help with taking tents down and packing them up so removing the temptation to walk away and buy another next time (not me of course!)
So what did we do?
In the Literature tent you could lie about on big comfy cushions while authors read you their stories; the Comedy tent had so many stars and was a bit of a crush - it could have been twice the size because everyone wants to laugh. There were plays, ballets, games, processions, poetry and food that was tempting and delicious. Waitress service to tables in the arena!!!!

AND there was music ....and best girl and best male in my selection are the sublime Beth Orton and masterful Nick Cave who stormed the main stage with his Grindermen. Best new band - The Midnight Juggernauts WHO ARE FABULOUS and my future big star has to be the extremely handsome and talented Johnny Flynn. Most wonderful random thing - Flamenco on a platform floating on the lake. Most awesome - the holographic lazer images hanging over the water - I still don't understand how they can do that.
Would I recommend you go next year ? Hell no! (well maybe just one or two of you but really there are mosquitos; the loo's are not very nice and you wouldn't like it at all.)
love & peace
Sally

FEWER PLASTIC BAGS IN CIRCULATION

2008-07-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

The winds of change have been blowing around the South of England catching fewer plastic bags to deposit in trees! I went to a boot fair on Sunday and two stallholders apologised for not being able to offer me a bag because "there are not so many around thesedays". The charity shops are saying the same - those who are less corporate have always relied on donations of bags and it seems that the very same community-spirited people that used to keep them supplied with plastic bags are now taking their re-usable bags to the shops so the chain of supply has broken down. If you have an under-sink stash of plastic bags donate hem to a charity shop to save them having to divert their much-needed income into buying in bags.
I have been checking out the checkouts in Sainsbury's and Morrissons this week in a random and hardly scientific way and noticed that Sainsbury's customers were using far more free plastic bags than those at Morrissons. The strange thing is that Sainsbury's is out of town and a car is required whereas Morrissons is in the centre of town and has lots of walking customers. So, my analysis of the situation is that a lot of people who deliberately get into a car and drive to a shop can't remember to take their own bags whereas people who walk in off the street can. Top marks to the walking bag carriers and must try harder to the forgetful car drivers.
love & peace
Sally

Fabulous Glastonbury 2008

2008-07-02T04:15:00.000-07:00

This year I arrived on Wednesday in the evening sunshine. Wristbands were issued along with a set of potato starch tent pegs which were an integral part of the Leave No Trace themed festival. Wish I could say they were brilliant but 50% of them snapped off because the ground was pretty firm - so we all went back to the metal ones - the wind was blowing and we needed to anchor the tent. The festival started off sunny and it was heaven to wander around on Thursday with no pressure to stick to a timetable of seeing bands - how hilarious that the bands are sometimes the last thing on your mind at Glastonbury. When the music started so did the rain and our hearts sank. Actually it was not too bad - just enough mud to warrant the wearing of those cool new WaterAid wellies but not enough to make you stay under cover. The Leave No Trace message really seemed to have hit home as the site stayed pretty clean throughout. All cups, cutlery, 'glasses' and plates were biodegradable and 'plastic' bags were made from corn starch. People were making an effort but the festival organisers had made it easy for them by providing plenty of bins to separate the rubbish which must have cut down on sorting later on. If only the rest of life was as ethical and organised as this wonderful event.
The music? My top three were Candy Statton - fabulous disco and soul diva; Raconteurs - (Jack White you are amazing!) and Leonard Cohen whose performance will stay with me forever. Jayzee, as he modestly proclaimed was F***ing Awesome, but next time I'd prefer not to have to wave my hands in the air and shout "HO" quite so much - glad I was there though because the film that opened the set was very funny and quite brilliant.
Bag-wise the Guardian teamed up with Yeo Valley to give away the freebies with the papers and this alone saves on so much rubbish that used to blow around with nobody taking any responsibility for it. This year people had taken on board the concept that the rubbish was our joint responsibility and that made all the difference.
LOVE & PEACE
Sally

People ARE carrying bags!

2008-06-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Credit where its due, I went to Morrison's supermarket yesterday and was pleased to see huge banner outside the store saying "TODAY don't forget your reusable shopping bag" or words very much to that effect. They're having a bit of a green push and thought provoking notices have appeared all round the store asking the customers to carry bags and reduce their carbon footprint. I particularly liked the way they had resisted adding major branding to the banner - okay it was stuck to their store so no mistaking who had put it there but it looked like a genuine attempt to pass on the simple message.
A quick scan of people at the checkout revealed that 50% had brought along their own bags and that is an astoundingly good turn-out.
love & peace
Sally

AN ADVERTISING ATROCITY

2008-06-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when an apparently good thing is being promoted I wonder whether I am the only one yelling abuse at the television set.
I currently have a big problem with Ariel. Their latest campaign Advert opens with a scene in Africa where impoverished children are seen scooping water from a muddy puddle...This is their only choice we are told...but wait...we then see that with the addition of some marvelous magic potion the same water becomes clean clear and perfectly safe to drink. So the children will now have a better chance of survival. The good people at Ariel then tell us that if we buy their product with the special tokens or whatever they will make this happen.
I say IF YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN THEN DO IT ! It is morally indefensible not to and are we seriously being asked to buy washing powder to save lives?
It made me think of Annie Lennox 's recent question which went along these lines - "If Cocoa Cola can be delivered to every corner shop in the world - why is it so difficult to deliver life-saving retro-viral drugs to the patients who need them?"
So here's the thing, you people marketing Ariel - if I had heard you provided children with clean drinking water simply because it was right and possible.... then I might buy your washing powder to show my appreciation. But using these children's hardship to persuade me to do so is just plain wrong.

SUMMER

2008-06-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from a week's holiday in Ibiza I have been thinking about recycling in other countries - I have only really had to deal with the separation of rubbish into plastic, glass and cardboard in Italy, France and Spain and am pleased to discover that there is no great mystery. The language and terrain might be different but we are all using recognizable recycling areas with easily identifiable graphic symbols to assist us in putting the right bits in the right bin. I read somewhere that holidays are a time for relaxing rather than stressing about green issues and that perhaps it is enough to simply turn off your hot water and save energy while you're away from home. I agree that everything should be switched off and unplugged at home but strongly believe that separating and recycling the rubbish must be done wherever we go. If you usually use your own shopping bags at home then you will want them with you on holiday too. Wherever you go this summer try not to leave a trace.
Love& Peace
Sally

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON PLASTIC BAGS

2008-05-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

On this morning's radio news bulletin an environmental expert criticised the government's focus on the plastic bag issue being dealt with by voluntary initiatives through retailers. The publicity surrounding one retailer's charge and another's free bags is just that - publicity generated by their PR machines. His complaint was that plastic bags were a very small part of our waste problem and as they are so visual they are an easy concept for the public to latch onto and feel they were doing something useful by carrying a bag of their own.
They are! they are! they are!
Just because there are other, bigger waste issues people should not be made to feel their efforts are not valuable or valued.
I believe that people come to a state of environmental awareness by many different routes and whatever the starting point is it is just that - their starting point. The plastic bag issue does not stand alone and once you take the step of remembering to take your bag to the shops you will feel a part of the environmental movement and become aware of other ways that you can support our planet's regeneration instead of contributing to its degeneration.
If a girl loves a Stella McCartney dress she may read an article about Stella's attitude and take something positive away, same with a Katherine Hamnett Tshirt - it may start as a fashion statement but it will also be a talking point and the issues that arise will be thought provoking.
I recommend reading the latest issue of Marie Claire magazine - its chocka with eco-fashion and really intelligent comment on the all things organic, Fairtrade, sustainable and ethical in fashion. And it is full of fun and fabulous clothes, bags and shoes.

love&peace
Sally
x

Warmer weather warnings

2008-05-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining at last and we are all feeling the benefit. These are days of picnics and spontaneous get-togethers. This is when you have to be on your guard and REMEMBER to
to carry a bag! A sudden desire for cold drinks and a bag of fruit to take to the beach can
strike at any moment and even the most diligent of bag carriers can be caught in the moment.
Put your shopping bag in your car or your handbag or your pocket RIGHT NOW so you can shop without plastic bags anytime. And when the fun is over, if you're driving bring the bottles and cans home where you can be sure they will be properly recycled. These are such small things to do and if you make them automatic it won't feel like hard work.
Enjoy being outside.
love & peace
Sally

ZIMBABWE

2008-04-26T01:59:00.000-07:00

It is a sobering thought that it is a luxury to have time and energy to worry about environmental issues like stopping the proliferation of plastic bags. Should we buy bottled water or drink filtered tap water? Compost or anaerobically digest our food waste? Take the car or ride a bike?
Our range of choices may be confusing but at least we have them.
Zimbabwe is in meltdown and people are terrified that they will not eat, drink or live another day.
Please everyone TRY in any way possible - MP, Media, UN, Aarvaz whatever you can think of to get action against Mugabe's regime started.
love peace
Sally

SHOPPING BAGS

2008-04-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

I think I might be getting a tad obsessed with this issue but yesterday a spokesperson from Sainsbury's featured on the BBC Breakfast Business programme. He was there to announce some plastic bag news and to accuse the government of jumping on the plastic bag bandwagon to win votes. He had lots of good points and made them for five minutes in front of a full screen rendering of the Sainsbury's logo on one of their bags. Let's see what would that exposure cost on the commercial TV channels? I have smoke coming out of my ears about this.

The government may well be seizing an opportunity to gain the green vote by banning bags or taxing bags but at least they are not exploiting the issue as a marketing exercise. Its not that I'm hugely impressed by the way the government has dealt with the plastic bag issue, in a late-responsive rather than a trail-blazing way but I actually think that the government does have a genuine interest in decreasing the use of plastic bags. They have a landfill crisis to deal with, our carbon footprints to consider, emissions targets, the Kyoto Protocol etc. Sainsbury's just have to sell us stuff and the more their name appears in front of our eyes the more they will sell.
They gave away "free" jute bags recently. Sweet little house printed in one corner along with the web site address of their Home Insurance division. That is a gift alright - a gift to them because you are walking down the street doing their advertising for them. I would believe that they cared about the environment if they cut down on packaging in their stores across the board not on a few eye-catching offers and if they gave their customers bags that didn't turn them into walking billboards. And in the interest of fairness I have to say that M&S and Tesco's are just as likely to come up with something to steal Sainsbury's thunder.
I print CARRYABAG on all my bags because its my company name and I chose it because it is what I want you all to remember to do.
So do it. For yourself, those you love, the countryside and the planet.
Then once we have the place cleaned up we can sort out some other issues.
love and peace
Sally
x

Clean up the Beach

2008-04-10T05:24:00.001-07:00

Our beaches are more polluted with plastic now than ever before. The thing about a beach is that its the edge and gets plastic blown down to it from the land and also brought in on the tide. Even if we were blameless and we are not we would still have the problem. Trust me, I live in seaside town where I see people walking away from their own litter on the beach and ignoring everyone else's. So even if we all cut down on our individual use of plastic and made use of the bins provided the tide would still come in twice a day carrying everything that floats and stays behind on the tide-line when the sea retreats. Other country's rubbish, other side of the world's rubbish, ocean liner's rubbish, probably rubbish from the sky as well - all bobbing about in the sea. It's time for us all to pick up the trash - never mind whether its your own or not - it affects us all and maybe, just maybe someone who watches us picking it up will think twice about dropping it next time. It may take a while but the more we see this as our responsibility the cleaner the beaches will be.

Let's give it a try - for all our sakes.

love & peace

Sally

More Plastic Bag "News"

2008-03-22T06:03:00.001-07:00

Sainsbury's managed to get onto Radio 2's Saturday 1pm news bulletin today by announcing that they would be asking their customers to re-use their plastic bags. Is this really news or a way of plugging their brand? Do people really not understand that it would be a good idea to re-use their bags?
Am I the only one thinking that they are using the plastic bag issue to exploit the media and gain fabulous free advertising. I remember, going back some years, Sainsbury's gave 2p back for each bag we brought and re-used. This was a good thing and they provided a money box so you could give this money to a local charity. Maybe they still do this. My point is they didn't exactly make the BBC news with it.
The idea is always REMEMBER to carry a bag - its that easy.
Happy Easter

love, peace and chocolate
xx

Carry-A-bag everyone!

2008-03-19T01:25:00.000-07:00

I am overwhelmed to see that everywhere I look there is a story about the awful plastic bag - newspapers are running campaigns, the prime minister is muttering about them,
LK today is running the story and quite frankly I think it is FABULOUS.
A slightly worrying trend emerged in the Sunday papers - the confessional cool cartoons and columns telling of swapping cupboards full of plastic bags for cupboards full of guiltily bought bags for life, the only difference being the expense and thus more money in the supermarket coffers. Hmmmmm!
I guess the supermarkets are having a bit of a chuckle about this - they already charge us for the 'free' bags in with the price of the food and now having taken the guilt on board we are buying their bags for life. Its not surprising that they've gone for this as they can charge us again - and more openly as this is seen as a positive thing. If we do remember to re-use them they get a longer-lasting, better quality walking advertisement on the street and if we don't then we keep on buying more to fill the cupboard under the sink.
Win Win Win.
You have to love you bag to remember to carry it with you - so find or make shopping bags that work for you, spend a bit more, make your own statement and it will be easy to remember to carry a bag.
x
love and peace
Sally

HEADLINE GRABBING BAG BAN

2008-02-29T01:16:00.000-08:00

Pinch me! Yesterday I woke up to breakfast TVs coverage of M&S's decision to charge for bags - fantastic publicity opportunity - I must admit the spokesperson for the company being grilled by Kirsty later on on Newsnight was squirmingly uncomfy when asked to deliver anything beyond a sound bite. Get it right guys - you want us to get the good news, find someone charismatic to deliver it.
Our very closest supermarket is the unusual and surprising Lidl where they have always charged for plastic bags. They don't have hand baskets, so people without bags grab any cardboard box they find to load small shopping and I have noticed that people who buy a lot of stuff fill a trolley then refill it at the checkout and take it to the car to unload without using a single plastic bag. It's probably because they're so European that nobody thinks to question why their bags cost money. It's never been headline news.
Whatever - its a good thing that big stores have found a way of making themselves look
good and green.
Today shock horror every daily paper apart from the Mail headlined with Prince Harry fighting the Taliban. The Mail chose BROWN: WE WILL BAN PLASTIC BAGS and reading online I discover that this and M&S's 5p-on-a-bag charge is all in support of the Mail's BANISH THE BAG campaign launched YESTERDAY! How effective and speedy was that?
Well if it saves one more turtle, keeps another bag out of a tree and makes one more person remember to carry-a-bag then I'm 100% behind it!
love and peace
Sally
x

Fairtrade Fortnight

2008-02-21T01:54:00.000-08:00

It would be a wonderful thing if we all chose Fairtrade all the time and this specially designated fortnight gives us the opportunity to try because the shelves are stocked and the giant plastic banana's are pointing us in the right direction. The Co-op is the small, local supermarket with the biggest commitment to Fairtrade, so if you've not been there then I suggest you give it a try. Shopping locally often means that you're left out of the statistics when it comes to monitoring the effectiveness of campaigns like Fairtrade Fortnight and making sure that your local Co-op sells out of Fairtrade produce is a way of being counted.
So.... it's my duty to go and buy bananas,mangoes,coffee, chocolate and wine!
Happy ethical shopping.
(I'm not being sponsored by the Co-op by the way)

TRYing to feel generous

2008-01-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

Observer Food Mag is coming out this Sunday and flagged up by email today. Nigel Slater - who I really do love - is tackling the plastic bag issue. Nigel carries a bag...he also sings the praises of Anya Hindmarch for her planet saving five pound bag. Well, I am trying not to be bitchy here but last week I saw someone coming out of Lidl carrying their shopping in one of Anya's bags and it struck me that it was the first time I'd actually seen one being used to actually carry shopping. When the bag was launched I was pretty thrilled that the issue had become such a hot topic so I signed up for the Anya Hindmarch email newsletter. I now get updates on her latest bags and guess what - they each cost about a month's rent and the environment only gets a mention when she gets another f***ing award for I'm Not a Plastic Bag.
Meanwhile back in the real word...There is an elderly lady in a corner shop in Hove who sews shopping bags out of odd bits of fabric and sells them to her customers for a pound - I think she should get an award.
love
Sally
PSSST! Remember to carry-a-bag

CHINA BANS PLASTIC BAGS

2008-01-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

The Chinese have decided to ban the manufacture of ultra thin plastic bags as of June 1st 08
and the law will also forbid shopkeepers from handing out free plastic bags. They say that the environment is a factor but the main reason is the huge amount of petrol needed to make plastic bags. They are suggesting that people get used to carrying cloth shopping bags or use a basket.
Wow! At the moment three BILLION plastic bags are given out everyday in China
so this really is something to celebrate.
It's impossible to make an argument in favour of using those polluting plastic bags because all any shopper has to do is REMEMBER to take a bag to the shops - that's all it takes.
How hard can it be?
love and peace
Sally
x

www.carry-a-bag.com

Here's the schoolteacher I mentioned

2008-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

BIT LATE ....BUT WELCOME TO 2008

2008-01-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

Its always best to approach the New Year in a positive way. The world is not such a bad place
and if we all do the right thing ...? I began the New Year by watching the You Tube film made by a US schoolteacher explaining why we need to take global warming very seriously and do our best to stop it getting worse, even if that means making some tough choices instead of taking the easy way out. The hard thing is that we have been so encouraged be consumers - and now they want us to give away our toys. We expect comfort, warmth and more than enough to eat and hot water from the tap. So now that we finally have installed a power shower can it be true that its wrong to use it? Tell the guy with the gadgets on stand-by that sea levels are rising and he must remember to switch off at the plug. The truth is that the only way to stop everything being left on standby is to build new stuff that can't do stand-by (with all the environmental problems that goes with manufacturing new appliances and disposing of the bad ones they replace.) You can now buy plugs with remotes that switch off all you media at the touch of a button but they are not cheap and their effect is invisible so hard to sell to anyone who isn't already a green thinker.
Here's a good idea for any environmental philanthropist out there looking for a way to do their bit: Supply "no-more-standby plugs" free to all the households in the country. If it was something everyone had like a gas meter then nobody would mind using them. Let's have huge mainstream support for initiatives like the installation of rainwater tanks to flush all the loos in the land. In 2008 let's ask for more help to do the right thing.
In December we were being urged not to overspend on our credit cards because there was going to be a crisis of debt - then in January we are told to expect a recession because we didn't buy enough and now the shops are in trouble. Jees Louise ! Does that mean I should have maxed out the card or not?
Perhaps if each of us turns off the news and tries our best to persuade a few more people to give the planet some thought then it could be a Happy New Year. Except for the people who bring us the news who need us to watch them or they lose their jobs! Nothing is that simple.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

2007-12-19T02:46:00.000-08:00

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED FOR REAL..........DON'T PANIC!
This time next week it will be Boxing Day - all over for another year. Right now we are in the danger zone and the safest thing to do with your credit card is hide it in a sock in the bottom of a drawer. The big people who love you will still love you next week if you don't buy them extravagant gifts and little children need love more than stuff. REMEMBER to carry your bag and recycle all the wrapping paper and keep the cards for crafty re-sending next year.
Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

REMEMBER to carry-a-bag

2007-12-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

North London.
Three weeks to Christmas.
Nancy remembers to carry-a-bag.

It's so easy and it makes you happy.
Spread the word.
www.carry-a-bag.com

REMEMBER in the USA

2007-12-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

The REMEMBER to carry-a-bag campaign has hit the streets of New York - here we go!

DECEMBER IS HERE

2007-12-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

This is the month when everyone goes shopping AND it would wonderful if everyone REMEMBERED to carry-a-bag?

I'VE BEEN GIVING THE MATTER A LOT OF THOUGHT.
How to make this happen?
REMEMBERING is a state of mind and we all need to re-train ourselves. We leave the house and 99% of the time we remember to carry our KEYS our PHONES and our MONEY....so why not add a bag to the list?
NEXT TIME YOU LEAVE HOME TRY THIS: Keys - check
Money - check
Phone - check
Bag - check

And that's all it takes to do your bit to help stop this lovely world being contaminated with plastic bags.

Plastic Bags are so last year

2007-11-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

The papers and the TV are full of plastic bag news stories - shall we ban them completely? Too difficult to enforce. No, let's charge for them! And then give some of the money to an environmental charity - that will get us loads of positive environmental publicity and who knows, maybe we can take the credit for saving the planet as well. Forgive the cynicism but it seems to me that the supermarket's have found that the easiest way to get their brands on TV (especially the BBC) is to announce a new plastic bag initiative - it's so easy and really far more cost effective than advertising.
I am hoping that soon everyone will say no to plastic bags and remember to carry their own re-usable bags when they go shopping. I am truly hoping that will happen.
Where people do make the change you see such a wonderful variety of shopping bags. Colourful bags, bags with slogans, floral bags, striped, spotted or checked bags over shoulders or held in hands but most importantly bags with personality.
Vive la difference!

HALLOWEEN

2007-10-31T01:57:00.000-07:00

I have never seen this many pumpkins in England before - and all you doubters who groan about American imported money-spinning customs should go out and get a
pumpkin right now. Carving a pumpkin is easy and tremendously satisfying - you could even use a drill to make the holes if you fear the knife. The most important thing is not to waste the food: First the yummy seeds - scoop them out and toast them in the oven they are really delicious. Now the flesh and I promise you will love this...
Pumpkin Risotto. Find a risotto recipe and follow all the instructions but about halfway through add a handful or two of cubed pumpkin and cook in the usual risotto way. The cubes should keep their shape and even you pumpkin-doubters will want to eat this again next week.
See ...this is how not to waste pumpkin.
xxx

Exhibition in the North East

2007-10-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

Calling anyone in the North East who is interested in Designers using Recycling Materials should hot foot it down to Newcastle City Centre to see the CONTAINS exhibition which takes place over 9 days from 19th to 28th October. The works will be displayed in a series of shipping containers and you will be able to inspect, examine, touch, feel and marvel at the 100 innovative minds behind the designs. Carry-a-Bag is represented by two reversible bags and extremely proud to be selected.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS?

2007-10-08T04:44:00.001-07:00

I read a small piece in the weekend papers that made my blood boil.
This is true....
You know how tough it must be when you're throwing a party for all your tame celebs during Milan Fashion Week? The paparazzi swarm all over the place trying to snap pics of who is attending your event and its hard to get any peace. Well, here's the latest idea that gets you the privacy you crave has been embraced by several designers including Jade Jagger, who should know better. YOU HIRE A PLANE FOR YOUR PARTY! All your publicity shy friends and customers hop on board and take to the skies where you serve them Krug and nibbles leaving the poor old snappers stuck at the airport waiting for you to come back down to earth.
Does that not just take the biscuit? I'm guessing that if they considered the environmental impact it wouldn't have stopped them, they would have simply asked a carbon off-set company to get them some trees.
Grrrrrrr!

PEOPLE ARE CARRYING REUSABLE BAGS

2007-10-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

When I started making my bags about two years ago I had to spend a lot of time explaining the simple idea "you go to the shops with a bag instead of going empty handed." It was just what older people had always done before the world was flooded with plastic carriers.
How things have changed in those two years. Take a look at people in the queue at any supermarket checkout now and you will find there is someone or maybe even several people who have brought their own bags to the store. Of course there are still trolleys stacked with plastic bags but the shops have all produced re-usables and in some cases provide bag recycling bins or biodegradable plastic bags - not sure that I believe in those though. Most things biodegrade eventually but that doesn't mean we can wait for it to happen.
Generally though attitudes have changed and that is A GOOD THING.

reduce your refuse

2007-09-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Words are funny.
Refuse (verb) decline; reject; spurn
Refuse (noun) garbage; rubbish; landfill; waste and so on.
You get the picture.

keeping in touch

2007-09-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

Communicating is a full-time job. Get up switch on the computer; check the email; check the mobile messages; get the post; answer the landline; read a text; talk on the mobile; write my blog; send a text - oh yes and talk to my husband....and now there is Facebook. I innocently joined up and am now having to learn another new language and the protocol. Is it rude not to respond when someone writes on your wall and should I respond when poked? How many photos of one event should be put up and how long after an event can you add a very flattering pic of yourself? So much to learn and so little time. And that's the problem. Earlier this week our power was due to be cut off for 5 hours for some urgent work to be done on something electrical. The official letter gave us lists of instructions on how to cope - turn the freezer up, leave one light on; back-up your files etc. The liberating prospect of not having any way of communicating was quite intoxicating!(apart from the mobile of course).
In the event they didn't turn it off after-all. I felt mugged.
Life at carry-a-bag carries on happily. I search for fabric all the time never wanting to pass a charity shop or car boot sale just in case the pattern of my dreams is waiting there for me. I pick up all sorts of other stuff along the way (too good a bargain to ignore)then listen to the radio while sewing or cutting out and share the occasional day with lovely Amy who comes to help me print. Somehow with all the communicating I have to do I still manage to make the bags but am seriously thinking of instigating a power-cut day of my own to remember what life was like when we weren't quite so connected.
love x

On this bright blue sky day...

2007-09-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

We remember another bright blue sky day in New York.
Last night driving back from a fabulous weekend on the Isle of Wight I heard on the radio that Anita Roddick had died suddenly and soon after I passed a signpost to Chichester Hospital where she was. She was such a force for good and the one time I had direct dealings with her proved to me how genuinely caring and kind she was. I have a friend Emerald, who is a stress and emotional trauma specialist and was working with London Underground staff when the bombs went off. She told me that people were having terrible problems dealing with recurring memory of the smell underground and she wanted to give them something to divert and help them with that. I was able to get word to Anita that my friend could do with some aromatherapy help and within hours she phoned Emerald herself to talk for an hour about what would be most useful, then sent boxes of oils over for her to give out to anyone who needed them. All those things could have been done by someone else but that was not the way Anita Roddick lived her life. I am going to read all the stories I can about her in the next week and try to learn and follow her wonderful example.
Rest in Peace lovely lady.

Mid-August ALREADY

2007-08-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week we were swimming in the sea and planning to do it each day but this is England and you can't make sunny plans. The wind and rain have been lashing at the windows and the Charity Christmas card catalogues are dropping on the doormat. I wish they wouldn't be in such a hurry to move us on to the next season. Slow down it's Summer.
It has been a tremendous year for figs and I made four kilos of jam yesterday and have enough figs to make forty kilos more. I would if I were not so busy making my bags. Cutting, printing, stitching -
and everyday someone somewhere in the world opens a package and writes to say how much they love their bag. They don't have to do that and it makes me feel very lucky. And maybe next week the sun will return and I'll go back in the sea.

August

2007-08-02T02:25:00.000-07:00

I'm optimistic about this month as it began with sunshine and a dip in the sea. I know a lot of people will think me crazy for enjoying a swim in the English Channel but there is nothing quite like it for making you feel alive and zingy. Then to sit with your back resting on a warm sea wall watching the late afternoon sun shining golden on beach while the salty water dries on your skin.
Lovley! Yesterday evening groups of people were lighting barbecues and opening bottles of wine and to think only a week before the storms were raging. An on the subject of outdoor cooking -
last week I read that we must not use disposable barbecues as they are very bad environmental news - so it's a bucket and some local charcoal from now on - okay?
I was actually staggered to read the numbers of disposables sold each week in the summer and its the same old story - everyone says they are just using the one so it can't make too much impact but it does.

Ditch the cynicism

2007-07-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

Driving my old car with only LW/MW radio I get to listen to all sorts of things and heard a program of pundits talking about planet saving matters. One female journalist was scathing about the lack of detailed knowledge amongst the young. She ridiculed the wearing of white bands against poverty or marching together against a war as "feelgood" actions. Making people feel they have done their bit when all they have done is spend a pound or take a stroll. But it seems to me that standing up to be counted is an important thing - add your name to those online petitions, buy a wristband, click on that button each day to fund mammograms, run that Race for Life and Carry a Bag. If it makes you feel good then enjoy the feeling. We are more likely to tackle the bigger issues if we start by wanting to do something than waiting to know everything before we begin.

2007-07-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

You know what its like when you find something that's really good and you tell everyone and suddenly it doesn't feel very much like your 'find' anymore. At the risk of that happening I have to say that Latitude Festival in Suffolk is really fantastic. Stunning site, such a broad spectrum of entertainment and absolutely nothing to complain about - well, apart from the 'nice' family camping next to us who let their little darling do his violin practice at 8.30am. It was so nice there I stopped worrying about the planet - it looked in pretty good shape from there.
Then on Wednesday I saw a double page spread of photographs showing the ecological impact of the Chinese boom with it's massive coal consumption on the rivers, the cities and land and people's health. Since then I've reading about the pitiful wages paid to textile workers in Bangladesh to enable us to buy cheap clothes, and that not buying them means that people who earn a little now will earn nothing at all. Should organic food be airfreighted from Kenya where growing it provides a living for so many farmers - or should we just buy local? So many theories, so many arguments, so many issues, so much to worry about.
I wonder whether too much information can damage your health.

The Ethical List

2007-07-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

The New Consumer's Ethical list celebrates some of the great people who are helping to make the world a better place. A few surprising entries but it was ever thus - who doesn't like a surprise? I notice that Anya Hindmarch made the cut for her bag and it would be churlish of me to deny her the glory but it does lead me onto thinking about the outsourcing to China issue.
The problem the way I see it is that each 'ethical' product that is made in bulk over there - no matter how convinced you are by their working practices and pay structures - is harming the environment and also people like me who want to build a successful ethical business but can't compete with those prices. China is building new coal fired power stations at an alarming rate to process the orders streaming into their country from the West. I am not impressed with the argument that goods travel by sea to save on their carbon footprint - maybe if they came on sailing boat there might be some truth in it.
What's wrong with making things here and paying people what they are worth?

Live Earth

2007-07-08T03:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big earth event and the miracle of a Summer Day occurred in North London. Naturally I signed the pledge - actually I may have signed it twice in my enthusiasm to be counted. What were those scary dancers of Madonna's all about? She was fabulous of course and so were many of the others. Good telly and hopefully a whole lot more as we all rush to do the right thing and stop being so selfish. I for one will be offsetting my flea market chandelier with a dull eco-bulb in my husband's bedside reading light - ha! Only joking. I'll be turning off the stereo at the plug then spending half a day re-programming all the stations in time to switch them all off at the plug again and do the same the next morning. And that won't last so I'll have to buy a new gismo to do it for me. Must try harder.

Today's other little rant is about the thoughtless juxta-postion of advertisements alongside the tragic story of inflation and poverty in Zimbabwe in the Observer Magazine. There are two full-page ads that are incredibly insensitive. Does nobody look at the whole magazine when they put it put together - or is that an old fashioned idea?
The first Ad is for John Lewis mattresses costing thousands of pounds alongside a picture of two young children asleep in the middle of a pavement because they are too poor to actually have a designated corner to sleep in. Turn over and we see hands holding wads of inflation devalued notes that amount to the £80 a month wage earned by a 'lucky' employed person set against the glossy ad of a couple enjoying the golf course of their luxury retirement second home in sunny Spain. Carbon footprint wise I imagine a second home in Spain off-sets your winter fuel consumption in the UK and so it goes.
My own pledge is to continue to remember to carry a bag and turn out the lights and to really try to do all the other things too.
love
Sally

Americans

2007-07-04T01:24:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is American Independence Day.
This week I have been very conscious of the warmth and spontaneity of Americans.
Carry-a-bag was featured on a blog called OhJoy in the States and I have had loads of enquiries about whether bags could be sent over. Each and every one carried with it a compliment of some sort. In the States emails are more like short conversations than our mini-letters - so they cut to the chase and most read along the lines of "Can you post to the US? You are so clever and I LOVE your bags! " or " Your bags are GORGEOUS - what is the shipping to California"
Well, it works for me. I LOVE Americans.
I made this little bag today with a message for us all :
time to save the planet dudes.
Say no to plastic bags and
remember to carry a bag.
Pass the message on.

Happy 4th of July.

GLASTONBURY

2007-06-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry to anyone who tried to reach me at Carry-a-bag this weekend - I absconded to Glastonbury for a weekend of rain, mud and music. The Guardian were giving away a bag with every newspaper bought - I suspect it was made in China but will have to check on that so don't quote me yet. And there were many variations of re-usable shopping bags on show - most of them mud splattered and very wet. One huge contradiction is that actually plastic is the only way to go bag-wise if you have to keep things dry - I know this because my mobile died of exposure. Spotted my time to save the planet dudes bag in the backstage hospitality area - looking good! Best music I saw? Amy Winehouse on Jazz World; Mark Ronson with a band; The Gossip, and The Marley Brothers singing when the only bit of hot sun was briefly shining. And best of all watching The Killers with Roxy from the side of the Pyramid Stage- that was as good as it gets.

DID YOU SEE IT??

2007-06-11T01:48:00.000-07:00

The Observer Magazine's Ethical Issue yesterday was chokka with good stuff and most thrilling for me was the fashion spread across pages 50 and 51. There was my TIME TO SAVE THE PLANET DUDES bag with the Superman lining not once but twice - being reversible they had used it both ways. Orders have poured in and the Superman circa 1978 bedding and curtains that I have been searching out and stockpiling will soon be used up. Never mind I have another plan using vintage STAR WARS duvet covers for linings - Time to save the Galaxy dude's!

Where did that week go?

2007-06-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Bags have been in the news this week and soon there will be nobody left who has not heard that it is a really silly idea to fill your trolley with supermarket plastic bags every time you shop.
One very sweet and friendly idea that made it to BBC Breakfast news was a group who meet in pods - like dolphins - and sew bags from old clothes which they offer to swap with shoppers who exit the supermarket with plastic bags. The reaction was mixed with some shoppers loving it and others running away - the TV camera may have had something to do with it.
I had an advance email warning from the Anya Hindmarch website that they are about to launch her bag worldwide - cue more hysteria. Then a hilarious antidote came by way of Goodone whose limited edition rude-sloganized Organic cotton bags cost £8. Check them out.
Reader, I bought one.
Carryabag had a crazy week of contrasts with an enquiry coming in from New York for 600 bags for a special event (that I couldn't manage in the time); two one-off requests from loyal customers who wanted new bags printed in their favorite colours and the very nice job of designing yoga mat bags for my friend's new health centre and little bags for another friends hand-made organic soaps. (www.visionarysoapcompany.co.uk) The week flew by.
Selvedge magazine are running two pictures and the nicest paragraph anyone has ever written about my bags in the July/August issue and the sun is back shining in the bright blue sky.
I am not sure what has happened in Naples this week but in Italy my sister encountered two snakes on an island in the Northern Lakes. How did they get there?

Sunday papers make me worry.

2007-05-27T01:38:00.001-07:00

Went shopping in East Dulwich's street market yesterday and hardly spotted one plastic carrier bag. Seems like the lovely people of East Dulwich have understood the issue, now for the rest of the world.....
I have just read a report on the Naples garbage nightmare - and nightmare really isn't overstating the case. With 30,000 tons of rubbish rotting in the streets residents decided that setting fire to it - better to smell the smoke that the rot. Fires inevitably burned more than just the rubbish.
The authorities have opened some emergency dumps and are moving rubbish to a new incineration plant due to open later in the year.
The story has so many lessons for the rest of us - choose from local government corruption, tourism cover-ups, fly-tipping, hazardous incinerator fumes. Naples had the worst record for recycling in Italy.
Watch to see whether the Neopolitans change their ways and better still whether the story gets enough publicity to stop other cities going the same way.

May 25th

2007-05-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

It is important to take some time to look around and enjoy the day. This morning I was up very early and went for a long walk on the beach at Camber Sands with a friend. The tide was far out and the rippled sand we were walking on was actually the sea bed. What a perfect start to a Friday - the beach was clean and I felt very lucky. Not like the people of Naples. I saw on the news that their landfill sites are full and no garbage has been collected for a while now. It is piled high all along the sides of the roads, smelly and rotting in the hot sun. People are staying indoors to avoid the stench. This happened quite fast and I wonder what they going to do now. This bit of footage should be shown to every doubter who can't be bothered to recycle.
LandFILL will become LandFULL unless everyone takes this seriously.

Hello World

2007-05-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog and there is so much to say its a bit like leaping into a fast flowing river without knowing where the hidden hazards are. Well - here goes.
Carry-a-bag started about two and a half years ago and the website has been up and running for a year now. In that time I have made hundreds of bags and it makes me happy to think that each one goes out onto the street to spread the message. I aim to make them pretty for the girls and
a bit cool for the boys - you have to want to take your bag to the shops.
People ask if I get bored with all this sewing and printing but honestly I don't - repetitive tasks can liberate your thoughts.