Welcome to the first newsletter from Craftcycle!

We are a club that is devoted to recycled art and crafts of all mediums. We have decided to do a montly newletter to bring our news and and pieces done by our awesome members to the DeviantART community. Each month we will be featuring the submissions our members have sent us from the previous month(i.e. July's submissions in August's newsletter), as well as member contests, features, and a monthly challenge.

Our club was founded by BehaviorModification, and is now managed by DarkFireRaven and edctpsu.

Our club is now listed in the DA Community! We would also like to give a warm welcome to all our new members.

Sow's Ear To Silk Purse Contest Winners!</u>

Congratulations to our Sow's Ear to Silk Purse Contest Winners! We would like to thank everyone who participated, each and every entry was made with love and hard work.

Useful and Practical -


Member's Choice - , same entry.
This was such a fun contest! And a great way to teach others how we can recycle old things or something they would normaly throw away. I've always loved to re-use things, and it's something I do in my normal day life. I was very surprised to win twice, and I would like to take this oportunity to thank all the people who voted for me and also the people who donated prizes.


Awesome in a Decorative Way -

When I was preparing for the contest, I wanted to use up as much stuff as I could that I already had lying around, or that I could find before the deadline. I wanted it to be as colorful and whimsical as possible, and I think it turned out quite fun and eye-catching. I even managed to use the "Made with Recycled Materials" sticker that I peeled off a plastic flower pot from Wal-Mart!

I love recycling things, and I think recycling will have to be integrated into everyone's lives at some point. Billions of tons of garbage are thrown away every year, and the worst of it is the plastic junk that will sit around for thousands of years, until bacteria evolve that can eat it. As artists, it behooves us to find creative ways of dealing with the overabundance of human-produced waste products. No, we can't save the world, but we can save our little portion of it, the small bit in which we live and interact with others. And those others might be inspired, too, and isn't that how great movements begin? I like to think that DA's recycling artists are just one small part of a great movement that is already catching on and spreading--and that should make us all feel a little bit better about the world we live in.


Admin's Pick -

Hello,
First of all, congratulations to you for running the 'Sow's Ear to Silk Purse' contest - anything which helps to raise awareness of the dangers of unbridled profligacy on a finite planet is very important. I am truly honoured to have my dolls chosen as one of the winners. These dolls were originally made as an entry into the 'Bricolage Design Prize' for artwork made from waste, sponsored by the Tasmanian Government. My work was chosen as the winner of that prize - both the major award and also the People's Choice award. They were also chosen on this site for a Daily Deviation, so I'm beginning to see my humble little sawdust dolls as emissaries to an important cause!

I am one of the more aged members of DA, so I've been around long enough to notice with a great deal of alarm where our inability to really address the inextricably inter-related issues of overpopulation/pollution/profligacy/consumerism is rapidly leading us.

Here are some other pieces I have made which highlight these issues, and which I would like to share:

Mature Content

  'Revenge of Gaia'
  'Why?'

Special thanks to the generous people who donated prizes.

Honorable Mention:
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Member's Submissions for the Month</u>
These wonderful deviations were submitted in July. Go check them out!


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August Challenge</u>
Each month, we will choose one recyclable object or material and encourage our members to make at least one deviation from this material. This month's challenge is soda cans. Soda cans are one of the easiest things to recycle and yet they get thrown away and wasted in spades. There is so much we can do with the aluminum they are made from, so this month, take your soda cans and run with them! Don't forget about the tabs! We are looking forward to seeing what you can do!

Member/Affiliate Contests</u>
is holding a CSS contest. Participants are being asked to design a CSS layout for their journal. The layout should reflect both the Photo manipulation and Artisan Craft communities, as well as a mysterious/fantasy theme. You do not need to be a member of this club to participate. The deadline is September 10th. Details are here - digital-artisans.deviantart.co…

is holding a contest to design an ID for the club. The medium MUST be a traditional art medium, such as ink, watercolor, charcoal, etc. The theme the ID should reflect is being an artist. Basically, what does being an artist mean to you? What is it about? The deadline is September 15th, 2008.
Contest details can be found in their journal as well.

is having a United Human Race Contest. Any medium is allowed in this contest, though digital art is preferred. Design a flag that unites all of us a a race, instead of just a country. The contest ends August 30th.

- is having a purple contest! Any medium or art form is welcome, just as long as it is purple. This contest deadline is August 31st, 2008.

is having a Childhood Heroes contest. Entries should be about your childhood hero. Mediums used must be in the Artisan Craft category. You must be a member to participate. Participants can submit two deviations but can only win once. Particpants must also include a short bio with their deviation to explain why the subject chosen is their childhood hero. The entry deadline is August 31st. Details can be found here - crafty-goodness.deviantart.com…

is having a cat art contst. Any medium is welcome as long as the deviation involves a cat. This contest ends on August 31st.


Have an idea for something that you think should be in the newsletter? Drop us a note!

Want to join Craftcycle? Simply put us on your watch list, and when we put a watch on you, you are officially a member! If you have any questions please drop us a note.

We hope you enjoyed the our first club newsletter. Our next newsletter will be out on September 1st.