East Austin Studio Tour

One of the many highlights of the 2011 East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.) for me was getting a morning coffee at Café Mundi and hearing a woman behind me describing a reuse center.  She had lived in the bay area and was doing her fair share of spreading the word about reuse centers.We snagged a spot next to Iona Handcrafted Books on Tillery. We brought out materials left over from the IIDA (International Interior Design Association) Zero LandFill event, from the SXSW Eco Conference and from donation drives at Whole Foods Market and Rebecca’s home. In the mix were vinyl banners, metal tins, carpet squares, tiles, fabrics, trinkets, cardboard, and on and on.  We were delighted to disperse the materials out to the public for free. (Once the center is open we will charge bulk rates by the bag for materials.)To help bridge the communication idea of what a reuse center is, we brought a sign with reuse project ideas. Represented were some of the more common materials we all run across with a need to repurpose and we had so many excited conversations with folks around that sign.Mary Cantu, founder of Spare Parts, the reuse project in San Antonio, came up to pitch in and say hello as well. She taught us how to make jump ropes from old markers, make paint out of dry makers, and t-shirt yarn!  Thanks Mary!!Our time at E.A.S.T. was all the more fun with the volunteers who came out to help in sorting materials, explaining what we were up to, and stamping business cards!  The event was a much needed break from having our heads in behind-the-scenes paperwork. We're looking forward to getting to know our new reuse friends better!Thank you everyone who stopped by, intentionally planning, or letting yourself be swept up in the moment. We greatly appreciated the enthusiasm and interest in support that we found.