Creative Reuse

I've always been enchanted by art that finds a creative expression for otherwise mundane or discarded items. Art of assemblage, whether expressed as diorama, art car, mosaic, collage--the wide diversity of materials and  endless possibilities excite me. Combination of color, texture and shape, found objects, serendipity.

Today I'll share a few of the Creative Reuse Depots to be found in the Greater SF Bay Area.

Recology - Art at the SF Dump, with an artist-in-residence program; gives tours!

East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, 4695 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA

Scrap, Scrounger's Center for Reusable Art Parts, Toland Street, SF, CA

RAFT, Resource Area for Teachers, San Jose and Redwood City, CA

Recycled Building Materials

Ohmega Salvage, 2407 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA "architectural salvage"

Building Resources, 701 Amador Street, SF, CA

Urban ore, 900 Murray St., Berkeley, CA

And, well, it's not "hoarders" and it's not "antiques Roadshow"...it's "American Pickers", a TV series I've begun watching, primarily b/c these guys are out there in middle America, finding treasures in people's backyards, barns, garages and dump heaps. I am a little bit sobered by the glee with which these guys readily rip-off (profit) from the little old timers whose cherished and savored collected junk they abscond with. There are some really neat finds. Some really great rust! But the excitement over buying a 60 year old leather saddle for $75 dollars and having it appraised in the thousands, is both real and ... well I feel for the 90+year old who relinquished his saddle for so little, when these guys are seeing both an intrinsic value and the big giant DOLLAR SIGNS. I dunno. I'm still on the fence on this. The cool junk, meeting the old Folks from America--that's alright. Somehow the profiteering aspect rankles me. Another Person's Trash...

One Person's Trash

Might be another person's TREASURE.

Today's Entry reaches out to long-time friend,
"Barney" Bobb, from 2nd Floor Redwood Hall
way back when. 

I just can't help myself! I really like recycled, repurposed quirky things. Take a common material, a punctured inner tube, no longer functioning  in its original intended use and otherwise destined for landfill, and make something useful, creative, interesting or possibly even beautiful out of it.   

I won't expound ad nauseum about Recycling, Repurposing, Upcycling, etc., but for me a big part of the attraction is the transformation of something scavenged. I appreciate people who see a material--albeit used or cast aside--and see a second life. You might recall I mentioned the Alchemy Goods Creative Reuse Inner Tube Contest sometime ago. Yeah? You remember? Good! Well, here's a link to the Contest's Winners. But don't stop there...head over to the  entries tab and check out the Giant Slingshot or the PVC Balloon Organ.

  As long as you're visiting the Instructables website, take a moment to click over to Bikes and learn about such cool projects as a the "Tall Amphibious Couch-Bike" with important design steps that involve a) Beer and b) More Beer. Apparently the mods and makes are endless--you just need a lot of time on your hands and need to create.

And Bobb, Thanks again for the Christmas Gift -- a huge set of discarded old keys discovered while "alley hooking". I love them, and I love it that you knew I'd love them!!

Creative Reuse - Inner Tubes Contest!

Maybe you've already heard about this one, maybe you've been busy fixing punctures along the roadway...as a reminder, put those inner tubes to use in new and creative ways. Then enter the Alchemy Goods Inner Tube Reuse Contest.

Boasting everything from Bike-spoke Bats to Stomprockets, with a Giant Slingshot along the way, you'll want to check this site for inspiration on your next creative reuse project!

Got a flat? Don't toss that tube! Reuse it, and share your project in the Alchemy Goods Inner Tube Reuse Contest!

To enter the contest, just make a new Instructable that shows how you've reused a bicycle inner tube. You can use it whole or slice it up for parts, and make something practical or artistic; so long as you reuse an inner tube, the rest is up to you!

Need inspiration? Alchemy Goods has found lots of great uses for inner tubes and other reused materials. They upcycle useless stuff to make some great bags, wallets, belts, and more. Share your inner tube reuse project, and you could win a Pike bag or an Urban bag, or other cool stuff from Alchemy Goods!

So go make something awesome with an inner tube. We can't wait to see what it is!  Multiple entries are accepted, but each entrant can only win one prize. International entries are accepted.