Calling all knitters! CODEPINK is creating a beautiful, quilted cozy to cover the fence in front of the White House to honor Mother's Day. The message will be “We will not raise our children to kill another mother’s child”-inspired by Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation. It will be pieced together from individual squares knitted by YOU as part of the 24 hour Mother’s Day vigil for Women who live in War Zones.  The best part is you don’t have to be an experienced knitter to help!  This is perfect for knitters of all skill levels—and a great opportunity for those who want to learn! Celebrate the time honored tradition of the radical act of knitting.  There's no excuses because newbies to the craft of knitting can click here for online instructions.

All over the world, great minds are thinking alike. Case in point, more than one designer thinks that the washing machine drum that most of us simply stuff with dirty laundry could double for a fancy piece of furniture.  Here’s an interesting adaptive reuse the once-lowly discarded washing machine drum. click here to get yours today!

….however often you feel the need to give the gift of life to your community, it's time to consider doing something with your blood besides washing it down the drain!  Only three out of 100 people are blood donors–maybe it's time you joined that elite crowd (like our fearless leader Brenda.)  To find out if you're eligible to participate in the American Red Cross blood drives, where and when to donate in your community, visit their website by clicking here or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).

Now that you've seen the light and switched to GladRags, what to do with all those leftover disposable products?  Fear not, eco-warrior!  There's a website I love called tamponcrafts.com who's always coming up with new ideas for ridiculous projects you can make with tampons, applicators, etc.  Nothing goes to waste here.  And just in time for Easter, you can click here to learn how to make this tampon bunny in eight easy steps!!

I love a good hug from friend to get me through the day, and have even felt it appropriate in many situations to hug someone when meeting for the first time, even if our connection has only been virtual.  That's why this recent story brings up a very interesting issue–is it okay to hug the Queen of England?  I'd like to think it's a (good) sign of the times that this happened, and that people are discussing it.  Here's to a changing of the guard on the no-touchy policy between nations!

Hello–I'd like to interrupt this blog to introduce myself.  I'm Hilary, otherwise known as the Bunny with a Toolbelt, and I'll be sitting in on the GladRags Blog for the next few months.  Brenda wanted me to tell you a little bit about myself, so I'll start with a piece I made over a decade ago that fits right into the conversations here. I made this piece in 1987 when I found a call for entries for a show in New Orleans called "Feminine Products," which immediately triggered the idea for this piece, which I lovingly called the "Giant Tampon Punching Bag."  It came out of a monthly frustration at the high price of disposable menstrual pads and tampons.  The bag was the full size of a regulation punching bag, and hung from a large rope.  The boxing gloves were covered with images of dollar bills.  It was a simple, humorous idea, like much of my student work. The giant tampon is long gone, but my artwork carries on.  Most recently, I have been focusing on a line of wood animals and wedding cake toppers I sell on Etsy, a fabulous online marketplace for handmade goods.  You can see my shop by clicking here.  Here's an image of one of my favorite pieces, a red bird sitting on an elephant's back.  My sculptures are made entirely from reclaimed wood, gleaned from woodworkers' scrap bins or a local business in Portland called the ReBuilding Center, who is able to salvage up to 90% of a building before demolition and sell it back to the public at a great price, not to mention the benefits of saving it from the landfill. I love to write, and I feel strongly about the great products that GladRags makes, so I'll be checking in from time to time to let you in on what I'm thinking about.  Thanks for listening and I'll be back soon!