Category Archives: Creative journeys

Videos are in – Go Vote!

The Eco-TAV Video Submission Contest has been a bit of a journey! A journey of learning for everyone who has been a part of it!  And it is not over yet!  You’ve still got time to get your video submissions in – message me if you have one in the works and need to figure out how to upload it!

Thanks to the two fabulous people who have entered their video submissions so far!  And mega thanks to the efforts on one lovely lady in Montreal who is spreading the Eco-TAV word by gifting her friends and colleagues with products and tried so hard to create a video for this contest – but technology got the best of her!  Maybe over the holidays, Jenn!

Since there are only two in so far – I know we have at least two winners already, but I’ll need help deciding who is the “BIG” winner!  That means I need your help!  Starting MONDAY, DECEMBER 14th,  I’ll be asking you to vote on your favorite by making comments on the Eco-TAV YouTube PAGE Where the videos are awaiting your comments as video responses!

You’ve got til Sunday December 13th at MIDNIGHT to get your videos in – email me { info@eco-tav.com}  if you have questions!!

Eco-TAV in Review

Nothing like the trepidation of sending products that you think are great, off to be tested and reviewed by a total stranger. But that’s what I need – some fresh eyes to give me some feedback and let folks know how they find the Napkins and Pouches are to work with.

Thanks to Carrie Anne at EverythingMom for taking the time to post a review about my Eco-TAV goodies!
You can check it out here:
Everything Mom Logo

and then follow them on twitter:
@everythingmom and @cbadov

Part of a Larger Community

As part of my journey with Eco-TAV, I am finding ways to connect with other artisans, support them and find creative ways to self-promote!
The latest is joining up with indienorth’s Holiday Gift Guide!

There are a lovely selection of gifts and goodies that express the elegance and fun of some fab Canadian Artisans!

Check it out!

Click Here to start your holiday shopping and support canadian artisans!

Eco-TAV Video Submission Contest!

MuffinHempELKAE shotIMG_0135Picture 3

Let’s have some fun this fall and yes, you can win a prize!

PRIZES:
The top 4 videos will each be awarded a fun prize as a thank you for your creative efforts!
The top prize will be a choice of one of two options:
1 – $50 value of Eco-TAV products, gift wrapped and mailed to an address of your choice for the upcoming holiday season.
or
2- $50 gift certificate to any restaurant of your choice within the Ottawa area.

The three other prizes will be valued at $20 each and your choice between

1 – $20 value of Eco-TAV products, gift wrapped and mailed to an address of your choice for the upcoming holiday season.
or
2- $20 gift certificate to any restaurant of your choice within the Ottawa area.

DETAILS:
Why:

I am seeking different ways to:
a. generate interest in the Eco-TAV line…
b. get folks thinking and acting a bit more ‘green’, one step at a time…
c. encourage that community feeling…
..and I thought maybe this could be a fun adventure for those interested in coming on it!

What:
The adventure is to create a video up to 2 minutes – or whatever!- in length that shows how you and yours are using the Eco-TAV line to enhance your lives. It should feature at least one of the Eco-TAV products, but I totally welcome the inclusion of other green/eco-friendly/healthy lifestyle products too!

Where:
Submit your video to the Eco-TAV Youtube Channel and let everyone see it and vote on it.  While I don’t like the idea of “competition”, I do want to award those creative sparks and encourage some funky thinking!

When:
Submit your video [s] until December 12th. Judging will be on going with the standard YouTube rating system already in place, and comments will be open so that folks can really let us know what they think!
Judging will end December 15th so that the Prizes can be awarded in time for Holiday enjoyment!

Who:
Well, everyone who has been touched or will be touched by Eco-TAV, of course! If you know someone who is a creative soul and would love to play with this, send them to Eco-TAV.com so that they can find out where to get their own Eco-fabulous piece of the action!

Rules of engagement:
1 – Copyright issues:
You must have copyrights to everything used in the video. If you are going to talk about someone else’s products and can get permission to do so, that would be ideal.

Any music/ logos/ etc. must be original content created by the creators of the video, or you get written permission to use that music.

Use of the Eco-TAV logo in the video will be permitted. You can contact me for a good quality image!

Once you submit your video, you are giving permission to Eco-TAV/ TAV Creations to use the video, completely or in part, for promotional purposes.  Credit will be given to you in every way possible, though no compensation, financial or in trade, other than indicated in the original contest can or will ever be granted.  But the Fame!  and the Glory!

2. Video submissions should be family friendly.
That’s the way I roll – it can be funny, serious, kooky, dark and even mind numbing – as long as it is safe for work and safe for the kids to walk past while it is on screen!

So, I hope you see this as a fun way to get creative and share you own love of the planet.  Remember to tell your friends to go and vote too!

Elevator pitch and other thoughts

 

TraceyThere’s that concept of the 30 second elevator pitch to promote/ introduce/ explain what your job is.  That one was always easy for me: “I sew, and I dance and I teach both, but not at the same time :-)”  I don’t define myself with labels, but with verbs – and that makes sense to me!

People will describe me as a “seamstress” and I inwardly cringe.  Yes, according to the official definition, that is one of the aspects of my reality.  I really do like to think I am so much more than that.  I design, I read people’s minds and pull their ideas out and bring them to life, I create new concepts for them to explore as we journey through making their garment – whatever it is.  And yes, I hem pants too – and that part of my job is not really creative, but it takes at least a modicum of awareness on how the whole procedure works!  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrA2yPrMlkw]

HalymaMaybe I need to approach the label Seamstress in the same way that I approach Belly dance – empower it in my own mind and revel in it!

My signature on my emails starts with “Creativity Abounds”.  I am thinking of using that on my website – when we get it updated [ hopefully sometime in the next month]  So, I invite creative titles and inspired labels 🙂

And I have had an epiphany regarding folks reactions to my telling them about my Eco-TAV products.  Many folks simply react in a pleasantly positive way, even if it is not something they see themselves embracing right away.  But I have had what seemed to me to be an odd reaction from other business folk and a few non business type folk.  Suddenly I was being told about a similar but different product and it was implied or occasionally stated that I should copy it. What?  What??  Why would I do that?  Why would I want to do that?  Would I want someone doing that to me??? No…So with much restraint, I would try to reply with a simple, thank you, possibly adding a clarification if the product in question involved the use of plastic – I don’t do plastic.  Speaking of not doing plastic – here’s a local company’s video of my Eco-TAV Napkin…They have an absolutely fabulous all natural insulated lunchbag too!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecF8YU02YRI]

My epiphany was that these good friends were merely trying to help.  So I thought they deserved credit for their intentions, and I genuinely thank them for their links and face to face suggestions.  I can only design, engineer, test, supply, make and market a limited number of products, so I think I’ll stick with what I have come up with, and improve upon them.

While some were inspiring, it is a fine line to be original/unique when working with simple concepts – bags and fabric, so one really has to make the decision to not outright steal someone else’s idea/combination etc. Well, if one wants to look at oneself in the mirror and see some integrity.

Many of the suggestions that have come my way, were created by artisans setting up their own online stores, with the opportunity for anyone to buy their goods online as easily as mine. We all have similar goals, ideals and creative skills, and I hope to encourage everyone to check us all out – and see what you like!  While some brand loyalty is great – just stopping using the disposable stuff is the first step -so choose the eco product that will work for you!  I’ll send you all to Artfire first – Etsy is easy, and great too but Artfire is new and cool!

So, let’s embrace the creativity – support artists, entrepreneurs, and farmers!  Share your knowledge, share a smile if that’s all you’ve got, add a kind word if you are inspired!

On a side note – this weekend is full of artistic events to support :

~St. Brigid’s on St.Patrick will be full of paintings and artwork – in support of something fabulous I am sure – but there is no website!  So, just check it out if you are in the neighbourhood!

~ La Petite Mort on Cumberland hosts a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders starting Friday evening til Sunday.  Details are online here!

~ Lansdowne Park will be full of Women this weekend for the National Women Show.  I do not have a booth at this one, but may go check it out Saturday morning!

Read through my eco tav survey…

…and help save the planet!  Well, start to think about being a small contributing part of the solution at least!

{ I am updating this post as I feel the questions are still wroth reading, even if I have moved onto the next stage of my study and am presently not taking any more testers!  But I think it helps people to think about the choices we make!}

The view almost every day!
The view almost every day!

Thanks for taking a moment to read this through.  I am in the early stages of developing a new product line for my TAV Creations: Eco-Sewing.  I have tested the concept myself, and am now ready to find out if what I think is a great idea may have a place in the “real world”.  The first step is to get an idea of how many people out there might fit the criteria of someone who would use this product.  I have to be vague for now, and the questions will simply help me establish a more accurate picture of how people think and follow through in this area of their lives.

The questions relate to how people approach take out food establishments and the how we use them. [shortened]

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out in this exciting new endeavor!

 I will be making announcements about the new product line within the next few months as I go through a bit further development and testing.  If anyone has piles of cash to make it a huge endeavor and want to be an Angel investor – let me know!

The questions:

1. How concerned are you with the environment and what we as humans are doing to destroy or protect it? 

a – extremely
b – somewhat
c- not very
d-not at all

2. Do you feel your daily actions reflect how you feel about the environment?

a – Definitely
b – somewhat
c- not very
d-not at all

3. Do you carry a reuseable tote bag with you, even if you are not planning any shopping.

a. no
b. yes, about 1/4 of the time
c. yes, about 1/2 of the time
d. yes, about 3/4 of the time
e. yes,always with only the rare exception

4.Do you eat take-out/pick up food? This would include any time that disposable serving plates, cups, cutlery are used. 

a. no [ at this point, you are probably done with the survey, thanks for your time! ]
b. yes,1 to 6 times per year
c. yes, 6- 12 times per year
d. yes, 1-4 times pre month
e. yes, pretty much daily

5.  Do you use your own travel mug/thermos or similar re-usable drinking container when you frequent take-out establishments? 

a. no
b. yes, about 1/4 of the time
c. yes, about 1/2 of the time
d. yes, about 3/4 of the time
e. yes, always with only the rare exception

6. Do you take back the disposable serving container, if you frequent a favorite take-out place? example: some Thai food take out restaurants use plastic containers that are sturdy enough that they can be washed and re-used at home as well as returned to be re-filled at the restaurant.

a. no
b. yes, about 1/4 of the time
c. yes, about 1/2 of the time
d. yes, about 3/4 of the time
e. yes,always with only the rare exception

7. Please order the following according to your personal value system:

      1 being the most important and 6 being the least important :
a. Reducing all waste/ landfill
b. Recycling following the guidelines of your city’s definitions and services offered
c. Recycling more than the city suggests
d. Saving money
e. Reducing the use of plastics
f. Buying organic

8.How important is it for your actions, in regards to environmental awareness, to be easy?

a – extremely [ I am a busy person, I recycle my paper and plastic as much as I can]
b – somewhat [ I take my travel mug and tote bag when I can, and recycle faithfully within the city guidelines]
c- not very [ I have my travel cup, tote bag and reduce my personal waste contribution when I can]
d-not at all [ it is more important to do what I can to help the planet, and I make the time and energy to do it.]

Thanks for your time!  I’ll be contacting the random winners of protoypes, who may choose to continue into the next level of participation in September. 

Tracey/ Halyma

PS. Boing says thanks too!

....in judgement
….in judgement