The happiest necklace in the world

When we started designing a jewellery range, our main aim was to make planet friendly jewellery. Different to anything else we had seen. It would be low impact in environmental terms and combine fair trade and recycled beads. We made beautiful necklaces but were conscious that the wires and the fixings that we used did not meet our ultimate green goal. So we created the beachcomber necklace using hemp to hold the beads in place. Hemp has huge environmental benefits; it can be grown anywhere, requires no irrigation or pesticides, is gentle on the land and is one of the most effective converters of CO2 to oxygen. Its a strong material but is also biodegradable. Our new hemp necklace looks as good as it sounds - wear it low with your bikini or kaftan or wear it short with an organic tee. Take it to the beach, in the surf - it looks even better when its wet.

Ella

For more info about hemp, check out the Hemp for Victory blogspot.

We all live downstream

Tomorrow there will be festivals held around the country to mark the lowest tide of the year. Not-for-profit environmental organisation - River Ocean based in Brighton, will be organising a fantastic educational festival on their coastline and there will be lots of other similar festivals going on around the UK. In Wales the National Wetlands Centre in Llanelli is encouraging people to don their wellies and walk out onto the marsh. There's nothing official going on in Swansea as far as I'm aware, which is a shame given our great tidal range but I don't think it will go unnoticed. Christine has already braved the drizzle this morning to cycle along the bay and reports that the tide is pretty high (I have only my tidal clock to verify this at the moment). She's spotted a few campers and camper vans who have come to watch the low tide of Swansea Bay.

River Ocean exclaim that we should....

"Celebrate One Tide

on One Day

around One World

because...We All Live Downstream".

They have also marked the occasion by producing a 'fish and tips' guide to buying and eating fish sustainably. As well as being our inspiration, the protection of coast and ocean for us at Green Beach is important. Ultimately, we hope to get more involved in the promotion and support of coastal charity work - even run our own low tide festival next year!

love from the coast

Ella

Green Beach and the Green Dragon

Green Dragon helps companies commit to environmental management and meet recognised standards. In order for me to check out our environmental policy and see if we are doing the right things, I emailed the local representative today.

Hi Jake

I am launching a small business; making and selling accessories and gifts, both online and through independent retailers. I heard about your standard when I completed a Waste Management course through Swansea Uni and now recognise the Green Dragon Environmental Standard logo throughout Wales. Being environmentally aware and taking the relevant steps is key to the business - we make jewellery using recycled materials (such as recycled glass beads and vintage pearls), the gift bags are reused material and the packaging is of course recycled too. I would like to know how I can achieve the Green Dragon Environmental Standard and understand that there is various steps I will need to take to get there.

Hope you can help
Ella

Jake emailed me back before I could upload this blog, to arrange a meeting - will keep you up to date on the results.

Pictured: The Green Dragon Standard logo - we hope to be able to display this symbol permanently when we complete the review.

Worth a read

The eagerly anticipated Summer 2007 catalogue is now available. Its pretty basic but shows all our sea inspired jewellery - including a men's hemp necklace. Email me for your electronic copy. The web-shop will follow, but for now we are going the old fashioned mail order way - a cheque in the post or alternatively, the satisfyingly easy Paypal. I am also going to pop a few things on Ebay.

Feedback is of course welcome; the majority of the range is sea tones but more colours and designs are sure to follow.

I'm off now to check out the Friends of the Earth competitions - telling your green story through words or film. Of course, this blog is my green story and thanks for reading.

Ella

Pictured: A selection of our summer 2007 range; From Left – ‘Beachcomber’ necklace, ‘Drop in the ocean’ necklaces in cobalt blue, frothy blue, turquoise seaweed, surf blue, frothy green and stormy blue, ‘Pearl Mermaid’ necklace, ‘Big Drop’ necklace and ‘Beachcomber’ bracelet/anklet. Bottom from left – ‘Seaweed Mermaid’ anklet, ‘Drop in the ocean’ bracelet in surf blue with charm, ‘Drop in the ocean’ green bracelet and ‘Big Drop’ bracelet.

The Global Journey reaches Swansea

The Fair Trade Fashion Show was a sell out! The National Waterfront Museum, Swansea was packed with people to see models adorned in Namaste, Ipsuis, Bishopston Trading and everyone's favourite, Keedo children's wear. There was also a collection by a local college of printed Fair Trade & organic t-shirts plus a rainbow of Doybags. Green Beach jewellery pieces were also used in the catwalk show, as modelled by friend Saskia (pictured in Cobalt blue 'drop in the ocean necklace').

Aside from the fashion and accessories, the message of the show was reinforced by 'The Global Journey' through the presence of IFAT's Fair Trade Organization Mark (FTO Mark) on a banner flown from the museum balcony! The Global Journey is the procession of the official FTO banner and message read around the world. The Journey was launched at the World Social Fo­rum in Mumbai and to date has travelled through Asia, South America, North America, Africa and Australasia, reached Europe last June. In each country IFAT members and Fair Trade supporters have organ­ized events to publicly announce and celebrate Fair Trade Organizations, Fair trade and the Fair Trade Organization Mark. It was great to have it at the show - still in one piece!

To all those who have contacted about mail order, now that the show is over I will be able to focus on this after the bank holiday.

That's it for now
Ella

Having vision and not being afraid to use it

We're having fun getting ready for the fashion show. I'm a bit of a wannabe eco-entrepreneur and decided to contact Visionary Soap and sell some of their products on the stand. I think I have been watching too much of 'the apprentice' - just hope at the end of Friday I have been more successful than last night's effort. Alan Sugar gave them a list of the best organic farmers produce to sell in France and what do they do - buy slabs of mass produced cheese instead from Macro! Anyway, Christine tells me that even if we don't sell much, it's a good chance to network and get our name out there. That was one of the reasons I thought I would bring Visionary stuff too because I don't think they have an outlet in Wales. They are based in Hastings (which I should point out was recently recommended by Alistair Sawday as one of a handful of seaside gems, including my dear Mumbles)and will soon be selling through selected Oxfam stores. We have gone for the popular, luxurious bath melts and fruity lip balms in frosted glass jars - organic, fair trade and handmade. Monica at Visionary is good to work with and sent me a whole load of information about the fair trade producers, as well as bags and postcards.

We pooled all our stock yesterday to practice our display for the show. Christine's clever husband made a necklace stand out of driftwood and it looks fab. All the items (except earrings) we will be selling will have fair trade recycled glass (and I have been told that proof of fair trade status may be checked); these include 'drop in the ocean' pendants and bracelets in a variety of sea tones, the 'beachcomber' low impact range on hemp, 'Penclawdd pearl' earrings and a 'seaweed mermaid' anklet with a mermaid clasp. Anyone who fancies a visit to South West Wales - this is the weekend to come - Friday - 7pm, the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. Campers should try the Three Cliffs camping site with panoramic views.

See you Friday
Ella

Organic Jac's Welsh links
Okay, so my blogging is in fear of turning into a Howies fan site but David never ceases to impress me - now he's got lots of vision. His latest offer is to the First Minister (whoever that may be, after today's polls) - make Wales's produce 100% organic. Makes sense, eh?