Do Ikea and Crate & Barrel’s home decor options totally fail to capture your post-apocalyptic personal style? Maybe you should be poking around Etsy, Supermarket.hq. and Cargoh for stuff like this clock made by a creative, individual human being. The clock pictured above was created from recycled bike parts (gears) and thrift shop materials by Recycleclocks.

Stop feeding the big box monster by purchasing mass-produced junk made in China and Malaysia. Find unique expressions of your personal style and support individual craftspeople.

So you didn’t think recycling was an art form…well it can be. Artist Nick Georgiou transforms recycled print materials into transfixing art pieces and sculptures. He tries to keep it local – garnering discarded newspapers, magazines and books from his immediate surroundings, which for the past two years has been Tuscon, AZ.

As today’s printed word is quickly gobbled up by the evermore ubiquitous Kindle and its brethren, Senor Georgiou’s art stands as a striking reminder of a more tactile reading experience. Hit the link above to see more of his great work.

From across the ecosphere, today’s wrap-up of sexy sustainable style for the ecofashionista in you:

(above) The color chocolate is always chic. Earlier this week we whispered in your ear about the spectacular sale going on at Elegant Roots. If you hightail it over to elegantroots.com right now, you can steal these gorgeous (fair trade & sustainably-harvested) wooden jewels. Be sure to enter code: ER31153 (sale ends March 31) to receive 50% off.

(above) Beautifully tailored, the spring/summer ’11 collection from Jackson, Johnston & Roe comes straight from the garment center of NYC. Sourcing natural, sustainable and recycled fabrics and trim, they paint and draw their own prints, and carefully follow & monitor each piece of clothing throughout the entire process of construction. find online or in select boutiques.

(above) Style maven Kate McGregor of Kaight NYC has set the stage for spring with — a bounty of award-winning Bodkin designer pieces – I’m loving the Perennial Jacket (above, center) – perfect for puddle jumping come spring:) — also hand-crafted denim booties by Osborn for anyone looking to literally step out in denim, (below). Tip: today only, enter code: LUST at checkout to receive 15% Perennial Jacket!

I think you’ll agree, there are times when tweets, emails, texts and sexts just don’t cut it…there are occasions when we’d rather take pen in hand to express our thoughts.

I was browsing for some eco-minded cards and found these, which look fresh as spring, but can be used year-round. Made of 100% recycled paper and soy-based inks in birds ‘n bees designs: woodpecker red, partridge blue, lovebirds and lovetrees – available individually or as a set. From carbon neutral, Aussie-based, Apple and Bee. find @ appleandbeeshop.com, (varied 6-pack $24.95)

• Live update of tsunami travel times – sea could rise 6 feet in some areas of coastal California…Japan Earthquake – reuters
• Quake was largest in Japan since records kept. Japan Earthquake and Tsunami – bbc
• They can even map where the pests are…Scientists Develop High-Tech Crop Map – sciencedaily
• Some Sharks Know Where They are Going – livescience
• Dipstick Republicans fight for light bulbs noone wants…Light Bulbs, Abortion Fuel Senate Debate – msnbc
• Pictures: Prehistoric South American Skull Found in Sea Cave? – natgeo

photo credit: reuters

Does the interior of your urban habitat lack a certain natural component? Why not accent your home with a piece of the forest. This very woodsy coat rack is made from reclaimed lumber and tree branches sourced from wind-fallen trees, and trimmings obtained from local arborists. The Wolf Den coat rack can be utilized as both a functional piece of rustic home decor and an art piece.

Designed and created by the environmentally-conscious craftspeople at Vancouver, B.C.’s Cantilever and Press design studio.

Thinking outside the box (in this case the coloring box) by utilizing an everyday raw material in a new context can often deliver uniquely creative results. Italian designer, Maria Christina Bellucci’s line of jewelry made from colored pencils is one such example.

Maria, a theater costume designer, and her company, MCB Contemporary Jewellery cut pencils into a variety of shapes and handcraft them into a plethora of colorful designs.

For the crafty wanna-be’s…get a little help with an all-inclusive sewing kit and make your own woolly little rabbit. When fully realized, the 8-inch high critter dons a merino wool tail and stuffing sourced from recycled woolen sweaters. Comes with a cream colored belly and a choice of 5 cool colors.

From Kit and Caboodle Designs, the Kit includes: pattern, instructions, wool fabric, embroidery thread, needle + pins, wool tail and stuffing. Just add pencil and scissors and start to DIY. (reminder: Easter is April 24 this year)

Here’s where to get the Sew A Rabbit whole kit and caboodle. $19

Creating gorgeous, handmade, home furnishings from salvaged wood – that’s what master woodworker Seth Meyer and acclaimed furniture designer John Wells achieve via their Seattle-based furniture making and design firm, Meyer Wells. The two designer-craftsmen established Meyer Wells to combine a modern design sensibility and high level of furniture craft with an ecological ethic for sourcing salvaged materials.

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