We've been stashing some of our best stuff for two - count 'em, TWO(!) - amazing Blowout sales this month.

Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, beads and findings are among the items that will be featured at the jewelry Blowout on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The following weekend, sort through mounds of fabric, trims and notions during the two-day Fabric Blowout Sale, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19. Sale hours on Nov. 18 are 2-7 p.m.; on Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both events will be held in the store's classroom area.

If you've been in the store recently, you may have noticed the colorful, fragrant, handmade soaps in a basket on the counter.

With their no-nonsense labels ("Life gets you dirty. Soap gets you clean."), "Soaps by Felice" reflect the subtle but acerbic wit of their maker, The I.D.E.A. Store volunteer Felice Kaufmann. Felice said she made her first batch of soap last summer after watching a video on a blog and "was instantly addicted."

But, you may be asking ... how does soap fit into the inventory of a reuse store? Aside from the actual ingredients, just about everything else Felice uses to make her product is purchased at The I.D.E.A. Store.

"I've found tons of great supplies at The I.D.E.A. Store," she said. Among them: molds of all shapes, sizes and materials (cardboard and plastic boxes, PVC pipe, even silicone baking pans and individual fruit-shaped Jello molds); a deep stainless steel bowl used for mixing oils; drying racks; small plastic toys for embedding in the soaps; crayons for coloring, and even some small vials of soap colorant and peppermint fragrance.

Felice also wraps the soaps in materials found at the store, including "exotic fabric swatches and decorative paper; raffia; ribbon; and tiny brown paper bags and small coffee bags."

"Soaps by Felice," available in various shapes, sizes, colors and fragrances, cost $3 per bar; Felice donates $1 from every sale back to The I.D.E.A. Store.                        

Attention DIYers! 

Here's your chance to make merry . . .

 

The I.D.E.A. Store will be hosting 'Merry Treasures,' a holiday DIY bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the classroom area. The sale's 

Pocket shrines, crafted from reused tins and other containers, are among the stocking stuffers that will be sold at 'Merry Treasures.'

emphasis will be on handmade stocking stuffers and other small gift items. Another unique component of this sale is that all items must be crafted primarily from recycled, reused or repurposed materials.

If you make art, crafts or gift items that meet these requirements, consider participating as a vendor! This year's inaugural event is something of a trial balloon to gauge vendor and community interest. Space is extremely limited, with registration/participation available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The deadline to enter is Nov. 15. However, spaces are filling up fast, so we encourage you to sign up quickly. The entry fee is $10 per person or group.

More information and registration materials are available 

at the store, or by phone, 352-7878. 

The Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation saw a need in the community to accomplish several things: 1.  Support the arts and arts education, 2.  Support environmental education in our communities, 3. Impact the environment by reducing the rate of waste disposal, 4. create a place for everyone to have access to quality materials and 5. Support itself in light of the difficult economic times.  So donate your discards and shop re-use.  Its about making a difference!

 www.cuSchoolsFoundation.org