Found, Flipped, & Fabulous
June 24th is National Upcycling Day. Did you know many cool, beautiful and interesting things can be made from things no one wants. Today’s guest-blogger Shelly Hulce is the queen of upcycling and in my book, nobody does it better. Check out what inspires her and some of her unique projects! – Shari
Hi! I'm Shelly Hulce, supervisor of the Radio Reading Service of GESMV since 2017. I am a mixed media/collage artist, musician, and writer. When I'm not busy with cut and paste collages made from vintage magazines and books, I “upcycle” materials found in thrift stores and auctions. My style is a mix of vintage, abstract, and whimsy.
I also take black and white photos and hand color them to appear vintage. Always intrigued by people’s stories, I cannot pass up a box of old slides and photos at estate sales to incorporate into music and story night performances in local coffee houses. When I'm not creating my own art, I teach my 3-year-old granddaughter, Juniper, how to recycle things to make her own toys!
Raised by my depression-era grandparents, I learned a lot about seeing things beyond their intended purposes. My grandmother would make dolls with me out of dried corn husks, apples, and ladies hosiery. They were not pretty by any means, but that experience taught me about appreciating simple things and the importance of creativity.
Check out a few of my upcycling creations:
1980’s Barbie hair-style head with vintage
Christmas ornaments.
Vintage teacups and saucers with LED candles made from
stripped down chandelier and candelabra. Play video to see it glow!
Upcycled 1930’s table, salvaging the enamel tabletop and two
leaves for a large magnetic bulletin board.
You can truly upcycle things to give them a whole new purpose, or simply to create art! Head to Pinterest for some inspiration, then stop into a Goodwill Store and see where your imagination takes you! - Shelly