Annie completed her BA in sculpture and math from Davidson College in North Carolina, and received a Thomas J Watson Foundation Fellowship to travel independently for twelve months studying fashion and textiles. From Indonesia to Japan, India to Uganda and Tanzania, she worked with village women, dove through sprawling second-hand markets and explored fashion in the world’s biggest cities and smallest towns. The scope of her studies took her from preparing plants for organic dyes to exploring the factories that produce clothing for brand name stores.
Much of Annie’s inspiration comes from common or unwanted materials whose wide availability sparked her interest in recycling materials six years ago. Now she transforms repurposed clothing into sculpture for solo exhibitions and larger installations. Her work catches attention including that of trend forecasting companies in New York and private collectors on the east coast. Annie looks forward to blogging about her experiences and showing you how to create fabulous projects (clothing, jewelry and beyond) with materials from Goodwill.
Annie currently designs and makes clothing and accessories (and dances like-a-fool) in Charlottesville, Virginia. To learn more and to see Annie's projects visit: www.artemmink.com
Good costumes come down to details. At Goodwill you will find lots of great, ready-made costumes that you can supplement with custom additions. One nice accessory, for those of us without the real thing, is a tattoo sleeve. Good for pirates, pinups, bikers, derby dames, musicians, prisoners, bartenders and nearly any other costume, it’s fun and easy to do. It’s also fully customizable. Here’s how:
Topics: upcycle, Halloween costumes, halloween fun, Halloween, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
Going through racks of stock costumes before Halloween is almost always a terrible experience. The costumes are never original and always come with a serious price tag. A great costume, however, can be easy to make, creative and inexpensive. Go to Goodwill. You will always find hoodies and stuffed animals (and other inspiration) at Goodwill and if you combine them you’ll have a fun and easy costume without the frustration.
Topics: upcycle, Halloween costumes, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
This week brighten up dark corners of your house before the gloomy weather sets in. If you have Christmas lights stored away or if you find a good strand at Goodwill, you can turn them into a wall light in about an hour. You will also need a few simple materials that you can find for great prices at Goodwill.
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
Plain walls are always the worst part about moving into a new space, particularly if your art friends are too busy to make lavish paintings to adorn the space for you.
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
I found cork tiles at Goodwill last week and thought it would be fun to use them to make a simple desk organizer.
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink, desk organizer
When heading back to school, organizers can help save space and add style to your room. The great thing about this jewelry board is that it will help you show off the fun pieces in your collection and it’s easy to make with a few common items found at Goodwill. Help yourself get organized and help others by shopping at Goodwill!
Topics: jewelry board, upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
With school starting soon, you might have fun getting inspired for the new season with a custom, vintage-inspired gym bag. With a jacket and a few belts from Goodwill you will have something original and functional in no time.
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
For this project you’ll need:
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
When I was in Ghana there was a weekly bead market in the town of Koforidua. The alleys were filled with vendors selling recycled glass beads, tiny circular wooden chips, Chevrons and everything in between. The abundance and variety of color was such a delight. Since then I have kept an eye out for bright, fun beads to make chunky summer necklaces, but everything I found was out of the price range I could afford.
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
Anyone living in towns where fruits drip off of tree-lined sidewalks, and mangos grow in everyone’s backyard will tell you that grocery store fruit juice just cannot compare to what they drink from their own lawn chairs. And how could it compare? But, with July bringing some of the highest temperatures all year in the states, you gotta’ drink something! Armed with a few good recipes and a few fun items from Goodwill, you can still enjoy a delicious cold drink in your own backyard (Even without the mango trees.)
Topics: upcycle, Upcycling, Upcycling Expert, Annie Temmink
