GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

When Shannon Whealey of Turnaround Design contacted me to review her eco-friendly calendar, I was curious. I thought, “How can you make calendars eco-friendly? Calendars are the epitome of waste – once it’s used up, it’s garbage! You can’t reuse January of last year?”

So, you can imagine the delightful smile on my face when I received the nicely packaged calendar printed on recycled paper in recycled paper envelope. (I couldn’t believe the paper was recycled paper! It was so clean and the card stock was so sturdy that I thought it was surely a virgin paper!)

Turnaround Design Eco-Friendly Calendar

Let me tell you, as an Etsy shop owner who sells eco friendly products, I always struggle with packaging my items without excess but with taste. So I was smitten with the way Shannon’s calendar arrived in a clean envelope with a cardboard inside to protect the calendar. The inside envelope that contained the calendar was made with recycled kraft paper and a summary page of the calendar was attached to the back. There were subtle messages to “recycle and reuse” printed on the page (without sounding preachy) and the recycled paper info was also clearly printed to let me know that the nice paper that the calendar is printed on is, in fact, eco friendly.

OK, so now, I’m slowly getting why this calendar is eco friendly. But there was a little inkling (no pun intended) thought in my head. What about the ink?

I had to ask her. When I e-mailed Shannon about the ink, this is what she said in her reply.

“The ink is not specifically soy or plant-based as I print each calendar on my own printer. Soy ink cartridges for desktop printers are on the cusp of coming out, and I plan to convert as soon as I find the right printer for my business. What IS eco-friendly about my current process is the fact that I print on-demand, as each order is placed, so there isn’t any waste.”

One point for Shannon. She touched on a topic that I am always troubled by. Although we try to do the responsible thing and be more eco friendly, the resources are sometimes not available, like soy or vegetable inks for personal printers at home. So, I understand her plight. But she tackles another problem of waste by not printing massive quantities and only on demand. And she reassured me that when the soy or vegetable inks are available, she would be using them.

Booyah to you Shannon!

I loved everything about this calendar so far – the right packaging, the quality of the recycled paper, and the subtle message to customers to recycle. Then, I looked at the ways to use it. I hit a snag. Well, not really a snag. But I had a usability issue. You see, the calendar is so pretty and so classy – the colors, graphics, printed ink quality, and the whole aesthetics of the design were just beautiful and perfect for a nursery or a child’s room. But I had no idea how to hang it properly. The calendar comes with a tiny hole on the top, secured by a little brad but I didn’t know how to hang it on the wall to really make the beauty of the graphics stand out.

Look at the way it just hangs on a nail on the wall. It doesn’t justify the product if I used it the way it came. Doesn’t it?

So I tried putting it inside a 11×14 picture frame. I think the pictures and the colors are so great that it could hang inside a frame as a print art. I only had a black frame so it looks dark but you get the point. I think with the right color frame, the calendar can be an artwork.

By the way, another reason why this calendar is eco friendly is because you can cut the top portion of each page to be framed in a 5×7 frame after you are done with the month. If you can frame all 12 months and hang them on a wall, they will really make the wall come alive.

Moving on….

Then, I tried making two holes and putting a colored satin ribbon through them hanging it this way. Of course, you can use any color ribbon.

What do you think? I think this way is better than just one hole. I’m still thinking about ways to make the artwork stand out better though.

I just love this calendar for not just its beauty and the cuteness factor but the multiple functionality of turning it into artwork after the month is used up (you know me and upcycling) and the fact that they are printed and shipped on recycled paper. Regardless how you hang it though, I think you’ll agree this little gem of a company will bring eco friendly paper goods and graphic design to a whole new level in keeping you green.

So, to sum up what Turnaround Design is all about…. Shannon makes eco friendly calendars, cards, stationery, three-in-one cards, and prints that are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and stationery that is paired with 100% recycled envelopes. Packaging is either a 100% plant-based cello sleeve or recycled cardboard box. Printed on-demand when you order, to reduce waste. And you can personalized it with the child’s name and his/her birthday. I love it!

I know Shannon wanted to me to review just the calendar but since all her products come from the same premises of reducing, reusing, and recycling, I am giving the whole company five green hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

By the way, this would make a perfect gift for a baby shower, christening, birthday, and even for decorating a baby’s room.

Now that you know all about Turnaround Design, here is a way to win one (1) Eco-Friendly 2010 Calendar….just in time for the Holidays.

1. Visit Turnaround Design and leave me a comment what other product you like from the store.

2. Follow Turnaround Design on Twitter and become a fan on facebook. (one entry each)

3. If you purchase something from Turnaround Design or Ecokaren, you’ll get five bonus entries.

4. Blog about this giveaway. If you do not have a blog then you can post on any social media (Facebook, MySpace, etc.)

5. Subscribe by e-mail to my blog or if you already are a subscriber, let me know.

6. Add me as a friend on Facebook.

7. Be my fan on Facebook.

8. Follow me on Twitter.

9. Grab my button and put it on your blog.

10. Tweet this post.

The giveaway is open to everyone, worldwide, and ends on Monday November 23rd. I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday November 24th.

You can find her products on Etsy and on her blog, under the same name turnarounddesign and find her on twitter under Turanaroundart. She is also on facebook.

Now, making my list of babies I know…..

♥Karen