cinder + salt | the salty life

A couple days a month I work from my home studio; Its a colorful space filled with tools, materials and heaps of inspiration. Spend a few minutes poking around and you'll find dozens of little collection bins throughout the space, that I use to accumulate materials to eventually turn into my artwork. I hate waste, so I try to get the most life out of any materials that come my way. There’s a paper bag on the closet door full of bits of thread and fibers that i’ll eventually use as stuffing for toys or pillows. There are tiny jars...

For several years I've been wanting to host a beach clean-up. I couldn't tell you why; I'm definitely not a beach (or summer) person, and Connecticut isn't exactly known for its sandy shores. But I'm drawn to the ocean, and the mountains (hence our name cinder + salt), and I feel like serving our natural areas is a way to thank them for providing us with unbeatable venues for all our human festivities. And I wasn't the only one! We had 76 people register in advance to help us out in the sun and sand! (As an overly ambitious go-getter,...

Environmental sustainability comes in many forms. Often times the organic option isn’t always the most earth-friendly which is why when we source materials and products we’re looking at the bigger picture.   You’ve probably heard a lot about Fair Trade; an initiative that bridges consumers in developed countries to artisans in developing countries. It ensures the artisans are being paid a fair, livable wage for their work and work in a safe, healthy and eco-conscious work environment.   Our newest obsession, these hand woven beach blankets by The Charity Wrap, have just graced our store. Dora Molina founded The Charity...

At this point its no secret that as an artist + designer I am most comfortable with pen and ink. The Sharpie marker is my muse and its where all of our shirt designs originate. Needless to say, there’s a bit of unconventional legwork involved when turning a Sharpie sketch into a finished t-shirt print. I wanted to give you all a brief walk-through of how I turn my drawings into the real thing! It all starts with the inspiration. In some cases we use customer feedback or look for gaps in our collection to decide what to print in...

Here at cinder + salt we have a THING about queso, which leaves us with a lot of empty chip bags. Staying true to our eco-friendly ideals our Display Coordinator Eileen found a way to upcycle our discarded snack bags into gorgeous little poppy flowers!   Materials: Empty chip or food packaging bag (reds, oranges and yellows)pen or markerscissorstapethin wire (8-12 inches)   Finish eating your favorite chip and clean out the inside of the bag. Cut the bag open so it is flat Trace 3-4 different size circles and cut them out ( small, medium, large, etc.) They do...