BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS

San Francisco is debating whether to extend the ban to cancel plastic bags to include all retailers, including bookshops, clothes shops and department stores, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The California Legislature currently is debating a statewide barring of disposable plastic bags and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed his support of the bill.

Current San Francisco law requires large supermarkets, such as Safeway, and chemist chains, such as Walgreens, to give customers only three types of bags at checkout: compostable plastic bags, recyclable paper bags and reusable bags. Single-use disposable bags are banned completely.

5,500 YEAR OLD SHOE

Archaeologists have discovered what they say is the world’s oldest known leather shoe, 5,500 years old!

Perfectly preserved under layers of sheep dung, the shoe, made of cowhide and tanned with oil from a

plant is estimated to be about 5,500 years old. Leather laces crisscross through numerous leather eyelets and it would have probably been worn by a woman with roughly size 5 (uk) feet.

The shoe was discovered by scientists excavating in a huge cave in Armenia.

Along with the shoe, the cave has also yielded evidence of an ancient winemaking operation, and caches of what may be the oldest known intentionally dried fruits: apricots, grapes & prunes. The scientists also found skulls of three adolescents in ceramic vessels, suggesting ritualistic or religious practice.

THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT

"It's Like a Concert tour but with sketchbooks"

The lovely Gabrielle sent me this Sketchbook Project link the other day and it looks very interesting.

Each artist is sent the same blank Moleskine Cahier sketchbook. We've only got two rules: first, the book must be used in some way - no sending us back an empty book or a completely different book! Second, the sketchbook must stay within its original dimensions (because we don't want to have to provide an extra suitcase just for your book while we're touring the country).

Each book will be given a barcode so we can easily catalog it into The Brooklyn Art Library system. Once we catalog it, artists will be able to track where on the tour their book is viewed and how many times someone pulled it from the shelf - we want to make sure you can stay connected with your sketchbook! For more info click HERE.

For more information from the Art-House Co-op click HERE.

JUNK MAIL

artwork above by Yulia Brodskaya

The average household throws away 13,000

separate pieces of paper each year.

Most is packaging and junk mail.

ANGLO-SAXON FIND

This amazing find of 1,500 glistening pieces of Anglo Saxon jewellery that was uncovered by a man with a metal detector last July in a farmers field had been buried for 1,300 years.

The pieces are quite stunning and such detail.

The value of this amazing find is £3.3m. It is also exciting historians as it shines new light on the darkest hour of the dark ages. Already, the bent pins sticking out of objects are being tentatively interpreted as having been torn from clothing of slain soldiers, in the manner described in Beowulf. By figuring out how each piece was made – and what it was used for – the experts might yet transform understanding of Anglo-Saxon culture. For the latest details on this story: CLICK HERE

FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD

In 1843 Sir Henry Cole got his friend, John Calcott Horsley, to design and print a batch of cards.  This "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you" card was the first known Christmas card. One of these cards was recently sold at auction for £22,500!

MICHELLE READER

Sculptural portrait of a family by Michelle Reader

The sculptures are made from recyclables collected by the family

OBAMA COAT

Obama Coat made out of Obama leaflets