What started as simply wanting to make use of left over scraps from construction projects, has led to collecting wood and recycling "garbage" that would otherwise be sent to the landfill. We make use of reclaimed wood & building materials, antique & distressed items, common household items, junk mail & magazines, scrap paper, fabric and vintage jewelry... (or anything else we can get our hands on!) turning them into ART & HOME DECOR!

Waste Not Recycled Art created the ORIGINAL Photo Letter Blocks as seen on HGTV, the Martha Stewart and Disney websites, and Bridal Couture and ChildStyle Magazines. We've received the Wedding Wire Bride's Choice award the last two years, and have had approximately 4000 online sales.

We recently expanded our business to include sales representatives in our hometown and in several other states. Since launching this new home party division of our company, we've had a huge increase in local business, as well as other communities, and we're growing quickly! We are one of the only businesses of our kind, to use reclaimed materials and be 100% made in America, and so many people are interested in supporting our mission to "ReUse the past, Recycle the present, and Reclaim the future."

How is your business involved with the community you serve? *

Waste Not recycled art has been involved in many community activities. We sponsor and coach a local instructional Little League team, have helped our local girl scouts earn their recycling badges, by teaching them how to use junk mail and bottle caps to make paper beads and jewelry, and we had our own team for a local St. Baldrick's fundraising event. We've also donated items and gift certificates for many local charities and school fundraisers. We are dedicated to our community and to the military families that are a part of our team. We do our best to balance our family life and our business goals, by having a community presence while including our children in events and activities.

Describe the talent on your team and how they make your business successful. *

It does take a TEAM to be successful, and we have many talents within ours.

I have been a professional artist for 14 years, but my passion stems back to childhood and the support from my family and friends. I have been self- employed for 12 years, painting murals for restaurants, doctor's and dentist's offices, hotels and private residences, as well as running an online retail store for the past 5 years, which specializes in custom designed art work. I believe that my biggest contribution to our team is my ability to see and create art from discarded and rejected materials, reclaimed wood, antique & distressed items, but I also have the task of keeping all of our business paperwork up to date and organized. This includes payroll and income tax, sales tax in several states, shipping, advertising through two websites and Facebook, and keeping in contact with our customers.

My husband, and business partner of 2 years, has taken over most of the production end of the business. He does an amazing job of organizing and preparing the materials that we need to complete our orders. The majority of his day is spent out in the wood shop, where he takes extra care on the quality of the wood, after he paints and sands every piece we use. After his inspection, the wood and other materials are brought back into the studio, where he is in charge of the final assembly.

During our high volume times, we have several volunteers, and seasonal employees, to help assemble orders. They each have specialties, developed over the last couple years, but everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to make the holidays and every day run smoothly.

In addition to our production team, we have sales representatives throughout the country, who do a wonderful job of promoting and selling our items through home parties and catalog sales. Each advisor has to be organized and attentive to their customers, so Waste Not Recycled Art continues to have the reputation of excellence in customer service and quality.

Additional relevant information you would like to share *

All of our items are made with non-toxic materials- safe for children and pets (although teeth WILL leave marks on the blocks!). Our products that include photos are of the highest quality. Images are printed on special paper, using pigment inks which have a superior 200 year fade resistance, water resistance and are extreme durability. And we purchase all of our supplies from green companies IN THE USA.

We continue to develop and add new items to our product line all the time, and have customers who come back time after time, asking for new products or to purchase the same things for new gift recipients. We've come up with items for all aspects of life, including wedding decor, toys, signs for businesses, gifts for babies, teachers, coaches, parents, grandparents, pet lovers and more and we continue to grow our business every day.