Now offering over 20,000 products on Amazon

It's been a whirlwind year so far.  I have been able expand our product listings for Top Knobs, Hardware Resources and Atlas products to over 20,000 listed items on Amazon.  It's been a huge job, but I am very proud of our accomplishment and ability to meet customer demands.

As I pride myself on great customer service, ensuring that I can handle all the needs of customers has been of paramount importance to me.  While technology would allow me to add thousands of products with ease, I have limited growth to a manageable level - allowing me to verify that we have the capability to meet the customer service demands as we grow.

I still review every order personally, and message customers with advice or to point out possible errors on orders. It feels good when I can catch a possible error, such as hardware that might not match, or what appears to be an error in a large order.  I think this is why my feedback is so high on Amazon.

Its a nice feeling to be able to connect with customers each day, even after a ten-fold growth in sales in the last two years.

I can't thank my customers enough for their support, great feedback and of course for selecting Ardent Ideas for their purchases. Its because of you that my little business has grown to be what it is.

Thank you so much for your business,
Bonnie

Why do I use recycled items for my products?

From a young age I have always looked for useful purposes for items that were to be discarded. We live in a society that discards so many things that could be re-used if repaired or repurposed, and I've always looked for ways I could help change this.  I think there were a few animals I brought home that could fit in one of those categories. I have brought home all kinds of things that I knew didn't need to be thrown away. 

When recycling first became popular, I was already a good "recycler," at least I thought I was. It wasn't until I was designing a kitchen for a couple that was struggling with space, that I really started looking at recycling in a practical way. They had recycling bins all over their home. At the time recycling had to be sorted by the consumer, and seeing that many bins around their home gave me a new perspective. This prompted me to further my eco-education. I hadn't realized to what extend our waste could damage our environment. One example was that I never knew a single discarded battery could contaminate a large portion of a landfill.

As I started work on the kitchen, I saw that they had bins for not only batteries, but for plastic bags, glass, light bulbs, paper and even items that could be donated to charities. The design for the space now integrated recycling stations and provided an easy way to continue their eco-friendly ways.

This experience convinced me to expand my efforts and do everything I could to share what I learn with as many people as possible. As I started to learn more about recycling I also learned about re-purposing used items. I have always been creative and loved doing household projects... it seemed natural that I started seeing trash and waste in a new way.

I started to learn how to transform wine and liquor bottles into cheese boards, bowls, sun catchers, clocks and more. I already owned a kiln and learned how to slump bottles into many useful items. Those same bottles can be cut and used for vases or drinking glasses. Wine corks can also be used to make a variety of UpCycled items. I now have wine cork bulletin boards, Hot pads and even a 13' counter top. A raft is next on my list.

While producing these items, I discovered that some bottles don't slump well so I started getting creative again. I now transform these bottles into soap and lotion dispensers. College kids love them and what else are you going to do with an old "Patron" bottle.

One day I got a text message that mason jars were being thrown away, not recycled, but thrown away. Now glass will break down and isn't as bad for the environment as plastic, but I still hated the idea of trashing those jars.  So, I made a detour and picked up 10 dozen. There were also a few other items being thrown out that I knew I could UpCycle.  My first thought was that I could do some canning, my grandma would have liked that, but then I had a 3:00am light bulb idea. I could re-purpose them into solar lights. I was pretty excited about the idea, and the first model was a freestanding version that could sit on a porch, patio or table.I engineered a way to attach a light to the lid of the jar and then the fun began.  I needed to determine what to put in the jar, oh the possibilities! Sand and shells, sea glass, broken bottles that have been donated to me, marbles. All things you find on the beach, a recycle bin, or laying around your house. 

News of my collecting spread and I started to get help in the form of donations. Bottles, jars, corks and even boxes and packing material. Why not, it is better to reuse them than to throw it all away. I am very happy and appreciate the donations I receive. As I acquire more and more items, my creative side runs a muck.

My eco-friendly products continue to sell on Amazon as well as a friends store in Cape Charles, MD. and I feel blessed that I can combine my love for helping to save the planet with a truly eco-friendly business.

Bonnie,

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Cyber Monday orders

Tyson and I thank you for all the Cyber Monday orders. 

Tyson is guarding the packages till the mailman comes to pick them up.

Cyber Monday was our largest selling day ever.  We can't thank you enough for your purchases, your trust in us, and for sharing our respect for the environment. 

    May your holidays be safe and happy!

            Bonnie

Recycling stuff is easy?

Recycling is fairly easy for us these days. Just pop that used bottle, can or newspaper in the bin and put it out at the curb on pick-up day. While this is a commendable action, some people go further. They compost old food, reuse household items again and again, and even help spread the word about how recycling, reusing and re-purposing helps the planet.

This is where the easy part ends. There is an entire industry devoted to transforming our used paper, plastic, metal and glass into usable materials to make brand new products. Not only does this process save  a great deal of energy in the manufacturing processes, but it most importantly keeps these used items out of landfills.

The following link will take you to a "Wired" article about Virginia-based apparel company "Renew Merchandise" and will show you how the process can work.

Renew Merchandise

Bonnie

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