Article first published as Grow House Grow Wallpapers on Technorati.

There is nothing like uncovering history in your walls. Or in the case of Katie Deedy, covering your walls with history. Whatever the case, you'll love Katie Deedy's new Naturalist wall paper collection. Deedy, of Grow House Grow, presented her inspiring collection wallpapers at BKLYN Designs 2010 last week.

Like all of her work, this collection is narrative-based with stories that accompany each design. In this year's Naturalist collection, she is inspired by historical female scientists.

Some of the  scientists she's chosen to explore are Mary Treat (1830-1923), a lover of carnivorous botanicals, Mary Ward (1827-1869) a women with a passion for microscopy in insects, and Jeanne Villepreux-Power (1794-1871) who invented the world's first aquarium.

Harmony Art's "let it grow" print, made of certified organic cotton, looks fun and is guilt-free!

Earth Day was last month. Did you completely space out and forget? That’s okay. It’s not too late to make “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” your daily mantra.

Let’s start with your wearable tech projects by bringing some green to your fabric choices. You can go three ways: sustainable textiles, repurposed clothes, and up-cycled materials. We’ll address sustainable textiles in this post.

These days sustainable textiles are all the rage, from luxury fashions to low-end basics. Linda Loudermilk creates high-end clothes from “sasawashi, bamboo, sea cell, soya and other exotic self-sustaining plants.” H&M’s Garden Collection, made from organic and recycled textiles, launched this spring.  Even Walmart boarded the sustainable train by making their “Faded Glory private label line more sustainable.” Music and Sons makes t-shirts from bamboo and organic cotton. They step up the coolness factor by wiring up the t-shirt with an ipod and earphone jacks making it possible to rock out, look fabulous, and be eco-friendly all at the same time.

Published on Technorati, May 11, 2010

How many times have you used a pattern, a recipe, or done a craft and changed a couple of the ingredients or the materials to suit you needs? Well, it's no different with hardware.

Terracycle, a company specializing in eco-friendly products, opened their Green Up Shop at the Port Authority in NYC. The products don’t incorporate circuits, sensors, or motorized parts, but they can provide you with some nifty ideas for upcycled materials and sustainable textiles. The creators of the products make sustainability look easy. Surely, you can step it up a notch and integrate some wearable tech!

Christina Liedtke's fabulous couture gown is made from M&M wrappers.

The pop up shop was supposed to end on May 1st, but it’s sticking around till May 21st. You’ll find vinyl billboard messenger bags, sustainable activewear, candy wrapper couture gowns, and a ton more upcycled stuff than you can shake a soldering iron at. Head over and grab some eye-opening inspiration. If you’re not in NYC, visit the Green Up Shop website (http://greenupshop.terracycle.net.

One of the things I love about the online crafting and the DIY community is our ability to help each other. Right now, a good friend is working on an amazing project to make an open source jacquard loom. What this means is that the software and hardware to control the loom will be designed for the general public and free for all. This technology can help craftsman in developing countries, give artists and local fashion designers control over their own woven designs, and give educational institutions the ability to afford and customize a loom to their needs. This idea is revolutionary.

Be a part of the OSLOOM revolution! Go to Kickstarter, and support OSLOOM. There are some really great prizes for donating to this cause. (more after the break)

According to their maker, Becky Stern, these designs are called Body-Technology Interfaces and they are created for “privacy, warmth, and concentration in public spaces.” I understand that these designs are supposed to be funny commentary on how our computer devices are taking over our lives. I'm just not sure if these cozy techno-covers are a serious DIY project for the geek on the go, or if they would be better displayed in a WTF (What The Frank) technology post. I leave it for you to decide.

YEAH BOYEEEEE!!!

(Image source: Twitpic)

My plastic snap-on laptop cover broke and I found myself in need of a new one. I came upon the ISIS collection, a design driven laptop and technology accessory company who makes their sleeves with memory foam. I usually go with the sleek plastic covers because they fit into a tight space and slide in and out of my bag easily, but as a lover of textiles, I really wanted a fabric sleeve and the ISIS is an excellent choice. I picked the Isis Dei Goldfish 15.4" Memory Foam Laptop Sleeve to go with my new Minx Gold Nails.  Below, you can see the  photos of my transition from the hard case to the ISIS sleeve. I think it's much more fashionable, don't you? 

After seeing Autistic designer Temple Grandin's amazing talk at TED this year and learning about accepting "all kinds of minds," it was really satisfying to see Leo Chao's Beagle Scarf Hoodie. The scarf is a thoughtful design response to the needs of Autistic children. Though Autism can range in severity, it interferes with people's sensitivities. Even the smallest noise, smell, or texture can be very disturbing. According to the Yanko Design blog, "A recent research suggests that stimulants like music, aromatherapy, and textured toys can help alleviate the condition."

(Above: one of Spiral Magazine's Animated Avatars by Designers Reed + Rader)

Augmented Reality or AR is a term for for "a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality."