recycle your credit cards into free name rings - courtesy of amex

if you’ve decided to take american express up on their offer to buy you out for $300, recycle your old credit card by turning it into a priceless piece of name jewelry.

here’s how.

this is a card i received in the mail from macy’s after i specifically told them never to send me one again. ahhh, macy’s. my first instinct was to cut it into a million pieces and tell it to begone. but when i thought about all the design work, glittery gold and red pigments (actually quite pretty), energy and plastic it took to make this card, i couldn’t bear to just throw it in the trash.

so here’s what i did:
1. first, cut the part of the card with your name on it off in a long strip.
2. then, cut it to a size that will fit your finger.
3. next, bend the strip around a marker or something that has a similar circumference to your finger to form a loop.
3. last, poke a hole into each side of the strip, and use strong thread to link them.
voila!

you can also use the part of the card that has your account number (after you’ve canceled your account, please) to make a bracelet symbolizing man’s plight (addiction to shopping).

i added an extra lil suttin’ suttin’ to mine with a dior ribbon that i found in a garbage pile right outside of the flagship store on 57th street. all it needed was a good wash.

other ways to deal with unwanted credit cards: when a paper shredder just won’t do

when a paper shredder just won’t do

between the two people living in my household, the junkmail pile that accumulates is inane! most of it is credit card offers and those pesky mailing labels that organizations seeking donations send out (fyi Médecins Sans Frontières, i think you guys are great, but i don’t send out 100 pieces of mail everyday so i really don’t need any more return labels with balloons and flags on them). not only is junkmail bad for the environment and our sanity, it can lead to serious security breaches as well.

what to do? https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t is a legit site (wiki it if unconvinced) that allows you to “opt out” of receiving these types of offers for 5 years! i tried it two weeks ago and have not received even one piece of credit card-related junkmail since. joy!

why is this a site?

swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.