New Featured Artist - Dawn Lewis!

Hi everyone!
I am back - and really excited to feature Dawn Lewis! She is so talented and giving! Please read on to learn more about how much she does to give back.


Please tell us what you do to give back.
I paint memory boxes for the FDAA, which are given to parents who lose a baby in hospital. I am the treasurer for the local guide association, and make custom Annie dolls which is a fundraiser for the girls. I also run a large scrapbooking Yahoo group and was excited to rally the ladies together to create layouts to donate to a camp for at risk and abused kids. I prefer to donate my time and passion over money (because I just don't know where that goes these days).



Have you always volunteered or donated to charities? What or who inspired you to be so giving?
I have been volunteering in some capacity since I was a teenager. My parents set a great example to me, and my best friend (who passed on a few years ago) was my role model.


Speaking of inspiration, do you have any “giving mentors” today? Anyone on Etsy?
I continue to be inspired by the memory of my friend Gaye and her generous spirit. I am often inspired by the generous nature of other Etsians.



How do you choose which groups/charities to devote your time and money to?
It's like being in love ... you just know. Some causes speak to me very loudly, and if I can capitalise on my strengths to support them, then I am happy to do so.


What are your favorite charities?
Children's charities ... they get me every time.


Giving can be contagious! What do you think is the best way to inspire others to give?
Set a good example, and make it look easy and painless LOL. Be excited and enthusiastic about what you're doing to support your cause, and it will be contagious to others.


As we all know, there is always more we can do to help others. What will you be focusing on in the future?
I want to change the world, one woman at a time. It looks like I'm only teaching them to paint, but really I teach them to accept compliments, be proud of their work and have confidence in themselves.

If you had $100 and you had to spend it on someone who needed it more than you, how would you spend it?
The right opportunity always presents itself, and if it's helping to relieve some major stress in someone's life, then that's where I'd spend that money.


Please tell us about your Etsy shop.
My shop 'DawnLewisImagery' is where I list my photography products including bookmarks, prints, cards and the ultimate fairy / fantasy Photo. The perfect photo is out there, and I intend to take it one day LOL. My other shop 'HelloDollies' is fairly new, and was opened so I can showcase my dolls independently. I really love to create unusual dolls, and they often have painted features.


Where can we find you on the web besides Etsy?
One day I will have a proper website, but until then I have a general blog and my painting specialty blog where I list my pattern packets, painted items, store appearances, workshops and craft shows where people can find me.


Please tell us anything else that you would like the world to know about you.
I like to dabble in a bit of everything as far as craft is concerned. My main obsessions are Painting, Scrapbooking, Photography and Dollmaking at the moment. I demonstrate and design for Semco Crafts (a large Australian craft company), and will shortly have a range of cross-stitches developed from my teddy bear paintings. I just had my first 2 painting projects accepted by Australian craft magazine HandMade, which is really exciting. Photoshop is my friend. I moved to the Central Coast of NSW one year ago, and I miss my friends a lot, but love the new location. I practically live on the internet. I consider myself very lucky in life.

20% off everything through the end of the month!

Etsy for Animals turns 1 this month - and over 180 stores (including ours!) are celebrating by having a 20% off everything sale!

Click here to see the list of participating stores.

When ordering from us, please put the coupon code "THIS" in the comments section when you check out. You can either wait for a revised invoice before paying, or you can pay right away and we will reimburse the difference.

Yay for birthday celebrations!

New Featured Artist - Beth Gumnick!

Hi everyone! Life got really busy, and I've fallen behind in posting these wonderful interviews. I am so happy to feature Beth Gumnick, though. And I promise that I will try to be better about posting more often about these wonderful artists who do so much to give back.

Onto this interview! Beth makes the sweetest animal paintings that I have ever seen. They are all so bright and colorful - and the expressions on each animal are so cute! I absolutely have fallen in love with her work - her spirit shines through each painting. I am also so happy that she is a fellow member of Etsy for Animals! Please read on to learn all about the wonderful things she does to make this world a better place for animals.

Please tell us what you do to give back.
I love being able to give art to local charities in order to support their fundraising efforts. I love making a difference by making art. In the past year, I have donated art to help raise funds for Etsy for Animals, Chattanooga's Humane Educational Society, McKamey Animal Shelter, Normal Park Museum Magnet School, The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Public Library, Chattanooga Cares (AIDS Education charity), and the Community Kitchen. Before that I also donated art to support the Home Place (AIDS charity), Contemporary Performing Arts of Chattanooga, Greyfest (Greyhound Rescue), the Chattanooga Zoo, Best Friends Animal Society, and the Baylor School. I am also a regular volunteer at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

Have you always volunteered or donated to charities? What or who inspired you to be so giving?
My parents are incredibly dedicated to giving back to the community, through their church and many charitable organizations. They are inspiring, amazing, kind, caring people, who are always giving in as many ways as they can. Through them I have learned that everything you send out comes back to you ten-fold, so in giving, we truly receive.

Speaking of inspiration, do you have any “giving mentors” today? Anyone on Etsy?
I am inspired by all the Etsy for Animals folks. I am a fairly new member of the street team and need to step up my involvement in the group-- I am amazed by what Michele and El do to keep EFA going, but really everyone in the group inspires me to continue to do what I can to help animals.

How do you choose which groups/charities to devote your time and money to?
If there are animals involved, I am there. If the arts or education are involved, you got me. If my parents ask me I will do anything-both for them and for the charities they support.

What are your favorite charities?
Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, is by far, my favorite animal charity. I am a sucker for dogs and cats, and Best Friends is the largest no-kill animal rescue organization in the country. Their facility is incredible too. I went out there to visit and volunteer there about six years ago, and it is a truly amazing place run by dedicated and wonderful people. I can't wait to visit again someday. My newest favorite is McKamey Animal Shelter, a new no-kill shelter opening up here in Chattanooga very soon!

Giving can be contagious! What do you think is the best way to inspire others to give?
Talk about the organizations you support and why they deserve support. Speak passionately about what you believe about how giving makes the world better not just for the person who receives, but also the giver. Giving can transform you. It makes you feel better - knowing that you are helping the world using your talents.

As we all know, there is always more we can do to help others. What will you be focusing on in the future?
I will be doing more to support Etsy for Animals. I only have one thing in the EFA shop right now, and I want to donate more.

If you had $100 and you had to spend it on someone who needed it more than you, how would you spend it?
I would buy $100 worth of canned goods and give it to the community kitchen. (I know that's not an animal charity, but it sure would buy a lot of canned goods.)

Please tell us about your Etsy shop.
I paint original folk art mostly on recycled scrap wood. I do a lot of custom pet portraits, but also paint the dogs and cats who are running around (or lying on the couch) in my head. Other animals as well. And also landscapes. And hearts. And flowers. And random other things. And WORDS. Lots of words. I love words. I love to talk. Can you tell????

Where can we find you on the web besides Etsy?
myspace

flickr

Please tell us anything else that you would like the world to know about you.
I will keep painting, and I will keep donating to animal charities as long as animals keep being destroyed because we are too lazy or cheap or just can't be bothered to have them spayed or neutered. If a painting of mine can help to keep an animal alive, how incredible is that?? How could I NOT do it? I have 5 rescued animals who all came from the streets because somebody else couldn't be bothered to take care of them and love them. They are my joy, and I owe it to them.

Up next: DawnLewisImagery!

New Featured Artist - Millie of Miss Courageous!

I am so happy to feature Millie from Miss Courageous! I have admired her fun products for a long time, and it was great to learn more about her! Please read on to learn how she makes the world a better place.


Please tell us what you do to give back.
I give 5% of all of my proceeds (on Etsy, at the weekly artist market I do, and wholesale orders) to the American Cancer Society. Last year was my first year in business and I rounded it up to $500.00. I'd like to beat that number this year.

Have you always volunteered or donated to charities?
I used to always get pressured into the United Way at different jobs, you know they always have a goal for participation. What I do now is great because I can choose to give and nobody is telling me to. I've been lucky to have made the right contacts with the right people who have encouraged me to start this business and given me venues to sell my products. I also feel very fortunate that people like what I do and I can make a living at this. So giving to the American Cancer Society is my way to say thank you.

Do you have any “giving mentors” today? Anyone on Etsy?
I don't know that I have any "giving mentors" per say. There are a couple of people on my local Etsy street team who also donate to different organizations. Pixie comes to mind. She donates to the Humane Society and volunteers her time as well as fosters animals. I like to believe we all do what we can in our own way.

How do you choose which groups/charities to devote your time and money to?
We have all been touched by cancer, in one way or another. I have lost people in my life to it and have several relatives that are survivors. There's still so much work to be done and so many types of cancer. We have a long way to go.

What are your favorite charities?
I chose the American Cancer Society, but I think there are so many that need help: Leukemia & Lymphoma charities, The Humane Society, Women's Shelters, etc. Locally I also give to the Idaho Youth Ranch.

Giving can be contagious! What do you think is the best way to inspire others to give?
Just to set a good example by giving when you can. So many things are needed by others it doesn't have to be money- it could be food, clothing, or other items. Saying thank you can go a long way too.

As we all know, there is always more we can do to help others. What will you be focusing on in the future?
The more I sell, the more I am able to donate, so I'll be building my business on and off Etsy. I am also part of a local street team and we are working on some different local charity silent auctions.

If you had $100 and you had to spend it on someone who needed it more than you, how would you spend it?
I would go to the women's shelter that is just a few blocks from my home and make sure those women have something to help with their self esteem, something to make them feel valuable and help give them hope. Maybe something like some new makeup or shoes- every woman appreciates something like that.

Please tell us about your Etsy shop.
My shop features jewelry & accessories from recycled materials. I like to find new uses for things rather than throwing them away. My favorite things are my belt buckles out of jar lids and mint tins. I also recycle record vinyl, bottle caps and game pieces.

Where can we find you on the web besides Etsy?
my blog
flickr
my website

Please tell us anything else that you would like the world to know about you.
The whole world??? LOL, well I guess you could let them know that at 40 I had my first baby and at 41 I started my own business. Life is good- I wouldn't change a thing!

Coming next: BethGumnick!

New Featured Artist - Molly of EmmasK9Kitchen!

I am so happy to feature Molly from EmmasK9Kitchen! Her recipes are so good - our dog absolutely devoured the dog treats that we got for her!
She also founded and runs VeganEtsy, which I am a proud member of. She is an inspiration, for sure! Please read on to learn more about her.

Please tell us what you do to give back.
First and foremost, I'm vegan. I think that's one of the most important things that one can do to help the earth, animals, and other humans. I also give 100% of profits from my sales in my Etsy shop to Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary and donate to the local thrift store that helps homeless animals.

Have you always volunteered or donated to charities? What inspired you to be so giving?
When I was a teenager, the environmental movement really hit a chord with me, so that's what originally inspired me to start doing something to help make a difference in this world. From there, I learned about veganism later in my life and that really inspired me. Being eco-friendly and living a vegan lifestyle just made sense to me. They both go hand-in-hand with making this world a better one for everyone.

Speaking of inspiration, do you have any "giving mentors" today?
All vegans inspire me! So many vegans come from a background that's very different than the lifestyle they have chosen to lead and I find that truly inspiring. I can't really pick out any one person that stands out because it's the entire vegan community that I find so amazing. We're in a very small minority of the population, but all together we make such a difference. It's really incredible!

How do you choose which groups/charities to devote your time and money to?
I consider myself an abolitionist, so it's important to me to give to charities that focus on vegan education versus animal welfare reform. I also think it's important to do things on a local level, so I try to do what I can in my community whenever possible.

What are your favorite charities?
Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary is my hands down favorite. They're an abolitionist sanctuary, so they are in line with my ideals.

Giving can be contagious! What do you think is the best way to inspire others to give?
I think it's best to live by example. Once others see how good giving makes you feel and what a difference it can make, they're bound to jump on the giving bandwagon!

As we all know, there is always more we can do to help others. What will you be focusing on in the future?
I run the Vegan Etsy team, so I would like to focus on promoting the team more and making us more visible. It means a lot to me to support other vegan etsyians and running this team helps to give them more exposure than they would have had without it. I have several ideas about how to spread the word about Vegan Etsy. Hopefully some of them pan out. A lot of members give a percentage of their sales to charity, so anything that could help promote their stores could equal more giving back. Hopefully we'll also inspire others to go vegan!

If you had $100 and you had to spend it on someone who needed it more than you, how would you spend it?
I would buy healthy, delicious vegan food for them!

Please tell us about your Etsy shop.
I sell vegan recipes for dogs. Right now I just have treat recipes, but I plan to develop some meal recipes in the near future. They have all been approved by my (quite picky) dog, Emma, as well as quite a few other canine taste testers!

Where can we find you on the web besides Etsy?
I'm all over the place! I have a personal blog, The Vegan Flower.
Myspace
Flickr
Indiepublic
Facebook
As I said before, I also run Vegan Etsy, so I maintain all of the team's sites with the exception of the blog ring and Facebook group, which one of our members was kind enough to take on.

Please tell us anything else that you would like the world to know about you.
I'm married to a wonderful man who is also vegan and we live with his two sons, two cats and one dog. They all keep us both quite busy along with our full-time jobs! I adore nature and would be very happy if I could hike and bike trails every day.

Next week: misscourageous!

Please Help - Iowa Flood Relief Auction

Hi everyone,

A friend of mine has put together a wonderful auction to help animals who have been evacuated by the recent flooding in Iowa. The auction has started, and will be held until July 2nd.

Please go to the auction and bid - there are so many wonderful products that have been donated by giving people - and you will help countless animals with your generosity.

Here is Brooke's message:

Hi. My name is Brooke. I've organized an auction -- to be held June 25-July 2 -- to benefit the evacuated animals of the devastating Cedar Rapids flood.

Cedar Rapids is my hometown and all of my family members are still there--they've been in the trenches, first with sandbagging and now with the evacuation center--for the past week, and support is so desperately needed that I can't even find the words to express it.

Damage estimates as of June 16th have now reached ONE BILLION ($1,000,000,000) dollars. In a town of only 120,000 people, this is beyond catastrophic. There are several hundred dogs, even more cats, and other companion animals being housed in temporary evacuation shelters in Cedar Rapids. Many, many more animals are still stranded in the tens of thousands of abandoned homes. On top of everything, the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter has been completely destroyed.

I've put together this auction and website to help raise awareness and funds to make sure that these animals aren't forgotten. It will take years for Cedar Rapids to rebuild all that has been lost, but these animals can't wait that long for basic food and shelter.

Please join me in supporting the Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter today by bidding on an auction item generously donated by caring artisans, or by making a donation on this website.

Thanks so much for your time and attention. Together, we can bring hope and much-needed assistance to a community in need.

Sincerely, Brooke

Thank you so much, Brooke, for your countless hours in setting this up. Thank you to all of the artisans and companies who have donated. And thank you to everyone who has bid on these products to help these animals.

Photos are from the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

New Featured Artist - Jess from A Second Chance!

I am happy to feature Jess from A Second Chance today! A fellow vegan, she can turn an old sweater into a beautiful purse! Please read on to learn about what else she does to make the world a better place.

Please tell us what you do to give back.
My company, Creatively Independent, tours internationally giving affordable (and in some cases free) hands on workshops in the performing arts. We're focused on trying to keep the arts alive in the public school system. For my recycled clothing line, A Second Chance, I give 10% of all proceeds to KIVA.org (an international organization that gives small business loans to indies in developing countries). And all my supplies have been purchased from charity thrift stores. Personally, I shop locally where I tour and try and support people making their own way in the world, whether they're a local farmer, musician, teacher or shop owner.

Have you always volunteered or donated to charities?
I was raised in a very independent, liberal household. So, we were always donating time to our local causes, public radio/tv, community theatres, Amnesty International, Heifer International, etc.

What or who inspired you to be so giving?
My parents. The best teachers teach by example and they do that for me in spades.

Speaking of inspiration, do you have any “giving mentors” today? Anyone on Etsy? There are a bevy of great artists giving back, some individually some as a collective. Etsy for Animals was the first group to make me feel at home at Etsy. I find that giving people understand the abundance in the world and are open to sharing information with others... because that's how they learned. ;)

How do you choose which groups/charities to devote your time and money to?
I trust my heart. I listen to friends and family and then do my own research. I think charity/donations are wonderful but you still have to be smart about it. Know what you're investing your time and/or money in. But I believe that's true for everything.

What are your favorite charities?
That's so hard. All of the aforementioned plus Newman's Hole in Wall Gang and there are a few organizations that locally bring music to nursing homes and hospitals. I think that's beautiful.

Giving can be contagious! What do you think is the best way to inspire others to give?
I believe good intentions have a ripple effect. Like I said about my parents, I believe the best way to inspire others is to keep inspired yourself... be the light of hope, personally. Enjoy what you're doing and the rest falls into place.

As we all know, there is always more we can do to help others. What will you be focusing on in the future?
My company is in the process of designing an artist retreat in the VA Blue Ridge Mountains. The idea is to teach artists how to be independent and allow them to work on their pieces without city distractions. Their rent will be significantly low in exchange for donated workshops/performances in the community.

If you had $100 and you had to spend it on someone who needed it more than you, how would you spend it?
Workshops for them to learn a trade, self respect, community support or how to express themselves. Experiencing ownership is the most powerful gift for a person, I think. It disables the thought of victim and "why me?" when we take ownership.

Please tell us about your Etsy shop.
A Second Chance is a 100% upcycled/recrafted clothing line. I hand knit unique accessories from forgotten sweaters. Clothing, blankets, face cloths, patterns and more can be found at A Second Chance.

Where can we find you on the web besides Etsy?
A Second Chance

My music can be found at http://www.jesspillmore.com/ and my theatre company at http://www.creativelyindependent.net/

Please tell us anything else that you would like the world to know about you.
I'm a vegan girl that's on the road 300+ days out of the year and I try and renovate my 100 year old farmhouse when I'm home. Along with the theatre work and crafting, I'm a touring singer-songwriter working on my 4th cd. I produce other musicians on my alt. Americana label, RoadWorm Music. Thanks for the opportunity to share.

Next week: Emma'sK9Kitchen!