Dawn & Deepa

Texas-based entrepreneurs Deepa Mireles & Dawn Bakun make up Dawn & Deepa, a new jewelry line made especially for children. Their jewelry designs offer a modern take on classic designs that one would wear if they could turn back the clock. They are working hard to change the way consumers view & use children's jewelry so it isn't only for special occasions.

The duo recently partnered with The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, an award-winning international nonprofit charity, to plant fruit orchards around the world, including in international hunger relief sites, through the sale of an exclusively designed charity necklace. The D&D Appleseed necklace (pictured) features a juicy apple pendant, caring heart & tiny appleseed dangling from a 16” ball bead necklace. For every Applessed necklace sold, Dawn & Deepa will donate 10% of the proceeds to the foundation. Deepa Mireles said, “We hope that our small gesture will help to bring awareness to the amazing and inspiring work done by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.” Be sure to browse through all of D&D's jewelry offerings & stay tuned for their boys line to be launched this year.

Jewelry - Part 1

If you're looking for jewelry & gift items for a bird lover, Chester and Lola is the place for you! The shop, named after Rothko Hauschildt's two parakeets, is filled with bird-themed cards, jewelry & other gifts.

Rebecca Ramos of ChickeeBoom creates jewelry with meaning incorporating spiritual & religious icons. She also offers a variety of other items, including lovely customized pieces.

Designs by Taylor2u features a unique line of affordable handmade jewelry & accessories created by Erica Taylor. I especially love the map pendant necklaces.

Debra Hernandez, the DH in DH Originals, is a talented jewelry designer and artist. Working with dichroic glass, Debra's jewelry designs are all one-of-a-kind.

Diana Casabar is a contemporary jewelry metalsmith & it is so fascinating to watch her work during events! Her pieces, such as the Esther Cuff, are stunning.

Don't Eat Beads offers a wide variety of beautiful and affordable beaded rings. Regardless of the size and/or color scheme you're looking for, Don't Eat Beads can fix you up!

Emma Alison Designs is a great source for high-quality wearable jewelry. Heidy Henke has quite a knack for designing pieces that women fall in love with!

Amelia Wood of Fitzy Sparrow uses a mixture of punk, elegance & chic making her line of vintage-inspired jewelry stand out. Don't miss her Sale section!

Denton-based metalsmith Kristin Freeman creates beautiful silver jewelry. Freeforged Jewelry features a variety of beautiful earrings, bracelets, necklaces & more.

I love the colorful jewelry & accessory designs by Gleeful Peacock! Nikki Halgren hand-paints each piece creating items that are bold & lively.

Dallas-based mixed media artist & jeweler Lindsay Wisecup combines a variety of techniques to create accessories that are unlike any others. Described as re-purposed, up-cycled, and Steampunk-inspired, House of Introspection is a must-see!

Jasmine Turner's jewelry designs are edgy & unique, as demonstrated by the Blue Kyanite & Bullet Casing Necklace. An interesting fact - Jasmine donates 5% of every other month's proceeds to micro-finance other artisan entrepreneurs from around the world via Kiva.

Original Youth - The $1 Challenge

Sarah Zamora of Original Youth is a Texas-based artist that we had the please of working with in March at The Funky Finds Spring Fling. Her artwork is terrific, she has a great outgoing personality, and she is very active in her community. That's why I wanted to share this video Sarah recently posted on YouTube and Facebook. Bravo TV is currently holding casting calls for the second season of their reality series "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist." Sarah is trying to raise enough funds for a plane ticket to New York City for the September 25th casting call to be held at Brooklyn Museum. Please watch her video and, if you feel compelled to help her out, donate a dollar or more to help Sarah go after her dream. Also, you can meet Sarah in person at The Funky Finds Experience in November! Her fabulous artwork is featured on the event website's homepage.

Max Kauffman

Max Kauffman has kicked off his annual studio sale, which runs through Sunday, March 14th. You can access the sale via cyberspace and in person at 954 E. Bayaud Ave. in Denver, Colorado. If you are able to stop by in person, please call or email ahead to schedule a studio visit. Max has discounted some of last year's paintings, older pieces and prints, with freebies of varying degrees on purchases of $50 or more. Payment plans will also be available. One third of all sales will go to the people of Haiti via Doctors Without Borders. This talented artist is looking to help out in anyway he can, as well as inspire others to do the same. Check out Max's blog for additional information. pictured here Flying Below the Radar

Dee-Zigns Handcrafted Jewelry and Accessories

Dee-Zigns Handcrafted Jewelry and Accessories features Toni Johnson's unique creations. I love earrings and the purple Rena earrings are ones I would love to have. The sterling silver Emy earrings are a beautiful pair that will work with any ensemble. Dee-Zigns also features many eye-catching necklaces, such as the Megan and Avani necklaces. But, if you're looking for a bracelet or ring, don't fret - there's plenty to choose from in those categories, as well. And, Toni donates 10% of net sales from the Cancer Awareness collection to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

Donations Needed

My Aunt Judy teaches at Happy ISD in Happy, Texas - the town without a frown. Happy is a small farming community and the school has little funding. In addition to teaching six subjects, my Aunt directs One Act Play, coaches various UIL events, oversees junior high & high school student councils, and more.

The Sr. Class of Happy High School will be hosting the Silent Auction during their Community Halloween Carnival on October 24. Proceeds will go into the Sr. Class fund. At the end of the year, this money will go towards paying the rentals on caps & gowns, paying for 25 graduation invitations for each Senior, the Sr. class gift, etc.

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS: The Sr. class is asking for donations for the Silent Auction. In return, your business will be advertised on flyers & posters displayed in the area & on the school's website. Also, each item will be tagged with your information. This a great way to support a small school with a tax-deductible donation that will further promote your company!

If you'd like to donate an item, please send to: Judy Howell, P.O. Box 425, Happy, Texas 79042. Items must be received before October 24.

Lee National Denim Day

Friday is Lee National Denim Day! Since 1996, Lee has raised more than $75 million with plans to raise millions more. On October 2, hundreds of thousands of people will wear jeans and donate $5 to the fight against breast cancer. Funds benefit the EIF's Women's Cancer Programs to support groundbreaking research and advocacy efforts nationwide. Breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate returns as this year's Denim Day ambassador. Join Christina and teams of people across the country who want to beat this disease once and for all. Sign up to participate today & make a powerful statement against breast cancer. Share your heart and donate $5 today or sport LNDD gear to show your support.

No Intention of Giving Up - Katie Brown Fundraiser

While reading the Craft Mafia blog recently I learned of a very intense situation. Katherine Brown, the founder of the San Antonio Craft Mafia, is fighting glioblastoma. In layman's terms, that's stage 4 brain cancer. The San Antonio group has been touched deeply by her illness and they are holding a benefit for Kat and her children. If you live in the San Antonio area, or know someone who does, please inform them about the the event. For more information about Kat and her illness you can read articles in the San Antonio Express News and The Handmade News.

WHAT: NO INTENTION OF GIVING UP - Katie Brown Fundraiser
WHEN: Sunday, July 26, 4-8 pm
WHERE: Tiki Lounge at El Tropicano Hotel, 110 Lexington Ave., San Antonio
ETC: Music by Austin's Turbo 350. Free refreshments and pay-as-you-go bar (all proceeds go to the Trust Fund). Kat's art and jewelry will be for sale - take this chance to get an original piece of assemblage art. Donations for Kat and her children also accepted. Every penny counts.

Funky Finds Spring Fling

On April 25, Funky Finds will be hosting a fantastic indie craft fair. The Funky Finds Spring Fling will feature tons of terrific items created by various artists, crafters & designers. Many of the vendors are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area; however, we have a nice mix of "out-of-towners" participating, as well.

We have a couple of opportunities for those of you who are looking to promote your work. We will be giving away 50 handmade swag bags full of goodies. If you would like to contribute items to be included in the bags, please contact me.

Also, we will be printing 5,000 full-color glossy booklets to be handed out at the event, as well as locally and through special mailings. If you would like to advertise in the booklet, you can view all ad rates & sizes on our site. You can also purchase your ad space online.

It is going to be a wonderfully funky event right in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas. The venue is a very cool industrial type building that is perfect for housing all the funky artisans who will be there.

We hope to see you there on April 25!!!

Miss Do-Gooder

Our favorite heroine, Miss Do-Gooder, is back with a hip new T-shirt. This time Miss Do-Gooder is partnering with First Book to fight illiteracy. Each sale raises $2.50 which equates to one new book for a disadvantaged child. The nonprofit organization has a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. The tees are available in Athletic Grey and Heather Lake Blue and cost $25.00. Other causes on Miss Do-Gooder's to-do list include poverty, intolerance, domestic abuse, global warming, AIDS, unfair trade and anything else that makes this world a shadow of the place it could be. Stay tuned for upcoming designs!

December Giveaway - Charitable Shopping

Today kicks off our final monthly giveaway of 2008! December’s theme focuses on promoting businesses that donate a portion of their sales to charities. I think it is a great incentive to know that the money you spend is benefiting others.

Giveaway Guidelines:

Visit any of the businesses listed on the December giveaway page.

To enter, leave a comment ON THIS POST including a link to one of your favorite items from each shop (one link per comment, please). You may enter multiple times by linking to a product by a different artisan in each comment.

Extra Entry: Post about this giveaway on your blog, then leave a comment with the link to your post.

Be sure to leave your name AND email address or website link so I am able to contact the winners. If you are chosen as a winner & there’s no way to contact you, a new winner will be chosen.

Winners will be chosen on December 12 using a random number generator & will then be notified by email & announced on Funky Finds.

The December Charitable Shopping giveaway begins today, December 6, and ends at midnight CST Thursday, December 11.

Breast Cancer Awareness Specials & Offerings

As I've mentioned before, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and lots of indie designers, crafters & designers are doing their part to raise money & awareness about this disease.

1. Fish Lips Paper Designs is donating $2 to breast cancer research for each piece of wrapping paper purchased with pink in it. Their signature design, Fish Lips, is so cute & unique! And Circle Game is a very cool geometric wonder.

2. A Planet For Creation has a nice selection of Breast Cancer Awareness jewelry & charms. The Breast Cancer Awareness necklace is my favorite.

3. Heather Gill of Cherry Creek Designs creates fine jewelry using Sterling Silver, Copper & Gold. The Awareness stud earrings allow you to show your support in a stylish & chic way. Check out all the beautiful designs this shop offers.

4. Gabrie's Shop is offering 10% off all pink goods. The seller also donates an additional 10% to her local Breast Cancer Charity Organization from all her ‘Go Pink’ profits. I love the Pretty Lady earrings, as well as the Spring earrings.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and lots of indie designers, crafters & designers are doing their part to raise money & awareness about this disease.

1. During October, 20% of the proceeds on all PINK items at Hedvig Bourbon will go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. The Lucas Diaper Bag, pictured above, is gorgeous!

2. Liebling Designs recently launched a new floral necklace, Pretty In Pink, to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, too. Designer Jessica has been personally affected by breast cancer & says, "It's the scariest thing to ever happen to me and without the funding that is out there the research and procedures wouldn't have been possible!"

3. Breast Cancer Sucks! What a true statement! These items are a humorous & fun way to support breast cancer awareness and to shed some light on how many people this disease affects. 20% of every purchase from this shop will be donated to helping those that suffer from breast cancer.

4. Crafts by Chris has a terrific selection of Think Pink goods. 50% of Think Pink sales helps support the Susan G. Komen Foundation, as well as 10% of the sales from the rest of the shop. The pink lampwork rings are stunning.

Crafters for Critters

I was so saddened to hear the recent announcement that Crafters for Critters will be temporarily closing up shop as of July 1. In order to clear out the store, CFC is offering 75% off everything in stock. Simply type BUYSTUFF in the voucher box of the shopping cart and click "recalculate." This is a great opportunity to do a little early Christmas shopping or to purchase something from yourself. This wonderful organization is going on hiatus in order to rethink and reorganize CFC to help it become a more effective fund raiser. The group has raised & donated over $17,000+ to animal rescue during the last four years and is looking to reopen sometime next year. Their motto, "Shop Independent, Help Animals in Need," is one we should never forget.

Pay It Forward

Check out Bernie Berlin's blog, A Place to Bark, and see how you can make a difference. If everyone donates just $10.00, we can help Bernie win a grant from the Six Degrees foundation! Tim Holtz, a very popular scrapbook designer & artist, is even offering up some of his original art as an incentive for those who donate.

ETA: Bernie's badge is now in the Top Five! That is awesome...but A Place to Bark needs to be in the Top 4 to win the grant money. Please spread the word to everyone you know. Animal lovers unite! Read more on Bernie's blog.

Etsy For Animals

Etsy For Animals is a group of artists & crafters with Etsy shops who love & help animals. Many of them donate a portion of their sales to animal rescues & charities, something dear to my heart. EFA also sponsors a worthy Charity of the Month. I especially like that you can see how much money was raised & donated each month. There's lots of fabulous members of EFA who sell great products they have created. Check out their shop this holiday season & give something back.