I just joined the Etsy for Animals: Artists Helping Animal (EFA). EFA is a street team or group of artists and craftspeople on Etsy.com who donate some portion of their sales to animal rescues and charities. Right now, I am working on saving these two little puppies. Fifteen percent of all sales of my crochet items will be donated to these two puppies (that includes my etsy shop and my street market booth – every Thursday).
Related Post: HELP THE PUPPIES!
The two little puppies, temporarily named Browny and Blacky, visited the veterinarian over the weekend. Each puppy was given a dip for their mange, medicine for deworming, their first vaccination, a dose of Revolution to kill off any remaining mange, and antibiotics. To date, their treatment has cost $335.13! It just goes to show you what these two puppies have been going through. To help pay for this bill, 15% of any purchase of any of my crocheted items at Etsy and at the Thursday Street Market will go towards this bill. So, if you find anything you like, rest assured that your purchase will help these two puppies.
Look at them now. Feeling so much better, they are a bundle of energy waiting for a new home.
UPDATES: Update 1
The life of a stray puppy in Saipan is bleak. With no animal cruelty laws and no homeless shelter, they are left to their own demise, unless they are fortunate enough to be found by a caring human.
Just a couple of days ago, two puppies landed on my front driveway. Both have the heart of a tiger but they need help. They have mange, although the brown one has it significantly more. They both are at a good weight but I do not know how old they are. Its often difficult to find a home for sick puppies, so I have decided to sell my crocheted items for their benefit at my etsy shop – at least 15% of each purchase will go towards them. If there is excess funds, they will be donated to PAWS, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping out animals in need. For those people in Saipan, contact me directly so I can save you on shipping (I’ll drop it off to you).
If you are interested in adopting these puppies, contact El.
I just created a treasury of red and orange crochet at etsy. Its called Crochet Bonanza. I’m moving on to blue and aqua so if you see any blue / aqua colored crochet on etsy from sellers with less than 20 sales, list it in your comment.
I am well on my way to a booth at the Thursday Street Market. Before I could get a booth, I had to get a business license. Here in Saipan, it usually takes three months to get a business license. YIKES! I suppose many people were complaining so they implemented Expedite Fridays. However, because of Austerity Friday, the expedited process is only available once every other week. Because of that, I have already missed two Street Market nights.
An applicant can receive his business license on Friday if he first get a clearance check and compliance check. That was a difficult task for me as the tax clearance section kept on losing my paperwork. But in just under two weeks, I was able to move through the bureaucracy and get my forms in time for Expedite Friday. I arrived at the office at 7:40 a.m. and luckily there was only one other person there. I received my business license at 8:20 a.m., which officially makes me a lawyer, artist, business woman, and entrepreneur – the many hats that I wear.
To make the labels for my items, I ordered a custom stamp from RubberStamps.net. I had my ts logo mounted on wood.
Because of the lack of art supplies on Saipan and because I was going to see my dad during the Palau trip, I asked him to buy some sturdy teal paper, a circle paper punch, a 1/8 inch hole punch, and white acrylic paint. I use these supplies to make my tags. I like the acrylic paint because it results in a slightly raised and shiny imprint.
After reading about several craftie’s experiences at fairs, I decided I needed some kind of centerpiece for my booth at the street market. My inspiration for this flower pin bouquet came from my Japanese Grandma’s tissue cover that I found in her basement. She had crocheted it some time ago and it had always been upstairs in use. However, since she passed, someone had moved this centerpiece into the basement. The ribbon had been frayed and torn so I inserted a new ribbon. Luckily, I had a very similar ribbon already at home.
One major flaw of this bouquet is the packing, which I may re-do. Instead of using floral foam, I decided to wind up a ball of yarn. Although it went with the theme of crochet, this caused difficulty in inserting the chenille pipes into the ball of yarn, making the flowers a little wobbly.
Flower pin #1 is the one I generally apply to my Dianne Purse and is made of 100% acrylic. It is reinforced with chenille pipes, which is hidden inside the crochet.
Flower pin #2, #4, and #6 were originally made for my mother to match the shawl I made her for Christmas but I just couldn’t get it to go. They are primarily made out of mohair and sheep wool.
Flower pin #3 is very similar to Megan Mill’s Bourbon Rose with some alterations. They are made of 100% acrylic.
Flower pin #5 was originally made for an amigurumi kitty I made but I decided to accent her with a fabric scarf to emphasize the crochet yarn texture. It is made of 100% acrylic and embellished with gold seed beads.
I made flower pin #7 when I was attempting to work on my sewing technique. I had leftover scraps from a skirt that I made (terribly) and so I decided to make a fabric flower. I like it and may make more but probably smaller ones.
I have been inspired by the tropical island of Saipan, the rock that I live on, to create crocheted Leis. I am hoping to get a booth at the street market to sell them. I figured that I would hit the market just before graduation. These leis, at least I think, look like flowers, which is what I love. Look at all the wonderful colors. Although they don’t have the scent that reminds one of the tropics, the receiver of these leis can treasure them for a life time.
After days and days of contemplating, I have decided to open my own etsy shop with username tantalizingstitches. I am nervous and excited at the same time. In hopes of spurring my very first sale, I have a shipping promotion – shipping is on the house for my first customer!
