For a Good Cause

Thank goodness for Laurie over at Glassbead. She is somehow on the "get great emails" list and sent over a few opportunities to post here at the AREtsy blog. There are quite a few to share with the group - so keep your eyes on this blog over the course of the next few days and I'll get all of them posted.

My first posting of the week/weekend is for the Gallery of Hope fund raiser. You have the option of donating your artwork to the Candlelighters of Central Arkansas, a non-profit 501-C3 organization devoted to assisting children with cancer and their families in Arkansas, or donating a portion of the sales from this auction. Either way, it's a win win for both a great cause and the artist.

A letter about the event says this:

It is with sheer gratitude that I am writing to you! This year is our third annual fundraiser, Gallery of Hope, which will feature artwork from local artists and children with cancer in Arkansas. The event will be held on September 13, at 7:00 p.m. at The Peabody Little Rock and will feature live and silent auctions of various types of art, music, drinks, and food. We are hoping it will be a fun event, raise awareness regarding childhood cancer, and of course raise money for Candlelighters.

It is my hope that you will help support a wonderful organization located here in Little Rock. Candelighters of Central Arkansas is a, 501(C)3, non-profit organization serving children with cancer and their families. As a board member of this organization, and a social worker at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, I see first hand how Candlelighters directly affects our cancer patients in Arkansas and the surrounding areas.

When one of our children is diagnosed with cancer, nine times out of ten a parent has to quit their job to care for their child. As you can imagine, finances become a significant stressor and there are limited resources available to help. I can continually rely on Candlelighters to help our families with practical assistance during their child’s treatment. They have helped our families with money for rent/mortgage, groceries, gas, utilities, even tires for the car. They are the only organization that helps pay for funerals for our children - something no one likes to admit happens, but unfortunately does at times.

Please consider donating a piece of your art or sharing the commission from a piece of your art that would be auctioned at the event. If you chose to share commission, you may choose the percentage you wish to give to Candlelighters. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions about the event, families we help, or specifications on the art we are requesting. I appreciate all you do for the Arkansas community and look forward to working with you to assist the cancer kids of Arkansas.

If you choose to participate in this year’s event we have enclosed an information form/artist contract. Please fill out the following and return it by mail or email. This information will assist with organization of the event itself as well as financial issues. Please assist us in planning for the event by turned in all artwork by August 16, 2008. We will be contacting you about specific drop-off locations and times. If needed, we can assist in arranging for someone to pick up the piece of work from you. All artwork needs to be delivered as if ready to sell, hang, etc. There are no regulations on the size of the piece. For the artists who have chosen to share their commission, all money will be paid to you within 14 days of the event. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 501-364-6513 or Kristy Davis at 501-364-1406. You are also welcome to email me at calhoonct@archildrens.org

Again, thank you for your generosity, time, and creativity. “Because Kids Can’t Fight Cancer Alone” and thanks to you, they don’t have to.

Sincerely,

Carrie Calhoon, LCSW
Hematology/Oncology Social Worker
Candlelighters Board Member/Art Recruitment Chairman
www.arkansascandlelighters.org
(501) 364-6513 office; (501) 680-6151 cell
calhoonct@archildrens.org email

If you are interested in an application, please email Idyll Hands at knittinghands@yahoo.com or I'm sure you can contact Carrie Calhoon with the Candlelighters directly for more information.

AREtsy Mixer

It's been quite awhile since we got together to show off our crafts and chat. We are having a get together on Saturday, August 2nd at 1 pm in Conway. Please check the yahoo chat group and look for the e-vite in the group messages (CLICK HERE). You can RSVP through the e-vite link or through the yahoo group. Email Cyndi Minister (TheTwistedPurl) if you have any questions.

Please bring a finger food or a dessert to the shin dig. Also bring along a sample of your work, to show off. There will be food, crafts, and fun. There will even be a kids craft table set up in the backyard, so feel free to bring your kiddos.

Hope to see you there!

New AREtsy Website Coming Soon

We have been working on a website for the Arkansas Etsy Street Team. Before it can be released, we need your help.

We want the site to be as much a part of everyone's artwork and ideas as possible. Please send pictures of your crafts and any graphics you may have that really speak of our wonderful state. Throughout the site, there will be links to all our shops, how to guides and much, much more.

If you have an instructional guide written somewhere online (your blog, the storque, etc.) , on How To do something crafty, please also send those links.

Send the links and pics to cyndi@thetwistedpurl.com

Thanks so much for all your help! Our new website will be released soon, and keep an eye out for more information on the site itself.

YART Sale

Many artists on Etsy are having a YART Sale and many of our AREtsy team members are joining in. This is the perfect opportunity to buy from your favorite shop and save a few bucks in the process. The sale began yesterday and is planned to last until June 20. Some shops are participating in it the entire time, some just for a few days, but rest assured, you will find a deal.

AREtsy shops having a YART Sale:

Punkinhead
AletteDesigns
DogwoodLane
EkioArt
GlassBead
JudySnow
IdyllHands
Ashlie'sBowtique


*** If you are a member of the AREtsy Street Team and are participating in the YART Sale, please leave a comment and we'll add you to the list!!!***

Chat Night

image from DeniseFelton.etsy.com

It's been quite awhile since we had a chat night. This Wednesday night at 8pm, please join us as we talk about the future of our street team.

The awesome gals at Etsy have arranged for us to have a Virtual Room *cheers*

Come and join us as the airplanes fly and all types of good things will be discussed.

http://www.etsy.com/virtual_lab.php?room_id=lounge

The above link is the room you want to join up on Wednesday!

***This is an informal chat, but many important things will be discussed. Please be sure to send an email to Cyndi@TheTwistedPurl.com if you have an issue you would like brought up that you are not comfortable bringing up yourself or if you are unable to attend.***

Hope to see you all there. Notes from the chat will be posted if you happen to miss out on the fun.

Blogging: What's In It For Me?

Blogging is quite the buzzword lately. Everyone has a blog, even my mother has posted to a blog she shares with my sister... once. Blogs come in many different forms. You'll find diaries, instructional writings, hobby blogs, fashion blogs, housing decor, political, and so much more. You name it, there is a blog for it.

A type of blog that has become very popular in the Etsy community is a blog that is related to your craft and your Etsy shop. They serve not only as a place to keep your favorite customers updated with what you are doing, but also to promote your shop and wares to the world. Many people are skeptical as to if this is a useful tool when promoting your Etsy shop. Just like any type of promotion, you get from it what you put into it.

Laurie of Glassbead recently pointed me in the direction of a blogger, Peg Corwin, who recently blogged about, well, blogging. You can read the post here: All About Blogging for Small Biz. The points are good and I believe that yes, you can use your blog to promote and bring business to your shop just by maintaining a blog.

Many of our AREtsy members keep up with their blog. I'd love to list them but am deathly afraid that I will leave several, amazing bloggers out. So, go forward, AREtsy, and update your blogs (or start one if you don't already have one).

The lovely item pictured above is titled "At Least Once a Week" and can be found in DeniseFelton's shop. Do you update your blog at least once a week? You should!

Looking Out For Yourself

Picture by Marge54.etsy.com

Wow! It seems that AREtsy is growing by leaps and bounds. We've had quite a handful of new members in the past few weeks. There are always questions from the newbies about where to post information about your shop. I'll give everyone an outline:

Yahoo Group Database

Hmmm... one place, seems easy enough, doesn't it? Well, yes, it is. The hard part comes in when those of us heading up forum threads and this blog try to keep things updated. This is where I ask for all of your help. Please check the various places that we promote our fellow AREtsy shops and let us know, nicely, if your information is missing or incorrect. We have such wonderful artists and shop owners in this street team and would hate it if we all didn't have our chance at being promoted. It's such a huge job to keep up on all of the information and we're always open to a friendly reminder to update your info.