Just send a simple email + save animals.

Man (on left) with tears tightly hugs his rescued pet dog. On right, Sendai city firefighter. Japanese caption translation provided by: Kirsten Ernst for Global Animal.

Here's a message I saw in the Regretsy forums and I took immediate action. You can, too, with a simple copy+paste+send:

The Japanese government have placed a 20km No Go zone around the worst effected nuclear plant. Unfortunately there are still tens of thousands of domestic animals stranded in this zone. Before this, rescue groups and local citizens were managing to go and at least put food down for these animals, and were gradually catching them as well to help reunite them with their owners.


Rescue groups already have in place a system for quarantining and treating any radiation issues these pets and farm animals may have. And the humans are also taking their pills and only going in for short times, but they're willing to put themselves on the line to prevent as much suffering as possible. Unfortunately, the 20km No Go zone is making this impossible, and they're worried many of these animals are going to starve to death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVeUhXQq3yU - here's a video, but it is sad. (I COULDN'T WATCH IT)

So how can you help? All you need to do is send a politely worded request to the Japanese government basically saying something like this (copy and paste this!):

Dear Prime Minister,

There are many thousands of domestic animals and pets in the 20km exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. While it is understandable that you are trying to protect your citizens from harm, there are many animal rescue groups who are prepared and who have measures in place to deal with potential radiation poisoning and quarantining animals they catch. In addition, there are many they cannot catch who need feeding, including the farm animals who have been left in their stalls and barns. Please consider allowing animal rescue groups to enter this zone and continue their valuable work.

Thank you, the bravery and compassion of the Japanese people are an inspiration to all.

Sincerely,
FIRST NAME, LAST NAME
CITY, STATE, COUNTRY

Click here to go directly to the Prime Minister's contact page. It's so easy and costs nothing. Please do this now: https://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment_ssl.html

DONATE NOW (click here and scroll down for a list of charities accepting donations to help animal victims of the earthquake and tsunami):
http://www.globalanimal.org/2011/03/22/how-to-help-japan-pets/32243/

Tomorrow at the Bash: New Wall Art

These photos do not do justice to the two new large fabric wall art pieces I made this week to debut tomorrow at the 3rd Annual Spring Bash!

{dangit this thing didn't rotate! tilt head to the right}

>>>SEE YOU AT THE BASH<<<

A photo journey through my crafty madness.

Here's a little photo essay walking you through all of my behind-the-scenes preparation for this Saturday's 3rd Annual Spring Bash. What you're seeing is the final stage of what has been a half-year-long process getting handmade product ready, reworking my displays, painting, swearing, cussing, loving and creating. If you aren't in Dallas, you have 2 more days to shop my goods in my Etsy shop before I close it down for the weekend.

{all taken with my new iPhone!!!}

fabric rings $8

super secret, newly-repainted beautiful display built by Dowdy Studio

hair clips and hair bobbies for $10 on my newly-painted pegboard display

pottery shard necklaces for $25 and all sorts of pretty earrings

the new gridwall set-up; it's a work in progress

check out that gorgeous new wall art, top right

>>>SEE YOU AT THE BASH THIS SATURDAY<<<

Look at my hot fake husband.

Hands off, ladies.

Isn't he yummy? This was taken at last weekend's Oak Cliff Earth Day festival at Lake Cliff park - photo courtesy of Oak Cliff People. Read a little recap here courtesy of my gal Pamela of Dowdy Studio. I was sellin' my stuff on the other side of the park while Jason educated festival-goers on the Jefferson Median Beautification Project, a grassroots effort to beautify our little corner of the world. I manage the modest JMBP blog over here.

I've got crazy eyes.

It's on like Donkey Kong, y'all. This Saturday is the 3rd Annual Spring Bash, co-founded and co-produced by yours truly along with a team of fellow dedicated Etsy Dallas members. This will be our 9th show to date and I could not be more excited and downright scared of all the things I still need to do to prepare:

+ Cut out labels, write prices, and tape to new display, which I traded with Dowdy Studio for a stash of fabric and my never-ending gratitude. It was black, I painted it straw yellow, it's awesome and covered in fabric sculpture necklaces - loads of new designs. Pics coming soon! DONE!

+ Go to American Store Fixtures to get a ton of gridwall hooks for my fabric wall art. DONE!

+ Take legs off gridwall panels, hose down (or leave out in the rain overnight), set up panels in living room, merchandise the heck out of it, covering it with fabric wall art, magnets, brooches, hair clips and more! (oh so much more)

+ OMG make more fabric wall art.

+ OMG make more brooches. DONE!


+ Go to the bank, get a million dollars in ones and fives, because this show is off-the-hook crazy with awesome shoppers throwing money at us wee Dallas artists.

+ Set-up newly painted pegboard, hang pottery shard necklaces all over it. It's the color of the ocean and it's beautiful.

+ OMG make more pottery shard necklaces.

+ Stop at Michael's to pick up some large shopping bags for my large wall art. DONE!

+ Label large shopping bags. DONE!

+ Pack all this up Friday night, sleep.

+ Wake up at the butt-crack of dawn on Saturday, drink a pot of coffee, put on my new awesome mum, and head to South Side on Lamar to get the space ready for the big show.

>>> 3rd ANNUAL SPRING BASH <<<

I Heart the Golden Girls - A Zine

When my friend and fellow Golden Girls nutcase, Erin of Haute Hardware, had her baby a few months ago, I knew I had to get her something special. Now, I birthed my son only a couple of years ago so I know the importance of honoring the mother during this special time. Babies get enough junk as it is, anyway. So naturally, I got Erin this:


It's the most awesomesauce Golden Girls thing out there, except for maybe this, which is the best thing I've ever seen in my life:


For my first Mother's Day back in 2009, Jason bought me this t-shirt:


So today, as I pulled in front of Erin's house to drop off bags of Ian's clothing and shoes he's grown out of + this I Heart the Golden Girls zine by jackiepeppermint, the tradition continues.

Long live Sophia Petrillo.

I can haz fixed blog.

So this blogger business has been fixed! For those not pantydeep in the Regretsy forums, I posted a plea for help since blogger was acting the bish. Turns out it wasn't CSS or some other arcane code mumbo jumbo. You know what it was? A photo I uploaded in a post was too large.

WAHT.

Yea. I was actually drawn to tears because, in the course of trying to fix my sidebar yesterday, I totally messed up my blog. I thought it would never be the same again. So thank you Kim, RJG and angel drawers for your help!

Kitteh!

Special thanks to my gal Kim for helping solve this Blogger mishap. Notice the right sidebar is empty? Blogger has foresaken me and Kim has offered to look into it and fix if she can.

But this is my Goliath to battle. In the meantime, check out Kim's beautiful photography. My favorites (surprise, surprise) are the funny black kitty photos. Check out the stark details on this yawning kitty. Meee-ow!

photography by Kim Ulrick

Bash Bucks Giveaway Through April 25th

Hey hey Dallas-area people, or those of you badass enough to drive to Big D for the 3rd Annual Spring Bash (co-produced by yours truly), listen up! You can enter to win free Bash Bucks - gift certificates that spend like cash at the Bash - on our Etsy Dallas blog. Click here to read all about it and enter. And if I were to win (yes people, I'm eligible, too), these are what I would buy:

Merbaby Print by Signifying Not


Mounted Narwhal by Crochette

Tom Selleck pillow by Bolsa Bonita

See you at the Bash!

I Just Got Indie Fixxed!

Thanks to the lovely Jen over at Indie Fixx for choosing my Keats & Yeats fabric sculpture necklace to be featured! While you're checking out her great blog, check out my Spring Galleria shop, which will be up through May. Notice anything extra special on the left sidebar?


Visit my Etsy shop today to see all the lovely handmade things I have for sale: www.tefi.etsy.com

Overheard at Craft Shows

The following is a list of customer comments I've heard time and again at craft shows, and what I dub "the kiss of death". Craft show organizers - take note (please!).

"I didn't know this show was going on." Uh-oh. This means the organizers didn't market to the immediate area, which are the people most likely to support locally-made goods. It also doesn't bode well for their marketing strategy in general. In other words, if they didn't reach people who live nearby, did they also miss those living in surrounding areas?

"Oh darn, I didn't bring money."Um, excuse me what? If this is a larger, broader type event (where artists are only a small part of the fun), the people who come out to the festival likely didn't know there would be art for purchase, and thus only brought their sunscreen, walking shoes and dog. Make sure festival-goers know there will be art for purchase, target people who appreciate buying locally-made goods, and make sure everyone knows to BRING CASH!!

"This is cute" or "You have nice stuff" or "I like your work" So sounds good, right? Not if you hear this over and over aaaaand...no one buys anything. This means the target shopper was not marketed to. Artists don't give up 9+ hours of their weekend just to "exhibit" their work. They woke up at the crack of dawn, loaded the car, hauled their stuff to their booth, set everything up, plastered a smile on their face, then gave up bathroom breaks and a real meal in the hopes they would sell their handmade goods. Make it worth their while or they aren't likely to return for your next show.

The season is heating up and spring/summer shows are in full swing. Carry plenty of cash with you in case you are lucky enough to make it to a local art/craft show. And remember that the things you see were made with love, care, and lots of work. The next big thing? 3rd Annual Spring Bash on April 30th in Dallas TX. More info: http://www.handmadebash.com/. See you there!

Does Your Art Have Value?

Here's a great blog article from artbizblog I came across recently. It's awesome! Read the entire article here for the juicy details, but in short here are seven ways to give your art value:

1. Make great art.
2. Treat your art with care.
3. Don't ever belittle your art.
4. Speak the words, "I'm an artist" with confidence.
5. Keep a price list handy.
6. Maintain a list of collectors and collections
7. Mention your venues and galleries.

No go forth all ye artists and be awesome!

Cure Your Wanderlust - New Magnets!

I just finished making, photographing and listing some new magnets I made out of the maps I used on my travels to Barcelona, Nice, Rome, Boston and San Francisco.

If maps and travels aren't your thing, how about some vintage wallpaper? Or fabric yo-yo's? Yes, please!

Get some today: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tefi?section_id=7698733

Tefi Loves: Amy Blackwell

Love love love her artwork, her lovely aesthetic, the colors. I'll just let the illustrations speak for themselves.





Visit her Etsy shop: www.blackoutwell.etsy.com