Winner of December 2008 Challenge – Winter Wonderland!

Christmas Burp Set

Congrats to ClaireAndJanae for winning the EFC December Challenge with her entry, Christmas Burp Set.

She has won the following prizes kindly sponsored by the EFC members :

1. $15 Gift Certificate by ThePuddlePeople 

2. $10 Gift Certificate by UniqueGrabs 

3. $10 Gift Certificate by SherryRenee / SherryReneeW 

4. $10 Gift Certificate by JoniKay52 

5. $10 Gift Certificate by ClaireAndJanae 

6. A Single Card of Your Choice or A Set of Tags by AndreaStamps 

7. A Set of Hairpins by ShelleAnne

8. A Pair of Earrings of Your Choice by RunningWithSizzors

If you are interested in contributing a prize for EFC January Challenge, please convo UniqueGrabs and provide him your prize details.

Come on and have some fun! Take part in the coming EFC January Challenge!

Getting to Know One Another – Introducing Enzie Shahmiri

Holiday Greetings to all of my fellow Etsy for Charity Members!

My wish for you is for peace, happiness and much joy in the New Year!

I am thankful to be able to introduce you to another member of our group this week- Enzie Shahmiri

1. Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location).
MY name is Enzie Shahmiri and I live in Orange County California, in Laguna Hills.

2. Who are you in your real life?
ME. I am a very down to earth person, who loves to create things and make people happy.

3. What are your favorite materials?
I love to work with oil paints, because they allow me to create very realistic luminous skin tones in my portraits of people.

4. What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?
I am inspired by the infinite beauty that surrounds us. When someone or something catches my eye, the 1st impulse is to take a photo and rush to the studio to translate it into a painting. When I see a cute child or someone with very interesting features I am hooked.

5. What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?
My lifelong obsession with creating art started with my first set of colored pencils and coloring books. I could not just color in the spaces, but had to embellish as well.

6. Do you sell in other locations besides Etsy?
Yes, I sell prints of my work through my web site http://www.EnzieShahmiri.com

7. Do you have a website and/or blog?
Yes, my web site, which also acts as my on-line portfolio, features selected works and can be found at http://www.EnzieShahmiri.com . I also keep a daily blog called World Market Portraits http://world-market-portraits.blogspot.com where I show how each painting is created and offer other artsy information, such as tutorials, great finds, etc.

8. Why did you join the Etsy for Charity Group?
I wanted to have an easily accessible venue to make donations to. The concept is a wonderful one and I hope that in 2009 I will be able to contribute more.

9. Do you belong to any other Etsy Groups or other affilations?
I also belong to Interior Design Etsy and Visual Street Artists and CCCOE

10. What charities do you support personally and why?
I try to choose a different charity to donate a painting to at least once a year. To me there are many worthwhile causes and I choose by what I find needs a boost in funds the most. This year I painted a little Sudanese girl http://www.enzieshahmiri.com/Sudanese-Girl.html for an auction through the United Nations UNHCR division with 100% of all proceeds going to the people of Darfur. Since I work in a realistic, classical style creating a painting is a project that can last anywhere from one month to four months, this limits the number of paintings I can fit into my rather busy working schedule.

11. Describe your Etsy experience and any advise you would like to share with others.

 I have had a good experience with Etsy and have met a lot of wonderful people. I would recommend that Etsy members join groups and help to cross promote each other.

12. What makes you smile?
Oh, I smile very easily and usually get exhilarated when my work has brought joy to someone else!

Anything else you would like to add?
I would like to thank Etsy for Charity for giving me the opportunity for this interview.

Mrs. Enzie Shahmiri
Portrait Artist

Visit my Gallery at http://www.EnzieShahmiri.com
or my Blog at http://world-market-portraits.blogspot.com/ 

Please take a moment to visit Enzie’s Etsy shop at artenzie.etsy.com and take a look at her amazing talent!

Thank you Enzie for taking the time to share a bit of yourself with your fellow team members and best of luck in all your endeavors!

Alice

Vote for EFC January Charity of the Month

Vote for EFC January Challenge Theme

DaisyWares

Blue Marble Glass Bead Ring Wire Wrapped in Copper

Notes from the artist :

The blue and copper definitely compliment each other. The glass bead measures approx. 13mm x 18mm. The glass has a marble effect and is really cool!

Please specify size in comments to seller when checking out.

My jewelry and bath & body products are always VEGAN. I never use any animal by-products such as leather, bone, shell, feathers, silk or pearls etc.

I donate 10% of my sales to the Animal Place in Vacaville, CA. They are a wonderful organization that rescues farm animals from abuse and neglect. www.animalplace.org

Pick a Winner for EFC December Challenge – Winter Wonderland

The poll will end on 28 Dec 2008.

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Snowman by ThePuddlePeople

Snowman

 This snowman was wet felted using 100 percent merino wool roving. No sewing involved. He was made by using a single barbed felting needle and thousands of pokes to join the fibers together. He is super soft and ready to brighten anyone’s winter blues. His scarf is a piece of recycled wool scarf from the thrift store so he ready to brave the cold and share his sunshine. He stands 10 1/2 inches high.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Abundance by OneDoll

Abundance

 She’s a prayer for abundance in a world where many have nothing.

Abundance was created with love and enjoys spreading it around the world! She is 18 inches tall and handmade of soft cotton flannel, acrylic yarn and cozy fiberfil. She loves having her hair played with and you or your loved one will have fun running your fingers through her hair or decorating it with beads and ribbon.

She’s beautiful as she is but if you’d like to decorate her there is no end to the possiblities. Fabric paint or markers, buttons and beads, embroidery floss or appliques let your imagination go wild!

Your purchase helps us spread love around the world. To see some of the dolls we’ve delivered or to get decorating ideas please visit our website. www.OneDoll.com

Abundance is sold alone without decorating supplies.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Deer Card by BuzzBuzzBee

Deer Card

 This three-color, hand screen printed card is the perfect way to wish friends and family happy holidays! Printed on recycled brown chipboard, a deer grazes in a forest of birches. The bottom of the card says “Happy Holidays.” This card has a very retro look.

The card itself is a mini piece of art, so it comes signed by the artist in the bottom right corner. If you do not want a signature on the card, please let me know.

It is also along the back right side with my “Bethany Schlegel Art + Design | www.bethanyschlegel.com” which can also be left off at the buyer’s request.

The card is a FLAT card measuring 3.5 x 8.5 inches and comes in a white envelope.

Please contact me for rates for multiple cards.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Vintage Inspired Ruby Bracelet by MCSDesigns

Vintage Inspired Ruby Bracelet

 Silver plated Memory bracelet of round ruby glass beads , foiled tube Hyacinth glass beads and round silver plated filagree beads. One size fits all.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

StarKitty1969

Dream Scrabble Tile Necklace

Notes from the artist :

Unique necklace created from Scrabble tiles and glass beads. Total length 16.5 inches.

December 2008 Challenge Entry – A Beary Merry Christmas Handmade Card by UniqueGrabs

A Beary Merry Christmas Handmade Card

 Choo choo … choo choo… here comes the choo choo train! Have fun this Christmas!

This card is blank inside, comes with a matching colour envelope, measures 6″ by 4″, and comes wrapped in a cellophane bag.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

JoBead

Fall into Winter Earrings

Notes from the artist :

These earrings are so delicate and elegant. They fade from topaz into clear crystal like the fall leaves will fade into icicles. They move a lot and sparkle even more. They are very petite and so light they’re almost not noticable – except for all the compliments you’ll be getting.

These earrings are 2.5″ total length and hang from silver plated leverbacks.

All packages come in a packaged in a handmade pouch. The items that don’t fit will be packaged in a small gift bag.

Please shop generously – for you and for them! With this purchase you could help provide provide foster care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Cape Town, South Africa.

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Green and Red Dots Holiday Cotton Bib by BlueBerryJunkie

Green and Red Dots Holiday Cotton Bib

 Your baby or toddler will look very stylish in this bib while having his meal. At a very generous size of approximately 13″x10″, this bib will protect your little one from all those big messes at dinner time, from chest to waist.

This bis is made of a modern cotton print fabric on one side, and very soft and absorbent terry cloth on the other. It has velcro closures, and no special care is needed. Just throw in the washing machine and dryer as often as you need to.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

SkinEssentials

Cucmber Melon Shea Butter Soap Kitty Cat

Notes from the artist :

This cute curled up kitty cat is really a very fragrant bar of Cucumber Melon Shea Butter soap! Shea butter is moisturising and healing for your skin. Our cucumber melon fragrance is fantastic. We love it and think you will too!

Each soap is hand poured and may vary in color and size.

Weighs approx 3.5 oz

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Candy Cane Stripe Earrings by BathNBeads

Candy Cane Stripe Earrings

 These are a delightful pair of earrings for the holidays! Made from furnace glass and red coral shell beads with sterling ear hooks.

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

Getting to Know One Another – Ed Larson of Branching Streams

Greetings All!

Here is the second installment of our “Getting to Know One Another” Series. There as many of us here and we are all so busy that it is important to take a bit of time to learn more about one another.

Thank you Ed for sharing yourself with us!

Alice

 BranchingStreams is the etsy shop for the contemporary abstract artist Edward Larson. A painter living and working in North Carolina. My Shop name is a reference to a religious poem by Sekito Kisen, the eighth Chinese Zen ancestor since the Buddha, titled the Sandokai which can be found here ( http://home.pon.net/wildrose/agreevar.htm ). Currently I am an artist in residence in the Golden Belt arts complex, Durham NC. http://www.goldenbeltarts.com/artists_artistResidence.shtml

Rare self portrait by Ed Larson

My work is influenced by my meditation practice, decoration, wall paper, lace, Japanese “katagami” (paper stencils used to dye kimonos) and the artwork of abstract expressionist like Motherwell, Rothko, Mondrian, Reinhardt, Hans Hofmann and Franz Kline among others.

My materials are generally acrylic on canvas though I have been known to do the occasion screen print or transfer. The composition of each painting is created as a whole in a similar way one might write a word or calligraphic mark. I believe spontaneity is practiced. For each successful composition there are many preliminary attempts. Generally, if after a first attempt I find the structure displeasing I recreate the composition as a whole, rather than attempt to work on it in separate and disjointed parts. This preliminary structure is temporarily sketched using water on a solid color canvas, most often a black canvas.
Once I am satisfied with the image I quickly fix the temporary lines using black paint. Working black on black and with water allows and element of chance to enter the work and requires unhesitating, decisive decisions otherwise the water or paint will dry and the basic structure of the painting may be lost. Once the basic frame work for the painting is painted in black, I proceed to fill in the resulting shapes and areas with color. This is often the longest period of the painting process as I am constantly working and reworking the relationships between colors.

Minimal abstract gray winter painting by contemporary expressionist painter Ed Larson

I first said I wanted to be an artist in sixth grade during a career day at school. Art was always something I had some skill in and it was something that I enjoyed quite a bit. As I got older and entered high school art became a method for me to express and examine difficult emotions like grief and anger. Much of my work at that time could be described as expressionistic in that the primary focus of the work was expressing or evoking a particular emotion. Often my work depicted recognizable forms (often portraits) but forms that were garish in color and perhaps otherwise distorted for greater emotional impact.
I joined EFC because I have a strong desire to do something useful and of value with my artwork. I have spent a lot of time questioning the value and meaning of art, I think most artists have as well. I have come to believe that what is best about art is the way it connects us to something greater than ourselves. E. M. Forester wrote “To make us feel small in the right way is a function of art; men can only make us feel small in the wrong way.” Being of service to another human being or to a deserving cause puts us in our proper scale. To see things as they truly are, living in our proper scale, is to affirm and embody our own essential humanity. This faith and conviction grew out of my soto zen meditation practice. I have been sitting zazen (a type of Zen meditation) and practicing mindfulness since 2001.

In addition to EFC I am an active member of the ETTeam a group devoted to mutual promotion and support through the creation of treasuries on etsy. In my “real life” I volunteer with my Zen center’s prison outreach program, am a member of Avaaz and of Amnesty International.

I primarily support the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center http://cancer.med.unc.edu/ I also support Amnesty International, AVAAZ, Oxfam and PFADP (people of Faith Against the Death Penalty) I support UNC because it is a meaningful and important cause. My wife’s Father is a Cancer survivor, and I have a friend who is currently undergoing chemo, but mainly I support UNC because it does good work and saves lives, not because of a personal connection to cancer. My support for PFADP arose from my prison volunteer work.

Rare oil on linen self portrait of contemporary abstract painter Edward Larson

Etsy is a great way for me to display my artwork, connect to other people, and to occasionally generate a little income for the charities I support. Because Etsy fees are so low I am able to list my paintings and other artwork without worrying if they will sell and for prices near to what they would sell for in a gallery setting.

On the topic of our essential human nature and the place from which charity arises from I’d like to offer this quote:

“Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water… The depth of the drop is the height of the moon. Each reflection, however long or short its duration, manifests the vastness of the dewdrop, and realizes the limitlessness of the moonlight in the sky.” –Dogen Zenji(1200-1253)

All gifts honestly offered, no matter how we may perceive their quality, intention or size, reflect the entire moon and all the star strewn sky.

Please visit Ed’s etsy shop at branchingstreams.etsy.com

ErikaPrice

EPD Christmas Specials - Juicy Strawberry Earrings

Notes from the artist :

Bring a smile to someone’s face this Christmas with these realistic shiny red strawberry earrings. Made with 925 Sterling Silver and beautiful lampwork glass beads handmade by crazyladybeads. The perfect gift!

All profits go to charity – please see my shop policies for details

December 2008 Challenge Entry – Christmas Tree Magnetic Photo Frame by TaraClem

 

Christmas Tree Magnetic Photo Frame

Showcase your favorite photo with our Christmas Tree magnetic frame.

Frame is handcrafted in the USA.

Dimensions are 9 x 6 inches. The opening is designed for your horizontal 4 x 6 inches photo.

Our frames are perfect for refrigerators, metal filing cabinets, school lockers and more! Each frame is completely backed with magnetic material to insure a secure placement of your special photo.

Make all your magnetic surfaces Magnificent!

100% of the sale proceeds will be donated to Etsy for Charity (EFC) Charity of the Month.

BranchingStreams

Pink Lavender abstract painting with a retro feel by mod artist Ed Larson

Notes from the artist :

This large 20×30 unframed painting was painted by Edward Larson using artist grade acrylic paint on black illustration board in 2006.

30% of this sale will be donated to The UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

“As part of the UNC system, the Center is the only public comprehensive cancer center for the State and the people of North Carolina. Our Mission is to reduce cancer occurrence and death in North Carolina and the nation through research, treatment, training and outreach.”
http://cancer.med.unc.edu/