$700 Billion Bail Out Cramping Your Style?
Many folks are shuddering at the thought of gifting in the upcoming holidays and wondering how to manage. And while some families and friends are deciding to go without exchanging gifts, we here at Etsy want to urge those who will be shopping to consider supporting independent artists and crafters …
Election Time, Americans!
It's time to get our heads in the game and get out the vote. We've been noticing many election-related Etsy items cropping up from the grassroots of this here marketplace. Creativity is on the march! These handmade items will help you spread the message about your candidate — and many will help you alert your …
Etsian and Blogger Critically Injured in Plane Crash: Nienie Recovery Project
On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinneard, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinneard passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital. Christian and Stephanie remain in critical condition at …
Parents Teach Art, Part 2: Making it Happen
In my recent article Parents Teach Art I shared information about Duniway Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, and its award-winning, parent-led art program. Now I'll go into more detail about how to make a program like this work at your child's school. [Second grade "Paint and Poetry" lesson]The Art …
Parents Teach Art: A DIY Approach to Elementary School Art Education
Where I live, there are billboards all over town that simply say, "Art. Ask for More." At the bottom is a line of smaller print that says, "Are your kids getting enough?"As an artist and a mother of two, I feel fortunate that my kids attended a public elementary school with a thriving, well-established …
Earth Tones: Eco Ego Game for Kids, via Inhabitat
Videogames have huge educational potential — not only do they teach kids strategy but the content can be thought-provoking too. Take for example Eco Ego, a free online game that lets kids (and adults) roleplay a sweet little creature living in a tree stump. The goal is a Sims-like equilibrium with the …
One Woman's Road to Veganism
Why go vegan? For those of us who aren't vegan, the no-animal-product lifestyle can seem alternately inconvenient or utopian. We recently posted a profile of the Vegan Etsy Team, a group of Etsy sellers dedicated to promoting their goods and the benefits of vegan products. In this follow-up piece, team …
Handmade Kids: Eco-Friendly Gear for Toddler Boys
When we started brainstorming ideas for the Handmade Kids Series, there were two ideas that came through loud and clear: eco-friendly items and finds for little boys. There is so much cute stuff for girls, so we decided to share the love! cloud9designstudio, an Etsy seller with an eco-mission and a lil' boy …
Bark the Vote
Dogs are definitely getting more political these days. (Or at least their owners are.) It seems our dogs can get us to do just about anything. They want to sleep on the bed? We move over. They whimper and give puppy dog eyes? We give them treats. Bark at the door? We let them out. So how far does the dog’s influence go? For …
American Consumerism
Consumerism: A passion for acquisition of personal property; the concept that a healthy economy requires a strong consumer market; advocacy to protect consumers from false advertising, shoddy merchandise. Have you noticed how the definition of consumerism is being interpreted by those of us in …
Etsy for Animals: Working Together
It all started with an idea and an Etsy forum thread. A year and a half later, Etsy for Animals (EFA) has over 530 members, and is one of the largest Teams on Etsy. For EFA's first Storque post, click here. You can get to the team members' items by searching "team efa." Although the only membership requirement is a love …
Earth Tones: Craftivism Motions in the Oceans
Erin Chan aka designsquid calls to Etsy sellers and buyers to care for our ocean animals, endangered by bad habits and indifference. We give our Etsy Pets series an Earth Tones spin, in this post for animal and nature lovers. 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in a common chemical substance that is …
Call for Entries: Creativity 350 Contest
Hey crafty folks, it's contest time! Craftster and 350.org have teamed up to bring you Creativity 350: Use your creative skills for a good cause: to help stop global warming! By participating in the Creativity 350 challenge you can help creatively spread the word about what scientists and advocates are now …
Earth Tones: Ecotourism in Fiji with Tribe Wanted
Ecotourism and making handmade items can go a long way in helping to sustainably develop communities. Etsian Kaz Brecher aka kazoo reveals an inside perspective on the process of creating a functional community art project in Fiji. She traveled there as a member of TribeWanted.com, an ecotourism …
For the Birds
Etsy seller Bugtussle has come up with an interesting way to give fabric and fiber scraps a second life.I have been making "bird giving balls" for years now and giving them out as gifts to friends. I have a flock of sheep, and some of the fleece was not good enough to use in my yarn, so as not to waste anything I …
