We Can Use Our Talents To Help

I had a different post planned for today, but will save it, in light of the awful scenes that fill our TV screens as images of the mindless destruction are shown on many news channels.  I have cehecked with various Twitter friends in London that they are safe and that their shops and businesses have not been destroyed.  But I feel so helpless, sat here in at my desk in Suffolk. I want to go and help clean up the carnage, but I can't. And I know I am not alone reading tweets from friends around the country.

So I had a crazy idea, why not use our talents to help.  The clean up will take months maybe years as people are left homeless and have had their livelihoods taken from them.  My idea is to have a a big raffle or auction of donations from designer makers all over the UK.  I know there is not an official charity to help with the riot clean up and probably never will be as I know how much red tape there is to breakthrough in setting up an official charity. But maybe we could raise money for Shelter or the NSPCC or community charities in London to help them recover and try and rebuild their lives.

Between us we can help.  Our social networks are huge so we can spread the word for a raffle or auction which I am happy to manage on line through Just Giving or a similar website.  Now I just need to workout the finer details. In the meantime if  you would like to donate a prize please send me an email -

zoeanddrew {at} btinternet {dot} com (replace the words in {} with a sign!!) or send me dm on Twitter .  Thank you.

Take care, stay safe and let's pray that is the end of it.
Zoe
xx

Dreamaid

I posted yesterday briefly mentioning Dreamaid and it being featured in a show for BBC2 last night.  Unfortunately I have as yet to watch the show, yet hope to be given an hour at some point to catch up!  Dreamaid is the brainchild of international businessman, Peter McAteer and through this charity he hopes to help artists and makers all over the world, allowing developing countries artisans the chance of a fair wage for their work.  Initially Dreamaid is similar to Etsy, Folksy, Made It and the like, with sellers having a shop to list their items but something else is apparent, Dreamaid has a heart.  The philosophy is fairly simple, by creating a global marketplace to help artists in poorer areas and allowing them a better way of life.  But Dreamaid is also a global marketplace for artists and makers in the developed countries, allowing them a broader audience but also to assist in Dreamaids vision, as every sale has a commission that is donated to the charity.  This really is 'Art with Soul' as the motto says.  I will be joining Dreamaid myself and want to wish Peter and his team every success for the future.

Here is  a tiny sample of UK sellers on Dreamaid.

Emma in Wonderland

Molly Moo Designs

CutCopyCreate

Mochalulu

Sorry there isn't just art & photography!

Eva B Designs

Your Model Your Way

Birdcage Creative

Chicita

So have you joined Dreamaid yet?

Crafting for Charity

There has been a buzz in the Folksy forums for the past few days about Dreamaid, with many sellers joining this website as another selling avenue but also making a difference as a percentage of the sales value is donated to a charity supporting artists in developing countries.  Dreamaid are to be featured on BBC2 tonight at 8pm, with an expected 5 million viewers, which would mean a fantastic exposure for this charity and for all their handmade sellers.  I will focus Dreamaid in tomorrows post and feature some UK designers selling through this channel.

I have written before about the great support from the craft world for charities and Folksy folk are no exception.  Aswell as dedicated shops for various charities many sellers donate  reguarly from their sales.  Often a charity is chosen because of a personal experience or close connection to a particular charity.  For the rest of the month and next month I will be donating 15% of all sales in my supply shop, Buttons & Bows, to The White Ribbon Alliance. The reason for choosing WRA is a fairly personal one after problems at the end of my last pregnancy put my own health and unborn childs life at a huge risk, but I was incredibly fortunate to have free health care, a fantastic consultant obstetrician and wonderful midwives all within a fifteen minute drive.  Millions of women are faced with delivering their baby in their home without medical assistance being close enough to be able to help.  These women are in labour for many hours and when or if, they arrive at a medical centre it is often too late. Soon after my daughter and I survived this very worrying time I read about the WRA in Red Magazine and have supported them since, as I was so grateful that I was close enough to medical care.  Whilst my donation won't make a huge difference I can help raise awareness for WRA through my shop. 

Now I will step down from my soap box and feature some other Folksy people donating to charities from sales in their shops.

Light The Fused

Over The Rainbow

Angelic Folk

Pop Up Zoo

Lemonade & Lamingtons

Buttons and Beads Gifts

Blue Box Studio

Macmillan Fundraising

Buteartism

Blue Forest Jewellery

Deborah Jones Jewellery

Cosmic Eden

Moody Cow Designs

Dottie Cards

There are many more crafters, designers, makers who reguarly donate to charity and I hope to feature some more this week.