Surprises in Store!

Fancy Nancy Pants has some big news.

She will make her announcement next week!  So stay tuned!

Breast Cancer Support ~ Keeping It Local

When I started my business almost 3 years ago the one thing I knew for sure is that a major component of my business plan would include giving back.

I have a handful of causes that are important to me, but one that has touched my life personally is breast cancer.  Two maternal aunts were diagnosed back in the 60's when treatment options were slim and procedures drastic.  Because of that they both suffered with life-changing side effects for the rest of their lives.

My Mother ~ who miraculously was spared the disease and is still living a healthy life at age 93 ~ seeing what her sisters had gone through, volunteered to be part of a clinical trial for a drug that could help women predisposed to breast cancer.

Over the years I, too, have escaped that scary diagnosis, but I've come close a couple of times.

So obviously, breast cancer awareness and finding a cure is very important to me.  The most well-known breast cancer awareness organization, of course, has been Susan G Komen for the Cure so in 2009 that is the one I chose.

I decided that every September and October (the typical BC Awareness months across the country) I would feature a few pink Wee Ones (like Trixie above) in my Etsy shop and donate 10% of each sale to Susan G Komen for the Cure.  Once I started branching out and doing consignment with stores across the country almost all of them generously carried several of the critters in their stores ~ again with 10% of each sale (some even matched my 10%!) going to Susan G Komen for the Cure.

Months ago I started hearing some rumblings about things within the organization that seemed to go against the grain of what I thought Susan G Komen was all about.  Petty things like lawsuits against any other charitable organization adding "for the cure" to their fundraising efforts.  Really?  They have the time and the money to do that?  The money that my trusting customers paid and donated was being used for petty lawsuits to insure their organization was exclusive?  That bothered me.

So when I learned yesterday that Susan G Komen (for the Cure!) was pulling funding from Planned Parenthood - funding that enabled low-income and uninsured women life-saving exams - well, that was the last straw for me.  I disagree with the decision.  And my customers deserve better.

And although word is just coming in now that Susan G Komen for the Cure has dropped their plans to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, they aren't guaranteeing funding in the future; so for me the damage is done.  As my friend commented, maybe this whole incident was a good thing.  It encouraged people (like me) to investigate other options to give back.  And I fully admit, had this not happened, I never would have found the wonderful organization I have chosen to support.

After some thought and research, I have chosen a grass roots breast cancer organization to support.  I realize it will narrow my customer base as it is a Denver-based organization serving patients in Colorado.  But just as I believe in shopping local, in this case, I believe in giving back local.

Sense of Security supports moderate to low income patients in Colorado undergoing treatment for breast cancer. They provide financial support for day to day needs such as housing, child care, food, transportation ~ the essentials of life never more needed than when one is ill and struggling to recover. 

I feel really good about helping a small, local organization who saw a need and are doing everything they can to fill it.  I plan to contact them to see what their "color" is (Komen's was always pink) and I will be making some Wee Ones soon in the chosen color for Sense of Security.  I will list a few in my Etsy shop and I hope that my wonderful customers will join me in supporting them.  

With gratitude,
Cindi 

Going to the Dogs. And Our Service Men and Women!

Although I only know one soldier personally I have wanted to give back to our service men and women for a long time now. The sacrifices they and their families make to insure our safety and freedom is such a gift.  I wanted to give a gift back.  I just wasn't sure how to do it.

So I talked to some friends, I did some research and I came up with some ideas.  My Wee dogs are pretty popular so I decided perhaps a Wee Military dog would be a good representative.  Then I started thinking about the correlation between dogs and the Military.

So meet Sgt. Woof.  He is here to support two wonderful organizations combining our U.S. military and dogs. America's VetDogs provides service dogs, guide dogs and military therapy dogs to veterans and active duty personnel in need. Nowzad is an organization that rescues stray and abandoned dogs in Afghanistan particularly to reunite dogs who were "adopted" by service personnel during their deployment and brings them to the U.S. to live permanently with the "adopted parent" soldier. 

If you adopt Sgt. Woof 20% of his purchase price will be split between these two organizations.

So if you love dogs and if you are grateful for all our service men and women and their families, I would love to send a Sgt. Woof (or two or ten) your way!

It's That Time of Year Again!

Tomorrow I begin production on my BC Buddies and thus the roll out of my 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign!  Yay!  I will be featuring favorites from years past (in my Etsy shop now) and creating new fun and whimsical critters as well.

Having a family history of breast cancer (and a couple of scares myself) it is an important issue to me.  I'm one of the lucky ones though so I want to do all I can to give back and support finding a cure.

Adopt any of my BC Buddies between now and the end of October and 10% of each sale will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. You can find them in my Etsy Shop and, starting in September, in any of the fabulous stores that carry my Wee Ones, et al and have generously offered to partner with me in my campaign:

Stoopher & Boots in New York City

hanger 18 in Chicago

A Show of Hands Gallery in Denver

Modern Mouse in Alameda/East San Francisco Bay

Hapa Collective in Seal Beach, California

I send {{hugs}} and a huge thank you to them for their support!  Plan to be seeing a lot of pink around here in the next couple of months!  I think I'll be seeing it  in my sleep.  *wink*

Valentina Supports Go Red for Women!

What's better than Valentine's Day?

Combining the fun and romance of a Valentine with awareness for a good cause! Valentina here is doing both. She holds her red heart in her hands while sporting a red tulle tutu to support Heart Health month (February) and Go Red for Women! Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, so we want to do all we can to raise awareness.

10% of each sale of a Valentina dog will go to the American Heart Association. Thanks for your support!

Dreams and Wishes and Hope...

As promised ~ more items benefiting Make-A-Wish! They are in my Etsy shop now.

These super soft, super warm chunky knit beanies were hand-knit on looms and are sized as "child size;" I would say they would fit a toddler from about age 2 - 4. Sporting buttons full of hope, one states "Dream" and the other "Wish." (Watch the little guys with those buttons, though!)

10% of each sale will go to Make-A Wish Foundation of Colorado. Thanks for taking a peek!!

Go Team!

As I mentioned in my previous post I was honored to be asked to create a few Wee Ones for a local fundraiser for Make-A-Wish of Colorado. It is a sports themed event (in very sports-crazy town) so, keeping copyright restrictions in mind, I decided to create my impressionistic versions of mascots for the Denver and Colorado Professional Sports Teams, as well as the four mascots for the major Denver and Colorado Universities.

So all done. And delivered. The Collegiate Wee Ones ( Rudy the Ram - CSU; Bob the Buffalo - CU; Reggie the red-tailed hawk - DU; and Brewster the Bear - UNC) and the Professional Wee Ones (Raquel the fierce cat - Denver Nuggets; Dinah Saur - Colorado Rockies; Bert - Colorado Avalanche; and Buckaroo - Denver Broncos) are now in the safe keeping of the wonderful Make-A-Wish volunteers. They will be auctioned off on February 2 at the "Sporting Affair Celebrity Waiter Dinner" at Denver's Four Seasons. Have a good life little guys!

But (as I stated previously also) why stop the love there? Stay tuned for more items featured in my Etsy shop ~ with 10% of each sale going to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado.

What is more important than a child?

Quick ~ Make A Wish!

One of the things I love most about making my little critters and all that goes with them, is it allows me a venue in which I can give back ~ pay it forward. A new cause just kind of fell into my lap when an awesome customer asked if I would be interested in donating a couple of Wee Ones to a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado.

Is that even a question? Of course I want to!

So, nothing gets the wheels of creativity churning like a new theme. The fundraiser has a sports theme dubbed as "Sporting Affair Celebrity Waiter Dinner." It will be held at Denver's brand spankin' new Four Seasons Hotel and feature silent and live auctions along with a dinner served by Colorado's favorite sports heroes.

So. Sports... In a sports-crazy town and state, I'm more of a theatre, comedy, music person; but I love a challenge! So, keeping copyright restrictions in mind (i.e., don't use any copyrighted logo fabric; the pro organizations -and their attorneys - frown on that), I pondered the project.

What I came up with was the idea to look at the mascots of each Denver/Colorado pro teams and the mascots of the top four universities in Colorado. I decided to make "impressionistic" versions of the mascots in the form of my Wee Ones, using each team's colors.

The photo above depicts my version of the four professional teams' mascots:

• Buckaroo representing the Denver Broncos (football)


• Raquel representing the Denver Nuggets (basketball)


• Dinah representing the Colorado Rockies (baseball)


• Bert representing the Colorado Avalanche (hockey)

Today I tackle the mascots for the University of Colorado, the University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University and the University of Denver (which will prove to be the most challenging as there appears to be some controversy over exactly which of two mascots is the real mascot! Yikes!)

But to my point (and I do have one!) ~ I decided why stop the love with the fundraising dinner? So I will be carrying a line of sports-themed Wee Ones (and other Wee Ones) in my Etsy shop indefinitely with 10% of each sale going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado.

Thanks for stopping by. :)

And The BC Awareness Beat Goes On!

I love to gather ideas - ideas and inspiration from people, places, experiences... I am basically a shy person and many years behind a camera lens taught me the power of observation.

The idea I am writing about today was inspired by Stephanie, the owner of Stoopher & Boots in New York City. In late August I asked Stephanie if she would be interested in carrying a few of my little BC Buddies (a variety of pink BC Awareness inspired Wee Ones) ~ with 10% of each sale going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure ~ she enthusiastically said, "Yes! How soon can you send them?"

In the past I had only run my BC Awareness Campaign during the month of October. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in New York City took place in early September so I extended my campaign to two months. At the end of October I asked Stephanie if she would like to pull the BC Buddies from the shelf until next year. She responded,"I'd like to keep them ~it is always a good time to support such a good cause!"

So thank you, Stephanie! You inspired me to keep the BC Buddies in my Etsy shop year 'round. Because I totally agree ~ it is always a good time to support a good cause! Thinking about it, I realized women (and men!) don't just get breast cancer in September or October. It is estimated that in 2010 about 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women* ~ and that's just women. That is day after day after day after day...

And proof positive of that ~ I have sold three BC Buddies in the last two days. I am thinking they will make dandy Hanukkah and Christmas pressies...

Yay!

*American Cancer Society

Think Pink!

BC Awareness is the name of the game for September and October!

It is that time of year again when seasons change and everything turns... PINK!

September and October bring Breast Cancer Awareness to cmh design! Once again we are donating 10% of the sale of any BC Buddy to Susan G. Koman for the Cure! Check my Etsy shop often because new buddies are added daily! You can also find my BC Buddies at Stoopher & Boots in New York City and [soon] Caboodle in Denver!

And thank you for your support! :)

A Fall Preview ~ BC Comfort Friends Make a Return!

Just as last year this October cmh design will focus on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a cause near and dear to my heart.

This year I am featuring a family of Wee Ones ~ The BC Comfort Friends. A cat, a dog, a bear and a bunny (and probably more!) can be found in my Etsy shop in just a couple of days. If you would like to purchase one ~ or order several, 10% of all sales will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

So this is just a little preview of what is to come in the Fall! Can Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah be far behind??

Do It for the Kids!

I'll bet it's true in every part of the country ~ I know it is in Denver. The Toys for Tots program operated each year by the US Marines, is desperate for toys. The world being what it is these days, they have received more requests from families in need than ever before and accordingly, donations are at an all time low.

If you live in Denver and can donate anything ~ a yo-yo, a basketball, a doll - anything ~ you can drop them off tomorrow from 6:00am-6:00pm at any American Furniture in town; a couple of Super Wal-Marts (9449 Sheridan in Westminster or 9400 East Hampden in Denver, Bass ProShop 7970 Northfield in Stapleton; or the warehouse for Toys for Tots in Aurora, 12601 East 33rd every day from 8am - 5pm until December 23.

And if you don't live in Denver, consider giving in your community. It's all about the kids.

I decided to start my own tradition this year and go thru my "freckles & friends" inventory in December and donate anything that hasn't sold. What an easy thing to do!! I clear my shelves to make room for new stock in the new year ~ and maybe some little one will go to bed on Christmas night with a smile and a new best friend.

Win-Win. :D

Running for a Cause!

My name is Tommy and I’m a Bear In Training. That’s why I am wearing my scarf – to keep myself warm for all those early morning runs. I’m running to help my friend, Kathya, earn some money for a really good cause!

50% of the proceeds for each animal sold in the “TNT” category (minus shipping cost) will go towards Kathya’s fundraising efforts for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as she trains for a half and full marathon with the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Team In Training (TNT). I am the first TNT friend in “freckles & friends” shop and my fellow TNT buddies will be joining me soon! You can find Kathya’s beautiful photography here ~ http://www.etsy.com/shop/chocokat0718
And to learn more about Team In Training ~ http://www.teamintraining.org/
Thank you so much for your support!

My sister was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma a few months ago, so I am more committed than ever to help Kathya raise awareness and funds for this cause!

Sisters and Mothers and Daughters...

A while back I said I would talk about why breast cancer awareness is so important to me. Two of the reasons are pictured here. One is no longer on this plane. One is sitting here writing this.

On the left is my Aunt Myrt (short for Myrtle, but we have always called her Myrt). She is my Mom's little sister. That's Mom - the party girl on the right. I took this photo last year at my Mom's 90th birthday party. Which explains the tiara. But if you ask me, I think she deserves to wear it every day! :)

Aunt Myrt was diagnosed with breast cancer so many years ago I can't even remember when it was ~ late 60's, early 70's maybe. And honestly, at that time and in my Midwestern Norwegian-rooted family ~ we just didn't talk about things like that. I do know that she had a double mastectomy and for years - actually to this day - has suffered after effects from treatments and recurring problems. But see that smile? It has rarely left her. Which makes me love and admire her all the more.

Another Aunt - Lois - was diagnosed with breast cancer around the same time, I believe. Again, Midwestern... Norwegians... we just didn't talk about it. Again, (I believe) a double mastectomy and recurring problems for years. She died a few years ago and I have to think that the many years of treatments, etc. helped to wear her body down.

Mom? Well, Mom had a lumpectomy several years ago and bless her - it was benign. As a tribute to her sisters she took part in a clinical trial for tamoxifen (a breast cancer fighting drug) for a couple of years before the FDA approved it. She felt it was the least she could do.

As for me, from the time I was 20 years old I dealt with fibrocystic breast disease ~ you know, the ol' lumpy breast syndrome. I started with yearly mammograms in my late 20's and continue to this day. Before the mammo machines were upgraded across the board, I had to be sure they put me in the right room ~ you know, the one with the super duper machine that could see thru ultra-dense breasts. I've had more ultra-sounds than I can count; needle biopsies (those aren't much fun - like being shot with a nail gun); met with cancer doctors to determine exactly how high-risk I was and ultimately underwent surgery myself - to remove a large myserious lump. That was the strangest surgery I've ever had. I was awake, talking with the doctor and the nurse as the doctor operated under a local anesthetic and removed this big lump. TMI - definitely for me. I wanted to be asleep...

I was one of the lucky ones ~ it was benign. But it was a wake up call for me. I began to appreciate my days more because I knew ~ there but the grace of God... And I knew I needed to give back for those who haven't been so fortunate.

Over the years I've done different things to help the cause but the biggest to date has to be my "Breast Cancer Comfort Friends" featured in my shop. And now you know why each little bunny and puppy that leaves my shop to bring comfort to someone suffering is so very special to me...

For A Cure...

My little family of Breast Cancer Comfort Friends is growing! (These are only a few in the group.) I'm doing a big push in the next couple of weeks to get these guys out in the community ~ actually across the country ~ and literally into the hands of people I know are committed to Breast Cancer Awareness and finding a cure. It means quite a few "freebies" but if it can help anyone in anyway, it's worth it!

Coming up soon ~ why the issue of Breast Cancer Awareness is important to me personally.

Gearing up for a showcase on Etsy on Sunday, the 13th. I'll be featuring my breast cancer "comfort friends" and other autumnal little fellas and girls. It's going to be a blast. :)

Breast Cancer Comfort Friends, Part II

Lucy the Lamb has been around for awhile, but she decided to join her Breast Cancer Comfort Friends, so she now sports "the badge." (When I added the ribbon to her heart today I was reminded how incredibly soft and cuddly she is. Shhhh - don't tell the others but she really is a favorite of mine...)

Others have now joined in the cause in my shop and the Breast Comfort Friends category is growing. And there will be more!!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month starts early (and will stay late) in my shop. I have a commitment to finding a cure not just for family members who suffered for many years, but for all those affected. Please check out my “Breast Cancer Comfort” category featuring “Comfort Friends” for anyone who has been touched by breast cancer…

Until the end of October, 20% of each sale will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Comfort Friends will be added on a continual basis, so if you don’t see anyone you want to adopt today, please check back! The family is growing to help the cause!

Breast Cancer Comfort Friends...

Breast Cancer Awareness Month starts early (and will stay late) in my shop. I have a commitment to finding a cure not just for family members who suffered for many years, but for all those affected. Please check out my “Breast Cancer Comfort” category featuring “Comfort Friends” for anyone who has been touched by breast cancer…

Until the end of October, 20% of each sale will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Comfort Friends will be added on a continual basis, so if you don’t see anyone you want to adopt today, please check back!

Rebecca here is the first friend in the shop. She's a little different in that she is made of cotton flannel, but still very soft and cuddly!