I’ll be listing new items throughout this week so please check out the new goodies when you get a chance!

I am still here. I’ve just been busy designing and creating graphics for EFA Artists Helping Animals’ first birthday bash, re-theming (is that even a real word?) my blog, and working on a couple of other personal projects.

EFA is an Etsy Street Team I belong to. We are a group of artists and craftspeople who love animals and donate a portion of our proceeds to animal charities and organizations.

What’s this Birthday Bash Extravaganza, you ask? The EFA Street Team Store, as well as over 130 EFA Street Team Members participating, will be offering 20% off their shops from Sept 15 - Sept 30. Isn’t that exciting? Go check it out by clicking the Bday Bash Extravaganza link above.

I am self-taught on Adobe Photoshop and only know about 5-10% of all the coolio things it can do, so this was quite a challenge. Although it was very time-consuming, I really enjoyed the whole process.

I studied photos of each animal, sketched them out, erased and resketched, simplifying the lines & shapes as I went along, traced them, inked them, then scanned them before transferring them to Photoshop for some color.

If you google images for “baby elephant”, you will see some similarities in the elephant mascot above. The only thing that was rather unpleasant was that I ended up at a website that had poor rabbits with bizarre viral growths when I googled “cottontail rabbit”.

These are just a few of the graphics I made. I have to admit, it’s really kinda cool to see these avatars scattered all over Etsy. Shops with those avatars are all the members that are participating in the birthday special.

I didn’t join in. However, I’ll be offering my own “Mailing List Only Special” for one of those weeks in September so look for it coming soon!

Not on my mailing list? It’s easy to join! Just click the yellow sticky note on the right sidebar. I promise to keep your email address safe n’ secure - and I won’t inundate you with spam.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please check back again soon for new, lower priced items and my Mailing List Only Special. And don’t forget to check out all the talented EFA members’ stores during Sept 15 -30 for a super duper discount!

I belong to the EFA (Etsy For Animals) Street Team at Etsy.com. We are a 500+ member team made up of artists and craftspeople who love animals and seek to use our talents to help and assist in promoting the humane treatment of animals and animal welfare.

Many of us donate a portion of our sales to various animal non-profits and charities worldwide.

One hundred percent of the proceeds sold from the EFA store go to the charity of the month, which is chosen by members and rotates every 30 days.

I recently donated the pieces pictured above and another bone necklace here. These pieces are made with the same quality of materials used in the jewelry I offer in my own shop — but at a very special EFA discounted rate.

The cat necklace in the first photo has already been sold, but two dog bone necklaces are still available. Please check them out when you get the chance.

By shopping at the EFA store, not only do you buy a wonderful, handmade item - you help us help the animals and possibly even save lives - a win/win situation for all.

*Wags + Purrs* to you for stopping by!

What goes around comes around. What better way to help the organization that took in Golden Retriever puppies, Ben & Jerry.

Because of a faux pas when I wrote the first blog post, I had to make another necklace to donate in the memory of those two sweet pups that they and Spencer’s humans took in.

“Love Is Golden”, the necklace pictured here, features some very special beads that are near and dear to my heart. They’re a Golden Retriever and a dog biscuit Lampwork beads by favorite glass artist, Janet Crosby.

These beads were a custom order that turned into holiday pressies from Janet last Christmas. Wasn’t that sweet of her?

This is one of her golden retriever beads that literally make me cry. But they are good tears. Happy tears because her craftsmanship touches me so much, and her bead reminds me of my beloved goldens who both passed away a few years ago from different types of Cancer. Many good times! I really loved those dogs.

Personally, I like to wear jewelry that is simple and unfussy. The three I’ve just listed fits that bill. They’re very wearable and are one-of-a-kind.

One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue (SCGR Rescue), so don’t forget to check out the other two listed below. Please click the photos and links for more details.

“Golden Paws” — Golden paw prints on a dog bone necklace.

“Cinnamon and Clove” — A darker reddish brown Golden Retriever necklace.

That’s all for now. Thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time — take care & stay well!