If you are in San Francisco Bay Area, please stop by the Creators For Japan fund-raising event this weekend, Saturday April 30th & Sunday May 1st at New People. There will be lots of beautiful and heartfelt handmade arts and crafts, as well as baked goods, with 100% of proceeds will be donated to Artists Help Japan Fund with Mercy Corps. Japan still needs our support, and Creators For Japan’s goal is to raise money through art and crafts sale for relief efforts to assist the victims of Japan’s catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emissions. You can show your support and follow on facebook, as well.

New People
Saturday April 30th & Sunday May 1st
1746 Post Street • 1st Floor
San Francisco

the Handmade For Japan Auction is on right now! Organized by Ayumi Horie, the artists contributing pieces to the auction are trying to raise $50,000 for Japan relief and need all the word of mouth they can get. With artists like Diana Fayt contirbuting pieces like this beautiful bowl, and Camilla Engman‘s lovely painting below, my hope is that they reach their goal!  The donations span many mediums, textiles, paintings, and illustrations from artists like Lisa Congdon, Amy Ruppel, and Lisa Solomon. The Handmade For Japan Auction (held on ebay) ends on Sunday, so go on, place some bids, and please spread the word.

for japan, by alicia bock.

well, first off, i have to say, it’s not really been a fab week to say the least, nor is it in all probability a very fab friday for us. i think our thoughts are heavy with concern for japan, as well as fears for our own loved ones. natural disasters can do that to you – there’s not much we can do to avoid this to protect our families and friends (save for trying to be good to our planet). so we feel saddened for the people of japan, and kind of vulnerable and unnerved. at least i think that may be the collective feeling.

heartfish press.

thus, it’s hard to blog about ‘pretty things’ without feeling like it starts to become trite. but, it’s also my job, so it’s a weird line to cross – do i do my best to help cheer you with distractions, or help to remind us of how we might help? so today, on a not-so-fab friday, i’d like to share some more ideas from designers and artists doing their best in the only way they know how – creatively – to help out japan. proceeds from the sales of these products will all go to aid in relief efforts for japan. if you know of others please feel free to leave the links in the comments. please be well, everybody.

joshua smith designed t-shirt for the salvation army japan.

steven beckly (above) and kevin twomey (below), just two of hundreds of photographers who’ve donated their prints to life support japan, via heather elder represents.

one little bird studio.

heath ceramics online.

hilda grahnat’s prints for shop japan.

mike perry; and you have been here sometime.

pocket mirror from oktak; who doesn’t want that’s shopping tote; yes cup from koide studio; hello sandwich gift wrapping zine (via lilacmoon studio).

scout books.

Shinjuku, 6:43 by Joseph O. Holmes, via 20X200.

dlk designs.

the thoughtful folks at weiden + kennedy, a worldwide advertising agency with offices in japan, have come up with a creative way to aid japan’s relief efforts. they’ve designed these posters with 100% of the profits going to the relief effort for the devastating earthquake and subsequent massive tsunami that struck Japan. i bought a few, and i’m going to hang one of the huge posters in my front window as a show of support. what do you say, will you buy one, too?

patchwork quilt, from urban outfitters.

today i’m sharing with you “My childhood bedroom was” — it’s in honor of blog for digs, a fundraiser initiated by claudia cobes of stonehouselove and Beth dotolo from Hello Splendor to raise awareness for dwell with dignity, a non-profit organization geared towards helping families escape poverty and homelessness through design.

my childhood bedroom was ever evolving, much like my decor is now. i used to stay home sick from school, just to redecorate, which drove my mum mad! the bedroom of my youth was quite mod, as it was the sixties, and my walls were plastered with film posters, 45′s and pages torn from seventeen magazine (twiggy was my idol), and some very girlie accessories. pretty typical teenage girl!

i had a pretty mod rug, something like this water color rug, from urban outfitters; the beatles’ sgt. pepper lonely hearts club band was constantly on my portable turntable, from urban outfitters; and a butch cassidy & the sundance kid movie poster graced my walls. swoon.

i had a crazy daisy pendant lamp, much like this one from oopsy girl. i also had one of those sad-eyed girl paintings — whoever thought that was a good idea?

i displayed lots and lots of flower power, like these vintage wall hangings; metal wall flowers; a case for my 45′s; and countless symbols of peace and love. it’s fun to see this all come back around!

next up in the blog for digs schedule is traveling mama. can’t wait to see her childhood bedroom! you can see the complete schedule for blog for digs here, and support dwell with dignity, here.

Claudia Clobes of Stonehouse Love and Beth Dotolo of Hello Splendor have organized an amazing blogging event called Blog for Digs to help raise funds and awareness for Dwell with Dignity. Dwell with Dignity is a non-profit organization, comprised of a group of interior designers and volunteers, which creates comfortable and inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty.

The theme for the Blog for Digs is: “My childhood bedroom was…” Participating bloggers will blog about their childhood bedrooms and the one decor item they wished they had and then link to the next blogger on the schedule. So much fun, right?! Participants can also join Dwell with Dignity by making a donation (memberships start at $2.50 per day) and dedicate it to Blog for Digs.

to participate, simply email Claudia at blogfordigs@aol.com and sign-up. Claudia will post the schedule when they’re all ready and we’ll all get started blogging our childhood bedrooms! fun, and for a wonderful cause! If you’re not a blogger but still want to contribute to Dwell with Dignity, please visit the website to become a member.

i’ve always wanted to learn to quilt. it seems like such a worthwhile pursuit, and a lovely hobby, not to mention such a throughtful and beautiful handmade treasure to pass down to future family generations.

this week, i’d like to give away a book that teaches you that skill, and shares some beautiful photographs (by a favorite photographer of mine, allyson gowdy) and techniques, called ‘quilting for peace, make the world a better place one stitch at a time‘, by katherine bell. ‘quilting for peace’ shares stories of individuals and organizations devoted to quilting for those in need and raising awareness for social causes.

to enter to win this lovely book, simply comment below by next wednesday, april 21st, sharing your favorite way to help out those in need. hopefully, we’ll all learn something new and worthwhile, and, have a chance to win ‘quilting for peace’. i look forward to reading your comments!

this weekend colleen from designing dna has gathered together some gracious contributors for a very special online flea market. We all remember the devastation left in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But did you realize that the aide agencies have long gone, even though there are families who are still struggling and homeless?

this weekend, beginning 12pm eastern time, designing dna will host an online flea market auction throughout the weekend, to contribute to Samaritan’s Purse’s charitable goal of re-building 30 homes in New Orleans and 10 in Atlanta.  It’s an international blogging, hop and shop, flea market! so, pop on over to designing dna, shop online for some great flea market finds, and help out some very deserving folks in need at the same time.

[ amy ruppel ]

She has begun chemotherapy, and will be facing major surgery soon. She has health insurance, but it does not cover such necessities as supplements, healthy food, transportation to her many appointments, complementary care to reduce the side effects of chemo, or herbs to help fight the cancer. She also needs financial support for her basic living costs that have risen dramatically as a result of this illness. All of the art has been donated in the interest of hooking her up with everything she needs, by artists like Lisa Congdon, Eric Rewitzer, Janet Nechama Miller and many more — visit the auction site to see the complete list of artists.

The auction opens for bidding today, November 9th and closes on Monday, November 23rd. All items will be mailed to auction winners no later than December 1st. Thanks, and enjoy the auction.

[ amy bolger ]

[ diana fayt ]

for the next week, July 16 – 23, etsy artist jill dryer is donating 100% of her sales proceeds to a single mother in Chicago with 5 children who really needs a lift. There is much to the story, but jill explains that the woman is unable to work anymore (due to a severe illness which also resulted in the loss of her job of many years – driving a CTA bus) and she’s doing her best to keep food on the table for her children. And, in addition to raising her own kids, as well someone else’s since they had nowhere else to go. such a lovely gesture…jill just wanted to try and give hope to someone who could really use it. to see jill’s beautiful artwork, and to help a woman in need, visit jill dryer’s etsy shop, and pick up some lovely art!