This is about you, your interest in arts and crafts, and your web-based business.
This week, a really exciting project managed to get funded in just under 3 days through Kickstarter.com. The April's Army Tarot Project is an international effort to design and print a full (78 card) size tarot deck inspired by the website Regretsy.
Despite what you may have heard, Regretsy is actually a strong arts and crafts community filled with artists, crafters, shoppers, and humor enthusiasts who agree that not every hand-crafted item is automatically worthy of praise. There's a place for a swift dose of reality in the art world and Regretsy is not afraid to deliver it. Simply put: if you believe your work is above criticism, you shouldn't try to sell it because you will never win over everyone with anything you produce. Lighten up and remember that art is not life or death; it's just art.
However, beyond the snarky exterior, Regretsy has turned into a tight community of similarly-minded people.
We banded together to form April's Army and together run a once-a-month charity shop donating the profits to a person in need. We have helped people recover from devastating house fires and crippling medical debt. We also routinely chip in to help April's Army members in need, organizing grassroots efforts to promote their shops and find appropriate aid for their current issue.
25 members of Regretsy have united to create an original tarot deck. Though they have exceeded their initial fundraising goal of $4400, they are still able to receive more donations to help pay the artists for their contributions and print extra copies of the deck. Allow this amusing video to explain the project better than I can.
Why not head over to Kickstarter and helped these talented artists spread this deck as far as they can? They did, after all, make it with their artistic abilities.
Speaking of helping someone in need, the leader of the April's Army team at Etsy could use hand right now. Her name is Mary and she is one of the kindest, funniest, and most helpful business owners I have ever encountered. She and her husband have hit a rotten streak of bad luck and could really use some help right now.
Mary's shop at Etsy is Wickd Creation. She makes soaps, candles, scrubs, and a whole lot more. I can attest to how great her soaps are. The scents are beautiful and her production technique is flawless. If you want to smell like cake, order anything in vanilla. Every sale will help her get a little closer to financial stability and make her life a little easier.
And just to toot my own horn, I tried my hand at a few different treasuries using only April's Army shops this week.
First, I did an intergalactic themed treasury. It's filled with all sorts of aliens, planets, stars, and representations of the night sky that amused me. Out of This World, an all AA treasury.
I also made a treasury inspired by lucky animals. There are rabbit's feet, elephants with the trunks facing up, ladybugs, and the traditional German schwein haben (lucky pigs). A Little Luck, an all AA treasury.
Today, I got frustrated when I saw a whole bunch of science-fiction themed treasuries in the Etsy Finds e-mail that apparently tagged their treasuries "geekery." Who does that? As a response, I submitted this baity Autumn-inspired treasury. Autumn Falls, an all AA treasury.
And not to let my EtsyNJ Team down, I made my first all EtsyNJ treasury. A Black Tie Affair.
Also, in case you missed it, the totally optional theme for April's Army Charity Shop submissions this month is nature. I went with this bizarre print of a gigantic cement chipmunk in my grandmother's front yard.
That's what's happening this week. Feel free to share your own news and announcements in the comments below.
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