SPONSORS - Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience

Sponsors

Funky Finds' upcoming event, Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience, is sponsored by a variety of generous businesses. Some are based locally in Fort Worth, Texas, others service customers worldwide. Regardless, they all have one thing in common...they support handmade! I invite you to take the time to visit each sponsor's website & if you are attending the Funky Finds event in November, please stop by the sponsor booths to thank them for supporting handmade!

Cabbage Rose Fabrics & Quilting is a beautiful shop located in Fort Worth, Texas. Owner Karen O'Neill has supported Funky Finds events from the beginning. Karen & her wonderful staff offer a variety of fabrics & notions online & in-store, as well as a number of workshops. Cabbage Rose offers over 8,000 different fabrics from Moda, Free Spirit, Rowan, Riley Blake, RJR, P&B, Benartex, Michael Miller and more! If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by the store located at 3000 Montgomery St., Fort Worth, TX 76107. Store hours are Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm and Thursday 10am-7pm. Learn more: BlogFacebookTwitter

Quackerbox Creations Ltd. is a full-service, family owned screen printer located in Dallas, Texas. Started by John and Betsy Drake in 1982, Quackerbox Creations offers green-friendly printing, organic and recycled cotton products. Their customer base is large, including local radio stations, school sports teams, and Funky Finds! Services include screen printing, digital printing on garments & stickers, Cad-Cut lettering, embroidery, uniform names & numbers, rhinestone appliques, foil, and promotional products. Visit Quackerbox's Facebook page to see a wide variety of design & print samples.

With an attitude that is fierce, funny, & proud to be female, BUST Magazine provides an uncensored view on the female experience. BUST tells the truth about women's lives & presents a female perspective on pop culture. Established in 1993, BUST is a wonderful magazine that is packed with articles that really speak to indie women. They have generously donated 150 magazines - one for each of the swag bags to be given away at Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience!!! Check out their website for PDF downloads, blog, and more! Learn more: FacebookThe BUST DIY Guide to Life - Now on tour! • Online Store

With two wonderful locations, The Artful Bead stores are the most popular retail bead stores in North Texas! The stores have been so popular because inventory changes almost every day, the staff is very knowledgeable, they offer a variety of classes, and shoppers can choose from one-of-a-kind treasures & unbelievable bargains! I used to live near the Fort Worth location & loved dropping in to browse the beautiful inventory. Follow on Facebook and Twitter for updates & more info! And be sure to visit The Artful Bead's booth at Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience for make & takes and to purchase a variety of beads & other supplies!!

Nature's Select Pet Food of Ft. Worth offers free home delivery of all-natural pet products. Their offerings include dry, canned & raw food, healthy Treats, bones, chews, supplements, and more fun stuff! Also, all of their products are made in the USA. They use only the freshest & finest ingredients available, such as whole meats, whole ground rice & natural preservatives like Vitamin C & E and Rosemary extract. They never include corn, wheat, soy, chemical preservatives, animal fat or animal by-products. The owners are also very active in animal rescue, which is important to Funky Finds. Visit their booth at Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience to receive 10% off your first order & great holiday gifts for your pets! Facebook

Sublime Stitching is one of the most well-known names in the craft world. Owner Jenny Hart has successfully provided hip iron-on embroidery patterns for TEN YEARS! She has also remained a big supporter of Funky Finds events for the past several years & for that we are so thankful! The Sublime Stitching website features a variety of patterns, tools, textiles & kits. As always, each swag bag at Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience will include an embroidery pattern packet. Also, those who purchase a raffle ticket will have a chance to win a La Petite Embroidery Kit (amongst hundreds of other items). Learn more: BlogFacebook

ZooTap Inc. features a social networking site, as well as a site featuring musicians & their tunes. ZooTap.com is a social community where people of all walks of life join together in a single common place - a social people zoo, if you will. As a member, you become part of the zoo crew network. This is where you can define who you are and express yourself unedited to your friends or to other crew members - tame OR wild!! This is a great way to stay connected with others worldwide or in your local area.

Unanimous Craft an online directory of resources for crafters, artists and indie business owners. Users can submit their own resources - business websites, Facebook pages, events, and more! It's a great place to tell those interested in handmade about your work or event & others can rate your resource & leave reviews. Unanimous Craft also offers affordable advertising, as well as a premium membership package. Learn more: FacebookBlogTwitter

Buy Handmade!

BUY HANDMADE!

Buy handmade goods at Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience
on November 12 & 13 in Fort Worth, Texas!

And mark your calendars for TWO Funky Finds Spring Flings in 2012!!

Fort Worth, TX - March 10 & 11
Longview, TX - April 21 & 22

Funky Finds Updates

In the last year, Funky Finds has evolved tremendously. We have been working to streamline many of Funky Finds services, making it easier for hardworking artists, crafters, designers & event organizers to spread the word about their businesses & events. The services page has been recently overhauled.

As always, The Shops @ Funky Finds remains an affordable & easy-to-use venue that enables users to sell their handmade & vintage goods. Active Shop owners receive a free 120x120 banner ad that rotates on many Funky Finds web pages.

The worldwide events calendar has also been revamped a bit. Organizers & participants may now submit event details (including application deadlines) for a small fee. Submitted events are also included in Funky Finds' monthly newsletter that is sent to thousands of subscribers around the globe.

In addition to the semiannual events Funky Finds hosts in Fort Worth, Texas, shoppers & participants will be able to attend similar events in Longview, Texas! The 4th Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling will be held March 10 & 11 in Fort Worth. The inaugural Longview event will be held April 21 & 22. Details will soon be posted on the events page. Visit us in Fort Worth on November 12 & 13 for Funky Finds: A Holiday Shopping Experience! Interested in participating as a vendor or sponsor at future events? Subscribe to our events newsletter to receive updates.

Funky Finds continues to offer a variety of affordable ad sizes that rotate on multiple Funky Finds web pages. Users are able to log in at any time to view stats & edit their ad. This is a cost-effective way to target shoppers interested in handcrafted items.

Our sister company, Right On! Graphics, offers web and print media that are Right On! We offer custom design services, as well as high-quality, affordable promotional materials, such as business cards, magnets & digitally printed vinyl banners. If you participate in events at which you sell your work, our eye-catching, durable banners will draw attention to your booth space. Find us on Facebook, too!

And, of course, you can keep up with handmade happenings via Funky Finds' Facebook page. It is often updated with real-time information, including designer calls, application deadlines, links to helpful articles, and much more.

GIVEAWAY: AnotherUse

Stephanie of AnotherUse creates jewelry that is upcycled / recycled in a vintage and funky style. After several bad day jobs, she has taken strides to turn her most passionate hobby into a career. She says that she puts everything she has into each one-of-a-kind piece, something I can definitely admire. Currently all earrings & rings are on sale for $9.99 and necklaces are half price! I really love the bird earrings made from hand-cut glass & recycled magazine images. I also love the Honey With My Tea necklace, a piece that I'm adding to my personal wish list! And, if you like the nautical look, the vintage inspired mermaid & anchor necklace is a must have. If you'd like to learn more about Stephanie's work, check out her interview at Examiner.com.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Heather! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a pair of vintage-inspired gray flower earrings (pictured) from AnotherUse.

TO ENTER: Visit AnotherUse & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite item(s).

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Like AnotherUse on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: 9pm CDT, Saturday, November 5.

GIVEAWAY: Absolutely Small

Absolutely Small features the quirky & humorous artwork & plushies hand-crafted by Claire Chambers in Northern California. Designs like Mitch Chickenpants, the captain of the Chickenpants Swim Team, illustrate Claire's light-hearted approach to handmade. In addition to plush toys, she also offers a variety of prints showing various Chickenpants in action. My personal favorite is Coffee, Love and Chickenpants (pictured)! Receive free shipping on any order (International, too!) with coupon code FUNKY1011. Expires December 1, 2011.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Giant Sis! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a Chickenpants, a Chickenpants pouch, and a print from Absolutely Small.

TO ENTER: Visit Absolutely Small & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite item(s).

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Like Absolutely Small on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: 9pm CDT, Saturday, October 29th.

GIVEAWAY: Kristen Solecki

Kristen Solecki is a freelance artist working out of the Philadelphia area. Her designs use bold line work incorporated with mixed media, such as paint and printmaking, and is inspired by experiences and nostalgia. Since graduating from the University of the Arts in 2008 with a BFA in illustration, Kristen has been working as an artist and exhibiting her art in the Philadelphia area for the past three years.

Kristen's portfolio is filled with bold, eye-catching imagery. Available through her Etsy shop are many prints, as well as silk screened tees. She also offers hand-painted wall mirrors, such as Yellow City Houses. You can see Kristen on October 16th in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, selling her work at the Clover Market. She is also curating and exhibiting at a show to be held November 11th at Paradigm Gallery, titled Art et Joie in Philadelphia.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Raggy Rat! ***

PRIZE: One winner will receive two silk screened t-shirts, one Lion's Roar tee (pictured left) & one Treehouse tee (pictured above). Available in various sizes & colors - winner's choice.

TO ENTER: Visit Kristen's Etsy shop & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite item.

ENDS: 9pm CDT, Saturday, October 22.

GIVEAWAY: Ginny Goes Green

According to entrepreneur Ginny McCormick, the Ginny Goes Green project began in 2007 to document & share her journey to become "greener." Although it was harder than she anticipated in the beginning, Ginny says she realized that making a difference doesn't have to mean making huge changes in your lifestyle...sometimes it just means making a few little adjustments. Starting small by recycling, Ginny & her husband Doug made a commitment to be more environmentally friendly & to make more socially-conscious decisions in their everyday lives.

Later into 2007, out went the harsh chemical cleansers & Ginny began creating her own cleaning supplies & laundry powder. When her daughter was born, she made the green choice to use cloth diapers which lead her to create an eco AND cloth-diaper friendly detergent.

After a while, friends would ask to try the cleaning & laundry supplies always coming back for more and telling Ginny "you should sell this stuff!" After hearing that more than a few times, she decided to offer it to more than just friends & family. Now she shares these products with lots of new people and hopefully with you.

Receive a 20% discount when you mention Funky Finds. Offer expires October 15.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Katie! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a 3-pound box of Peace, Love & Laundry Eco-friendly Laundry Soap from Ginny Goes Green.

TO ENTER: Visit Ginny Goes Green, then leave a comment on this post noting which item you'd most like to try.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Like Ginny Goes Green on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: 9pm CDT, Saturday, October 15.