Featured Artisan: Auralynne

First off, tell us a little about yourself!

I'm a work at home mom of two precious little boys - one is four and the other is three weeks old.  I live with husband and family in Rhode Island, among plenty of Victorian mansions and pretty scenery for inspiration.

 

 

Bella Rosa

How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?

I opened shop back in 2006 making mostly costumes and a few headdresses.  I worked part time for a while, then in 2010 decided to try for full time so I could stay home with my children.  In order to do that I knew I needed to start making a few items that are, well, just a bit more normal.  Jewelry was the most obvious choice, and the most fun, as I get to wear it around myself!  And I love how a piece of unusual jewelry can turn a plain outfit into something cool and funky.

Faery Rose

Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

I'm a belly dancer!  Thus you'll find jingles and sparklies on lots of my creations.  Cooking is my other big passion - anytime I eat something I like at a restaurant I go home and experiment until I figure out how to copy it.

Dragon Charmer

Where do you get your inspiration from?

My largest source of inspiration would have to be the belly dance movement - it's a whole community of women who come up with new ways to reveal the inner diva lurking in all of us.  :-)  I also draw inspiration from times gone by - art nouveau, art deco, Victorian, and Edwardian eras are my favorite.  A lot of times a set of jewelry comes into being as a result of an emotion or a random event - for instance, the set pictured below titled "Vampiress" resulted from a lot of daydreaming after I found out about the Halloween ball that happens in Salem each year near me!

 

Bella Luna

 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Most jewelry adorns, but if it's elaborate and unusual enough, it can instead transform.  I go for the transformative jewelry!  It's so much fun getting dressed up for a nice night out and putting some creation of roses and rhinestones around my neck that makes me feel like a fairy tale princess.  The ability to share these designs and the feelings they inspire with kindred spirits around the world is a dream come true!

My website:

http://www.auralynne.com

Etsy shop:

http://auralynne.etsy.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/aurapretties

 

 

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Featured Artisan: Yasmin Lux

Hello everyone,

This post should have been scheduled for last Friday but due to scheduling conflicts, I could not post it sooner. My apologies for the delay.  Please welcome this weeks featured Artisan Yasmin Lux.


First off, tell us a little about yourself!
My name is Yasmin Lux, i now live in the north of Israel in a small village by a forest. for the last 6 years I've been traveling the world, spent time in Europe , Morocco, California and India. During my first stay in India in 2005 I encountered jewelry made with macrame and gem stones and immediately fell in love. 

How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?
I have been making jewelry since I was a small girl, but  the discovery of macrame changed my whole style and I knew I will be doing this forever, or at least for as long as my eyes would hold up.  I bought a necklace from an artisan that day and he agreed to teach me the basics; from that day on I traveled everywhere with my supplies, learned  a little bit here, a little bit there  from fellow travelers , adding more and more tools to my "box" and the inspiration kept on coming. 


Where do you get your inspiration from?
I can't really say where my inspiration comes from, it just does, like an endless waterfall from the sky to my imagination!!! I am so blessed! of course the materials themselves bring inspiration as well, the chords, the colors, the textures. I get a lot of inspiration from the gem stones themselves, each one asking me to present it to the world in its full glory. The time I spent in India was endlessly inspiring as well, the women there are  walking jewels, their spirit equally beautiful. 

My style is deeply inspired by  old tribal jewelry as well,  I was especially moved by an exhibition in San Francisco where the contents of an Afghani tomb where displayed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillya_Tepe *. the tomb contained the remains of a prince and two high priestesses who were all adorned in gold- from head to toe. Standing in that room, all surrounded by the glow of gold made me realize we should all be adorned like this. Our bodies being creations of the divine, deserve to be decorated with the most regal ….. I think I might have been a jeweler for a queen at some previous life time, now I make adornments for the modern queens - the beautiful and inspiring women that are all around me.   Macrame has been my refuge ever since I found it , I am so great full to creation for bringing it into my life through it I have learned so much about life , it has been my meditation-  with an added bonus- I give birth to something beautiful at the end of it!

Only in the last 2 years I have been selling my jewels in markets and festivals, this had added a whole new dimension to my experience - sharing my moments of inspiration and magic with my sisters is a blessing I have never imagined !  

Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

When I am not creating I love to be in nature , preferably near water ( a rare thing here in Israel) I see nature as the greatest artist  and my role model. I love beauty , wherever and however it appears in each moment in every thing, and see my creation as an attempt to amplify it in the world. thank you so much for this opportunity to share it with more people.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

" beauty is a manifestation of a secret natural law, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever"

http://www.facebook.com/yasminstreasures?ref=hl ( my FB page)

my etsy shop is still under construction - http://www.etsy.com/shop/whiterythmicwind?ref=search_shop_redirect

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Featured Artisan: LoveKhloeStudio

        First off, tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Catherine, I’m a 28 year old report analyst by day, happy homemaker by night, and a wife and mother to a gorgeous but wild 20 month old around the clock. I live just outside of Los Angeles and love everything about Southern California life. 

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How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?

I made my very first piece of jewelry in elementary school when my oldest brother introduced me to wood, seed beads, and fishing line. I used to think I was the coolest thing walking around in my very own necklace. At that point was when I first stepped foot into the wonderful world of Michaels Arts and Crafts store (I’m pretty sure my mother didn’t like it as much as I did). I learned there were all kinds of things besides seed beads. I’ve tried my hand at many things over the years—beading on a loom, lanyards, crocheting (that never worked out), little figurines and beads of polymer clay, decoden, does webdesign and blogging count? The list goes on and on and spans almost 20 years! I then discovered Downtown L.A. and the aisles and aisles of beads, I can honestly say I was in bead heaven. When I got pregnant I lost my willingness to trek through the crowds and smells of sewage and bacon wrapped hot dogs, all that is DTLA. I started sewing and began making clothes and accessories but as my daughter grew I lost my desire to make baby things. I went back to my first true love of jewelry making about a year ago. I started with friendship-style bracelets with embroidery thread, rhinestones, and chain. When I found my bead case amongst the things still stored at my parents’ home, I began beading again and I haven’t looked back. I opened my online shop after endless prodding from my loved ones, first on Etsy and now on Storenvy.

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Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

I was going to say chasing after my toddler but then I saw the keyword “enjoy”- picking up rice and watching Mickey’s Clubhouse all day isn’t so enjoyable. I am also a Polynesian dancer though I haven’t performed in a couple years. I began when I was 7 years old, even before I picked up my first bead. Polynesian dancing is not only a great workout but you also learn about the cultures and I made a second family with my group. The food is pretty amazing, too. I also love to be able to pick up a book and read when I can or grab a sketchbook and pencil and scribble away. I have one tattoo of a single plumeria with basketweave waves which I designed.

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

When you live in Southern California, there’s inspiration all around you! The beach is one of my main inspirations, the sand between your toes, the shells strewn all over, the ocean, and the gorgeous sunsets that you get the perfect view of. The colorful costumes from my days in dancing play a role, too. I use a lot of shell, wood, and stones in my beading, things that bring you back to nature. I can see my jewelry on the beach or outdoors at a park. But sometimes you just can’t resist the shine and bling of glass and rhinestones! You can never have too many rhinestones nowadays. Take the jewelry shopping or for a night out on the town.

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Is there anything else you would like to share?

The thing I love about handmade jewelry is that everything has their own special touch and you know the person put a lot of care and thought into each piece.  My shop is named after my daughter, Khloe, and I won't tie her name into something I wasn't proud of. I never send anything that I don’t love myself to anyone else so when I know that someone else loves my creations I know I’m doing something right! I learn different techniques and discover gorgeous new beads everyday and I look forward to growing my line of accessories.

Source

Extras:
Shop: http://lovekhloestudio.storenvy.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LoveKhloeStudio

Instragram: @lovekhloestudio or http://instagr.am/lovekhloestudio

Blog: http://withlovecatherine.wordpress.com

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Featured Artisan: Cinlynnboutique

First off, tell us a little about yourself!

 My name is Cindy and I live in Michigan, in a Lake Michigan coastal town, with my husband and 2 cats.  I raised 2 sons and have 2 wonderful daughters-in-law and 2 beautiful grandchildren.  I've always been somewhat artistic, but not with jewelry.  My artistic was in the form of sketching and painting.  As a child, my Dad and Grandfather owned jewelry stores and were both watchmakers.  I had no interest in jewelry until I became a teenager.  But then I only wanted to buy it, not make it.

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How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it? My interest in making jewelry came when my daughter-in-law decided I would enjoy it and bought me the tools as a gift.  So, I decided to try my hand at it and fell in love!  I found my artistic niche!  That was about 5 years ago and I haven't stopped.  Actually I can't stop!  I'm so addicted to it!  LOL

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Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing? 

That's not all I'm interested in.  I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses and spend my day hours preaching and conducting Bible studies.  That is actually my first love! 

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from a lot of different places.  Sometimes it's color combinations that I see.  Sometimes it's other creations that trigger an idea (not that I copy other people's work.  They just give me ideas that's all).  I look at a lot of beading magazines and books for ideas too.

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If you want to see some of my creations, stop in my shop and take a look.  Here's the link:
www.cinlynnboutique.etsy.com

You can also follow me:
https://www.facebook.com/cindy.newell1
https://twitter.com/Beadlynn7
https://pinterest.com/cinlynnboutique/

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Featured Artisan: Linda B

First off, tell us a little about yourself!
I'm Linda B and I'm married to my high school sweetheat and we have 3 furry
cat children. I love to watch the cats and play with them; they're very
social and spoiled rotten.

Source

 

How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?

My passion is creating gemstone and glass and wire wrapped jewelry. I
specialize in Jewish jewelry and accessories, including earrings, necklaces
and beaded wire kippot (headcoverings). My inspirations come from the
shapes and colors of the beads and may be a variation of a design I've seen
in a beading magazine. Most of my designs feature some type of movement; I
love swirls and squiggles.

Source

Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

I work full time and beading is a way to express my creativity. I remember
beading with pony beads as a kid, and was reintroduced to the art at a
women's meeting. We made bracelets with bells and ribbon while listening to
a speaker and I was hooked, or should I say wired? LOL I've been creating
jewelry for about 7 years now and online for about 4 years.

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Reading books is another favorite thing to do. After a long day, I love to
immerse myself in a good detective novel or thriller. I do read ebooks, but
I prefer to turn the pages on a real book. One of my dreams is to have a
pajama party at a library. Ours is by a river and has a fireplace, it would
be so perfect.

You can find me online in a ton of places - I love social media:

www.lindab142.etsy.com
www.lindab142.artfire.com
www.linorstorecom.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/linorstore
www.twitter.com/lindab142
www.pinterest.com/lindab142
www.wanelo.com/lindab142

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Featured Artisan: Luna Jewelry

First off, tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Julia, and I am a traditional artist and jewelry designer from Central Massachusetts.  I am also happily married with two daughters, who keep me pretty busy!  

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How did you start creating your jewelry, and how long have you been doing it?

I discovered Etsy around four years ago or so, and while browsing around, I happened upon some really beautiful pendants using re-purposed scrabble tiles.  I became intrigued, so I found some tutorials online and tried them out with old game pieces that my mother-in-law had.  From there I bought my first set of jewelry pliers and borrowed a book from my local library called Bead on a Wire by Sharilyn Miller.  I soon found that the creative possibilities for jewelry were endless, and I just fell in love.  My idea of creating something beautiful and being able to wear it and share it with others became my passion. 

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Outside of crafting, what else do you enjoy doing?

I love reading, taking walks with my family, and doing yoga.  I've found that taking this time for myself every day helps to keep me centered and also keeps the creative juices flowing. 

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

I love nature and use what I see around me as my inspiration. We live on a historic road called Devils Elbow (no joke!). It's quiet and full of visual treats (birds, bees, butterflies, frogs, bunnies, and even the occasional bobcat).  I also love being outside with my daughters and seeing the world through their eyes. Sometimes they will point out little things that I miss, and it will spark a new creation. 

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Is there anything else you would like to share?

Yes- if there is something crafty that you love to do, and you dream of earning money while doing it, GO FOR IT!  I was laid off from my corporate America job in March of 2009, and I decided to open my Etsy shop that August instead of heading back into the workforce.  Some days were tough, but for the most part I have not regretted my decision. I get to spend more time with my family now, and creating beautiful jewelry is now my job. For me, it doesn't get much better than that!

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Links:

My Etsy shop:  http://www.lunajewelry.etsy.com
My facebook page is:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Luna-Jewelry/164072323350

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Featured Artisan: Catarionna

Tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Catherine Somerlot, and I am a jewelry designer, photographer, digital artist and web & graphic designer from Cleveland, Ohio.

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How did you start creating your artwork, and how long have you been doing it?

I taught myself how to make tatted lace about 3 years ago, at a very chaotic time in my life when I needed to find a bit of calm (and a reason to occasionally get away from my design work in front of the computer!). When I was a little girl I would make friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss, so tatting naturally became very appealing to me. Learning wasn't easy...but I practiced and practiced the double stitch for a week, and by the second week I was flying! Since then I've been designing my own elegant, intricate pieces that I incorporate into my jewelry.

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

I am inspired by myth, folklore and literature, specifically Celtic and Greek myths. At the time I'm writing this, I'm in Northern Ireland exploring the arts and crafts industry which is quite vibrant here. Ireland has a rich history with lace making, and I've enjoyed learning a bit about how certain types of Irish lace are made. I also love the "vintage" aesthetic of the Victorian-era, which is when tatting became a popular craft.

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Is there anything else you would like to share?

This year I started an arts collective with my partner in Northern Ireland called Autumn Arts & Crafts. At the moment it's just the two of us combining our various skills to collaborate on new work and products to sell at craft fairs, but we hope in the future to let it grow into a craft shop, studio space and organization that takes other artists in. We strongly believe in handmade craft and supporting independent creative businesses, so hopefully we'll be able to make this dream become a reality. I am writing about our journey on our blog, http://autumnartsandcrafts.blogspot.com

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Extras:

Facebook: http://www.catarionna.com

Storenvy: http://catarionna.storenvy.com

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Featured Artisan: Stine

How did you start creating your artwork, and how long have you been doing it?

I started making bracelets a while back now, maybe since November 2011. I think it is actually quite funny how I started, I was really bored of studying for my exams and felt like creating something(anything to not study) and I looked up on youtube "how to make bracelets". I had a huge choice of what to choose, and I found a link where you could learn how to make macrame bracelets. I thought it was so much fun and there was not much more studying for exams that day!

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

I get my inspiration from my own style, but I also get inspiration from other jewelry pictures, for example from Instagram and other jewelry artists. However, mostly is my own ideas and inspirations.

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Is there anything else you would like to share?

If anyone is interested, the bracelets are only $4.00 at my store with free shipping. - It is possible to get them costume made if contacting me on my store or blog.

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Links:

http://www.shellum.storenvy.com

http://stinesbracelets.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/StinesBracelets

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Featured Artisan: BijouBox Jewelry

First off, tell us a little about yourself!

I'm Shannon.  I'm a 23, soon-to-be 24 year old as I like to say, "student of life".  I'm a free-spirit, creative, outdoorsy, open-minded individual.  I currently reside 20 easy minutes outside of Manhattan in New Jersey and love it! The location satisfies every need and want I could ever have! However, I like traveling, music/concerts, discovering other cultures, and meeting new people. A few years ago, all my interests seemed to come together in this jewelry venture I started!

How did you start creating your artwork, and how long have you been doing it?

3 years ago, in December of 2008 I took a trip to the art store and purchased a bunch of polymer clay blocks.  I went home and created my first line of charm necklaces and bracelets. This was a random act derived from pure boredom, mind you. My main pieces were cupcake charms.  I didn't think anything of it really, until I wore them to class and to work and all my pieces were sold in a day. Light bulb moment. I love accessories and I love that they can "make" an outfit. So I started CUPCAKIN' and built my own website.  I did very well with it for a year and a half, and even sold my pieces in boutiques in the Hamptons out in Long Island, NY.

 
Eventually, I found myself in a rut and looked for new inspiration and way to further develop my craft. In 2010, I started my first beaded bracelets. I've always loved a "full wrist" of bracelets of different sizes and "bling"; rocks were always an affinity with me and I also looked into precious stones and minerals.  Which all landed me where I am today, with Bijou Box (Bijou is French for jewel or jewelry) creating beaded bracelets and necklaces with an array of natural stones and minerals, different woods, metals, and charms. There's use of jasper, jade, sodalite, onyx, labradorite, quartz, sandalwood, dyed wood, ceramic, alloy metals, etc. All stones and beads I find to be truly exquisite and powerful to the eye.  I also use a great deal of Swarovski element pave beads and crystals.   

I've come a long way from clay!

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I'm a nature-lover.  I love being outdoors and I especially love the beach and the ocean.  I grew up camping on the beaches of Long Island and was always on the water, whether a lake, or on my fathers boat in the Atlantic.  I believe all those experiences and treasured locations, show in my work.  Stones like labradorite that are grey and translucent, but in direct light show amazing bright colors like blue, green, yellow, and purple; Sodalite reminds me of waves; jade reminds me the dunes and sometimes in it's variations, of lemonade or candy; sandalwood has a great smell of fire and looks so natural.

I also have an affinity with skulls, which has become the Bijou Box logo. Skulls usually symbolize death and mortality however, the logo is adorned with a wreath of flowers which I like to believe symbolizes, for Bijou Box, the "beauty in rebirth".  Rebirth in the sense that, these accessories can bring to life any outfit you wear, or simply uplift your mood. This logo also resembles the flower-crowned skull of St. Valentine; which I like because a lot of love & hard work goes into my pieces.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Just that I love what I do and I couldn't be any more happier in what I've let my life manifest for me. Being able to be creative all the time is not only therapeutic but so rewarding! Comments, ideas, and feedback from on-lookers and customers is SO appreciated.  I love to connect with people and I love to supply the work I do to those that truly like what I create. I'm constantly trying to develop the line and always willing to hear peoples thoughts and ideas.  I plan to go back to school as well, to get into metal-working and other stone work. So hopefully, this venture keeps diversifying and growing. I am so grateful for all that is it now, but I am so ready to keep working at making it so much more!

Main Site: BijouBoxJewelry
Shop: Bijou Box Storenvy
Twitter: TheBijouBox
Facebook: Bijou Box Jewelry
Tumblr: Bijou Box Tumblr

P.S. Want to be featured? Go here

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Featured Artisan: Breezy Artwork

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How did you start creating your artwork, and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been doing it since I was eight, creating my own little pieces of jewelry to wear and coming up with my own unique style. I’ve loved to draw and paint since I can remember, I’ve been taking photos since I was 10, writing, dramatic arts and music have always been a huge passion of mine as well.

My husband tells me I’m something of a “Swiss Army Knife” of Art, haha. I really love to do anything that requires some creative attention.

Recently I’ve opened up my own little shop on Etsy to sell some of my pieces, after much encouragement from family and friends. It’s been a joy to have an outlet to do what I love and share it with others.

Facebook has also been something of a scrapbook for me to share my work as well. I love getting feedback about the art that I display, whether paintings, photos, jewelry or music, it’s important to me to know how it affects others, and helps to inspire more of my work.

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December 24th, 2010, my husband and I were in a terrible accident. It took them over 45 minutes to get to us, and I had a hematoma behind one of my eyes, bleeding in my brain. So I was unresponsive by the time they got me to the hospital and was sent into a 5hr long emergency brain surgery. There was little hope from what I understand, and if I did pull through they didn't expect much of a recovery, bed-ridden, extensive brain damage... etc. But I stunned doctors and nurses as my recovery was incredible.

They called me the "Christmas Miracle" and people were excited to meet me in later visits, took pictures with me at the rehab center. It was amazing. I really didn't understand the extent of my injuries and the odds I had gone against until I learned more later, and met people with less extensive injuries doing so much more poorly than I.

It has been hard to understand, only that I am alive, and I need to celebrate that by doing the most I can with the abilities I have, that should have been taken away that night.

I hadn't been able to work because I still had some pretty severe headaches and other issues that I was healing from, so I poured everything I had into my art.

When we withstood the F5 Tornado in Joplin last year (May 2011) it was all the more impressive to me that life is so valuable, so fragile, and it can go so quickly. Make the most of it, share what you have, and never take it for granted.

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Where do you get your inspiration from?

Dreams, the beautiful nature around me, life stories, pain, joy… experience. Everything, if I look hard enough, is full of potential for artwork.

I am an incredibly blessed woman, I’ve been given eyes, hands and a voice to work with, and a wonderful husband who encourages me to use them.

I look forward to any opportunity to use what I have to encourage, comfort and inspire others.

We’ve all learned in one way or another, life is not easy, and everyone handles their difficulties differently. I choose to pull everything I know and funnel it into my art, and hope that it helps someone else the way it has helped me.

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Is there anything else you would like to share?

We have been trying to raise money recently for an orphanage/school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. There are great people working out there that are stretched super thin reaching out to the children in that area, providing them with safe homes and an education. They live off the donations made to their ministry organization, so a lot of what I make goes toward the mission there.

Donations and/or purchases are greatly appreciated.  To learn more about their organization you can go to their website: www.wgoreach.org


Extras:
You may include links to your Facebook, Blog, Twitter, etc
"Like" my page on facebook to qualify for discounts and give-aways!

Facebook: facebook.com/breezyartwork

Twitter: @aubreyprunty
Website: breezyartwork.com

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