Just a few weeks ago I was offered the opportunity along with many other Australian Etsy sellers to participate in Etsy's first ever fundraising campaign through Plan International. The aim is to raise funds and awareness for the plight of girls in other less developed countries to have more opportunities for a brighter, safer future. You can read more about it here http://showandtellonline.com.au/whats-on-our-mind-today/because-i-am-a-girl-we-join-the-fight-with-etsy-and-plan-international-to-help-young-girls-achieve-their-potential-and-feel-safe-just-like-us.
The theme of our handmade products was to be "silver linings for girls", thinking of reaching for the sky and every cloud has a silver lining, with the name of the campaign being #makeforgood.
I immediately decided I would like to take part in this wonderful campaign with at least one product, as every little bit counts. With so many Etsy shop owners joining in enthusiastically, designing and making their individual #makeforgoodproducts it can be a wonderful opportunity to purchase Christmas presents that make a difference and count towards this worthwhile fundraiser, and are locally handmade, supporting Australia's economy and small businesses. I certainly have quite a lot on my favourites list ready!
For your convenience the Australian Wandarrah team has compiled a list of the #makeforgood products, which is updated often, or you can alternatively search #makeforgood.
https://www.etsy.com/pages/shopaustralia/makeforgood-fundraiser-campaign
I was really excited to make a completely new product that I had in mind, however I simply ran out of time. So I decided to make one of my Travel pouches out of a fabric chosen by my 12 year old daughter, and used a vintage silvery grey fabric lining. To me this reflected the power of choice for girls, the imagined freedom to travel undertaken to reach goals and destinations that provide greater opportunities for these girls.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/250320798/travel-pouch-small-messenger-bag-kids?ref=shop_home_active_24
I put some thought into a second product for older girls/ladies, even though my travel pouches are designed for adults too! My Jewellery items were not suitable as they are mostly one of a kind, and the idea is to be able to sell several of your chosen #makeforgooditems to be more worthwhile. Using repurposed fabrics in my sewing is one of my favourite ways to create bags and accessories and I was happy to find I had enough of this wonderful oriental themed fabric to make about 10 evening clutches. The fabric has a texture that is soft satin but I am unsure of the exact name. It is quite beautiful and elegant, just what I had in mind, and it has splashes of silver throughout it. I used a recycled soft light silvery grey fabric lining and as a final statement, I attached a large silver bow that I made from a quality silver fabric purchased in my local fabric store.
I feel very blessed every day to have the opportunity to do what I love doing, creating lovely items for other people, and to be able to work from home, independently, and run an online and market based business. I encourage my own daughters to embrace opportunities that help them reach for their goals and provide them with independence, and to always remember others born into situations less privileged.
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