People and Planet First- a call for entries

earrings from tuckooandmoocow

Every dollar you spend is a vote for how you want the world to be, and who you want to control it. The intention of People and Planet First is to identify small indie businesses who offer quality gifts for the holiday season that create just, sustainable, and joyful livelihoods. We will encourage these artisan and vintage sellers to tell their individual stories, and spread the word about how we offer alternatives to the perpetuation of Wall Street greed.

Our goal is to raise awareness that indie businesses offer a profound alternative to the Wall Street corporate structure that must produce quarterly profit for stockholders who do no actual work to make any tangible goods. Our businesses support individuals, families, and communities who care about the planet that must support our children and their children.

organic baby hat from SewnNatural

We would like to invite other Etsy teams to join us! This is a season when we can look past our differences and celebrate the ideals we hold in common. ArtisansGalleryTeam is a group of studio artisans with advanced skills and professional business practices who came together to share our support for the Handmade Movement. Although our team is small and exclusive, we recognize that our values are shared by many other Etsy sellers and teams.

So here is the plan:

1) We will use our team blog as a place to coordinate and promote our own interpretation of People and Planet First. We invite all interested Etsy teams to participate!
2) From 11/21 – 12/18, we will link to other teams who post on their own team blog about how they support People and Planet First. Leave a comment on our blog (here) to get on our calendar. Ideally, we want a post every single day for the duration!
3) We ask that participating teams add the People and Planet First widget to the team blog, so that others can find the other participants, and follow the series. This should be in place from 11/21-12/18. It will link to our blog, with the calendar for all participating team blogs.
4) We ask each participating team to make special gift guides on their blog post day that celebrate People and Planet First. These should be tagged Peopleandplanetfirst, etsyteamtreasury, and also with your own team tag.
5) We ask that no coupon codes, discounts, or donations to charitable causes be offered in conjunction with People and Planet First. Unless you are making corporate CEO pay, you deserve full price for your hard work! If your team is doing that, please just keep the promotion separate.

What can you write about? You can pick one team member or several to discuss your indie business lifestyle, what the money you earn pays for or allows you to do, and how eco friendly practices are part of your business model and personal life. If you would like to write a researched piece on the power of supporting small businesses, that is fine also.

Want to join us? Just leave a comment saying so below. Sarah of TuckooandMooCow will contact you with your day to blog, our People and Planet First button, and instructions to post it on your blog. This will allow your readers to find the other posts, and let others find you as well. If your team wants to publicize our awareness campaign, let us know that, too.
Thank you for your consideration. We wish you a joyful and prosperous holiday season.

Artisans Gallery Team First Friday August

First Friday is an Artisans Gallery Team monthly series where we showcase the new work of our member artisans.

I've taken a bit of time to make my jewelry with One Clay Bead, the original concept for this shop. Here is a piece from the My Tribe collection- OneClayBead

Stormy here and the white on blue reminds me of lightening - Waterrose

Local Wine Festival at the beginning of Autumn. -IraGrant

This Sea Kelp Collection Organic Cotton crocheted piece is inspired by seaside, sand, and fun in the sun. -TickledPinkKnits

I called these women ballet flats house shoes Gea - I was inspired by the colours nature shows during summer and early fall while bathed in the sun. Gea, Gaia means Earth in ancient Greek / also name of the Primordial Earth-goddess from Greek mythology -LaLaShoes

These earrings are inspired by my garden's final exuberant burst of color in August into September of asters, coneflowers and anemones. - fussjewelry

Last days of blue sky before grey autumn - anakim

We are always inspired by the nature that surrounds our studio. We enjoy incorporating texture and semiprecious stones into our raku clay tile mosaic wall art. -romyandclare

Vacation time we are free like birds! -ikabags

August is the month of peridot. - beyondtherockz

Thinking of beginning fall ...and warm earth tones, maybe of wearing a light camel wool coat... and these globes made of precious, old, light brown glass roccailles. -Donauluft

A big, cushy 100% organic play mat - made originally for our new baby son and now available as a custom order in our shop. a beautiful non toxic alternative for tummy time that's almost 14 square feet and filled with organic cotton quilt batting. -SewnNatural

Harvest colors inspiration! - steinschmuckdesign

Inspired by late summer evening dinners with friends. The last of summer's fresh fruits and vegetables served in bowls of bright, bold, warm weather hues. -suiteonestudio

Inspired by the end of summer and hazy hot days. -PoleStar