Puggy Pugtastic GMPR Pug Social

This year at the Green Mountain Pug Rescue (GMPR) Pug Social Happy Fantastic Designs raised $58.50 for little puggies in need. Honestly, I would have liked to have raised more money -- but the truth is every little bit counts in the world of dog rescue. Thanks to all who came to the Pug Social + helped GMPR raise money + awareness!!! :) A big "Thank You!" goes out to Gary who ran my booth all by himself, did a darn good job displaying everything, and even caught a "runaway" pug. He brought back a bunch of photos of pugs dressed up all silly -- my favorite were the 3 leprechaun pugs sitting under the rainbow + guarding their pot of cookie gold!

If you missed the Pug Social, never fear. I still have a couple of "Pugalicious" and "Pugs Not Drugs" dog tees left and a bunch of Buddha Pug totes + tees for humans. Just e-mail me at info@happyfantastic.com to place an order. :)

BRAT Fundraiser a Success!

Calvin sporting his goth tee shirt. You can't see it, but his shirt says "I Vant to Bite Your Butt". Dare I say more?

One of my happy customers (who I am betting ate the tee shirt before he got home).

Calvin and Toni safe in doggie jail, er, I mean their crate.

On Sunday I had a BRAT booth at the Shelburne Museum Goes to the Dogs Event up here in Vermont. It is a really cool event where the historical Shelburne Museum works with the locally owned and run Pet Food Warehouse to throw what is considered "The biggest dog party of the year". This year 2,600 people and 870 dogs attended. That is A LOT of dogs in one place at one time! There were dozens upon dozens of booths from dog and animal rescue groups and other dog related businesses like groomers, trainers, and doggie day care. There was a doggie fashion show, a HUGE doggie costume contest, agility and police dog demonstrations, dancing dogs, dog games like bobbing for hot dogs, and so much more!

In addition to having a table set up for BRAT I also had my own booth for my art business Happy Fantastic Designs. Happy Fantastic Designs is a collection of silk-screened apparel and accessories for women, children, and dogs. At this event I primarily sold tees for dogs and dog themed baby onesies and tote bags. Actually, I sold all of the pug and dachshund bags I brought! I still have some basenji totes left if anyone is interested. ;) I donated 50% of my profit to BRAT and raised $122.86. Plus, Pet Food Warehouse had a drawing to win gift certificates to their store, I entered BRAT, and lo and behold BRAT won a $250 gift card! Barooodle roo!!!!

I brought all 3 of the basenjis. Calvin was a model in the fashion show. Toni ate every single piece of cookie, food, and kettle corn as she could find on the ground, and Happy (who is almost 18!) spent the afternoon snoozing under a shady tree. The best part was that ALL 3 dogs behaved and there were no fights! And they were good and tired when we got home.

One thing is for certain, people in Vermont sure do love their dogs! :)

Finally!

After a very wet summer the weather has finally become AWESOME! Super sunny + not too hot or not too cold. Here are some photos I have been taking when me + the dogs go out on our walks. Truly Amazing! :)

Getting Ready for Autumn

My silk-screened + hand dyed tote bags have been very popular this year and I have a hard time keeping enough designs in stock at the BCA Artist Market. This is my last week of freedom before I go back to work on Monday so I am working hard to make enough bags to last through October. Today I dyed close to 40 totes in some really great colors: bright pink, pumpkin orange, cocoa brown, and slate gray (with a hint of lavender). These bags should surface the beginning of September (or perhaps earlier, who knows!).

Fall Belts

It is almost 90 degrees out and I can't believe that I am already working on items for fall! Here is a photo of some belts I have been working on. Please double click on the image to enlarge it. I will have the cool colored belts (greens + blues) at the Art Market on August 15th and the rest will be available on August 22nd.

Queen City Craft Bazaar

I cannot believe that it is spring and my art/craft shows are starting up again. My first "official" show of the season is the Queen City Craft Bazaar which is on Saturday. This is the coolest of the cool craft shows in the area so make sure you stop by for a look at all the great artists and and crafters right here in the greater Burlington community. Oh, and with Mother's Day on Sunday the Queen City Craft Bazaar couldn't have come at a better time. You are sure to find a unique handcrafted present for mom or for anyone you know having a spring birthday or baby shower.

Queen City Craft Bazaar
Saturday May 9th from 10am-5pm
Union Station
1 Main Street in Burlington.

Buy local, buy handmade! Over 40 of the best VT indie crafters, designers, and artists will fill both floors selling everything from jewelry, clothing, accessories, glass, pottery, journals, cards, soap, and other crafty things. Lots of recycled and upcycled products for sale. Handmade children's clothing too!

Free Parking is available in the lot next to Union Station. You can also get there easily from downtown by taking the Free College St. Shuttle. It will drop you off right at the front door of Union Station. Look for the ad in Seven Days! For more info and to see the list of participating vendors visit http://www.queencitycraft.com

Thank you to our media sponsor Seven Days!

BeCAUSE Craft Show a HUGE Success!!!

This past weekend I was one of 50 vendors who participated in the beCAUSE Charity Craft Show. The beCAUSE Craft Show is not like any other you have ever experienced as is a fundraiser for both local and global charities. Each vendor selects a charity of their choice and agrees to donate 50-100 percent of their profits to that charity -- and I am sure you can all guess what Barootiful charity I chose to represent. I am happy to announce that I raised almost 175 dollars for Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT)!!! :)

So a BIG THANK YOU to all who came and supported the charities at the event. If you missed it, try not to fret. I am currently having an on-line fundraiser in my etsy shop www.HappyFantastic.etsy.com and I will be doing another BRAT fundraiser at Petfood Warehouse (Williston Rd location) on April 11th.

Happy Fantastic Designs will be at the beCAUSE Craft Show

For more information on the beCAUSE Craft Show and to view the 50 caring vendors and the charities they will be supporting go to www.becausecraftshow.com
Happy Fantastic Designs will be representing the non-profit charity "Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT). BRAT is an all volunteer group that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes dogs of the basenji breed. In 2008 they were hit HARD by financially supporting a large number of dogs from puppy mills -- as many of the dogs were malnourished and sick which led to expensive vet bills. For more information on BRAT go to www.basenjirescue.org

Happy Fantastic On-line Fundraiser for BRAT

My On-line fundraiser for Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT) is doing well. BRAT is a nation wide organization that rehabilitates and re-homes basenjis that were given up and/or abandoned by their previous owners as well as a number of dogs from Puppy Mill busts. This year celebrates BRAT's 10 year anniversary. BRAT is a non-profit organization made up of approximately 1300 volunteers in the US and Canada. BRAT re-homes about 300 dogs a year and has found new loving homes for THOUSANDS of dogs over the past 10 years.

To date, I have raised almost 50 dollars for BRAT from my on-line fundraiser. That may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but it could pay for much needed meds for a dog or 1 months food for 4 dogs. To check out the items part of my fundraiser please go to www.happyfantastic.etsy.com or e-mail me to place a special order to benefit BRAT.

HAPPY FANTASTIC LOVES OUR FURRY FRIENDS!!!

Many of you know that I am an avid dog lover and have 3 basenji dogs (Miss Happy Fantastic, Mr. Calvin Cuddles, and Miss Toni Terrific). I am a volunteer with the dog "shelter"/rescue group BRAT- Basenji Rescue and Transport (http://www.basenjirescue.org). Basenji Rescue and Transport rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes dogs of the basenji breed as well as mixed dogs. BRAT is an all-volunteer organization and has been recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt charitable corporation since its founding in 1999. BRAT rescues basenjis from shelters, abusive situations, and relinquishing owners. Basenji Rescue and Transport provides routine and advanced veterinary care for the dogs and insures that they have been spayed/neutered and appropriately immunized before placement in a forever home.

This past year Basenji Rescue and Transport has taken in an alarmingly high number of dogs (mostly from puppy mills that were thankfully shut down). As a result they are greatly in need of money and assistance to care for all of the dogs they have taken in. I am currently donating 50% of my profits from my on-line shop to the dog "shelter"/rescue group BRAT- Basenji Rescue and Transport. So, if you are looking for that special birthday present or a nice surprise for any occasion please consider the happy fantastic items in my on-line shop www.HappyFantastic.etsy.com

"Buy Handmade" + "Buy Local First!" event @ The Bobbin

There will be a good n' crafty event this Sunday at The Bobbin -- Burlington VT's only Sew Bar + Craft Lounge that specializes in eco-friendly and sustainable crafting! More details are below.

Excerpt from an e-mail communication with The Bobbin co-founder, Gyllian Svensson:

"There's no better time to support local crafters than during the holidays, especially in this challenging economy. Keep your dollars local and support your neighbors by taking a pledge to buy local, handmade goods and services this year. Please join us on Sunday Dec. 7th from 2pm to 6pm and take the pledge. Enjoy localvore hors d'oeuvres and make your own ornaments in the Craft Lounge! Hope to see you there!"

The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge
299 N. Winooski Ave. (corner of Archibald)
Burlington, VT 05401
www.thebobbin.com

Also, there is a great article on The Bobbin in St. Mike's student multimedia journal "The Echo" http://journalism.smcvt.edu/echo/11.19.08/Stories/Features/Bissett_bobbin.html

And of course, The Bobbin is a great place to take a cool crafting class or to purchase vintage fabrics and other unusual and/or vintage sewing and crafting supplies.

Pug Social

PUG SOCIAL is this Saturday, Sept 20!!! Gary will be working my booth and he will have a DELUXE assortment of "Pugalicious" tees, totes, and accessories. I will be DONATING 50% of my profits to Green Mountain Pug Rescue. Shopping at this event supports both a LOCAL VERMONT business as well as a WONDERFUL pug rescue.

Pug Social
Saturday September 20
10am-5pm
Topnotch Field
Stowe, VT

Shelburne Museum Goes to the Dogs / BRAT Fundraiser

Well, the weather was wet and windy (the wind broke the tent and prevented me from hanging the BRAT banner) but I still managed to raise almost $100 for Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT) at the Shelburne Museum Goes to the Dogs event!!! BRAT is a national non-profit dog rescue group that specializes in re-homing basenji's and basenji-mixes that need to be adopted into new homes. The dogs enter into BRAT for a variety of reason with the most common being the result of divorce between owners, death of the owner, and puppy mill busts. As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, this year BRAT has acquired an alarming number of sick, traumatized, and malnourished dogs from puppy mills. The dogs from puppy mills tend to require a great deal of medical expenses and the cost of the vet bills can be painfully expensive. If you would like to donate additional funds to BRAT (or just want to learn more about what the heck a Basenji is) feel free to check out their website: www.basenjirescue.org

A big heartfelt thank you and "Ba-roooooo" goes out to all who purchased items from me at this event or donated money. :)