Japan

Everywhere the news about the devastation in Japan and ways to help are showing up over the internet. Of course, wanting to do my part to help however I can, I started trying to think of how best to do it. I'm not a big enough company to do like Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab nor do I have the market base to make a successful "All Proceeds go to. . ." offer. (Read the details on their blog HERE, and by all means, if you're a fan of BPAL, it's a good time to buy and help out a charity.)

I decided the best way is for me to just take cash out of pocket and send it directly (you can find lots of ways to even text donations from the US and Canada not only at the above blog link from BPAL but on tons of twitter feeds as well.)

I still wanted to do *something* though. So, I looked through my shop and I have one Magic Vial Pendant that is somewhat "Japanese" themed: Sakura (pictured left). And so I decided, the first person to email me at Contact Izile with a screencap, e-receipt, or any kind of proof of donation to any Japanese earthquake related charity fund of $10 or more gets this pendant for absolutely free.

I wish that the cherry trees were already blooming, and I could make more of these and offer this to more than just the first person. And I may yet take some time to think of other Japanese themes I could make and continue this; not just be a one time thing. After all, these charities are going

to need support not just this week, or this month, but for a good long time.

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Lots of people want to give, and lots of etsy-ers want to find a way as well.

Vintage and Handmade by Jeremi has a series of photo prints for $10 each where all proceeds go to relief efforts to help Japan. All four prints are of photos taken in Japan and are brilliantly lush and green, as we hope it will be again, soon. Pictured here at right is one of my favorites of the four, taken in Kyoto.

GemsBerry is also selling a Sakura themed necklace with 100% of the proceeds going to help Japan as well. A collection of sterling silver, freshwater pearls, rock crystal and pink Peruvian opals.

There are lots of other etsy sellers out there who are offering items with proceeds going to Japanese Earthquake relief charities. I did, however, not plug anyone who either did not state the percentage of the sale that would be given to charity, or those who were only giving a certain percentage out of the sale. Those are personal judgment calls to be made by the buyers and sellers themselves, and not something I'll get into here. These sellers I have featured I did so largely because they used the phrase "all proceeds" (or some variation).