October 12th, 2011
Hello dears,
As you probably know by the excessive amount of pink around town this week, October is breast cancer awareness month. Because our donations always go towards women and children, we thought this would be a great month to give 10% of all sales to Beats for Boobs Seattle, a non-profit event that gives 100% of their earnings to three local breast cancer charities: BREAST CANCER RESOURCE CENTER, YOUNG SURVIVAL COALITION, and SEATTLE CANCER CARE ALLIANCE!
The event is at the Crocodile on October 19th, and would be a great place to wear your new pink Otra Vez earrings! We could not be more impressed with the group of women who throw this event each year, good luck ladies and keep up the great work!
Love,
Otra Vez
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September 16th, 2011
Today the Otra Vez team went to visit our September beneficiary: Childhaven. WOW. We had no idea such a wonderful place existed in the heart of Seattle.
Childhaven is “the only nonprofit organization in King County dedicated to the mission of healing youngest and most vulnerable victims of abuse while breaking the cycle that leads to more hurt, more trauma”… In other words, Childhaven not only heals families already shattered by abuse and neglect, they also work to prevent it from occurring again. Today we learned that though their mission sounds intense, it is such a place of joy. We couldn’t stop smiling the whole time!
We got to observe 3 different classes where Child Haven staff was sitting on the floor with, teaching sign language or making music with children who are in desperate need of nurture, care, and structure in their lives.
Childhaven’s mission is simple “To prevent and stop the cycle of abuse and neglect through scientifically-supported programs that protect and treat children ages 1 month – five years, and their families.” Childhaven serves over 400 children and their families each year!
We were so moved by all of it, but especially by the fact that instead of simply sending the children back to their homes, they offer support groups and programs to work with parents to improve home lives - Childhaven has always believed that the vast majority of parents truly want to be good moms and dads. They just don’t know how. The average child/family stays in the program 36 months.
The craziest part is that they’ve been working with children since 1909, in the SAME location. Who knew? Our tour guide Randi, was so enthusiastic about what they do that we were tempted to apply for a job on the spot.
Please check out their website www.childhaven.org and set up a tour or sign up to volunteer. It is the type of place that you can literally see the difference you are making. If you can’t commit your time please consider helping us raise money for them by passing our site to a friend who might want some jewelry that helps empower women and children!
Peace,
Otra Vez
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August 23rd, 2011
September’s featured artist is raising funds for CHILD HAVEN, and celebrating her homecoming, by creating unique pieces inspired by the road that led her there! Read about her journey here:
My reason for escaping my hometown upon entering adulthood was not that I yearned to flee from an iniquitous reputation, or to liberate myself from a toxic relationship or even to break loose from oppressive family restraints.
Nope, none of the normal reasons that people escape their hometown applied to me. My reason was much more basic than that; I was desperately seeking warmth and sunshine. Neither of which you get sufficient amounts of growing up in Northwestern Washington State. So that is why I spent the first half of my twenties as a Washington transplant in Southern California.
I got plenty of sun in Orange County over the years but I soon came to realize that the sun not only turned me a different color, it also zapped all of my creative energy. So… after being laid off from one of my jobs as a marketing assistant in 2008 and wrapping up a five-year stint as a nanny, I decided to act on a recent urge to move, to change and ultimately to reinvent myself. For weeks I pondered my next move and entertained the idea of returning to Europe, biking around Latin America, even teaching English in Vietnam. I decided on a road trip across my own country most of which was virtually undiscovered by me. It was settled; I would pack up my car and take a solo drive around the perimeter of the United States. I budgeted an entire summer to myself and the open road with the intention of having endless hours to create jewelry out of things I would find along the way. Quickly, however, my dreams of self-discovery and concentrated artistry were no competition with hitting every social gathering that I could. And looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Although I didn’t create one single piece of jewelry in that entire 4 months, what I did do created a path for LadieJack. I spent that summer not seeking out a “new self” but being my “old self.” I cultivated past and present friendships, explored unfamiliar territory, searched for a vortex, rescued an orphaned field mouse, and looked at water falls and alligators and lightning storms. I played Bananagrams with strangers, went to concerts alone, crashed weddings with friends and cataloged a half million memories (and parking tickets) along the way.
I think I did exactly what I was supposed to do that summer, and as fate may have it, my intended journey of self-discovery led me right back to where I began–the same place I had escaped nearly a half decade prior; Port Angeles, Washington. Now that I am back on the Olympic Peninsula, my heart feels at home. All of the memories that I created in California and all over these blessed, United States get rearranged each day and paired with new experiences to propel my spirit and to further my understanding of love and of life. LadieJack is a tribute to the many faces and places that make up those memories. Part Pacific Northwest, part California, and a reflection of a whole lotta smiles and miles through time and space; this is the Homecoming Series. Hope you like it.
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June 1st, 2011
Once upon a time, in a sleepy mountain town, two starry-eyed dreamers hatched an outlandish plot to pack all of their earthly belongings (plus one pup) into their car and head west in pursuit of their dreams. As fate would have it, they landed in the artistically fertile city of Portland, OR.
Combining their wealth of creative energies, artists rex and telle lefler create thoughtfully designed jewelry lines that are timeless and glamorous, yet affordable and versatile. Inspired by concepts of antiquity, modernity, and infinity, their jewelry features hand-cut raw brass, earthly gems, and reinvented vintage+antique materials. The resulting aesthetic is glamorously mellow; a balance of edgy and beautiful, like a rose with its thorns.
“Great attention to detail is within every handmade piece we make. Our goal is to create jewelry that withstands the tests of time and can be loved for years to come. We take pride in either working with raw materials or re-inventing salvaged materials, with an emphasis on using consciously sourced goods as well as running our business with integrity.”-telle
rex and telle are as passionate about humanitarian efforts as they are about their arts; in the past they have used their arts to fund-raise for global efforts, such as Japan’s tsunami relief, and are thankful to be featured on Otra Vez where they will be premiering a unique line of necklaces made from 100% vintage/antique materials. The Native Magic Series features a limited edition of 14 one-of-a-kind necklaces made from antique African trade beads and vintage brass chain.
This month’s 10% will go to both Women for Women International and Seattle Against Slavery.
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January 2nd, 2011
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Carissa and Carleigh in Support of Treehouse for Kids Seattle
This month the Otra Vez team is featuring two wonderful designers (and sisters!). 5% of everything bought through the Otra Vez Website during January and February will benefit Tree House, a wonderful Seattle non-profit that benefits foster youth.
Carleigh and Carissa Donsker grew up in Los Angeles together with their parents, brother and plethora of pets. The materials they use in their creations are salvaged, and have been re-purposed to create one of a kind intricate and unique wearable objects. “We spent many summer days on the beach of West Seattle sketching ideas, creating designs and watching the sun set over the Olympic mountains for our inspiration. In our daily efforts we always hope to encourage and inspire those around us to find those unique and beautiful things that are already in the world”, says Carissa.
Carleigh, the younger sister and also an amazing painter, selects beautiful naturally shed feathers for her pieces from the open fields of Chatsworth, CA. She combines these findings with sterling silver or gold plated wire and colorful Swarovski crystals. Her other accessories, like her jelly fish series, are also inspired by nature and reflect the delicate life of these creatures – these are made from remnants of vintage silk scarves and clothing.
Carissa, an interior designer, uses remnants of wood both local and exotic as the base for her jewelry, and sees her designs as a natural extension of only the best aspects of her day job. She begins by hand carving wooden blocks into delicate shapes, then sanding the wood down so it as soft as silk to the touch. She uses natural oil stains to seal in the natural wood color, which helps them resist body oils, water and other elements. The final process involves selecting the natural gemstone to set into the wood which is secured with a cement like epoxy. The finished pieces are delicate and simple.
We hope you enjoy their work as much as we do. We find these edgy, earthy looks the perfect way for an stylish Seattle woman to shine!
Please note that Carleigh’s pieces are each sold separately – they can be worn as one earring or paired together for a unique non matching look. Both sisters would love to create custom orders for you upon request!
Tags: Carissa Donsker, Carleigh Donsker, delicate, Donsker sisters, drift wood, earring, eco-friendly jewelry, feathers, Green, necklaces, Non-Profit, seattle, Seattle Fashion, simple, Tree House
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Hello dears,
