Sunday, 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
Posted in Artists, Things We Love | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
International Women's Day has been celebrated for over 100 years!
March 8th is International Women’s Day! It is a time where we will join the drumming beats of drummers, our own drums, and our own heartbeats. A time where we can march, tie our fabrics together, celebrate who we are and what we have given to our families and societies.
The Founder and CEO of Women for Women International, Zainab Salb says, “We all have envisioned a day where women will speak out and speak up, to break their silence and demand peace, justice, and more equality in this world. A hundred years have gone by and women have accomplished a lot in legal protection, political and economic representation, education, and so many other areas. But the road to full equality for women is still long, and our vision of justice and sustainable, full peace in our lives has yet to come.”
We couldn’t agree with her more.
Statistics show women are disproportionally marginalized in the world and it is time to BRIDGE THE GAP. Let us make this day a day the time to celebrate our womanhood, our voices, our contribution to society. It is time to speak out. It is time to break our silence. It is time to demand peace and justice. IT IS TIME TO JOIN US ON A BRIDGE!
The sites below will link you to meeting places all over the world for International Women’s Day. Take some time on March 8th to find a bridge, any bridge, and let’s celebrate what a powerful impact we women have on our world!
http://www.womenforwomen.org/bridge/
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/default.asp
Tags: International Women's Day, Non-Profit, Women for Women International
Posted in Non-Profit | No Comments »
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
Mary Nyigok Malak
We are so excited to announce a new sisterhood! As you know 10% of our proceeds support Women for Women International, now specifically Mary Nyigok Malak of Sudan, Africa. Mary is 31 years old and married with 6 children. Through our sponsorship, Mary will learn about women’s rights, allowing her to take greater control over the decisions that govern her life and that of her children; she will learn technical and business skills that will allow her to sustain an income; she will receive direct cash assistance and emotional support, and will be given access to jobs and tools to start her own business. Follow our blog to learn more about Mary, her family, and their transformation. Each month we will be posting information about Mary’s progress, how she is finding her voice, and learning new skills. Viva la SISTERHOOD!
Tags: Mary Nyigok Malak, Non-Profit, sponsorship, Sudan, Women for Women International
Posted in Non-Profit, Otra Vez | 2 Comments »
Saturday, August 8th, 2009
As you may know, one of the organizations that Otra Vez Ecotique proudly supports is Women for Women International. You can read more about Women for Women International on our Non-profit page.
We came across something really cool on their website: free eCards! Let your loved ones know you’re thinking about them and share messages of hope that will surely inspire and touch their hearts.
“Share your support of Women for Women International by sending a free eCard to your friends and family. Each eCard shares a story of hope from women survivors of war.”
Tags: Accessories, donation, Earrings, eCards, Eco, Ecotique, free e-card, Green, Hope, Jewelry, Love, Non-Profit, Otra Vez, Women for Women International
Posted in Non-Profit, Otra Vez, Things We Love | No Comments »
