thanks for the heads up!!

This is a great cause! There are so many creative items in this collective shop, too.

Great article, thanks to everyone who is helping with this cause!

Great way to be proactive during this disaster! I need to do this, thanks for providing the information.

I have been lucky enough to work with HelpTheGulfCoast, selling my prints to those who want to help. It's run VERY well, and I am so glad I could participate.

Thank you. I would be happy to donate an item!!

Thank you for this article! I do not have T.V., so this was a great reminder for me to get in and help out, I am not sure how yet, but I will do something.

I need to particiapate somehow- this situation makes me sooo sad

wow, this is great.

I love it. It's so wonderful to see all these talented Etsyians stand up to help out those in need.

I'm getting started right away!

Awesome response to a nightmare.

hey christen - hoping for the best for you and fellow gulf residents. thanks for reporting on this great etsy shop!

Wish I could do more, I know we all do. The Gulf Coast is my home but this effects ALL of us all around the world. thank you Etsy for this article and thanks to Etsians for your support~

Thank you for sharing this, and for providing the pictures. This situations is almost beyond comprehension.

I'm glad to have been able to help out with this cause as well, and am in the company of lovely people. As Krystyna said above - communication with the shop organizers is wonderful, and they are putting in a lot of time & effort!

Christen, and ETSY admin, thank you for having such patience with me and thank you for creating this article. AnniesWearableArt AnniesWearableArt says: WAYS TO HELP: http://www.examiner.com/x-14953-Houston-Pets-Examiner~y2010m5d20-Oil-spill--How-to-help-turtle--bird-rescues# http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/04/4463945-disaster-in-the-gulf-how-you-can-help http://www.causes.com/causes/493592?m=9e4cc0c7&recruiter_id=55206826 IF YOU ARE IN NEW YORK http://www.facebook.com/mary.a.kaelinlee#!/event.php?eid=129552503739617&ref=mf http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/oil-spill-10-ways-you-can-help/ Also if you would like to volunteer, please contact THE AUDUBON SOCIETY THEY WILL PROVIDE HAZMAT AND WILDLIFE HANDLING TRAINING. If anyone needs help in finding organizations that need your help or for other information, please feel free to convo me. THANK YOU

so who do I contact do get in on this?? my husbans and I spent many vacations and our honeymoon there in the gulf and even more vacations seperatley as children, the gulf has a special place in my heart and would love to donate to this cause. please send me a convo as to whom I should get in touch with..

Thanks for writing this article about this very important national disaster. The collective shop is very very well run and organized!

HERE IS THE AUDUBON SOCIETY WEBSITE LINK: http://www.audubonaction.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aa_HowtoHelp

I was WONDERING when this article was going to show up! :) Thank you Etsy and sellers for all you do to help! I've been trying SO hard to finish my piece that used this sad disaster as a theme in order to donate proceeds from it to the clean up, but fear I won't get it done. (Perhaps I'll just offer my other prints on sale and donate from that.) Thank you AnniesWearableArt for the links!!

Great idea. I live in CA and I just have no words to convey how upset this oil spill is making me from my love of wildlife to the 11 oil workers who died and all the lives that will be altered from this mess. It breaks my heart. Thank you LetterHappy for sharing and helping to remind us to give where we can.

Heres a link to the forum thread where you can get more information about helping out with HelptheGulfCoast shop http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6539292

I would like to help too. I cannot work hands on to actually be there to clean things up, but I am willing to donate items to the cause.

Thank you for sharing this and bring attention to it. A lot of people have felt there is nothing they can do to help the situation when in fact they can, no matter how small it is, it counts! You do not have to be a millionaire to help this cause. A portion of the proceeds from my shop have been donated since the begining of June to the National Wildlife Federation and the Gulf Restoration Project. I also donated a piece of my art to Wildlife Avatars. Please continue helping this cause. Donate/purchase from the shop and organization of your choice. This affects all of us and will continue to do so so many years to come. Thank you to those involved for their hard wrok and dedication and thank you to all who have or will donate.

THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT CAUSE!!! So glad you've brought this to the community here. I know that all etsyians will rally around this!!! Good Luck!

thanks everyone on etsy. the gulf coast is everyone's coast.xo!

I am just thrilled to be able to be a part of this shop! As soon as I was aware of it I donated a handbag...someone please go buy it!

great article! thanks so much for featuring everyone who is helping out!

I want to help. I live on the Gulf Coast (South Padre Island, Texas) not affected directly, but can be if a hurricane developes. Let me know how to get involved, please. Linda

What a wonderful caring community this is! I'm proud to do my little bit to help out.

Great article! I'd love to participate as well. This oil spill has been completely disasterous.

Happy to hear the Etsy community is helping out in this way. It's so heartbreaking...and the devastation that lies ahead cannot be fathomed. I will definitely check out those shops. Best wishes in raising LOTS of money for this important cause.

Thank you so much for featuring this. And a big thanks to all who are donating, or purchasing donated items, or just spreading the word. Together we can help.

WOW!!!! this is awesome. I am sitting here crying and realizing how AWESOME !!! the Etsy community is. Everyday we see the In's and Outs of life and how we sometimes get numb to the things around us and seems we are all in our own little world BUT then something like this happens and it pulls us all together from AROUND the WORLD we unite and help others in a time of great need and sorrow. It is too bad that we cannot seem to get our World Leaders to come together and bring World Peace to all so that we might be united together everyday and make this a better place to live. If we could be this way everyday then maybe we would not need to drill out so deep in the ocean for oil and such and things like this would not happen.So many lives that have been lost would not have happened. I cry for those families that lost their love ones to this tragic event and how they must feel as they watch this everyday.

Great job on the article Christen! :) Thanks to everyone in our community that is helping out.

Thank you Etsy for highlighting those helping the Gulf! Great article :)

thanks so much, etsy.. for the opportunity to write this article! and thank you to all the sellers and buyers who are supporting us during this difficult time! LOVE Y'ALL!

It's absolutely heart breaking to hear about and see all the poor wildlife getting caught up in this mess. you can watch live feed of the oil spill, it's crazy how much is spewing out! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/37412412#37412412

It is all sooo sooo sad, but it's uplifting to see friends who are doing something to actively help. Thanks for this article, Christen.

Being a part of this makes me feel a little better about this huge crisis...thanks to all you for making it happen.

This is so awesoeme!Love that everyone is pulling together!

Thanks so much for helping bring attention to the HelpTheGulfCoast shop and the cleanup efforts! I'm so delighted the donation I made sold, and I'm glad there's been so much information about there (and here on Etsy) about more ways I can try to chip in to help.

I'm making an item right now for donations to the gulf. Wonderful idea.

This is so awesome Christen! It's a reminder to all of us who don't live on the Gulf Coast that this catastrophe is real to ALL of us. And it's wonderful to see so many artists dedicated to helping out.

A big heartfelt thanks to HelpTheGulfCoast and all the shops who are participating. Being a resident of Mississippi this hits very close to home for me. I just came back from Mexico Beach Fl where I was trying to enjoy the ocean here one last time before the oil hit and then I watched the news that day where an oil containment unit had washed up on the pensecoula beach just a few miles away from where we were at. Its unbelievable that their efforts have all failed to stop this leak. Thank you for accepting my art print and letting me be a part of this effort to help save our coast. ty

I live in the affected area (mobile, al) It is so sad to see the beaches ruined. I am donating 10 % of profits to mobile barkeepers.

http://etsy.com/shop/handmadelouisiana This is the Etsy Team Handmade Louisiana made up of Louisiana natives (like myself) and residents donating our items to clean up the wildlife in the Gulf. Help us donate to our beloved state's coast!

Wonderful! Definitely donating something to the helpthegulfcoast shop. It really is shocking how never-ending this disaster is. Unfortunately, I may more car dependent in the near future, so I'm going to be needing BP/oil company products... ;-(

Thank you Etsy for creating this wonderful article an featuring our collective donation shops. This has been a fabulous experience working with other Etsy Artisans for such an important cause. We really appreciate all of your donations, purchases and WE LOVE YOU ETSY! <3

When I found the HelpTheGulfCoast forum thread I was at my wits end, wondering what does anything matter anymore, pain and sorrow filled me up. I had to be a part of this awesome etsy store as well. So I donated a piece and it sold literally right away. The buyer wrote me right after the purchase with such a kind word. I didn't feel helpless or alone anymore. I have been giving to Audubon and Nature Conservancy with partial proceeds from my etsy shop sales for about 3 years now, but being a part of this larger group of etsians is really something extra special. My heart breaks from this disaster, now I think the biggest not just in US history, but closely approaching top of the list of all oil spills. This is bad. I am so very thankful to all those who are doing what they can to help out in this.

thanks for sharing this important info with the Etsy community -empowering!

DONATE HAIR and PANTYHOSE to save the gulf...please visit this site and note there's 2 addresses (1 for checks, 1 for donating stuff)...scroll to bottom for their 508 Mountain address to donate hair / pantyhose... http://www.sunshineandshoresfoundation.org/amenities.html

The oil spill and its effects are sad beyond description. I am a Florida native and the Gulf is so beloved to me. Thanks Kate, for opening this shop! Thanks Christen for this article! xo

I sit here at this moment staring at an old mason jar filled with shells collected at Sanibel Island, Florida. I think alot of the gulf, especially now. And something has come to me...that people may stay away from the gulf, and that would be a MISTAKE! Here's a thought: Take a vacation to the gulf area. Bolster the economy, clean up where you can, volunteer, encourage or just go and see what those of us who have spent time on the gulf already know: That is is pristine, lovely, peaceful and filled with so many wonders of God! I am staring at them RIGHT NOW!!!

I am so glad that I can help even in a small way by donating a few items to that great shop!! Kate is just brilliant for having started it. Well done you :)

Thank you for this article. Ever since I found the thread in the forums about the Help the Gulf Coast shop, I've been working on a few items to donate, and hope to get them listed soon! I think it's amazing how many people are willing to do their own part and help out any way they can - every little bit counts!

Thank you! Thank you! Being a resident of South MS I thank each and every one of you for your part in this endeavor. We have a long road ahead.

Thank you for the article! Please visit the shop and sellers please donate!

Yes, thank you all for the info & for having such a big heart. I am off to check out the shops!

I live in an area that suffered terribly from an oil spill disaster in 1967 & I'd just like to say that it's NOT impossible to recover from something like this. It will take time & hard work, but just as our wildlife has recovered, so will yours, so don't dispair! And if every Etsian bought or donated just one single item, think how much HelpTheGulfCoast would be able to help the cleanup...

thevintagerecycler is right! come visit! we're nice people, we're experts at southern hospitality, and we'd love to have you! :)

Thank you for the article and a chance to do something to help! We would like to participate by donating 100% profit of this item to the National Wildlife Federation. http://www.etsy.com/listing/49182459/donation-save-the-gulf-all-profit-of Azure green...keep our Oceans clean for future generations of all species!

So happy that I am able to contribute to this cause. I live just 2 miles from the Gulf and I love its breezes, its wildlife and everything else. Thank you to those who have purchased my fine art prints for this effort. Kristi

Great Idea! I'll be donating some things from my jewelry shop to help out. I live in south AL and have vacationed in Gulf Shores all my life. We just got back from family trip to Orange Beach. It was very sad to see but we wanted to support the locals and see the beautiful white beaches.

It's a little late, but I will be donating a percentage of my proceeds to the cause as well. Thanks for this article!

This is one of the best things about etsy! Kudos to Kate for starting HelpTheGulfCoast and the other estians who have signed up to help her, and to all of the wonderful sellers who have donated!! Excellent!

this is wonderful ...I just listed my peachtree BIRDs and alerted my team to both list and shop...

HurricanePottery is run by lifelong Gulf Coast residents. We are donating 40% of the proceeds from all sales in June and July to Gulf Coast Restoration and the Audubon Institute for Marine Mammals. One exception is the crawfish magnets; these are also listed with HandmadeLouisiana's Etsy shop, and 100% of the proceeds will go to designated charities helping with the clean up. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and for sharing the word about our fundraising efforts.

Still in shock about this oildisaster, have difficulty watching newsreports on this. Feeling totally proud of being part of Etsycommunity that exists of people like Kate bringing initiatives like this. Thanks for the article. Will contact Kate now.

this is so sad. in hindsight i wish the US would have found a cleaner, greener, energy source years ago. hopefully this will spark a big change.

I live on the Gulf Coast and trying to do my part to help all the creatures in the ocean and out. Seabird Santuary is always looking for items and donations to help! This a very sad situation. And in my life time it will never be back to normal.

As the wife of a fisherman here in New Jersey we pray for all those affected and wait for it to wash up here. Our lives like so many others will never be the same.

The shop is such a great idea, I'll be contacting Kate shortly so we can help do our part! <3 Andrea

Amazing job stepping up to the plate when disaster strikes once again Etsy! Kudos to the dedicated shop owners, administration and patrons. I have decided to participate in Poppy Talk Handmade's Oil Spill Disaster Relief Market for the month of July http://www.poppytalkhandmade.com/. All participants are donating at least one item and Jan and Earl are donating a substantial portion of their earnings to Oxfam America. There is still time to get on board I think! I've committed to donating a paper clip chandelier and a diamond ring...but who knows, maybe there is room in my heart (and pocketbook) for Help The Gulf Coast as well. ;)

This breaks my heart!! Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention.

every bit of help, helps! yaaay etsy!

Kate of Flapperdoodle is representative of the best humans can be, ...thank you for taking the initiative and thanks to everyone who is helping, however they are able. "If caring came first.. we wouldn't be in this mess." --SRJ.

Thanks so much for the article! I am a Florida Gulf Coast native and this oil spill just breaks my heart. I'm off to donate!

thank you for featuring this excellent idea - keeping this in public's attention is so important!

still sad though... just think... our grand kids will never know the ocean like we did. And unless you live on the ocean like i do, it can't really sink in. yes its horrible, but no its not... its really, REALLY HORRIBLE! Its even gonna affect Canada a lot because that oil is gonna come right up the Gulf stream and right to us. Its already killed the breeding groups of our tuna and sword fish... What a mess!

Christen - thanks for writing this article!!! Kate is such a giving and amazing Etsy seller who has stepped forward and started the collective HelpTheGulfCoast shop, spending countless hours each day in listing donated items, starting a blog and Facebook page for the shop, in addition to creating the poignant Eloise loves pelicans art print. The Etsy sellers and buyers who have stepped up to make a difference for the people and sea birds who are so impacted on our beloved Gulf shores.

always awesome to see people look for ways to help and become inventive in doing it. My site helps Appalachia but I'm thinking about something special to help the gulf. It's going to be with us for a long time! Great to see all this creativity going in a good direction :-)

The only silver-lining on this horrible tragedy is how our community is coming together to help. I'm so humbled to be part of such an amazing group -- thank you to everyone who has donated & purchased from the charitable shops so far. Keep it coming! My heart goes out to all the residents (both on land & in the ocean) of the Gulf coast; the images of the spill just break my heart.

Those pictures just tear my heart apart! I think it's wonderful how everyone comes together to help in times of disaster such as this. I am still very new to Etsy but I love it and will see what i can do to contribute! Living in East Texas I know this isn't too far away from me... :(

Yes, donations and raising money are important- but it's only part of what needs to be done in order to force BP and the Feds to solve this situation... and of equal importance, make the use of toxic dispersants illegal and put an end to off-shore drilling. This will require collective action: letter writing, petitions, protests, civil disobedience, etc. We can't shop all of our problems away. Donating money makes us feel good, but it won't create any lasting change, or prevent another catastrophic spill from happening again.

I grew up in south east Texas an hour from the water. It's strange to think all of the things that have happened to this area in the last 10 years. I love that Etsy bands together to change the world around us. If only donating money, it shows the bigness of what Etsy and it's community is made of!

I had lived on the Southwest Florida Gulf Coast for six years now. There is a beauty there of which I have never experienced anywhere else. The wildlife is awesome. It is a sad sad day for all of us. The pictures of the oil soaked birds really breaks my heart. This is a wonderful effort and many thanks to all that have stepped up to provide support.

Check out the handmadelouisiana items. These items have been donated by artisans in and around the Louisiana area. Proceeds are going to the clean up effort.

Crafthope.com is collecting towels and Dawn dish soap to help in the clean up.

I'm also donating 20% of all sales to The National Wildlife Foundation in order to help clean up the animals and beaches.

Great article! I was so happy to donate to WildlifeAvatars, its really inspiring to see everyone join together and do what they can.

Great article! Thanks for the great information. I was so happy to be able to donate a bidana to the WildlifeAvatars collective shop. This disaster can be so heartbreaking, its wonderful to have a silver lining of such a caring community of people trying to make a difference.

It's a GREAT idea! I'm so glad that there are people out here that care enough to do something about it. I am going to brainstorm and see what I can come up with to sell on here. I really would like to help in some way,shape or form even if it's by donating one item. Let's what I come up with.

So glad to see this article. I would love to be part of such a wonderful effort. Please contact me how I can help.

A wonderful article - thank you to everyone who is contributing to this effort. I would also like to help out in some way.

Help The Gulf Coast's shop is at http://www.etsy.com/shop/helpthegulfcoast I am working to get more earrings ready for donation!

As a Gulf Coast resident for almost 42 years... born and raised in Southwest Louisiana and now living in Southeast Texas. I appreciate all the support the Etsy community is giving to aid the animals and the the coast. The Help the Gulf Coast shop is doing very well Please don't forget the Handmade Louisiana Team, http://www.etsy.com/shop/handmadelouisiana That shop is also receiving donations from team members and the proceeds are also being donated to various charities that are helping save the coast and its residents. Thanks.

I'm exhilarated to see this article, and that there are so many sellers donating proceeds, especially during these rough economic times. Thanks for helping save our oceans, this Florida girl, truly appreciates it!

I love this thread! Thanks, everyone, for posting about the ways that we can help! I live in the Pacific Northwest, so the spill doesn't affect me directly. However, it's difficult to try to go on with normal life knowing that our precious natural areas as well as folks' lives are being destroyed.

I've been to the Gulf coast on holiday before its really sad to see it this way.

The Tampa Bay area of Florida is fine right now. Please don't cancel your vacays! Thank you everyone who is supporting the gulf, we love you!! I've just started getting my bearings here but will be looking for a group that I can make a donation to.

DogwoodWinter, it is a huge misconception that just because you live on the West Coast that this will not affect you eventually...there is a significant and negative domino effect across the continent that will result over decades, possibly generations, if only within the food chain, if they do not stop the huge flow of oil and remove the corexit and as much oil as possible from the water. Proven science doesn't lie.

Thanks for writing this up. I'm a NOLA native and this whoel situation is so near to my heart. So please...shop!!!

This is a wonderful effort! Way to go, guys!

Thank you SO much for this article and to all the people helping and donating - a big Thank You from this Florida Gulf coast resident!! While national organizations are doing a good job raising awareness of this issue, I urge you to consider donating to local wildlife rescue organizations who are the first responders when helping stranded/oiled animals and birds. I'm donating to the Emerals Coast Wildlife REfuge - http://www.ecwildliferefuge.com

Please check out this site..KalleesKreations.etsy.com These are adorable

great effort!

Great idea, I'm in!

I just submitted one of my necklaces inspired by the gulf coast. Great idea and I'm glad I can help!

This is so sad for the animals and people effected, it gives me hope to see wonderful Etsyians coming together to help! Please also check out this craft/thrift shop helping the cleanup for the animals! http://sosthrift.blogspot.com

The oil spill and its consequences are breaking my heart. What a great way to help. I have a few items up as well and will donate all proceeds to this cause.

What a great idea! Kudos to everyone participating!

I've been having a sale in my shop since June 9th until July 9th for 20% of sales to go to Seabird Animal Sanctuary http://www.seabirdsanctuary.com an effort to help animals who are suffering from the BP oil disaster. The EtsyVeg Team has initiated this donation and they have a list of participating shops here: http://etsyveg.blogspot.com/2010/06/were-selling-to-help-animals-affected.html

I've created a treasury with items from the Help the Gulf Coast shop, please take a look, we have some wonderful Etsians there, all lending a hand! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c13eee9f43a8eeff99c81be/help-the-gulf-coast we would love all the clicks and comments you can give, hopefully this collection will see the front page and bring even more donations! thanks :) Brandy

HelpTheGulfCoast has PASSED 200 sales! I'm running our Twitter feed, so follow us at www.twitter.com/helpgulfcoast to keep on top of our efforts!

Thanks so much for sharing all this information! I have been trying to find a reliable place to donate to help save the wildlife of the Gulf. We cannot wait for someone to do this cleanup for us. It will never happen. Time for everyone to rally and save the Gulf Coast. Once it is gone, it will be gone forever.

I am so glad to see Etsians taking on this cause. My family has vacationed on the Gulf for several years and have fallen in love with the very area being affected the worst. The beaches are beautiful. I can't imagine what they look like covered with oil and tar balls. We have a reservation down there for July and we are really struggling with what to do. Of course, my family will be happy to buy some items that donate to this cause that is so close to our hearts. Thank you so much Etsy!

Great idea! Everyone can help in some way.

Great idea. Everyone can help if only to raise awareness and promote action for the Gulf crisis. ;)

Excellent Cause! I think Etsy members really step up to the plate when disasters happen. I plan to list some things specifically to help the Gulf Wildlife...I am working on it right now and stopped to read this article!

lots of love to all of the etsy sellers, buyers, and treasury makers who are uniting together to help where they can--am lucky and proud to be a part of it all. I donated one of my turtle bookmarks to Help the Gulf Coast, and luckily he found a home very soon! I've listed the bookmarks on my own page, and will donate $5 from each bookmark to NWF. I also have a necklace and bangle for sale, with $5 going to NWF from each purchase. I am passionate about sea turtle conservation, so all of the pieces I'm offering are designed around little turtles. love and light ~Elif you can check out my turtles and more beautiful items in these treasuries: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c0db67abd348eefaba69467/broken-and-hopeful-the-gulf-coast http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c0e7124bd348eef5ddea067/unite-to-help http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c0e90f8ef676d91c751fe46/marina-bella?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Treasury&utm_campaign=Share http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c12a3c9264b8eef71ed8a41/support-gulf-wildlife-efforts http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c178ba86a908eefff0d4f1b/oil-spill-relief-items-treasury#4c17bc8af8978eef06b39f3d http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c17b4c8f8978eefb90b9e3d/buy-something-nice-do-some-good

Great cause and great article...happy to be a part of such a thoughtful, well intentioned effort.

I'm also donating money from prints purchased from my shop!!! Please come and have a look!!! I will be donating $5 from each print sold to the National Audubon Society :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/squid21r

I'm so happy that I'm a part of such a great community. I am giving as many of my Ocean Strands to HelptheGulfcoast as needed:)

This is wonderful! Thank you Etsy and all the Etsians who have contributed to help. I'm joining the efforts to help the wildlife effected by this oil spill by donating to the National Wildlife Federation. Together, we can do something to make a difference and help the wildlife in the Gulf. http://nwf.org/

thanks for this article and for featuring my necklace. It's on backorder now, I sold so many. We raised a lot of money for the Gulf today!

I made this Treasury for the Gulf Coast - with a subtle message to bp http://www.etsy.com/listing/49380444/monkey-puzzle-tree-seed-cones-in and thanks to Kate, I've donated (still for sale) Baby Hare Agnethka - http://www.etsy.com/listing/49200416/baby-hare-agnethka-soft-sculpture?ref=tre-4c122db4264b8eeff1b27d41-6 and I blogged about it all here - http://dragonhouseofyuen.blogspot.com/ I'm in Scotland and I know it doesn't matter where you are in the world - an oil spill is devastating and heartbreaking and seeing the photos of the birds, turtles and hermit crabs covered in oil brings me to tears. thanks to everyone who is helping, in any way :)

Thanks for putting the spotlight on HelptheGulfCoast. A lot of us have donated but Kate is doing all the hard work in keeping up with the listings, etc. It's amazing to see that the shop has already had 275 sales and donated $1000 to the cause. Way to go Etsians!

There are so many awesome people on Etsy...glad to be part of the group :)

I love this. I would like to join this cause. Excellent.

I just sold this Seafoam Starfish last week and was so excited to donate all profits - $65 to the Save the Seabirds foundation here in Florida! I'll be listing more items soon - so check in from time to time! Great job Etsians! http://www.etsy.com/listing/25231958/oil-spill-donations-seafoam-starfish

No beach vacation or fishing for my son this summer!! :( Louisiana Artist here! Supporting the Cause!!

BP OIL SPILL DONATIONS: Thanks to Jill Glasgow for her purchase of the Seafoam Starfish necklace! http://www.etsy.com/listing/25231958/oil-spill-donations-seafoam-starfish 9. bottles jewelry was able to donate funds for wildlife rescue - see our blog for more information! http://9bottlesjewelry.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-am-very-excited-to-say-that-9.html Please help or donate time/money/supplies to help our devastated marine animals!! http://www.seabirdsanctuary.com http://www.saveourseabirds.com

Thank you so much for this article! It's wonderful to see so many people working together to raise money. I'm so glad I am able to participate.

Love, love, love our Etsy community!

This is so wonderful. I live in Louisiana and it has really effected everyone's lives, even to people I know who sell ice for a living to local fisherman. It is quite a crisis. Thanks for the help.

I live in the Rockies, but love the ocean and all it's creatures. I'm heartbroken about this horrific disaster. I have set aside a collection of items in my shop where 15% or 50% of the purchase price will go to the American Bird Conservancy. See collection here: http://www.etsy.com/search_results_shop.php?search_query=gulf+coast&search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_6084197 I'm so glad to be a part of a community that cares! ~Debi of One Heart

Thanks for putting this article together. And to all the response and to other sites to help the gulf crisis.

I live a long way away from the gulf however my thoughts are with these communities and the wildlife.

Oh! This article has inspired me to donate a portion of my sales to the cause! Maybe I can even offer 100% on a few items! :)

I have been donating 20% of my sales to the National Wildlife Federation and have raised $20 so far. Thank you to everyone who has purchased from my shop and made it possible for me to donate! It is all so sad and being a FL resident it is close to home.

This just in: Although it has not been made official on my shop, 100% of all proceeds of any sales of mine will be going to charities to benefit the gulf. 50% - National Audubon Society 50% - National Wildlife Federation I will be making the changes to pages this evening, but it is effective immediately. I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner! http://www.abbeycatchat.com

Hi. I've announced on my Facebook and Twitter pages that I am donating 10% of June sales to the Greater New Orleans Foundation (rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator) to their Gulf Oil Spill Cleanup Fund. I might extend the program into the rest of the summer if I get a lot of interest. Best wishes to everyone helping in this time of need.

Thanks to everyone who is helping. This is great! I'm so happy to be able to donate.

Living on the gulf coast, I appreciate your efforts as well as all the other shops that are donating time and money. I will be donating 20% of all proceeds just as soon as I figure out how.... Thanks Christen! Thanks everyone!

A portion of my proceeds will go to help the situation in the gulf. I create tie dye, which is colorlful like the sea life in the gulf.

I just opened my shop yesterday. All of the profits from the sales of my handmade products will go to the relief effort of the marine and animal life in the Gulf of Mexico for the rest of this year. I only donate to four star organizations that supports animals and marine life. All of the profits from the sales in my shop will always go to those organizations that support animals and marine life. That is why I started my shop. I wish I could only do more for the future of the people and the animals in the Gulf.

I would love to add by donating an item from my shop! Wonderful article!

I have designed 4 vintage map-wall art that I donate 100% of the sales to Save Our Seabirds out of Fl. There is a great group on etsy also donating to this group. We use saveseabirds as a tag if you'd like to check us out. These folks also need donations of Dawn soap and other items. Thanks to everyone who is helping.

This is really great to hear about this! I make Louisiana vintage stamp necklaces, and 50% of the proceeds will go to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. http://www.crcl.org/

Great article! Thanks for the reminder that we can all do something no matter how small. Count me in!

newbie but my first item posted is very related. i'm donating 15% from profits to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, an organization working to help with wildlife rescue in the gulf. glad to see so many helping in the ways they can. good job, everyone!

ALL of the proceeds of my print will be going to The National Audubon Society: http://www.etsy.com/listing/49201786/seashell-photograph-proceeds-donated-to

Thanks so much for doing this article! It's so important to get the word out about this aweful Screw up. Every little bit helps so please do check out my whale necklace and stamped hoop earrings ... All sales go to the NWF

My country is far far away from here, but would love to donate an item too, a little goes a long way.

Be careful I cleaned oil from Tampa Bay when a tanker hit the bridge and spilled oil in the bay. Oil is toxic. Do not clean it on your own.Do it with people that know what they are doing.And bring plenty of water to drink.

I believe in Kinship With All Life, and therefore I have bought items to support this effort & I am a member of DOW, Defenders of Wildlife. I wish all to join in this effort to save all animals! Some proceeds from my shop always go to DOW.

I'm on vacation but I'm fixin' to sniff out a local sewing machine and go to work on a bird themed super kid cape to donate to this sweet shop! Thanks friends!

Thank you so much Kate for your generosity in putting this together. I just donated, now I am off to shop.

Great article, thanks for this. I was looking for an environmental charity to donate a percentage of my profits to, and this reminded me that the Gulf ecosystem desperately needs our help. It feels great to be able to contribute in a meaningful, albeit small way.

Our community IS the world and it's wonderful to see how many from Etsy are donating. We just moved from Louisiana last year after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Between them, Andrew and Katrina, we just couldn't face any more devastation. It's heartbreaking to see what is happening now to an area that we love. Best people you ever want to meet! I have donated four photos and I also have those four listed as Gulf Coast Specials at a reduced price in my shop - ghost crab, dolphins, egret and crawfish. Wind or sun power anyone?

So glad I saw this heads up for clean up. I will gladly donate all monies collected from soap sales for the next 30 days. 100% ! Every time we use our soap, we can think of the mess to be cleaned up in our fragile environment. I will go to search how to sign up for donations. Thanks again.

Thanks for posting this! I'm going to make some things to go towards this movement tonight after dinner. (:

It's very exciting to see the Etsy community come together like this. I've been researching charities privately, but I am also thrilled to have the opportunity to work with other artists to raise money for the Gulf. I have just donated a necklace to the Help the Gulf Coast shop, and will also donate proceeds from my shop once I settle on a charity. Keep up the good work!

we are also donating 20% of every purchase to the National Wildlife Federation's gulf restoration fund!

This Saturday, BHEKI - bhekipainting.etsy.com - and I - mswedowsky.etsy.com - will be donating 20% of the proceeds we generate by vending in The {NewNew} tent at the Hester Street Fair to the National Wildlife Federation's "Oil Spill: Help Wildlife Now" Restoration Effort. We hope you will stop by if you're in NYC this Saturday!

As Oprah always says, "Pay it Forward". These are wonderful examples of ordinary (but extraordinary) people making the world a better place and finding hope in tragedy. : )

DOne and DONE!!! So put a flame under my bottom to do something. My BF and I had been talking talking but now comes action. If anyone has ideas about how his band could make a difference. They are touring the states starting this week and they want to do something big to help. Any ideas?? Hed(pe),

Thanks so much for such a great article. Etsy community is such a caring one. Our shop is doing well between all the wonderful sellers donating the great buyers purchasing (sometimes people are both people donating and buying). Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hi. I am now donating 10% of all sales to the National Wildlife Federation Oil Spill Cause, helping animals affected by this devastating disaster. I hope more can get on board.

Great idea, It's been a while since I went to La. but this devastation is heartbreaking. I'm heading to donate some items now. Great article and awesome people here.

Thanks for including the Etsy Team Handmade Louisiana in your article. We are a team of Louisiana natives and this issue is near and dear to our hearts and lives. Come see the wonderful artisans and their items, 100% of the profit in this shop is going to the cause. http://www.handmadelouisiana.etsy.com

Yay! Hope I can help by donating a couple starfish rejuvenation rings. Waiting to hear ;)

I've donated an acrylic. I'm in UK and hate what has happened. I think Etsy should waive their fees from this shop. All who donate are giving up part of their income and are asked to pay shipping if it is in the same country. Etsy should also give up some of their income for the cause. If people from other countries are willing to donate then an American based company should surely do so. Think what great promotion that would be for Etsy as a brand name. It will also be good for people to Blog, Tweet & Facebook Etsy's *commitment *to this cause, rather than the opposite.

I'm English and am donating an acrylic painting. An editor of of the Press-Register in Mobile, Ala, wants to use this same painting http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=48793473 in his story I think Etsy should waive their fees on this issue. All who donate are giving up part of their income for the cause. Etsy, as an American company, should do the same. Think what great promotion that would be for Etsy as a brand name. It will also be good for people to Blog, Tweet & Facebook Etsy's actual commitment to this cause.

Hmm, sorry about the almost double post- I got an error message first time so redid the post.

great work, I actually wrote in to the Storque a week ago to let you know I had teamed up with Horizon Relief http://www.horizonrelief.org/ to print shirts for their organization. water-based ink on organic cotton shirts, 100% of proceeds go directly to the organization to help workers in the seafood industry along Gulf Coast who have lost their jobs. The organization just paid one workman's rent. Shirt available for sale in my shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop/circularaccessories?section_id=7098549 Look for my friend on CNN Sunday to speak more about the organization. Thanks for everyone's support.

I want to reiterate that I am not receiving any profit from the sale of my Horizon Relief t-shirts. Absolutely 100% of the proceeds is being donated to the Horizon Relief Organization.

Linda, I asked Etsy if they would waive the fees for completely nonprofit items regarding this matter, but I got no response. I didn't even get a response about my shirts for this article :( 100% goes to the foundation, I am NOT making a profit off of this.

I applaud all the shop owners who are donating an item or offering to donate a percentage of sales. What a great community of artists to be associated with here on Etsy. Now I will try to jump in and help too!

well, now this is stupid. did the people that are featured in this article pay Etsy to be mentioned? I can't figure out any other reason that you wouldn't have included the seller that is selling ORGANIC T SHIRTS and DONATIING %100 profits to Horizon Relief Charity, a charity that is providing financial assistance DIRECTLY to out of work seafood workers. http://www.etsy.com/shop/circularaccessories?section_id=7098549

I agree! Partial donations dont make sense to me. If you are going to profit off of my state's environmental hell.... well it is just creepy and wrong and frankly confusing..

This is wonderful, but I agree with the others. circularaccessories is donating 100% of the proceeds of her organic hand-screened t-shirts to Horizon Relief (http://www.horizonrelief.org). I don't understand why this isn't featured in this article! This is an excellent organization created to help laborers in the fishing/seafood industry who have taken big hits due to the oil disaster in the Gulf. This is a legitimate organization that WILL get the money to its intended recipients without all of that bureaucratic red tape. Please edit this article to include this wonderful Etsy seller who is donating a great deal of time and hard work for this cause and is NOT profiting from this horrible disaster in any way.

Thanks for the info on this. I wanted to do something...didn't know exactly what...now I have some food for thought on how to help. I am from N.O....this is not what we needed.

Thanks for the ideas. I am from N.O., and I didn't know what to do to help.

I donated an item to the Help the Gulf Coast collective and purchased one. I loved the two charities Kate chose to share the proceeds from sales, one for people, one for wildlife! When my item sold, I donated another. Sort of BNR! I hope the shop keeps going for a long time because it looks like we'll be cleaning up the Gulf coast and damage from the oil spill for decades.

I feel so blessed to be involved with a group of people who use their arts and passions to help others. Theres a lot that so many people could learn from everyone here. So inspiring :)

Great article! I am inspired and feel so blessed to be a part of this group.

It's not surprising that so many etsy folks are working to help with the oil spill clean up. We too at Humbleradish.etsy.com have several shirts (mens & womens) available with all proceeds going to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to help them save the wildlife in and around the Gulf. Every little bit helps - go etsy!!!

We are "Sneak Attacking" helpthegulfcoast.etsy.com NOW. Click on the shop, find something you love, and type "Sneak Attack" in your Message to Seller during checkout. Normally, this kindly Sneak Attack is reserved for shops with 0-4 sales, but an exception can be made when 100% of a shop's profits go to charity. For more info on the Sneak Attacks, visit http://www.handmademovement.com Please spread the word; we want to help make this a HUGE fundraising night for helpthegulfcoast! "SNEAK" stands for "Sneakers Notorious on Etsy for Attacking with Kindness," by the way. The Handmade Movement can also be found at http://twitter.com/Sneak_Attacks and http://facebook.com/thehandmademovement

So many Talented Etsy Sellers wishing to help For The Benefit of Wildlife of the Gulf Coast, Great Gifts are given where there is the greater need

Love all of this work yall! and Bayou salvage-LOVE that! I'm also raising money for the gulf clean up at: adornandconquer.etsy.com

Ive joined forces with my grandson to make painings of sea turtles. 50% of the purchase price will be donated to the National Wildlife Fund for the clean up: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LolaLynn?section_id=7135152

this is great! If you are interested, you can check out my site: www.etsy.com/shop/olive34

I think it is fabulous that so many are helping :) I plan on helping too. Soon I will be releasing a special print for this cause. 30% of all proceeds from this print will go towards rebuilding the Louisiana Wetlands, an important habitat for wildlife in Southeastern and western Louisiana. These habitats have been devastated by this disaster and will take many years to repair. The artwork at this time is 90% finished and first prints should be available in 3-4 weeks. If you are interested, mark me as a favorite and come back in 4 weeks to purchase. ** In response to some comments about partial donations, please remember that not everyone who owns a business can afford to donate all the overhead cost that comes with running a business. Every percentage donated counts and is appreciated. As a local in Louisiana with family in Houma, Gulf Port, Metairie, and New Orleans I appreciate every effort to clean up and support those affected by this disaster. reneelowebarnes.etsy.com

You guys are awesome. What a great idea. Thank you for contributing such a creative expression of need. www.thebitchstoppedcooking.blogspot.com

much nolalove yall

Thank for keeping the gulf in mind. It's hurt regions that have already seen much hardship.

This was published in Las Vegas Weekly Magazine highlighting our team's efforts: Handmade in Vegas More than 200 local artists are creating origami crane lapels using recycled paper bags. Profits benefit the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf oil spill rescue fund. It’s green, local and philanthropic. Spend $5 and feel good about yourself. http://www.etsy.com/shop/handmadeinvegas

Didn't see this one listed, but www.sosthrift.blogspot.com is a collaboratively run effort by Vegan Etsy Team members (DaisyWares, aktie9, gingercardco, and UberDuperCreations) and benefits the Gulf Rescue Campaign Just thought I would mention it.

I have pledged to donate $10 on every sale of this necklace... http://www.etsy.com/listing/48544526/tears-of-a-mermaid-lampwork-glass-beaded