Cupcake Necklaces Have Raised over $500 to Support She's the First!

Purchase a STF Cupcake Necklace: 75% of proceeds
Go directly to She's the First!

Thanks to the generous and fabulous supporters of She's the First over the holiday season, I've actually surpassed the next few tiers of my goal to help raise $1,600 to this great organization with cupcake necklace sales with a whopping $500 donation that was made in 2012: and I can't thank all of my customers enough!

With Valentine's Day soon upon us, I thought this would be a great time to show how through a cute cupcake necklace purchase for your best friend or little sister, you can help support girls' education in the developing world during the season of love :)

If you look on the She's the First website, $500 is enough for an essential sponsorship for the Selamta Family Project in Bethel, Ethiopia.

Holiday Sales Raised over $500!

About the Selamta Family Project

“Selamta” means “be at peace.” in Ethiopian Amharic: the goal of this project is to help orphaned children regain the sense of peace they lost when they lost their family. The Selamta Family Project protects Ethiopian orphans, vulnerable children, and marginalized women by establishing permanent, stable family homes and providing access to continuous medical care, education, and social safety nets. Selamta works to maintain the cultural connections that sustain healthy families, neighborhoods, and communities - so that loving families may build strong citizens.

Selamta has several family homes located in Bethel, a suburb of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. To reduce the stigma that often plagues orphans, homes are dispersed throughout the neighborhood, allowing kids to be easily integrated in the larger community. Each family is organized around a permanent, stable Selamta-trained mother, who assume parental duties and provide respectful, loving care for her children. The Selamta staff support the mother in every way to ensure her successful parenting, and the staff is responsible for sustaining her healthy living arrangement.

All of the school-aged kids receive an amazing education at the Alpha Keranyo School, a private school located in the Bethel neighborhood. After-school tutors provide extra support to help children succeed. Despite the fact that many children could not attend formal school before joining the Selamta Family, many kids excel at the top of their class.

What Does This $500 Do?

There are several tiers for this sponsorship, ranging from $360 to $800. This $500 amount can cover the following:

STF Cupcake Necklace, $20

• Continuous education at a rigorous K-12 private school
• School supplies including uniform, backpack and notebooks
• After-school tutoring programs
• Sports and soccer registration fees
• Summer enrichment programs
• Small budget for birthday and holiday celebrations
• Small savings account each child

Interested in helping to sponsor a girl in the Selamta Family Project, or any other girl around the world? Here's how to help!

1. Give the Gift of Awareness for yourself or a friend for this Valentine's Day: 75% of these specially designed Ash Tree She's the First Cupcake Necklace go directly to She's the First
2. Explore the Directory on the STF website to read more about girls who need your help
3. Organize your own Bake Sale to sponsor a girls' education in your school with these great tips from She's The First.

Thanks again to all my customers for your support - I look forward to posting another fundraising update soon for 2013!

Press for Ash Tree Creations

What an amazing year it's been here for Ash Tree! From wedding calligraphy features in online magazines and blogs, to a fabulous partnership with She's the First selling cupcake necklaces to help raise money to fund girls' education, 2012 has certainly been busy. Here's a summary of all the recent press this year -

She's the First Cupcake Necklace, $20

A Charm for Charity - Shopaholic
Jacquelyn Mysliwiec, South Shore Living Magazine

"Teaming up with She’s the First, a not-for-profit in support of girls’ education across the globe, local jewelry designer Ashley Osgood of Ash Tree Designs has designed a unique handmade cupcake pendant which acts as the bright and whimsical charm on her $20 cupcake necklaces, in which $15 for every one purchased will go toward the charity. 

Osgood, specializes in sea glass jewelry, as well as recycled sail products, but her innovative outlook on jewelry design constantly leads her to all sorts of mediums, designs, and projects— such as—her keepsake vibrant "tie-dye" cupcake necklace. If you’re looking for a gift for a special lady of any age, this 100% handmade necklace is a steal. It’s a gift that will make more than just the receiver smile."

Holiday Gift We’re Loving: She’s the First’s Cupcake Charm
StyleWatch, People Magazine

"What’s better than a cupcake? A cupcake that’s calorie-free! She’s the First, an organization that sponsors girls’ educations, helping them become the first in their families to graduate, is doing a modern bake sale this holiday season. 

The non-profit partnered with Etsy’s Ash Tree Creations to design this cute cupcake charm, which stands just 1-in. high and hangs on a 16-in. silver plate chain. It mirrors the organization’s rainbow cupcakes, which are sold nationwide to raise funds for its cause. And this cupcake will help, too: $15 of the $20 price will benefit She’s the First’s important programs."

Buy a Cupcake Necklace - 75% is Donated to STF!

She's the First & Cupcakes!
Sprinkles and Style blog

"This cupcake necklace, which you can buy from Ash Tree Creations, would be a great gift for your sister, niece, friend, the little girl you babysit, or even yourself! The handmade tie-dye cupcake charm is adorned with sparkling Swarovski crystals on 'vanilla frosting' that's fun, vibrant, and eye-catching - would certainly be a happy addition to your jewelry collection."

Birthday Bazaar: A Rainbow of Fun

NYC Metro Parents Magazine

"We’ve compiled a bazaar of ideas, products, and tips in this birthday party package. Read on for our favorite new party products, other momentous birthdays we're celebrating in April - 

Want a one-of-a-kind gift that gives back? This handmade magenta-and-teal special edition cupcake necklace donates 75% to She’s the First!, a nonprofit that sponsors girls’ education in the developing world ($20; etsy.com/shop/AshTreeCreations; learn more about the cause supported by artist Ashley Osgood at shesthefirst.org)"

Calligraphy feature on BravoBride.com

The Art of Calligraphy
BravoBride.com

"I love the white script against the black envelope, making for a traditional look. The place cards are given extra pizazz with a handwritten calligraphy note by Ash Tree Creations."

Broke Ass-Bargains
Broke Ass-Bride Newsletter

"Love the look of calligraphy but your budget won't allow it? Ash Tree Creations is giving away an entire calligraphed reception package! Visit her Calligraphy Giveaway page for more information on how to enter!"

While I do see sales year round for cupcake necklaces and other handmade jewelry, the holiday shopping season is over - so it's time to ramp back up for wedding calligraphy for 2013 clients and weddings. 

I've already booked several clients for Jan-Feb, but if you're interested in having your invitations addressed in calligraphy, contact me on how to get started! 

Cupcake Necklaces Reach First Goal to Support She's the First!

Cupcake Necklace Sales Have
Raised $300 Towards our goal!

We did it! Thanks to the generous and fabulous supporters of She's the First, I've reached the first tier of my goal to help raise $300 with cupcake necklace sales to reach my goal of donating $1,600 to this great organization.

With She's the First now going to be on NBC's American Giving Awards, I thought this would be a great time to spotlight some of the great work they are doing. STF are currently the running to win $1,000,000 - which comes down to Facebook voting. So if you have a moment, please vote for them to  help to unlock this tremendous donation to send girls to school and share before December 4, 2012.

Back to stunning little cupcake necklace sales: if you look on the She's the First website, $300 is enough for an all-inclusive yearly package for everything a girl needs to go to school in Kopila Valley in Surket, Nepal.

About Kopila Valley School

The girls who go to school here come from poor circumstances. The girls all come from poor or illiterate families, and fall into the “high risk” category of being married off to a man, work as domestic servants, have to work in hotels, or by dry riverbeds to earn a living for their family. These girls are the first of their generation to be educated and literate. Kopila Valley is a co-ed primary school that is a safe place for students to spend the day, receive an education in basic English, Nepali, Math, Science, Health, and Social Studies and have their basic needs met. School runs from Sunday-Friday, with Friday being a half day for extracurricular and fun activities, i.e. racing, sports matches, dance competitions, debate, art, and other activities.

What Does This $300 Do? 

This is enough to provide the following for one girl for a YEAR:

• School uniform: $28 (includes 1 skirt, 1 pair of pants, 2 school shirts, 1 sweater, 1 hat, belt, school tie, a pair of shoes, socks, and warm tights for winter)
• School bag, supplies, and set of the year’s text books: $22
• School lunches: $75  (this includes, rice, fresh vegetables, and lentil soup 5 days a week)
• Tuition: $120 (goes towards everything needed to keep the school functioning and sustaining itself, i.e. staff, teachers, and cook salaries, repairs, and construction, school materials, and classroom needs)
• Medical needs: $55 (i.e. vaccines, vitamins, sanitary napkins, medical emergencies, and dental care for the year)
                                     
Total: $300

Interested in helping to sponsor a girl Kopila Valley, or any other girl around the world? Here's how to help!

Puchase a STF Cupcake Necklace: 75% of proceeds
Go directly to She's the First!

• Give the Gift of Awareness for yourself or a friend: 75% of all specially designed Ash Tree She's the First Cupcake Necklace go directly to She's the First
• Explore the Directory on the STF website to read more about girls who need your help
• Organize your own Bake Sale to sponsor a girls' education in your school with these great tips from STF. 
• Vote for She's the First before Dec. 4th to win the American Giving Awards so they may receive their $1 million grant!

Help Feed Women in Boston: Rosie's Place Food Drive

WOMEN RIGHTS IN THE 2012 ELECTION

This was not an easy election to follow. Seeing topics important to women as political issues was difficult for me personally - both as a woman and as a big sister.

However, instead of walking around Republican / man-bashing (well okay maybe I did that a little ;), I thought it would be more productive to actually DO something about it. That's how I originally got involved with the She's the First charity (which through STF cupcake necklace sales has successfully donated about $300 to educating girls in developing countries!) last year, and I can certainly do that at home in Boston.

What I've come to realize is, no matter how frustrating it can be to have birth control, the definition of rape, and equal pay openly discussed among male politicians with little regard to women, there are so many worse things happening every day where we live. They're a little more concerned about where they are going to sleep at night, and what they are going to eat: not so much about what their male co-worker brings in for salary.

ROSIE'S PLACE: WOMEN IN NEED

So I organized this Food Drive to benefit a great organization called Rosie's Place, who's mission it is to help women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity, and find security in their lives. Founded in 1974 by a woman who was horrified seeing homeless women dressing up as men to get assistance in shelters, many of the women assisted at Rosie's Place are working and in housing but just can’t make ends meet. Some are newly homeless, while others have been living on the streets for years. Rosie's Place serves women as young as 18 and as old as 80. Approximately one-third of their guests also have children.

Each year 78,000 nutritionally balanced meals are served in their warm Dining Room. 1,800 women shop for 20 to 40 lbs. of free non-perishable food items and fresh produce from their Groceries program each month. Rosie's Place does not accept funding from the city, state or federal governments or the United Way. Thanks to generous donations from volunteers, 88 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to services for women and their children.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

With the "Feeding the Women of Boston: Making a Difference" drive I've set up, helping out is as easy as shopping online.

• No trip to the grocery store required 
• No need to drop off goods at any physical location
• Don't need to live in or nearby Boston to help
• Pick whatever food item you want, at whatever quantities, to purchase online
• You'll be sent an email confirmation at the conclusion of the drive (Dec. 21st) confirming Rosie's Place receipt of your donation, as well as a receipt for tax purposes
• That's it!

Finally, some good to come from online shopping :)

It's super easy to donate - just pick what you'd like and check out!

So I'm writing this post here to ask all my lady-friends, colleagues, and even lady-loving boy friends, to please take a moment to visit my Food Drive web page to make a small donation in the form of a non-perishable food item for whatever you can so that these ladies in Boston have something warm to eat this winter and holiday season. All items will be delivered right before Christmas Eve!

Here is the web URL if the above link won't work: http://www.yougivegoods.com/drive.php?id=1078

Thanks in advance for all that you do, here's to a successful finish of 2012!

Ashley

Source: Please visit the Rosie's Place website to read more about this great organization - http://www.rosiesplace.org

Cupcake Necklaces for She's the First

I've decided to take on my first charity jewelry project. I've found a great charity called "She's the First", a non profit organization that sponsors girls’ education in the developing world, helping them be the first in their families to graduate: and I'm all for young women's education and empowerment!

She's the First Cupcake Necklaces, $20 Each

The primary method of fundraising for this nonprofit is through cupcake sales: but not just any cupcakes, tie-dye cupcakes! Using creative layering and food coloring, the end result is a powerfully colorful confection that perfectly represents the blossoming young girls who are trying their hardest to just find a place in this world. I have now placed a limited selection of cupcake jewelry available for purchase at the 6 In the Shipyard Hingham Boutique, and online at my Ash Tree Etsy Shop.

These Cupcake Necklaces are going to be sold for just $20 each, with $15 of each necklace going directly to She's the First. These necklaces are adorable, speckled with rhinestone "sprinkles" and available in teal and bright magenta tie-dye "cups", which are the She's the First brand colors. Cupcakes are also available in red, green, yellow, purple, pink, and red "cups". So help support a worthwhile cause - please purchase an adorable cupcake necklace - makes a great Valentine's Day gift!

I've been working closely with the Charity's Founder herself Ms. Tammy Tibbets, and Ash Tree Designs will be an active partner in helping this charity reach their goals!

PURCHASE A CUPCAKE NECKLACE TO FUND GIRLS' EDUCATION!

Rhinestone Cupcake Necklaces

Rhinestone Cupcake Necklaces, $20

Introducing the newest line in Ash Tree Designs handmade jewelry, the Rhinestone Cupcake Necklace. These adorable little treats have been in process for several weeks now - from original conception inspiration from the She's The First cupcakes for education nonprofit that I read about on the train in the Metro to sketching out and ordering (and waiting impatiently) for supplies.

When I first started, I really wanted a bright statement piece of jewelry in cupcake form. I did some research online and did sketches and took notes, but nothing I found really had the "look" I was going for, and I was excited to create my own.

Once I had a sketch in mind, I searched my favorite Etsy sellers for some supplies, as I figured a mold would be the only way to go when crafting something this small and delicate: I was lucky enough to stumble across WhysperFairy, an adorable shop that features molds spanning from anything you could ever imagine. I found a cupcake top and bottom, convo'd her to see if they'd fit, and anxiously awaited them to arrive.

 Meanwhile, I made a trip to Dick Blick art stores to pick up the polymer clay that I needed and a sealing agent that I could use to coat the finished cupcakes and give them a glossy finish and shine. I also ordered my Swarovski crystals in various sizes and colors to embellish the white "frosting" with.

Pink Rhinestone Cupcake Necklace, $20

When my molds came from WhysperFairy ahead of schedule (thanks again to Julie for such great customer service!) I got to work molding and experimenting with how to go about doing the cupcakes and getting them to fit together. Using about a quarter of each color, I made up to 5 cupcake molds, inserted an eye hook, designed and placed in the Swarovski crystals in the appropriate places, and set them in the oven. Once baked, each cupcake got a few coats of a glossy finish to both seal the whole piece together and to give it a glossy shine.


Right now, I have about 20 finished cupcakes and awaiting the arrival of more Swarovski crystals so I can get more out to place on my online store and at my retail location in Hingham, 6 In the Shipyard. But the interest has really taken off, and I'm so pleased to see the results of my time and efforts to come across so beautifully in these statement pieces.

Buy these necklaces at Ash Tree Designs online store

The colors available now (pictured) are red, yellow, green, blue, purple and magenta. I may experiment with some lighter pastel colors, but really like the vibrancy of these for now. You can purchase them online at my Ash Tree Designs handmade jewelry shop, or contact me if you'd like a special order or your color is not in stock. Happy holiday shopping!

Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry

Enameled Breast Cancer Ribbon Earrings, $18

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - what have you done to support the cause? Maybe you've signed up for a walk, made a donation, or set aside time to volunteer. With the newest breast cancer awareness handmade jewelry collection now available from Ash Tree Designs, you can promote awareness every day. Pictured above are adorable pink enameled earrings on silver, measuring 15x9mm in size: the perfect size for subtle stud earrings!

Breast Cancer Charm Bracelet with Mussel Shell Charms

I created a series of awareness pieces that do their part, while looking fabulous. Above is one of my famous cluster charm bracelets, featuring silver ribbon charms in a sea of pink mussel shell links secured with a toggle clasp. Below, you can also see these same ribbon charms on a pair of matching earring studs, which are suspended in front of the same pink mussel shells. 

Antiqued Pewter Ribbon Charm Earrings with Pink Mussel Shells

All of these designs and more products that have been made to promote awareness to find a cure are available at 6 In the Shipyard retail store in Hingham, MA. You can also find a small selection available at the Ash Tree Design online shop.

Antiqued Pewter Awareness Ribbon Charm Earrings

Whether you are embarking on a breast cancer awareness walk and looking for a fun way to coordinate your group, or wish to give a gift to a brave survivor, purchase these beautiful pieces. Bulk orders accepted and encouraged - so email me, or stop by 6 In the Shipyard to get started!

Ash Tree Makes Alzheimer's Donation

After The Ash Tree was featured in South Shore Living, we received a great amount of feedback and publicity for our 6 In the Shipyard store location. One email specifically caught my attention - it was a woman who had read the SSL article and was wondering if I would be willing to make a product donation to an Alzheimer's raffle event. Being the charity-focused person that I am and always wishing I could give more, I said "YES!"


This particular fundraiser is going to be held, in April 2011, at the 99 Restaurant in Wareham to support the Alzheimer's Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (ASCCI). They had written me in the hopes that Ash Tree Designs would like to participate by donating a prize for a raffle to be held at the event. 

"Dining for a Cause" Event: April 2011 at 99 Restaurant in Wareham, MA

In an effort to raise awareness, the woman's daughter, Amanda Sullivan, has organized this "Dining for a Cause" event after her grandfather passed away over a year ago from Alzheimer's (...and she's only in the 7th grade!) In addition to the gift donation I had made, I just wanted to raise awareness about this event to the local subscribers to my blog. This is an excellent organization, and the event itself has 100% of the proceeds go to Massachusetts local programs and services that help an estimated 10,000 people living with the Alzheimer's disease on the Cape - including:

• Memory Screenings
• Family Support and Education Programs
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Caregiver Respite Programs

I hope that you are able to make it to the event - for more information about the charity, please contact Catherine Oldham, at 774-487-3663 or email catherine@alzcapecod.org to inquire about what you can do to support this great cause.

Included in the Ash Tree donation was a great gift bag with a large handmade journal, handmade necklace with a beautiful glass drop pendant, and a pair of handmade rainbow quartz earrings - all in a "green" theme for the Spring!


The Ash Tree has a long history of volunteering and donating time and items to charity events. If you are interested in featuring Ash Tree products at your charity or event, please contact me with event information and I'd be happy to set something up!