Etsy, Charity, and a Good Decision

I make a lot of art (I see some of you smiling in that knowing way). The house and the husband are showing signs of being overwhelmed. You who know me are aware of my months-long struggle with how to continue to make art without have it taking up space. I have found this to be against the natural laws of physics. So I've decided to start selling online and to donate 100% of the profits to the Alzheimer's Association. This will permit me to continue to produce artwork, to sell without the self-conscious feeling of self-promotion, and to help (little by little) with research and treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

As if I was receiving approval from God above, within 24 hours of posting my first item for sale, I received an email from a writer who mentioned me in an article she wrote (here's an edited version):

Holiday Gifts that Benefit Charity
by Phyllis Mufson

"'Gifts That Give Twice,' is the title of an article I wrote on November 20th about holiday gifts from Etsy.com sellers that benefit charity. The article struck a chord. It received (and continues to receive) tremendous interest from people looking to give more meaningful gifts.
. . .
"This mini-map-book (2" X 2") from Janet Catmull of Planet Janet http://planetjanet.etsy.com is covered with a map of France and a stamp of India, and has accordion pages, each with a map on a cancelled stamp from Australia, Angola, Ceskoslovensko (former Czechoslovakia), Polska (Poland), India, France, and Abkhazia. 100% of the price ($8) of the mini-book and of all items in the store will be donated to Alzheimer's Association National Office http://www.alz.org."

I have two relatives afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease, my uncle just passed away from it, and it seems like everyone I talk to knows someone who is dealing with it. I'm going to do my best to help. In the past 48 hours I've posted a dozen or so items on my Etsy store.

About Etsy: My store is not the only one on Etsy.com that sells for charity. And if you're not familiar with Etsy, it's an online website for sellers of all handmade items. I'm impressed with the quality of most items and the prices are low, low, low! Most items are as nice as anything at Macy's or anywhere else. And the packaging is usually over-the-top -- ribbon-tied boxes, immediate shipment, extras in the packaging. Yesterday I received a leather journal I ordered for $12, and it's gorgeous. It arrived with a free leather bookmark, a little cut-out leather heart on a string, and in beautiful packaging. Etsy sellers usually take extra care to make their products special.

(The name Etsy derives from the Latin "And If..." (et si). The founder was thinking, "And if we do this, and if we do that...". Anyway. )