Join Kiva: Get $25 free trial and help alleviate poverty

Kiva.org, is an organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to microfinance institutions in developing countries around the world and in the United States, which in turn lend the money to small businesses and students.

Since 2007 I've been a Kiva lender to dozens of people world wide. My portfolio consists of about 90% female artisans because as a woman who is the sole proprietor of my own business, I know about the challenges of getting started.  What I sell on Etsy and eCRATER are just outlets for my creativity but they're not my main source of income.  If it were, I'd be a failure so I can only imagine what it might be like to start a knitting business in Peru, a photography studio in Africa, or a bakery in the Middle East especially if you're a woman!

Under my true identity I've given out loans $25 at a time to women who are seeking to start a small business in Africa, South America, the South Pacific, and the former Soviet Union.  Last year my New Year's resolution was to give out a loan monthly.  This year I've renewed that pledge and today I'm hoping you join me.



It's really easy and it won't cost you a dime!

You see, there's a campaign from Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, who has put up $1 million of his money to enable 40,000 people give $25 microloans to help those in need start farms and general stores that can support their families.

The process in making a loan is dead simple. This is how I do it: I browse and choose an entrepreneur I wish to fund. Kiva aggregates loan capital from me and other lenders and transfers it to the appropriate Field Partners to disperse to the entrepreneur chosen by the lender. As the entrepreneurs repay their loans, the Field Partners remit funds back to Kiva. As the loan is repaid, the Kiva lenders can withdraw their principal or re-lend it to another entrepreneur. 

To start your first $25 loan for free just click on this link: http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/glamourbomb

@GlamourBomb ❤'s @GraphicsFairy! Thank you @GraphicsFairy!!!

I don't mean to brag but I will: I just got featured on the Graphics Fairy craft blog!!!

I am so breathless from doing the happy dance that I just had to take a moment to sit down, catch my breath and post this.

I don't know any blogger in my part of the blogosphere that doesn't know who the Graphics Fairy is. Her name is Karen and she's been purveying free vintage images that are in the public domain every day since 2007. Many of the crafts I make and sell on Etsy use her images.

So go on, now. Check it out!

Thanks again, Graphics Fairy!

Quick Update

Hey everybody!

It's been awhile, I know.  I just wanted to post a quick update that I'm redesigning my website and it's going to affect the feed of this blog as I transfer domain name servers.  It's because I will no longer be using Blogger as a custom domain name but am reverting back to the Blogger domain name.

For example: when you clicked on any page on this site it used to read something like "http://glamourbomb.com/anypage" in the address bar.

However now if you click on a page it will read something like "http://glamourbomb.blogspot.com/anypage" instead.  Like I said, I'm reverting my custom domain back from Blogger and using it on a brand new site.

I'm NOT abandoning the Blogger platform. I will still be blogging here.  I just want to do more than what Blogger can provide.  I want to actually open a shop with a cart service and I haven't really been able to do that on Blogger except here and there when I insert a PayPal button in a blog post.  And sometimes what I have to offer doesn't fit Etsy's selling guidelines so I have to do indie and set up my own website with a store.

All these changes are going to effect this blog insofar that you may see double posts or posts that are old show up for some weird reason. Anything can happen until the transfer is complete. I'm sorry about that. At least it's just hiccups and not full on burps!!!   :)

I'll be posting an update when all is said and done but for now if you're interested to take a peek at what I'm up to, I've put up a basic splash page for now and you can see  it here.

Calling All Los Angeles Artists!

MANIFESTEQUALITY (www.manifestequality.com) invites you to join an amazing roster of artists from across the nation who are using their voices and talents to amplify and motivate the grass roots movement to fight for full & unrestricted equal rights for all Americans. manifestequality.com/art-contest

5 winners will be selected to show their works at MANIFESTEQUALITY in Los Angeles next to artists such as:

• Barry McGee
• Swoon
• Shepard Fairey
• Tierney Gearon
• Robbie Conal
• Harvey Pekar
• Blackbooks
• Amanda Visell
• Chris Johanson
• Bask
• Tristan Eaton

... and hundreds more.

Your works will be reviewed by:

• Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
• Shepard Fairey (Artist)
• Annie Philbin (Dir. Hammer Museum)
• Franklin Sirmans (Curator Contemporary Art, LACMA)
• Ed Ruscha (Artist)
• Lisa Love (Senior WC Editor, Vogue)
• Edgar Arceneaux (Director, Watts House Project)
• Rick Jacobs (Founder, Courage Campaign)
• David Pagel (Art Critic, LA Times)
• Lari Pittman (Artist)

Submit your work on our contest’s six themes: EQUALITY, JUSTICE , RESPECT, UNITY, CIVIL RIGHTS, and LOVE. Artworks on any one, or all of these themes, will be considered for inclusion.

MANIFESTEQUALITY gathers together a diverse array of hundreds of the nation’s most talented visual artists under one roof to celebrate that role and join with our gay (LGBT) friends, family members and co-workers to demand full and equal rights for all Americans. MANIFESTEQUALITY issues an inspiring, visual call-to-action, with hundreds of artists motivating public energy toward true reform on a local, state and national level.

MANIFESTEQUALITY

1341 Vine Street

Los Angeles, CA 90028

March 3rd – 7th, 2010

manifestequality.com/art-contest

Urgent: Attention Los Angeles Artists! Take Action for Arts for LA!

A proposal removing The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) only dedicated source of revenue, will be considered by the LA City Council, Wednesday, February 3, 2010. The loss of funding for DCA would affect both performance and educational activities and seriously undermine artists and arts organization in Los Angeles.

The City of Angels and its artists need your help!

Even if you are not a resident of L.A., you can click the link below and use our zip code (90036 - Council District 4) to write an automatic letter. To do so, click here.

All city dwellers can write a letter to their council member to do so, click here: Arts For LA.

Please forward this blog post and encourage your friends and colleagues to take action today.

I'm Back!

Yesterday was a travel day for me as I flew home from my adventures in the Caribbean. Google was offering free wifi on my layover at Fort Lauderdale and Virgin offered free wifi in-flight! While I blogged a bit to do my part to promote volunteering on behalf of the Haitian plight I mostly vegged.

Now I've got lots of photos and vids from my trip so I'm going to have to make time at some point to organize those. But for the moment I want to share this silly video I made while waiting for my connecting flight in Fort Lauderdale. A friend and turned me on to site called TagGalaxy.de in which you type in a tag and then it generates this "planet" of photos on Flickr that have been tagged with the same. It's fun and interactive so if you're bored hanging out an airport, I recommend checking it out.

I don't know when I'm going to get back to regular blogging yet. I got to get settled back in and take care of business, but I'm back and while I had a really great time I'm really happy to be home!  

Check out http://taggalaxy.de
Mashup: "Single Ladies (of Mayberry)" by Party Ben

We'll Be Back After This Short Break

Announcing the Burner Etsy Team!

We are so pleased to announce that things are in the works for a burner Etsy Team spearheaded by the creative energies of Linda Loca, proprietress of the Etsy shop "Fire Grog Studios".

Loca recently put in the application for the team with the folks at Etsy and says it should good to go in about week.

Some of you maybe wondering "WTH is an Etsy Team and why should I care?"

Well, Etsy Teams are groups of organized Etsy members who network, share skills, and promote their shops together. A team forms around a shared location, crafting medium, or another interest.

In this case Loca is building the team around a shared "community" (drink!).

"Actually, the team name is "Etsy Black Rock City Crew," says Loca. "I didn't want to use "team" in the title because, as you know, there is no team in eff you."

Aaah, this is how I knew Loca is a true burner!

Now you know me, I can't talk to a creative person without wanting to know more about what they do and why they do it.  Loca told me that she only just started selling on Etsy in October and couldn't believe that there wasn't an Etsy burners team already in place.

"So hell," said Loca. "I'll start one myself, dammit. Cuz that's how we roll. ;) Radical self-reliance and all that rot."

"I'm excited at the prospects," Loca continues. She envisions this crew as a tool for fellow burner artisans to utilize to great effect by globally promoting each others' shops and items.

Etsy's take? "Teams make us not just a marketplace of individuals, but an interconnected and diverse artistic community."

Quick! Press play!



So now that I've got you psyched you're probably wanting to know how to get in on this.

Well, here's the dealio: since it will take about a week for the crew to be processed Loca has put in place a Google group (http://groups.google.com/group/etsy-brc) you can join right now with a blog and Flickr group soon to follow.  Loca is inviting any burners who have Etsy shops to convo her on Etsy and she'll add you to the crew.

And that's it! More information as things start to take off. Until then, it's time for pie!

Mmm...pie.....

I'll Tumble For You!

Hi everybody!

Just wanted post this up to let you all know that I’ve decided to use Tumblr to publish my blog rather than using my former iWeb blog from Apple because of Tumblr’s ease of use. iWeb’s great, but it had some limitations.

For my friends here on Blogger don't worry, I'll still be here.

I just want to give Tumblr a go. Not only will I be posting stuff I’m selling on Etsy, eBay, Amazon and Craigslist but I’ll even be posting photos of some of my items from my Picasa web album. And, I’ll also be importing my Twitter stream to microblog my most recent listings and shipping data. So the Tumblr platform makes all of these services come together pretty seamlessly.

You can check it out my Tumblog directly here.

First Post: Hello World!

Google the phrase "glamour bomb" and you'll find an international guerilla art movement with the mission to enchant and raise environmental ambient faerie glamour levels.

More than a random act of kindness or senseless act of beauty, the manifesto of glamour bombers everywhere is to inspire human folk to have fun, lighten up, and always remember: magic is everywhere!

Glamour Bomb Designs are inspired by faerie magic imbued with rainbow fabulosity designed specifically to blow up da spot!