Hey! I’m scheduling a few events for this year, but I’m sticking close to home. I’m still pretty weak from my treatments, which ran pretty much from Thanksgiving to late January. As a result, I’m not feeling confident about being able to put in a long vendor day in which I have to travel, set up, sell all day, tear down, and travel home. By sticking close to home, I can get some help from the family and make the day more manageable. I don’t expect to add too much to the event list, but I will be out and about a little bit this summer. You can find the list of 2021 events here.

If you want to support local Rust Belt businesses (and of course you do), Cleveland Bazaar, Crafty Mart (Akron) and I Made It! Market (Pittsburgh) have teamed up for an amazing holiday shopping option. A beautiful online catalog, which features over 150 local artists and artisans, is now available to view at http://www.shopholidayhandmade.com/shop-now/. Flip through like you used to do with the holiday catalogs you got in the mail when you were a kid…without the paper waste.

This catalog will remain active well past the holidays, although some vendors might remove some of their product links.

 I have started adding my work to the popular handcrafted site  Etsy, beginning with the Concrete & Steel earrings. Rather than making specific pairs for the site, I thought it would be more fun for you to be able to choose your own colors. So, for each listing, you can select one of 24 color palettes for your earring stones.

I will continue to add my work to the site. You can find my Etsy listings here.

Thank you so much for the support you showed during the  rainbow pride bracelet fundraiser . The fundraiser is over now, but it will return next June in some form. Together we raised $243.75 for The Trevor Project. Since all donations were being matched by both Warner Media and AT&T for the month, this means that over $730 went to this worthy cause.

Work has already begun on the 2021 Pride Month fundraiser.  Meanwhile, here are some of the reviews for the 2020 bracelet:

Really beautiful and wonderful quality. This is a great piece, and it is adjustable! I have really small wrists, and hesitate when buying bracelets because they’re always too big. Because it’s adjustable, I can make it fit. And a portion of the sale goes to a great cause! Color me happy!
-Amy

Love my Pride bracelet! I have bought many items from Funky Designs, and the artist’s work is impeccable! Very good quality and beautiful!!
-Shelly

I’ve admired this business from afar for awhile now, and finally took the plunge.. The product was gorgeous, and the customer service impeccable. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.
-Alex

This bracelet is lovely. I originally wanted the gold, but it sold out. I bought the silver and I’m in love. The colors are vibrant and will match anything. Eric makes such unique pieces and I love seeing what he comes up with.
-Jen

Again, thank you for your interest. This was a labor of love and a tribute to the many friends and students that have trusted me during an emotionally challenging time. I love you all and I am proud to call you my friends.