Creating For A Cause!

As a child with a visual impairment as well as being overweight and having braces on my teeth, I wasn't exactly "Miss Popularity" with the other kids in my school.  Since I grew up in a home without any brothers or sisters to play with either, I learned at an early age how to use my imagination to entertain myself.  I loved writing silly poems and short stories as well as spending hours arranging and rearranging the furniture in my dollhouse and inventing all kinds of crazy adventures for my Smurfs.  Yes, I was an 80s kid and still a sucker for anything to do with Smurfs!
Now fast-forward to the summer of 2012 when I started volunteering at Pet Pal Animal Shelter and discovered a whole new direction for my creativity.  I had been working with clay for about a year by that point and thought it would be nice to have a purpose for my craft.  I started making small dogs, dog bones, paw prints, etc. and turned them into key chains, magnets, ornaments, wine stoppers, wine glass charms, etc. which I then donated to Pet Pal to use in their raffle baskets at events.  As my techniques improved, more and more people suggested I try selling my pieces, but I had serious doubts whether anyone would really want to pay for some cutesy little clay things that a blind girl made.  To my surprise, however, I was proven wrong when someone requested I make some wine stoppers and charms for her friends and, yes, actually paid me real money for them!
OK, you're probably wondering what the point of this whole story is, right?  Well, I'm following the advice of others and offering to sell my clay items with the understanding that a portion of each sale will be donated to Pet Pal Animal Shelter.  If anyone is interested, please email me at chrisnorm74@gmail.com and I'll be happy to send some pictures of my stuff.  Of course pictures are never quite as good as the real thing, but at least you'll get an idea of what I can do.  And with the holidays just around the corner, you may just find an inexpensive but  unique gift for someone on your list!
I'm also hoping this story shows everyone that, even if you don't have a litter box full of extra cash to donate, there are soooo many other ways to support Pet Pal.  Whether you sell your homemade sweet treats at a bake sale or have a birthday or anniversary party where your guests bring items on the Pet Pal Wish List instead of gifts, just use your imagination and start creating for a cause!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.


Happy Tails to you until we meet again!