Operation Sock Monkey

Pandacub met OSM at the Holiday trunk show at the workroom a few years back and the crafty  connection was instant.

Creator & curator of this etsy shop and online craft boutique, Stephanie creates adorable accesories and jewelry- from whimsical to absolutely beautiful, her stuff is really great. About a year ago, Stephanie got in touch saying she had made a line of Sock Monkey brooches and she wanted to to give some to me to sell as a fundraiser. I was so thankful and sold some of the brooches at trunk shows and took some to South Africa to give as gifts to the Woza Moya seamstresses ( Star & Domicila)  who helped me so much with the workshops I gave there.

A few weeks ago, Stephanie got in touch again to say that she’d made more of these delightful brooches and had some new ones in the works and would I mind if she sold them from her site and donated %50 of all SM Brooch proceeds to OSM? Wow! Amazing. Sweet. Thoughtful. Crafty. Visit her etsy shop and check out the brooches and all her other great stuff.

Thanks Stephanie!

Proceeds from OSM Sales & Sponsorship campiagns in 2009 have helped to keep the Chibini Circus School @ Woza Moya running.

This is an afterschool program that offers children in the Ufafa Valley, (many of whom are orphaned or vulnerable) the opportunity to learn circus skills such as juggling, balancing, tumbling, clowning and more. According to Jamie Lachman McClaren, Founder of CWBSA:  “The programme has become a regular nurturing fixture in their lives. The class size has grown to the point that we will be adding another facilitator after the World Cup to help Thanda with class management and give the children more 1-on-1 instruction.”

Huzzah!

Georgia has raised a total of $1000 for OSM and created nearly 30 sponsor monkeys to send overseas. Heartfelt thanks to Georgia and her friends, family, and ringette team for amazing & inspiring efforts in support of Operation Sock Monkey!

Georgia heard about Operation Sock Monkey  on  CBC Radio in December 2008. She was an avid crafter and  had already been making sock monkeys for her friends & family. Her parents sponsored a sock monkey for her for Christmas and she was absolutely thrilled. A few months later, Georgia’s mom began writing to me, telling me about her daughters enthusiasm about OSM and desire to get involved. Last fall, Georgia hosted a sock monkey workshop for her friends  to teach the art of sock monkey. The workshop was held at Wabi Sabi , a knit/sew/craft emporium in Ottawa that generously donated the space-twice! She & her ringette team made another batch of sock monkeys to sell  at a Christmas craft sale in her community. Her monkeys were a big hit and all  were sold or sponsored in the first hour, so, she did what any committed craftivist would do- she started taking orders for more!