And the entries are rolling in...

We've already gotten a ton of entries for our latest Great Vegan Etsy Giveaway, posted just yesterday morning! Here's one of my favorites so far - though they have all been wonderful.

To be vegan means that I have respect for all living things. To be vegan means that I believe in a peaceful world in which I refuse to partake in an abusive and violent system. To be vegan means that I love Mother Earth and want to make as little impact on her as possible, but make a huge impact with her children (all living things). To be vegan means that I shook up my own way of thinking and now I work to shake up others. To be vegan means that I have discovered a hidden talent for cooking and gardening. To be vegan means that I can taste foods better because there is no nasty dairy coating my poor little tastebuds. To be vegan means that I can sleep better at night.

Thanks for sharing your sentiments Andi! And remember vegans, it's World Vegan Month - get out there to educate and celebrate!

And of course, Happy VeganMoFo Day Two! :D

The Great Vegan Etsy Giveaway: Happy World Vegan Day!

***This contest is offically CLOSED!! Thank you for all of your wonderful entries, and we'll be having another one soon!***

Every month or two, the Vegan Etsy Team hosts a give-away challenge that awards a prize pack of vegan samples from its team members. This month's contest is held in honor of World Vegan Day, and also kicks off our daily blogging for VeganMoFo! Since it's all about tha vegan, you'll see why this month's challenge is...



The True Meaning of Veganism

• Start: Now

• End: November 31st

• The Prize:
a Vegan Etsy Team sampler pack full of handmade goodies contributed by Vegan Etsy Team members

• In a comment on this blog post, tell us why you are vegan (or want to / are working to be), why you think it's important, and what you feel it means in your life and in the lives of those around you. We ask that you keep this positive - veganism always should be! There is of course no "right" answer here. Veganism is a personal journey in which we all share a common goal.

• Each person can respond 1 time for 1 entry into the drawing. (But blog followers get double entry!!)

• All contestants will be assigned a number. These numbers will be placed into a random generator at the end of the contest to determine the winner.

• Please note you must have contact information! We can't make you the winner if we can't get in touch with you. If you do not have any contact information in your user profile, please include an email in your comment where you can be contacted to inform you of your winnings.

• The lucky winner will be announced in the first week of December. Good luck!



This contest's prize grab bag is sponsored by a number of our fantastic team members, including the Vegan Etsy Team Shop, Uber Duper Creations, Starrlight Jewelery, Veganessa, Pinkbubble Designs, and more!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

We in the Vegan Etsy Team love celebrating holidays, and for many of us Halloween may be our favorite!

Finding delicious handmade vegan goodies is never a problem when you've got such a talented group of vegan crafters on your side.

Fall is here, and winter is just around the corner...

...and no matter what the holiday or season, we think that handmade by independent crafters is the best! Don't you? ;)

Be safe, have fun, and have a Happy Halloween!!

Vegan Craft Samples' Holiday 2010 Bag

The time is here: we are collecting samples for the Holiday 2010 Vegan Craft Sample bags! 100% of profits from each bag goes to an animal sanctuary voted for on the vegan samples blog.

Vegan Samples is back in full swing, with many goals for our future bags! Last year's holiday bag raised over $700 for Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary and we hope to beat that with this year's holiday bags! We are still accepting contributors and can accept samples as late as November 11th. Please sign up on the website.

Vegan Craft Samples is run by Heather from Holistically Heather and her partner in crime, Jessi, all out of their living room.

Photos from last years holiday sample bag assembly line!!

There is a blog and a facebook page as well:
http://www.vegansamples.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/vegancraftsamples
and of course their website
http://www.vegancraftsamples.com/

Vegan craft samples has been mentioned in VegNews magazine, reviewed on numerous blogs including Sarah Kramer's (go vegan calendar, how it all vegan cookbook trio). In order to continue raising funds for animals, vegan craft samples really needs more contributors and people who have a love for both animals and handmade. This is also a great way to advertise your shop!

Two new members for the VET!

Please welcome our two newest team members: ButtonFarmer and The Gypsy Vegan! Don't forget, the Vegan Etsy Team offers handmade all-vegan wares, made by vegans - for vegans and for everyone. So stop by their shops, say hello, and don't forget to make them your favorites!

Veg*ism and Empathy: a scientific connection?

During the last week of May, an interesting article entitled The Brain Functional Networks Associated to Human and Animal Suffering Differ among Omnivores, Vegetarians and Vegans was published by a group of European researchers.

Say wha?

The article discussed an experiment wherein them there scientists tried to find out if vegetarians and vegans demonstrated empathy in a significantly different way, in brain function terms, in situations that are not food related. Different than who? Than, well, everyone else - those who consume animal products without considering the ramifications. (The veg*ns in the readership are exclaiming answers right now, but just keep your pants on. The findings are quite interesting, I promise!)

Lucky for those of us who don't make a hobby of reading peer reviewed scientific journal articles, Psychology Today published a chipper little blog post discussing the original article and its findings.

So... read, learn, enjoy!

Halloween Treats from Vegan Etsy!

Halloween is fast approaching, and the best place to find delicious vegan treats is the Vegan Etsy Team!  From candy, to baked goods, to bags to stash it all, we've got you covered!

Vegan Mallocreme Candy from Panda With Cookie:

Halloween Cupcakes from Sweet Fritsy:

Orange Cream Chocolates from Sweet V Confections:

And to keep your goodies all to yourself, try stashing them in the Trick or Treat bag from my shop, Vegancraftastic!

-kala (Vegancraftastic)

Starrlight Jewelery teams up with CypherLOX for a Halloween Giveaway!

This giveaway may rock your world. Whether you're polishing up your nightly wardrobe, or just looking for the right pieces for this year's costume, the time is NOW.

The VET's very own Starrlight Jewelry has teamed up with the radical CypherLox for a Halloween Giveaway - and with three fabulous tiers of prizes, no less! There are numerous ways to enter, including fanning on Facebook, submitting customer appreciation photos, and of course placing orders! So don't forget, purchases with Starr's shops benefit Starrlight Cat Sanctuary. Get the full contest details here - and good luck!