Sunday, September 20, 2009

Interview-Dkany

Todays Interview is with Dkany

What kinds of items do you sell in your shop and what inspired you to start
creating them?


I started making jewelry with animal rights messages 2 years ago. I was sick of wearing message T- Shirts . I wanted something pretty, but felt guilty not sending the Vegan message out everyday. I started looking at craft sites for different ideas, bought books on how to make jewelry, and started from there. I made my first Vegan necklace and wore it to work. I am a registered nurse, and while I was caring for a patient she asked, "What does Vegan mean?" I was wondering how she knew I am Vegan, then remembered about my necklace. I then proceeded to educate her on Veganism. I realized that jewelry is a great way to spread the Vegan message all the time and to be fashionable doing it.

How long have you been a member of Etsy?

I have been on Etsy since 2007, and YES I am an addict. Whenever I need or want something I always check Etsy first. I love the craft supplies on Etsy... oh, its so addicting. I love to surf around Etsy and get inspired by all the super talented people in the world.

Do you sell your items outside of etsy, either online or in retail shops?

Etsy is my only online store. I also attend animal rights conferences to promote my sanctuary and sell jewelry. I sell tons of stuff at the conferences.


What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have?
Do you have any animal companions?


I always dreamed of starting an animal sanctuary, and my dream has come true. I am the president of For the Animals Sanctuary, a not-for-profit organization. We have Herbie and Kevina, our bovines, eight goats, two roosters, two hens, six dogs, and nine cats. We have eight acres of land, and lots of love for our babies.

Herbie, our steer, is famous. He jumped off of a slaughter truck in December of 2006, and his escape was on CBS News (watch it on our sanctuary website). I found out that Woodstock Farm Animal sanctuary (WFAS) was rescuing him and needed help finding him a home. We adopted Herbie, and then WFAS told me about Kevina. On December 16th, she was born on a dairy farm, who thought she was a boy- a male bovine's fate is either veal or death. They were drowning the baby boys that day, but lucky for Kevina, she was saved by a worker at the farm. We thought Kevina was a boy, too, so we named her Kevin (namesake of Kevin Kjonaas). The farm thought the umbilical cord was a penis- DUH- so Kevin became Kevina! :)
Herbie and Kevina will be celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary on May 31st. Yes, they got married, and they LOVE each other very much (watch the videos).

Do you have any websites besides your shop that you would like to tell us
about?
Oh yes my sanctuary website www.fortheanimalssanctuary.org

How long have you been vegan and what made you go vegan?

I have been Vegan for 6 years, and before that I was a Vegetarian for 20 years. Veganism is my life. When I was Vegetarian, I thought I was really saving animals, and then I read about the milk and egg industry. I realized I was supporting an industry that tortures and murders Animals. It was like a light switch that flipped on, and at that moment I went Vegan.


What do vegans eat anyway? What is your favorite Vegan food?

I make a killer Vegan potpie. The pot pie is made with crescent roll crust and filled with Morning Star Farm's crumbles mixed with brown gravy, mushrooms, Tofutti sour cream, and potatoes. Its super yummy.

I LOVE Veganaise, Campbell's and mushroom gravy. I love to tweak recipes and make them Vegan. I love making fruit pies. I love to make Rhubarb and strawberry pie that's so easy- you just need a frozen Vegan pie-crust, fruit, sugar, and instant tapioca. The recipe is on the back of the instant tapioca box. You will be amazed!

1 comment:

kadler said...

What a great interview. I would love to have a cow!