In With a Grin.....

The Dandy Lion welcomes Laura Berger from Chicago, IL!
Laura's medium of choice is acrylic, gouache, wood, pens and paper.
Laura's art has a very unique style and incredibly uplifting nature. Her 8x10 prints are now available in the shop, so come and spread the love!

Also welcoming Sarah Powell to The Dandy Lion (and the United States!)
Sarah sent in her lovely whimsical pieces from Newcastle, United Kingdom.

(totes and tees also available)

Sarah takes pride in making unique and honest designs.
Her online shop also helps to raise money for leukaemia CARE and she is currently working on an exclusive poster collection with a range of artists and bands. all the profits taken from these posters are going straight to the charity so they can continue doing the great work that they do.

Celebrate Banned Books Week (9/24-10/1)

During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2011 celebration of Banned Books Week is held this week, September 24 through October 1. Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982.

According to the American Library Association, there were 348 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2010, and many more go unreported.

The 10 most challenged titles of 2010 were:

And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
Lush, by Natasha Friend
What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer

Remember to visit your local library this week to check out their display of banned books!
Find out more about this movement on their website:
BannedBooksWeek.org

You Spin Me Round.....

Incredibly honored to welcome Christine Claringbold (Portland, OR) to The Dandy Lion team!
Christine started painting in 1994, and her line Eye Pop Art was launched in 2003.
She loves to design mandalas and paint them on upcycled vinyl records, which she transforms into clocks, bowls, mirrors, cuffs, and garden pinwheels

Hand Painted Mandala Vinyl Record Clocks


Vinyl Record Cuffs


Mandala Suncatchers

Christine works as the program coordinator for a nonprofit organization called Trillium Artisans. Trillium is a small business development program supporting local artisans who create with recycled and reclaimed materials, named Portland's “Best Crafty Collective” by Willamette Week. Visit their Etsy team shop here: trilliumartisans.etsy.com

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Louisville's Food Literacy Project

We wanted to share with you an amazing program we just recently stumbled upon!

The Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm provides farm-based experiential education and entrepreneurial youth development programs that bring the Field-to-Fork experience to life for local youth.

In a time of great concern about the safety of our food sources, rising obesity and diabetes rates, as well as the cultural disconnection between our food and the earth, the Food Literacy Project offers experiential education programs that foster healthier children, healthier communities, and increased respect for the land.

Their plant, agriculture, and food education programs are available to public and private school classes, community groups, youth and after-school programs, and special needs groups. They also offer professional development for educators, focusing on ways to infuse themes of food and nutrition into curriculum.

This project offers a rare opportunity to engage in a sustainable food system, and to share in the pleasures and rewards of farming.

Vision and Mission

The Food Literacy Project envisions a just and sustainable food system in which people foster a deep understanding of what connects us to each other and the natural world.

Their mission

is to inspire a new generation of people to build relationships with healthy food, farming, and the land.

Community Impact

In 2010, over 2,000 local youth got their hands dirty and tried something new at the farm. Because FLP strives to engage the members of the community who are most in need, 87% of those students qualified for free or reduced lunch at school. Many of the youth served have never been to a farm before, and live in neighborhoods identified as “food deserts,” meaning that their families face limited access to fresh produce and overexposure to fast food.

Their programs empower youth to make healthy choices for themselves, and also to become leaders in addressing issues of food security in our community.

Teaching Philosophy

FLP takes a hands-on approach, encouraging youth to get their hands dirty, taste new foods fresh from the field, and get involved in the work of the farm. Their inquiry-based programs emphasize real experience, and participants are encouraged to use all their senses to explore. The farm is a living classroom where students can learn by discovery, cultivating a sense of wonder about where our food comes from.

Click Here To Volunteer

Click here to Donate

or visit their website here: FoodLiteracyProject.org

Spotlight: This just in!

Pardon our break in updates; We have been CONSUMED in early fall festivities and enjoying the season change! Nonetheless, we are excited to share some of the artists that we have been receiving the past month.

For starters, a warm welcome to Megan Stacy of San Francisco, CA!

Megan's gorgeous designs feature 22k gold plated ear hooks & chains (while a few are antique brass) All of her leather is also repurposed from vintage skirts. How cool is that?

We are also super delighted to welcome the lovely Ali Heiss of Amarilo Designs!

(Diamond Bar, California)

Her jewelry is simple but unique, beautiful but strong, and delicate but sturdy. Amarilo will never sell anything that is less than perfect in its vision, and concentrates on using quality materials such as argentium sterling silver, AAA gemstones, and fresh water pearls.

She strives to provide beautiful designs created with integrity and quality, while providing great service to all individuals who want to stand out from mass produced accessories. (you go Ali! We couldn't agree more!)




Ali is Korean American, and is fluent in Spanish. She loves People who have "smile lines" on their faces, her Nikon camera, designing jewelry (of course), and finding AAA gemstones!

She dislikes mass produced costume jewelry.

Next in line, Amy Neiwirth from Columbus, OH:

Sweet Stella Designs is the brainchild of artist and educator Amy Neiwirth. Amy's Tiny Treats are hand-sculpted from polymer clay. Each piece is hand painted and unique. Also check out her map jewelry she made custom for our area!

And last but certainly not least, meet Louisville native Jules Barnett, now residing in Madison, Alabama. Her beautifully upcycled ties and vintage gems make such an incredible addition to our shop. Happy to have ya, Jules!

"Being a wife and mother of a toddler, I know the hardships of trying to be stylish while still dressed in "machine washable" clothes that can withstand the playground, while remianing dressed up enough for lunch with friends. So, I have created this line of jewelry to not only dress up a white t-shirt and jeans, but to also go with your favorite black dress for a night out on the town. I have scoured thousands of pieces of vintage jewelry to find items I believe to be stylish and timeless."

-Julie Barnett for Jules. B