December Monthly Challenge Theme: Treats and Toys

December Monthly Challenge Theme:

Treats and Toys

... what the animals want for the holidays !

Pet Treats Pouch

by TheDogHouse

It’s holiday gift-giving season and there’s no better time to honor our fabulous, faithful fur friends (& hopefully make some sales in the process) so promote your wares and share your crafty talents with your teammates by entering this month’s challenge… Treats and Toys: what the animals want for the holidays!

Here are some fun examples...

Fish Bones: Organic catnip Toy

by Rendachs

Sweet Potato Wooffles

by ShortysGourmetTreats

A cookbook for canines

by ScrappyRat

So what are you waiting for… enter today!

To participate in this wonderful challenge, simply tag your entries “teamefatreats” without the quotation marks and convo jessicalynneart.

Remember, when we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either the EFA website or the Challenge blog, winner’s choice, for the following month!

Here are the specifics on how to enter a monthly challenge:

If you are an EFA member & would like to submit an entry, please convo our Challenge Volunteer, Jess of jessicalynneart,with the following information:

1. PROViDE the link to an item in your shop that fits the theme or has been created for the theme.

2. EXPLAiN how you think the item fits the monthly Challenge theme

3. TELL US a bit about your work/donations/volunteer work with animals or animal charities

4. TiTLE your convo with the name of the MONTH and the word CHALLENGE, for example: DECEMBER CHALLENGE.

One more important step:

5. TAG your Etsy listing with the monthly Challenge theme tag (this month = teamefatreats) (see the Themes-at-a-glance list here for other tags). Be sure to ALSO keep your regular team tag in place, either 'team efa' or 'team efa cotm'

When we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either EFA's Challenge Blog for the following month.

Challenge entries are promoted on Etsy Teams, EFA's Yahoo Groups, Twitter and Facebook... so get your entries in right away !

Looking forward to seeing your animal treats

Heather of TheBlueWindmill

Monthly Challenge Leader

Thanks for the Smiles... November Monthly Challenge Theme

November Monthly Challenge Theme:

Thanks for the Smiles

I hope everyone has a Happy November full of smiles because this month’s theme is “Thanks for the Smiles”!

Feature an item that has humor and makes one smile! Now would be the perfect time to honor that furry loved one who always made you smile or that lil furry who currently makes you smile; feature a yummy treat that makes your beloved “smile”; or just enter something that makes anyone smile!

Here are some fun examples...

Cat in a Bowl

Original ACEO Watercolor by CatCalls

The Dog House writes, “Much as I felt sorry for my dog, I did find it hard to keep a straight face when she returned from the vets wearing a satellite dish...”

Funny Greyhound

Greyhound Greeting Card by TheDogHouse

Cheshire Smile

Recycled Circuit Board Brooch

by DebbyAremDesigns

Smile

by Cheryl Greear

SMILING is infectious, You catch it like the flu

When someone SMILED at me today,

I started SMILING too

I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin

When he SMILED, I realized I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile, then realized its worth,

A single SMILE just like mine

could travel 'round the earth.

So if you feel a SMILE begin, don't leave it undetected.

LET'S START AN EPIDEMIC QUICK AND GET THE WORLD INFECTED!

So what are you waiting for… enter today! To participate in this wonderful challenge, simply tag your entries “teamefasmiles” without the quotation marks and convo jessicalynneart.

Remember, when we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either the EFA website or the Challenge blog, winner’s choice, for the following month!

Here are the specifics on how to enter a monthly challenge:

If you are an EFA member & would like to submit an entry, please convo our Challenge Volunteer, Jess of jessicalynneart, with the following information:

1. PROViDE the link to an item in your shop that fits the theme or has been created for the theme.

2. EXPLAiN how you think the item fits the monthly Challenge theme

3. TELL US a bit about your work/donations/volunteer work with animals or animal charities

4. TiTLE your convo with the name of the MONTH and the word CHALLENGE, for example: NOVEMBER CHALLENGE.

One more important step:

5. TAG your Etsy listing with the monthly Challenge theme tag (this month = teamefasmiles) (see the Themes-at-a-glance list here for other tags). Be sure to ALSO keep your regular team tag in place, either 'team efa' or 'team efa cotm'

When we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either EFA's Challenge Blog for the following month.

Thanks !

Heather of TheBlueWindmill

Monthly Challenge Leader

September Monthly Challenge Theme: On the Farm

September's Monthly Challenge

Theme is... On the Farm

Happy Pigs

Original Watercolor by TheBlueWindmill

September's theme is “On The Farm”... feature farmland or animals that can be found on the farm such as pigs, cows, goats, horses, ponies, chickens, chicks, roosters, geese, ducks, cats, dogs, rats, mice, etc.

Be inspired by colors, sounds, or textures such as bright red barns, vivid green crops, quacking ducks, mooing cows, oinking pigs freshly plowed fields, or gently rolling hills that might be found on the farm.

One can think of what might be found in a farm house such as plates, bowls, rugs, wall décor, etc inspired by farm lifestyle.

An entry may include animals, barns, farm houses, farmland, or the countryside on which farms are built. One can think of the different types of crops that farms produce such as corn, apples, squash, pumpkins, etc. Think of containers that are used for farm produce, such as buckets, barrels, baskets, sacks. One could enter something related to Halloween or Thanksgiving such as crows in a cornfield or a scarecrow or pumpkin or sweet potato treats. It just needs to be farm-related in some way. And if that’s not enough inspiration, here is a lovely poem to further inspire you.

My Farm Animals

© Linda Harris

On a sunny day, I sat on my porch swing

And watched a cool fresh summer rain

Everything then seem to come so alive

Birds flew to birdbaths to take a dive

My horse started galloping with glee

Putting on a show to entertain me

The donkey, he was hee-hawing so loud

Trying to get the attention of a crowd

The cows and goats stepped up to see

What all the commotion seemed to be

Chickens were making clucking sounds

Even little bunnies were looking around

Simon, the cat, awoke, puzzled over this

Fell back to sleep for his daily rest

My farm animals so joyful and free

Well, no one to see, but only me!

Simply tag your entries “teamefafarm” without the quotation marks and send in your entry by September 7th.

Remember, when we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either the EFA website or the Challenge blog, winner’s choice, for the following month!

Here are the specifics on how to enter a monthly challenge:

If you are an EFA member & would like to submit an entry, please convo our Challenge Volunteer, Jess of jessicalynneart, with the following information:

1. PROViDE the link to an item in your shop that fits the theme or has been created for the theme.

2. EXPLAiN how you think the item fits the monthly Challenge theme

3. TELL US a bit about your work/donations/volunteer work with animals or animal charities

4. TiTLE your convo with the name of the MONTH and the word CHALLENGE, for example: SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE.

One more important step:

5. TAG your Etsy listing with the monthly Challenge theme tag (this month = teamefafarm) (see the Themes-at-a-glance list here for other tags). Be sure to ALSO keep your regular team tag in place, either 'team efa' or 'team efa cotm'.

THANKS !

Heather of TheBlueWindmill

August Monthly Challenge Theme: Reptiles Rock

August 2011

Monthly Challenge Theme:

Reptiles Rock

Show your love for your favorite reptile... be it turtle, snake, or lizard... by entering August’s Monthly Challenge: Reptiles Rock !!

Here is a famous poem by Emily Dickinson for some inspiration…

A NARROW FELLOW IN THE GRASS

A narrow Fellow in the Grass

Occasionally rides--

You may have met Him--

did you not

His notice sudden is--

The Grass divides as with a Comb--

A spotted shaft is seen--

And then it closes at your feet

And opens further on--

He likes a Boggy Acre

A Floor too cool for Corn--

Yet when a Boy, and Barefoot--

I more than once at Noon

Have passed, I thought, a Whip lash

Unbraiding in the Sun

When stooping to secure it

It wrinkled, and was gone--

Several of Nature's People

I know, and they know me--

I feel for them a transport

Of cordiality--

But never met this Fellow

Attended, or alone

Without a tighter breathing

And Zero at the Bone--

What an awe-inspiring affect snakes have on us!

So what are you waiting for?

Let’s see your take on “Reptiles Rock”!

Simply tag your entries “teamefareptiles” without the quotation marks and convo them to Jessicalynneart. We are now taking entries until August 7th!

Remember, when we've received sixteen qualifying entries they will be entered in our Challenge Competition where the winner will get a free one month advertising slot on either the EFA website or the Challenge blog, winner’s choice, for the following month!

For further information on August’s Monthly Challenge... check out this link:http://www.etsy.com/teams/6354/efa-etsy-for-animals/discuss/8740252/

Thanks !

Heather of TheBlueWindmill