Blogging for Boobs, a Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaway

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and since the majority of my blog readers have a pair of boobs on them it occurred to me that I should do my part in spreading the word.  Like one of my friends posted on facebook today- ladies, check your boobies and schedule your mammograms, it’s breast cancer awareness month!

It’s likely that you’ve been touched by breast cancer in some way.  One of my friends lost her life to this terrible illness about ten years ago. I still think about her often and say prayers for her kids who have grown up to be beautiful individuals.  I’ve had a number of friends who have gone to battle against it, and they are proud to call themselves survivors. . One of those survivors is my friend Karan from Karan’s Pots and Glass on etsy.  I’ve known Karan and her family since I was knee-high to a grasshopper in the early ‘80’s.  I attended her wedding in the late 80’s where I lugged around a giant battery backup for my mom’s 12 ton video camera.  Now that we are all living in an age where we have video cameras and old friends right in our pockets, our friendship is still alive through facebook and my blog and her etsy store.  Karan is an amazing artist, with a shop full of all sorts of ceramic sweetness.  My most favorite items are her signature sgraffito line of pottery with intricate geometric designs that she carves BY HAND.

BY HAND PEOPLE!  Like I said, she’s amazing.

Another favorite piece that I have long admired is this pretty blue yarn bowl with a swirl cut out to keep your yarn from getting tangled.  I am not a knitter by any stretch of the imagination, but I know some knitters, and this would make an excellent gift.  Actually, light bulb!  Christmas gifts here I come.

I may not have yarn balls to contain but I do have silverware, and this vase trio is SO cute!  I love the shape and color of this super unique silverware holder.

Since Karan is a breast cancer survivor, she also makes mugs and jewelry with the classic pink ribbon, which has become the universal symbol for cancer-free boobies.

When I saw that her pretty pink ribbon coffee mug had been featured in a Fight for the Cause breast cancer awareness etsy treasury, I decided to reach out to her and ask if she would like to donate one of her hand made breast cancer awareness mugs for a giveaway here at Unskinny Boppy.  And she said YES!  I love Karan. You would love her too, I have no doubt.

Doesn’t this mug look like it would be so cozy to snuggle up with on a cool autumn night?  It’s even got the thumbgripper thingie that makes for an excellent mug, in my opinion.  All of her mugs have them.

Her breast cancer awareness mugs are signed on the bottom by Karan, along with the inscription “BELIEVE”.  Karan says “For me, I know that it was my Faith, Family, and Friends that got me through my showdown with breast cancer.”  Amen, sister.

The mug has a steel gray glaze with a a pink interior and pink ribbon that Karan hand-stamped onto the front with a hand carved stamp. Did I mention she does all of this BY HAND?  I love the way the bottom of the mug is turned out just a little bit like a teapot. It’s all pretty and ladylike and pink on the inside, but a tough as steel grey on the outside.  Perfection.

If you don’t win the giveaway, consider purchasing one of these mugs for yourself or a friend.  The best part? Karan donates $15 of every mug sale to breast cancer research, education, and/or awareness. She says, “As a survivor, I am thrilled to make something of beauty which shows support for such a worthy cause!”  For this giveaway, I am donating $15.00 to the cause as well.  If YOU donate to the cause, it will score you one entry into the drawing.  It’s not a mandatory entry, but every donation will help!

So, who is ready to win one of these pretty lady mugs?

~~~~ GIVEAWAY INFORMATION ~~~~
There are several ways that you can enter this giveaway, and I will be using a Rafflecopter for the drawing.
One of the entries will be to make a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  In order to track donations better, I’ve set up a firstgiving donation page.  This is not a mandatory entry, but ANY dollar amount would be very much appreciated. Here is a link to the First Giving Page. Be sure to come back here and enter your name to get credit for your entry.

The giveaway will start tonight and be open until Wednesday, October 10th, 2012 at midnight EST.
Giveaway is open to US addresses only. (My apologies to my Canadian friends.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was not given any money or freebies in exchange for this post.  This is a giveaway for the readers, by a reader.  All my opinions about my friend are very much my own.  She makes these things BY HAND, PEOPLE!  She’s awesome.