what’s your business: Angry One…greeting cards and apparel that empower people to say the things that they been thinking but have had a hard time getting out. The whole basis for the company is to remind people to stand up for themselves and demand the respect that anyone deserves. Many times easier said than done so if you can’t say it live send a card or wear an Angry One shirt and let that person that what they did or how they treated you was unacceptable. Get your point across so you can get it out and let it go. It’s the ‘other side of angry’ meaning that everyone can identify with being angry, it’s what you do with it that counts. Why not tell that person that made you mad how they affected you so hopefully think about it and avoid doing the same thing again in the future.

how did you come up with it? I was fed up with how I was being treated and listening to my friends talk about how they were being treated. I wanted to come up with a creative way to call people out and do so using humor…it’s a lot easier to deal with the tough situations when you mix in some humor.

how long has it been going on? I had the idea about 4-5 years ago and finally had the inspiration to move forward with it and make it a reality in February of this year.

what is your favorite design? One of my favorite sayings out of all my cards is: ‘Don’t simply apologize…change your behavior’ because it applies to so many situations. As far as the t-shirts go I really like the ‘Respect is earned” design that is on the long sleeve super soft tees.

what is the best feedback you’ve recieved? Best feedback that I recently got from a store owner that was a little wary to put them in her store: “ I love being wrong about making money…people loved your cards”

why are you so angry? I’m not really angry and I’ve learned that it’s a lot better to tell people how I really feel than to try and sugar coat an issue.I’m a straight forward kind of person and have never been good at reading between the lines. I hope I can help people by giving them a constructive outlet for their frustration so they can open the lines of communication with whomever their upset with and get it out in the open. It’s always apparent when someone connects with one of my cards and they smile thinking about the person that the card they just read applies to. Some people buy my cards to send to the person they’re angry with and some people buy my cards for a reminder to respect themselves first and what to avoid in the future.

why do you want to be a part of the bizzare bazaar? The Bizarre Bazaar is an excellent way to raise money for people with cancer while being able to show some of my new designs along with other awesome local designers. Plus it’s free cocktails, eats and music in an amazing venue…what could be better?

I’ll post interviews with each artist and designer here, in the coming week. Read it and make a list of who you can get gifts for this year at the event!

First up is Rachel, of Imagine One Photography:

Who are you? My name is Rachel and I take photographs and design jewelry. I could get deeper here but didn’t want to go all myspace on you.

Tell us about your photography: Simple. I try to express the beauty and uniqueness of everyday life. I prefer to go out and find things, places and events of interest instead of creating them.

Why is photography important to you? It is accessible to everyone. It is a way to express your own vision of the world and a way to document life. A Fine Art photograph and a snapshot of friends, family or a pet are equally wonderful to me.

What do you love about being a photographer? When I’m behind the lens I lose myself completely. Everything else fades away and it’s just me and the image in the lens. It’s very freeing.

When did you first become interested in photography? Seems like my whole life. My first camera was a tiny Kodak 110 when I was 12. I couldn’t put it down and spent all my after school job money on film.

Where can we find your work? At this moment it’s usually at local festivals and of course at my website www.imagineonebyrachel.com . You can also find my work on the walls of all my friends, their friends and our families.

Why did you want to be a part of “The Bizarre Bazaar”? My best friend’s 29 year old niece has colon cancer. Her name is Missy and she is the mother of 3 beautiful small children. It is a very difficult struggle for her and for all of us who love her. It allows me to help in some small way.

They are dedicated to curing cancer through funding patient-centered clinical studies that make an impact on those battling cancer. Now. Not 10 years from now. NOW.

Gateway provides funding for conventional, integrative and complementary phase I and phase II cancer research studies done by some of the most pioneering researchers from around the world.

Why did I choose to partner with them? Here’s why:

• Gateway focuses on cancer research that can have an impact on cancer patients today as well as 10 years down the road. The type of research we fund bridges the gap between the laboratory and other larger studies, keeping cancer research progressing toward a cure.
• Gateway ONLY provides funding for cancer research (not outreach, education, etc.), which assures a focused, immediate impact on patients.
• Gateway-funded research encompasses the most innovative applications of conventional therapies (chemotherapy, radiation and surgery) and the best in science-based complementary medicine (nutrition, biofeedback, psychoneuro-immunology, spiritual, etc).
• Gateway-funded research only supports clinically based studies that have passed the test tube stage, are ready to make a significant impact on cancer patients, and do not include use of laboratory animals.
• Thanks to the generous underwriting of daily operational expenses, Gateway is a charity where 99 cents of every dollar donated to Gateway funds cancer research. This ratio is unparalleled in any not-for-profit setting.

That’s right. 99 cents of every dollar donated funds cancer research. Have you ever stopped to check exactly how much of your donation actually goes directly to the cause you’re trying to support? More often than not, the better part of your dollar goes towards more marketing and ad campaigns, rather than directly to impacting those suffering from the disease. Marketing and ad campaigns can help spread the word, but they don’t directly help try to solve the problem.

If you are interested in more information on Gateway for Cancer Research, or donating directly to them, please visit their website at http://www.gatewayforcancerresearch.org/

and donate here: http://www.gatewayforcancerresearch.org/donations.cfm

What about free booze, food, and live local music to go with it?

Yeah, we thought so.

So, on the evening of Wednesday, December 10 from 7p-9p, at a private residence in Paradise Valley, (map below, too) you’ll get your wish.

At “The Bizarre Bazaar for Cancer”, you’ll find hilarious bags and shirts, awesome greeting cards and apparel, amazing photography, one-of-a-kind paintings and interactive works on canvas. All done by local artists and designers and available for purchase at this event.

But there’s a bigger reason for “The Bizarre Bazaar”; we’re raising money to help fight colon and ovarian cancers.

It’s a cause that is near and dear to me, as I have a friend and roommate from college that was diagnosed this past March with stage IV colon cancer. She’s 30 years old.

Like most of you that have been impacted in some way by this nasty disease, I feel totally helpless with her situation. So, for selfish reasons in wanting to feel less helpless, I decided I would raise money that could actually help her in this battle.

So here’s the skinny:

$5 suggested donation to get in the door, 100% of that going to the Gateway for Cancer Research (more on them in a future post).

Do some holiday shopping with local artists and designers.

Enjoy free beer, wine and great food, as well as live music by local musicians, at an incredible private residence in Paradise Valley.

Directions:

Follow us on Twitter at BizarreBazaar. Check back here for interviews with the featured artists and designers, information on exactly what your donation will do, and sponsors of this event.