The New Girl!

Hello to all you wonderful crafters! My name is Heidi Sterrett, and I am the newest "Blogger Extraordinaire" here at CharityWings. I am 30 (just turned the first week of March, and am still getting my brain wrapped around that!), and I live in West Palm Beach, Florida. A little about me, and what brought me to CharityWings; I adore anything creative and crafty. I also happen to have Lupus, and that being the case I'm unable to work full time. I was looking for something fun that I could dedicate some of my time to, and also have a good time doing. I came across something about CharityWings on a craft blog, went to the site, and thought they were a cool organization. Long story short, here I am! As I mentioned before, I love to do anything creative or crafty. This includes Scrapbooking, art journaling, Project Life, photography, jewelry making, and knitting. I find I am a much happier and better me if I am doing something creative, and if that happens to include giving back, then all the better! I am really looking forward to this new adventure wirh CharityWings and getting to know you, the readers. Please feel free to write me or comment on my blogs, and I will comment back! I also hope to meet some of you at the CharityWings events! Here's to new adventures, pretty crafts, and an amazing 2012! For the Love of All Things Crafty! Heidi

Reader Highlight - Crop for a Cause: Making MS a Memory

As many of you know, my way of supporting Charity Wings from Chicago is by volunteering my time to blog about their causes and their great sponsors.

I've been blogging with Charity Wings since about 2010 (time flies!), and I've had the chance to hear from so many of you.  One of our readers, Margie Fugii Higuchi, who lives near me told me a about a great crop she participated in that raises funds for Multiple Sclerosis.  The 6th Annual Crop for a Cause: Making MS a Memory took place last weekend and it was a huge success.

This is Margie and I meeting face to face for the first time!

I was tickled to find out that the main coordinator of the event, Laura Machonis had actually volunteered for Charity Wings herself two years ago at CHA in Chicago. What a small world!

I know that Laura is not our only active reader, so please let us know if you're having an event that we can showcase!  It's always amazing to see how incredibly talented our members are, and it's even better when we can be a small part of it!  I got to benefit from the goodies you'll see below!

The event had an outstanding group of volunteers, giveaways, raffles and silent auctions.  And don't even get me started on the funny, fantastic and friendly group of participants.  Yup - they get the Triple F for FUN!

Superstar Volunteers

Goodie bags filled with so much stuff!

Free massages from Olympia - a five year sponsor of the event

this is only a PORTION of the raffles and silent auction items

Now for the drum roll for total funds raised......

$18,431.01

Congratulations to Crop for a Cause....may your efforts continue growing to the point where you never have to host another crop for MS.  With efforts like yours, MS will one day be nothing more than a Memory!

Crafting for a Cure

As you know, we at Charity Wings love to highlight the incredible work that others are doing.  This quarter, we want to introduce you to Crafting for a Cure.

Crafting for a Cure is a Canadian-based agency (because our readers are global - yay!) who strives to make "scary" hospital visits for kids into a positive experience.  They focus a lot of their scope of work on crafting with kids.  Let's face it...many of us use art as therapeutic release, so it makes absolute sense that children, who are in the most creative phase of human life, would thrive and respond to this type of programming. 

Here's a little more from their website about what they do and how you can support.  Click on their logo above to visit their webpage!

Through product donations, we create and supply craft-kits that are currently used in Emergency rooms, clinic treatment rooms and operating waiting rooms. These craft-kits are used as a fun creative distraction to help pass the time. We also supply other crafts, toys, DVD's and teen appropriate gifts to the children in the hospital. We donate these to the hospitals to be used as an incentive program for the children, example - if the child needs to brush their teeth, walk, eat their food or just smile. 

Help Crafting for a Cure by sending supplies. Here is a list of what they may need: 

• Stickers - new in package please
• Boondoggle /  gimp
• Melting beads
• Wooden stuff to paint - frames
• Pillow cases
• Craft Kits
• Crayons
• Markers
• Colored Pencils

Cash Instead of Coffee UPDATE

CA$H Instead of Coffee

- By Rina Gonzales

Just over a week ago Elena posted on the Charity Wings Club T.L.C. Facebook Wall that she wanted to fundraiser for the tornado relief efforts.  I replied that we ought to have a “forgo your lattes” and ask for $10 donations with a specific target dollar goal.  Immediately Elena went into action to advertise a “Cash Instead of Coffee” Fundraiser (insert logo and link to page ) and within a few hours we were advertising and the donations were flooding in.

I am somewhat new to Charity Wings, but I am excited to be part of a group that is so “take charge” and seeks immediate results like the “Cash Instead of Coffee” Fundraiser.  Fundraisers such as this are great because of the immediacy, the news channel reports of devastation and apparent needs make you want to provide help if called upon (and I did just that by sending emails and asking colleagues to help with their $10 donations).  I am proud that within 7 days Charity Wings raised over $1,000 to send to AmeriCares – a relief effort that provides items such as bottled water, medical aid and other supplies to the tornado victims.  

         

I’m excited to see all the various ways that Charity Wings fundraises --- from this tornado fundraiser - to eBay Auctions where craft companies donate awesome new release products – to craft events and also membership in Club T.L.C.   There are tremendous opportunities to anyone wanting to get involved – and I’m so glad I did!!!  So Elena --- what’s next?  

Rina Gonzales is the Twitter Girl for Charity Wings and is a scrapbook fanatic.  Follow Rina’s crafty life on her Mothership Scrapbook Gal Blog or her Facebook Page and on Twitter at @CharityWings.

Cash Instead of Coffee Campaign

WE HAVE RAISED OVER $570!

Cash Instead

of Coffee

Campaign

Forgo that latte and donate to the victims of the 50 tornadoes that ripped through 10 states and affected 17 million Americans.

WE ARE FUNDRAISING TILL SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT.

We need your help to reach our goal of $1000
click here to donate and learn more.

Excerpt from Elena's Letter in this week's newsletter:

"There is nothing more compelling to me than a person in need. So you know 17 million people being affected by 50 tornadoes that ripped through 10 states is going to get me motivated.

Just for a moment...

Imagine having your home turned to rubble in seconds, having a loved one carried away by massive winds, or being crushed by flying debris.

Some people don't have to imagine....

This is the reason that Charity Wings is not dedicated to one cause. We are dedicated to any cause that our community can help. We always try to put a call out to the generous crafters, scrapbookers, and artists that we reach whenever a disaster happens and this is definitely a disaster. Please help me reach a goal of $1000 to donate to Americares for ground relief efforts for the tornado victims. They are delivering, bottled water to shelters and homes that are without running water, securing donations of hundreds of doses of tetanus vaccine, preparing a shipment of respirator masks and much more needed relief."

Charity Wings at CHA - Terri Sproul and Robin's Nest

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A MALE PERSPECTIVE ON CHA

My name is Paul and even though my time with Charity Wings has been short so far, it has definitely been an eye-opening experience. My journey with the Wings started when I photographed Wing Art for their website (which is still a work in progress…ahh hmmmm …Sarah :P) But I’ve recently joined the team as a Marketing Intern, which is really exciting! Afterphotographing the Wing Art, I could tell how passionate some of these crafters/artists are, but I still had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into.

But after I attended CHA 2012 in Anaheim, I really learned what Charity Wings is a part of. Being a guy in this female dominated world, it was interesting to see how the artists turned ordinary material into everyday art. Throughout the event, I saw some amazing pieces (and a lot of “what is that suppose to be” pieces…but shhhh, we don’t talk about such things :P) During the interviews, I realized how dedicated these people are to their craft. For example, one woman loves scrapbooking so much that she scrapbooks her vacations DURING her vacations. Even bringing her own portable photo printer. Now that’s what I call dedication because I could never do that…on account of my laziness lol.

One of the things that struck me most is how expensive some of products are. Honestly, when you get into scrapbooking or mixed media, its really seems like a life investment. But hey, art is an expression and a sort of mental release/relaxation. Sometimes it’s worth the splurge.

Although most of the products aren’t something I would personally invest in myself, they were definitely awesome to see in action. Like Copic pens, for instance, it was incredible how it could be a pen but also transform itself into a sort of spray paint.

Reminds me of the blow pens from my childhood…but not as cool.

Even the Ice Resin booth had so many interesting items to look at. Honestly, it seemed like they could put resin on anything and turn it into an art piece. One lady even took a dead moth and poured resin into it to make a necklace. Wearing dead insects isn’t my thing, but if its yours, hey, this is definitely a unique way to do it. LOL

At CHA, almost everything was a new experience for me, but it was a positive one nonetheless. Every volunteer at Charity Wings was so nice and inviting (maybe cause I was the only male volunteer :P). It really made the long workdays bearable. Now if I ever have a crafting emergency, I have a few people that I can call on HAHAH.