WESTCOTT LIGHTING LAUNCHES LIGHTAPALOOZA 2013

Westcott, one of the worldʼs largest lighting and light modifier companies, today announced a lighting celebration like none other. Westcottʼs team is proud to announce the launch of Lightapalooza, an exciting year-long promotion for all lighting fanatics, creatives and photo enthusiasts. Thereʼll be giveaways galore featuring weekly contests, hundreds of prizes and one jaw-dropping Grand Prize valued over $15,000!
This collaborative contest aims to inform and inspire photographers about proper lighting techniques to take their skills and creations to the next level. Team Westcott and friends want to reverse stereotypes that lighting and green screen are a challenge through a variety of video tips, photography scenarios from top pros, and real deal reviews from everyday photographers like yourself.

Hereʼs how it works:
There will be weekly tips, reviews and contests of all sorts. Watch and enter these. Throughout the year, weekly prizes will be awarded along with 200 individual Golden Tickets. Then on December 31, 2013, each Golden Ticket will be entered into the Grand Prize drawing where one Westcott fanʼs life will be changed forever. 
The lucky Golden Ticket holder will shop-till-they-drop in aisles of gear and gadgets at Westcottʼs world headquarters, where everything is fair game up to $15,000! Choose from cutting-edge studio LEDs, Ice Lights, Apollo speedlite modifiers, hundreds of backdrops and more.
The celebration doesnʼt end there.
After the spree, the lucky Golden Ticket holder will be greeted by a Westcott Top Pro Photographer and learn hands-on how to use their new gear. Head into Westcottʼs studio for a professional fashion photo shoot, complete with model, wardrobe and makeup artist. Even more exciting, the entire experience will be shared with the world in a Live
web event.
Looking for the current contest? Check out the latest education and contest on http://lightapalooza2013.com/. Be sure to enter weekly for a chance to win prizes and that coveted Golden Ticket.
About FJ WestcottLocated just outside of Toledo, Ohio, with roots dating back to 1899, the F.J. Westcott Co. is currently a leading innovator of photo-video lighting solutions for professionals and enthusiasts.  We proudly team up with top industry pros to educate and inspire our customers throughout the globe through live shootout events, seminars and more.
Find Westcott OnlineVisit online: www.fjwestcott.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WestcottCo(@WestcottCo)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Westcott

National Scrapbook Day weekend crop

Crop and shop with The Robin's Nest to celebrate National Scrapbook Day and their 15th anniversary!  

Saturday, May 4th starting at 10:00am

through Sunday, May 5th at 10:00pm 

TERi Campus of Life
251 Airport Road
Oceanside, CA 92058

Every cropper will have 4 feet of table space, free access to tools, plus a commemorative 15th anniversary goodie bag from The Robin's Nest. Additional vendors will be announced soon, and we'll be looking for deals at local hotels for the out-of-towners - stay tuned.

Click here to register

$30 for one day; $50 for both days

And for those of you who can't be with us in person, we'll be webcasting live from the crop to share all the fun with you - more details to come!

This event will benefit the Charity Wings Art Center with proceeds going to TERi Inc., whose mission is to change the way the world sees people with autism and other developmental disabilities.

A special thank you to Jamie Dougherty for designing this wonderful NSD logo.

Clean your craft room and WIN!

Donate your excess craft supplies and you'll earn a free 3-month* Virtual Wings online membership to the Charity Wings Art Center. We will auction off your surplus loot on eBay as a fundraiser for the Art Center's charitable services....read on for details on how to participate.

Get started on your spring cleaning now...and before long, you'll end up with a pile of extra craft supplies (new and/or gently used) that you don't need, and probably some extra handmade projects, too...right?

So now you have just 3 steps to take and you'll earn 3 months' worth of fabulous Art Center membership benefits:

1. Take 10 really great photos of your surplus loot. Zoom in there to show us the yummy details! 

2.  Email your pics, a list of items (detailed is better), and tell us where you are willing to ship (US only, global, UK only, etc.) to info@charitywings.org

3.  Shortly after the auction ends, we'll email your lucky bidder's address to you so you can ship your loot directly to them. 

You get a clean craft room and membership benefits for 3 whole months, and the Art Center gets funding to serve our charities. Win and win!

But wait...there's always more! Three lucky spring cleaners will win a full 1-year online membership, plus one of them will also win some fabulous crafty prizes in a random drawing.

So join us for a little spring cleaning for a good cause - and send us some before and after pictures of your craft space so we can feature your amazing feat of do-gooderness on our blog.

* A credit card is required (but not billed) to register for your free three months.You can cancel your membership at the end of your free period; otherwise your membership will continue at the rate of $10 per month, billed to your credit card on file. You will receive an email reminder when your free period is about to expire. Current members will receive a 3-month credit to their account.

Jamie Dougherty Art Raffle and Party Arty Livestream TODAY!

Today is the big Party Arty with Jamie Dougherty at Thorn Street Brewery and even if you can't be there in person, you can still participate.  We have a livestream from the event starting at 5 pm PST/8 pm EST AND you can have the chance to win some gorgeous Jamie Dougherty 13 by 19 inch prints (pictured above and below)  that we'll be raffling off at the party.

"Dreaming in Color"

A Little Hope

"Just a Dreamer"

Purchase your raffle tickets here:

Number of Tickets

1 Ticket $5.00 USD 5 Tickets $20.00 USD

Which print do you want?

Ticket sales close at 7 pm PST/10 pm EST

Log in here at 5 pm PST/8 pm EST for the live stream: http://linqto.com/rooms/charitywings

Thank you for supporting the Charity Wings Art Center! 

Scrappin’ Escapes

Back when we were called Scrapbook Royalty we held lots of crops every year! Then we expanded to Charity Wings and we kind of lost our cropping mojo!  But we are ready to crop with y'all again! So come joins us for some fun!

March 1-3, 2013 We will be joining Scrappin' Escapes for a fun mini class and fairy fly by on Saturday during their 3 day retreat.  There is still room and Jessica is offering special pricing just for Charity Wings supporters!

Double Room Occupancy $200 per person
Triple Room Occupancy $175.00 per person
Quad Room Occupancy $150.00 per person
Day Cropper Rate $100.00 all 3 days
register HERE
Use the discount code: WINGS

Come join us for some fun!

Craftcation: Indie Business & DIY Conference

Are you ready to join one of the best indie business & DIY conferences of 2013? Craftcation is a four -day event with top industry professionals who will lead you in workshops, panel discussions and Q&A sessions for business, art, craft, and food. This is an event that you can't miss! 

Crafty Chica is the keynote speaker for this year's conference. And Elena will be there to mingle and talk about the Charity Wings Art Center.Make sure to find Elena to get your free Wing Art Button. 

Find out more information HERE!  Hurry – registration closes March 1st!

Hope for Hurricane Sandy Victims: The Need Continues

It may have been three months since Hurricane Sandy ravaged New York and New Jersey but the need for help continues.  I took my first trip to New York City last summer and I fell in love with it.  It breaks my heart to think of any part of the city being destroyed by the hurricane; but even more, it breaks my heart to think of people…of families who have lost their homes and their livelihoods throughout New York and New Jersey because of the storm. 

One of the areas still struggling to make repairs is the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan – my favourite part of the city!  According to an article in the New York Times, the retail area of Pier 17 and the South Street Seaport Museum are fully functional again but the rest of the area are shuttered.  Apartments remain uninhabitable as the electrical systems and boilers continue to be in disrepair, the South Ferry subway station was so badly damaged that it has been “closed indefinitely”, and many businesses still don’t have phone service or the ability to process credit cards. 

On Staten Island, around 300 buildings still have no power or heat.  Another 200 can’t be lived in because they were either completely destroyed or are deemed structurally unsound.   “There’s one little old lady who’s living in mold and won’t come out and has a sign on her door that says, ‘I’m O.K.,’ ” Ms. Troia said. “That person’s a cause for concern.”  (from New York Times) 

Others, in New York Public Housing, report continued problems of no heat, no running water, no electricity, no elevators, mold, and backed up toilets.  There are elderly residents trapped on upper floors, relying on others to bring them food and water.  Complaints of invasions of water bugs, cockroaches, and mice abound. 

The stories of devastation go on and on.  As I sit in my comfortable house with a full belly of food, my dog curled up on my lap, watching TV and hanging out on the internet, I don’t think I can even come close to imagining what the victims of Hurricane Sandy have been through – what some continue to go through.  I remember that big blackout of a few years back and going without power or air conditioning for 48 hours – I thought that was unbearable and yet, it’s nothing to compare with what many Hurricane Sandy victims are still enduring, three months later. 

We can help them.  You and I.  A group of artists gathered together to create Hope for Hurricane Sandy – the beautiful piece of art pictured above.  We’re selling prints of this stunning work and the money goes to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Won’t you buy a print and help us to help them?  They still need us. 

UPDATE:  We have donated $389.55 from the sales of the “Hope for Hurricane Sandy” print to Occupy Sandy Recovery.  I urge you to visit their website for more information about the great need for continued help in the relief effort.  http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/

Cyn

We Went on a Prima ArtVenture!

Recently, Charity Wings was invited to take part in Prima’s ArtVenture art retreat and we had a fabulous time.  There was so much to do and some much creativity being shared. Elena designed a beautiful necklace for a make ‘n’ take.

Here’s Jackie with her pieces – she made some for her friends!  Prima generously allowed everyone to do as many of the make ‘n’ takes as they wanted and Jackie sure did!

Besides the make ‘n’ take, we got to host a beautiful auction to benefit the Charity Wings Art Center.  Participants in the retreat as well as our followers on Facebook were able to take part in this auction and we raised nearly $900!!!!!!  WOOHOO!

Check out some of the amazing auction pieces below! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much to Prima and to all of you for your support – with your help the Charity Wings Art Center is becoming a reality!