Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Etsy Treasury
In keeping with the post below, about keeping awareness up, I managed to grab an Etsy Treasury yesterday - two guesses what the focus was.
All of the wonderful Etsy Artists featured in this treasury are either donating a good chunk of each sale to one of the various relief organizations in Haiti - or they have listed specific items which are designated for 100% of the proceeds will go to Haiti.
Check it out if you get a chance - there are some stunning pieces.
All of the wonderful Etsy Artists featured in this treasury are either donating a good chunk of each sale to one of the various relief organizations in Haiti - or they have listed specific items which are designated for 100% of the proceeds will go to Haiti.
Check it out if you get a chance - there are some stunning pieces.
Have a Heart for Haiti - New Hearts Going up on Etsy
Over time the media will start to focus their attention on other World events & slowly the awareness of what is happening in Haiti will dwindle. Yet there will still be so very much that needs doing in the long run.
I hope people don't start numbing to it too quickly & that the awareness & peoples efforts stay strong for a long time yet to come.
Three more Heats listed tonight in my Etsy store
I hope people don't start numbing to it too quickly & that the awareness & peoples efforts stay strong for a long time yet to come.
Three more Heats listed tonight in my Etsy store
Heart#9
Heart #10
Heart #11
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Things That Make you Go 'Hmmmm'
Some glasses, that upon first impressions were pretty ordinary (read - not at all what I expected), sometimes can later grow on you.
The Double Helix Hematinone glasses come under this category.
There are some truly stunning colours in this set that I haven't seen in any other glass.
The Double Helix Hematinone glasses come under this category.
There are some truly stunning colours in this set that I haven't seen in any other glass.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Some Things Bring a Smile
A few months back I had the privilidge of giving a couple of 'Introduction' type lessons to a student, Mandy.
I must confess that it was really a matter of her watching me for a few minutes after a bit of a pep talk, then me leaving her to discover glass for herself while staying close if she needed help.
Mandy has set herself up with a Hot Head torch & some tools....& of course the obligatory glass.
I showed some of her beads here a while back, & last week I got some more of Mandy's beads to batch anneal.
Boy was I impressed, this lady is a natural!
I'm going to miss seeing these when she gets her own kiln. It's heart warming to watch her progress, & of course wonderful to have someone to talk 'glass' with.
I must confess that it was really a matter of her watching me for a few minutes after a bit of a pep talk, then me leaving her to discover glass for herself while staying close if she needed help.
Mandy has set herself up with a Hot Head torch & some tools....& of course the obligatory glass.
I showed some of her beads here a while back, & last week I got some more of Mandy's beads to batch anneal.
Boy was I impressed, this lady is a natural!
I'm going to miss seeing these when she gets her own kiln. It's heart warming to watch her progress, & of course wonderful to have someone to talk 'glass' with.
Mandy's Beads
Friday, January 22, 2010
Have a Heart for Haiti - Two More
Hearts #7 & #8 will be listed on Etsy by Saturday night.
Heart #7
Heart #8
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Have a Heart for Haiti - Heart # 6
Heart #6 in Gaffer's Blue Chalcedony is listed on Etsy now
Heart #6
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Have a Heart For Haiti - "The Action"
This morning I woke up to the sale of two hearts on top of a substantial Etsy order.
I have to say it felt better than Christmas - 100 times better.
Just knowing that I can do something that in some small way will help alleviate the suffering & loss, either now or in the future when people start to rebuild their lives is immensely humbling.
Two more hearts will be going up tonight. I'd like to try & keep a minimum of three listed on Etsy.
I need to make time to get some made & listed on my website.
Funds Raised to date: US$57.38
I have to say it felt better than Christmas - 100 times better.
Just knowing that I can do something that in some small way will help alleviate the suffering & loss, either now or in the future when people start to rebuild their lives is immensely humbling.
Two more hearts will be going up tonight. I'd like to try & keep a minimum of three listed on Etsy.
I need to make time to get some made & listed on my website.
Funds Raised to date: US$57.38
Heart #4
Heart #5
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Have A Heart for Haiti - Bead Number Three is Listed
The third bead is up on Etsy, so I am meeting my target so far of one bead per day.
Of course it would be even better if they sold. I've upped the ante & decided to also contribute 20% of the profit of all sales through my Etsy store.
I spent some time on the phone to World Vision today, just checking out a couple of things. Being absolutely certain that any donations were definitely going to go to Haiti was top on my priority list. I was thrilled to be assured that they would & that World Vision would send out a receipt stating so for all donations made.
The nice young chap that I spoke to was telling me how their phones have rung non-stop since the earthquake hit the news & that, in New Zealand, private donations from individuals have reached $60,000.00 in the first 24 hours, & along with corporate donations they now stand at $215,000. for the World Visions Earthquake Relief.
I was also thrilled to hear that some of the money raised from the 40 Hour Famine that Gabriela took part in last year has gone towards helping the victims in Haiti, $150,000. of it to be precise. It's great to know that our young people have also been able to help with this tragedy.
Apparently World Vision staff in Haiti have also been able to start handing out supplies. Their first large shipment has safely landed, & more supplies are now arriving daily. They started distributing water, clothing & hygiene kits last Saturday.
There is still a very long way to go.
Of course it would be even better if they sold. I've upped the ante & decided to also contribute 20% of the profit of all sales through my Etsy store.
I spent some time on the phone to World Vision today, just checking out a couple of things. Being absolutely certain that any donations were definitely going to go to Haiti was top on my priority list. I was thrilled to be assured that they would & that World Vision would send out a receipt stating so for all donations made.
The nice young chap that I spoke to was telling me how their phones have rung non-stop since the earthquake hit the news & that, in New Zealand, private donations from individuals have reached $60,000.00 in the first 24 hours, & along with corporate donations they now stand at $215,000. for the World Visions Earthquake Relief.
I was also thrilled to hear that some of the money raised from the 40 Hour Famine that Gabriela took part in last year has gone towards helping the victims in Haiti, $150,000. of it to be precise. It's great to know that our young people have also been able to help with this tragedy.
Apparently World Vision staff in Haiti have also been able to start handing out supplies. Their first large shipment has safely landed, & more supplies are now arriving daily. They started distributing water, clothing & hygiene kits last Saturday.
There is still a very long way to go.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Have a Heart for Haiti - "The Plan"
Monday I spent checking out all of the charity organizations that will be active in Haiti. Not as easy as you may think. I wanted a Christian based charity, one that was global, one that had an established presence in Haiti &, of course, one that you could specifically tag donations to go to Haiti.
I chose World Vision as it was important to me to have an agency that already has a team in Haiti ready to act now. That is what the people there need, immediate help & support.
World Vision has had a presence in the region for 30 years & already have 800 staff there, 18.1 metric tonnes of supplies due, hopefully landed by now and more of their global emergency relief team are on the way.
My plan is to list at least one heart per day. Ultimately I would like to make (& hopefully sell) two hearts per day until at least the end of the first week in February.
100% (after the Etsy/Paypal fees) of the profit will go to World Vision. I'll make the donation to World Vision once a week. Postage will be the cost of the shipping with no charge for packaging etc.
I've tried to calculate the price of the beads so that World Vision will end up getting a minimum of US$15.00, after the fees, per bead sold.
I will show a running total of the beads sold, amount raised & donated so far in my Etsy Shop Announcement, my Website & here on my Blog.
Without further ado - Bead #2
Have a Heart For Haiti - "The Idea"
As Kiwi's, it is so very easy to distance ourselves from the Natural Disasters that happen around the world.
Down here in the down under of Down Under, it's as simple as not watching the evening news, or bypassing your homepage on a daily basis should it be one that shows news headlines. I will freely admit that I'm guilty of that, telling myself that there is so much negativity & that I'll start watching again when the news starts reports at least some positive content, instead of all doom & gloom.
But there comes a time when you can't ignore it. In recent years there have been a few too many of those times.... natural disasters of monumental proportions happening right after Christmas. When you have been sitting here bemoaning the lack of any real summer, or feeling sorry for yourself because you dont have a car to drive any more, or that the neighbours have absolutely no consideration for others because they think it's OK to have their sub woofer thudding it's irritating beat into your home all hours of the day & night, something such as the absolute devastation that the Haitian Earthquake has caused, can make you take a step back & look at what really is important.
I have to say it really puts things into perspective.
Quiet frankly times are tough....everywhere. When times are hard it becomes all to convenient to take the easy way out by saying to yourself "but what difference will the little I can afford to give, make". The voice in your head whispers back "but if everyone thought that way, all those little amounts would never get to be a big amount that CAN make a difference".
In short, a couple of days ago I was thinking of a response to an email I'd received from a friend, & I had an idea. I suspect that it had been quietly brewing for a while, but the school holidays have dulled my senses somewhat ;o)
I'd recently been looking at lampwork hearts on one of the glass forums, which offered a spectacular display with everyone getting into gear for Valentines Day.
I enjoy looking at all of the beautiful glass hearts & all of the different ways that the many talented lampworkers create them, but I have never really been called to make them. I'd even visited the "One World, One Heart" project trying to find the incentive & had thought about joining that & perhaps trying to make a couple of hearts to give away here on my blog, but decided that I wasn't really that fussed on making them at all. I'm not sure why, perhaps it is just because I didn't have a good enough reason ...until now.
Then on Saturday night it hit me, I could make hearts to sell in my Etsy store & donate all of the proceeds to a Charity organization that was active in providing emergency relief in Haiti.
Sunday's torch session was spent trying to figure out how to make presentable hearts & I managed three that will see the light of day!
Here is Heart #1 - no names for these listings, just numbers so that it makes it easy for everyone to keep track. It will be up on Etsy shortly, but watch for the next blog post for more information.
Down here in the down under of Down Under, it's as simple as not watching the evening news, or bypassing your homepage on a daily basis should it be one that shows news headlines. I will freely admit that I'm guilty of that, telling myself that there is so much negativity & that I'll start watching again when the news starts reports at least some positive content, instead of all doom & gloom.
But there comes a time when you can't ignore it. In recent years there have been a few too many of those times.... natural disasters of monumental proportions happening right after Christmas. When you have been sitting here bemoaning the lack of any real summer, or feeling sorry for yourself because you dont have a car to drive any more, or that the neighbours have absolutely no consideration for others because they think it's OK to have their sub woofer thudding it's irritating beat into your home all hours of the day & night, something such as the absolute devastation that the Haitian Earthquake has caused, can make you take a step back & look at what really is important.
I have to say it really puts things into perspective.
Quiet frankly times are tough....everywhere. When times are hard it becomes all to convenient to take the easy way out by saying to yourself "but what difference will the little I can afford to give, make". The voice in your head whispers back "but if everyone thought that way, all those little amounts would never get to be a big amount that CAN make a difference".
In short, a couple of days ago I was thinking of a response to an email I'd received from a friend, & I had an idea. I suspect that it had been quietly brewing for a while, but the school holidays have dulled my senses somewhat ;o)
I'd recently been looking at lampwork hearts on one of the glass forums, which offered a spectacular display with everyone getting into gear for Valentines Day.
I enjoy looking at all of the beautiful glass hearts & all of the different ways that the many talented lampworkers create them, but I have never really been called to make them. I'd even visited the "One World, One Heart" project trying to find the incentive & had thought about joining that & perhaps trying to make a couple of hearts to give away here on my blog, but decided that I wasn't really that fussed on making them at all. I'm not sure why, perhaps it is just because I didn't have a good enough reason ...until now.
Then on Saturday night it hit me, I could make hearts to sell in my Etsy store & donate all of the proceeds to a Charity organization that was active in providing emergency relief in Haiti.
Sunday's torch session was spent trying to figure out how to make presentable hearts & I managed three that will see the light of day!
Here is Heart #1 - no names for these listings, just numbers so that it makes it easy for everyone to keep track. It will be up on Etsy shortly, but watch for the next blog post for more information.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)