{Photo credit :: Bella Gioielli}

We just wrapped up Project 6, benefiting the Orphan Foundation’s Red Scarf Program. What an incredible response with over 420 scarves collected! I was able to see a few of them on flickr and through my email, but will contact them to see if we can get some photos of the piles of scarves. Thank you all so very much for clicking those needles and making red scarves. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You can see a few Craft Hope superstars rockin’ the red scarves above! Thank you ladies. You look fabulous!! To see their awesome photo shoot, go to our flickr group. Pretty funny.

{Photo credit :: Hollis Queen}

A red and aqua photo, I couldn’t resist. Look at all of those beautiful red scarves.

Our next project will be announced very soon.

And without further ado, GORGEOUS pictures from Carin at Margaret’s Hope Chest. Here are your quilts from Project 5!!!

Look at those sweet faces. Wrapped in LOVE.

Friends, thank you. Your willingness to give when called upon humbles me and brings me to tears. Every. Single. Time.

Sarah again. I’m writing to you today from the happy place of having posted most items and notified shippers of nearly all sales. I can’t tell you how good that feels after days of having hundreds of unread emails full of generous offers and even more notifications of excited buyers. As I look back over the last several days, the picture of a snake eating an elephant keeps coming to mind – where the snake thinks it is eating the elephant’s tail, discovers it is consuming the whole elephant, and slowly works back down to the trunk. I am happy to announce that we have made our way to the trunk of the elephant. There are still some great things in the shop. If you’re all shopped out, then please pass the word to your friends, your neighbors, your Facebook and Twitter networks. We’d love to see all items sold. We have a few more treasure to add over the next few days, so keep paying attention!

I think my kids are pretty excited that I’m doing things like making dinner again (or not, since last night’s dinner was not a big hit). Working on the Craft Hope store has been a joy and an incredibly rewarding experience,  but I’m ready to get back to making things myself! Once we open the new version of the shop, we will be able to maintain it and still have lives. Systems are a good thing, people. Never forget it like we did in all of our excitement and desire to help right NOW.

Some housekeeping notes:

1. I am finishing up the sale notifications from the last 3 days that were difficult for my lovely volunteer – my mother – to locate, despite her organized, and persistent nature. If you are a donating seller and you have not heard from me regarding a sale, please contact me at sarah (at) crafthope.com rather than by leaving a comment on the blog. I will have your information to you quickly. I am also auditing the Etsy sales data and verifying that each item has an accompanying notice to the donating seller. Please communicate with your buyers when you ship the item so they know their order has been processed. You have all been so generous in giving of your talents and time and I can’t thank you enough.

2. Buyers – please email me if you have not had contact with the selling donor by the end of this week (January 30). Most items should be shipped by tomorrow, and I know that hundreds of them are already out the door. If you have not received a PDF pattern or printable that you purchased, then please contact me immediately at sarah (at) crafthope.com so I can make that happen for you. Leaving feedback at http://crafthope.etsy.com is a very helpful way of letting us know that you have received your item. Also, as Paypal reviews our account (which they are doing due to the sudden high volume) they do check feedback as proof that buyers are receiving items. If you receive the wrong item or the wrong quantity of items, please email me immediately so I can track down the right item and make sure everyone has what they ordered. In the event that your item simply does not show up, then your money will be refunded. Mishaps, unfortunately, are inevitable with this volume of sales and number of sellers. I’m asking in advance for your patience and understanding as we sort through whatever problems may arise. Thank you all for your purchases and your understanding as we work through this process.

3. As of yesterday, we have raised over $27,000 for Doctors Without Borders. I am working with them and Paypal to efficiently transfer the funds to them in the next few days. I am still astonished at what we have all accomplished together. We should never ever underestimate the power of the crafting community to make things happen.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you have done. We could never have done it without all of your enthusiastic support and giving and love.

Sarah

Although the listing and management of the shop can be exhausting. We are having a wonderful time behind the scenes. Admiring your donations and timing how quick certain items will sell. A beautiful quilt, pictured below, sold in all of THREE MINUTES!

So we wanted to just catch you up on what’s going on. First and foremost, Project 6 is still happening! We are still making red scarves so please join us. Please leave a comment in the Project 6 post if you would like to participate. Many of you are new to Craft Hope and this is what we do. We have projects where we make things and send them to deserving organizations. You can see the list of projects we have done in the sidebar. Join us!

As of this morning we have raised just over $20,000 for Doctors Without Borders, 1,155 sales, and currently have over 155 items for sale in the shop. We have approximately 300 more listings to add to the shop. Please do not be confused and think the shop is closed. We are OPEN for business. We just need to take a two week break to get a more formal system in place for accepting donations. Please spread the word that you can support Doctors Without Borders by shopping in the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop.

We will continue listing these items to the shop throughout the week. Once they are all listed, we will continue to process purchases. No rest for the weary right!?!

If you are a seller, please allow 2-3 days to get your buyers address. I know you all are such amazing sellers. You have donated your time and things you could actually get money for. THANK YOU. Know that the buyer understands that it is going to take a few days for us to get the information to you. Sarah has got her mom on board and between the two of them they are getting these out as quick as humanly possible. Seriously folks, our entire team is working around the clock. And our families have all been recruited into the process.

We will begin accepting donations again in TWO WEEKS! In the meantime, shop until your heart is content! And start whipping up new things to add to the shop. The need in Haiti is not going to let up anytime soon. If you follow Doctors Without Borders on Twitter you can read stories and see photos of what our donations do for them in Haiti.

A HUGE welcome to those of you who have come to us through Twitter, Facebook, the thousands of blogs, Canadian Living, Ohdeedoh, Apartment Therapy, Huffington Post, Discovery’s Green Planet, Casa Sugar, DIY Life, Playgrounder… the list goes on. We are glad you joined us on this ride. It is truly amazing what a collective group of individuals can achieve.

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

Behold the Tom Selleck pillow! Unfortunately it sold before any of us on the Craft Hope behind the scenes team could snatch it up. But we were all keeping our eye on it, hoping at the end of the day when we had time to shop that it would still be there. Alas. Tom is gone.

Today was an AMAZING day. We have buyers and sellers from all around the world. Twitter is on fire with mentions of Craft Hope and the shop. Matt Lauer hasn’t called yet, but we are holding our breath.

So are you ready for this? So far we have raised $7,000 for Doctors Without Borders. In TWO DAYS! You are all amazing!! Thank you all so very much for your patience as we get items listed and get back to you. This has turned into a huge undertaking and we are moving as fast as we can. This entire community is making a difference!

There are now so many of our friends behind the scenes. Many crafty mamas that you all know and love, typing as quickly as possible listing items. We are all spread out around the country working for you.

Here are the mamas behind the scenes at Craft Hope:

Chris :: Pink Picket Fence

Beki :: Artsy Crafty Babe

Courtney :: The Woodland School

Marjorie :: Auburn Doll House

Sarah :: Green Clogs

Molly :: A Foothill Home Companion

And moi :: chikaustin

If you get a chance, pop in and tell them thank you. You are keeping all of us very busy, but it’s a good problem to have don’t you think?!?

I found this following quote rather appropriate for what this community is all about…

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” — Nelson Henderson

Spread hope.

{Pillow donated by Kasja of Syko}

Let me just tell you that there is a whole lotta love in that little shop. Handmade love from all around the world. Go on over, take a looksy. We are seriously updating that space at all hours so keep checking back, or refreshing your page. There is some amazing items that have come through that shop! A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE thank you to all of the crafters out there that donated and continue to donate items. I know we only get to reply with a quick thank you, but you need to know that you are truly appreciated. Without your donation, there would be no shop, there would be no money raised for Haiti. You all are amazing.

And another HUGE thank you to those of you who have gone shopping. Some of you took items I was wanting to buy while I was typing feverishly. I would be typing and say ‘look at that… where did it go?’ Things go fast!

This shop has exceeded our wildest expectations. We thought, maybe, just maybe someone would donate something and we’d raise a couple of hundred bucks for Haiti. Boy, did you blow that out of the water.

In just 24 hours, the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop has had 162 sales and raised just around $4,000. Pat yourselves on the back my friends. You are rockstars!

Please understand that there is about a 24 hour turnaround on listing items. We are going as fast as humanly possible.

We truly appreciate all of the sweet comments that come in with the listings. You cheer us on and certainly make us feel like what we are doing is important. Thank you for that.

We just added a new section to our shop called ‘kid craft.’ Crafts made by kids. So please encourage your child if they want to get into the action. My daughter got a weaving loom from Santa and has been working on a pot holder to put into the shop.

Etsy Star on DIY Life (AOL)

Apartment Therapy Chicago

Parents.com (updated 1/17)

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One thing I love about this community is that you all step up and volunteer to help where you see a need. Amy, from A Commonplace Life, graciously donated the banner for our Etsy shop after she noticed that space empty. And many of you have offered up your time. Thank you. I don’t believe there is a better gift that you can give another person than your time.

Just a reminder that Project 6 is still ongoing! The deadline to have your scarf to the Orphan Foundation is Valentines Day. Thanks to everyone who is knitting and crocheting a beautiful scarf. You can still sign up on that post.

Back to work, see you all in the Etsy shop!