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!

Our Etsy shop will benefit Doctors Without Borders, with 100% of the proceeds going to them. The medical need in Haiti right now is acute. The Doctors Without Borders existing facilities are so badly damaged, they are no longer functional. Post-earthquake medical care will be from tents. So far they have treated 1,500 people – 500 of them need immediate major surgery. There are no facilities to do this in Haiti currently. An inflatable hospital should be arriving in Haiti today.

The shop will remain open as long as we have donations to fill it up! Thanks to everyone for spreading a little hope to those in Haiti.

Update: There is currently a 24 hour turn around time on things getting listed. We are listing as fast as two mamas possibly can.

Iwill have a button for you to put on your site within the next few minutes!

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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/crafthope" target="new"><img src="http://crafthope.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ch_haiti.gif" alt="Craft Hope for Haiti Shop Spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time" width="175" height="175" border="0"></a>

I sat transfixed to the television set all afternoon. Flipping between channels watching coverage of the Haiti Earthquake. Wanting to help. Wanting to do something. I read heartbreaking story after heartbreaking story online. Each one tears my heart out. The stories are endless. Their voices not silent.

The people of Haiti need help and they need it now. Yesterday’s devastating earthquake in the capital city of Haiti has demolished a nation. Officials estimate that over 100,000 people may be dead. In Port-au-Prince, all hospitals have collapsed or are abandoned. Orphanages have collapsed. There is no running water, no electricity. Much of the capital has been leveled. The people are running out of clean water and food. The port is destroyed. The airport has no electricity and only one runway. The prison has collapsed and all prisoners are running free.

People have no place to go, they are trying to find a way out. Many of them heading to the airport, with no planes leaving.

Countries have begun responding from all around the world. Airplanes dangerously making their way into the damaged airport. This humanitarian crisis could soon escalate to a refugee crisis. Haiti has no military and only 10,000 police. 80% of the nation lives in poverty. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

There was a woman on the news this evening that runs an orphanage in the mountains just outside of the capital. She reported that the orphanage did not get damaged but they only have enough diesel to run their generator for two days. After that, nothing. The roads to get to the orphanage and through the mountains are impassible, destroyed by the earthquake.

Bill Clinton said that there is no logistical and organizational capacity right now to handle a lot of donated items. There is no way for in kind donations to make their way to Haiti immediately.

An organization that we have partnered with here at Craft Hope is Giving Children Hope. We have projects planned with them in the future, but they need us now. Giving Children Hope is talking with field monitors to find out what is needed most in Haiti. Your gift will help to administer emergency aid relief to communities in need. They are currently taking monetary donations as well as disaster relief materials. Please donate what you can. At this point and time it is near impossible to get items into Haiti. Money is needed most.

Material donations they are accepting are: hygiene products, blankets, pillows, tents, hand sanitizer, bottled water, antibacterial soap, and new clothing. Please only donate new items. You can drop off or mail your donations to:

Giving Children Hope
8332 Commonwealth Ave.
Buena Park, CA 90621

If you’d like to volunteer at their facility in Buena Park, volunteers are needed to sort medical supplies and hygiene products that will be shipped to people affected by the earthquake.

Their needs are going to be long term… years. If you’d like to make something handmade, they are requesting clothes, blankets, and pillows. Please send them to the above address.

Please pray for the people of Haiti, the aid workers in Haiti, the organizations trying to figure out how to mobilize and get resources there, the families affected living abroad, and the leaders of your country who are diligently working with other leaders to find the quickest way to deliver aid. Haiti needs help now.

Update: Click here to see a news segment that ran on Giving Children Hope’s efforts just yesterday.

Please do what you can and spread hope!