If you feel like a good read....

I have to do this... I have to tell you...I want to be understood...

My job gives me Wings to Fly!

It's a whirlwind of emotion trying to raise money these days. I tell you every time I plan an event I ask myself, I say "self... :) are you going to spend hours and hours planning and marketing an event to just raise a few hundred dollars?"  Seriously, that is what happens a lot these days. And, when that happens it is such a blow because I AM GOOD AT THIS!!  I am a good fundraiser, I could go door to door in my neighborhood and raise a few hundred dollars in a couple of hours!  Really! Ask anyone! And I don't even live in a nice neighborhood...

I have been doing this for 8 years as a volunteer. Don't misunderstand... I LOVE WHAT I DO.  

SO THE POINT OF MY POST IS THIS:

www.CharityWings.org

I want to raise $5000 for A Place to Bark.
When I started the whole LIVE from CHA adventure 2 years ago.... I tried to add lots and lots to the event to make it all enticing for people to sign up.  Whew did I almost work myself and the volunteers to their graves! It was crazy.  The kitting, the videos, the ebay. Oh my! the amount of work that went into raising a couple thousand dollars was extraordinary.

But I thought to myself.  This is also to raise awareness for the charities, as well as for Charity Wings.  So its still a very good thing.

The next show we improved but still waaaay to much work for the amount of money raised...

The next show even better. but still... the money just was not coming in.  So this time we eliminated a lot of the work (kitting and ebay) and we stuck to prizes.  People love to win stuff.  So now we have all these amazing prizes  ($4500 worth) and a really fun LIVE show so what is missing?

THE SIGN UPS

Not to say there are not alot of sign ups, there are, but my goal was to raise $5000 for A Place to Bark though this amazing raffle and show. So back to the whirlwind of emotion. WE ARE ONLY 1/2 WAY THERE.  :( AND THE EVENT IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY.

THE PROBLEM

I know people say its the economy.  THAT IS SUCH A LOAD OF C*#%! People spend money on what they want to spend money on. I totally get that and it is their right to choose where they want their dollars to go.  But it's not the economy.  You can walk into Starbucks any time of day and know that I am right.  There are thriving events out there. They are just not for CHARITY.

So here is what I want to leave you with...

The charities and organizations that help people/animals less fortunate than you and I need our help even more now. With the world tightening it's belt, charitable giving has been hit hard.  For so many their budgets and abilities to keep operations going have been cut dramatically.  AND THE NEED IS EVEN GREATER!

My friend Bernie Berlin runs a wonderful rescue called A Place to Bark.  They rescue all kinds of animals from puppy mills, hoarder dwellings, abandoned buildings and more.... They have a great need right now for supplies to take care of the animals, medical bills, and general maintenance.

I want to raise $5000 to help them.

Buy a raffle ticket for $10 or buy 5 raffle tickets for $20.  Even if you don't care a lick about crafting or winning a prize, I know you care about others and I KNOW YOU HAVE THE MONEY because you have a computer and are on the internet! HA!

You can be sure your money is going to help a creature that is truly in need.  3000 animals saved so far says it all.

Learn more about A Place to Bark here:

BUY RAFFLE TICKETS HERE

  NOW BEFORE YOU FORGET! 

Thank you for reading and for your support :)

Let's get real for a minute

If I go more than a couple of days, I have so much I want to blog about and then I don't do any of it because there is so much to say.. haha!

But really... what I want to say is HELP!!

Charity Wings needs your help.  I need your help.

What is charity wings?  We raise money for other charities through art and creativity. 

What charities? Any registered non profit organization. PARTIAL LIST HERE

Why did I start Charity Wings? My goal was to tap into the crafting and predominately female community and design fundraisers based on things they love to do.  My idea was that if you get a group of women together doing what they enjoy and then make it for a good cause that you can raise money.  

This is the short version.  We have grown so much and now, anyone can contact us to raise money for a charity they support. We work with them to put on a unique and fun event.  Have we ever helped a charity you support?  I BET WE HAVE

"What we do is real. We are real people putting forth real effort to make a difference. We are not scientists searching for a cure, we are not overpaid executives directing the little people, we are the little people and we create real opportunities for people to do good things."

~yep! I said that :)

I have volunteered for Charity Wings full time ++ for almost 6 years, without paying myself.  Charity Wings has grown to the point where it needs employees.  Unfortunately, I am not able to volunteer anymore.  I have to take a salary. I've tried to make money selling handmade stuff, doing side jobs, teaching etc... it just doesn't work with a growing organization like Charity Wings.  It saddens me to have to look for ways to pay administrative costs and to have to hire people to do charity work but I have no other choice.  I have tried every way I can to not have this be the reality but it is, so now I am just putting it out there.  I need your help.

I have never asked for donations without giving something in return 

so when I knew I needed help, we came up with  

For an $89 tax deductible donation you will get over $89 worth of stuff!  

DanitaArt.com

LIVE from CHA details

• beautiful Danita Art print, exclusive to Club TLC members, signed by Danita herself
• a cool personalized membership card
• a handmade charter member charm
• LIVE from CHA for free!!

We will regularly offer ideas on good deeds you can do based on the different charities that are scheduled on our awareness calendar. 

Did you know that Jan is:

• Cervical Health Awareness Month
• National Glaucoma Awareness Month
• National Birth Defects Prevention Month
• Thyroid Awareness Month
• American Heart Month
• Library Lovers Month

 we will be giving you ideas on how you can help these great causes!  Club TLC is about being part of a community of creative people that want to do good deeds.  I truly believe everyone wants to do good deeds.  They just need a little push. Is this you?  Then please please join me.

Please sign up.  Please tell your friends.  

People think I'm an energy ball
but it's really the Rock Star!

If we can get the word out about this wonderful club, I can keep Charity Wings alive. All of you that have written me with praises telling me how much you admire what I do, asking how I have so much energy, expressing that I am doing amazing work.  All of those words keep me going but what I really need is for this amazing group of supporters that love what I do, to show your support by signing up for Club TLC.  

If just a fraction of the people I have touched in the last 6 years would sign up for Club TLC It would make all the difference in the world.

My mantra comes from Ghandi “Be the change you want to see in the world” This is how I live my life.  The acts we do may be small but they are mighty and as a community, we are unstoppable. 

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 4)

Looking forward and Blue Skies Ahead!

On my journey to figure out what I really really really want, I had to visit some not so great places in my head and my heart.  I had to really dig deep and make sure that the things I thought I really want are things I really really really want!

So I have a friend G. She makes art and we chat and I've known her for a long time and she is one of my best friends. She gets happy when I am happy and she gets sad when I am sad.  She has been there for me and I have been there for her and it's been really nice.  She has 3 kids. They are awesome but not perfect and she loves them unconditionally no matter what.  I want that.  I want kids that I can love unconditionally.

I got unconditional love from my parents. My father, even though he is certifiable in many ways, always let me know that he loved me unconditionally. And as for my mother, I knew she loved me but sometimes I thought she wouldn't love me if I did certain things. And then I would do them and she would love me still. She would pick me up and brush me off. She would take care of me even if I was in another country, she would do anything she could to ease my sadness and she just couldnt bear to see my suffer.  She loved me unconditionally imperfections and screw ups and all..  My friend G loves her kids unconditionally

that is what I really really really want.  I want to be a mother that loves her kids unconditionally. 

I had a guest come to my last Outside The Book Meeting last week. Fran is awesome.  She taught us a form of resin art and it was very fun!  Here is Fran in one of my traditional poses :)

And here are the pieces I made:

 this is one of my most poignant moments in my life.  Everything changed on this night.  I added 3-D wings as the resin was drying.. one is broken. I love my broken wing art.

the piece above i made wings out of little plastic leaves.  I used a heart shaped button and then i made the word "fly" out of wire.  It's happy and sparkly and its my future.

 And this one with the  little girl is going in my purse.  putting it back out into the universe... stranger things have happened :)

I made more pieces but im tired of posting now so maybe later.

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 2)

What do I really really really want...

Part 1 was having this question asked of me and letting it sit for about a year... till Suzi Blu reminded me that I really really really want to make art.

And there are others who have helped me find my way....

My young friend Jesse. She is one of my best friends.  I have known her for like 8 years, since she was in highschool.  When I lived in Taiwan, she came to visit me and it was such a different time. When I left my husband, she was the first one to take me out and get me back to being me.


I knew when I left my husband that it was time.  I knew that if I did not leave I would end up cheating on him and I couldn't do that to him.  He deserved so much more than that. He deserved my respect and he always had it. Even though we were not right for each other, it was one of the saddest things I have ever lived through.

Jesse helped me realize that another thing I really really really want is to always come from a place of LOVE AND COMPASSION.  

I want to see the positive in people and treat them according to what I know is good about them and not according to how they might hurt me. To always know that "hurt people, hurt people" but that even the most miserable unhappy people have goodness in them. 

So I made some art and it made me feel good...

I have two "book clubs" that I run each month.  They are both based on creative idea books in the art and crafting industry. Each month we meet and and socialize and do crafty things.  And every 3 months we do a swap. This cycle we each made an ATC card with one letter. My letter was "F".  I was inspired by my new friend Fran Valera from Little Windows. An awesome resin company. I am super into resin right now and as I type this I have 4 pieces curing on my table! Fran is a super star so I had to have a nice shiny star on this piece!

and I made jewelry.  This one has more beads than the one a couple posts back. so its lays different but I like it still.  I made a bracelet to match with the leftover charms.  This piece has a "hidden mickey"!  Come on Disney fans! Tell me you think that is cool!

And then there is Sheila my personal Angel. She has been a huge part of why Charity Wings was able to stay afloat while I had my own personal midlife crisis.  She keeps me on track and makes me realize that I am not just Charity Wings. That I deserve to have a life outside of this organization and that if for some reason, I have to walk away from it, It will be ok.

She freed me up to find another thing I really really really want...I want to be more than Charity Wings. I want to get back to being known as a creative mind, teacher and a fierce friend.

I am so lucky...I am a super happy people. 

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 1)

(This is going to take several blog posts but I promise it will be worth it.  Wait till you see!)

Which do I want to be associated with?

ALL OF THEM! I am finally at a point in my life, a year and half after leaving my husband and starting on this new journey where I am coming out of my fog and ready to find the answers to the question..."What do I really really really want?"

 

This is me and Melody Ross at Brave Girls Camp.  I went 4 times last year and it was a life changing experience. She asked us this question at camp about a year ago and I just about lost it trying to figure it out.  So I just let it go... and didn't answer it. And maybe since then it has been in the back of my mind and now, I am finally getting to it... "What do I really really really want?"

So, there are some people that have helped me figure this out.... Its going to take a few posts but I am going to document this journey...  It started with Melody and then a year later, it resurfaced with Suzi Blu.

Suzi is always trying to get me to do art. To share my art and teach my art. She pushes me to promote me...not just Charity Wings. She tells me I am an artist.


On the left is Suzi and I at the first event she helped me at. On the right is me and  Suzi on our way to an event where I got to help her!  I got to be Elena an artist 1st and charity do-gooder 2nd.  It was strange and nice and different.


Suzi helped me remember that I need to be me first.  And I will do my best work when I am feeding my creativity.  And when I keep my creative glass full, I can do amazing things for others.

Thank you Melody for asking the question.

Thank you Suzi for getting me started in answering it.

The first thing I really really really want is to have time to create art.