the first fundraiser

it's been awhile since i've blogged! we have been busy making dolls, prints and getting ready for the first hope+healing fundraiser. it's sept. 2 (first thursday) at the pioneer tent building (6th & main) in boise. we will be having a silent auction, if you purchase a doll that evening (it runs from 5-9) you will have the opportunity to paint your dolls with supplies provided! (fabric paints, brushes and such). it's time for the art to bid farwell to it's lovely stay at mercy hospital and will likely be up at a local church until it resides in its next hospital (details to come...i'm working with a handful of hospitals to discuss possibilities, times, etc). this project is a work in progress and i am learning how it works best to give within the needs of hospitals. i am currently trying to arrange bringing dolls to a few local hospitals, then hopefully to seattle children's on sept. 27, when chloe has her yearly mri to make sure all is well in her noggin (no problems since the surgery!). since it takes a while to schedule logistics with hanging art in hospitals, the dolls will be given away first, then the art scheduled for later. the lovely thing is, by the time the art is hanging in a new hospital, there will likely be a new group of kids who had not yet received dolls ready to personalize them with fabric paint! this gives us two opportunities to reach out, which is exciting. meanwhile, we can direct families and caregivers to the pdf to view and interact with the art. eventually i hope we can give printed books to these families. until then, i love the possibilities the internet has to offer in regard to viewing the work. that's all for now! come on over to the first thursday fundraiser, hosted by my wonderful etsy street team group "idaho indie works". thanks for reading! marymakesart

Idaho Press Tribune!

God is good! A wonderful lady named Gracy at the Idaho Press Tribune interviewed me about the project. Thanks, Greg for taking photos at the hospital yesturday! The article is in the paper now! (on page Main 3)How exciting to know that we can share what's going on with so many people at once! The dolls are now at Flying M, which has generously agreed to sell the dolls through their stores. Right now they are selling for $15 at the Flying M Coffee Garage in Nampa and will be at the Boise location by Tuesday next week! Thanks again for all the support and shout outs we have been receiving to make this project possible.

I Heart Guts

I love this company! I Heart Guts gave me smiles as I went through my surgeries and as we experienced having a daughter go through neurosurgery. If you get the chance, please see their website www.iheartguts.com--it's pretty amazing! Let's celebrate those guts that sometimes cause us problems but are there everyday so we can be living breathing miracles of life! :D Today I am thankful for our healing and for the opportunity to turn difficult circumstances into something that will hopefully encourage others for a lifetime!

This one's for those who check in at Children's

I am working on text that will greet families who check in at Children's Hospitals. I'm including this draft in my blog. I hope that each family will be led to the 'hope+healing' exhibition after reading the following that will be accompanied by a pin or keychain (depending on what's available in my stockpile of supplies :D ) and a map to the hospital with outline directing them to the work.

I greet you and the caregivers with you, offering encouragement as you weather through this difficult time. Enclosed is a map of the hospital with directions to where you will find an exhibition that has been created for you. It comes from our hearts, having experienced our daughter's neurosurgery at Seattle Children's (for Chiari Malformation Type 1), and a few surgeries myself (due to pelvic adhesive disease). We received so much support, encouragement, prayer and giving--all things which inspired this work and all that we are praying you will be given during this time. We would like to offer up visual encouragement to you through the 'hope+healing' body of art, which is traveling to hospitals for the same purpose. Enclosed is a 'key' containing the seven symbols of encouragement used throughout the art--an overview of the exhibiton--and a token of our encouragement that you can take with you to remember that hope is always present. In this small way we send our love and prayers for you and encourage you to experience what each piece of art means to you and your child during your journey.
If you would like to know more about the 'hope+healing' project, please go to www.marymakesartstudio.blogspot.com or marymakesart.etsy.com. Please feel free to let us know how the art has impacted you during your time at the hospital and/or let us know if your story can be used on the online blog or when we speak about the project to enocurage other families in hospitals. Thank you so much for your time.