It's almost time to start the 30 day countdown to "artreach"...the first art ministry trip abroad. I am so thankful to be under the umbrella of Yakima Foursquare Church & to be supporting by the amazing community in the Yakima Valley. When I return I will be more fully equipped to plant seeds for the beginning of an art ministry with which we will have the opportunity to serve families with children who have serious illness in our community and in Seattle through the following ways:
1. hosting respite nights when families can take a step away from their daily journey & learn to be creative in new ways, whether it be fine art or art & craft projects for adults and kids
2. making art for the annual "heART" show. Funds raised through this event will provide gas cards for & help meet the needs of families with children with serious illness
3. begin gathering people who will be ready to make freezer meals ready when a family calls in need of some extra support
2. giving fine art mini print packs containing image specifically created to encourage these families
3. beginning to study how to educate the Church about care for those who face long term illness
and we will be developing a team of artists to create work as a part of worship at YFC!
    I am signed up for two sessions during the Holy Trinity Brompton Leadership Conference, one with Matt Redman & Tim Hughes (the worship leader at Holy Trinity Brompton), who will be speaking having a vision of creativity in the life of the Church. I will also be attending a seminar led by Mike Pilavachi about having the supernatural be an everyday part of life, bringing the Holy Spirit a vital part of my everyday walk & equipping me to share that vision with young artists. Mike is founder and leader of Soul Survivor, a youth organisation seeking to reach, disciple, equip and empower young people to make a difference in their generation. He is also an author and international speaker.These are just a few of many speakers who will teach througout the conference. I can't wait to bring my notebook and soak in every minute! After the conference, I will stay in London to work with some folks at HTB & to share what is happening lately and partake in some creative fellowship with Art House, a faith and arts gathering through HTB.
     I've been blessed with a specific contact at VineLife church in Manchester, who will join me in meeting with the people who will make a long term partnership with "artreach" & through which we will be giving fine art mini print packs to children with long term illness in their community. I may have the opportunity to have a little marymakesart show whilst in Manchester at The Anchor, a local coffee house. I'll be blessed with the opportunity to share a series of art which I created specifically for VineLife & have the chance to share about the potential for linking churches with local groups who support families journeying through chronic illness.
     From there I will fly to Germany to meet with folks at YWAM Herrnhut, an arts based community who train young people from all over the world to encourage others as they take what they have learned in Herrnhut all over the world. I have been blessed to learn alot about this community through  Brian Stoothoff, who has just returned from serveral months of training and missions with  his gift of photography. Together we'll be sharing about our growth as creatives in years to come as he travels from another aspect of learning & ministry in Canada, then moving back to Germany to continue working with YWAM. I am learning so much about what YWAMers learn in Herrnhut and will be bringing art as a permanent gift there as well as having the opportunity to share about the potential for art ministry in the Church worldwide!
ps: We will be having a duo fundraiser at Yakima Foursquare Church this Sunday!
     All the while, we've been planning as a family. It takes a whole village to support Brian and the kids while I am blessed with the gift of being able to travel. I am really really blessed and thankful!
     A new partnership is being formed with "The Print Guys", a printing business in Yakima, who will be producing hopefully thousands of packs with 10 mini prints containing images specifically created to encourage children with serious illness & their families. I am so excited to 'go local' and utilize the amazing quality prints this business produces. The end goal is to give a print pack to families all over the world, whether it be to those who are checking into houses which they will stay in during their child's stay in hospital or along with medical  missionaries who visit sick children all over the world. God has reminded me to think big. If you or your business would like to sponser one or more print packs, please send $10 or more and make your check to "Yakima Foursquare Church", leaving the note area bland. Checks can be sent to: Mary Portteus, 608a South 45th Ave, Yakima, Wa. 98908 or you can click on a print pack on marymakesart.etsy.com (i'll be listing these by mid April) and pay via your debit or credit card. You can also come to "arterra", an art & wine fundraiser the Brian and I will be hosting at 901 Pasta in Yakima, specifically to raise funds for the creation of print packs.
     Well, I am grateful to have the stamina to type for this long but the Ankylosing Spondylitis is telling me to stope typing and rest my fingers and wrists. I hope this has given you an update of what's happening & exciting opportunities on the horizon!
With anticipation,
Mary
www.marymakesart.etsy.com
marymakesartstudio.blogspot.com
marymakesart1972@yahoo.com


    

http://www.gofundme.com/5aywg4 the dreams are coming alive! it's been a long time...thanks for checking in! since the last blog i have undergone quite a continuing journey with the ankylosing spondyloarthritis diagnosis. but with a new med and a ton of prayer i am getting back on track and looking forward to this wonderful trip to england in may! please click on the link and consider trading your cuppa of the day for a $5 investment into a lifechanging, fruit bearing trip! i will fly across the pond to attend a leadership conference (www.lc14.alpha.org) in prep for being an arts leader at my community: yakima foursquare church. i will also be presenting a series of paintings to vinelife church in manchester, speaking with students about using their gifting to encourage kids with long term illness & presenting these bravery badges to families  of those experiencing the journey of serious illness through Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. more to come soon and more frequent blogs happening this season! -mary 

glorious mess

it's a sunny day in july. though we are all down with head colds, i am reminded of the serendipitous fact that the paper dolls i've just finished are laminated...meaning they can be wiped off and cleaned! i had this in mind when laminating them--longevity and clean-a-bility. whilst emailing with one of the wonderful staff at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, i discovered that because of their strict standards, paper goods are not e given to children in hospital without being laminated. it was so nice to be able to share that the paper dolls are already protected! i am praying for the opportunity to bring and give these paper dolls to Manchester when i travel there in April 2013 (so the plan goes...Lord willing!). As you see above, there are a few new pieces in progress.one not so tidy looking as life has not been so tidy over the past few months.i've felt a bit exposed...and tangled up...but guided by light (see above my head) and by a pillar of cloud (on left, unseen and representing the Holy Spirit) and a pillar of fire (on the right, also representing the Holy Spirit).knitters will know that it's maddening to untangle yarn when you are ready to use it...which is how i've been feeling...ready to be used creatively yet being unravelled first--which is part of the refining process (which i had forgotten!). so, praise God for the messy parts, like feeling exposed and unravelled while healing from yet another injury (my hip) and caring for jesse's healing fractured back and injured ligaments. (phew!) and praying to figure out how to care for chloe, who has been feeling a lack of attention of late. (if any of you caregiving parents are going through this, please feel free to comment and we can dialogue about this...a very real part of the healing process is how a cybling(s) is effected.) thankfully, we have wonderful counselors who are working with us as a family to get out of survival mode and into living more after all of this glorious mess. i am looking forward to jumping back into working with "holland", the parent to parent group at Children's Village in Yakima, Washington. But only after our family is properly cared for and ready to roll again. blessings on you who have had a summer of healing, whether it be emotionally, physically or otherwise. Mary

walking wounded and light in darkness

These pieces, along with many others, are available at marymakesart.etsy.com in print form. I am excited to post them for you now! I've been working on a new series of art about light in the midst of darkness and am finishing the garments of praise series with wearable art. As you will read, these opportunities have been gifts through a very difficult time. Beauty from ashes. Mourning into dancing. A boy who is not paralized, but walking. Our hearts changing through turmoil. Months after my last blog, I am finally here again. Since the last post, my son, Jesse fractured his back and damages muscles and ligaments. We just returned from our last visit to Children's Hospital in Seattle. His fractures have healed and he is just beginning to be able to walk more! He is still very sore but healing well and we are so thankful it wasn't worse. I learned what it means to be caregiver again. Days of feeding him, helping him bathe, use the toilet, etc. It has been a good reminder to me of the need to encourage caregivers. Their help is vital to the healing of long term illness. I was thankful to have the help of family and the encouragement of friends along the way. I have no answers as to why our family has experienced so many health issues. But I'm okay with that. This time around we really got shaken. I was not sure how to handle this kind of stress...it affected our family in the worse way so far. I lost sight of God's comfort for a few weeks. I am excited to post the "Tranquil" painting/print as it means so much more to me now than when it was first created about 10 years ago. Again, I look at a piece of art and it serves as a visual reminder...when i pass it and look, even if only for a moment, I remember that peace in the midst of a storm is what having a relationship with Jesus is all about. I am reminded that through art, I hope we can share that kind of peace and promise to kids all over the world with long term illness. I am reminded that i can serve, even if i stumble around and grope in the dark for a while--I still belong to an unchangeable Creator. This journey continues. I really want to be living the peace that I've been shown. This is my latest portion of the journey.

Heros Past & Present

My Christmas present this year is being introduced to two remarkable stories, those of Josh Elliot & Bethany Hamilton (who I was introduced to through experiencing the movie "Soul Surfer" the night before Josh and I prayed over 'marymakesart for hope+healing"!)...and remembering Paul on his journeys: In Acts, Paul's & his fellow travelers were guided about where to go by the Spirit of Jesus (aka: the Holy Spirit, part of the three in One), who led this troop by vision, circumstances, good sense or use of prophetic gifts. As I read about Paul's journey with Timothy, Silas & Luke I discovered a strong parallel to The Spirit letting me know when and where to bring the traveling exhibition and who would be most encouraged by receiving a piece of art. Sunday He led me to Josh Elliot. Josh is a marine who recently returned home after a whole lot of physical therapy (which is continuing) after losing his legs, a few fingers & his eardrums after an explosion while searching for an IED on April 18 in Aphghanistan. "Whose hands are you in", his fellow marines asked as they helped rescue him. "I'm in God's hands" was his response. I was inspired to create this piece of art when my friend Jim was imbedded in Aphghanistan to write an "extreme travel" report for Traveling Boy. As we prayed for his safety I thought about all of the believers who have prayed daily for soldiers abroad. They are represented in the left side of the piece, the strings represent their prayers going out to soldiers in war who travel amidst dark places on behalf of our safety (this is visually indicated by the dark, right half of the piece). Both Bethany and Josh's lives inspire me to send out a message: "Giving Blood Saves Lives"...this is true both in the literal sense (the transfusion of blood saved the lives of Bethany and greatly helped Josh) and in the sense that God is using their shed blood to be used as a powerful catalyst to tell people about the promises of Jesus Christ. Their lives are breathing examples of Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose". A friend asked how I can look back at Chloe's and my health issues/surgeries with a smile. The above was my responese. It just came to mind that my life and the lives of Bethany and Josh are eternal. Our time here is not all the time we have--it's momentary--and we want to use it to tell other people about the love of Jesus despite and through tough times...that the Christian life does not mean we are going to be pain free...it means that God will come along side us and work amazing things to His glory, bringing freedom to others...and promising new bodies for eternity (this, I have to admit, is a bonus to look forward to!)! Praise the Lord! The good outweights the pain and giving blood saves lives!

VALA show & a divine appointment

Last Wednesday I was blessed to be a part of a show for the emerging VALA group in Redmond, Washinton, who are there to support artists through providing venues. It was an unexpected and wonderful event full of conversation about the hope+healing project and a lot of encouraging moments with wonderful patrons (thank you!). The piece of art shown was one of many in the new "postage" series, celebrating the idea of the hope+healing project enouraging people all over the world! If you are interested in any of these pieces, please hop on over to www.marymakesart.etsy.com and help support us!
A special thank you for the conversation between myself and someone at the Sammamish Starbucks...what an incredible thing to be able to give a piece of art to encourage you and your wife. (she is a woman who is suffering physically--please join us in praying for her!) We hope you are blessed by the piece of art we sent via your husband and are already gathered in prayer on your behalf. healing, rest and comfort to you!!!! "hope into dispair" is what I have learned from you and hope to pass on to others. What you are experiencing is being used to produce encouragement for others already.

YFC Exhibition going on now!

What a wonderful morning at Yakima Foursquare Church! I will be posting the video created by Matt and the video crew, who captured the essence of what hope+healing is all about...wow. I am so thankful for you guys! If any of you YFC folks would like to talk about the current exhibition, please contact me using the number or email on the information sheet. Thank you to all of you for making this morning a beautiful experience, for sharing your stories with me and contributing to our pay off the medical bills fund. Ahhhh...what a blessing! Please let me know how viewing the art affected you personally...I love the stories about what and how God speaks to you all through the art. (Any posts can be sent to: Mary Portteus, P.O. Box 1356, Zillah, Wa. 98953)Through the opening of this exhibition, I hope for doors to open to Yakima hospitals in the coming months. I am still healing from some after effects of the last surgery...so I'm giving that some time to work itself out and then we're ready to hang a hospital exhibition and create more dolls to give to pediatric patients. If any of you are interested in sponsering a "marymakesart for hope+healing" home show, I would love to hear from you and plan for the holiday season. I will post more regarding that soon!

The Vineyard

I have recently been walking through Portteus vineyards, drawing and painting...What an amazing opportunity after six long years of surgeries. I am able to recover, rest, and exercise to become stronger. I am able to be surrounded by the beauty of the Yakima Valley in Washington State and marinate in God's love while beginning to pour out images, color, line and emotion on canvas, paper, wood...whatever I can create on! I will post these pieces as they form...this is where God's 'pillar of cloud' has led us. We are growing and healing. In the near future, I will dive back into the hope+healing project at hospitals in Yakima and Seattle possibilities...more to come!

March Hospital Exhibition

This month a show bearing the culmination of the journey of healing thus far is hung at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise. While dear friends of mine helped put the pictures into place (a special thanks included to the volunteer department at St. Als!), doctors, hospital staff and patients walked by, took it all in and filled the hall with comments of having been encouraged and inspired. This is the purpose of the exhibition--to bring life, color, hope & encouragement into a place where fear and the unknown are often prevelant. I was in tears, feeling closure to this chapter of the journey. Of course, six weeks later, I hope that this has been the last surgery...but I am encouraged either way. I have experienced more hope and goodness than pain. I hope I can pass this along through the show...and many more to come!

post surgery

so much has happened since this picture was taken. first off, this is the best i've looked after coming off of anesthesia ever. i was so thankful to feel good and go home that day. the surgery went well and hopefully it will be the last of six along this journey. a cure to pelvic adhesive disease continues to be a bit elusive. regarding healing, we pray that this is it! so far so good. i am learning and have learned patience in the midst of waiting, calm in the midst of pain, the ability to slow down with more grace than i previously had (still learning on this one). again, thank you to everyone who has offered support during another step along the way. we are thankful for family and friends who are with us always.

a new day

It's the Wine and Chocolates event at Portteus winery in the Yakima Valley, the place we grew up in. It is a time of rest and recovery. I am thrilled to report that marymakesart had it's first show in a long time! We were able to raise enough funds to purchase more poly fil 'silky soft' to stuff dolls. Now we can prepare to give dolls away at St. Alphonsus Hospital in conjunction with the second destination of the traveling art exhibition. As I settle in for the night with my cup of decaf Earl Grey I am thankful for a successful day of not only bringing in funds for "hope+healing", but having great conversation sharing the vision with people who came through the winery for the event...and I am grateful for a body that is finally able to handle the beginning of a new season of shows and exhibitions. God is good!
p.s. note the new addition to marymakesart, handmade paper flowers! coming soon to the etsy site!

garments of praise

A new crop of creation is happening! I am ready to put on the garments of praise in exchange for the heaviness of all that pain! I am still healing, and hoping that when the process is complete, these garments will be too! After finishing seams, hems, necklines and so forth, I will paint and print on the garments, creating wearable art. I look forward to posting the completed series when it is finished! Here is a sneak peek at the garments in process. Special thanks to my dear friend Rachel for inspiring me to continue the work.

Let my love open the door to your heart

Since I last entered a post, I have been resting and saving what pain free time I have for my family. As we receive our internet from our local favorite coffee place, the Flying M, sometimes it takes me a while to get here and post. But here I am, six days before surgery, one morning after the hilarious funeral my girlfriends threw for the ovary that is going away (that's a good thing, at this point...but we are holding out for healing in any form God chooses!). One of the benefits of quieting myself between writings is that God gives me all sorts of lovely ideas to work on whilst reclined. The latest of these came when I listened to Sondre Lerche's version of "Let My Love Open the Door to Your Heart"...love this artist's version from the Dan in Real Life sound track. Anyhoo, whenever I hear those lyrics I think of how Jesus is saying the same thing to all of us everyday at every moment. I have struggled with my heart becoming slightly closed...you know...those moments where one feels like they've just had enough. Every time this happens Jesus puts these lyrics into my head and reminds me to keep up with the act of 'reclined creating' ;D rather than just lying down and giving up. Picutred here is the beautiful result. I see hundreds and hundreds of these being given to patients who are exhausted from days on end of pain...with notes of prayer inside from folks who are praying for hope & healing to those who are suffering. If you would like to become a partner in praying about and writing a note to someone in the hospital, please leave your address. I'll send you a little "door note" , which has an expandable inside note ready for you to write in. In turn, you'll send it back to me and it will make its way to a patient! How exciting is this!!!???

better late than never

it's late. i'm up and in pain waiting for the meds to kick in. this evening an dear friend arrived at my in-law's winery and called me out to say hello. she reminded me of how much has happened creatively since we had last seen each other. and i saw that despite all of this rediculous pain, God has produced so much growth. like a green shoot arising from concrete or reaching the peak after a long, difficult climb (you climbers know what i mean). i was able to receive a great deal of perspective while realizing that the only momentum i've gained couldn't have been pushed forward without the quiet of being saturated in prayer, contemplation on how the Bible applies to real moments in life and a whole lot of support. i have not been regularly blogging as sitting up has become difficult, but it needed to happen tonight. so, appropriate for the season, i am thankful for the ability to use the creativity i've been created with to...well...create...even if it's something as small as a paper bird.
what have i been up to the past six months? well, healing both physically and in every other respect...coming down with some large haematobic ovarian cysts plus preparing for what we really hope will be the last surgery to remove that ovary... and really trying to understand what it means when God's Word says that He promises to be faithful to complete a good work He begins (i.e. the hope+healing project) and that He promises to work every situation out for good. these words are no longer cliche's to me...they are very real and living. in the last six months over 50 paper birds have been created, i received beautiful photographs from mary spears which will accompany several paintings (a friend has graciously offered to adhere them to boards and hang the work for me until i am able to do more physically), applied for and recieved a wonderful spot to exhibit work on the art wall at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise in March, and have been developing ideas for what the differing ages of children in pediatric hospitals might enjoy and be most encoraged by...paper bird mobiles for infants, paper flowers for caregivers, dolls for kids, small pieces of fine art and screen printed pillows for older ped. patients. all of this quiet has given way to a lot of inspiration. all of this quiet gives way to an openess to more ideas...plenty of which He wants to show us if we can be quiet for long enough to let them shine through. i pray that in the future i will carve out more moments of quiet without the need to be reclined in pain to do so. thank God for his mercy at present! :D

We've been busy!

As I sit at my favorite coffee place, the Flying M Coffee Garage in Nampa, Idaho, I am reminded how incredible community is. Over the past few weeks we've had stuff and fluff gatherings, a fund raiser, shops carrying dolls (The White Pine in Nampa and both Flying M locations in Nampa & Boise!) to raise funds for the project. I am grateful to CWC for new studio and production space! We have just moved all of our creativeness over to this space (picture coming soon), which is peaceful and perfect for creating several of the items we will be giving to encourage hospital patients and caregivers.
New to the project is a wonderful photographer, Mary Spears, whose photograph you will see soon alongside several paintings I worked on during the first three weeks of healing after surgery 6 months ago. (again, picture coming soon...maybe i'll take a picture of the pieces in the studio space :D) I was surprised by how emotional it was to view the vulnerable aspect of these pieces. They were taken to invite the viewer into a moment when the patient (that was me) was not able to control the environment and still convey the peace that God is in control in our most vulnerable moments and provides community to help during those moments...whether they be caregivers that we meet for a moment or friends who visit regularly during hospital stays...or a spouse who gives the patient a drink of water when she is unable to do that basic act for herself. In any case, we run into so many situations where we need that kind of saving...when our humanity is unable to function...which can happen physically, spiritually, mentally and in other ways. I invite the viewer into this experience with me, as we do not usually find ourselves sharing this kind of intimacy with a person in the hospital. It can reveal that vulnerable part of ourselves which we can all relate to.
Currently, I am filling out the many papers and forms involved in becoming a non-profit. I discovered a wonderful website in idahononprofit that has been very helpful in directing me to the correct forms and offers a wealth of information about what a non-profit needs to operate effectively. We will be at: marymakesart for the hope+healing project, 1004 4th Street South, Nampa, Idaho, 83651. If you would like to send any contributions, we would love to send you a beautiful handmade bird ornament, which will be described in the next blog to come!

Building Excitement

Here are two new dolls! I have had the best time screening over the past few days and these are the result! Next it's cutting fabric and getting friends together for a stuff and fluff party ;D We gave the first dolls to two patients and had a chance to say hello to their families at St. Alphonsus, Nampa. What an incredible opportunity...the father of one of the children had to spend a lot of time in a children's hospital when he was young. His reaction to being given a doll for his baby son was what this is all about...he was very touched and I hope that their family was encouraged during a very rough time. We hope the doll serves a a memory of God touching a moment in the life of this family...a knowledge that at this time they were covered in prayer. I am preparing to meet with someone at Seattle Children's Hospital who can give me advice on how best to present the hope+healing project to hospitals both nationally and internationally. I am full of excitement and possibility for what is happening! And I have much to learn...

oh happiness!

This blog is a continuation of "a stitch in time". As I look at the beautiful photographs taken by my friend David, I am struck by how they have influenced my color choices for the textile/crewel series. As I flipped through pages of a journal I kept as the hope+healing project began I can see all the colors for Appleton crewel wool I put on a wish list before I saw the Dave's photographs...they very much are the colors that Dave saw and captured during his time at Yellowstone. It is exciting to see these contemplative moments in nature be given another life on linen. I am looking forward to seeing what God does with all of these beautiful images and the effect they will have on patients and their families. As I create, I will post pictures on facebook and the blog. Oh happiness, there's grace...enough for us and the whole human race!

a stitch in time

as i begin this journey of embroidery/creweling work on the next series of hospital art...i am reminded of how it slows me down. each stitch brings me to a time when all the other things were stripped away--electronics, machine noise, etc. this hearkens back to days of bed rest when my body had been only weeks out of surgery. the pace of life changes and we are urged to look at one moment at a time. my friend dave says he likes the small, intimate moments in nature and that's why some of his nature-inspired pictures look like small abstract paintings rather than sweeping landscapes. these crewel work pieces are bringing that to mind...quiet moments observing aspects of creation...these works will be very organic. hopefully they will remind patients, their families, caregivers and loved ones to take the slow quiet moments and listen for what can happen during those times. in this sense, as i work with two ply appleton creweling wool, a needle and a piece of linen, i am reminded to pay attention to the details. then, when those moments of meditation pass, the larger picture can be looked upon as being made of a thousand small moments...which is what a contemplative life should be about...realizing that each moments counts for something which makes up a whole lifetime. i am a different person today because i have been given the opportunity to slow down--be it resting a knee after surgery or having to lay flat with abdominal stitches--and i can take those moments to reflect on the goodness around me. this is the life i am given. i hope that when the pace quickens, the part of me which is full of all those meditative moments, can apply what i've learned to every situation that comes around. i've posted pictures on my facebook if you'd like to see the progress and will post here very soon. thanks for taking time to slow down and read my thoughts. hopefully they have encouraged you somehow...

the kindest way to be crewel

After a lovely relaxing time in the mountains, I am ready to go! Our first fundraiser was a success and I am so thankful to all of you who helped!!! There is a lot in process right now...looking forward to new studio space, the possibility of going non-profit and creating a new series based on crewel work (a kind of embroidery)...12 new pieces all hand stitched! We have also finished the color book and are excited to have it available online soon! More to come this weekend with news about the second giving of dolls and color books in Boise and hopefully Seattle at the end of the month!

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