Tuesday, September 28, 2010

An apron from a WSD mom

Edith Maassen, the mother of one of the Women's Service Day planning crew members, made this apron and contributed it to the silent auction, the proceeds of which benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost in this past year. The apron provides full coverage, has a handy pocket, and is fully washable, of course. Best of all, it's made from a pattern taken from the aprons my grandmother always wore, so there's plenty of cooking karma included at no extra charge.

To see the full list of raffle and silent auction items, see our earlier post.

Leaves of concrete! from Diane Aamoth

Sounds unlikely, yes? But it's true! Diane makes leaves of concrete. They're lovely in a garden, or cupping a little water for a birdsplash. We'll have four, two in each of two sizes, at the silent auction, proceeds from which benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost in this past year.

To see the entire list of raffle and auction items, see our earlier blog post.

All-wool afghan from a collaboration

This afghan is the collaborative result of knitting by Cheryl Murdoch and Barbara Loveland, and assembly by Barbara. It's a sampler afghan, with a different knitted pattern on each square. It's all wool, so it's guaranteed warm and cozy for the upcoming winter. And it's donated to our raffle or silent auction, proceeds from which benefit Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year.

To see the full list of raffle and auction items, see our previous blog post.

MotherTongues MINGA T-Shirt

The Women's Service Day planning crew learned that coincidentally, local firm MotherTongues was introducing a new T-shirt this week that says MINGA. If that doesn't resonate, read this definition of the South American Quechua word: "In a MINGA, community members gather to accomplish a task that benefits the community-as-a-whole. A MINGA is called to build schools, health or community centers, to repair roads and water systems, or to replenish forests. Similar to a barn raising amongst a cultural group such as the Amish, a MINGA gathering is hopeful, festive, and committed work by individuals, families, and neighbors. Strangers become friends. Today, we join in the spirit of MINGA when we are engaging in a community of volunteer service. It is giving from one's heart and receiving so much more. As expected, MINGA exists as a concept in many other cultures, where it is called by different names. MINGA anticipates that every person and every community, at some point, will need the help of others. Experience the life-giving spirit of MINGA and carry someone else."

That explication was so strikingly on point to us, we bought shirts for the planning crew to wear on the day of the event. MotherTongues founder Michelle Hamman donated a T-shirt for our auction. And if you're not the lucky winner, you can purchase one for yourself (or learn more about MotherTongues) at her website. The shirts are 100 percent organic cotton and printed with waterbased inks. A dollar for the sale of each T-shirt is donated to the Center for Women in Transition, helping women and children deal with significant life challenges. And MotherTongues is a member of Green America and 1% for the Planet.

To see the complete list of items included in the raffle and silent auction, see our previous blog post. All proceeds are for the Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year.

All-Occasion Cards from the WSD Planners

The Women's Service Day planning crew contributes these all-occasion card sets for the silent auction, proceeds from which benefit Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year. Each set includes one each of the five cards shown. The cards were made by the crew based on designs by Jackie Bolhuis, Zeeland-based Stampin' Up distributor.

The planning crew also offers two sets of notecards made by daughters and granddaughters.
To see all of the items available for the raffle and silent auction, check out our earlier blog post.

Pillows from Cathy Brooks

Very popular items in previous auctions, these pillows are handmade by Cathy Brooks. They'll be available in multiple sizes and colors; check out what's available on Thursday morning!

For the complete list of items available at the raffle and auction, see our previous blog post. All proceeds from both will benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year.

Rock Rifle Run Pottery for Silent Auction


These two contributions to our silent auction, a small quiche dish and a cream and sugar set, come from Kay Hubbard. They were made by Rock Rifle Run Pottery, in Shade, Ohio; the potter is Susie Abramovitz, and Jean Valentine, Kay's sister, does glazing, packing, and slab construction.



Monday, September 27, 2010

Full apron from Nancy Corvers


Nancy Corvers contributes this apron for the silent auction, proceeds from which go to Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year. Tie one on! The full apron has a double pocket with lace trim. Fun ruffles on the bottom go completely around to cover your... where you typically wipe your hands. Made of a cotton/polyester blend fabric; machine washable in cold water, machine dry. Other sizes are available.

To see the full list of raffle and silent auction items, see our earlier blog post.

Handblown glass by Waltraud Beckmann



Handblown by Waltraud Beckmann, these glass vessels will be part of the silent auction and raffle. Proceeds from both will go to Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year. One vessel is orange and blue; the other is green and black. To see the full list of raffle and auction items, see our previous blog post.

BOO pillow from Nicole DeSchaaf

This handmade pillow sham from Nicole is appliqued with BOO on the front; the back of the pillow sham is a whimsical cotton print. A separate pillow insert is included. This item is among those donated by talented area women to be auctioned to benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year.

For the full list of raffle and auction items, see our earlier blog post.

Glass serveware from Mary Jo Campbell

Mary Jo Campbell contributed serving pieces for the raffle or silent auction, the proceeds from which go to Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year. Called "Hang on to Summer," the set includes 8- and 10-inch square glass serving trays, along with a square bowl for dip. The pieces are ornamented with colored gemstones reminiscent of the Caribbean.

To see the full list of auction and raffle items, see our previous blog post.

Cross-stitch for the holidays


Beverly Koetsier contributed this round cross-stitched tablecloth. Capture the playfulness of the holiday season with this gingerbread scene that rings "visions of sugar plums" to both young and old. All proceeds from the raffle and silent auction are designated for Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year.

To see the full list of raffle and auction items, see our previous blog post.

Handmade Glass from Sally Kibler

Among the handmade items for our raffle and silent auction are these glass items handmade by Sally Kibler. All proceeds from the auction and raffle will go to Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year. To see the full list of auction and raffle items, see this blog post.

This fused-glass clock is decorated with dichroic glass frit. And Sally knows just what that is.

This wire-wrapped pink and white breast-cancer awareness pendant necklace was made by Sally and donated by Cindy DeGraaf.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Prints by Kathy Stanton for Raffle/Auction

We'll be posting images of the items donated by talented area women for our raffle and silent auction as we receive them (and as Blogspot.com cooperates with their uploading). To see the full list of items available, see our previous blog post; all proceeds from the raffle and auction will go to Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year.

These digital images were donated by Fennville artist and graphic designer Kathy Stanton, whose work can also be seen at the Saugatuck Artists' Collective:

"Autumn Birch" is a 16x20 limited edition digital print. Its retail value is $250.


"Crayon-Colored Hills," a 9x20 digital print, is also a limited edition and has a retail value of $125.


"Flutter" is a 9x9 digital print with a retail value of $50.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Fabulous Raffle and Silent Auction Items

Once again, we're thrilled with the items donated for the raffle and silent auction. Proceeds from both will be given to Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the last year.

We'll add photos and more items and details as we receive them, so check back to see just how fat your wallet should be when you arrive at Women's Service Day on September 30! All items are handmade by women in or connected to our community.

--decorative leaves from Diane Aamoth
--Blown glass vessels by Waltraud Beckmann
--Handmade pillows by Cathy Brooks
--Handmade glassware by Mary Jo Campbell
--A full apron by Nancy Corvers
--A pillow with appliques by Nicole DeSchaaf
--Salsa and a pinata by Andrea Galvan
--A "Minga" T-shirt designed by Michelle Hamman of MotherTongues.com
--A clock and glass pendant made by Sally Kibler
--A cross-stitched holiday tablecloth, just in time for seasonal planning, by Beverly Koetsier
--an apron from Edith Maassen
--Three digital prints by Kathy Stanton
--Pottery from Rock Rifle Run Pottery in Shade, Ohio
--An afghan knitted and assembled by Cheryl Murdoch, Barbara Loveland, and Linda Powell
--All-occasion cards made by the Women's Service Day planning crew

All evidence of the talent within our midst. We're grateful for their contributions.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Donation Drive for Two

As part of our event, we'll collect donations for two local organizations.

Rick Rack is a new nonprofit in the area, housed in the City on a Hill facility. This organization provides clothing to teens in foster care. Founder Casandra Collins is responding, in part, to her own experience as a foster child decades ago, when she was required to leave her home with only a single grocery bag of clothes. Learn more about Rick Rack at their website, and think about what you might contribute to bring dignity to a young life at a difficult time. Specifically for our event, they're looking for new or gently used jeans and t-shirts (long or short-sleeved, but only with appropriate sayings or artwork) for kids from 11 to 19 years of age.

Sylvia's Place is an organization we've been honored to support in the past. Located in Allegan County, on the southern edge of our service area, Sylvia's Place operates a safe house for victims of domestic abuse, but also offers services to those who are looking to rebuild their lives: counseling, legal advocacy, and referrals for housing and other resources based on the survivor's needs. At the top of the list of Sylvia's Place needs are: paper towels and toilet paper, deodorant and body wash, and laundry detergent and other cleaning supplies. Check out the Sylvia's Place website for more information or more ways you can help.

If you're coming to the Women's Service Day 2010 on September 30, we'll have boxes set up to receive your donations. If you can't make the event but would still like to contribute, either contact the agencies directly or contact the planning team by e-mail at womensserviceday (at) gmail (dot) com.