Update on Hearts for Haiti

Some good news:  The Hearts for Haiti shop has now raised *drum roll* $33,525.73 (after fees) for Doctors Without Borders since Jan. 2010.  The shop is winding down now and when the last of the 100 or so items expire the shop will close.  I don't think any of us who were on the Volunteer team dreamed that so much could be done so quickly.  It was possible because of the many generous donors who gave their arts and crafts and donated the free shipping.  Here's one of the hundreds of items donated. This one is still available.  It was donated by a volunteer on the Team, CindyLouWho2. 
Mini Paua Abalone Sea Shell Earrings in Green and Gold $9.00
This item was donated by cindylouwho2.etsy.com from 
Calgary Alberta Canada. All proceeds from this donation (after Paypal & Etsy fees) go to Doctors Without Borders to assist their work in Haiti. 


love, The Sunny Bower Art Studio

I have a new a new website

My web site, SunnyBower.com,  has a new web page, it's called Sunny Bower Contemporary Graphics.  I will be posting Etsy banners and business cards that I've designed at my new Sunny Bower Graphics Etsy shop very soon.  Here's one of my original banners for sale (above) © Sunny Bower Art Studio 2010.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Reflecting Back On January 2010

The Hearts for Haiti Volunteers-


"10 Extraordinary Days"
by Sunny Bower

Akureyri, Iceland, image courtesy CC GNU

girl in picture unknown.

At 9:55 PM on Jan. 13, 2010, a whirlwind of volunteer activity began the moment Victoria posted the question in the Etsy.com Forums, "Fundraising shop for Haiti?".  Immediately a group of women from the Etsy global arts and crafts community stepped forward to volunteer and began brainstorming an Etsy shop to raise funds for victims of the earthquake.  

Jan. 13 -Jan.15, The Volunteers ironed-out logistics, determined charity protocols, created shop policies, designed a logo and shop banner, opened Gmail, credit union, and PayPal accounts, joined 3 social networking sites, wrote a press release, and began compiling the list of donors.  

Jan. 16, 2010,1:08 AM, Day Four: the HFH shop opened. Donations poured in. Volunteers offered to work in shifts and began listing hundreds of donated items and images.

Jan. 16, 2010, Victoria posted: "The very tired Victoria here. I seriously love all of you guys right now. It's 4:30 am where I am and I've been going nonstop for days and I feel like I just want to keep going! But I'm going to have to go to bed, kiddos will be up in a few hours and the papa won't be content to be on his own for too long on a Saturday. I'm so proud of all of us for making this happen." 

Jan. 18, 2010, 2:00 AM, a Volunteer posted: "Night all! got my set of listings done-time to get some sleep so I can wake those kiddos up early tomorrow. better go set my coffee maker for the morning!!". It was now Day Five and HFH

had it's 100th sale and 170 items donated. 


The Volunteers were energized by the generous outpouring from the  Etsy Community, the touching messages that came with the donations, and they continued to be deeply concerned by devastating news reports from Haiti.  

The whole world was reeling from images from Port-au-Prince. Donations poured in faster than they could be listed. The Volunteers listed between cooking for their families, housework, jobs, school, Scout meetings, doctor's appointments, running their Etsy shops, and taking care of their children.  

(more...)

Article here
http://www.sunnybowercomments.blogspot.com

Hearts for Haiti

Etsy Hearts for Haiti has raised over $28,000.00

for Doctors Without Borders in Haiti since the earthquake a few weeks ago.

"Conversation Heart confetti - 48 pieces" was donated by ThePinkDillo.etsy.com

Etsy Donations for Haiti Earthquake Relief

Our caring Etsy community of artists, crafters, and vintage sellers are mobilizing to raise funds for Doctor's Without Boarders for the Haiti earthquake fundraiser. You can donate your Etsy shops items for sale or buy an item. Go to "Hearts for Haiti" on Etsy or visit the HFH Blog, which I am a co-author. Thank you very much. 

Wishing everyone a peaceful and a blessed holiday!

Love, the Sunny Bower Art Studio.

A song that makes me happy...

Recent trip to Tahoe

I went to Lake Tahoe with a friend recently. Hwy 50 was amazing! I can't wait to go back.

The pass is over 5,000 ft. elevation and has narrow, winding curves with very few pull-over spots. The view from the ridge was astonishing but we couldn't pull over to take a photos. This photo was taken above Emerald Bay from the look-out point in the following photo.

It was clear day when we arrived then turned

to thunder, lightening and rain, then back to sunshine. I loved the changing weather!

It was not too crowed. This was a view point over looking Emerald Bay. One of the few view pull-outs on the Hwy where you can get out of your

car, walk around, and take pictures.

Pristine environment. Peaceful.

(photos copyright Sunny Bower Art Studio © 2009)

Donations to school children Datu Wali Mission

Thanks to YackyJan for collecting donations for the children of the Datu Wali Mission in the Philippines. I donated a dozen handmade hair bows that were made by Etsy crafter, BelovedEnchanted.

Wine Tasting at Ferrari-Carano

The Ferrari-Carano Winery is located in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, California.

I initially went there for a photo-shoot of the vineyard for a landscape painting.

But I was captivated by the aroma of oak barrels near the estate's garden gate and decided to wine taste.

The tasting room employees were very nice and they made me feel welcomed.

The gift shop was fun to browse. (above: a picture taken from inside the gift shop.)

The gardens were cool and peaceful and perfectly tended.

The sound of a waterfall could be heard near by.

The Reserve wines were were served in the Enoteca.

The Enoteca (which means “wine library” in Italian) was down a beautiful stone stairway. The underground Oak barrel cellar can be viewed behind a glass wall.

My two favorites samples were the 2004 Back Forty and the 2006 Eldorado Gold.

Ferrari-Carano's brand, PreVail, features their mountain vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, Back Forty (2004). It was extraordinary. Dark berries, cherry and blackberry with vanilla, smooth oak tones, and as their website states:"rich

mid-palate followed by a finish of superb length". It was served with a little dish of chocolate covered blueberries. This was my first taste of chocolate paired with wine. It was the most wonderful and surprising combination of flavors.

The Reserve 2006 Eldorado Gold (grown in the Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys) is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Viscous, honeyed, with vanilla bean, dried apricot and pear, served at the perfect temperature.

As I drove away I felt blessed to be in the Dry Creek Valley. The valley has been home to the Pomo Indian tribes centuries. The tribal women are renown for their baskets.

(Image is of the Alexander Valley near the River Rock Indian Casino.)

Ferrari-Carano family Winery is a leader in sustainable farming practices (click link to read more and see photos of their ranch). They are dedicated to land stewardship, wildlife habitat, honey bee and native plant protection, and water conservation practices. Even the roads in the winery are paved with renewable resources, such as ligin (tree sap) mixed with rocks from the hillside. Plants are labeled throughout the garden and you can touch a cork tree. It's the softest tree bark I have ever touched. Everything about visiting Ferrari-Carano Winery was a good experience. Next up....I plan to do landscape paintings from photographs that I took of the area.

Ah, thanks!

This beautiful little award is from Rainbow Revolution, an awesome member of the Etsy community and a kind and caring soul. She is an Aussie who knows all about the healthy effects and use of color!

Her blog: Rainbow Revolution

My "Tea and Cream" print in a Treasury in June...I love this one....

Thank you ArtandAngelsbyRose!

See it there in the center? The coffee cup next to the bottle of cream?

I love the "traveling penguin" drawing!

...click to enlarge.

Thank you my friend!

What a beautiful award! This is from Sweet Scarlett.

View her vintage children's book illustrations Book Plates at her Etsy shop. How fun is that to know that your Book Plates were a handmade in the United Kingdom? I love the ones she sent me!

The award says to, "name 7 of your Favorite Things".

Here tis:

1.) When my cat used to nap on top of my feet. 2.) The coastal fog

rolling in over the Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day. 3.)

The sounds of a wood working shop. 4.) laughing with my

family so much that we have to wipe tears away from our eyes. 5.)

Sitting by my fireplace. 6.) When my rose trees are in full bloom and look like big bouquets! 7.)

All of my wonderful friends on here on Blogger.com and on Etsy.com!

Mr. D.

Some of my friends here know that I lost my beloved cat of 16 yr.s after he fell from a fence last Dec. 2008 (scroll down to read). Here he is napping next to a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle, the day that the Gulf War started...blissfully unaware. Oh, if we humans could only learn to live in such contentment!

He was an "outdoor cat" but he stayed close to me all of his life.

Three months later, I'm finally ready to look through my photographs of him. Boy, do I miss him! I loved that cat like a best friend.

Ah...my art was in 2 Treasuries in March...makes me smile!

"Trail to The Bookstore"  by Sunny Bower (lower left corner) on  Abbasgirl's beautiful sepia toned Etsy Treasury.  And above on the right, my "Cloud Swing" greeting cards was Featured by Sweet Scarlett on Etsy, she's one of Etsy's U.K. members; have visit to her Etsy shop!