Greetings friends! I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season so far. I’ve been reflecting over the past year for Craft Hope and what a year it has been. I’ve said it a hundred times and will say it a thousand more, this community amazes me. The way you rally around a cause, take ownership of it, and make a difference is astounding. You move mountains, I hope you know that.

We haven’t had a lot of updates on the blog since we are hoping you’ll get involved in your own community this holiday season. Do not fret, we will kick off 2011 with a bang with a project that will take us back to Haiti. A little hint for you curious types!

In the meantime be sure to join us on our Facebook page as we are posting ideas for giving in your own community this holiday season. There is so much you can do in your very own town that will make a difference and put a smile on someone’s face.  Go on over and see some of the ideas we have and share your own.

This week we were honored to find that the Craft Hope book was featured as one of HGTV’s Top 20 Coffee Table books. Thank you so much HGTV for spreading the word of Craft Hope, our charities, and the projects. We are truly humbled, grateful, and appreciative.

Greetings friends! It’s so great to read so many wonderful comments and ideas about what you are crafting for others for the holidays here and on our facebook page. I’m continuously humbled by the generosity of this community.

I hope you understand that what we do here at Craft Hope is provide the opportunity for you to connect with charities around the globe that you might not know. To help you to help others. That is it. You can find patterns to every previous project we have done here online, on our website.  Browse the previous projects as there are links to patterns for dolls, pillowcases, quilts, scarves, you name it.

There are also some great ideas being posted on our facebook page highlighting charities around the world and handmade items they need. Please join us there so you can keep up with the latest Craft Hope happenings. We will kick off 2011 with a bang with a new project, but for now enjoy finding those in your very own community that could use some handmade love.

Ladies Home Journal has put together a great crafty giveaway for the holidays and I am so grateful they included a copy of the Craft Hope book. Go over there now, leave a comment on their site, and you just might win one of their fantastic prizes.

I hope you are all enjoying this season of Thanksgiving and making for others. It truly is time to be thankful.

Thanks to all of you for your sweet comments in the last post about the Craft Hope book. I truly believe it is a gift that will continue to multiply and spread love around the globe to those who need it most. And I thank you all so much for supporting it.

How are those pillowcases coming along? ConKerr Cancer has chapters starting up all over the place thanks to Craft Hope folks. Thank you. ConKerr now has a chapter in Oxford, United Kingdom so if you are in Europe you now have a local place to mail your pillowcases. I tell you, you people blow my mind. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I meant to do this post on Monday, looked up, and now it’s Thursday. Such is life with three kids under five. We have a winner for last week’s book drawing and Amy Butler patterns and it’s Kelsey who said: congrats on the awesome book and starting an amazing movement. Kelsey is actually a ConKerr coordinator up in British Columbia. Way to go Kelsey!

Never fear though friends I’m doing a giveaway every week in August so we’re doing another one today! To win a signed copy of the Craft Hope book just leave a comment on this post by Monday, 8/16/2010, at noon (central time). And of course we have two more Amy Butler patterns donated by Amy herself.

Spread hope.

Today kicks off Lark Crafts Month of Hope in celebration of the Craft Hope book. They are spending the month of August featuring the charities in the book, designers who have patterns in the book, and a great glimpse into what Craft Hope is all about. To say that I am honored would be an understatement. I’ll be reposting and sharing links with you here on the Craft Hope site. Tomorrow marks the ‘official’ release of the Craft Hope book and I am so very excited to be able to share all of these incredible designers and charities with you.

They just posted an interview that I did with my editor and friend Kathy. It’s my story of starting Craft Hope, working with this inspiring community, and how a simple blog became so much more.

We have also created a page for the Month of Hope where you can find links to all of their stories, contest winners, and more. There’s a button in the sidebar so you can find it easily.

In honor of the Craft Hope :: Handmade Crafts for a Cause book release we are going to be doing weekly giveaways right here on our site. Of course we’re going to be giving away one signed copy of the Craft Hope book a week plus a few other goodies thrown in.

For the first week in the Month of Hope drawing we are giving away one signed copy of the Craft Hope book along with two Amy Butler patterns donated by the amazing Amy Butler herself. Amy donated fabric for the book that ended up going to a charity in Europe to be used to teach sewing skills. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Friday, August 6th 2010, at noon (central time) (entries are now closed) and I’ll draw a winner. Easy enough.

Spread hope!

When I started Craft Hope over a year ago I thought maybe a few people would participate. Actually, I’d been praying for purpose with my blogging and crafting. Wow, did God give me purpose in a way I would never have imagined. In the Craft Hope community, I’m surrounded with some of the most thoughtful, creative people on the planet. I am eternally thankful to all of you for allowing me to serve in this capacity.

I really am just a girl, who had an idea, was contacted by Lark Books to share my vision, and somehow landed a book deal. I had heard rumor that Craft Hope books were shipping. The ‘official’ release date for the Craft Hope book is August 3rd. To my surprise, they started showing up in stores yesterday.

So I went over to my local Barnes & Noble. Nothing.

Then today I checked online and it said they were in stock. WHAT?!? My book is on a bookshelf… that people can go and buy… right down the road?!? I started getting phone calls and emails from friends taking pictures of the book to share with me. Honestly, I’ve had a hard time grasping this whole thing. It just never seemed real. Even with deadlines looming and late nights working, I still had a hard time grasping that it was turning into an actual book.

Really, I’m just a girl who is trying to figure out how to be a good mom. I have endless stacks of laundry. Toys strewn about. Play-doh bins emptied all over the living room. Dirty dishes in the sink. And three kids under six running in circles around me. My oldest is starting kindergarten this year, which brings about a whole set of running around and new adventures. The nine month old literally keeps me chasing after her all day long.

All the while I’m running Craft Hope from my laptop in the living room.

All of this to say… thank you. Truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart. To my friends/designers that contributed projects to the book. To the charities that so graciously open their doors to our donations. To the Craft Hope community that rocks my socks on a daily basis. I am endlessly amazed by your thoughtful nature and willingness to give of your time. Your handmade items, your notes you put in the boxes, your emails and comments… they all matter and go straight to the heart.

So as you can see my book is now in many stores around the nation. Of course you can buy it online, but there really is something about going into a bookstore and buying a book. Thank you to those of you who continue to support Craft Hope. We are growing like wildfire. An incredibly, beautiful wildfire that spreads hope around the world.

**************************

And…. We now have a Post Office Box! For those of you who have towels from Project 8 to mail, please send them to me. Please do not make anymore towels unless you have a group already planning to get together. The need has been met, but I will continue to collect those that have been made and get them to the relief organizations.

Here is our spanking new mailing address:

I will be accepting donations for the next couple of weeks and after that we’ll be moving on to the next project. Thank you all so much who participated in Project 8! You supplied enough towels to the relief organizations along the gulf coast for years. Thank you.

I don’t have the words for this post. I’m still in a bit of shock. This community really is amazing. Because of you we have Craft Hope. Because of you we have a Craft Hope book. Without you, it would still be a dream in my head. Without your generosity, your love, YOUR hope, none of this would be here. I am forever grateful to the love I witness day in and out through Craft Hope.

So here is THE BOOK, published by Lark Crafts! You can preorder the book now, it will be available in stores in August. Aaack! I can hardly believe my eyes. The book is chock full of patterns by incredibly talented designers/bloggers that you all know and LOVE. Plus, each pattern has charities linked with it. So you can continue to CRAFT HOPE on your own terms. And don’t you think for one minute I’m going anywhere. The Craft Hope site will continue to reach the far corners of the world and your very own backyard.

I got a call that it was up online and just about freaked out. Okay, in all honesty I freaked out. Craft Hope was started just over a year ago, with 27 dresses. And today, we reach around the world. We heal broken hearts, we step up when called upon, we give of our time, ourselves. We sacrifice, for others. Goodness, what an amazing community. You guys rock my world, you really do.

The crafters that contribute their skills, the shoppers that stepped up to support Haiti, the bloggers that spread the word, the designers that donated patterns to this book, the charities that welcome us with open arms. Alone we are just one person, but together we are an amazing force!

Twenty-ten is going to be a GREAT year.

Believe that, be that, live that.

Spread hope!

I try to not double post on this space and my blog but sometimes things overlap and I just have to share them in both spaces. Do you need a last minute gift? Or need to get into the holiday spirit by doing a little more giving?

Check out the new downloadable book from Lark Books – Fa la la la Felt. The book includes 45 decorations, ornaments, and stockings made out of felt.

The book isn’t in stores until next year, but you can buy it now at Zinio and download it as an eBook. How cool is that?!? The book is chock full of super cute patterns to deck your halls. I know you’ll want an actual copy to hold in your hands, but this is a great way to give a special gift this holiday season.

And as a special gift, Lark Books is offering a free tutorial for this cute little mushroom ornament from Cathy Gaubert.  Click on the image above to download the .pdf file.

Drop by a nursing home, children’s shelter, or your neighbors house and make their day with this sweet holiday toadstool for their Christmas tree. I’m sure there are hundreds of places that would appreciate a sweet toadstool ornament. I bet most places don’t get many ornament donations and it sure would add a special touch.

Lark Books is also publishing the Craft Hope book, due in stores next August. Plus, the Craft Hope book may become an eBook as well so you might want to take this baby as a test drive before you check out the Craft Hope book.

Happy holidays!