Virginia A. Spiegel

Wood Heart by Ann S. Miller
In honor of Judy, friend and survivor

Regular Collage Mania opens today at 10 a.m. CDT (see clock on the first page of collages).  If you are worried that your favorite collage may be acquired later today, you can still shop at the $80 minimum donation level until 9:59 a.m. CDT this morning.  All collages then become available for a minimum $40 donation at 10 a.m. CDT today through 5 p.m. CDT tomorrow (Thursday, May 7).

Collage Mania has already raised more than $10,000 for the American Cancer Society in one day and there are still hundred of collages available donated by generous artists from around the world. 

Prairie Potholes – Harvest No. 5 by Kimberly Baxter Packwood

Patrons have been MOST generous and I thank them.  I am also thankful that everyone is reading the DIRECTIONS and making my life so much easier. It’s great having Karen Stiehl Osborn riding shotgun this year and helping keep track of patrons.  I know sometimes it is frustrating when servers haven’t yet uploaded the newest pages showing Acquired collages or I haven’t had time to mark the Acquired ones for awhile, but you can always send me a note if you have a question.  

Thank you for your continued support, good humor and patience. It should be another GREAT day today!

Coneflower I by Heidi Miracle-McMahill
In honor and Memory of Carmen Rodriquez

Collage Mania, a Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, opens today, May 5, at 10:00 a.m. CDT.  Check out the official clock on the first page of the collages if you are wondering what time that might be in your time zone. 

Remember it’s first come/first serve, not highest bidder.  Today’s minimum donation to the ACS is $80.  If you are able to add even an extra $1, it will make a difference in how much we raise.  All the directions of how to acquire collages during Collage Mania are here.  

Create Art by Jamie Fingal

All of the activities of Fiberart For A Cause during the last four years have been a labor of love for me as they are done in honor of my Dad, Bob Spiegel.  He is a fifteen-year a colon cancer survivor. Fiberart For A Cause is part of the Forest Lake, MN Relay For Life, a grassroots fundraiser for the ACS, chaired in admirable style by my sister, Nancy Spiegel Rosman.  

I thank Karen Stiehl Osborn for making the Collage Mania pages (all 39!) happen and many other selfless tasks, our Honorary Chair Karey Bresenhan, and most of all, the 161 artists who donated their artwork to Collage Mania and you, the patrons, who support both fundraising and the fiberarts.  Today promises to be a fun and exciting day!

I wanted to promo this after Collage Mania, but received notice that they are drawing for this quilt on Thursday, May 7.  So I HAD to post it today as their totals are showing only $15 raised!  I love quilt raffles and this is a fellow team raising funds for the American Cancer Society in the Forest Lake, MN Relay For Life.  

Wendy’s Warriors was formed to support cancer survivor Wendy Weyer, diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and now cancer free! (Read Wendy’s story below.)  They will send you the numbers of your tickets and you receive one for each $1 donated. The quilt is 56” x 66.”   Click here to donate to the ACS for your raffle tickets; you will receive an electronic receipt directly from the American Cancer Society.

Wendy and the quilt made and donated by her Mom

From Weslie Gray:
Wendy’s Warriors was formed in honor of my middle sister, Wendy Weyer. She was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer in July of 2007. In addition, she tested positive for the HER-2 gene which made fighting this cancer more complicated. This is a rare cancer accounting for only 1-2% of all breast cancers. Wendy’s Dr. consulted many oncologists and finally was able to come up with a treatment plan after discovering a new trial that was taking place at the MD Anderson clinic in Houston. She endured the aggressive chemo regimens, surgery, and radiation and remained positive through it all. We are extremely proud to have Wendy walking the survivor lab at the Relay this year cancer-free!!!

Those of us on Wendy’s Warriors team are friends, family and co-workers who struggled wondering what we could do to help her fight her battle against cancer. Shortly after her diagnosis we formed her team to help raise money to prevent and fight this disease.

Her team was named by her kids (employees) at the Ham Lake Dairy Queen. They have been outstanding fundraisers on her behalf and have been a great support emotionally to her. Other team members include: sister Weslie (team co-captain), niece Keeley (who will be donating her hair at the Relay), sister Wanda and niece Kayla from Knoxville (you will recognize them as the ones “reckin” and “fixin” everything).

We also have participants from the Columbus Cavaliers 4-H Club. Little did we know at the time we committed to organizing the games at the 2008 Relay that cancer would surprise us and claim the life of a prominent 4-H leader, Doug Post. He was an active leader at both the county and club level in the Shooting Sports and Wildlife Project areas. Doug, we walk for you too. Although your battle was only a month long, please know that your life has touched us for an eternity.

Wendy we are so proud of how you fought this horrible disease. You kicked it’s butt. Now, let us raise a ton of money so others don’t have to endure what you have been through in the last year.

Relay For Life is an overnight event that brings our community together to help support the American Cancer Society and its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. The Society works hard every day to prevent cancer and save lives by supporting groundbreaking research, affecting public policies that protect us from cancer, and educating people on how to prevent or detect cancer early. The Society helps people with cancer right here in our own community. And our efforts at Relay For Life can help the American Cancer Society to keep working toward a cancer-free future.

Journey Life by Virginia Cole
Survivor thankful to ACS, who helped me 25 years ago.

Have you been making your shopping list for Collage Mania? Collage Mania opens this coming Tuesday, May 5 and continues until May 7. There are 383 fiberart collages donated by 161 artists from around the world.

Essential Blue 10 by Wen Redmond
In honor of my Mother, Elsie Ward

Collage Mania is a Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.  We have already donated over $170,000 to the ACS.  Our goal is to raise at least $20,000 during the three days of Collage Mania.

I hope you are able to join us for this three-day art extravaganza.  The directions to participate as a patron are here.

Eyes Of The Beholder by Laura Krasinski
12-year breast cancer survivor

Thistle by Nancy Dobson
In celebration of my Mom, Mary Blick, a cancer survivor

Thanks to 161 generous artists from around the world, you can choose from among 383 fiberart collages during Collage Mania, May 5 -7.

See all the collages here.

This is the final big Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society as I will be returning to my studio fulltime after a very good run of almost five years in which we have already donated over $170,000 to the ACS.   Fiberart For A Cause will still raise funds in a much more low-key manner through the FFAC Store, my eBook Art, Nature, Creativity, Life, and fundraisers by Friends of FFAC.

I would like to thank all the artists and patrons who have donated their time, money and care to make FFAC such a success. 

FFAC would not exist without the personal involvement and effort of our Honorary Chairperson, Karey Bresenhan, Director of International Quilt Festival – Houston, Chicago, and Long Beach.  Thank you, dear Karey!

Rising Spring by Ann S. Miller
In honor of Judy, friend and survivor

Our goal for Collage Mania is at least $20,000 in three days. I am very optimistic we can do it!