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Archive for the ‘Haiti’ CategoryIn the PaperFriday, February 19th, 2010The very first article written on my business was August 8, 2003 in The Monterey Herald. It’s framed in my office. Today a new article came out, written by the same reporter, Lisa Crawford Watson. So fun to look at how far the business has come. Read it here. (The article isn’t available online anymore. I’m working on getting it scanned to post here!) What’s Happening in JP WorldWednesday, February 10th, 2010By now all but a few of you have received your bags from the Handbags Help Haiti fundraiser. I’ve enjoyed reading this Ravelry thread, tweets and various blog posts as you search for imperfections. So happy to see you’re having such difficulty finding them. Yesterday the money from the sale was deposited into my account, so I was able to get the check in the mail to Doctors Without Borders. Everything is wrapped up now. Just have an interview on Friday with a reporter who will be writing a story on it. The vest I’ve been working on is blocking. The pattern will be available in time for Stitches West. I still need to write the pattern, knit the collar, get it edited and do a photo shoot. I’m cutting it close, so I thought I would add a little more pressure on myself. Monday I decided to design a beret pattern for Stitches as well. I’m planning some fun stuff (read: prizes) for Stitches which will involve this pattern among other things. Adrienne of Wool Candy is dying up some yarn for me. She has really beautiful colorways. I have no plans for the beret yet. I’m hoping to be inspired by the yarn. If you have a special request, you can weigh in with your opinion here or on our Facebook page. Boxed, Taped and LabeledFriday, January 29th, 2010As if this week hasn’t been amazing enough, yesterday just put the icing on the cake. Three hundred orders in one day is much, much more than I am equipped to handle on my own. I put out the call to friends asking for help. Seventeen of the most wonderful people showed up to tape, package, label and stack boxes. A task that would have taken me days was done in just an hour and a half…and we had a pretty fun time while at it. This fundraiser has given me the privilege of seeing people’s generosity. Aleta, who I’d never met before, contacted me saying that she lived in Santa Cruz and wanted help. She showed up yesterday morning to stamp the bags. It was another task that would have taken me so long on my own. My mom, always helping me in any way possible, is entering all the tracking numbers into everyone’s accounts. It’s a boring job, but such a tremendous help. Looking back on the past 7 years of business, I have had a lot of wonderful opportunities and moments of jumping up and down with happiness; from selling my first bag to being a guest on Knitty Gritty, seeing my patterns published in magazines, travel (from Mexico to Scotland) and every little growth spurt in between, but absolutely nothing can compare to opportunity for this fundraiser. It is the highest moment of my business. Thank you for making it such a success. $15,150 Raised for Doctors Without BordersThursday, January 28th, 2010I am overwhelmed, shocked and so grateful. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude other than a truly sincere, heartfelt “THANK YOU”. This fundraiser would not have been successful without your support. In just one week you told your friends about the sale and then showed up at 8am sharp to buy a bag, most of you buying more than one. Your enthusiasm for our bags, even the imperfect ones, is awesome. Your love for people you’ve never met–absolutely beautiful. I’ve been smiling all day and I don’t think it’s going to wear off anytime soon. $15,150 will be donated to Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief. Amazing. Thank you. Available Bags & Hint #3Tuesday, January 26th, 2010Tomorrow is the big sale!! I am sooo excited. I hope you are too. We won’t be announcing what time each style/color will go on sale, but here’s a list of the bags that will be available at some point tomorrow: Rio in Red Garnet, Green Olive and Eggplant Here’s Hint #3 to getting the bag you’re hoping for: I just created a “fan” page on Facebook. Just like with Twitter, we’ll be announcing the next available color in our status. Become a fan and the announcement will show up in your Facebook feed. In case you missed them, here’s Hint #1 and Hint #2. Just visit our website tomorrow and we’ll direct you to the page with the sale. Doctors Without Borders – Haiti UpdateMonday, January 25th, 2010On January 27th we’ll be selling all imperfect handbags and donating the money to Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries, including Haiti, to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. Thank you to the amazing teams of people who give so much of their lives to helping others. You are all heroes. Here is a field report from one of these amazing people working in Haiti. When you purchase a handbag on Wednesday, this is where your $50 will be sent. If you don’t intend on purchasing a bag, but would like to make a donation to Doctors Without Borders, you can do so directly here. Helpful Hint #2 for Hangbags Help HaitiSunday, January 24th, 2010
Some styles we have lots of, but others there are very few. For the styles with not as many available, time is crucial. Last week I gave you the first tip of following us on Twitter to receive updates. My next helpful hint is to create an account on our site before the sale begins. You’ll be able to enter your shipping and billing address so it’s one less thing that needs to be done during the checkout process. I am so excited for Wednesday. The warehouse is about 90% ready. I’ll be doing the final product count on Tuesday. Today I’m working on getting the website ready and making sure I have enough shipping supplies on hand. Thursday my friends will be coming over for a shipping party to get all the orders boxed up. Don’t know what I would do without them. I just keep running through things in my head, hoping I haven’t forgotten to handle something. It’s going to be a crazy week, but I’m looking forward to every minute of it. Which bag at what time?Thursday, January 21st, 2010Part of the fun of this sale is not knowing what bag will be available each hour. I realize that not everyone has a boss that will allow hourly checking of a website, or you may not be able to be by a computer all day. Here’s a hint to help you out. About a minute before each hour on Wednesday I will tweet the next style/color. If you didn’t know it already, Twitter can send you a text message of a particular person’s tweets. So, follow us on Twitter, set it up so that you receive text messages of our tweets, put your phone on vibrate so your boss won’t know, and then BAM! as soon as the color you’re hoping to get is available, you’ll get a text message telling you to hurry up and get over to jordanapaige.com. Here’s how to set it all up: Handbags Help HaitiThursday, January 21st, 2010Even if you don’t plan on purchasing a bag, spreading the word is a huge help. Post this image and/or video to your blog, tweet it, talk about it on Ravelry…post it on all the social networking sites you can think of. RSVP “attending” to this Facebook invite, so it will get published to your feed. Then invite your friends to do the same. Thank you for your support! Remember, you don’t have to be a knitter to love these bags, so tell everyone.
JP Sale and Love for HaitiTuesday, January 19th, 2010
Giving money just never seems like enough. I always want to give more and wish I had a product that I could donate to help with relief. Handbags just aren’t going to save a life. I’ve been thinking a lot on this and have come up with a way, with your help, that handbags can make a difference. I will be selling all the imperfect handbags in my warehouse for $50 and will donate 100% of each sale to Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief. My warehouse holds a mix of discontinued bags, including The Knitter’s Satchel in Deep Red and Rio in Red Garnet, as well as current styles and colors. The “imperfect” bags don’t meet our quality standards. Some have scratches on the fabric, broken zippers, missing removable pouches or upside-down labels. Majority of the “imperfect” bags have very minor problems. The sale will start next Wednesday, January 27th at 8am PST. Every hour, on the hour, a new color will be made available. All sales will be final. The inside of the bags will be stamped with “final sale” in a hidden location. Due to the high volume of sales that I am expecting, I will not be able to personally identify what is imperfect about each bag. All bags are functional. We wouldn’t sell something with a missing handle or hole in the bottom. Some other details; we will only be accepting orders with USA delivery addresses. I’m sorry, but I just don’t have the man-power to ship a huge number of orders internationally. Lastly, I will be charging for shipping. The cost of shipping will not be going to Doctors Without Borders, but to cover the cost of shipping your bag to you. California residents will be charged sales tax. Please, please, please, share this with friends, post it on your blog, tweet it, Facebook it, you know, the works. Snag the image, spread the word! Together we can make an impact.  |
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I’ve been avoiding the news since last Tuesday. I absolutely hate the feeling of helplessness when disasters happen. But avoiding the news isn’t going to erase the huge need in Haiti. I know I’m not alone in having a great desire to