Save Mia

New auction item (Fingerless mittens)

2011-07-14T16:46:40Z

NOTE: If the preview isn't visible, click on link or comment. I have no idea why the preview isn't visible on my friends page.

Winning bidder will pay for shipping and insurance. (I'm guessing that will come to a little less than $10 within the USA.)

I'll set the opening bid at $20. Any takers?

The auction will close at midnight on July 21st.

Eyes of a Child - Free Download / Thank You Gift

2011-07-03T15:28:28Z

Free downloadable print for anyone who:

makes a cash donation of any size to the Save Mia fundraiser,
donates an item for auction,
bids on an item, or
boosts the signal.

Original is 8" x 8.955" @200ppi.

Download full size image

Thank you so much for participating in this ongoing fundraiser to help protect my precious granddaughter from domestic violence.

AUCTION Extended!: Electronic Chess Game

2011-07-01T01:54:27Z

Hi, chess lovers!

I have a high-quality electronic chess game (Kasparov Olympiad Travel Chess Computer by Saitek) for auction.

You play against the self-contained computer.

It has 64 difficulty settings and three coaching options. Instructions included.

It runs on 4 AA batteries or a 9V, 100 mA DC adapter (not included).

It has a complete set of 3-D chess pieces and a nearly complete set of flat "travel" pieces, all of which store in a compartment under the unit.

Dimensions: 9 1/2" h x 12 " w x 1 1/2 " thick

Weight: 2 1/2 lbs

It cost $100 when new. Starting bid $20, plus shipping cost.

Auction closes: July 20, 2011, 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

Pinwheel Baby Blanket auction

2011-06-28T15:16:45Z

Click to embiggen

Winning bidder will pay for shipping and insurance. (I'm guessing that will come to $15 within the USA.)

I'll set the opening bid at $25. Any takers?

The auction will close at midnight on July 7th.

If you don't see the thumbnail, please click on the image. For some unknown reason the thumbnail shows on preview but not in the post itself.

Custom Faery Wing - Pendant or Earrings

2011-06-28T01:18:32Z

Hi all-- as the first auction for my wings just closed, I thought it best to offer a second custom wing auction. If you missed out in the first, you have a second shot!

This auction is for a custom faery wing from Sihaya Designs Jewelry. You can choose between a pendant with a chain or a pair of earrings. Other color combinations can be seen on my flickr.

You pick your metal: copper, brass, or silver. Then you pick your background color (iridescent or transparent), and your crystal colors. Fully customizable! I will pay for shipping costs.

The starting bid is $20. Please place your bids in the comments, being sure to respond to the previous high bidder each time.

This auction will close at 8 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, July 3rd.

Auction: Woodland Dragonfly Wire Wrapped Key Pendant

2011-06-27T20:07:58Z

This auction is for a handmade wire wrapped key pendant decorated with a pair of large antiqued brass leaves, swirls and spirals of vintage bronze enameled copper wire, Swarovski crystals in shades of green and brown, and a small dragonfly with a slight rainbow patina.

The auction is for the exact pendant shown below, and comes with an 18" antique brass plated steel chain with an antiqued brass lobster clasp. The chain is fully adjustable up to its maximum length. A pendant like this would usually cost $50, but I haven't made any others with this design.

This pendant is slightly over 3 3/8" long including the bail, and slightly under 1" across at the top of the key. It can be worn or hung as an ornament.

The starting bid is $20.

Auction will end in eight days, July 5 2011, at 11:59pm EDT.

Notes: I will cover shipping via First Class or First Class International anywhere in the world, with delivery confirmation in the United States. (If you're in Canada, it will have to wait until the mail strike ends.)

More photos of this pendant can be seen here.

Silver Owl Creations Etsy Shop
Silver Owl Creations Website

Poetry

2011-06-25T23:49:16Z

What: A set of five poems in this style, on whatever subject the winner chooses. The only thing I won't write is erotica, because this is for the benefit of a small child and, well, I'd feel skeevy about it.

What it's worth: let's say $50

Example: I did this for a similar auction last September

Starting bid: $5

Auction will end in 1 week, Saturday, July 2nd.

Auction: A Small Library of Self-Help and Personal Enlightenment Books

2011-06-25T20:02:41Z

Paperback

The Highly Sensitive Person, by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. (ISBN: 0553062182) [one of my 3 favorite books for introverts...a duplicate I don't need]
The Highly Sensitive Person's Workbook, by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. (ISBN: 0767903374)
The Sedona Method, by Hale Dwoskin (ISBN: 0971933413) [another duplicate I don't need]
A Chakra and Kundalini Workbook, by Dr. Jonn Mumford (4th ed) (ISBN: 1567184731)
Awaken the Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins (ISBN: 0671791540)
The Hidden Messages in Water, by Masauro Emoto (ISBN: 0743289803)
Thresholds of the Mind: Your Personal Roadmap to Success, Happiness, and Contentment, by Bill Harris [founder of Centerpointe Research Institute] (ISBN: 0972178007)

Hardcover

Instant Emotional Healing: Acupressure for the Emotions, by Peter Lambrou, Ph.D. and George Pratt, Ph.D. (ISBN: 0767903927)
Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, by Deepak Chopra, M.D. (ISBN: 0517592576)
The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life, by Thomas Moore (ISBN: 0060172096)
Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, by Daniel Goleman (ISBN: 055309503X)
Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat (ISBN: 0684815338)
Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential, by Caroline Myss (ISBN: 0517703920)

Condition of books
All in very good condition, no inner markings (afaik) or tears. Some have very minor soiling on edges, and there are some crinkles in dust jacked edges of hardcover books. For the most part, I never used these books. They have sat on my shelves waiting to be used, as my have eyes made that undertaking increasingly difficult. They need a good home - or perhaps you can disperse them to many new homes as gifts!

Opening Bid
$20

Close Date
This auction will end ~~at 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, July 2, 2011~~ if anyone ever makes a bid :)

Postage to be paid by winner.
U.S. postage by media mail for these #17 of books, with packaging, estimated at $9-10.

Auction: Your WHATEVER Edited.

2011-06-25T19:49:27Z

You: someone writing something that could benefit from editing.
Me: PhD biologist, compulsive editor of things.
I will edit your fic (original or fan), paper, dissertation, whatever. You send me a text file of some flavour, and I will send you back an edited file. Up to 50,000 words, please - if you have something bigger, comment here and we can work that out.

Why: Much like the post below (where I got the idea) I can offer a very specific perspective and advice on certain things. Crime novel that revolves around DNA evidence? Scifi with some sort of crazy evolving virus-thing? I can do that.
If it's not fiction - I've done my due diligence in the school trenches, and now I teach people how to write science. Plus, I promise to respond to email faster than your dissertation advisor does!

Start at $25?
Auction ends one week from today: midnight EST on Saturday the 2nd of July.

New Auction Item: Matching scarf & beret

2011-06-22T19:57:54Z

Click to embiggen

Winning bidder will pay for shipping and insurance. (I'm guessing that will come to $15 within the USA.)

I'll set the opening bid at $25. Any takers?

The auction will close at midnight on July 1st.

Community owner -- How about a tag for clothing? I don't have permission to add it.

Auction: Edit of Fic from Experienced Lawyer's POV

2011-06-22T14:58:33Z

I first heard of kythryne and her brilliant efforts here last week, when several friends pointed me to them. I'm a lawyer in upstate NY, but not in that region or field of practice, and while I wasn't able to get her a referral, I'm thrilled she's found someone and I'm happy to help with this effort now.

What can't I do? Auction off my legal services. It's considered an ethical no-no, for a number of reasons. So the practicing lawyer hat is off, in the box, with Maru firmly on top of it. Here's what I can do, though:

What: If you've got a piece of fiction which you want read, and professionally edited, both for general reactions and corrections and for specific suggestions as to the US (and to a lesser extent, other UK-common-law national) systems, I will review up to a 50,000 word manuscript and provide those edits within a week of its submission to me.

What it's worth: Meh. Say $250.

Website: N/A

Starting bid: $50

Auction will end in 1 week, 11:59pm EST, Jun 29 2011.

Shipping costs: You send to me in Word .doc format, I send you .doc back. I will provide the winner with the email contact information for it.

Why: Most LJ people are highly literate and well-read, and most of us have a manuscript in the brain, if not the drawer. We're also nitpicky about authors getting things wrong that seem so obvious to us but not to them- like the multi-published author who placed the probate of a will in a US federal court. (I got an autographed copy of one of his books for pointing THAT out.) I can't give you legal advice, but I can tell you whether character L likely WOULD give character C certain advice, or would say such-and-such to opposing character O.

Right. Have at it.

Auction: 6 Bottles - Hard to Find BPAL perfumes

2011-06-22T02:22:21Z

EDIT: WE HAVE WINNERS! And my apologies if anyone ran into trouble with LJ for at least 30 min prior to the end of the auction the way I did. I hope you didn't wind up being unable to bid last minute. I am most cranky with LJ over that one.

What: This is actually 6 different auctions for 6 different bottles of BPAL perfume, combined into one post (not one auction for a lot of 6 bottles) to not spam & take over the community. (FYI: If you're not already into Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab brand perfume oils, don't start with these - it would suck to find that you really like one only to NEVER be able to find it again. Start with my general bpal sale post; the proceeds to anything I sell there are also going to SaveMia) The perfumes up for bid in this post are: (and please read carefully)

Vieux Carre (a bit over half full, thus 3ml-ish, unreleased, direct from the lab 3ish years ago), starting bid $10 

The Star (10ml, from the old tarot line, full, bought straight from the lab, tested once), starting bid $20
 
Queen of Diamonds (5ml full, forum only from 6+ years ago, rec'd in swap from a forumite 5+ years ago, label is modgepodged), starting bid $20 

SN Frankincense (about 40-50% full, about 2-2.5ml from someone who got it straight from the lab), starting bid $10 

SN Florentine Iris (about 50% full, thus about 2.5ml, from someone who got it straight from the lab), starting bid $10 

SN Blue Lilac (about 20% full, thus about 1ml, from someone who got it straight from the lab), starting bid $10

(Individual pictures will be posted as I figure out how to do draw the little line indicating fullness level. I haven't done that before.)

Valued at: who the heck knows? Seriously. When originally purchased, the full bottles varied in cost between $15-$20, but these are extremely hard to find, and could easily go for 5-10x that amount on ebay.

Auction will end in 1 week, 11:59pm EST, Jun 28 2011.

Shipping costs: I'll cover that. Obviously, if you're in canada, I can't send to you until the strike is over. In the US I'll include shipping confirmation via paypal. Outside of the US, I'll take a picture for you of the addressed & stamped envelope and we'll both cross our fingers that it arrives.

HOW TO BID:
I will place 6 starting bid comments - one for each different perfume. This is NOT an auction for the lot of all 6. Place your opening bid under the comment for the correct bottle. PLEASE place your counterbid in response to the bid before yours. And to prevent confusion -- JUST IN CASE someone posts on the wrong comment, PLEASE say which bottle you're bidding for in your comment. if you're bidding on multiple bottles, please leave multiple comments.

Make sense?

EDIT: Holy cow, bpal peeps you're awesome! Let me sweeten this slightly -- if you wind up winning anything for over $50, I'll ask you to point me to your wishlist to see if I can throw in some bonuses from my overly-large, desperately-needs-culling collection.

EDIT 2: On the advice of a wise friend, I'm going to go through the comments and screen all but the highest & 2nd highest bids because this post is getting somewhat difficult to navigate. If anyone can think of a good reason to not do so, let me know & I'll unscreen.

Talk with a healthcare provider for an hour

2011-06-21T23:18:43Z

EDIT: WE HAVE A WINNER! And my apologies if anyone ran into trouble with LJ for at least 30 min prior to the end of the auction the way I did. I hope you didn't wind up being unable to bid last minute. I am most cranky with LJ over that one. If you did want to bid on this auction at the last minute, let me know. This auction, at least, is for something I can duplicate.

What: A one hour (or two 30-min if you like) informational phone call or IM session with me, a licensed acupuncturist in the state of NY and nationally certified Chinese Herbalist. (* this is an informational phone call and not a health consult because I'm not sure of the legality of doing a phone consult with someone outside of NYS. Though if you happen to live in NYC, I'll be happy to make this an in-office appointment complete with acupuncture. I have offices in both Queens & Manhattan.)

What it's worth: $100

Website: www.healingmaven.com

Starting bid: $20

Auction will end in 1 week, 11:59pm EST, Jun 28 2011.

Shipping costs: if you're within the US, I'll be happy to make the phone call and incur the costs. If you're outside of the US, I can attempt to figure out how Skype works or we can make it an IM/email session. (If email, we'll figure out some kind of format.)

Why? If you've been wanting to bend the ear of a health care professional, particularly one who isn't an MD and part of the mainstream medical establishment, now is your chance. I've been in practice since 2005, so not a newb. :) I'm a general practitioner, so I know a fair bit about an awful lot of subjects. And I'm a professional woman with both fibromialgia and fibroids, and I've gotten quite good at figuring out how to Deal With chronic pain and weird reproductive hormones and still be able to live a real life. (I mention the latter as I'm currently writing a book on dealing with fibro from a pro-active standpoint and that's what's on the top of my mind.)

(Additionally, I seem to be the one all my friends come to from all over the country with problems via email -- and my "it sounds an awful lot like" assessment is right 9 times out of 10. Sometimes, spookily so. That said, DISCLAIMER: I am not an MD and I can NOT diagnose medical conditions. I can just give you my best impression and suggest that you go to the doctor and ask about it. These days, I find I get the best results at an MDs office if I tell them what to look at. Maybe that's just me. If it sounds like something that would be a good match for acupuncture, I'll do my best to find you a local referral via my alumni network.)

CLOSED: Auction: Fashion Style Pinkie Pie My Little Pony with custom hairdo!

2011-06-21T19:21:36Z

So, you finally watched My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, fell for Pinkamena Diane Pie, and thought, "I need that in my life." But then you got to the store and her hair was all wrong!

I can fix that for you:

I'm offering one Fashion Style Pinkie Pie with her mane and tail curled as close to show accuracy as physics will allow. (The pony pictured is a prototype; you'll be getting a new one.) Fashion Style ponies are much bigger than the $5 basics, and indeed larger than many of the ponies you remember; Pinkie is a little taller than a soda can. She'll come with all of her accessories: shoes, a brush*, a headband, barrettes, a skirt, a saddle, and a domed tray with plastic cupcakes for her to carry. She probably won't come in her original box, since the packaging isn't exactly designed for reuse :/

Bidding starts at $15. I will cover shipping within the US if bidding reaches over $50. The auction runs until next Tuesday at 9PM Eastern time!

EDIT: More pictures of a frolicking Pinkie!

* Don't brush her hair. As with human curls, too much manipulation turns ringlets into frizz!

Custom Faery Wing - Pendant or Earrings

2011-06-20T20:00:09Z

This auction is for a custom faery wing from Sihaya Designs Jewelry. You can choose between a pendant with a chain or a pair of earrings. Other color combinations can be seen on my flickr.

You pick your metal: copper, brass, or silver. Then you pick your background color (iridescent or transparent), and your crystal colors. Fully customizable! I will pay for shipping costs.

The starting bid is $20. Please place your bids in the comments, being sure to respond to the previous high bidder each time.

This auction will close at 8 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, June 26th, 2011.

How You Can Help

2011-06-20T13:39:52Z

- Signal boost, signal boost, signal boost!

- If you're good at tweaking LJ styles, we need a sticky post and some prettying up. I am neither skilled at that nor in possession of enough time to learn.

- Auctions! Do you make Things? Do you write Things? Do you have Things sitting around the house? Do you know of a business that might be willing to donate a thing?

I know these are hard times for a lot of people, and I wouldn't be asking for help if not for the fact that a little girl's safety is at stake. Thank you for anything you can do.

Illustrated Fairy Poem Print

2011-06-20T00:26:21Z

This auction was for a print of my illustrated fairy poem, Ah To Be A Fairy.

CLOSED Auction: jewelry-making mentoring sessions

2011-06-20T00:10:13Z

This auction is for three one-hour mentoring sessions, to be conducted via email, Skype, or in person at my studio in Concord NH. You can use these sessions to get feedback on what you've been making, bounce ideas around about directions you could go with your art, learn new techniques, figure out where to start if you're just beginning to make jewelry, or just brainstorm!

If you aren't familiar with my work, I'm the owner of Wyrding Studios, and I have made over 10,000 pieces of jewelry in the past five years. My specialty is wirewrapping and mixed-media jewelry, and I have been selling jewelry online since before Etsy existed.

Bidding starts at $50, and this auction ends at 8 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, June 26th, 2011.

CLOSED Auction: custom jewelry from Wyrding Studios

2011-06-19T20:20:13Z

This auction is for custom jewelry from Wyrding Studios equivalent in value to the high bid. If the bidding goes over $50, I'll start adding in extra surprise items of my choosing to the winner's package, and if the bidding goes over $75 the winner can watch their piece being made via our studio webcam.

Please see the website for examples of my work and to get ideas of what you could have made!

The starting bid is $10. Please place your bids in the comments, being sure to respond to the previous high bidder each time.

This auction will close at 5 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, June 26th, 2011. Shipping is on me, anywhere in the world.

savemia @ 2011-06-19T15:26:00

2011-06-19T19:26:14Z

This community has been created to help raise funds for Jen and her young daughter Mia who are engaged in a custody battle involving domestic violence. A plea for help went out last week to try to find a lawyer who would take Jen's case, as the court-assigned lawyer was not acting in Mia's best interests and Jen was very afraid she would end up losing custody completely. Jen has since retained a wonderful new lawyer who has agreed to take payments over time.

Jen is a talented artist and a good mother who has exhausted her resources trying to protect her daughter. With the court's permission, Jen and Mia are presently staying with Jen's sister, pending resolution of the custody trial in New York. Once the trial is over and Jen no longer has to travel to New York, Jen plans to relocate permanently to Florida, where Mia can have a safe home with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

We hope to raise enough money through these auctions to significantly offset the lawyer's fees, which will be substantial; the initial estimate is $2500 but it could end up costing significantly more than that if the case is dragged out by the other party. Any money left after the lawyer's fees are paid in full will be used to help Jen and Mia relocate to Florida once the trial is over.

I'd like to contribute something for auction! What do I do?

Wonderful, thank you so much! Please create a new post in this community, and include the following information:

What you are auctioning and how much it's worth
A photograph of the item or link to your website (if applicable)
A starting bid
When the auction will end (we suggest running auctions for one week)
Whether or not you will cover shipping costs

(Please keep your auction offerings PG-13ish - there is, after all, a custody battle going on here. Thank you for understanding!)I'd like to bid on something I see in the auction! How does this work?

To bid, simply reply to the previous high bidder. If there are no bids yet, just leave a comment with your opening bid.

I have no money and nothing to auction, but I'd still like to help. What can I do?

Boost the signal! Spread the word far and wide. We could also use help customizing and maintaining this community.

(You can also help in the larger scheme of things by volunteering at your local domestic violence shelter.)

You say Jen is an artist - where can I see her work?

Right over here at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovestrucksoul and http://www.etsy.com/shop/MintyFreshFusions!

Can I make a donation directly?

Yes! Click the donate button; your donation will go directly to Jen's paypal account. Any amount, no matter how small, is very deeply and gratefully appreciated. If you make a donation, please leave a comment on this post so we can keep a running total of how much has been raised.