#2020RABirthdayAuctions – Spotlight on the Makers

/ August 13, 2020

The RA birthday auctions have always been kindly supported by fellow fans with creations of their own. In the past we have seen anything from jewelry, to plushies, to trinket boxes etc. This year’s fundraiser has attracted more hand-crafted donations than ever, and I am absolutely delighted to offer those wonderful and truly unique pieces of fan art and fan memorabilia in the upcoming auctions. Out of 40 auctions in total this year, we have 18 items that can be classed as hand-made, crafted, or original. That is almost half of all lots available – amazing!

It is very difficult to put a price on hand-crafted items – which is to say that they are really *priceless*. There is a lot of thought, time and skill in hand-made items. They are, essentially, a big compliment to the actor whom we all adore – spending precious time and creative energy on something that will (re)present him in a fun and original way. And I can tell you – the crafty contributors to this year’s birthday fundraiser have put together some stunning donations. Today I want to give you a little taste of what you can expect – and I would like to shine a light on those talented and creative fellow fans who are supporting the fundraiser and are tempting us with their creations. I am presenting the crafty makers in order of having received the items (or pictures of them) – and I am limiting it to one of their creations each. All makers have donated more than one creative item to the auctions. If you click on their name, you will be taken to their blog/social media where you can find out more about their talents.

Ani

I had the fortune of meeting Ani last year at RDC5 in London, but little did I know that she was a super gifted artist. Known for her gorgeous pencil drawings and cute cartoons of RA, this year she also applied her art and aesthetics to some amazing miniature bottles and jewelry that represent Richard and some of his characters. Ani has donated six handmade pieces, and here is one of them.

Rachel

Rachel loves needlework and has been making fun and intricate pieces of fan art for a while now. So much so, that she has even started her own craft-centric blog where she has already shown a couple of the items that she has donated to this fundraiser. She delighted the participants of the Flat Richie parcel project with a custom-designed cross-stitch fan item, and for our auctions she has made another, unique one.

Paula

Paula is probably more well-known to you under her tumblr handle riepu10. The gif queen of the RArmy, Paula donated a number of items to the fundraiser. But she doesn’t just do digital fan art, she also applies her skills to hand-making unique pieces. She has a couple of hand-made key rings in this year’s auction, too, but I’d like to show you another item that she applied her creativity and ideas to. Strictly speaking, this is not a hand-made item as such – but Paula actually went to the Lego store and assembled this unique mini Sir Guy from the available component pieces. Spot on, I say.

Armidreamer

Armidreamer – yes, she has a real name, too, but she usually comments under this handle – was another fan whom I met in person at RDC5. Known to me as a steadfast commenter here on blog, I was delighted to receive three donations from her, too. Dreamer claims she is not a crafter, but hey, that may be a bit snowflake-y of her to say 😉. Jokes aside, for this fundraiser, Dreamer put together two snow globes, and here is the gorgeous Thornton snow box she created.

Kate

Kate would undoubtedly agree when I say that her crafting highlight of the last 12 months was her purchase of a much coveted Big Shot die cutting machine 😉. Always a prolific crafter, Kate has made a quite a few gorgeous pieces of fan art already, and you can see some of them on her blog, too. There is paper craft, wood work and stitching and crocheting – she’s quite the allrounder. For the fundraiser, she has donated 3 items in total, but she is kicking it out of the park with this amazing silhouette and collage of Thornton in a dramatic black frame. (Sorry for the reflections on the picture – glass does not photograph easily.)

So, this is just a small glimpse of *some* of the items on offer in the RA birthday auctions. (There will also be a few RAPS, but you know those, so I am not going to include them here.) Please join me in thanking our talented and crafty ladies for contributing to the fabulous range of one-of-a-kind items. Do leave them a comment here or on their own blogs and social media. And stay tuned until Monday to see the full array of creative RArities that will be auctioned for charity then!

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43 thoughts on “#2020RABirthdayAuctions – Spotlight on the Makers”

  3. Steadfast commenter here! Leaving aside my contribution, the other contributions are amazing, such talented people, and I’m already spoiled for choice for bids. [Guylty, I had another item but I’ll message you about that.)

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    • Hehe, I didn’t want to use the word “old” or “long term” 😉
      There are such lovely items in the fundraiser, and these are just a tiny teaser. Lots of things to choose from.

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  11. Fabulous, all of it. I try to imagine what he must think, seeing how much time so many people spend on him and his characters. He’s got to be flattered, right? And bewildered, perhaps, a bit. But also enormously flattered. (I would be.)

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    • I’ve thought about that, too. I reckon he’d probably first think that we are mad 😂. Upon second thought he might think that it is neat that something he is doing, is inspiring other people to be creative. And then lastly he might feel a little bit flattered by that…

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  12. Already I don’t know where to start and there are more items still! There is so much talent and creativity in this fandom, it’s wonderful, and as Rachel said, Richard’s a good muse.

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  14. Hi, everyone!
    ahh just another year that I can’t participate with you, maybe next year 😭
    or maybe in the next life! 😂💔
    good luck, well wishes 💜😘
    The items are all really wonderful ❤👏

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    • Hello Kiri – thank you for your comment. And hey, even without bidding/donating the auctions are meant to be fun for everyone. So do follow along next week, just for the fun of it. 🙂

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  15. Aw thank you 💜
    Of course I do my own celebration for Mr Armitage’s birthday every year doing a fan video and fan arts 😅 but I always regret that I never can contribute to your auction. I really would love to participate! 😭 Maybe someday.
    Just looking forward to celebrate Mr Armitage’s birthday next week as every August 22! 🎂🎁🎈💜

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  16. Oh these are all so fabulous! How wonderfully generous to share their time and talent. Many thanks to everyone who donated their hand crafted fan items. I’d be thrilled to win any of these. Im so excited to see the rest on Monday. And special thanks to you G, for all your work (you make it seem effortless but I know it can be a bit stressful) you do such a fantastic job organizing this fun event every year. Wishing you a massive success ❤️

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    • This year really has fantastic gems in the handmade fan art section of the auction. I was blown away by the various offers as they came in. Loving it!
      And the organising has been fun so far 🙂. The stress is going to happen tomorrow as I start uploading the listings to eBay… 😬 It always takes a long time, and I am always wary that I might mess something up. But once they are all up, it’ll be plain sailing. I do look forward to it!

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  17. I can only agree our beloved actor is the best muse. It is amazing that there are so talented people here with such nice ideas. As every year I will follow and participate in the auction. Many thanks for all your efforts

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  19. Pingback: Richard Armitage Birthday Auctions 2020 – teapoweredcrafting

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