I have something a little different for you this week. First of all, it’s three days late, which is different. It’s also a video, completely unedited and with random people in costume wandering through the background. And I have no intention of apologizing for these things* because I spent all last week helping to organize and run Desert Bus for Hope 4. For three days I didn’t really sleep, just took a couple all too brief naps. I danced, I sang, I did data entry, I answered emails, I sang some more and I made pig ears.

This is how to make pig ears (and a nose) using paper.

*Actually, I’ll apologize a little. I’m sorry, just not sorry.

What you’ll need:

• pink paper (a couple different shades or patterns)
• scissors
• glue stick
• superglue
• a headband
  
• needle and pink thread
• pink crayon
• toilet paper tube
• elastic

You can also make the ears out of felt, using the same method as in my cat-ear tutorial, but with the different ear shape.

For those of you confused about what the heck this Desert Bus thing is, check out www.desertbus.org. It’s an annual charity event that lasts five or six-ish days, for which we play the world’s dullest video game while dancing and singing and generally making fools of ourselves for the amusement of the internet. The money we raise goes to Child’s Play, a Seattle-based charity that collects toys and games for children’s hospitals worldwide. Desert Bus is, without a doubt, one of the most incredible things I’ve ever been part of.

To everyone who tuned in to this year’s Desert Bus to watch, send challenges, donate money and chat with us, thank you. It’s beyond comprehension how much money all of you together managed to give for the children. The internet was imbued with a warm glow of love and charity, and all of us at Desert Bus headquarters experienced one of the most amazing weeks of our lives.

On the topic of crafting, we also received handmade goods donated by crafters and artists around the world, to be auctioned off to raise more money for Child’s Play. And boy did those items ever raise money. The handmade stuff we auctioned was incredible for its quality, but also for the love and energy poured into each and every item by its maker. It was an honor to be the one talking with these crafters and handling their work. It was also deeply satisfying and touching to see people actually valuing handmade goods so highly, as they bid higher and higher amounts of money to have these things.

And on a personal note, I can’t describe how wonderful it felt to be greeted by the chat with lines and lines of “Hi Tally!” every time I walked into the room. I felt so loved and cared for, and it buoyed me up through days and days of sleep deprivation and stress. I couldn’t possibly deserve all the wonderful things people said to me, but I am very grateful for them. I’m also deeply appreciative of all the favours done for me, like when I asked the chat to record the above tutorial and several people immediately did so, and sent me the links after. I’m really touched by people so willing to grant these abrupt, last-minute requests. And the folks who drew and emailed some awesome art when I offhandedly said, “someone draw that.” Those pictures were great.

So to everyone involved, whether you hung up posters, tweeted or blogged about the event, told a friend, donated, watched the feed, sang along at home with us, sent in a challenge or were able to come by in person, thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to create an experience I and many others will cherish forever.

With love,

~Tally