THANK YOU!!!!!

For everyone who gave gifts of monetary or artistic nature and those who bid on items... Thank you so Much!!! We managed to break about even. At one point, we looked to have a surplus but a gift fell through. If at any point we do end up with more than our intended amount, we have decided that we want to put what little or much we raise over towards local spay and neuter programs. This way we are helping to stop the cycle that adds to the number of animals in shelters. We also are planning on making a silk screen prints for everyone who helped the art-raiser in any way. I (Becky) had planned to make the prints in October but due to the chaos of grad school and desire to finish my PhD, it's being delayed. I will have them made and sent out by Xmas (promise). 

Once again... Thank You All!!!

Bidding has closed...

The art auction was a great success!  Thank you for visiting and for bidding.  =)  We raised $575 in the auction and another 457.66 in gifts.  With your help, we effectively cut our medical bills in half.

The combined gifts and our saved $800 brings us to $1832.66.  This leaves us with a more affordable $543 to pay off in the next 6 months.

Thank you everyone!!!!

Love,
Becky and Josh

PS.  In a few weeks (when we have the time to create again as school is demanding), we have a special thank you that we plan to send out to all of you who gave art and money to the cause and to those who bid.

"Bubbles"

Artist:  Rebecca Morris

"Jade"

Artist:  Diana Medina

Tiger Eye Bracelet

Artist:  Deborah Trautman Marino

"Widsom"

Artist:  Kelly Stouffer

"Yellow Spider Flowers"

Artist:  Kelly Stouffer

"Flame"

Artist:  Betsy Jones

"Oxidation 5"

Artist:  Betsy Jones

"Seafoam"

Artist:  Betsy Jones

"Bashful"

Artist:  Dan Gaser

"A Lovely Day" Series (1 of 2)

Artist:  Rebecca Bosko Marino

"The Bamboo Stands Alone"

Artist:  Rebecca Bosko Marino

"Open Fields of Green" (A cat's dream)

Artist:  Rebecca Bosko Marino

"Frolic in the Flowers"

Artist:  Rebecca Bosko Marino

"On the Hunt"

Artist:  Rebecca Bosko Marino

Art Gift Info

I meant to post this mid-week but due to Scout's passing, I've been in too much of a haze to deal with it.  We considered the idea of changing the dates of the auction but that just won't do as it will confuse too many people.  Plus if we keep busy then we can't focus on being sad about our lil guy.  So here's what we need from those of you who are planning on giving art for the auction...

1. Photos of the art - It would be good to have a photo referencing relative size.  Aka, take a well known item such as a can of pop or a tennis ball and place it next to the art in one of the photos to illustrate relative size.  Then take your standard glamour shots of the art.  One full size and one to zoom in on details you love.

2.  Tell us about the art - What medium did you use?  What is it (drawn, painted, printed, etc) on?  Acid free or reused materials?  The nitty gritty stuff that people may want to know.  

3.  Dimensions of the piece

4.  Is there a story behind the work that might make it more interesting - Were you inspired to paint it by something?  Was it in a show or won awards?  

5.  Tell us a little about yourself or send the link to your website so that we may link your auction listing to it.

6.  Estimated starting bid cost...  What would you like your starting bid to begin at?  Or rather, what price should we set it at that you think it will auction best?

I believe that is everything but if I missed something, let me know.  =)  Also as I haven't had this put up sooner, it would be nice if you could get me the info by tomorrow.  If need be, it can be during Monday as well but that will just mean the item will be up for less time as I want to get all the listings put together on Sunday.

Please email artraiser.4.scout@gmail.com or rsbosko@gmail.com

Thanks Everyone!

Rest in Peace Little Buddy

We lost Scout early Wednesday morning.  He went into respiratory distress around 1am.  After a few minutes, we were able to calm him down and get him breathing normally again.  We had the hopes to have him sleep through the night with a trip to the Big Easy the following morning to have him euthanized peacefully.  But Scout had other ideas.  As soon as he was winded enough to move, he got up and went towards the bathroom.  Just the act of moving sent him into distress again.  And since he couldn't find a place that felt good for him, he kept moving.  At that point, we grabbed the carrier and the car to rush him to PVSEC (an E-vet) to end his pain.  But once again, Scout had other ideas.  We circled the block and were crossing the Allegheny on the 40th street bridge (only 2 streets from out house) when Scout left us.  The docs at the E-vet confirmed he was gone and we opted to have him privately cremated there so we could spread his ashes in his favorite spot out back.  He will be nestled between the Asiatic Lilies and his favorite pine bush.  Rest in peace little buddy...

Sweet Little Prince

We got back the results of Scout's 6 day post-transfusion follow-up CBC yesterday...  Unfortunately, it wasn't anything near to what we were hoping for despite being what we expected due to his declining condition.  Simply put, Scout is out of options as his blood work is exactly the same as it was prior to the transfusion.  He's showing non-regenerative anemia, lack of infection and presence of leukemia resulting in release of immature and abnormal red blood cells.  Our idea of a Hail Mary treatment is no longer on the table as no infection means no need for antibiotics, lack of iron-mediated anemia takes away using vitamins to reduce anemia, and presence of leukemia negates changing to a stronger steroid as doing so would most likely send the leukemia out of control.  To add to that, with him being as anemic as he is, he's on the verge of respiratory distress when it drops too low.  So we don't even have the hope of him slipping peacefully away as respiratory distress is not peaceful.  Our only option now is to watch him, monitor his breathing and when he seems to be struggling to stay alive then we will take him to the vet to be set free of his pain to go live with Josh's grandma Dee in the great unknown.  This is rather hard to do as we hate being the ones cutting his life short.  And while I really don't want to see another pet euthanized, we can't let him suffer through suffocating in a room full of air.  So now we are at the point of it no longer being a matter of if but rather when...  At the moment he is sleeping peacefully on the couch after spending some time outside.  Despite it being so hot and humid, we let him out for a short time as he loves to lay in the grass and now due to his anemia has a dirty brick he loves to lick.  We let him lick it...  what harm can it do now.

Tentative Dates and Scout Update

We all know that nothing would ever get done without deadlines so here's a few tentative ones for the Art-Raiser.

September 10th -> message us by then with information about auction art that you would like to give for the cause.
September 12th - 17th -> The Auction.

Does this sound feasible or too rushed?  Let me know so I can adjust them by a week or so.  Small art pieces can be messaged about whenever and there is no deadline.  And as before, please continue to spread the word as every little bit helps.

ps. Scout is still doing well.  He still tires easily but doesn't seem much worse or better for the wear.  Hopefully tomorrow's follow-up blood work will illustrate improvement.  At least our local Lville vet, Dr. Ruiz from the Big Easy, gave us a little hope from describing a good past experience with a cat presenting very similar to Scout.  Maybe a few consults with his medical records and other docs will yield some affordable treatments rather than watching him fade.  Here's to hope. =)

Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by the Art-Raiser for Scout blog.  We are extremely thankful for all the support that we have been offered over the last few days.  When you first asked, we didn't have all the information in one place or even a plan for the Art-Raiser.  We were still in shock and burdened by the thought of possibly loosing our little guy.  To be honest, we still don't know if he's going to hang around for long or even how much time we have left but we do plan to give him all the love a kitty could want.  Plus our 3 other kitties are loving him up as well...  well us much as they can considering how confused they are by all the change.

After enough inquiry, I decided to devote today to putting together a plan and setting up everything that I could online.  And that's just what I did today.  During my Scout watch; while he was sleeping and while he was being watched by Josh...  I spent the last 7 hrs setting up accounts and writing.  As my mind is a bit off, please excuse the horrible grammar and spelling.  Also this blog is not at 100% as far as complete information so excuse the dust but do click above to read about the Art-Raiser and How to Give.  The cause and About sections are still under renovation as Josh wants to write about Scout and I need some mental down time before I dive into reliving the past few days for writing up the Cause in detail.  As you can see, the cause currently only contains a quick and dirty summary.  Additionally, the only thing currently up and running is the Paypal button.  The Etsy shop is still bare bones needing the information added.  Plus I still haven't set up the facebook FundRazr.  Despite all of this, we are now in the phase of looking to collect art work for that and the auction.  So please contact Josh and I (Becky) if you have art you would like to give.  You can contact us however you normally would or through Scout's special email address ArtRaiser.4.Scout[a]gmail[dot]com <-replacing [dot] with a . and [a] with @.