As if being a part of our amazing journey as an armchair tourist isn’t adventure enough……think what a lasting memory you can give to yourself or a loved one for Valentines Day or Chinese New Year by being a part of our YIN YANG TOUR GROUP PANDA ADOPTION !!

In cooperation with PANDAS INTERNATIONAL and Bifengxia Panda Base in China, and our incredible adoption coordinator Carrie Phillips, I am proud to offer this exciting opportunity to a very special group of individuals (thats you guys…my blog readers!)

We will SHARE in the one year adoption of not only a panda………but a panda you will be meeting on our visit to Bifengxia on February 8, 2010 (7th China time) via this blog. What a perfect way to help this endangered species and be a part of a $500.00 adoption that can be out of reach for many in this economy..AND you are getting a bonus virtual vacation to China and Thailand to boot!!!

Each person donating a minimum of $25.00 USD will receive an adoption certificate from Pandas International and be listed on my website under the adoptions tab at PANDARAZZI MAGAZINE

As she always does, Carrie will be sending us updates as she gets them from the Bifengxia Panda Base

OUR DEADLINE FOR RAISING $500.00 IS MARCH 1, 2010

In the event we go over 500.00 we will apply that towards the same pandas care.

PANDAS INTERNATIONAL PHOTO

DONATE 25.00 OR MORE VIA PAYPAL ANY WHERE YOU SEE THIS CHIPIN WIDGET ON MY BLOG..FUNDS GO DIRECTLY TO PANDAS INTERNATIONAL AND ARE TAX DEDUCTABLE .

NON PAYPAL USERS CAN SEND YOUR CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO ME BY MARCH 1. 2010

Please make your check out to PANDAS INTERNATIONAL

Send to: Sandra Miller

818 SW 3rd Ave #226

Portland, Oregon, 97204

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY SUPPORT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS EXCITING PROJECT.

PARTICIPATION IN THIS GROUP ADOPTION IS NOT AT ALL REQUIRED TO ENJOY AND PARTICIPATE IN THE TRAVELBLOGUE. THIS IS JUST A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE WANTING AN EXTRA SPECIAL “MEMENTO” OF THEIR VIRTUAL CHINA TRIP

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CLICK HERE TO GO TO GRAFFITI GOSSIP TO SIGN UP FOR UPDATES

If you are not sure you are  subscribed, simply enter your email address in the upper right column and click to “subscribe”.  The system will tell you if you are already a subscriber OR will send you an email to verify your subscription if you are a new subscriber

ALSO..TAKE NOTE OF THE NEW QUICK REFERENCE WIDGET HERE  AT PANDARAZZI AT THE TOP OF  THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN .  YOU HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE AUDIO , VIDEO AND TRAVEL BLOG POSTS FROM ONE CONVENIENT LOCATION.

ITS ALWAYS BEST TO SIGN UP AT GRAFFITIGOSSIP.COM IF YOU WOULD LIKE EMAIL UPDATES FROM THE ANIMAL CENTERS BUT THE WIDGET HERE IS HANDY TOO.

IT LOOKS LIKE THIS

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ABOVE IS XIAO HUA ..THE WOOD TRIBE CUB (CHINESE GIVEN NAME IS “YOU YOU”)

After a call to renew our Adoption tribe cubs from Carrie at Pandas International, I put out the word and we were able to collect 510.00 from the various adoptees in all 4 tribes to renew one of the cubbies!! In this economy and especially  over the holidays , I was THRILLED to say the least that we were able to collect enough for even ONE!!

Thank you so much for your quick response  my friends!!  The cub I chose to renew was the Wood Tribe cub based on thinking she was still going to stay at Bifengxia while I am visiting China…but lo and behold the entire LOT of Bifengxia cubs…10 of them have been chosen to go to Shanghai for the World Expo.  They recently arrived at their new home and are doing great!! See the video and info below.  ALL 4 of your cubs are in Shanghai

AND STAY TUNED TO GRAFFITIGOSSIP.COM

for tons of info coming up about my upcoming China /Thailand Journey in Early February!!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO CARRIE AND TOBI AT PANDAS INTERNATIONAL for all your work on these group adoptions.

ANOTHER FANTASTIC NEWS REPORT ON THE BABIES IS HERE WITH  XIAO HUA IN HERE SOMEWHERE

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SECOND VIDEO

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ABOVE IS MY FIRST EBAY ITEM DEDICATED TO THE PANDAS…CLICK PHOTO TO SEE MORE

Hello panda friends!! I am pleased to announce my newest venture using Ebay to spread the word about Pandas and the wonderful work PANDAS INTERNATIONAL  is doing to protect and educate the public about this precious endangered species!!

Every time you see this banner at the top of any of my EBAY AUCTIONS OR BUY IT NOW ITEMS  (or see the little gold and blue ribbon in the search listings by the title of the item) I will be donating the specified percentage of that sale or auction to PANDAS INTERNATIONAL via the Ebay Giving Works charitible listing program.

Ebay sends my donations to the charities directly through Mission Fish which certainly helps with the bookeeping!  Yippie! That translates to  a lot more time for artwork!!!

Some auctions and Buy it Now items I will donate 10% ( reminding myself I need to eat too..lol) and other items I will be able to offer up to 100% of the sale to this incredible charity.  Again , the amount I am donating will be listed right on that Pandas International banner on the auction listing.

And dont forget about this beauty on Ebay right now!! She closes in a few short hours!!  I will be putting 10% towards the PI donations as well but it will be paid directly at the end of the year as part of my larger donation to PI

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE AUCTION WHICH CLOSES

(Nov 19, 200917:00:25 PST)

CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS BATIK CHOW PUPPY PRINT ON EBAY AS A “BUY IT NOW”

And keep in mind that not all items going towards Endangered Species are Panda items.  This particular  Chow print is also part of my donation program with many more items to come in the weeks ahead!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR DEAR PANDAS

AND PANDAS INTERNATIONAL!!

2008 ADOPTION TRIBE MEMBERS….LOOK FOR AN EMAIL THIS WEEK ABOUT OUR CUBBIES

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I’m not sure how many of my Pandarazzi followers are bead collectors, or jewelry makers, or have friends who would appreciate my travel finds, but if you haven’t been following my GRAFFITI GOSSIP blog, I didnt’ want to leave anyone here out of the loop!!!

This Sunday I am having a LIVE online BEAD AND PENDANT  TRUNK SHOW to raise money to foster another elephant in Chiang Mai Thailand!! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!  This show is the first of it’s kind that I have done and will be a grand experiment  and I guarantee a lot of fun!!

Read much more about the show at GRAFFITI GOSSIP by clicking HERE

If you are wanting to be involved in the fostering but not really interested in beads or pendants, you can donate what you can via the CHIPIN widget on this LINK and I will include you in the sponsorship list!!!

I hope you all are doing well and looking forward to a fabulous Thanksgiving!!! Even in these trying times we all have so much to be thankful for.  I for one am so grateful for my family and friends ……..you all are the lights of my life and the fuel that keeps me going day to day.  THANK you for your continued friendship and generous support of all my wild endeavors!!!!

THIS VIDEO  HAS AUDIO SO TURN IT UP!!! WOO HOO!!!

Above is the preview I did of some of the beads in the show as well as a taste of the elephant fostering “mission”I am determined to accomplish

I would LOVE to see you all on Sunday whether or not you are in the buying frame of mind!! Lets all have an Ellie partay!!

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MING BOUQUET sling shoulder bag

I spoke with Suzanne  at Pandas International last week and we had a nice talk.  After I got off the phone it occured to me I really need to start putting aside money again for the pandas, and the most urgent need right now is still for bamboo bucks to get those groves replanted for the wild pandas.  Without adequate bamboo supply the few wild pandas left  will have tough go of it!!!

FROM THE PANDAS INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE

Pandas International has been asked by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) to spearhead a drive to replant the bamboo destroyed by the earthquake. The planting and harvesting will be done by local farmers who will benefit economically from the project. A recent study by the Chinese Academy of Science has found through the use of satellite images that in the specific area studied, 354 square kilometers, 23% of the panda’s habitat was “converted to bare land.” Lead author, Weihua Xu, also believes that “about 60% of the Giant Panda population was affected to some extent.”

The CCRCGP scientists, with the aid of transferred, experienced Wolong farmers, will begin growing, transplanting, and caring for thousands of bamboo seedlings throughout areas near Gengda Town.  As the three species of bamboo mature and spread, both wild and captive Pandas will again have plentiful nourishment. The cost to replant on acre of bamboo is approximately $ 4,500.00 USD.

LADY CUB AND LADYBUG long handle bucket bag

Realizing how tight most of our budgets are right now, I know it’s hard to send in cash to charities unless there is truly some extra left over at the end of the month.  With the holidays coming I was trying to figure out the best way to give a little without  breaking the bank myself.

BOO BABY long handle bucket bag

I’m saving for my trip to Chengdu in February and need to put aside every spare bit, but I know I can manage to donate  a bit of my income from panda art sales over this holiday gift buying season.  If you all are looking for some special and unique items  to give your panda loving friends, please consider a gift that does double duty.

MING BOUQUET long handle bucket bag

I am DONATINGg $5.00 from each of my new designer  panda handbags which I am offering on my website,  from now until Chinese New Year  2010…THE YEAR OF THE TIGER (which falls on Valentines day as well)  My friend Gayle and I will be in Chengdu at that time  to visit all our cubbies at Biefengxia as well as the moonbears at AAF!!!  In some cases I may even be able to throw in a few extra bamboo bucks and will add that to the tally

CUBBIE BLISS long handle bucket bag

Many of the above panda designs are selling very fast and some only have one or 2 left in the edition .  I just introduced them last week and want to thank you all for the wonderful feedback and reception to this new designer handbag endeavor of mine.  I hope those of you who purchased your bags get years and years of enjoyment and compliments from them.  I have already put aside my donation from your purchased bags to go to PI at the end of the year.

I’ll be posting a tally up here soon so we can all keep track of the Bamboo Bucks together!!!

MING BOUQUET convertible backpack

BOO BABY womens leather wallet

LADYCUB AND LADYBUG womens leather wallet

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CLICK IMAGE ABOVE TO READ MORE ABOUT SUZANNES NOMINATION

We all know who she is…we all adore her passion and committment to the pandas…..now we need to put our love for Suzanne Braden and the incredible work she does via PANDAS INTERNATIONAL on priority level TODAY!!!

ANIMAL PLANET has chosen Suzanne Braden as one of 10 nominess for ANIMAL PLANET HERO OF THE YEAR!!!  This translates to one of the highest honors possible for those working in animal welfare and charity work, as well as a $10,000.00 prize !!!

Please help us win this award for Suzanne by voting today at the Animal Planet site!!

THE VOTE STARTS TODAY!!!

TODAY TODAY… TODAY!!!

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE VOTING PAGE

“The People’s Choice voting will begin at 12:01 AM ET September 14, 2009 and will end at 11:59 PM ET September 27, 2009. Limit one vote per person/email address per day.” Just wanted to let you know that voting lasts past today and you can vote often, but only once per day.

Thank you all so much for your help and cross your fingers she wins!!!!  Congratulations Suzanne on this incredible honor!!

From all of us at  http://pandarazzi.com

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If you all remember last year, I went to DC in July for Taishans 3rd Birthday Bash at the National Zoo.  Well it’s hard to believe ayear has gone by already and now Tai is the big FOUR!!!

Thanks to one of Tai’s biggest fan s, OSITO_TAI@ FLICKR   ( of MANY in the PANDAS UNLIMITED den of panda groupees)

for sharing these  beautiful images of Tai on his special day!!!

AND SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO CAROLETTA1 FOR TAKING THESE ADORABLE VIDEOS OF THE CELEBRATION.. THE ONE BELOW IS THE LAST IN A SERIES OF 3. YOU CAN GO TO THE VIDEO PAGE TO SEE THE OTHERS.

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Hello my friends. Wow has the Panda Club in China and Carrie at Pandas International been busy bringing us updates.  Here they ALL are in one place for your panda “oooooooohing and ahhhhhhhing ” pleasure!!!

The FIRE TRIBE cubbie will be in a separate update

The cubs have all had their official naming ceremonies and now have their names besides our nicknames we chose s you will see above each set of pix

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BELOW…..WATER TRIBE…Jing Shui’s official name is now YUN YUN

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Yun Yun- Ying Ying’s cub: This baby is one of the heaviest weight in 13 same age pandas. She likes climbing the railings, she is good at climb on the railings or playing on wooden stand . Weight is 20kg in March.  She foods milk 900g every day . Her birth weight was 173.5g.

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BELOW…..ETERNITY TRIBE…Yong Xin’s official name is now WU YANG

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update on Yong Xin (Cao Cao’s cub) and information on your cub’s official name (Wu Yang) and naming ceremony. It’s very interesting.  A picture of the 2008 cub family is attached- adorable! Also, I sent a picture of your cub Yong Xin with An An (the second twin of Guo Guo adopted and named by Mr. Huang Xiaoming of China).

Wu Yang- Cao Cao’s cub: The cub doesn’t likes sport but likes sleep on wooden stand. His keeper care for him painstakingly when he was weaned to study drinking milk through bowl. First, it take 12 days to drink milk through feeding bottle; then it take 12 days to drink milk through bowl. Weight is 16kg in March. He  foods milk 900g every day. Weight is 20kg in May.

Wu Yang: Male, born at 7:29 a.m. on 6th August, 2008.His birth weight was 206.7g. He was the first baby of his mother, Cao Cao. Although Wu Yang was Cao Cao’s first cub, Cao Cao did a great job taking care of Wu Yang. “Thanks Ceremony” (Guangzhou station, Guangdong province) named him Wu Yang. In folk tale, the City of Guangzhou was the City of the Five Sheeps, which in Chinese was called “Wu Yang”. It means that the people of Guangzhou wished the baby to grow up healthily and his life to be wonderful.

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BELOW…..METAL AND WOOD TRIBES…INFO ON YOUR CUBBIES GENDER FROM CARRIE

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Hi Sandra,

I emailed the Panda Club because I was confused about the gender of Long Xin’s twins. The initial information I received after the cubs were born said the first born was a female. But I recently received the official names of the 2008 cubs and it says the first born is a male. As you know, it is hard to tell the gender of pandas because the “parts” are very small. In fact, I just went through a similar situation with a panda we thought was a male but “he” turned out to be a girl!

I want to make sure you know about this information. Below is the email I received yesterday on the twin’s gender. I’ll send updates on your babies in another email. (NOTE FROM SANDRA….I didn’t attach email from Panda center as it is a bit confusing but I trust Carrie and the Panda Center on this one..lol)

THE OFFICIAL NAMES OF YOUR TWINS

JIN XIN IS OUR METAL  TRIBE NICKNAME

You You: (the elder brother of the twins given birth by Long Xin in 2008) Male, was born at 2:55 a.m. on 21st July, 2008. His birth weight was 129g. He was named after the “Thanks Ceremony” of Chengdu city of Sichuan. Carrefour Corporation in Chengdu adopted her and named her “YouYou”, which means that the God blesses Sichuan, meanwhile this name showed their wish of Sichuan becoming better and better in the future

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XIAO HUA IS OUR WOOD TRIBE NICKNAME

Han Yuan: (the younger sister of the twins given birth by Long Xin in 2008) Female, was born at 4:17 a.m. on 21st July, 2008. Her birth weight was 111.4g. She was named after the “Thanks Ceremony” in Wuhan city. It implied the Wuhan City’s support of the stricken area of Hanyuan county.

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BELOW…..WOOD  TRIBE…XIAO HUA’s official name is now YOU YOU

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You You- Long Xin’s 1st cub 2008:  The cub very likes sport, he always wish to play with keepers. Weight is 17kg in March. He foods milk 900g every day. Weight is 21kg in May.

BELOW…both the WOOD and METAL tribe twins together!! ToTAL cuteness!!

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BELOW…..METAL  TRIBE…JIN XIN’s official name is now HAN YUAN

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Han Yuan- Long Xin’s 2nd cub 2008:  The cub very likes sport too, she always wish to play with keepers or other panda babies. Weight is 17kg in March, It foods milk 900g every day. Weight is 21kg in May.

Han Yuan: (the younger sister of the twins given birth by Long Xin in 2008) Female, was born at 4:17 a.m. on 21st July, 2008. Her birth weight was 111.4g. She was named after the “Thanks Ceremony” in Wuhan city. It implied the Wuhan City’s support of the stricken area of Hanyuan county.

Thank you so very much Carrie , Pandas International and the Panda Club in Biefengxia for all these wonderful updates and stunning photographs.  I did some adjusting of exposure to bring out details better . Some were a bit dark but turned out great.  OMG this is the biggest cuteness overload we have had so far!!! Thank you one and all for your participation in these 5 adoption projects.

As soon as I return from Egypt this fall I will start another adoption if anyone is interested in hopping on board.  If you commit now (only 10 spots available) , you don’t need to pay the 50.00 until October 2009 OR we can do a few installments to make things easier on the wallet!

I will update each cub’s DIARY this week as well

Hugs……Sandra

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Well panda peeps…we had a tie on our cub name vote.  Above is the official result but I had one more vote for Yong Xin that I needed to count because the member’s computer was not working with the  poll daddy program.

The votes are in!!  So with 8 votes total, we had  a 4/4 tie for Yong Yong and Yong Xin.

This morning I put 10 slips of paper in a bag……5 with Yong Yong’s name on it, and 5 with Yong Xin’s name and did a random drawing……….Yong Xin was the winning name and is now our baby’s nickname.

This name also means Eternal Heart which goes well with our theme too.

I will get this info to Carrie today and we should be receiving our adoption certificate soon!!

I just finished updating Yong Xin’s page with a journal update and will add pix as I get them from the Panda Breeding center via PANDAS INTERNATIONAL

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CLICK HERE TO ACCESS YONG XIN’S  AND THE ETERNITY TRIBES SPECIAL PAGE
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ALSO DONT’ MISS THE NEW PANDA CALENDAR I DESIGNED….A FEW OF THE PAGES ARE ABOVE
You can start and end the calendar on whatever months you prefer.  The calendar below the panda pix can be plain as well.  There are many many options to choose from.

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CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CALENDAR AT THE TEAHOUSE MARKET
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THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS FUN ADOPTION!!! This is only the beginning…….I will be in China in February over Valentines day 2010 to take photos of our Yong Xin and all the other beautiful cubbies at the panda breeding centers.

And remember to keep educating  all your friends and acquaintances that pandas are ENDANGERED….I had quite the shock at a recent wine tasting to find out that the average person thinks pandas are commonplace and safe from extinction.  The high exposure pandas have in the media and at zoos is so incredibly good, but does contribute to a complaicant attitude as well..”.If you see them all the time, they must be plentiful”

Quite the contrary.  With only  1600 pandas left…COUNT EM…ONLY 1600…….the fine line between survival and extinction was made very clear with last year’s Sichuan earthquake.  With diminished bamboo groves from the mudslides………it could have been much much worse for the wild pandas.  Pandas were given another chance thanks to the dedicated panda centers and organizations like Pandas International…..and people who care so deeply  like  the members of our  wonderful ADOPTION TRIBES

We had a harsh warning…now we need to keep spreading the word so future generations…our children and grandkids can see with their own eyes the beautiful  and living pandas of China.  What a tragedy if the only panda our great grandkids would ever be able to see is a taxadermy model in the museum and videos of a once living species.

I will be adding a link in the sidebar at Pandarazzi for those of you who might want to participate in another group adoption in the future.  When we get another 10 participants …probably in the fall of 2009, we can get another 500.00 to the pandas who so desperately need our help.

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