There has been overwhelming love expressed here in the past few days for these two amazing children of Kathreen and Rob and today a trust fund for their future was established.

For their daughter Otilija and son Orlando, two gorgeous, sweet, gentle and brave kids who were  loved, cherished and adored by their parents.

Many people have asked “what can I do”. The family have given their full permission and blessing for a fund for the children.

Please consider making a contribution to support the children in their future*^. At this point in time, only a direct bank deposit is available. We are working on getting a PayPal button established here however for now, Australians can direct transfer using the BSB and Account Number and International assistance can be accepted via bank deposit using the Swift Code.

UPDATE: You can now contribute via PayPal. The email address is otilijaandorlando@gmail.com. Hopefully this will remove some of the international barriers that have been encountered

For Australians :

BSB : 633-000
Account# : 149480667
Account Name : ITF Otilija and Orlando Shugg
Cheques and money orders can be sent to ITF Otilija and Orlando Shugg, PO Box 370, Dickson ACT 2602.

For International Contributions :

Account # : 633000149480667
Swift Code : BENDAU3B (International Banks will require this code)
Account Name : ITF Otilija and Orlando Shugg
Bank Details : Bendigo Bank, 161 London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2602 Australia
International people may require an address for the beneficiaries as well. That is PO Box 370, Dickson ACT 2602 Australia EDIT: Overnight I have been advised that some US banks will not accept a PO Box due to money laundering legislation. The physical address for this account is a home address so please email me procrasticraft at gmail dot com for details should you require this.

Enquiries can be directed to Julie McMahon via email to procrasticraft {at} gmail {dot} com or post to  PO Box 370, Dickson ACT 2602 Australia

*All donations, no matter how big or small are gratefully received. However, due to the cost of bank processing fees, we respectfully request that donations be more than $2 as this is the charge of processing an international transaction. Should international contributors wish to send a cheque (check), the fee for processing charged by the banks in Australia is $10.
^Regrettably, contributions are not tax deductible.

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As the Whip Up community knows well, Kathreen was extremely committed to her blog and her readers and has given us so much since the blog began, through her own posts and that of guest contributors. Even while travelling around Australia with her family she continued to coordinate a series of blog posts, including from special guests. A number of these guest posts were already scheduled to appear and will do so in coming days. It is just another part of her legacy.

We would also like to thank everyone for their kind words and support, every comment you leave is very much valued.

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This is one of the hardest posts to write. Where to start doesn’t come easily.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the sudden death of Whip Up founder, Kathreen Ricketson. Her partner Rob Shugg is still missing at Coral Bay, Western Australia. Their two gorgeous, beloved children, to whom we send our love, are with relatives.

Kathreen and Rob have been involved in a tragic accident while travelling around Australia with their two cherished children. This was their adventure of a lifetime and it has come to an end in the worst imaginable way.

Kathreen is a highly-regarded and well loved pioneer and leader of this worldwide crafting community.

In this online community of ours, we can form bonds with each other through the sharing of our lives, crafty and otherwise. These bonds are real, despite the fact that most of us never meet in real life…

…and when we lose a member of this community, we need to find some solace in each other and what do here.

There is nothing we can do to undo what has been done, nothing we can say that can ever make this better.

We know that some of you, like us, feel the need to do something, anything, so we are working to towards setting up an education fund for the children’s future. We will let you know as soon as we can make this happen.

In the meantime, hug your children extra tight tonight, kiss your partner good bye, call your family and friends and say I love you.

Jules xx

EDIT: The account for the children has been established, you can find the information here. Please consider making a contribution.

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