Stand with Ukraine

Saving the world one pysanka at a time . . . .™ An ancient legend say that "as long as pysanky are being made, evil shall not prevail over good in the world".

Ukraine and her people are in our heart! We want the promise of this legend to be our answer to the aggressor. Since the invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022 like many others in our community the pysanky team at Baba's Beeswax has been deeply affected by the crisis in our ancestral homeland (Ternopil).

Listen to CBC The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn interviewing Joan Brander on April 10, 2023 "How resiliency of Easter pysanky tradition gives Ukrainian-Canadians hope"

We're committed to providing humanitarian aid and enabling our customers to do the same. We encourage writing pysanky as a non-violent cultural symbol of resistance. Besides writing pysanky, here's what we're doing and how you can help:

Pysanky for Ukraine – A Fundraising Kit for Schools

Your teacher, too, is promoting pysanky to raise funds for war-torn Ukraine and has directed you to this website. Create your own pysanky with this Fundraising Kit of essentials which will allow you to make basic designs on between 10 and 12 eggs:

  • 1 pure beeswax block
  • 1 size medium kistka
  • 4 traditional pysanky dyes (yellow, orange, red and black)
  • instructions for set-up and use
  • tips and hints for making pysanky
  • additional online pysanka tutorial
 

Charitable donations can be tracked for your teacher during checkout by including the name of your school. Once you order and receive your Kit from Baba's Beeswax, your teacher will give you further guidance.

$15 from each Kit will be donated to one of the following charities of your choice. We all can make a difference!

 

Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com purchase a Fundraising Kit for $24.99 and $15 will be donated to United 24 an initiative of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com purchase a Fundraising Kit for $24.99 and $15 will be donated to CNEWA Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com purchase a Fundraising Kit for $24.99 and $15 will be donated to Dzherelo Children’s Rehabilitation Centre, Lviv, Ukraine

Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com purchase a Fundraising Kit for $24.99 and $15 will be donated to United Way

Want more supplies to make pysanky with your family? Just add a kistka for each additional person and share everything else.
Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com Kistka for $6.39 sizes medium, fine, heavy or extra fine sizes  
Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com Beeswax Blocks for $2.69 each  
  19 colours - purchase colours individually for $2.89. See Colour Chart
  Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com 1. light colours - yellow or gold
  Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com 2. accent colours - light green, light blue, or turquoise
  Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com 3. orange - also known as orange wash
  Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com 4. bright colours - pumpkin, raspberry, red, scarlet, pink, or brick
  Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com 5. dark colours - brown, dark green, dark red, purple, royal blue, black, or teal
 

Help Support a Refugee Family from Ukraine


Click for larger view

Beautiful dark blue and yellow bracelets– 100% of all proceeds from the sale of these braided satin ribbon bracelets is going to a family of refugees from Ukraine. A young mother, Maria, and her two children fled their war-torn country to find safety and start a new life in Canada. Show your love and support for Ukraine by wearing this bracelet on your wrist, ankle, hair, and clothing, or purchase it as a heartfelt gift for someone. One size 6" x 1" (excluding tassels) fits all. Also available in dark blue/yellow satin ribbon 6" x 5/8", light blue/yellow satin ribbon 6" x 5/8", and red/black grosgrain ribbon 6" x 1"

 
Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com purchase a handcrafted bracelet made by Maria for $8.00  
Buy pysanky supplies from babasbeeswax.com make an additional voluntary contribution of $10.00 to help Maria and her family. Baba's Beeswax will double your donation to support this refugee family  

 

 

The great gift of pysanky is hope - Fundraiser Kits

Ukraine is in the hearts of our customers. Baba's Beeswax is collaborating with pysanky workshop coordinators to raise funds for humanitarian aid. Our pysanky team's 35+ year teaching experience is wide-ranging and expertise is invaluable. We'll support your efforts in a fundraising event for a charity of your choice by freely sharing:

  • our knowledge. expertise, personal technique and teaching aids
  • advice, consultation tips and hints (does ZOOM for this work for you?)
  • free teaching aids to enhance your instructional unit
  • "Stand with Ukraine Pysanky Kits" to be sold at your price to participants to raise additional funds for your event (ask us about custom kits for your event)
  • posters with event details
  • optional free mention of your event on our website and social media platform

 

Free Download! How to Draw a Tryzub symbol of Ukraine trident

Thanks to our Customers!

The great gift of pysanky is hope. Some of our customers have chosen to share their experience on our website.

• Bev's Private Stand With Ukraine Pysanky Workshop - see photos here and here

Drum roll...... $1145 went to the following humanitarian charities:

  • Red Cross
  • Doctors Without Borders
  • Amnesty International
  • Ukrainian Foundation

We sold Stand With Ukraine Pysanky Kits, hosted one workshop, two smaller informal get-togethers, and enjoyed being sponsored by Babas Beeswax. I'm sold out of the kits/kitskas and so if you want to order pysanky supplies, you can contact Joan at www.babasbeeswax.com. I don't think I have ever met anyone with more skill and knowledge about Ukrainian Pysanky than Joan, not to mention supporting a local business that provides quality service and products. Thanks to the Klahanie Canoe Club strata and the caretaker, Benoit, and the staff, Mery. We could not have done it without you. Once again, well done everyone! Make Pysanky – Not War.

• Ecole Margaret Jenkins Elementary School - see photos here

Lin's Private Stand With Ukraine Pysanky Workshop - North Shore Alliance Church

Learning the traditional Ukrainian art of pysanky and how we can weave prayer into art. Raising almost $1400, all proceeds went to the Alliance Global Emergency Response Fund for Ukraine Relief and more donations are still coming in!

• Joy's Private Stand With Ukraine Pysanky Workshops
UBC Forestry | Ukraine Fundraiser - see photos here
• Peace & Love for Ukraine Concert

• $14,000 raised by Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko:

Due to the amazing support of our community, we raised $14,000 in suppoprt of Ukraine. Donations were given to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Canada-Ukraine Foundation Humanitarian Appeal. Baba's Beeswax and its customers were proud to be a part of this fundraiser on April 8th.

• Penny's Private Workshops Ongoing proceeds going to The Red Cross
• Empowering Ukraine - Joan Brander and Baba's Beeswax were proud to support this fundraiser hosted by UBC Ukrainian Student Union and UBC Alumni. The aim was to increase intercultural understanding of Ukraine while raising funds for anti-war relief efforts. All proceeds went towards distributing medical and humanitarian relief in heavily affected regions. see photos here
• Women Refugees Advocay Project - We helped Liz raise $16,000 in a fundraiser for Ukrainian women and children which was used to purchase life jackets for local rescuers getting people from the occupied of the Dniper.

• Easter Saturday event at Sechelt Artisans and Farmers Market - With the help and contribution of Baba's Beeswax, Janet Ritchie was able to raise funds to send to Tatiana Konoval in Kyiv, Ukraine in support of activities for children. See photos here. See this video of her receiving her gift. We stand with Ukraine!

"Every day I dream and rejoice that I go to work to my pupils, bring them love to Ukraine. Every evening after work I can't wait to come home to write favorite pysanky, recording the modern history of Ukraine. This is my world, my creative life, I feel good here, I am needed here."
Tetiana Konoval, Thirty years, a teacher of fine arts and drawing, Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, Member of the National Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 13, 2024

 

 

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