Neat and Tangled Throwdown - Crafting With Compassion

Hello friends! Happy Friday!  We're really excited about today's post!  For the last several years we hosted a bi-weekly and then monthly challenge called Little Tangles.  Although we elected to discontinue that this year, we still wanted to host periodic challenges because we love to see what you guys create using Neat & Tangled.

These quarterly challenges are more complex and bigger, and by bigger we are also referring to the prizes!

Our first challenge was the Party Ensemble challenge, and it was so much fun! We hope this one will be too!

In keeping with the theme of yesterday's post , this challenge is about helping others.  I shared my family's story, about my dad's struggle with CRPS and what I'm doing to help. Chari Moss created this eye catching card using our new fundraising Celebrate You products! 

I know that many of you have had your own personal experiences that have made particular causes and charities near and dear to your heart! This challenge is a chance for you to share what matters to you! 

Here are the details:

1) Create any project - card, scrapbook layout, etc.and write a blog post to accompany it.  In your blog post, tell us about a charity or cause that matters to you. It is not required, but if you feel comfortable, share your story about why it has meaning to you.  You never know why you might help through sharing! Submit your entry through the Inlinkz tool below. When linking, please link to the specific blog post, not your entire blog.

2) Link back to the challenge blog and display the challenge graphic in your post.

3) Neat & Tangled products must be the focal point of your project.  You can use products from other companies, but Neat & Tangled products should be the star.

4) You may enter as many times as you would like.

5) You have until Tuesday, July 31st at 11:59 EST to enter

6) Winner will not be chosen at random, but rather will be judged based on creativity and the content of your blog post.

And what is the prize you ask? Three (3) winners will be chosen, and Neat and Tangled will make a $100 donation to the charity mentioned in your blog post. If you don't have a specific charity in mind, we will work together to find one that best fits your cause! Winners will also receive a prize pack of new Neat and Tangled products. 

Are you up to the challenge?  We certainly hope so!  Good luck, we can't wait to see what you all create!

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An InLinkz Link-up

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July 2018 Release Day 4: Crafting With Compassion + Introducing Celebrate You

Hello friends! Welcome to the 4th and final day of our July products! Unlike typical release weeks where new products are for sale on Fridays, ALL JULY PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE SHOP NOW.  Today's product reveal is very very special!

Today's blog post is lengthy, but it is so very important to me that I do hope you will take the time to read it from start to finish. Plus, there are some beautiful cards to see at the end :)

In 2017 my dad, Dan, became unexpectedly ill after a routine knee surgery in January 2017.  He had a series of complications following the procedure and then developed and was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in March of 2017. CRPS is a complex, progressive disease of the nervous system. The pain is characterized as constant and extremely intense. The pain is often accompanied by swelling, skin changes, extreme sensitivity, and in most cases is debilitating. You can read much more about his journey HERE. 

It is difficult to put into words how much of a nightmare CRPS is, it has unfortunately earned itself the nickname "the suicide disease" because many people diagnosed with CRPS suffer so greatly that it seems like their only option. Please take a few minutes to watch this short video to get a better understanding of how life altering this disease can be.

After my dad had several failed attempts to heal through traditional medicine, including many prescribed drugs, spinal nerve blocks, traditional physical therapy, etc at the end of our ropes, I discovered Dr. Katinka van der Merwe and The Neurologic Relief Center. Dr. Katinka specializes in revolutionary, non-invasive, non-pharcaeutical therapies to treat patients suffering from CRPS. THIS is a great article written by Dr. Katinka outlining what it is they do. Treatment at this center is costly, as it is custom tailored to each patient and incredibly intensive. Insurance will not cover most of the therapies they provide. It is also 10-12 weeks of non-invasive treatment, and requires living in Arkansas near the clinic for the duration of the the treatment. 

It was entirely because of the kindness and compassion of friends, family, and the crafting community, that enough funds were raised so that my dad was able to receive care at the Center. He arrived in Arkansas in August of 2017, and at the end of October 2017, with me by his side, he was able to ring the bell at the completion of his treatment.  You can view the video of his bell ringing ceremony HERE, please keep in mind that when he had first arrived in Arkansas he had lost significant weight, was depressed and anxious, was unable to hold conversation and was easily confused, and was almost completely immobile. To see him smiling, standing and speaking just 11 short weeks later is nothing short of a miracle. In December of 2017 he was able to return to work full time, and he is just enjoying life each day now! Just yesterday he was over for our 4th of July cookout, playing baseball in the backyard with his grandkids!  I  strongly encourage you to take a look at the rest of the The Neurologic Relief Center's Facebook page to see interviews with patients, and great question and answer videos from Dr. Katinka and her staff.

Prior to seeing Dr. Katinka, we had exhausted funds trying any and all other treatments for my dad, some causing more harm than good, putting him into great debt. This is the case for most patients with CRPS. Many are just unable to afford the cost of care at The Neurologic Relief Center to begin with.  If it were not for the help of fundraising, my dad would have left the center in extreme debt which would have been such a burden to overcome given the uncertainly of his outcome at the time. 

It has been on my heart ever since then to pay it forward to others who are in a similar situation.  The biggest help in my dad's fundraising, was when Simon Says Stamp donated all the sales of Neat and Tangled's 2017 STAMPtember set to his GoFundMe, you can see more about that HERE. So many of you bought that set, and had a hand in Dan's healing whether you knew it or not! Using the same idea, I have started the Crafting With Compassion campaign, and designed our new Celebrate You stamp set and Celebrate You dies to help this cause.  All proceeds from the sales of these sets will go directly towards CRPS patients in financial need at The Neurologic Relief Center, as well as those who are still waiting to get to the center for evaluation due to financial limitations. If you wish, you can also just make a straight donation with no purchase necessary on the Neat and Tangled website. All funds raised will be donated to The Burning Limb Foundation, who in turn will work with Dr. Katinka to distribute the funds. The purpose of Crafting With Compassion is to remind us that not only should we feel empathy for those suffering, but we should also take action and do something about it. 

Please realize the power we have when we all come together. Even if everyone just does a little, it can add up to a lot. Because of the compassion of others, my dad's life was truly changed. Now, let's help change some more! 

We have some very special friends creating cards with this new set. Their blog posts will be going up throughout today and tomorrow so be sure to check them out!

Jennifer McGuire
Kathy Racoosin
Chari Moss
Jenn Shurkus
Kelly Marie Alvarez
Kristina Werner
Lydia Fiedler
Gina Krupsky


These women were some of my greatest supporters during what was very much the most difficult year of my life. Their kindness, generosity, and thoughtfulness will not be forgotten!

And now for the stamp set!

Celebrate You is a 4x6 set designed by Danielle Walls to remind us all that we should always be celebrating life. Getting through all of life moments, good or bad, deserves celebration.

The set of Celebrate You dies are stand alone dies, this means that can be used own their own or with any other stamps you won. BUT, they can work nicely with the sentiments from the Celebrate You stamp set as well! Just note that they will not cut the celebrate you sentiment from the stamp set. 

And now for a look at what the design team has created! Be sure to head to each design team members blogs for details by clicking on the photos, and for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate! One person will be chosen from among comments on the design team members blogs!

Thank you so much for letting me share something so personal with you today. And thank you so much for being a part of Crafting With Compassion! I know that each of you have probably been touched by something similarly in your lives, so be sure to stop by tomorrow when we kick off our next Neat and Tangled Throwdown Challenge - you'll have a chance to link up a card, and tell me about a charity close to your heart for a chance to have us make a donation to a cause close to your heart. 

Don't forget, these products along with everything else new for July is available in the shop NOW!

See you tomorrow!

Danielle

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