New Website!

Check out our new website and blog!

www.forgetmenotecogifts.com

www.forgetmenotecogifts.etsy.com

www.forgetmenotecogifts.com/blog.html

Newsprint Nails

Got a few minutes? How about a fun manicure before you recycle that old newspaper?

| what you need |

+ some free time

+ rubbing alcohol

+ small bowl

+ nail polish

+ 10 small rectangles cut out from newspaper

| what you do |

Step 1

Paint your nails. You can use any lighter color (you want to see the print, don't you?) or just do a clear coat. I really like the way a silver base looks with the print, but I did pink here. Let your nails dry completely.

Step 2

This is the part that requires a little bit of patience. Pour a little bit of rubbing alcohol into a small bowl. Dip one of the newspaper rectangles into the alcohol and press it onto your first nail. Hold it there for about 30 seconds. When you peel it off, the print will be on your nail!* Repeat for each finger.

*Remember, everything will be backwards, so don't worry too much about the words.

Step 3

Give your nails a nice clear coat, and go show 'em off!

Get creative: try pictures, comics and crosswords, too! I did the Notre Dame logo from the sports page...but, yeah, it's backwards on my nail... Other little pictures would work great though!

Have fun!

Kid Care International - Annual Spaghetti Dinner

It's that time of year again!

Time to come out to Kid Care International's annual spaghetti dinner!

Knights of Columbus Council 1043

112 E. Lexington, Elkhart, Indiana

October 5, 2011

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Adults $7

Children (5-12) $5

All proceeds go to Kid Care International!

Purchase your tickets now by using the link to the left.

Questions? Please call me (Steph) at 574.292.4405 or e-mail me at sgherardi@ymail.com.

Make a Donation Via Paypal

{ABOUT KID CARE INTERNATIONAL}

Kid Care International was formed for the purpose of improving the health of children between the ages of 3 and 12 worldwide. The founders and co-presidents of Kid Care International are Karen Gunter, RN, MSA and Sandra Matteson, RN, MSN. Karen and Sandra have over 60 years combined experience inclincal and administrative pediatric nursing. They have been working with children's healthcare needs throughout the world for the past ten years.

Kid Care International was informally operating from December 1999 through July 2008. In August of 2008, the organization was formally incorporated as a nonprofit corporation. In July of 2009 the corporation became a 501(c)3 charitable organization, which means that all donations are now tax deductable.

Kid Care International is unique in that 100% of donors' money goes directly to the project that the donor wishes to support. Donations are never used for administrative costs.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Go All the Way

Forget Me Not {eco gifts & greetings} is proud to provide you with beautiful, functional products that are fun to present to friends and clients while also being easy on our planet. My best-selling product is a handmade, fully customizable, eco-friendly CD sleeve - a fun alternative to boring plastic CD cases. The sleeves are constructed with recycled Kraft paper cardstock, vintage thread, cotton fabric and handmade wooden buttons.

I've worked with many photographers to create custom CD sleeves for the photo discs they create for clients. The sleeves are "green," but I won't stop there. There's no sense in creating eco-friendly products if I'm going to ship them in oversized boxes full of those awful packing peanuts. No, I go all the way.

Not only do I find uses for almost all of my scraps and have very little waste, my final products are lovingly wrapped in reused or recycled tissue paper and packaged in reused or recycled boxes that fit the item that I'm shipping. [quick story: Just a couple weeks ago I ordered a gift online from a big company and was so disappointed by the enormous box that the tiny item came in. What a waste! It will be politely noted in my feedback.] The reused/recycled boxes are then wrapped in a used paper bag. (Yes, I don't always remember to bring my reusable bags to the store, but I refuse to take home plastic.) My favorite part about using recycled packaging is how utterly adorable and totally unique each package is. I get giddy when I send out "happy mail" (as Micaela would put it).

To read more about how you can go green with your packaging, check out TrashN2Tees "Green Your Packaging" post by clicking {HERE}.

Gianni Turns 1!

My nephew turned one on Easter, and what better excuse to give a handmade keepsake than a first birthday? I jumped on the opportunity and made Gianni a banner similar to the banner I made for his sister last year.

A personalized banner {now available in my shop!} makes a great gift that can be used for every special occasion, year after year.

xo

Custom Work for Katie Cassidy Photography

Forget Me Not had a fantastic start this year! I have been {happily} busy with custom orders and have met many wonderful new people through my shop just in the past few months. I was so happy when Katie Cassidy found me! Katie, the Katie Cassidy of Katie Cassidy Photography, is a joy to work with. Her style is fabulous and her work, amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of working with Katie and creating her custom CD sleeves. They turned out great, and I was thrilled to see the {professional} appreciation photos she posted on her website.

Here are the awesome photos Katie shared:

I certainly look forward to doing more custom work for Katie Cassidy Photography in the future. Be sure to check out her website in the meantime!

A great start to the year and now spring is here. Yay! Matt and I are gearing up to sell our house, so I've had to put my shop on "vacation mode" until May. Time to roll up my sleeves and get to work! I'm already missing the excitement of custom orders and the joy of Etsy convos, and I can't wait to get back to them in May! Happy Spring!!

More custom work! :)

{February's Custom Work}

Pillows!

Now that the big stuff in the living room is taken care of (paint & furniture), I get to have some fun accessorizing!! Our colors are pretty neutral, with most of the furniture being dark brown and the walls being a simple blue/gray. I'm excited to liven things up with fun, bright colors and unique, handmade decor. Our new sofa is big and long, but empty and kind of boring. The solution: pillows! Here are some fun pillows I marked as favorites last year in anticipation of our new living room:

*

Ninja Pillows

by sushibooties

Vintage Light Bulbs

by utilitarianfranchise

Peace Pillow

by letterperfectdesigns

CTA Blue Line Pillow

From Renegade Handmade

who doesn't love Chicago's public transportation system?!

Handmade Buttons by buckshotkenny

My favorite Forget Me Not project so far has been my custom CD sleeves. I love working with buyers to create personalized orders, and I've been spending almost all of my free time doing just that. One thing that makes my CD sleeves unique is the button and cord closure. I started making my own buttons out of downed branches last summer. I enjoyed experimenting with different branches and learning how to use all of the tools, and I loved the look of the finished, rustic buttons. I was making the buttons on an as "as needed" basis, which was fine in the warm weather. This winter I learned a valuable lesson, and I regretted not making extras.

Orders kept coming, and working out in the freezing cold garage to slice branches was not fun. Then, I ran out of branches. !! Where do you find good, dry branches when everything is covered in a foot of snow?! I had orders to work on, and I needed help.

I searched for wooden buttons on Etsy and found a few shops with buttons similar to my own. I sent out some convos inquiring about bulk orders, and, what seemed like just minutes later, I got a response from buckshotkenny.

Kenny is so wonderful to work with. He is extremely friendly and pleasant, my orders arrive within just a couple days, and his buttons are perfect. I couldn't have found a better seller! My first custom listing was up in no time, and it wasn't long before I was back for more...and more, and more. Kenny went out of his way to create the perfect button for my projects - size, finish (or no finish in my case), even the size of the holes! Each time the buttons come in the mail, I'm amazed at how quickly they were shipped, and I'm always 100% satisfied and impressed. I am so proud to use Kenny's buttons for my orders, and I always look forward to doing business with him. I can't thank him enough for saving me!

My orders of plain, wooden buttons seem ridiculous compared to Kenny's other products. He is incredibly talented! Check out his amazing jewelry boxes!

...Just another example of how amazing the Etsy community is :)

I do want to make my own wooden buttons once the weather warms up again, but I definitely plan on continuing to order from Kenny in the meantime, and for all of my large orders throughout the year. I figure that way I can enjoy creating my own little handmades without getting overwhelmed, and I can keep doing business with my fellow Etsy shops.