Day 16: Advent Calendar for ME

‘Branching out!’

Not content with just one Christmas tree, we add a firry display to our mantle-piece. Thanks to Diana Hamilton’s photo from the ‘Let’s Get Snapping for ME’ competition, the sixteenth photo to be magically transformed into our Advent Calendar. Diana, when not taking photos, makes felted birdy creations in aid of our campaign. Currently, she has a selection of hanging owl decorations up for sale in her Folksy shop and says that she also has a wider range of stock in her Etsy Shop this year. You can find out more about Diana and her felting here.

 

You can download today’s advent image for your computer or mobile device wallpaper by clicking here. We have uploaded a number of versions in different sizes to suit various screen sizes. Each is labelled with an aspect ratio. (To find out the aspect ratio of your device divide the screen resolution width by height. We’ve made all images the biggest size possible to cater for the maximum number of devices. If the image is too large it can be easily shrunk to size. If your device’s aspect ratio doesn’t match those uploaded choose the nearest one.) If you’d rather print off today’s picture you can download it by clicking here.

Come back tomorrow for more festive fun and see what Day 17 has in store!

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Click here to order our fabulous Christmas cards, featuring winners from the 'Let's Get Snapping for ME' competition, and our beautiful 2014 calendar.

Click here to find out how you can raise funds for free for the charity whilst doing your Christmas shopping.

We've got Christmas all wrapped up!

The ‘Let’s do it for ME’ elves have been very busy recently, and with Christmas not far away they thought they’d give you a helping hand.  All their hard work has paid off and we can now offer fantastic Christmas cards, calendars and gifts - all available to buy from the comfort of your home and delivered directly to your door.  Well, we did say we had it wrapped!  What’s more, you’ll be helping us too, since all purchases will raise much needed funds towards biomedical ME research.

Many thanks to all our little elves that have been working behind the scenes to make this happen.  Let’s do it for Christmas and ME!

Cards:

Following our very successful ‘Let’s Get Snapping for ME! 2012 Christmas Cards Photo Competition,’ we are pleased to announce that in the end 10 photographs were chosen to be printed.  All cards are A5 in size and produced on top quality 350gsm card.  They come in packs containing 10 cards, either featuring one design or all 10.  Please specify if ordering packs of individual designs.  All cards have the following message inside, ‘With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year’.  Prices per pack (including postage and packaging) are: 

UK £4.25

Europe £6.25

Rest of the World £7.25  

To order cards and for more information visit: http://www.investinme.org/Christmas%202012.htm 

Calendars:  

Our 2013 A4 calendar is now available and features 12 stunning photos, one for each month, of places all around the UK.   These were kindly donated by those with ME and supporters of our campaign.  There’s a generous grid for each month, handy for writing in those forthcoming appointments and events.  This is a quality product, with both the front and back cover of 350gsm card and the inner pages of 200gsm paper.  This makes it not only perfect for yourself, but a great gift too.  Prices per calendar (including postage and packaging) are:

UK £7.00

Europe £9.00

Rest of the World £10.00 

To order calendars and for more information visit: http://www.investinme.org/Christmas%202012.htm

  

  

From handmade decorations and toys to jewellery, we’ve got it all!  Introducing just some of the extensive range made by our crafty elves: 

Christmas decorations:



Santa stocking decoration  http://www.facebook.com/Maddikentbracelets4me 

Bird decoration http://folksy.com/shops/100Birdies4ME 

Both sellers feature on http://www.facebook.com/makeme#!/MakeMECrafts, a dedicated Facebook page with lots of crafties selling their wares in aid of our campaign. 

Handmade toys: 







Toy Owl: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.429092600442070.103776.408438105840853&type=3 

(This is not suitable for very young children because of the risk of choking due to its button eyes.)

Toy Ponies: http://www.makemecrafts.com/A-Scruffy-Pony-for-ME.html

Handmade jewellery:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.410552555629408.101119.408438105840853&type=3

There’s lots more jewellery sold by a number of sellers on the Make ME website

http://www.makemecrafts.com/jewellery/
and Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.429092600442070.103776.408438105840853&type=3#!/MakeMECrafts/photos_albums. 

  

Something for the boys:           
        

  

Paracord LDi4ME Wristband, available in various colourways and designs http://www.makemecrafts.com/LDIFME-Awareness-Ribbon-Wristband.html

Lanyard (ID holder and cord) http://www.makemecrafts.com/lanyards/

Soft furnishings:

http://www.facebook.com/Maddikentbracelets4me#!/media/set/?set=a.219270998200858.53289.190772114384080&type=3

Clothing:

There are some great 'Let’s do it for ME' clothing available in our online shop http://ldifme.spreadshirt.co.uk.  As well as more ME and Fibromyalgia inspired designs in both Carmel’s online shops http://653855.spreadshirt.co.uk/ and http://shop.cafepress.co.uk/m.e-awareness.  The cafepress shop even has ladies nightwear and iPhone cases.  Or why not take a look at Mama Chill's shop http://616915.spreadshirt.co.uk/.

Books, CDs and Audio Downloads:

Running To Stand Still - Audio play about ME available on CD and to download: http://ldifme.org/running-to-stand-still/ 

Many Happy Returns – Downloadable audio sci-fi drama: http://ldifme.org/many-happy-returns/

Mama Chill’s downloadable single: http://ldifme.org/mama-chill-single/

Lost Voices - Book: http://www.investinme.org/LostVoicesBook/IiME%20Lost%20Voices%20home.htm

All card and calendar images are copyrighted to Invest in ME/Let's do it for ME for the photograph owners

Christmas Tree design © Gummy231 Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

100 Birdies 4 ME!

Diana Hamilton is aiming to sell 100 of her lovely handmade birdies to help raise funds for the UK Centre of Excellence by donating 50% of her profits to

Invest in ME's Biomedical Research Fund.

 Diana says:

"The idea for 100 Birdies 4 ME came about in early September; I had just joined a local craft group who were looking to take part in Light Night Leeds 2011 buy making 3 'gardens' out of various crafts, and at the same time I had heard of the Let's Do It For ME fund-raising campaign to raise money for a biological research centre focusing on M.E.

As with all good ideas, the idea to create something for the craft gardens that could then have a 'higher purpose' after the event just evolved. I had to make something for the craft garden that was easy to do, portable (read: able to be done from bed/sofa!) and would be unit based, so that I could manage to do it as I was recovering from a bad M.E flare during the summer myself. I spent lots of time on my days stuck in bed researching online projects and looking on Pinterest for inspiration. And then one day, I found some small felt birds which hung on a loop of ribbon and bingo! It was the perfect idea.

I have spent the last few months up to the eyeballs in felt cut outs, ribbon and stuffing but I have thoroughly enjoyed making them. I have found my own health improving as I have been making birdies, and have felt like I have a purpose even though housebound for the majority of the time.

I set myself the target of making and selling 100 birdies – the total made so far is at 40 but I have only sold 22 of these so far. I really don't know if I will manage to make 100 before Christmas, but I plan on keeping the project going until I have reached my goal.

I wholeheartedly support what Let's Do It For ME! and Invest in ME are doing, it is about time that some proper research was done into M.E so that we can find a cause and cure the thousands of people who are just forgotten about and left to cope with a devastating illness with little medical intervention".


Click here to see and order the birdies.

You can find 100Birdies4ME on Facebook.

Of course, you can also follow the birdies on Twitter @100Birdies4ME

Many thanks to Diana and all who choose to give her Birdies a home.

Would you like a Birdie for Christmas?

Let's do it for ME!

UPDATE

As at 16th February 2012, these lovely birdies had raised £64.60 + £16.15 for ME!  You can see Diana's donation to Invest in ME on our fundraising page on Everyclick.