ClaytonDaze

Connecting For Inclusion has a new, approved TBAF fundraiser: $3.00 of each book will go to the foundation. Once production costs have been paid, 100% ($6) will be donated. If production costs are not raised, 100% of sale from books will be donated to the foundtion. Production costs will be donated by members. This is our pledge

SEE SAMPLE PAGES AT OUR WEBSITE www.connectingforinclusion.com/Store.html

PROJECT: Grade School K-8/Day Care Coloring Book

PROJECT GOAL: Raise awareness in children and their parents on the importance of developing an early interest in inclusion and thereby making a difference in the lives of people with developmental and physical disabilities.

DESCRIPTION: Connecting For Inclusion has created a coloring book for children. The Coloring For Inclusion book is 24 pages long and includes both coloring and activity pages. These pages bring awareness to both children and their parents of the positive results of inclusion on children enjoying normal day to day activities. Connecting For Inclusion wrote the story creating a central theme and characters around which the coloring book story revolves. They have included various activities which are normally seen in a Day Camp setting including sports, group games, playground activities, socializing and teaching.

We are seeking feedback from everyone in order to determine how many coloring books we should produce for this project. By having a preliminary count we can obtain the best pricing and won't over or under produce the coloring book. The cost of the coloring book will be approximately $6.00 plus cost of shipping. We will provide a discounted price for those who are buying in quantities to donate to various organizations/schools. 100% of the profits will be donated to The Bubel-Aiken Foundation after our production costs are met.

Please respond to Dianna Sharp at dianna@connectingforinclusion.com with an approximate number of coloring books you think you would be interested in purchasing or for more information. The books should be available for shipping the first or second week of September.

Thank you all!

Dianna and all Connecting For Inclusion members

A Non-Profit Organization

Someone asked about AI vs IVF

If a woman can still produce eggs, they will use AI. If the problem has to do with no eggs or other female problems in the tubes, etc, (adhesions) then IVF would be preferred. However, her age is not preferred for AI. :PickMe-1: Hope this helps.

Hi everyone.  I was very upset when I heard about the C&D letter.    I would have preferred Clay to make an announcement to his fans that he wanted us to stop making the pins first before his lawyers resorted to a CEASE and DESIST letter.  I just think it would have been a better way to handle the situation.  I know not everyone agrees with me.  I have always been one to say things before thinking it through.  But I am calming down now and I still love Clay.    I understand the reasons for everything that has happened NOW.  Couch Tomato, you explained it very well in this first post.

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Claysgurl,

I think many of us wanted it to be Clay. But actually, I am sure he doesn't know anything about this. He has his attorneys and they are just doing their jobs. If they had not issued a C&D after being told about the pin(s)/DVDs in question, they would have been in danger of losing the Copyrights in place.

I think Clay has enjoyed all the pins. I know we have really gotten his name out and about, that's for sure. I Clayverted my pin vendor! LOL And I will continue to design pins as long as there is an interest in them. The hardest part will be the first pin after all this that I put out. I will be so disappointed if it is not seen by the Clay fans. And no, it does not have Clay's name or his image/likeness! I had designed this pin and submitted it for a proof last week, before all the drama.

d

I wanted to know if the pin pages about the origins of each pin were still being compiled. If so what is the plan for them?

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If it won't be sold for profit I wonder if it will be okay? I suggest we could continue compiling the info and maybe just put it up as a website or part of a forum...It would really be very interesting.

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Ansa, that would be a great idea! Let me know if I can help in any way!

All I can say is WORD.

I also want to say that the fact this C&D happened because of a whistle blower tells me Clay and his people are not out to shut down the pin trade at all. They just want to protect Clay's rights in this. I feel very sad that now people are blaming CLay for this. We have been doing this for months...As early as JBT, Clay has been recieving these pins and nobody got a C&D. We only got the C&D now when the pins were brought to the attention of Clay's lawyers, presumably by another fan. Now they don't have a choice but to make a move on this because they cannot ignore cases before them.

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The Clayboard has just issued their own C&D as far as any and all pin activity on their board. They say they are "following the lead of Clay's team."

I have to run...need to work on the new pin for Valentine's Day!!! LOL

Dianna

Ok, in case you all haven't noticed, the new policy at FCA is that we will not host any pins that violate Clay's copyright or use his image.  THIS MEANS GOING FORWARD. If your pin is already posted this does not apply to you.  We will keep up all pins as a record of the pin craze.

I have read some of the drama going on at the Clayboard and had written a post but it was locked before I could post it. The bottom line is that using Clay's image or his copyright is illegal.  I knew that too. It's not a surprise to me. What also isn't surprising to me is that as usual Clay fans turn on each other or that Clay fans turn on him with a vengence.  Frankly, when I heard about Soapy's C&D - I thought well it's time to play by the rules.  There are a ton of pins that don't violate Clay's copyright whatsoever.  Now folks will have to use a bit more creativity.

The why why whys about why so and so is still on ebay is typical.  Because some would rather have Clay's people move on from one pin maker to all pin makers to clack to charms rather than just say..oops caught. There have always been diligent efforts to remove people who profit illegally from his very first Look What Love Has Done. There have been C&D orders issued in the past.  They are reported and are taken through the process and they reappear using other names.  I mean, soapy could do that too if she so wished and it could very well be 5 months before she got another letter. If Clay's people ignores the blatant violation of Clay's copyright or use of his image than he could lose it.  Why fight to get it away from E19 only to lose it to us.  Because he's supposed to what, love us?  Get real folks.  I personally am not angry that every pin maker didn't get a D&C. I'm happy about that. I am taking the hint and moving forward.

When and if I ever get a letter from Clay's lawyers I'm gonna frame that baby as the ultimate peice of clack and understand I got it cuz I broke the rules in the first place and pushed things too far. 

All FCA pins have beens shipped - the last batch went out Saturday.

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There is way too much drama on The CB for something that is no big thing. Continue to make pins, just don't make them with Clay's full name or his image. I think there are alot of good, creative people out there and it is obvious that you are enjoying this. I know I enjoy each and every pin I design and sell. I have not made one penny out of the 7 pins sold. More than $1,000 was raised for The Salvation Army Katrina Relief, more than $600 (and climbing) for UNICEF and our group was able to complete our fundraising goal by adding the final $1,000 and we donated a Fun Center! If this is so horrible, I must really need my head examined! The first 2 pins I donated all the postage and the manufacturing costs. The other 5 pins were very heavy and I paid the difference between what I charged for postage and what it actually cost to ship. So you see. All we pin designers are not evil people who are praying on the Clay Fandom. We are Clay fans who, for the most part, were attempting to brighten days by releasing a new design. We find our designs through our love for Clay Aiken. We do not design our pins to hurt him.

I have not used Clay's full name nor his image. I have used sillhouettes and artists' renditions. But the pins would have been good without them as well. So I am simply concentrating on fun pins which, in no way, infringe upon Clay's Copyright protection.

And I, too, would put that C&D letter right up here in my Clay Clack Room!

Will the christmas designs just be added to the existing gallery?  Has there been a consensus taken yet as to whether we do pins, ornaments or both.  I'm kinda leaning towards doing both.  The ornaments would get used every year, like a tradition.  Wow, when you look at how many designs we ended up with we certainly could decorate a regular size christmas tree if they were ornament sizes uh? lol....

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I have just finished designing two Christmas Pins. I can't believe I will take this on again. Doing 2 pins back to back was Clayzy! But boy did I learn alot. And you guys are right about ordering extra pins. I had approximately 30 of my envelopes vanish in the postal system! Almost 50 pins! So now I am having to re-order some of the train pins to get them to the folks who are waiting! YIKES! And since we are donating all procedes to our Fun Center project, I am eating the cost of the pins which I have to pay a higher price for since it is a smaller order.

So next time, I will just add an extra 50 and keep them aside just in case!

D

To be honest, I was so busy doing the selling, that the buying was not much for me. I did get a few, maybe 6 different pins with some multiples of certain ones. By the time I got to the buying part, they were all sold out! LOL

d

I used an different Vendor. I, actually, ordered the first round of our pins for just our members before the huge on-slaught of the frenzy began and didn't know about Pin Promotions. The vendor I used is Dollar Pins. She was very good and did an excellent job for us.

I now have another pin in to her so we shall see how this one goes.

I also got my envelopes on Ebay! What a savings that was! I agree. Being organized is the key. On The Clay Train Connection, we are so very spread out across the country that I did the entire process on my own. It was a cinch when I started with just 200 pins! But 700 pins later, I also thought I should be committed! LOL

But it actually was so much fun meeting all the wonderful Clay fans through the purchases that I forgot about the "work" of it all. Just another day in ClayNation Land!

Dianna