Four years ago, I was having an email conversation with Jan Crowley about making a collab together sometime.  Eventually we started chatting and talking about how much we loved the digi community and the way that it seems everyone is so giving.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could harness that giving and every month concentrate on raising funds with our work?  And wouldn’t it be awesome if we could get industry leading designers to guest with us every month?  Yeah, that’d be awesome we thought – but how could we do it?  A few months of planning and preparation and Songbird Avenue came to be.

Over the years we have seen the community come together and rally for amazing causes.  We have in our three and a half years of being part of the digital community raised nearly $50,000 for all sorts of charities from Toys for Tots to Autism Speaks to the Fisher Foundation.  Your support has been so key to all of that success and we truly appreciate it.

However, it is time to say goodbye to Songbird Avenue.  While we love what we do here, Jan and I feel that we aren’t able to give it the attention it deserves anymore and so after this month, September 2010, we will be shutting the site down.  Customer service will continue on a limited basis after this month through the end of the year, just in case you’ve misplaced downloads and whatnot.

Thank you so much for the years that you have given us by being part of this incredible website.  It has been a wonderful, heart warming experience that I know I will always treasure.  We wish you all the best and hope you have incredible journeys that take you farther in life than you ever imagined.

Another month on the Avenue means another charity kit!  This one features the talent of ErinInk, who recently moved to MScraps!  The Cancer Research Institute is the charity that Erin chose this month and with this kit, she really wanted to make sure you’d have pieces to scrap the everyday moments in your lives.  Visit the shop now to pick up your copy!

As you may have noticed, Songbird Avenue loves to celebrate not just our own Charity efforts, but from time to time, we like to celebrate other Charity Events around the digi-scrapping world. So it is with our pleasure to feature Hands Across the Gulf

For more than 90 days, oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico before the leak was finally “capped” in late July. It is estimated that approximately 4.9 million barrels (or 205.8 million gallons) of oil spilled into the waters. It has been one of the biggest environmental disasters in decades. Hundreds of miles of beaches, wetlands, and estuaries along the northern Gulf Coast have been impacted. The spill, though temporarily “capped”, continues to cause extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats as well as the Gulf’s fishing and tourism industries. Families are without work and marine and land animals continue to suffer. And there are still many unknowns about the long term effects of the oil and of chemical disbursements used in attempts to curtail the flow and impact upon the regional coastline and waters.

Forty-five designers across the digital scrapbooking community have united with one shared cause: to raise awareness and to support recovery efforts for the environment and those impacted by this tragic disaster.

Participating designers include: Aja Abney, Amy Martin, Biograffiti, Boutique Cute Dolls, Createwings Designs, Deena Rutter, Designs by Cindy Schneider, Designs by Crystal Livesay, Dido Designs, Dunia Designs, Emily Merritt Designs, Fiddle Dee Dee Designs, Fizzy Pop Designs, FruitLoOp Sally Designs, Laurie Ann (Heaven’s Gate Designs), Holliewood Studios, Holly Designs, Holly Spring Designs, Jazzmin Designs, Jennifer Barrette Designs, Jacque Larsen, Juliana Kneipp Designs, Kay Miller Designs, Kaye Winiecki, Kitty Designs, Kristin Aagard Designs, Lauren Grier, Leora Sanford, Loreta Labarca, Micheline Martin, Nikki Beaudreau, Paislee Press, One Little Bird Designs, Sabrina Dupre, Sahlin Studio, Sarah Cornish of My 4 Hens Photography, Shabby Miss Jenn, Studio Basic Designs, Sugarplum Paperie, Tickled Pink Studios, Tiny Toes Designs, Tracie Stroud, Vera Lim, Vinnie Pearce, and zinnias and swallowtails.

Hands Across the Gulf is our heartsong for this cause. This gorgeous kit representing the varied styles of the scrapping community, is positively overflowing with beautiful papers, unique elements, templates and Photoshop actions. All told, designers have contributed more than 100 papers and 200 elements, 2 full alphas, 18 templates, and 4 PS actions to Hands Across the Gulf.

Available for sale for one month only, 100% of the proceeds from this kit will be donated to the National Wildlife Federation and to the United Way’s Gulf Recovery Fund.

Hands Across the Gulf arrives Sunday 15 August 2010 at After Five Designs.

Yup and that’s today. So what are you waiting for. Click the link!

This month’s fabulous kit, “Write Stuff” is a collaboration with Audrey Neal!!!!

Proceeds will benefit 826 National.

Now – I know that you are super ready to get your hands (or computer – LOL!) on this fabulous kit, but we are having some small site issues at the moment. These should be resolved soon, and then the kit will be available at the store. Thanks for your patience!!!!!

This is the last day that Be Free will be available in the Songbird Avenue shop so grab your copy now!

This kit is gorgeous, beautiful, breathtaking and whimsical.  So versatile and filled to the brim with wonderful goodies that you can use over and over again, Laurie Ann has really made this kit soar.  We think you will love this kit and find your layouts coming together so easily with this pretty collection.  If you haven’t had the chance to pick up your copy, go to the shop and grab it!

Included in the kit are 25 papers, bows, flowers, masks, paint, tags, flourishes, frames, wordart, staples, an alpha set and a template.  This month’s proceeds will go to Mercy Ships, a wonderful organization you can read more about here.

AND!  Laurie Ann has a special treat for our blog readers too, since she is so generous!  Use the coupon below to save 30% in her ScrapArtist shoppe!  YAY!  Thanks Laurie Ann!