Fundraiser: Melanie B is Being Forced to Move from Her Home

My name is Melanie Gilstrap, but most people know me as “Melanie B” from my YouTube videos at Melanie B’s Creative Studio and my custom paint brushes and handmade art supplies at Melanie B’s Creative Supplies online shop.

For six years I’ve been in a legal battle with my four siblings over the home that I designed myself and built as the contractor on family property that was partially gifted to me by my parents in 1997. Unfortunately, my home and 10.96 acres was never deeded to me in that 27 years, because it was attached to my parents’ tract of land, and they wanted to insure it wasn’t sold while they were living.

Fast forward to today after innumerable, convoluted, and unethical legal schemes have taken place since January 2018 by my eldest sister and her {attorney} husband to make sure my home and property were up for grabs when both of my parents passed away. I was put in a no-win situation where all four of my siblings plotted against me to try and force me to pay them to keep my home and all of the land I was given, although each of my siblings received money, homes and/or property from my parents while they were still living.

I raised four children and helped raised one grandchild for 25 years in my house. I have spent 43 years of my 54 years of life on this family property. Most importantly, I lost my eldest son, Logan, to a flash flood in the creek that runs behind my home in 2013 and along my parents’ land, where I found his deceased body. He was found where I made the fondest memories as a child playing with my cousins, wading and splashing in the waterfall. {That was no coincidence.}

After a 6-hour mediation on 10/29/2024, I came to the conclusion that I would sacrifice my house and 6+ acres to sell as part of my father’s estate in order to keep 4+ acres and stay on the property. The alternative would have been to take the case to trial and let a judge decide what to do with all of the estate assets. He could have made the decision to liquidate everything, sell it all, and I would not have had an option to remain close to my family home, Logan’s final resting place, or the bridge I had built just below my house in his memory.

• The reason I am setting up this fundraiser and asking for your help is out of pure desperation and despair. I think of myself as a proud, strong woman, but I am feeling very defeated and vulnerable in this moment. I will most assuredly have to shut down my business as of the end of November or mid-December, which will affect our income. The only way I can remain in business is if I release the digital/printable kits that I was already preparing for launch, but I will not be able to continue to sell the physical inventory while we are in the midst of packing, moving and trying to find a new place to live.

As of today, 11/3/2024, my husband, Jim, and I have less than 90 days to pack up my 30+ years of belongings, his possessions, and all of my four children/grandchild’s items and memories. Jim is 62-years-old and works a full-time, very physically-demanding job with a 40-minute commute each way. I have autoimmune disorders and complex migraines. Physically we need help from others to get everything done, so I finally had to swallow my pride and ask for your help.

No matter how large or small the amount, the money you donate will be greatly appreciated and will be used for the following expenses:

• paying my part of mediation {legal} fees due by Nov 15th

• buying an on-site storage container or renting a storage unit

• paying for packing/moving services

• paying for trash removal services or renting a dumpster for purging old items

• finding a place to live {deposits, rent, down-payments, etc}

• other expenses I haven’t thought of or included relating to moving}

In lieu of a donation, there are many other ways you can help us.

• You can purchase my products before I close my business by shopping here: Melanie B’s Creative Supplies.

• You can support my YouTube Channel by subscribing. If you watch the ads before, during and after my videos, I will make some income from those again. Although it is a small amount, every little bit helps, and we are grateful for anything you can do to support us!

• And finally…by using the Amazon links or other affiliate links I provide in the description below every video , I earn a small commission from your purchases. That all adds up, and it will help me to continue to earn a small income since I will have to close my business.

• I also have my “link in bio” website, MelanieB.info, with all of my links to my favorite paint-by-number companies and favorite diamond painting companies, along with my manicure business and other products I love linked for you. Many of those are also affiliate links that will help me make a small commission if you use them to make a purchase, but it will not cost you anything extra.

For those of who have followed this story and lived through it with me for the last six years, I want to thank you for your constant love, support, prayers and words of encouragement and affirmation. I could not have survived this without you.

Much love and appreciation,

Melanie B.