Using Your Scraps for A Cause

Scrapbook Royalty is all about giving through our craft. Over the next few weeks, we will be featuring activities you can do to help others through your craft for the holidays. Yes, it is getting close to that time of year again!

Committee member Jennifer Priest (yup, that's me) is collecting bookmarks to help benefit children during the holidays. Here is the info, posted from Jennifer's blog:

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...


Every year my Girl Scout troop, along with other troops in our area, collect items for Santa Claus Inc in San Bernardino, CA. You can learn more about them on their website: Santa Claus Inc. The short of it is that they help over 11,000 kids each year to have a great Christmas or holiday season when they might not have had a celebration at all.

Two years ago we started making handmade bookmarks for SCI to give to kids at Christmas--they give out a lot of books and what's cuter than a nice handmade bookmark to go with the book?! Last year I started a campaign in January on scrapbook.com (with the Dezine Girlz) and WhoGivesAScrap? to collect bookmarks. We did collected well over 500 handmade bookmarks last year from all over the world!! I even received bookmarks made by ladies as far away as the UK! In 2006 we donated 454 Bookmarks.

This year "elves are needed" once again. My goal is to collect 1000 bookmarks!!

You know you have scraps you will never use.
Cute stickers.
Stamps you love to use.
Fibers and ribbon scraps.
Don't hoard them...

Make a bookmark!

Here are the guidelines:

• Make the bookmarks about 2" x 6" in size
• Please use an eyelet or grommet to reinforce the hole at the top if you are adding ribbon or fiber through the hole. Please do not staple or glue ribbon. You do not have to include a "tassel" if you don't want to.
  
• Corner round the edges if possible. The Zutter Round-It-All Works great for this.
  
• You are welcome to laminate the bookmarks as well. It doesn't have to be fancy. You can use clear contact paper if you want. Many school supply stores (like Lakeshore Learning) offer self-laminating stations and you can laminate about 100 bookmarks for under $5.
• Make sure they are sturdy--you can glue two pieces of paper back to back if you want to make them more rigid or use a chipboard center.
  
• Any decorations should be able to lay flat in a book and should be able to hold up against the handling of a child.
  
• You can sign the back with your name if you like (for example: "Created with love by Nancy J")
  
• Be creative and have fun!!
• Deadline to mail bookmarks is November 25, 2008. I need to have them all counted and ready to go by the first week of December.
• Store bought bookmarks are welcome too!!
  

I know you will all knock our socks off with your beautiful creations!

In December my Girl Scout troop will present the bookmarks to Santa Claus Inc. Be sure to include your address and name on a sheet of paper in the envelope with your bookmarks--I'll sign the guest book at SCI with your info and they will send you a personal thank you letter.

Please send your completed bookmarks to:

Scrapbook Royalty
Bookmarks for Santa Claus Inc - Jennifer
PO Box 910665
San Diego, CA
92191

I'll also start a slideshow of the bookmarks as they come in (once I get the first box) and keep a running tally on my personal blog. I can't wait to see what you create!! If you have any questions please post them here and I'll answer them. Thanks so much!!

Please leave a comment here stating your pledge--how many bookmarks can you make? Just 10 a month = 40 bookmarks!! That's 4o kids' lives you will touch!!