Stampin Up uses this phrase and I think it’s a great description of the opportunity we have as crafters to come together for good.
I wanted, as part of my Stampin Up Business to find a way of adding in some activities that would raise funds for good causes that I could pop onto my events calendar on a regular basis.
So the idea of get togethers purely to create projects where all the fees were donated to a charity was born. Currently the cards chosen by my November crafters have been Christmas Cards, but any theme is possible.
The flexible format for these classes helps me keep them open to larger groups and organisations, or a few friends wanting to get around the dining room table and support a cause. I love that they include simple stamping experiences, take up a short amount of time and bring people together to do something creative while raising awareness and funds for some great charities.
My first Charity Class for November involves a group introduced by a lovely friend whom I have known forever, her son and I went to school together. She is chairperson of a group of retirees that meet a few times per month to stay active and in touch with their community. I’m expecting around 20 ladies to take part and they will meet at their usual time and their usual venue. I will attend for an hour and a half helping them to make 2 cards each that will be from a prepared kit. They will each pay a small fee for the class, they will take their Christmas cards home and all of the monies will go to their chosen charity.
Later that week my second Charity Class will see 6 ladies make 4 cards each and a decorative case to take their cards home in. This class will be longer, make more cards and so have a higher fee and my lovely friend who is hosting at her house has chosen the Young Lives vs Cancer CLIC charity in the UK to receive the money raised. This charity is very dear to her heart.
I will be using a lot of current stamp sets, but will use this opportunity to use up my embarrassingly large stash of retired paper. I have always been a self confessed paper hoarder/stroker, but no longer! ‘The Love it Chop it’ method of cutting up your paper originated by the wonderful Kylie Bertucci has ended my hoarding addiction. It’s a foolproof way of getting past the paper stroking/hoarding obsession. Look Kylie up if you have the same issues the cure is painless!!
I am pleased that using up this retired paper enables me to regain some space in the craft room and keeps my costs down which in turn enables all the fees for these classes to go direct to the charities. Meeting new people to craft with is always such a great part of this job and it still amazes me, the smiles on people’s faces when they create something and they realise that they are creative. The conversations that take place when people get together for such a wonderful purpose are priceless.
We all need some relaxation, calm and happiness in our lives. If your batteries need re-charging from time to time, please consider joining a class with me in any form, you will get so much from it, and I don’t just mean the items you take home with you! Let me know if I can help?
Love Bel
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