Monthly Charity Stall

Today was the day for our regular monthly stall to be set up.  Thankfully I had some Mother's Day cards leftover from last year as I have been unable to make new ones.  

I wasn't sure my mum would like her Mother's Day card last year.  She LOVED green but as her birthday was near to Mother's Day I made a green card for her birthday and a yellow one for her for Mother's Day.  She LOVED it especially the fairy and the gem overload!!!  I never imagined the card I made for my mum last year would be the last one she had off me as she died suddenly three months later.  

Valentine's Day Cards for the Stall

I decided to make a few more cards for the stall with the Valentine's Day theme.  For the large card I have used the pre-coloured Paper Shelter image - I'd love to receive that big chunk of cheese.  The two small cards I have used the free images with this bi-monthly edition of the DoCrafts Creativity Magazine.  All images have been decoupaged.  The backing papers are from Summertime Designs and they are left over from a previous card - that's why the two smaller ones have more white showing than I normally do.  The large card has been finished off with some mirri hearts cut with my Cricut and edged with a gold peel-off (yes, they are red but I took over 20 photos and this one was the best), ribbon, gems and Craftwork Cards sentiment.  The two small cards have been finished off with peel-off borders, corners and sentiments.

I am entering these cards into the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - You're a gem

Do You Stack Up? - Ribbons (the large card is being entered into this challenge)
Inspire me Friday - Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Polka dots (two of the cards have polka dots)

The Poodles Parlour - Valentine/love

Deep Ocean - Love you
Penny's Paper Challenge - Love is in the air
Little Red Wagon - Valentine's Day or love
The Paper Shelter - Love is in the air 
Truly Scrumptious - Love and hearts
Paper Pretties - Ribbon or twine
Cardz TV - Be my Valentine
Dude Time Doodles - Touch of red
Fresh Brewed - Love
Stamp n Doodle - Love, romance or Valentine's Day

Creatalicious Challenge - Love

First Regular Monthly Charity Stall of 2012

Yesterday saw us setting up the regular monthly charity stall that I have.  Sadly there are a lot of businesses that have left the complex so I never know how much longer it will continue.  At the moment I am raising funds for the new Gamma Plus Appeal at Bedford Hospital - the target is to raise £600,000 for a new Gamma Camera.

Last Monthly Charity Stall of the Year

It's the last monthly charity stall this coming week.  Sadly a lot of businesses have left the complex over the last four years.  Yes, I get very sad when maybe only 1-2 cards sell but my husband reminds me that the charities wouldn't even get that if I didn't do anything.

For this month I have continued my charity as SCOPE who have the vision that the world is "where disabled people have the same opportunities to fulfil their ambitions as non-disabled people".  If you would like to have a look at the work that Scope does please click here.

I have been lucky this year to win some blog candy and also some challenges.  All that I win I put towards my charity work.  I also feel truly blessed that I have friends on forums and in Blogland that send me items that they no longer use/what to help me with my charity work so that I can put it to good use.  You are such wonderful people.  THANK YOU TO YOU ALL.

Charity Stall - November 2011

Well another month has whizzed by and it was time to set up the charity stall today.  Sadly over 60% of the companies in the complex have moved out so I go there each month thinking it might be my last.  Last month the card sales were £3.00 for the whole week.  I don't have to pay anything for the stall so I haven't got any outlay but it is sad as when I started going there 4 years ago some months would sell £20-30 of cards, half of which always went to charity and the rest went into the kitty for more supplies.  I know come 2012 I might have to go looking for some more outlets but I'm not thinking about that now as there is still lots of things to do in relation to the death of my mum four months ago.

The cards on the stall are mostly mine but a friend has made some and I have three lovely blogging friends that have given me cards for the stall.  I always make sure people know they are donated cards as I would hate to take the credit for other peoples' work.  People also donate me crafting items that they longer use/need and these are always used on my cards for charity.  I had hoped come the end of December to have got to the total made for charity in 5 years of £1,500 but I am £80 short so it's unlikely I will make that but I will in time.  At the moment I am raising funds for SCOPE as I try to do local charities and national charities and then different kinds of charities eg children, cancer, animals etc.  I am always open to offers for names of charities to help if you have a special charity that is "close to your heart"

Charity Stall - March 2011

Today is the day for the charity stall to be set up with the help of my son.  I saw on Crafty Amy's blog that her dad was taking part in a rowing event from Puerto de Mogan on Gran Canaria to Brabados.  Click here if you want to see some more information.  Amy's dad is raising funds for CLIC Sargent who help children and young people with cancer.  For the next month or so I have decided that I will too support this charity with my cardmaking at the stall and my commissioned cards.  Every little bit will help.

Charity Stall - February 2011

Another month has whipped around and it was time to set up the regular monthly card stall for charity.  So many businesses have moved out of the complex so not sure how much longer it will be that I can keep going there.  My husband was off work so he could drive me up there and carry the boxes in as I do struggle.  This time I am supporting the charity Cancer Research UK.  My husband is quite handy as he kindly picked out some cards and put them on the shelves to display.  I had to laugh when I saw one card balancing in front of a pole - it was Draco the dragon from the talented Stef at Glitterbabe's Digis - just waiting for someone to buy him!!

Regular Charity Stall and Charity Donations Update

Well yesterday was time to set up my regular charity stall.  I'm not sure how this year will go there as 55% of all staff moved out of the complex before Christmas to a cheaper to rent place.  It's a blow for the complex, the restaurant where I have the stall and also to me with selling my cards for charity.  I shall have to see how things go but might have to source other places to sell my cards this year.  I won't be good at that as I don't have much self-confidence.  Here is what the stall looked like last night as we left it for the week:

I am using the same charity as last month, Age UK, as I'd like to send them a bigger donation than I have at the moment for them.

Here is a post I did back in December 2009 mentioning that I had made £1,000.07 for different charities in 4 years.  I've now just gone past 5 years and my total is £1,277.90, so I have made £277.83 this year for various different charities, big and small, local and national.  I am so pleased with this and I know the charities appreciate what I do for them from the letters of thanks I get from them.

I would just like to thank everyone that supports me in helping me to raise funds for charities.  That might be:

• by visiting my blog
• making comments on my blog
• for those that run challenge blogs that I can used the cards I make to enter challenges
• for those that sponsor challenges as without them I would not have received some wonderful items that I've put to good use for my cards
• for those that put up Blog Candy as I have won a couple of these in 2010
• for those people that have sent me items to use in my cardmaking.

This has helped me to achieve this amount for charity in 2010 and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Charity Stall - December 2010

Please note in picture above - 6 months ago my Tilda card wouldn't have been "pride of place" on my blog as I couldn't understand what people saw in the images.  Now I have seen the "error of my ways" and would love all the Magnolia stamps - better late than never!!!

Today was the last time this year to set up the charity stall for next week.  I've got dates booked for 2011 but as 40% of people are moving out of the business complex over Christmas/New Year I am not sure how long it will continue.  I will keep on going until it's not at all viable as I've been going there three years and it's helped me to help the charities I have supported.  My chosen charity this time is ageUK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged) as all year round can be bad for the elderly but especially over Christmas/New Year with the weather, if they have got no family/friends to spend time with etc.

Thank you to all those people that send me items to use as this helps me to help the charities.  I have also been lucky to win some challenges, some items in a blog hop and one blog candy this year so all this has gone to help me make more cards.  I know everyone likes to win - I do as it really cheers me up - but for those people that sponsor challenges, offer candy, offer items for blog hops it means so much to me and I know it does to the charities I send money off to and the letters I get back in return.

THANK YOU

Charity Stall

Yes another month has come and it was time last Friday to set the charity stall up for the week.  My chosen charity at the moment is Marie Curie Cancer Care.  I have chosen this charity as I have two work colleagues who have lost loved ones due to cancer in the last few weeks.  My thoughts are with them and their families.

Card for Charity Stall

I have made this card for my regular charity stall using a piece of backing paper from my scrap box and tearing the edge with an X-cut tearing rule.  All the ribbons, sentiment, buttons, flowers etc are all freebies I have been given.

This card fits the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Photo inspiration
Flutter by Wednesday - Buttons
Daring Cardmakers - Come fly with me.

Charity Stall June 2010

Yes another month has come around and it was time to set the monthly charity stall up.  My boys volunteered to do it so off they went yesterday afternoon.  The charity I have chosen this time is SENSE - Sense is the leading national charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind.  They provide expert advice and information as well as specialist services to deafblind people, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them.  They also support people who have sensory impairments with additional disabilities.

Crafty Ann's Challenge No 16 - Friday 4/6/10

Another fortnight has arrived and it is time for another challenge over at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog.  The topic this fortnight is to use the colours of your flag.  Well as I am from England I have chosen the colours of the Union Jack ie red, white and blue.  Then was the hard decision on what to make as I don't put these colours together normally.  In the end I used Crafty Ann's cupcake image which I coloured in with Promarkers, Sakura Stardust clear pen and the cherry on the top has glossy accents on it to make it look shiny.  I have used Crafty Ann's embossed dots backing papers and the card is finished off with some blue ribbon, card candy and a Crafty Ann's ticket sentiment.  I shall be popping this card on my charity stall tomorrow.


This card also fits the following challenges:


Corrosive Challenge - Cooking or baking
Stamp Something  - Digi Stamp - used digital image and backing papers
Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - Red/white/blue - World Cup
For Fun Challenge - Card for a man
Simon Says Challenge - Father's Day/Male card.

Two Lovely Thank You Letters

I recently sent off a cheque for £22.00 for the local St John Ambulance and £25.00 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (I chose this charity as I'd recently been on holiday to Yorkshire and  I also saw a post on Emma's Blog regarding her/her family and friends raising funds for this charity in memory of her father) and have today received two lovely letters thanking me for my donations.  


I know I make the cards up and sell them on my regular stall/to my customers but I have done this with the support of my family and also fellow bloggers/sellers on websites/sellers on E-bay that have seen that I make my cards for charity and donated things for free like digi images, stamps, added extra things to my orders, sent me unused craft items and even some that have given me/sent beautiful cards they have made.  


The thank you from the charities goes to you all as well.

Charity Stall - April 2010

Well we are just back away from a week in Hawes in Yorkshire.  We stayed in a lovely cottage and got to see some wonderful scenery.  I had forgotten on Friday that the charity stall needed setting up so I gave them a call and told them my son would come and set it up this morning which he did for me.  It's a while since he's had to set it up but I think he's done well.  I showed him before he left how to set up the easel cards to try and give some height to the stall.  I have also got a nice "fat" basket of cards that have been donated to me by friends in the crafting/blogging world and also a friend who now has got the contagious crafting bug!!!  Thank you.

I have got to the stage of getting a bit stuck for charities to help.  I try to alternate between local and national ones but as I've been doing this for four years now I sometimes struggle.  I saw Hazel's blog last night (Dido's Designs) and saw a post on there asking for old bras and to follow a link.  I duly did this and saw that Annie and her family have raised £1,300 so far for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.  That's a wonderful achievement.  As we are just back from Yorkshire I think it is fate to pick this as my charity for the next 4-6 weeks or so.  

If you have a charity that is "close to your heart" please get in touch with me including some contact information for the charity eg a website and I will keep a list and work my way through donating to them.

Monthly Charity Stall

My eldest son kindly went and set up the stall this evening for me after he'd finished at college.  He made a little display for the Mother's Day cards and also kept a basket at the front of cards that were made by a friend and also some from a fellow blogger/crafting friend.  Thank you both for all your hard work.  This time I am raising funds for the St John's Ambulance.