I like to do my little part to help the environment, and who doesn’t? I contribute in a lot of ways, and so do a lot of my friends, some more than others (finger points to Miss. Jeannie - a.k.a. Crazy Bottle Recycler). Anyway, as scrapbookers we use a lot of paper, and if you don’t well, then you just aren’t scrapbooking enough, lol. That being said, I try to use up my scraps of paper. I’m not one of those “tree hugging 1 inch square scrap of paper savers” but I do keep things I deem usable. For example during my retreat at scrap palace I made seven cards, one layout, and my flip calender project totally out of scraps of paper that I had saved from layouts I had in progress. Actually some of the scraps weren’t even mine, lol, but ones I pilfered from across the table. *wink* Today I’m posting some of those projects in the hope that I will inspire all of you to look at your scraps in a new way. I keep a drawer close by my work area that I throw scraps into and then I pull from there later. I can’t tell you how many times I’m saved myself from using a new sheet of cardstock just by digging through that drawer. Not only that but when I’m looking for a little something to do I grab a stack of scrap, sit at a tv table in the living room and throw together some cards. Last week I did a set of nine thank you cards, all from scraps!

There are other ways scrapbookers can do things to help preserve the enviroment. We all use adhesive, and no matter what kind you use, there is always some part of the product that gets thrown out. For some of us it is the package our adhesive refills come in, and for others its the dispenser itself.

I use all Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L for the most part, and no, they are not refillable. That being said, the empty dispensers ARE recyclable! A lot of scrapbookers don’t know that. So if you are conscious about throwing things out and adding to the landfills of the world, but you don’t want to mess with gummed-up dispensers and the refills that come hand in hand with them, then reach for a Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L runner and recycle them when you used up all that wonderful sticky stuff inside!

As a side note, each Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L product your purchase benefits two other charitable organizations. For every Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L pink packaged product (found commonly during the month of October - National Breast Cancer Awareness Month) 5% is donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, in addition to their fixed annual contributions. The other charitable contribution is one to the Make a Wish Foundation. Each time you purchase a Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L product $.04 cents is donated to the Make a Wish Foundation. That may not help conserve our environment, but it sure does make for a better world to live in!

Here are some more tips for going green. They aren’t scrapbook related, but they are things most of us, if not all of us can try to do!

1.) Reroute your travels, carpool or bike!

2.) Buy used items, and post the things that you’re down with on a local Free Cycle group before you just contribute to your local landfill. Maybe someone can use it, or re purpose it for something else.

3.) Buy local!! This includes scrapbook supplies. Some items might be more expensive at your local, small retailer, but you are supporting your community and the people in it!!

4.) Tap it!! Drink water from the tap, and if you don’t like yours, filter it! The amount of waste that is produced from empty bottles of water being thrown out is INSANE, really.

5.) Pass by the toxic household cleaners and opt for ones that you can concoct at home using everyday items such as baking soda and vinegar. They are better for you, and don’t muddy up the air you breath in your home. On top of which, you’ll save some green!

6.) Get a programmable thermostat and energy saving bulbs. You can set them to maintain a certain temperature when you aren’t around and set it to return to your preferred temp when you are going to return. Even a small adjustment in temperature can save help conserve natural resources and the dollars in your pocket. Energy saving bulbs also make a big difference. I’ve installed them in my home and although the initial cost output may seem high, they last significantly longer and use up about half the amount of energy.

Those are just a few things we can all do to make a difference. No matter how small that difference might seem, it can make a big impact if only done by a handful of people. Ok that was my public service announcement for today, lol.

On another note, I have news on summer card classes! A lot of you asked about me teaching card classes over the summer and I had mentioned before that I had something in the works.

Well, I now have an update. I will be offering card classes at Scrap Palace in Romeo!!

The first class is July 31st at 7pm and will run until 9pm. The cost is $20.00 for all 12 cards including envelopes. As usual all the pieces for each card are precut for you and ready to assemble. If you can’t make the class but still want to participate you can register for a class kit which will come complete with color copies of each card and all your materials. If you are interested in registering please contact me to get your name on the list. The last day to register is July 25th and I am marking the class full at 24 students, so please

keep that in mind. (Per a past student request we will be doing more birthday themed cards this time around also, so if you always find yourself in need of a birthday card, you don’t want to miss this months class.)

Have a happy Friday!!!

~j