Feature You Friday: Recycled Cards

Good morning CraftyStealers!

Happy Earth Day! For 41 years, Earth Day has been a reminder to all of us that we need to take care of our planet - and take action to ensure that our resources will continue to be here for future generations.

In keeping with that idea, I thought today that we should "feature" a way for all of the people who like to play with paper, to get involved.  Here's what I came up with.  Recycling card fronts. 

Even if you do not make cards, I can bet you have received them.  Lots of them.  And if you are anything like me, you save them.  I tend to save all cards right after holidays and birthdays and then purge them into the recycling bin about two years later. (I'm not a hoarder, just sentimental - or that's what I tell myself!).  After December, which includes Christmas, my daughter's birthday, husband's birthday, and my wedding anniversary, I had a huge stack of cards.  So I went searching for something better to do with them than the recycle bin.  I found St. Jude Children's Ranch. 

St. Jude Children's Ranch (not to be confused with the also fantastic and worthy St. Jude Children's Research Hospital) is a place where abused, abandoned or neglected children are cared for and helped to heal.  There are three locations - one in Nevada, two in Texas.  It is a non-profit, non-sectarian home for children of all races and faiths. 

St Jude's Children's Ranch has a recycled card program.  The children take donated card fronts (for all occasions), and turn them into cards for resale.  All you have to do is mail in the fronts of those cards and you will be giving them new life!

Here are the details for donating cards (taken from the St. Jude Children's Ranch website):

To Donate Cards:

We welcome your donation and ask that you please review the below tips before sending your donation. Currently, we have found the least expensive way to mail large quantities of card donations is through the USPS in a Flat Rate Box which holds up to 70 pounds (available at the Post Office).

Card Donating Tips:

All types of greeting cards, including Christmas are used.

• Only the card front can be used (please check to be sure the back side is clear of any writing, etc.)
• We can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards.
• 5" x 7" size or smaller is preferred.

Mail donations to : St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

What a great way to help the earth, help others, and make sure those gorgeous cards that we know people spent either time, money or energy on, don't go to waste!

If you'd like to look for an Earth Day event near you, please visit the Earth Day Network website.  Or, with a busy weekend ahead for many of you with many of us celebrating Good Friday and Easter as well, you can make a "green" pledge - and be part of the "Billion Acts of Green."

We even have an earth-friendly CraftySteal going on today! The K&Co Amy Butler stamps are in post-consumer waste recycled packaging that has designs and words printed on it - also making it REUSABLE! So with a clear conscience, go check out these gorgeous stamps that are perfect for spring projects!

Have a wonderful weekend and feel free to share with us any other ways you are getting "green" today!

Would you like to be featured on a future “Feature You Friday”? It’s a great way to show off your skills, share your talents, or promote a business, blog or cause that’s dear to you.  All you need to do is send us a photo (or photos) of a project (layout, card, altered item, your imagination is the limit!) to the CraftySteals blog.  If you are chosen, your work (and links) will be seen by all of our CraftySteals Blog readers and Facebook fans.  Submit your photos today – we can’t wait to see what you have come up with!