A different kind of challenge...

My employers, the charity Papworth Trust (hello, chaps!), came up with a brainwave for fundraising at our annual staff conference last week ~ On arrival, we were all handed envelopes. In each envelope was a £10 note, and we were challenged to invest it in something ~ anything (legal!) ~ and turn it into more than £10, and then return it to the charity. Interesting idea, and it certainly has people talking!

My idea is to sell ten extra of the CD-Rom I developed some years ago, which I currently sell on Ebay (occasionally). If I can sell another ten CDs on top of the handfull that sell on Ebay, my production costs will be covered by the £10 (not counting the time it took to develop the CD in the first place!). All the proceeds ~ 100% ~ will then go back to the Papworth Trust.

It's a wedding stationery CD, developed for bridal couples to enable them to have a suite of beautifully handcrafted wedding stationery (the works.. not just invitations), but at a fraction of the cost by guiding them through making their own.. whether or not they have ever made anything like this before.

There are 100 wedding stationery 'recipe-style' design projects on the CD, with photos, lists of tools and materials required (and where to get them), full step-by-step instructions (in simple, non-crafty jargon terms), tips, inserts, and various other bits 'n'pieces.

The CD has a front-end menu that launches automatically, and is as professional as any you'll buy from the telly!

99% of the files are Adobe PDF format, except the inserts. I have left them in Word format so they can be edited. Because of that, the formatting depends on your having the same fonts and margin settings on your computer, so I have included those as a free bonus, rather than rolling them into the price.

Speaking of which, the cost is £9.99 (free P&P).

Would make a great present for anyone you know who is thinking of getting married, and even if they're not thinking of making their own invitations, it would be useful as a catalogue of ideas to trigger their own inspiration.

If you buy it by contacting me through my blog (and NOT through Ebay), 100% of the proceeds will all go to Papworth Trust. Once I have met my target of selling ten extra CDs, I will let you know. (The deadline is 31st December.)

Equally, if anyone would like to make a donation to the Trust without buying a CD, you can either do so directly (which would be great, as you could do it through Giftaid and incease the value of your gift), or you could send it to me and I will make sure it gets passed on.

Payments and donations can be made to me through Paypal or (uncrossed) postal order. Drop me a line, and I will send you the details.

For more information about the wonderful and broad ranging work that Papworth Trust do for people with disabilities, you can visit their website HERE.

Many thanks, and wish me luck! Ten CDs in three months. Hope I can do it! It will turn that £10 into £100.






P.S. For any one making stationery for the wedding market, I am quite happy for you to use the designs for inspiration, or even copy them directly (by hand), just as long as you don't use my photos in your promotional materials, Ebay listings, etc, and don't reproduce any part of the CD in any format. Also, please note that the CD may not be transferred or resold. (That applies to everyone, not just wedding crafters.)