It's time to inspire and be inspired! I recently read about the beautiful pack of fabric and notions that Emily Martin from the Black Apple sent to Marisa Haedike at Creative Thursday and I felt like I should do something to inspire others in this way so I came up with an idea to create Inspiration Packs and give them away. But I need your help.

(Emily's gift to Marisa)

Many artists read this blog and after talking last week to my friend Tara Hogan at Ink & Wit, I realized that lots of you have scraps galore that you'd like to get rid of. Why not donate them to a good cause? Tara thinks it would be nice if makers considered donating their leftovers to others instead of allowing them to overtake their craft room or worse, throw them away. I couldn't agree more.

Would you like to donate a few of your scraps?

Inspiration Pack Details: Anyone can donate at least 10 items minimum. Please make sure that everything is in good condition and clean. Fabric scraps should be no smaller than a 6 x 6 square. If you are feeling generous and have yardage to donate, please indicate the amount before shipping. From fabric to buttons, your own prints or cards that perhaps didn't print out perfectly, scrap papers, ribbon, if you have leftovers that you would like to donate to give others a little creative inspiration, please contact me via email at decor8blog AT yahoo.com.

Once I have everything, I'll spend the first week of July sorting through the goods and I'll organize packages, photograph each of the 10 packs, and show them on decor8 along with a simple comment contest where I'll randomly select 10 winners. If I get enough goods, I will create more than 10 gift packs (10-20).

Deadline: All donated items will need to arrive to my New Hampshire address no later than June 30th.

What you can submit (ideas): Fabric : Wallpaper Scraps : Stationery : Journals : Pages from Books : Buttons : Ribbons: Stickers : Stamps : Gift tags : Gift Wrap : Vintage Photographs : Pencils : Pens : Art Papers : Patterned Papers : Prints : Cards : Envelopes : Fabric Tim (ric rack, pom poms, etc.) : Postcards.

Also include: 10-20 of your business cards so that I can place your card inside a special envelope that will be included with each Inspiration Pack. That way the winner will know that some items in their pack came from you.

Why: Recycling is smart and helpful to others. The purpose is to recycle what you have and make someone else happy and inspired to do something creative.

Please do not send: Prints in tubes (flat pack only -- rolls of wallpaper or gift wrap are fine though because I can cut it up and flat pack it to winners), Paint or liquids, magazines or books, glues, sprays, metal, staples, paperclips, tools, scissors. In other words, nothing that can spill, nothing toxic, explosives, nude or violent imagery (some people are sensitive), etc. I'm trusting you guys with this.

What's in it for you? I will also dedicate a post to all who donate listing your name and blog or website address, and you will be entered into a drawing to win one free 120 x 120 static ad space here on decor8 for 3 months. The ad will launch along with the all new decor8 blog, I've beefed up this little blog and your ad will appear on the new site as it goes forth into the world sometime in July.

Thank you Emily, Marisa, and Tara for inspiring this idea. I can't wait to see who will donate and how we can all inspire others through this creative recycling project!

(photography by marisa haedike)