Christmas Cheer Challenge cards for Ronald McDonald House Charities

Edited to add: Free shipping starting 11pm tonight, Sunday 10 December... for 24 hours only... 

Last weekend Stampin' Up! demonstrators around the UK held Christmas Cheer events in a combined challenge to produce over 10, 507 christmas cards over the weekend... to donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities who provide free 'home away from home' accommodation to families while their child is in hospital... 

These cards are so that the families have access to beautifully crafted cards in the Houses around the UK which they can send to their loved ones back home... creating a bit of normality in what is a very stressful and alien situation for many...

And together we achieved... an amazing 17,778 christmas cards... WOW! Big well done everyone who took part...

Stampin’ Up! UK held a Christmas Cheer kick-off event at Ronald McDonald House, Manchester on Friday 1 December. Stampin’ Up! with six demonstrator volunteers working hard to make lots of cards. 

And then it was over to the rest of us... Some went solo, some with family & friends and some ran large events for all comers... 

I was running a couple of events... but sadly snow stopped play for one... and no-one had booked into the other! 

So I ended up going solo... and for those of you that know me... you know that I don't take well to mass producing cards... but the cause was greater than my personal foibles... so I carried on... 

Though I do have to admit that I stopped and designed this card mid flow... as my original card choices were based upon most of my ladies already having the Lovely as a Tree stamp set so that production could be to the maximum with a group in the room... but I needed something even cleaner and simpler.. 

So the card is using the Hello Friend wreath in Always Artichoke... plus the berry trio & greeting from Hang Your Stockings  in Real Red... finished off with a Real Red stamped and Holly Berry Builder punched bow from Holly Berry Happiness ... as one of my other crafting foibles is not being good at tying bows!!

And I have to also admit... that I love this card design so much that any cards I have left to make to send this year will be to this design too... 

Oh and for your information... these were my originally intended designs... as these have been so so popular amongst my ladies this year... that I couldn't resist...

Background Stampin' Up! has a long history of supporting philanthropic causes. 'Helping others' and 'making a difference' is part of our mission statement. Over the past two decades, almost three decades in fact, they have seen demonstrators all over the world embrace these words and make a difference in the lives of others.

We are also excited to have celebrated our 10th anniversary in the UK during November, and to mark this special occasion; Stampin' Up! UK set a challenge to make a whopping 20,000 cards across two card-making weekends in 2017, to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  
Earlier this year we held the first of our card-making weekends ‘Birthday Wishes’ from 23 – 25 June. Demonstrators across the country rallied together to hold their own events and produce an astounding 9,493 cards! 

Cards made will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities who provide free 'home away from home' accommodation to families while their child is in hospital. There are 14 Ronald McDonald Houses across the UK, all located close to specialist children's hospitals. The Houses are open 365 days a year and are equipped with everything you would find in a family home. Families can get a good night's sleep, prepare their own meals and feel at home, knowing that they're only moments away from their child.  See here for more details... http://www.rmhc.org.uk/what-we-do/

Nicola Savage, Fundraising Manager at Ronald McDonald House charities, has written a few words about the importance of the 20,000 Cards Challenge and how it helps the charity:

“The support Stampin’ Up! are providing through these amazing card-making weekends, means that our families have access to beautifully crafted cards which they can send to their loved ones back home – creating a bit of normality in what is a very stressful and alien situation for many. We are so grateful to Stampin’ Up! and their demonstrators for their support.”