The Needle and Thread: Stitching for Literacy 2010 Bookmark Challenge officially ends on May 6 so that participants have time to get them to libraries and schools for Children’s Book Week (CBW).

Tip 1: Note, however, that not all collected bookmarks are used for CBW events. Some participants will continue to collect bookmarks for end-of-the-school-year purposes and summer reading programs, so don’t worry if you have some bookmarks that aren’t quite finished. I’ll let you know who’s still collecting when I get word.

Tip 2: Have you sent an image of your bookmarks to colleen [AT] loosethreadstitchers [DOT] com? Every bookmark you donate earns an entry into the Loose Thread Stitchers / Stitch Your Heart Out Bookmark Challenge contest that has stash prizes worth over $500 and cookies! Send your pictures to Colleen. And cc them to me while you’re at it so I can share them here. Two birds…one stone…ya know?

Tip 3: Do you know that Funk & Weber Designs has a couple of bookmark finishing tutorials on the Web? Well, we do. There’s one demonstrating how we finished the Read-It, Read-It design.

Another details the Going, Going, Gone! finishing method.

There’s a bit about Bookmark Baubles here.

And there’s a new profile of bookbands as discussed in the May issue of The Needlework Nutshell.

Tip 4: There’s going to be a new Bookmark Tip in the June issue of The Needlework Nutshell, and there’s a subscription form in the sidebar.

Tip 5: A whole slew of Bookmark Tips, explained and illustrated step-by-step, can be found in the Bookmarks 101: Simple, Smart, and Swanky Finishes online class. Dates of the next class will be announced here and on the Funk & Weber website.