The sunset bookmark here is from the Funk & Weber Tags for Bags, Clips for Zips: The Beach pattern leaflet. Every one of those tags can be a bookmark.

I got an e-mail earlier this week from a librarian asking if she might be able to get in on some bookmark action. She wasn’t aware of any needlework shops in her area.

I cheered to receive that e-mail!

It turns out there is indeed a participating shop in her area; that is, if you define “area” by my Alaskan standards, where my “local shop” is a hundred miles away. Her participating shop is only twenty or so miles away, I think.

I called Jeannine at Acorns & Threads, and she was, of course, happy to add the library as a bookmark recipient. Heads up, Oregonian stitchers and orphan stitchers (those without local shops of their own, not even within a hundred miles): Jeannine needs more bookmarks!

So now I’m wondering: Are there other librarians or teachers out there wishing they could receive bookmarks? Are you one of them?

If so, let’s see what we can do to match you with a shop or guild (Match dot Bookmark).

The first step is to see if there’s a shop in your area. Here is a rather extensive shop listing, broken down by different areas of the country. Of course, not every shop in the country is listed, and some may no longer be in business, but it’s a good place to start.

If there are no shops nearby, you can see if there is a guild chapter.

If you find a shop or guild anywhere near you, contact someone and ask if you might establish a partnership for the annual Bookmark Challenge. Provide a link to this site in case (gasp!) they are not familiar with the program. You can invite them to contact me for details.

Alternatively, you can contact me. Send a note to Jen at funkandweber dot com and let me know you’d like to receive bookmarks. I’ll see what I can do to hook you up, put you in a long-term shop relationship, find your perfect match.