I took my bookmarks from last year out and was looking back over them. That was really a fun adventure. I'm eagerly anticipating this year's exchange.

Mine went off today - they are very plain, and I chose them with the hope they will be well-used and become dog-eared and creased.

Received Martin's today! It was the first one to arrive! Mine aren't in the mail (oops... post) yet but should be by Saturday.

Chose mine in the hopes that whenever you look at them, you smile and think happy thoughts.

PAM

Mine are at the printers (DH took them to work to print *g*) and should be on the way on Monday.

I received Martin's today too - the excitement begins! Thank you! I am a late bird again - putting mine in the post Monday at latest. Swore I would do something interesting/special this year but my muse has been into the eggnog already - I have a fall-back plan but hopefully will have some last minute inspiration for something neat.

I got Martin's yesterday, too. Three cheers for the Royal Mail--that was really fast.

Mailing mine tomorrow.

I got Siobhan's today. What fun waiting for the rest to arrive. :)

Siobahn's and Rouan's have both arrived. Thank you.

The best bookmarks I have collected this year I can't send out. They are from the visit by the Archbishop to our parish to bless our new altar. one side is a commemoration of the facts, and would have passed, with an explanation of why they are so important to me. But the reverse side is a prayer, definitely not something I can send to people who's private lives I have no knowledge of. They are a perfect size and laminated. It would have been fun to share that day with all of you, but not at all appropriate.

Veronicae.......I would not have been offended at all by this choice of bookmark, in fact I am certain I would have liked it very much.
When in doubt, send it out and let the chips fall where they may !!! :0)

As usual, I'm a little late to the party! I mailed out my book marks yesterday, (Saturday) so hopefully they will all arrive before Christmas.

As a side note about the bookmarks I sent, I supported a local artist who made the bookmarks I sent. What I've discovered about myself is that I'm NOT AT ALL crafty! After a minor trip to the doctor's because I suffered a burn with the hot glue gun, I decided to purchase my bookmarks instead!

I'm "not allowed" to use the glue gun. I haven't yet burned myself with one, but I wind up with strings of flue all over the place.

Those sound wonderful veronica, I agree, one must accept gifts in the spirit in which they are intended. I am a church-going Christian, however I welcome all expressions of faith.

But no injuries! Step away from the glue gun...step away...

Veronica - those bookmarks do sound lovely. I will add my voice to the chorus - if you send a gift, it's surely our responsibility to accept it in the spirit in which it's given.

For what it's worth, I would have liked very much to have received such a bookmark - and I'm a rock-solid atheist.

I would have been happy too, Veronica, although I am also a non-beleiver. I'm still interested in the beliefs of others, and certainly don't take offence.
I know it's a bit late now. but we can save these ideas up for next time.

Sorry to hear about potential and real glue gun injuries - I know those things can be tricky to use.

I posted my bookmarks off today, and hope they arrive before Christmas. I love this idea and still use my previous bookmarks regularly. I am one of those people who chooses a particular bookmark to go with a particular book. For instance, I read a crime novel by an Icelandic author this year, and was thrilled to use Netla's from last year with a quote in Icelandic on it.

Last year I bought some Christmas cards that came in a tin box - reusable! That's what I put last year's bookmarks in. Having a place to store them, (or put them when I find them lying about in some random place!) has been fun. Sometimes I pick one to match the book, and sometimes I go with serendipity. These Exchanges "enable" me to have even more books in progress, as I can find my place so easily.
And it's fun to receive them in the mail.

I put mine in "the post" this afternoon.

And found some new ones for next year at the library today!

Veronicae, I am a Christian and would have been delighted to receive that bookmark.

So far, I've gotten four from you all and mailed mine Saturday. The clerk at the Post Office who stamped the foreign ones for me was quite interested in them.

I received two in the mail yesterday. I was planning to not open them until they have all arrived, but it's hard to wait.

Mine are going in the mail tomorrow - it was supposed to be today but I discovered I needed to buy more cards.

I have really been enjoying receiving these beautiful bookmarks. It was touch-and-go whether or not I'd get mine out in time as a burst appendix kept me in the hospital and down in a bed for most of last month. So, no creative handmade bookmarks for you, maybe next year! Although the glue gun and I have a spotty history, as well. I'll probably stick to the safety of store-bought.

Glad to see you're on the mend Phaedosia; hope you're feeling much better!

Late as usual, I have put mine in the post today. I had some last minute inspiration and am pleased to say I made my bookmarks - well, 'made' with the help of my computer and the print shop we use at work! In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, the print shop did not charge me - how nice is that?! I am going to treat them to some nice chocolates or some such. Please note I am afraid I was doing everything too fast today and may have sealed an envelope without putting the bookmarks in!! if anyone does receive an empty Christmas card, please let me know - I have extras I can send along!

Veronicae, I join the chorus in saying I would have loved that bookmark as well. I think this is also a way of getting to know each other better and so sharing something you enjoy, etc. is perfectly fine with me!

I feel like I need to explain. I would have happily shared the book marks.

I take part in swaps/exchanges of fabric and quilted objects on two quilt forums. Each time we do a "seasonal" swap, the directions are quite specific. For example the Autumn swap - the rules are to avoid all Halloween related patterns as they may be offensive to people of certain beliefs." The opposite is the Ornament exchange, in which the participants are warned that as the ornaments are essentially for Christmas trees, that if they would prefer not to receive an ornament that is not secular, but has a religious theme to it, they should not participate.

So, that experience is what motivated me not to send them. I myself wouldn't be upset to receive any type of bookmark of this sort...I too think that it helps us learn a little more about each other. And a good sturdy bookmark of any kind is always welcome.

I should have known that people who read, whose minds are open to ideas, would have accepted the bookmarks in the spirit with which they were offered. And I apologize for doubting you.

I have received from Martin and Carolyn. Carolyn, the beach chair makes me think of the porch at the inn in Maine where we vacation - on which we spend many hours reading and overlooking the bay.

rouan, I received your very pretty bookmark, thank you.

Phaedosia, glad to hear you are on the mend, a burst appendix can't be a comfortable thing!

And veronicae, please don't worry about the bookmarks, we didn't mean to make you feel sorry for not sending them. Just letting you and each other know that we enjoy whatever bookmarks we receive :-)

I had saved up a pile of the bookmark envelopes that had arrived so far, and had a spare moment this afternoon to give them the attention that they deserve... Great fun in opening each one, and thinking about the bookmarks being carefully chosen... and more to come (I hope).

I just posted mine today, so you *should* get them in the next few days... unless the sleigh gets stranded in the snow in the UK!

Thanks everyone so far!

Veronicae, we vacationed in PA and New England this fall and enjoyed it very much. I got your bookmark today and really appreciated the background info.

I am about halfway through the new Louise Penny, Bury Your Dead, and am not liking it as much as the others. Anyone else feel this way, or does it pick up later?

Carolyn, I actually enjoyed the Louise Penny very much. I rather liked the fact that Gamache was away from Three Pines - I like the characters there, but village crimes do get a bit stifling after a while I find.

I received two bookmarks today - thanks to Martin (BTW the stamp wasn't franked, pity I can't send it back!) and Yvonne.
This is so much fun!

This was a red-letter day in my mailbox - three envelopes from RPers and Bookmarks magazine. And nothing else! No bills! Woo-hooo! (Guess the holidays are making me a little giddy.)

A big THANK YOU for all the really wonderful and very creative bookmarks that have come to me. You have really outdone yourselves with great ideas. This is such a nice holiday event.
Today as I was leaving our library I found a lovely bookmark from the National Library Association which really sums up our bookmark exchange. It said: Practice Random Acts of Reading

Merry Christmas and happy holiday to everyone.
Yvonne

LOTS of bookmarks in the last couple of days, thank you!
It's always such fun to get cards from overseas.

A plethora of bookmarks in the past 2 days. I took them upstairs, so don't have particulars...but yummy on the Hershey PA one! Thank you everyone for "real" mail.

I've received all of my bookmarks now. It was a lot of fun anticipating what would arrive in the mail next. Thank you to everyone who participated in the bookmark exchange this year. Merry Christmas everyone.... :)

A very Merry Christmas and a big thank you to everyone for making this so much fun. I am using ALL of the bookmarks I received this year in one way or another (netla's is on my tree right now). I am very glad we did this.

Thank you very much to everyone! It was so nice coming home from work (especially after some lengthy overtime) to find so much in the mail - a rarity these days. Everyone's cards are up and the bookmarks are lovely! Merry Christmas to all!

Thank you all from me, too. It was so much fun to get the mail in from the box.

I had a final bookmark from my sister in my stocking yesterday morning. It said, "And then what happened? And then what happened? And THEN what happened?"

I also would like to extend my thanks for all of the wonderful bookmarks that I received. I was showing them off to a friend from my bookclub yesterday and she was enthralled with the assortment I had received!

Christine

And may I add yet one more thank you? THANK YOU to everyone for your thoughtfulness and bookmarks. I enjoyed each card, and look forward to using both the cards and the bookmarks this year!

(And my sincerest apologies if my bookmarks were late... it seems to be the way I work these days. Next year, perhaps I should mail them on Halloween.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
PAM

I have received eleven of the thirteen bookmarks and like all of them. There is such wonderful variety. Several Christmas-themed ones are going into my bookmarks album and will be brought out to mark the books I read in December. Like last year, I put them on my photo display stand, making them into a nice centrepiece for my living room.

I had fun making the bookmarks I sent, but had there been any more participants, I would probably have made paper bookmarks instead, and probably will for next year's exchange. I have got to the point of needing bifocals and crocheting with such fine thread is getting to be difficult.

Netla,
That was an exquisite piece of work. Thank you for such effort!

Yvonne

All the more reason to treasure the one you sent this year, netla - it is so beautiful.

ALL the bookmarks were very special, as all of us have been here at RP for some time and I feel I know all of you. As I look at each one, I remember a book that the sender recommended, or a joke someone told here - this is a unique community and I am happy to be part of it.

Netla - You made the bookmark?? Wow. I am impressed.

And to everyone in the exchange - thanks for making it such a fun time and for taking part in it. Also - thanks for Siobhan for organizing it...!

Woohoo! I received my final bookmark today - thanks Pam.
Netla, I am using yours in my first month of The Assassin's Cloak - since there are twelve months, I thought I would rotate my RP bookmarks.
Thank you so much, everyone!

Oh no Kath! I am hanging my head in embarassment... sorry I was last! (not only last but wayyyy after Christmas as well! my apologies!)

PAM

Pam - I put it down to the weather *VBG* And I quite enjoyed stretching the anticipation out for a while, so don't feel embarrassed.

Kath,
You are sweet... but all the same, I think tomorrow, I will start on my bookmarks for next year!
PAM

PAM.......you go girl!
However, there is a caveat....remember "If today you do a little more, tomorrow a little more will be expected of you!"
With such early promo you are going to have to hit it out of the park!!
Perhaps a microchip imbedded to flash a message? LOL
Get working !

UGH! Looks like I should have kept my plans for an early start a secret!

PAM

yoyoban - maybe she could develop a clapper to help us find our books when we can't remember where we last had them.

Another bookmark exchange comes to a close and I daresay a good time was had by all. This year was much easier as I already had the database set up. Do you think it is a good idea to make it a yearly thing? I am willing to play host unless someone else has a burning desire to do so. I have been eying some sales and thinking about next year. Of course we don't have to decide any of this now, just something to think about.

Siobhan,
It is always a delightful thing to do.
If you feel you want to keep it going, I think it would be fun thing.
I personally love the surprise and I too feel as though I am somehow getting to know each of you in a more personal way by what you send.

Yvonne