As part of our Do Good in March promotion (where we’re giving you the chance to win free letterpress invitations just for doing good!), we’re hoping to inspire others to create some good in the world. Wondering what counts as something you could do that’s considered “good”? Lots of things – we’re letting you decide! But if you need some ideas to help get you started, our eco-partners, designers and staff have some amazing ways to spread the love. Have some ideas of your own? Tell us in the comments section below!

Practice the Amazon Conservation Association’s green living tips. Check out these great tips for simple things you can do to help protect the rainforests.

Lighten your (wedding’s) footprint with The Conservation Fund. There’s no doubt your guests will flock from miles away to be a part of your big day, but did you know that guest travel is likely the largest piece of your wedding’s carbon footprint? The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program can help measure your impact and then plant trees in protected parks and wildlife refuges that will trap CO2 as they grow.  Want help creating a custom footprint for your wedding or destination? Email cgombos@conservationfund.org today.

Plant a tree with American Forests. Depending on where you live, you may be able to plant trees on your own — if not, consider making a donation to the American Forests Global ReLeaf program — they’ll plant a tree for every $1 dollar you give.

Recycle your cell phone with Earthworks. Keep the toxic metals that cell phones contain out of landfills. Earthworks has a program called Recycle My Cell Phone, which enables consumers to send in their old phones. They will make sure the phones are reused or that the components are responsibly recycled.  There are 2 ways to participate: either send your phone directly to Earthworks, or visit Earthworks’ partner’s website, Cell Phones for My Cause – they’ll pay the shipping if you’ve got 20 phones or more to send in.  You can send in a single phone, or hold a cell phone drive and send in a boxful!

Some of our designers have really great ways to help others — keep reading for more great ideas!

The Left-Handed Calligrapher Nicole Black donates to the North Texas Food Bank – where every $1.00 donated helps to provide 3 healthy and nutritious meals to those without.  And as a bonus – during the month of March, the SuperBowl XIV host committee will match the first $1 million donated, doubling your efforts to eliminate hunger in North Texas. You can volunteer your time, too — food banks are always in constant need of volunteers to help run donation centers, food banks, administrative needs, educational services and special events.  If you’re not in North Texas, donate to Feeding America – every dollar you donate helps provide 8 meals to families struggling with hunger.

Master calligrapher Kelle McCarter and her husband support a worthwhile cause that’s close to their hearts — they support The Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado. This group rescues abandoned and abused golden retrievers and finds loving homes for hundreds of them each year.  Kelle and her husband have adopted two dogs from the rescue (below) and they are the loves of their lives! A portion of the proceeds from Kelle’s new magazine “Paperswell” will go directly to GRRR to support its commendable work. Visit www.goldenrescue.com to make a contribution or adopt a pet today.

Patricia Mumau reads aloud to children whenever she can – it’s not just for parents! We all have kids in our lives that can benefit from a little story time. You can also touch base with your local library to see if they need volunteers to read to children, or stop by your local children’s hospital and spend some time reading to young patients. If you’re looking for a little more direction, Jim Trelease for years was a dedicated advocate of reading aloud to children and wrote an excellent book, The Read-Aloud Handbook.  He currently maintains a website with articles, booklists, and helpful links.

Elizabeth and David Mandel support a new museum that is being built in Atlanta (and David has taken on the role of the Design and Content Manager) called The Center for Civil and Human Rights. Their mission: To continue the universal search for a secure human existence in a way that inspires vigilance and leadership among future generations. Check with your favorite local museum to find out how you can volunteer your time.

Jamie Bertsch takes part in a great mission each year called the FEED Project – by purchasing a beautifully made bag (made using fair labor), you can commit a set donation that provides school meals to children. You can choose, based on your donation, to provide food for a set amount of time or up to an entire year.

Our staff is always busy doing good, too! Check out what our team does to help out:

Tiffany Button – lead client coordinator here at Bella Figura – finds opportunities to spread the love whenever she hosts a party. She encourages her guest to bring something to the party for the less fortunate — for an upcoming baby shower that she’s helping to plan, she’s asked guests to bring books for a local library in need.  It creates a nice balance — you’re able to honor the guest of honor while keeping the less fortunate in mind.

Racheal Decker, a graphic designer on our team here, is teaming up with a group of friends this spring to donate to Operation Shower, an non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and honoring military families. The group provides joyful baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment.

Christie Jones, one of our client coordinators, and her husband help out at a new nonprofit called Hope Print, which helps the refugee community right here in Syracuse, New York. The organization helps refugees with housing, ESL, and basic needs.

Lead designer Jess Tierney donates money and supplies to local animal shelters on a regular basis and volunteers her time when she can. If you’re looking to help your local shelter, you can donate money, time, or resources: drop off blankets, towels or toys that aren’t needed — every little bit helps! Or, start your new family together by adopting a furry friend — you’ll be loved forever! Visit the ASPCA to find out more today.

Graphic designer Sarah Walroth donates to the Alzheimer’s Association and plans to give a donation in lieu of favors in honor of the guests at her upcoming wedding to help support their valuable research efforts and help generate awareness. You can do the same by visiting www.alz.org, or choosing a different cause that means a lot to you.

Chris Gannon and Sean Mahady, both client coordinators, are committed to the community —  Chris regularly makes it a point to pick up items left on the side of the road and bring them to our local recycling center, OCCRA, to make sure they’re properly disposed of, and Sean helps his elderly neighbor by shoveling his driveway in the winter time.

Graphic designer Lindsy Aragona loves being around children and likes to volunteer at a local children’s hospital to help kids find hope through art, storytelling, and the best medicine of all — laughter!

Be sure to tell us what you do to “do good” in the comments section below!

Over the years, Bella Figura has formed partnerships with important environmental organizations. One such organization is Earthworks, whose campaigns focus on the far reaching ecological and humanitarian concerns caused by all types of mining. Projects such as their “No Dirty Gold Campaign” are very important to exposing the truths behind this important wedding focused industry. Read about the search for the perfect conflict-free engagement ring!

One way we like to support our sustainable partners is to help them create beautiful communication pieces to use with their donors and other partners. For Earthworks, we created these simple, elegant Thank You Notes, and “From the Desk Of” note pads. Letterpress printed on our luxurious 1-ply white 100% reclaimed cotton paper in vine ink, the cards shine with the Earthworks logo. We love giving back, especially when the focus is something we hold dear to our hearts.

Hopefully these pieces will help further the cause!

Just as our printers enjoy telling stories of how they came to love letterpress, every bride knows the importance of a good engagement story… you want to tell the whole world how he presented that little box with the sparkly ring.

And let’s be serious — we love gold. It’s shiny, it’s pretty, and when placed on the left ring finger, a gold ring symbolizes never-ending love and commitment to our one-and-only.

When I started ring shopping with my fiance, I was torn. I knew I wanted a ring, but I was concerned about the environmental and social impacts of this particular “symbol of love”. From the beginning, I was adamant that I wanted a conflict-free diamond, but it wasn’t until I started digging into the facts that I began to understand the effects of gold mining on communities, mining workers, and our environment.

You may have noticed that proceeds from our Labor Day Sample Sale (a huge success by the way… thanks!!!!) went to support Earthwork’s No Dirty Gold Campaign. Earthworks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mining (Earthworks is also one of the eco causes we support as a member of 1% for the Planet!). I wanted to share with you some of what I have learned from Earthworks, and give you resources that will allow you to make informed purchases in the future.

Did you know that:

– One ring (if using traditional mining practices) produces an average of 20 TONS of waste!?!
– Gold mining is one of the world’s dirtiest industries. It wreaks havoc on local economies, causes illnesses, destroys streams, contaminates soil, and contributes to human rights abuses.
– Mined waste includes all sorts of toxins such as cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and lead. These metals enter local watersheds, contaminating drinking water for local residents.

Yeah. That’s pretty heavy stuff. Still, there are things you can do to help!

– Recycle old jewelry. You can have old rings melted down to make new ones. Support jewelers that offer products made with recycled gold.
– Buy vintage or antique jewelry.
– Love your ring. Take care of it and eventually pass it on to a child or friend.

To learn about more ways you can have an impact, or to learn more about the “No Dirty Gold Pledge”, visit the No Dirty Gold Campaign website today.

It’s that time of year again — our sample sale is back! Now through September 8, all of our letterpress invitation samples will be on sale for just $1! All proceeds from the sale will benefit Earthworks and will help aid their efforts to end dirty gold mining practices around the world. Sign the pledge today and make sure you know where your gold is coming from! The inventory for a few of our designs is limited, so you may receive samples in colors that are different from what’s shown on our website (but don’t worry — they’ll still be pretty!!).  Samples may be ordered on our website – just click on your favorite designs, then select “order a sample” and proceed to checkout after you’ve selected all of the designs you’d like to see! The sale ends at 11:59pm on Thursday, September 8, so don’t wait — buy your samples today & help the environment in the process — it’s a win-win!

**The fine print: availability for select designs may be limited. If our inventory runs out for a sample that you’ve ordered, we’ll contact you to determine a suitable replacement option or to arrange a refund if necessary. We appreciate your understanding on this!**