Sometime in December of 2008, after reading before bed as I usually do, I went to mark my page but found that once again I had lost my bookmark! Now, understand, I’d lost my bookmark many times before and the bookmark would either mysteriously never turn up or I’d find it chewed up by one of my dogs. Some of them were fancy bookmarks I had spent extra buying because they were pretty or had a hook feature or a magnet feature that claimed to secure it. Some of them were decorative paper bookmarks that were given to me. But always they had the same fate.

While um, “venting my frustration”, my husband made a comment that “someone should make a bookmark that attaches to the book”. An image immediately came to mind of what this bookmark would look like. It was an attractive ribbon bookmark that would clip to the binding or cover of the book, not the page. I assumed that this bookmark would already exist so I did some internet searches for it. Well, I searched and searched and didn’t find my vision anywhere. I scouted local shops, department stores and national bookstore franchises always expecting to find this bookmark, only to come up empty. Could it be that no one had come up with my idea?

Ok, no problem. I’d just make one for myself.

I started with a simple paper clip and some ribbon and a charm that I had on hand. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. Sort of. So, I tried different clips and ribbon widths and charms that I had on hand. After several iterations, I came up with an implementation that seemed just perfect. I used it. I loved it.

Each member of my family are avid readers so I decided to make book clips for them as well, using charms that would reflect their individual personalities. They used them. They absolutely loved them! My daughter, who is a voracious reader, loved hers so much she told all of her friends and teacher about it. Her friend’s mother wanted to buy five. My mother’s friends noticed her bookmark and asked if they could buy one. I gave one to my friend, Connie, and she asked if she could buy one for her daughter in California and one for her Red Hat club president.

Wow! It seemed that without intending to I had stumbled upon something that the public needed and wanted. Since that realization, I formed the company you know as Charming Book Clips. I have been refining and improving upon my designs. I listen to my customer’s suggestions and requests for specific themes and this has evolved into the ever-changing product line you see here now on this site. At the wise advice of many, I obtained a provisional patent for the product, applied for a patent and was approved.  So, Charming Book Clips are now patented. I never imagined that this simple idea would be so well-received.

If I’ve learned only one thing since starting this business, it’s that you never know where life will lead you, or where your blessings will come from.

Felice Carrero-Schmidt, Inventor/Founder
Charming Book Clips