Giving Credit Where It's Due

Yes it's me again, and yes I'm going on some more about gratitude!

First, I want to say a huge, hearty thank you to Leah at South Breeze Farm in Iowa. She's the one who got me on this gratitude train, and I am most thankful for that. Since I've started looking for things in my life for which I should be (and am) grateful, it's literally changed my days, what I do, and how I go about doing it. So thank you, Leah!

But now for the other reason for this post - gifts! I am usually so bogged down in thinking about what I don't have (craft-wise), that I don't even see what I do have! My inspiration has been at a low ebb in recent weeks because all I could see was what I could do if I had this, that, or the other latest, greatest thing. But thanks in part to Leah's Giving Thanks Challenge, and in part to my new stash of goodies that arrived today, that's changing for the better!

Before I start this story, I must say Thank You to the Pursuit of Craftyness folks - Miki and the design team, thank you from the bottom of my heart! My goodies came today and I've had so much fun already!

While I was working on a card with my new goodies, I started thinking about all the wonderful people who have given me gifts of craft supplies, just in the last few months.

First there was Nancy (Ladybug) who has a heart the size of her home state of Tennessee, and it's made of purest gold! She sees the good in everyone and everything, and gives of herself continuously! Even though she is disabled and in a scooter chair, she goes and does and gives to others of herself whenever she can. I've never met Nancy in person; we've talked on the phone, and we've e-mailed probably hundreds of times, and I know I love her and that huge heart of hers more than she will ever know! We met on a recipe forum and formed a fast friendship. A few months ago I got up early on a Sunday morning and was reading my e-mails and there was one from her. She wanted my address. She had cleared out my wish-list on scrapbook.com and I should be looking for a package soon. I was blown away, moved to tears by her generosity. And I still am.

Then there's Linda, my friend in New York, and another friend I've never met in person. We have gotten to know each other through Scrapbook.com's cardmaking forums, and I think she's just one of the sweetest people around! We almost lost her a few months ago, but now she's back stronger and better than ever. When she moved a couple of months ago, and was downsizing her craft supplies, she sent me a big envelope full of all kinds of goodies. Another random act of kindness that moved me beyond measure.

Next came my new friend, Tish. I saw her screen name on Scrapbook.com a few weeks ago, and knew that I had to find out where in the Georgia mountains she lived, because I live there, too! I sent her a private message, and before long I had a reply. We started pm'ing each other back and forth and before long I had a new friend. She only lives about 20 to 25 minutes from here, and works only about 5 miles from my home - it truly IS a small world! We arranged for our first meeting to be at my local scrapbooking store and play a while there. It was kind of tough to play because there was shopping to do, and talking to Susan, the store owner, and other visitors to the store, but I liked her a lot! A few weeks later she came to my home for a play-date, but we didn't get much playing done because we were talking too much! But she's coming back this Friday and we're going to try to actually get some scrapping done this time. But when she came that first time to my home, she handed me a little zipper plastic bag full of goodies, mostly from her late grandmother's crafting stash. Now, I'm one of those people who will throw or give away something new to make room for something older and with sentimental value, so that meant so much to me!

So, when I was working on a card to post as a 'thank you' to the Pursuit of Craftyness folks, I decided I should add my other three giving friends to the mix, so I pulled out some goodies from all the things they had given me, and you know, everything just went together like God intended it that way! Here's the card >>>

(Sorry for the bad picture, no sunshine here today!)

The only things on the card that are from my stash are the cardstock, the copper silk ribbon, the inks used with the stamps, the copper embossing powder and the glues and adhesives. Everything else was given to me by my 'giving angels'. So, instead of telling you who made all the components, I'm going to share with you who gave me what!

The tag, felt leaves, stamps, brown flower and green gem are from my blog candy from Pursuit of Craftyness. Thank You!

The polka-dotted flower, the stickles (barely visible - sorry) and the ink I used to edge the tag are from Nancy. Thank You!

The blue beads and square acrylic 'pebbles' are from Linda. Thank You!

The blue lace and the very blingy button on the bow are from Tish. Thank You!

And I thank you for reading through all this long story, and listening to my 'Thank Yous'. I am one very blessed, and very grateful girlie, I can tell you that!

Blessings, Friends! Becky

"give thanks in all circumstances (for all things) for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18