Thanksgiving is a swell holiday that gets lost between the commercialism of Halloween and Christmas. Thanksgiving Day has become more about gorging on poultry and sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie, and watching parades and football, and gearing up for an early start to Black Friday sales than about being, well, thankful for the gift of life, of breathing in and out, of family, of country, of freedom, of faith, of love.
I want to change that.
And what better way to change it than to make a bunch of cards to tell people I love how grateful I am for them? I send cards to people I haven't seen in years, to people I only know through the miracle of the interwebs, to people I see every day or every week. It's rather a random assortment based on how many cards I make.
The point is to let people know how grateful you are for them. Life is precious. It is short. We should say what we feel about people (well, at least the nice things we feel) before something happens and we don't ever get the chance to say it. We should be grateful for those who have touched our lives in various ways, those who have made us better people, those who have showed us the meaning of love.
Heck, even those who make our mochas at Starbucks. They make us so happy!
Thanksgiving Day in Canada will be Monday, October 14, this year, and in the United States it will be late this year, on Thursday, November 28. That means Americans have some extra time, but Canadians need to get on the ball!
If you don't live in a country that celebrates Thanksgiving, don't feel left out...do it anyway! Pick a date, and send those gratitude cards anyway. Gratitude doesn't require official sanction, and our official Challenge is open to all nationalities, all religions, all people of gratitude everywhere!!!
I'll start the 2013 Inlinkz button on the sidebar on August 1, but I'm putting a bug in your ear today so you can order some new fall sets and make sure all your fall-color ink pads are fully inked and ready to go.
Here's today's card, my first of the 2013 Gratitude Campaign.
Yay!!!!
If you care to break down the design, you'll see a number of triangles in this card...yellow leaves, green leaves, orange leaves, outline leaves, pairs of bling. It looks totally random, but it isn't. All the leaves are in the bottom third of the card, and the sentiment is in the sweet spot. Finally, revel in the glorious white space!
Will you join me in rescuing Thanksgiving from gluttony and television and shopping? Will you make cards for this year's Gratitude Campaign?
I hope you will! Even if it's just one or two cards. It will warm your heart and bless people who are a blessing to you. Everyone wins!
Supplies
stamps: Clearly Besotted You Are, Waltzingmouse Blessed by You
ink: Memento yellow, tangelo, Morocco, pistachio, dark brown
paper: Papertrey
accessories: olive, orange, yellow bling; corner rounder
I have not done it before, but I'm going to try this year. Really. Your card is a beauty, and I love the sentiment.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. We love Thanksgiving. It's a very relaxed day, revolving around family, friends, and thankfulness. Your words ring so true. Life is short. Lost a dear friend today to cancer. She was just 55 and I worry that we didn't tell her often enough, how thankful we were for her.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea - I may not even wait until Thanksgiving (Oct for me) to send them out. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
ReplyDeletePTI has a new set I'm eying that will be released this month. Great for this challenge. Love you card.
ReplyDeleteWhilst we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in France, I thought I'd still join in ... after all, we all have people and moments to be thankful for, regardless of where we live. Your card is as beautiful as ever, Susan, thanks for explaining the theory ... I'm absorbing in a sponge-like fashion! Anita :)
ReplyDeleteI love Thanksgiving and stamps for that season so would love to join in. Right now I am so overwelmed in my stamp room that I have stamped nothing. I love looking at other people's work but have decided that I need to keep things simple or I won't enjoy this hobby any longer.
ReplyDeleteOne of my pet peeves is the use of "Turkey Day" instead of Thanksgiving because it leaves out the true meaning of that holiday. It used to be a true "holy" day set aside to give thanks to God for his mercies rhroughout the year and his blessings at harvest time. I'm with you on this one, Susan! ...and thanks for all you've taught us through your blog.
ReplyDeleteI've never made Thanksgiving cards before but it is definitely a great idea. I'm up in Canada and here, Thanksgiving is not as big a deal as down in the USA. Mostly it's just a big turkey dinner and a get-together with friends and family. There doesn't seem to be a lot of commercialism or shopping associated with it. But I really like your idea of cards for the people we are grateful for. So I'll get busy!
ReplyDeleteLovely idea, Susan - I'm in :)
ReplyDeleteLove your "leaf" card, and I am so delighted to say...I can see the triangles :)
I do so love your Gratitude Campaign, Susan! I will try to participate this year, as I have a LOT of people for whom I'm so thankful! (Notice how I did not end that sentence with a dangling preposition? You're welcome! :) )
ReplyDelete