I was in the middle of working on my Autumn-themed Polkadoodles DT project, trying to decide whether I should make a card or maybe a cute little hot chocolate or tea packet. I had already colored part of my digi stamp, but before committing to the rest of the colors, I paused—because I wanted the patterned papers I’d use to coordinate with the image. You know how it is, matchy-matchy crafter problems.
Then suddenly, I remembered an old Autumn project I made during a workshop a few years ago. I knew it was somewhere in my craft room, so off I went searching. And… I found it! Flipping through the folio brought back memories. The verses, my journaling during the class—it all resonated with me again. Design-wise, though? Hmm, I could definitely tell it was a “baby crafter” moment for me. I scrimped on embellishments (I remember trying to “save” materials from the kit, haha), but I still loved the heart of that project.
So guess what? I’ve decided to recreate it—this time as my Polkadoodles Design Team project! Same idea, but upgraded with all the Polkadoodles stash I have + the stash I once hoarded and now try not to be so stingy with. (Okay, maybe I’m still a little stingy sometimes)
But before I dive into making it, here I am… writing a blog post instead. Because my crafting process looks a lot like that meme:
“I was cleaning the kitchen, saw laundry, so I watered the plants and now I’m paying bills online.”
Yeah. That’s me, 100%. Crafting → cleaning → finding old project → senti-ing → now blogging.
So here it is, my 4 year old project. I decorated it a bit more too (now that I have more freedom (and stash) and I'll share the photos of the glow up at the end of the blog. This was part of a Creative Gratitude Journaling Workshop I joined in November 2021, right before a big life change—our little family’s move to Saudi Arabia.
I remember being asked to share something I was grateful for and I spoke about that upcoming transition. At the time, we thought we’d all be in KSA by January 2022, but as life would have it, my husband flew ahead in February, and I followed later in October.
The project itself is a simple one-page wonder—just one 12x12 sheet folded into a folio with journaling cards tucked in.
Here are some of the Bible verses journaling cards I kept:
“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor… Then come, follow me.’” — Matthew 19:21
“Cast your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonderful deeds.” — Psalm 9:1
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances…” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
“I will praise the name of God with a song and magnify him with thanksgiving.” — Psalm 69:30
And quotes that touched me:
“Always thankful, forever grateful, abundantly blessed.”
“God cannot give us happiness apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” — C.S. Lewis
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” — A.A. Milne
But the one that stayed with me the most from that workshop was this:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough—and more.”
That quote is a beautiful reminder. So today, I want to encourage anyone reading this to take a few minutes of quiet time and reflect. If you have a journal, write down what you’re thankful for. It doesn’t have to be big—it could be a small moment that brought a smile to your day. When life gets tough, these notes can be an anchor to remind you how blessed you truly are.
Here’s a simple prompt you can try:
Write five things you’re thankful for. Start each with “Thank you for ___” and then list five reasons why you’re thankful for that.
Choose one person you’re thankful for. List five reasons why.
Then… pick one person who’s difficult. Yep. Write five reasons why you’re thankful for that person too. It might shift your perspective.
Make it a habit. Make it a “me time.” Let gratitude fill your pages—and your heart.
Okay, I’m off to finally finish that Autumn project for Polkadoodles! Hehe. But first, let me share this project's glow up:
There are a lot of distractions in life and these take out focus away from what is really important. Family, career, relationships, name it and the list continues.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a while we have to go on a detour in life. Recently, I have started a “detour routine”. I have a notebook where I write Bible verses. This is my way of re-routing (the worries, heartaches, feelings of boredom, sadness) and turning it into positivity. This helps me to remind myself on not just to exist but to live.
Mathew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, that moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal: “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break and steal.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Included in your project/blog were Bible verses and quotes that touched you and one is “Always be thankful forever grateful, abundantly blessed.”
This should always be the case. Be grateful for all the blessings.
Sharing your projects and talent is a treasure which no moth nor rust can destroy.
-aMOMymous