Cath Edvalson
As World Card Making Day approaches, all of us at the office are thinking about card making and the impact that it has had on our lives. For me, it is an amazing creative outlet that obsessed into a business, which in turn launched a career here at Paper Crafts magazine that I absolutely love. Even more, it has connected me with more wonderful friends of the Paper Crafts family than I ever could have imagined possible.
Speaking of friends of the Paper Crafts family, I was very excited to meet Nina Brackett at CHA Summer this past July. As we were chatting, Nina shared her own heartfelt story as to why paper crafting has become so important to her.
I’m very honored to have the opportunity to share her story with you today, dear friends, for not only is it an inspiring reminder of the depth and meaning this craft can bring to our lives, but it is also a fitting tribute to this day which happens to be World Gratitude Day.
Nina and me
And now, without further ado, Nina Brackett:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. President
I have been blessed to have had so many “leaders” in my life, more specifically in the paper crafting part of it. Many talented and generous women have inspired me to dream, learn and do more simply by sharing their love for paper crafting with me. I cannot thank God enough for each of them.
When my husband and I moved to Croatia from the U.S. 12 years ago, a thoughtful friend gave me a box full of paper crafting supplies. I set it aside, thinking I would save it for my kids someday. It took one lonely and very cold winter (after a miscarriage) for me to open that box and I immediately fell in love. It became my “stress reliever” as I adjusted to life away from friends, family and the familiar.
My home: Krapina, Croatia
Life got busy with beautiful blessings. My husband and I started having kids. Our church ministry was going well. Consequently, card making became a low priority. Then the idea hit me that it doesn’t have to be separate from my family life and ministry. With the encouragement of my wonderful husband, I organized my first card class in our home with a few ladies from our church.
It was an instant hit and became a pre-Christmas tradition. In addition, through the sale of handmade cards, my Croatian friends and I have been able to raise funds and help pay for women’s conferences that have taught hundreds of women about life-changing issues and topics over the years.
In my small rural town, there are very few activities women can do. Croatian women are hard workers without many outlets for fun where I live. It was always my desire to reach out to the women and share the love of Christ with them. My card class has been an avenue to do just that. Some of them have led difficult lives. One of them said that she’s thankful that for 2+ hours she can forget about her problems. Ladies from other towns (some as far as 2 hours away) started coming also. I bring my Paper Crafts magazines to these classes and the ladies pore over them and are in awe that such beautiful creations can be made with only papers, stamps and ribbons.
I have shared this beloved hobby with the wives of the Bible students whom my husband taught. These couples have since moved on to other parts of Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Serbia. Some of them have started their own card class ministries in their local churches and communities. I’ve also been privileged to share paper crafting with many friends from other parts of the world, such as the Philippines, Albania, UK, Italy, South Africa and Cameroon.
Since there are no craft stores here, my supplies come from the U.S. I could never offer my class without the help of generous companies like Gina K Designs, Layers of Color, ScorPal, SRM Stickers, and Spellbinders that have donated or offered products at huge discounts for my class. Many friends in the U.S. have also sent boxes of goodies that I share with the ladies in Croatia and other former Yugoslav states.
God has opened many doors for me in the paper crafting community since I started a blog 1.5 years ago. I will forever be grateful to Him for the many blessings He’s brought to my life through it. It is such a great feeling knowing that others who have benefited from my class are paying it forward in their own ways. It is my hope and prayer that they will become the future “leaders” who will themselves aspire others to dream, learn, do and become more just like the creative women before me did. And no doubt, the love for paper crafting will continue to grow and bring joy to many in this part of the world.
I’d like to thank Nina for sharing her story with us, and invite you to do the same. On this World Day of Gratitude, what has paper crafting meant to you in your life? Or what has inspired you the most from today’s post? Leave a comment by midnight (MDT) on Wednesday, Sept. 22 and I’ll select one random winner to receive the Lovely Labels stamp set from Gina K Designs:
The Nature Walk and Flutterescent stamp sets from Layers of Color:
The We’ve Got Your Stickers sets from SRM Stickers:
…and the Labels One, Labels Four and Fancy Tags die sets from Spellbinders:
Grateful for Nina,
Cath
P.S. It’s time to announce the three winners from Jennifer’s Holiday Cards & More – including GIFTS post and the grand prize winner from Kelly’s 12 Designers of Christmas Blog Hop post!
Jennifer’s winners:
1. Stephanie Smith (Sept. 16, 11:24 a.m.)
2. Brenda Lubrant (Sept. 16, 9:00 p.m.)
3. Heather Garl (Sept. 16, 1:37 p.m.)
Kelly’s winner (from Ashley Cannon Newell’s blog):
Laura – The Stampin’ Soldier (Sept. 17, 10:50 a.m.)
Congrats, winners! I’ll be contacting you shortly to discuss your prizes and get your mailing addresses. Thanks to all who left comments!