Thankful on the Path of Positivity

When we are children, most of us take our moms for granted. She takes care of us, cleans the house, goes shopping, cooks for us - of course she does, she's MOM. As teenagers, we often pull away from our mothers; how can she possibly know the heartbreak when your boyfriend breaks up with you? Why does she have to embarrass you in front of your friends? Why can't you have the car tonight? As  young adults, we can be so busy with relationships, friends, work, and children that mom is put on the back burner, except as a babysitter. And as mom ages, we suddenly become the caregiver, the chauffeur, the banker, the emergency contact, while still juggling job, family, home and our own health.
Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and have been lucky enough to have a close relationship with her. But as the years fly past, I am constantly reminded of how much I have to thank my mom for:

  The money she saved from using coupons, keeping those small savings

until there was enough money for a movie or a trip to Kiddie Land,

   The years she chose a family vacation over having her 

1930's kitchen upgraded,

The money she would "loan" me to make ends meet 

(and I never paid back),

Her patience while teaching me to cook, to clean, to plan a party,

to take care of my first baby, to sew, to crochet, to drive,

(and a million other things)

Since my dad's death 25 years ago, I started to make sure that the people I know and love, KNOW how much they mean to me, especially my mom. As the roles are slowly reversing for us, I remind her of the things she did that I am so thankful for. I also remind myself of the patience, perseverance and positivity she had for me, and taught to me. She is my role model I strive to mimic.

Just saying the words I love  you and thank you go a long way to comforting and reminding someone how blessed you are that they are a part of your life. Frequent contact and little trips to treat her to breakfast; sending or giving homemade cards for no reason at all, except to let her know she is in your thoughts.
Spending time and talking with her is the most important way to show you love her. I like to drop off her favorite treat, a York Peppermint Patty, sometimes in between errands when my time is short. What do you do to tell your mom (or someone you love that she is appreciated?

This month, the Path of Positivity challenge blog focuses on Thankfulness. While it is an OPTIONAL twist, I always look for ways to share gratitude whenever I can. So my card is for my mom, 86 years old and still close to my heart. She is at the top of my daily list in my gratitude journal.

I used a digi image from A Day for Daisies called Mother's Day to create my card. I love the whimsical and gorgeous digis that A Day for Daisies offers. After coloring her with my Copics, I popped her onto a piece of digital paper I had printed up in my stash. I love that watercolor look, don't you?

Both my image and my sentiment are adhered with dimensional tape. I printed my sentiment using LD Handwriting font. And my embellishments are simple lines of adhesive jewels. I know she'll love it, after I write her a personal note inside. I'll give it to her the next time we're out together. Why wait until a holiday to tell someone thank you for being you?!

  

Two Weddings and a Shower

Today I made a wedding card for my sister's son-in-law and his bride-to-be. The digital image is from A Day for Daisies called "I Do". After coloring the happy couple with Copics, I cut it in an oval and attached lacy trim for a border. After adhering this to my card front, there was very little room for embellishments other than a few jewels in the corners.

The family lives in Germany so I used my two semesters of German language classes (and a little help from Pinterest) for the greeting on the front of my card... 

...a "loose" translation of a quote from Maya Angelou for the upper inside

(A successful marriage requires one to fall in love many times,

always with the same person)...

...and a congratulatory wedding sentiment on the bottom inside. I think the couple will understand what I've written. Well, if not, at least they will know who it's from!

I'll post the shower and wedding card I made for one of my "all grown up" Girl Scouts at a later date. This card was needed for my trip to Germany,and the others for my return.

Challenges I am Entering:
 Classic Design Team Open Challenges - Anything DT Goes
Leann's World 101 - Anything Goes
Love to Craft - Anything Goes
Your Scrapbook Place -Anything Goes
World Wide Open Design Team - Anything DT Goes

A Day for Daisies Sponsors the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog

Life is short. Many people doubt their own worth (we are our worst critics). So if you are impressed by someone - her talent, his achievements, their generosity, her love - speak up! And since a picture is worth a thousand words, say it in a card like I did today.
Yes, the optional Twist for this month's Anything Goes challenge at the Path of Positivity is to create something to show your admiration for somebody. It can be a card, a scrapbook layout, a canvas - wherever your Muse takes you. 
I made a card for my daughter. Her strength, honesty and support have helped me through the process of grief. She is a ray of sunshine when my days are cloudy with loss, and is so very creative when it comes to showing me that grief is normal, but not to wallow in it. I hope she can say that I, in turn, am her rock of support and love when it comes to her days of grieving the loss of her dad.
I decided to print an image from A Day for Daisies, one of the guest sponsors this month for the challenge. The image is called "A Special Flower." I printed it directly onto my patterned  paper, a great piece from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles called "Poppy in Wheat Field" from the We Remember Set. I decided to also print the sentiment onto the paper as well.
Printing it twice gave me a second image to color and then pop onto the first using dimensional  tape. I framed it with a paper doily and blinged up a couple corners of the image itself. Since it's almost the end of the semester (and looking toward a killer Final soon), I used a ready-made card base from DCWV and attached a glittery butterfly. I used Stickles to leave a trail of butterfly magic behind it.
n order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, all projects must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Prizes this month include: 

An $8 gift certificate from A Day for Daisies, our guest sponsor for this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.

ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.

One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight

Remember what I said at the start of my post. This is an excellent opportunity to tell someone how much you admire them, while being creative and possible winning some prizes. Of course, the theme is optional. Either way, have fun and craft your heart out. Just don't forget to link your projects with the Path of Positivity blog!!

Fairy Magic at the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog

Christmas is a magical time, so what says magic more than fairies? The optional twist for this month's challenge at the 12 Months of Christmas is Fairy Magic. The DT got to play with images from A Day for Daisies. There are the most gorgeous images at the store,including this one called "Talking to the Moon Fairy."
I tried something new today. I placed my image onto my digital paper and printed it so that it was one single layer.I still got to color the image with Copics. I popped up my "scene" with dimensional tape, using some leftover lace for a border. Then I plundered my stash of jewels and pearls to hang off  my moon. Funny thing about my patterned paper: I used Decosse's Dynamite Doodle's Blue pp from "A Touch of Frost paper kit, but my printer chose that exact moment to run out of ink. It's supposed to be ALL blue, but you know what, I kind of like that "fade into purple" look, don't you? LOL
As for the challenge at the 12 Months of Christmas blog, remember that you don't need to follow the twist to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month nor for a chance to win an $8 gift certificate to the A Day for Daisies store. 

You simply need to follow the twist if you'd like a chance to win this month's featured digital paper pack, Frolicking Fairies: Winter Edition from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.

   All you have to win these awesome prizes is to remember to link up your card to the main blog!! So have fun and good luck!

Challenges I am Entering:

Winter Wonderland - Cute Christmas

Fab & Funky - Fantasy

ABC Christmas - H for Hang it up or I for Intricate 

(I chose the Moon hanging in the night sky)

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Give Peace a Chance

I was inspired today to  create a Christmas card for  my 2019 stash, which was depleted last month. I absolutely adore this digi image from A Day for Daisies. It's called Placing the Stars
http://adayfordaisies.com/stamps/fairies-nymphs/placing-the-stars and I've used it before.
Today I colored my image with Copics, adding some shading with colored pencil. I've been doing this often now, using both markers and pencils to get a deeper depth tp my images. I used 2 patterned papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles for my background from these Paper Sets:

I printed out my image (with its blue background) twice, cutting out the image and the patterned paper bow and adhering them to the first layer with dimensional tape.

Then I popped it  all on a piece of cardstock with stitched edges. To finish off my card, I gave the ribbon, angel wings and edges of the blue frame some shine with Stickles. I had some extra tiny stars die-cut from a border die. My sentiment goes (I think) perfectly with the image: Star light, Star bright, A wish for Peace on Earth tonight. If only...

Challenges I am Entering

ABC Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Cute & Crafty Christmas - Anything Christmas

the Sisterhood of Crafters - Make It Sparkle (gold & Stickles)

City Crafters - Give Peace a Chance (paper-pieced bow)

An Angelic Celebration of Christmas

My card today is my DT make for the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up Blog. I decided to go with non-traditional colors, and the pink goes so well with A Day for Daisies'  Lucky Wishes image.

Can you believe how fast this year is passing? It's already the middle of March, and the start of Spring officially starts in less than a week. Although I think Mother Nature has been skipping her meds with the goofy weather we've been having in Chicago this winter (not that I'm complaining). 

What she needs is an angel looking over her shoulder to help her sort seasons out. Which is quite a coincidence, considering that the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up Challenge Blog is offering an optional theme this month:

Christmas Angels

Angels are an important part of Christmas. Many Christmas trees feature angels. attired in flowing gowns. Traditionally, it is the last ornament placed at the very top of the tree. The Christmas story is filled with angels bringing messages. So, the angel deserves a special place of honor during the holiday season, and we would love to see some of those beautiful angels on your cards. Of course, every month's challenge is ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES, but in order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, make sure that your card has an angel featured prominently on it in some form or other. And if you do, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize!

This month's sponsor is A Day for Daisies 

• Main prize being offered: $12.00 gift certificate from A Day for Daisies.
• Additional Sponsor: Décosse's Dynamite Doodles

• Prize being offered: One free digital paper to everyone who links up a minimum of two cards to the challenge.  Cards can be anything goes for this prize, they only have to follow the theme if they want a chance at the sponsor's prize.  
• The entire mini set of six digital papers called An Angelic Nature, will also be offered up as a prize to one random winner.


Challenges I am Entering:
Seasons Greetings - Anything Goes: Opt. Twist is Embossing
The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
A Snowflakes Promise - Anything Goes