Looks Like Love at the Path of Positivity

It was Love at first sight when Wilson was brought into the waiting room at the Buddy Foundation. We knew immediately that he was OUR dog. And he knew he had found his forever family. That was over three years ago now, and we can't think of family life without him. 💗

My card today is my DT make for the Path of Positivity challenge blog, whose optional Twist this month is LOVE. I used a Scribbles Designs image called #414 Puppy in Bowl. Isn't he cute? I printed him twice so I could pop the second puppy on top of the first for added dimension. I used papers  from the DCWV Pet Stack, something I've had for years! That bone I put with my sentiment is also from Scribbles Designs. It's a Freebie and you can get it HERE.

At the Path of Positivity challenge blog, the theme is always  Anything Goes with an optional Twist. This month the Twist is LOVE. If you create a project to show someone special in your life how much you love them. However, the optional twist is just for fun.

ALL projects must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. There are two  guest sponsors for February;  Beccy's Place

and Scribbles Designs

A $10.00AU gift voucher that can be redeemed for digital stamps from Beccy's Place will be given to for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.

ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs goes to the participant whose post or project is deemed most inspiring based on all qualifying entrants.

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

So it's time to turn on the Love Machine and link up your projects to the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog for your chance to win some great prizes. Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

613 Avenue Create - AG w/optional Critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - AG w/a Critter

Crafty Animals - AG w/a Critter

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - AG w/patterned paper

Fabrika Fantasy - AG w/optional LOVE

Find Love on the Path of Positivity

They say that love makes the world go round, and that's true for everyone, including this perfect pair of felines. They are definitely speaking words  of love. Love happens to be the optional TWIST at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog this month.

My card features an image from the Cat's Meow stamp set from Beccy's Place, one of the sponsors this month. The images are called  Jasper and Meow Meow Meow sentiment. I printed Jasper twice, flipping him for the 2nd image and making him shorter (and turning him into a girl by the magic of Copics). Both cats are the same image. I am allergic to cats, and I think I have a subconscious allergy as well. I can't color a realistic cat to save my life.  Hence, the pink and blue cats featured on my card. A simple bow and a few Skittles complete my card (after adhering my sentiment). The inside sentiment reads: That's Cat Speak for I Love You

If you would like to challenge yourself, create a project to show someone special in your life just how much you love them. But remember that the optional twist is just for fun. Any types of projects or cards qualify for prizes as long as they are positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature.

Prizes this month include:
A $10.00AU gift voucher that can be redeemed for digital stamps from Beccy's Place, 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.

February is the month of love, so let's see some love. Don't forget to link up your artwork to the Path of Positivity challenge blog for your chance to win some great prizes, too! See you on the Path!

Challenges I am Entering:
2 Crafty Critter Crazies- AG w/a critter
Card Mania -Love is in the Air
Crafty Animals - AG w/a critter
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - AG w/patterned  paper
Creatalicious - Love/Hearts
Create with Stamps - Love
Fabrika Fantasy - AG w/optional Love

Emboss It at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Just a midway reminder that there's a challenge going on at Scribbles Designs challenge blog. The theme is Embossing. Do you think I overdid it with my card today? I have five embossed papers on it! Even the moon is part of a punched circle of embossed paper! All to give "Carl", a digi image from the Scribbles Store, the perfect setting for his greeting.
You've got two weeks left to enter the embossing challenge at Scribbles Designs challenge blog for our chance to win free digis from the Scribbles Store. Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Craft Rocket Challenges - Something beginning with an "F" (frog)

Through the Purple Haze - Romantic

Finding Faith, Hope & Love at the Path of Positivity Challenge blog

Welcome back, crafters! My girlfriend and her hubby are celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary this month. She loves vintage, so I thought this digital image from Luna Girl would be perfect for the digital papers and elements I chose from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, one of two sponsors this month at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. The optional theme is Faith, Hope and Love, and you certainly need all these to maintain a marriage!

My card uses the following:

 Luna Girl Vintage Romance 2 Image 1 

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' Hearts & Swirls pp,

As Time Goes By Cranberry Plaid pp,

Glitterati Gold Glitter Paper,

Mommie Dearest Textured Paper #5,

and Pixel Scrapper A Janner Designs' Cluster Freebie

The challenge theme asks to see wedding, anniversary or engagement cards. Of course, the challenge theme is optional, but in order to have a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a scrapbooking kit from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles, you must incorporate some faith, hope and/or love in your card. Please remember to type in the letters FT after your name when you link your card up so we know you followed the theme. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of three images from Pattie's Creations, another of our guest sponsors this month. 

I have FAITH in your creativity. I would LOVE to see what you make, and HOPE to see you link it up for your chance to win this month's prizes. And as always, have fun!

Finding Faith, Hope & Love on the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog

The last twelve years have been rough. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to treasure every minute with those you love. Yesterday is history, and the future is not promised. We only have today, we only have this moment.

Taking this lesson to heart, I won't wait until September 21, my wedding anniversary, to celebrate my marriage to hubby Bill. I tell him I love him every day. And today I created a card for him, an early anniversary card, if you will. He will be getting quite a few of these throughout the year.

I found the perfect sentiment, too. It's one I used when I made my son's wedding invitations. Both he and his wife loved it. It goes perfectly with the digi image from Pattie's Creaations that I hand colored with a combination of Copics, colored pencils and glitter pens. Because my craft supplies are boxed up, I created a hybrid card. I photographed my hand-colored image and created my card using digital papers and elements:   

Hybrid card uses:
A hand-colored Pattie's Creations Seashell Border 1 with

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Chasing Rainbows Falls PP, Bokeh Multicolor 1 PP and A Grungy Christmas Blue
DDD A Tag Grab Bag Bow 2
PixelScrapper Janet Scott's A Mother's Love Heart Border Doodle 2

My card was created for this month's challenge theme over at the Path of Positivity. June's theme is all about FAITH, HOPE & LOVE. They especially want to see wedding, anniversary and engagement cards. Of course, the challenge theme is optional, but in order to have a chance to win the prize for the Most Inspirational Creation, we want to see you create a wedding card, an engagement card or an anniversary card that reflects the concepts of faith, hope and/or love. Please remember to type in the letters FT after your name when you link your card up so we know you followed the theme. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of three images from Pattie's Creations, one of our guest sponsors this month. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a scrapbooking kit from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles, provided by the second of our guest sponsors this month. One digital image is given from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

Love, Actually, with Ike's Art

Time for another challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog, and here is my DT project for the midway reminder post. I used an Ike's Art image called Muse 5 for my "Love, Actually" inspiration. After coloring her in Photoshop, I placed her onto a patterned paper from Marta Van Eck's "ATC Written" collection available at Mischief Circus. I embellished with a strip of paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Glitterati paper set and various digital flowers.
My sentiment came from Pinterest, printed using the font "Coventry Garden." The sentiment comes from my heart straight to my hubby of almost 40 years.
You have another week to join in on the challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog. One lucky winner will get a gift certificate to Ike's Art Store. What are you waiting for?!
Challenges I am Entering:
DigiStamps4Joy challenges - Anything Goes

My First Bendi Card

Welcome back to another new challenge from Quirky Crafts challenge blog. This month our gracious sponsor is The Cutting Cafe,which is a new experience for me. I think I have a new favorite site, even if I don't have cutting software. When you buy from The Cutting Cafe, you get several different formats of cutting files as well as printable templates, which I used on my card today.
I used a cutting file called Bendi Card Template, which includes: 1 main BENDY CARD template that will fit inside of a A2 sized envelope (with the card laying flat), 5 Assorted backs for the card,
2 Assorted fronts for the card, 5 Printable sentiments (in PDF and JPEG formats), 9 Word Sentiments, 5 Assorted borders in large and small sizes (flowers, hearts, double hearts, fence, butterflies). The cutting files come in: PDF, SVG, MTC and WPC. I scored my side "flaps" with my trusty ScorPal, which has become a true life saver for me in all my card-making ventures.
The challenge theme over at Quirky Challenges is to use RED OR PINK with Black & White. After using the templates to cut my layers for the card, I cut to size some pink patterned papers from my stash. I colored a digital image from Ike's Art called "My Teddy" and added a sentiment sticker. I embellished with a large jeweled flower, a cloth flower and the word Love from a DCWV booklet of sentiments from the Wedding/Love stack.
I like the way my card turned out-I've always wanted to try one of these cards, and now I think you'll be seeing a lot of these in the future LOL The Cutting Cafe also offers images, and I'll be creating with one of them for the midway reminder at Quirky Crafts later this month. Meanwhile, our sponsor has generously offered 3 sets to the 1st Place winner, 2 sets from the 2nd Place winner and 1 set to the 3rd Place winner, all from the Cutting Cafe.

Now it's your turn to create with Red OR Pink and Black & White. Can't wait to see what you come up with! Need inspiration? Check out the lovely creations at The Cutting Cafe Blog.

Challenges I am Entering:

Open-Minded challenges - Try Something New (Bendi card folding)

Aud Sentiments challenge blog - Use a Love sentiment
Cute Card Thursday challenges - In the Pink
In the Pink challenges - With Love
Southern Girls challenges - Anything Goes w/Team Trace
Time Out challenges - quote inspiration
"Love is the flower you've got to let grow"
(children are like flowers, needing to be nurtured, yet space and time to grow)
The Crafty Addicts - Anything Goes/Cute & Cuddly
Double D challenges - Pretty Pink Hearts (mine are in black but there's loads of pink)
The Crafter's Cafe - Monochromatic
Crafting Musketeers - Monochrome
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Papers challenges - Anything Goes
ScorPal More Than One Score challenges - Pink or Blue It's Up to You
(scoring at the side flaps of my card, both the ones tucked into cuts and the ones adhered to the card base)
Paper Sweeties Inspiration challenges - Photo inspiration

This Card is Toad-ily CAS

At least, my idea of CAS. I like to embellish with whatever my fingers find while roaming my stash, so a card with a layer of patterned paper, an image and a sentiment is, to me, clean and simple.
I started with a blank card front I found in my stash. Sometimes , if I have the time, I'll use up whatever is left over from a sheet of patterned paper and adhere it to a card. The I put it somewhere (and I usually forget where) to use for a quick card.
The image I colored up is from Scribbles Design Store. He's my favorite character over there. This is Carl. Say HI to everyone, Carl! You can find all her frog images HERE. Anyway, I used the following Copics to give my toad some life: Y00; G99; YG03,05, 23. I added the flies for ambience. LOL
Scribbles Designs Challenge blog has a CAS challenge right now. While everyone's idea of CAS is different, they want us all to showcase our coloring. I think I did that!
That's all for now, crafters! Have fun!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Scrapbookers PhD - CAS (use a stamp-Scribbles by Sandy)

Crafting by Designs - Thinking of You

Double Click Skittles - Any Animal

Inspiration Destinations - Anything Goes

Ruby's Rainbow Challenge - Anything Green

Kraftin Kimmie's Wonderful Wednesday Challenges - Anything Goes

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

A Love of Lists

I am a list maker.  I LOVE making lists.  

Not just your hum drum to-do lists, but lists that tell a person’s life story.  Lists like “the many ways my husband shows he loves me.”  Or “all the things I have for which to be thankful.”

One that really helps me pull my wretched self out of a deep pit of depression is “how many people whose lives I have touched (and who have touched mine).”

One year I kept a journal of lists and wrote in it at least once a week.  Luckily I am just enough of a hoarder to have buried the journal for a couple years.  I just re-discovered it while cleaning out my dresser drawers.  And upon reading my lists, I re-discovered myself. 

I remembered the things that made me happy not so long ago.

I re-discovered my passion for art and painting.

I renewed my dreams.

I re-evaluated my bucket list.

And most importantly, I reminded myself how much I LOVE making lists!!

I created the project above for the Path of Positivity's February Challenge on the theme of LOVE.  Since I LOVE making lists, I decided to make a journal cover for all my 2014 lists.

I started with a 4x6 index card notebook.  It has an acrylic cover, which works perfectly for setting the background of heart-themed patterned paper from DCWV.

Next I chose my image.  Since journaling is really just a conversation with yourself, I used a digi image called "Skellie Gossip" from one of our monthly sponsors, Ike's Art.  I used very little color (Copic E000) for my pair of bony companions, then fussy-cut them out.  I adhered a leftover diecut of patterned paper on the front cover of my notebook, placing a border of washi tape from Recollections on which my pair could rest their weary bones (pun intended).

I embellished the patterns on the tape with black Skittles.

A few adhesive-backed jewels and a large heart charm almost finish off my project.  I just needed to bring out the edges of where the two front flaps join together to keep all my lists from spilling out.  I used black and Diamond Stickles for that and my altered notebook is complete.

What's going to be my first list of the year?  The people I love to LOVE-that would make a very good start to the new year.  Judging from my project, 2014 will be another banner year for my list-making love.  

Will you share something you LOVE with us?  Go to the Path of Positivity to play in this month's challenge.  The fabulous sponsors and prizes are:

   Ten digital images from Creative Bug Digitals for the person out of the top seven who receives the most votes during voting week.

    Three digital images from Ike's World for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.

    Three digital images from Scribbles Designs, our guest sponsor this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

    One digital designer paper from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.

     One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles as well.

Love Is in the Air

With Valentine's Day coming up this Friday, I thought I'd better crack the crafting whip and get some projects done to give to all my Valentine's.  The first thing I wanted to create was a canvas. I haven't done one in a couple of weeks, so I pulled out my homemade "modpodge," brushes and tissue paper and made a base for my canvas art.
Next I cut out a patterned paper heart, embellishing it and drawing a black glitter glue line (also homemade) around it.  Then I found the perfect alphas to spell out the word LOVE. Finally, I "had my way" with my canvas, adding sparkle, hearts and ink to finish it off.
For anyone thinking about joining the mixed media canvas craze, it's so easy and fun!  And below are recipes for my homemade modpodge and glitter glue:
modpodge:  2 parts white glue + 1 part water.  Stir and create!
glitter glue:   1 bottle white glue  minus  2 TBSP + 1 TBSP fine glitter.  Stir and start sparkling!

Here are the challenges I'm playing in this week:
OUTLAWZ SATURDAY PAPER ALA MODE CHALLENGE: Valentine's
PAPER TAKE WEEKLY Challenge:  Anything Goes
THE CORROSIVE CHALLENGE:  FEEL THE lOVE  
LOVE TO SCRAP Challenge:  WHO LOVES YA BABY?!
CREATIVE MOMENTS Challenge:  Anything Goes/Add Some Sparkle

Happy crafting, everyone!

 

POP Challenge #11 is All About LOVE

This year many of you know that my family grew when my son got married to a woman with a family.  My total number of grandkids grew from one to five!
Now the house is filled with laughter when they are over.  The girls and I craft together.  The boys help papa cheer on "da Bears" during football games (and now that the Super Bowl is over, "da Hawks," Blackhawks, that is).
Mac & Cheese is a constant side dish. There might be more mouths to feed, but there are more hands to clean up the food and dishes before dessert is served.
There are so many more presents to buy for, but more fun shopping for them.  Candy is more handy, but I get to craft more favor bags and treat holders.  The Wii is getting a workout, but when I join in the fun, I get a workout as well.
How do I feel about all this?  I LOVE it!
I love having kids in the house again.  I love making cookies and cooking for a crowd and playing cards and board games.  I love dressing up and going trick-or-treating again.  I LOVE having a bunch of grandkids, and as my altered wall art project says, "If I had known grandkids were so much fun, I would have had them first!"

I snagged a barn-shaped shadow box from my local Goodwill.  Here's the before picture (I always forget to take a before picture, so this is the best I could do).  After applying several coats of acrylic paint for a base, I printed the sentiment from Microsoft Word and adhered it to the "rafter" of my barn.
I added embellishments to it and then zeroed in on the photos I wanted to use.  I gave them depth by building different thickness layers of cardboard and foam board before adhering them.


I used a cute digi image from Scribbles Designs called Heart Doodles 2.  Coloring it with Copics and Spectrum Noir markers (BG10,72; Y15; and PL1), I added some diamond glitter glue from Studio G and a few leftover skittles to bring out the sparkle,
I popped the image onto embossed paper and distressed the words KISS, KISS.

Once my wall art was basically finished, I threw on the charms, flowers, jewels, stickers and tiny seashells into each boxed-in photo to help tell each photo's story.  For example, the one (lower left) with my grandson Frankie and granddaughter Bella and cousin on his arms. That photo was taken at my son's wedding reception, and they had chosen a beach theme, so seashells embellish it!

I wanted to show my LOVE for my grandkids with this photo collection for this month's Path of Positivity Challenge, which (surprise, surprise) asks for your projects and posts on the subject of LOVE.
Challenge runs from Feb. 3 – March 2. 
You can use any stamp or image, or none at all.
You can create an art project, card, layout, or write about what you truly LOVE.
It's all up to you!

This month, the sponsors and prizes are:
   Ten digital images from Creative Bug Digitals for the person out of the top seven who receives the most votes during voting week.

    Three digital images from Ike's World for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.

    Three digital images from Scribbles Designs, our guest sponsor this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

    One digital designer paper from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.

     One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles as well.

Tell us what YOU love for your chance to win these awesome prizes.  And please let us know how we're doing in the comments section.  See you there!

Added bonus: Sandy of Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog (and guest sponsor at POP) has a special challenge: BLING IT ON!  USe a Scribbles Designs digi image and load on the bling for your chance to win free digis!  I know I am!!