Positive Friendship

Another month and another new challenge at Path of Positivity. This time our optional theme is Friendship. In a world of social media, instant contact and mass communication how is it that people generally are more isolated and lonely than ever. Some, no doubt will attribute it to the changing nature of society, families live further apart from each other and gone are the times when people stayed in or near their childhood homes. With the removal of the old 'back to back' housing the sense of community has dwindled, we are not so likely to know when or if neighbours are in need and hold back from finding out for fear of invading privacy. Some of these changes are for the better but the effects are not, the housing is better but the community is gone.

More recently I think the upward trend in loneliness has been helped along by social media. At the click of a mouse you can gather hundreds of friends and, lets be honest, most of them you are never likely to enter into a meaningful relationship with yet alone meet them. Now there is no harm in that but if you are lonely it can make you feel more isolated. I like having 'friends' who visit my blog or are 'friends' on Facebook but I do not have to rely on them solely for friendship I also have a lovely group of people whom I know and who know me. At the end of the day it is the friends that we meet up with, phone, skype that mean so much more than a long list of friends on the internet. So this month join with us at Path of Positivity and let us celebrate friendship. Let's tell our friends how much they mean to us.

Materials used:
Bugaboo Stamps - Friends Are Your Umbrella

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Rainy Days Papers - available from Scribbles Designs 

Express It! card

printer paper

7x5 card blank

decorative rectangle frame die

stitched edge rectangle die

Copic pens:

skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04      R20

hair - E21, E25, E29      E42, E43, E47, E49

jeans - B91, B93, B95, B97

T-shirts - RV63, RV66, RV69, RV99       R81, R83, R85, R56

skirt - G02, G17, G29, G99

shoes - C3, C5, C7, C9      R29, R39, R59, R89

umbrella - YR31, YR21, YR12, YR18, E09

flowers - BV01, BV02, BV13, BV04,     Y06

leaves - G07, G28, G05

umbrella handle - C05, C07, C09, 100

ground - E34, E35, E37

The coloured image and sentiment are cut out with the decorative die and the mats cut from two papers printed from the Rainy Days Papers.

This challenge, our optional twist is a focus on Friendship. If you would like to challenge yourself, create a project designed to convey the warmth of friendship to someone who could use a reminder to let them know they aren't alone. 

In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, remember that regular types of projects such as birthday cards, or other general type projects/posts will not qualify for the prizes unless they are also, positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature.

Prizes this month include:
A $12.00 gift certificate from Bugaboo Stamps, 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.

I do hope that you will be able to join us this month. The link for entries and all the information along with inspiration from the DT can be found at Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for dropping in.

Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations #215 - Anything Goes 
Crafting From The Heart #238 - Anything Goes  
PIP Challenge #109 - Anything Goes 
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #101 - Anything Goes 
Dragonfly Dreams - For a Special Female 

Path of Positivity Love (or should that be chocolate)

The middle of the month and time for the midway reminder of our challenge at Path of Positivity. The optional theme this month is Love. For my card this time I have taken a lighter path! It is a well known fact in my family that apart from penguins the other love in my life is chocolate and as love and chocolate go together so well, especially around Valentine's Day, it was too good an opportunity to miss.

Materials used:

Scribbles Designs - #924 Chocolate  

Fred She Said - Valentine's Day: Better Than Chocolate

Spellbinders A2 Fancy Postage Edge Die Set

Bubbles die

dark and mid brown card

Distress Oxide - Seedless Preserves

corner rounder punch

5" x 7" card blank

Copic pens:

chocolate - E23, E25, E27, E29, E49

wrapper - V05, RV66, RV69, V09, V99

                 W5, W7, W9, E39

The idea of the circles at the side was to suggest chocolate bubbles, any true chocolate lovers will know immediately which chocolate bar inspired me there!

The sentiment inside the card reads ". . . But, to be honest, It was a very tough call."  It made me laugh and hopefully will bring a smile to my husband on 14th!

I do hope you can join us at Path of Positivity. There is still plenty of time to get an entry or two in. The link and all the details of how to enter and the prizes on offer from our sponsors can be found at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #86 - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore #60 - Anything Goes 

PIP Challenge #1907 - Anything Goes 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #100 - Anything Goes 

Love on the Path of Positivity

The first Monday of a new month and time for a new challenge at the Path of Positivity. As we are now into February there could really only be one theme - Love. A lot of challenges are using the same theme so you could make one project which would cover quite a few of them!

The word love is a strange one when you think about it. It covers such a huge number of different scenarios from the love of family, friends, animals to the love of a painting or piece of music. And within that are so many depths and levels of the same emotion. It is a big range for one tiny word. The Ancient Greeks had 6 words describing different aspects of love. Psychologists have 7 types of love, taking the 6 from the Greeks and adding one more.

Love is such an easy word to say, do we really think about what we mean when we use it or is it now just something we say out of habit? Is it overused in today's easy come, easy go society? Or will love always win out in the end even if it  may not be as neat as we would like. I guess only time will tell but one thing is certain, the world needs more love that looks to the needs of others first.

Materials used:

Beccy's Place - Happily Ever After 

Britannia dies - petals and leaves

oval dies

shimmer paper

5" x 7" card blank

X-Press It Card
Copic Pens:

skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04, R20

groom's hair - E11, E13, E15, E18

bride's hair -  YR21, E33, E35, E37

roses and ribbon - V01, V12, V15, V17

bride's dress shading - C0 blender

groom's suit - W3, W5, W7, W9

ground - E70, E71, E74

sky - B41 blender

The oval frame has been embossed using the oval dies. The leaves and flowers are cut from glimmer paper and then coloured with Copics.

My niece is getting married towards the end of this year and according to my eldest daughter the bridesmaids are in 'a dull lilac'! So I am hoping that this card will be a match.

I hope you will join us this month, you can find the link up at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. Here is a quick look at the rules and the prizes on offer:

• This challenge, our optional twist is a focus on LOVE. If you would like to challenge yourself, create a project to show someone special in your life just how much you love them. However, remember that the optional twist is just for fun.
  
  In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, remember that regular types of projects such as birthday cards, or other general type projects/posts will not qualify for the prizes UNLESS they are also 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.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Beccy's Place #February 
Your Scrapbook Place #February 
A Bit More Time To Craft #85 - Anything Goes  
Crafts Galore Encore #60 - Anything Goes 
A Gem Of A Challenge Week 2 - Anything Goes 
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #99 - Anything Goes 
Artistic Inspirations #212 - Anything Goes / Optional Twist Love It Up 
Creative Inspirations #January - Anything Goes 
My Time To Craft #389 - All You Need Is Love 
Creative Fingers #156 - Anything Goes 
Creative Cardmakers #226 - Add Some Texture (embossed frame and flowers)

More Inspiring Words on the Path of Positivity

Time for the half way reminder of the challenge at Path of Positivity with the optional theme of Inspiration.

I don't know about you but I am surrounded by inspiration. I find my inspiration in other people, on the television, in blogs and most important to me, in the Bible. In the days before Google and instant communication and knowledge my main source of both inspiration and relaxation was books. To this day I am still an avid reader although I admit I now prefer carrying around a Kindle rather than heavy tomes!

Where do you find your inspiration and how do you inspire others? That second part is a lot harder and sometimes we may go through life never knowing who we have inspired ourselves along the way. The only thing we can do is to encourage those who inspire us and to live our lives the best way we can, maybe by doing that we will inspire others.

Materials used:
Ike's Art - Book of Dreams 
A Bit More Time To Craft - Day Star Digital Paper Pack 
X-Press It card
silver mirri card
rectangle stitched border die
Zig clean color brush pens 24 set

I have departed from my usual Copics for this card. I had a set of 24 Zig brush pens for Christmas and am still in the early stages of experimenting with them. I think I need to do some testing on different cardstock to see what they do but for a first attempt I am fairly pleased.  Next time I might have  go on watercolour paper to see if they blend better on that and to experiment getting more of a watercolour look from them. It is fun trying out new techniques with new supplies.

The challenge at Path of Positivity runs until 3rd February so you still have a couple of weeks to get an entry in. This month we are being sponsored by Ike's Art and Scribbles Designs both offering generous prizes. All the details and the link up can be found on the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:Crafts Galore Encore #59 - Anything Goes 
PIP Challenge #1903 - Anything Goes 
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #98 - Anything Goes 
Simply Create Too #145 - Anything Goes
Ike's World Challenge #116 - A Is For Animals/Anything Goes

Last throws of Christmas

Well that's it for another year, Christmas is all packed up and waiting to be hauled back up into the roof loft. It leaves the house feeling a bit drab when all the sparkle and lights have gone, but at least the weather is still chilly enough to light up the log burner in the evenings.

As a final farewell to the season I wanted to share a card made for the Limited Runs Progressive Challenge.

Materials used:

Limited Runs Digital Stamps - Elf: Candy Cane
Bearly Mine Digital Papers - Winter Swirls (sadly out of business)
X- Press It card

printer paper

green card

brown card

silver mirri card

rectangle die set

pine branch and pine cone dies

5" x 7" card blank

Copic pens:

skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04, R20

hat and candy cane - R29, R39, R59, R89

jacket and socks - G02, G17, G29, G99,  YG11, Y13, Y15, BV20

boots - C0, C1, C3, C5, C7, C9, 100

bell - Y00, Y11, Y15, YR23

The elf has been coloured with Copics then fussy cut and mounted on a paper printed from the Winter Swirls set using gel glue to give a little dimension. The frame is made using two dies cut together.  The pine branches and cones are cut from green and brown card.

The elf image has the star dangling from a thread held in the elf's left hand. As the thread was a bit fiddly to cut out I decided to put the star in the sky. I could have just drawn in the thread but thought I'd go with a different look.

Thanks for dropping by. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Limited Runs Progressive #22 

Dragonfly Dreams January - Anything Goes 

Not Just Cards January - Anything Goes

A Bit More Time To Craft #83 - Anything Goes 

PIP Challenge #1901 - Anything Goes 

Crafting From The Heart #234 - Anything Goes 

Artistic Inspirations #211 - Anything Goes 

Get Creative Challenges #76 - Anything Goes 

Crafty Creations #382 - Anything Goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #412 - Anything Goes 

Encouraging Words

Here we are at the start of a New Year and I wonder how many of you have made resolutions. I know a lot of people start the year vowing to do something from getting fitter and more active to finishing long abandoned projects. I wonder how many decided to just generally make this a better year through their own thoughts and actions. It is so easy to wade in with the critical word when an encouraging word achieves so much more.

This month at the Path of Positivity our optional challenge theme is Inspiration. It is good to tell someone that they have been an inspiration in some way but also good to give encouragement to inspire others. For my card I have chosen to take the second path with some encouraging words.

Materials used:

Ike's Art - CSI Geek 

X-Press It card
blue card

5x7" card blank

Copic pens:

skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04, R20

eyes - B21, B23, B28

magnifying glass rim - C1, C3, C5

magnifying glass handle - E43, E44, E47, E49

hair - E11, E13, E15, E18

jacket - B93, B95, B97, B99

desk - W00, W0, W1, W3, W5

background - YG00, YG21

The sentiment has been added to the image by computer. I also made an insert using the fingerprint image that comes with the set. I put it randomly on the page at all different angles and then typed Well Done in the  middle.

It was a good job that I planned this card before the Christmas and New Year holiday. My mojo went on a break and forgot to return to work so I have achieved very little so far this year. So much for resolving to be more organised! 

We have just had a couple of days of really cold weather with the temperatures dropping from 13 or so down to 4 and below. It was quite a dramatic change and a shock to the system to wake up with the temperature just dipping into minus figures having been up in the teens. I suppose we should not complain, after all it is winter even if it has been a bit late arriving. Mind you if we did not have the weather to talk about what would we Brits have to say to each other all day!!

I hope you all had a  good holiday and that the new year is a great one for you. If you have followed  me over from Wordpress thank you for sticking with me and if you have only just found me, welcome.

I guess I had better just give you the details of the Path of Positivity Challenge before I go. The challenge runs from the 7th of January to the 3rd of February, it is anything goes with an optional theme this time of Inspiration. We have two sponsors this month, Ike's Art offering a $15 for the winner of the random draw and Scribbles Designs offering one image for the most inspiring entry chosen by the DT.

All information including the link up can be found on the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.

I hope you will come over and take a look at all the wonderful inspiration from my team mates and why not join in the fun, after all your entry might be the prize winner!

Thank you for dropping in. Happy New Year to you.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread #84 - Anything Goes 

A Bit More Time To Craft #83 - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore #59 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations #January - Anything Goes 

Crafting By Designs #January - Anything Goes 

The Crafty Addicts #56 - Anything Goes 

Crafting With An Attitude #47 - Anything Goes 

Simply Create Too #145 - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #97 - Anything Goes