Feeling Thankful Despite It All!

The theme for this month's challenge at Path of Positivity is Thankfulness. Now I have to say that this year is not one I feel particularly thankful for on first thoughts, it has been horrible. Not a case of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' more like 'Five Funerals and a Wedding'. I admit there are times when I have been tempted to sink into a wallow of self pity, however so far I have managed to keep away from that particular path to nowhere. Despite all the sadness that has predominated this year and some ongoing issues that could potentially lead to more heartache, there has been much to be thankful for as well.

I am enormously thankful to our NHS all over the country who have made loved ones leaving a pain free and peaceful affair and shown such sympathy, no more than that empathy towards those left behind to grieve.

I am thankful that my niece had such a fantastic day for her wedding and that family and friends were able to gather to celebrate and share the day with the happy couple.

I am thankful that my hesitant and belated decision to let my gorgeous girls organise a 60th birthday party amidst all that has been happening made for a joyful day to recharge and regroup ready to face life's not so enjoyable events.

I am thankful that even the dark days can be shared with a loving husband and family and that mutual support can overcome.

The problem is with thankfulness is that once you start thinking about it there are just so many things to be thankful for. You only have to read a paper or watch the news to find plenty more reasons to give thanks.

And who to I give thanks to the most? The verse on my page says it all. So I do 'Give thanks with a joyful heart' as the hymn says.

Materials used:

A Day For Daisies - Butterfly Harvest (sadly A Day For Daisies is taking a rest from trading but will be back)

Imagine That Digistamps - Subtle Harvest Kit (I cannot find this in the shop so it may have been a fan freebie at some point)

Ex-Press It card

printer paper

gold glitter paper strip

book page die set

A5 sketch book

Copic pens:

orange pumpkin - Y35, Y38, YR14, YR18, E15, E 18  stem - E43, E44, E47

green pumpkin - YG61, G21, YG63, G85, E43, E47  stem - E11, E13, E15

red apples - YG00, R11, R35, R37, R59

pear - Y02, R32, YG01, RY02, Y15, Y17, Y06

green apples - YG21, YG03, YG25, YG17

purple berries - RB66, R56, R59

corn cob - Y15, Y18, YR16, YR18, E08, E19, E49

corn husks - E42, E43, E44

red berries - R14, R17, R27

blue flowers - B21, B23

purple flower - V05, RV66, RV69, V09, V99, YR12, YR15

butterflies - V0000, V000, V01, V12

cornucopia shell - E11, E33, E35, E39

grass - G21, G94, BG96, B99

After colouring the design I cut it with a book page die and edged it with brown ink. The background paper is made using Paper Leafy from the Subtle Harvest kit, reducing the size, copying, pasting and repeating the process a couple of times to get the leaves very small.

The different and sometimes unusual themes that the Path of Positivity Challenge have are great fun but not always ones that lend themselves to a card, at least not to a card I can use. I had this idea for next year that I would make a book of helpful, positive quotes and sayings with the themes that did not fall easily into the card category. However I decided to start my book early and what better way than with being thankful. I made my design to fit an A5 card so that it fits into an A5 sketch book. I am looking forward to seeing what other challenging themes end up in the book over the coming months!

The Path of Positivity challenge runs until the 1st December and the theme is optional, although with Thanksgiving coming up in America I expect there will be many of you running with Thankfulness!

Since offering to sponsor us A Day For Daisies is taking a rest from trading, however they are fulfilling their sponsorship commitments for rest of the year. Our ongoing sponsor Scribbles Designs is also offering a prize, details will be on the Path of Positivity Blog along with the rules and how to enter. I hope you will join in with us.

Thank you for dropping in.

Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:

PIP Challenge #1944 - Anything Goes 

Simon Says Stamp - Thanks/Thanksgiving 

Outlawz Challenges Paper A La Mode - Autumn Colours 

Addicted to Stamps #178 - Add A Pumpkin 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #117 - Anything Goes 

Crafty Friends #122 - Anything Goes 

Sweet Stamping - Guy Fawkes and Other Celebrations (Harvest) 

Creative Fingers #174 - Anything Goes 

Your Scrapbook Place November - Anything Goes 

A Bit More Time To Craft #103 - Anything Goes 

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie #129 - 

Path of Positivity Challenge Midway Post: Admiration

There are plenty of examples I could pick for the theme of Admiration but today just want to pick two groups of people, the first is anyone with the ability to paint! I love the paintings of the natural world and among my favourites are the floral ones of Van Gogh and Monet. I think it is the rich colours they both use and the beauty of the settings. I cannot draw yet alone paint which is one reason why I love stamping, someone else has done the lines and I just have to colour it in! In honour of all those wonderful painters I decided to dust off my neglected watercolours and paint this lovely image from A Day For Daisies.

Originally I would have used this card for my sister in law who has a birthday coming up at the beginning of June and loved poppies. She is a member of another group of people whom I admire, people who know what to do with needle and thread. As well as making clothes she was a great quilter and over the years we have been blessed to receive quite a few of her wonderful creations, from Advent Calendar Wall Hangings when the girls where little to Quillows. Sadly she passed away a few weeks ago after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

I am not sure that I will be an any hurry to get the paint out again but I have been inspired by a number of resent happenings to find a needle and thread and look again at my stash of material bits so watch this space!

Materials used: 

A Day For Daisies - Fairy Flowers 

watercolour paper

watercolour paints

stitched frame die

gold line peel-offs

5" x 7" card blank

The image and the sentiment are printed onto the watercolour paper together, I altered the line art of the image to a grey colour before printing. 

The background is done by giving the card a very quick and light wash of blue then splatting it with the same blue with some more pigment in to make the colour deeper.

               (Vincent Van Gogh: Vase With Poppies)

   

Don't forget the Path of Positivity Challenge has another two weeks to run so there is still plenty of time to join in. The theme is optional but it would be lovely to hear about the people that you admire and to see your artwork. All the details of how to enter and the link up can be found at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. If you need a bit more incentive then A Day For Daisies and Scribbles Designs are both sponsoring this challenge and offering prizes for winners.

Thank you for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #92 - Anything Goes 
Allsorts Challenge #520/1 - Birthday 
Artistic Inspiratons #215 - Anything Goes 
Creative Inspirations #May - Flowers and Showers 

Path of Positivity Challenge - Admiration

The first Monday of the month and a new challenge at Path of Positivity. This month the optional theme is Admiration. I have chosen to make a wedding themed card not because I have mixed up admiration and love but because whenever I have witnessed true love I find it admirable. So often these days we here the gloom and doom of broken families and the impact that has on all family members. Now I am not so naive to expect that every marriage will last until 'death do us part' after all we are all flawed human beings but when you find a marriage that has lasted through all the ups and the downs there is something very special. Like anything worth while a marriage needs constant attention and work to keep it going. The generations that are now celebrating golden and diamond anniversaries are the generations that did not give in at the first hint of trouble, they worked things through. These days it seems to me that it is all too easy to call it a day when a marriage does not live up to romantic expectations. I find it so sad that friends of my daughters are onto their second and even third marriages in their late 20's and early 30's. Even those that elect not to get married are swapping partners so often I get dizzy trying to work out who is with who at parties.

Those of you reading this who have had struggles with their marriages, please don't for one moment think I am dismissing you. I know that some marriages are fortunately beyond saving, when a marriage has broken down to the point that there is no life left then to my mind death has occurred. It is not ideal but we are all broken people living in a broken world and the best any of us can do is our best and when all else has failed mourn and move on.

So yes, I unashamedly admire the triers, the stayers the workers out that are willing to put in the time and effort to keep their love alive. I pray that my own daughters will be among those in 30, 40 and God willing 50 years time celebrating ruby, golden and diamond anniversaries with their lovely husbands.

This card is for my niece who is getting married in September and just starting on the adventure of a shared life. I will be sending it to her with prayers for a long and happy marriage.

Materials used: 
A Day For Daisies - I Do I Do 
Elizabeth Craft Designs Accordion Circle Card Die Set
circle die set
rose designer paper from scrap box
Britannia Dies - roses and leaf spray dies
red , gold mirri, green and pearlescent white card
X-Press It card
Copic pens:
skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04, R20
bride hair - E53, E43, E57
groom hair - E42, E43, E47, E49
bride veil and dress - C0, C1, C3,  blender
groom jacket - W3, W5, W7, W9
bouquet - R22, R29, R59, C5  YG00, Y13, C0, C1  G21, G94, G99   white Prismacolour pencil
cravat - R29, R59



Card front





















                  
                                        First middle section

Second  middle section













                                     Box for card

The challenge starts today and runs until 2nd June with the optional twist a focus on Admiration. If you would like to challenge yourself, create a project to show someone your warm approval, respect, and genuine admiration for him or her.

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: 

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.

I do hope that you are able to join us this month. All details and the link up can be found at Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. 

Thanks for dropping in.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Little Patch of Crafty Friends #105 - Anything Goes 
Crafting From The Heart #242 - Anything Goes 
Get Creative Challenges #80 - Anything Goes 
Dragonfly Dreams - Anything Goes 
Simply Create Too #149 - Anything Goes 
A Gem Of A Challenge #8 - Anything Goes 
Crafty Friends #109 - Use more than one die 
A Bit More Time To Craft #91 - Anything Goes 

Shades of Purple on the Path of Positivity

Can you believe it is already the middle of October? It is certainly feeling more Autumnal here in the UK, our long hot summer is receding into memory as the wind and the rain make their presence felt. I quite like the changing colours of Autumn, it's just that it has been a bit sudden this year.
There is still a bit of colour left in the gardens, particularly a lot of purple flowers. Not sure if it is a general thing or just this year but most of the colour left does seem to be purple. We have visited quite a few National Trust gardens recently and they all had purple flowers in abundance.

As you may know this month the optional theme for The Path of Positivity Challenge is Shades of purple and we are now half way throught the challenge month so here is my card for the midway reminder.



Materials used:A Day For Daisies - Christmas Shopping
X-Press It card
purple paper
white paper coloured with purple ink
flowers and leaves cut with Britannia dies (from stash)
fancy rectangle die set
5x7" card blank
Copic pens:
skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04, R20
lady's dress - V20, V22, V25, V28
girl's dress - V0000, V000, V01, V12, V15
lady's cloak and girl's hat - V05, RV66, RV69, V09, V99
hair - E21M E25M E29
grass and hat leaves - G21, G94, G99
red box and flowers - R29, R39, R59, R89
yellow boxes - Y13, Y15, Y17, YR18, E15, E18
blue box - BV0, BV02, BV13, BV04
girl's boots - C3, C5, C7, C9

The little flower I already had in my stash made and not used on a previous project, it was pure chance that the colour worked with the picture! I have not added a sentiment to the card because I am not sure yet how I will use it. It could be a Christmas card or even a winter birthday card so for now I am leaving it open.

I hope you will join us along the path. Remember the theme is optional although following it makes you eligible for another chance at the prizes on offer from our two sponsors this month. All the details and how to enter can be found at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.
Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #78 - Anything Goes
A Perfect Time To Craft #10 - October Anything Goes
The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up #46 - Anything Goes/Gear Up for Winter
Your Scrapbook Place - October Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1841 - Anything Goes
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #91 - Anything Goes
A Gem Of A Challenge #228 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #255 - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T Challenge #486 - Christmas 

The Neutral Path

Time for the start of a new challenge at Path of Positivity and this month the optional theme is 'Neutrals'.

In the photographic world there has been a resurgence of black and white and sepia photography recently. While I prefer colour for most photographs, especially scenery, a good black and white portrait does have something special about it.

The other trend has been to have one part of an image in colour with the rest in black and white. When my eldest daughter got married she had a couple of photos like that in her album.

For my card I have taken the idea of having one bit of colour. I thought the sentiment just went with the image.



Materials used: 
A Day For Daisies - Painted Mushroom Top
X-Press It card
black card
white 5x7" card blank
flower embellishments from stash
Copic pens:
mushroom - C0, C1, C3, C5, C7, C9  black
skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04  R20
paintbrush - R29, R39, R59, R89
wings and outfit - G000, G00, G02
BV000, BV00, BV02

The sentiment is from the internet and printed with the image.

I hope you will join us on the next stage of our year of colour at Path of Positivity. As always we have two wonderful sponsors offering great prizes. If you follow the optional theme make sure that over half of your colour scheme is neutral colours. Entries that follow the theme have the opportunity to win the Most Inspirational Creation prize, just remember to add FT after your name.

We'd also love to find out how this month's colour grouping makes you feel, if you'd like to share that with us. What kinds of feelings do neutral colours evoke in you? You can write a sentence or two in the body of your post, write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, or simply leave a comment on this post if you'd like.

Remember, in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, ALL creations must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $12 gift certificate from A Day for Daisies, one of our guest sponsors this month. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win an additional sponsored prize of the same three digis used by team members, provided by Mari Digis, the second of our guest sponsors this month, for the project chosen as Most Inspiring.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #69 - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations #48 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra - June Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends #68 - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft #58  - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #236 - Anything Goes
Hiding In My Craft Room #355 - Use 4 Different Colours (grey, green, lilac, red)
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #83 - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - June Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1822 - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart #209 - Anything Goes
My Creative Scoop Colour Inspiration Link Up #35Artistic Inspirations #201 - Anything Goes

Did you do it?

Ok so I can hear you thinking "Do what?" so I had better explain! This is my mid-way post for the current challenge at Path of Positivity with the theme Appreciation. You may remember that in my first post I talked about not just using high days and holidays to show appreciation but taking opportunities throughout the year. So have you shown your appreciation of someone during the past two weeks or are you waiting for Christmas?

My card this time is an anniversary card with a lovely image from A Day For Daisies. All the links are below in the write up.



Materials used:A Day for Daisies - Mr Right
X-Press It! card
Copic pens
small acrylic greetings stamp
Gorguss designer paper

I decided to go with vintage like colours for this image but gave the parasol a brighter look in contrast to look more summery. I hope that makes sense, sometimes it is difficult to explain the way my brain works. Actually make that not sometimes but most of the time!

The designer paper frame is from a set from Gorguss which has been in my stash for longer than I care to admit. I am trying to continue the relentless downsizing so that my new smaller craft room is not so cluttered so what better way than to use some of the stash mountain. I thought the colour of the frame went well with the lady's dress. The label at the bottom is printed in the paper so I used it to frame my stamped greeting.

There are still a few days left to get an entry into the challenge, it finishes on 4th December. As I am sure many of you will be beavering away on the Christmas cards why not enter one of your makes, it would certainly fit the theme and you may just end up winning a prize.  On that note here are the prize details to tempt you further!

You do not have to make a card, anything goes. The only thing we ask is that you make it clear how your project relates to the theme, just a sentence will be enough it does not need to be an essay, unless you want to write an essay on appreciation for your entry. There are plenty of prizes on offer so why not take a look at our sponsors images for inspiration.

SPONSOR & PRIZE INFORMATION:

• A $12.00 gift certificate from A Day For Daisies, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch.


• A $20.00 gift certificate from Kitten Scraps, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

There will also be:

• A small selection of digital designer papers from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky person who leaves a comment on posts published during the challenge time frame.


• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

I hope you will take up the challenge and am looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Thank you for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa