Furry or Feathery Friends on the Path of Positivity

The start of a new month and the start of a new challenge at Path of Positivity. This month the optional theme is Fury or Feathery Friends. With Spring in the air there is a lot of activity among the birds and animals as nests, dens, drays and setts are spruced up ready for a new set of babies.

I expect, like me, many of you are in strict lockdown as the world struggles to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. I could not imagine living with social distancing measures in a built up, urban area. We are so fortunate in having countryside all around us. We can walk out of our front door and be up on the hill in the wood and across the fields well away from anyone else in minutes. Our wood on the top of Herne Hill is full of bird song and if you look hard squirrels, mice and voles are busy gathering food and nesting material. In the evening if you are really patient you might see the badgers and foxes out and about. In the fields the ewes and their lambs are grazing on the fresh spring grass. 

The sheep always make me smile after they have been shorn, the babies look so much bigger than their mums!

Today I have a shaped and tactile card to share with you.

Materials used:

Oddball Art - Curly Sue Sheep 

stamping card

cotton wool

buttons

Copic pens:

sheep: W1, W3, W5, W7

I have used the pens to colour the sheep's face, ears and legs using cotton wool for her fur. The image has buttons for eyes so I found buttons the same size and just stuck them over the top. 

I coloured and cut out the image first then attached to a tent fold card overlapping the top and cut around again. Finally I stuck on the cotton wool and the buttons.

We have two great sponsors this month, and 

This challenge, our optional twist is a focus on Furry or Feathery Friends. Animals can be such a comfort in our lives especially during this time when so many of us are isolated from our extended family and friends. This month create a project that honours the furry or feathery friends that surround you, whether in your home or in nature.

In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, remember that general types of  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 gift certificate from  Oddball Art , 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.

With such a huge range of bird and animal images around why  not give it a go and join in with our challenge. You can find all the details, the link for entries and more inspiration on the Path of Positivity Blog. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care and stay safe.

Pippa

And Relax!

The DT at Path of Positivity have had their summer break and are back with a new challenge with the optional theme of Relaxation. Summer is of course the time most people kick back for a while and recharge the batteries. Here in England and elsewhere in Europe we have been experiencing some mini heatwaves so it has been impossible not to relax, it's too hot to do anything else!
We have just got back from a few days with our eldest daughter and her husband in Copenhagen. It's a lovely city and well worth a visit there is just so much to do and see. Being very flat meant that I was able to get about and do a fair bit of walking.

Ok I admit not all the holiday was relaxing, the day our passports and money were stolen was not so good but no one was hurt and the British Embassy were brilliant producing emergency ones so we could get home. Once the shock was over we thoroughly enjoyed our extra three day stay and I would still say that Copenhagen is the safest place I've been too.

Moral of the story, make sure everything is done up properly so you don't offer easy temptation to opportunist thieves!

This month we get to work with a lovely digi set from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles called A Taste of Summer available from Scribbles Designs (the link is below). I have teamed it up with a couple of holiday photos featuring the iconic Little Mermaid statue and an interloper!

Materials used:

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles - A Taste of Summer 

photos

12 x 12 card

Just as a change this whole project is done digitally. I could have printed off the elements and cut and pasted with glue but decided to try and see what I could do with my limited knowledge of digital designing.

The background paper has been lightened using a graphics programme. The original is quite a bit darker so it was overpowering the photos.

The challenge starts on 5th August and runs until the 1st September and our optional twist is a focus on relaxation. If you would like to challenge yourself, create a project designed to send someone a message to help them relax and rejuvenate or a project that depicts relaxation in some manner.

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

Prizes this month include:
The A Taste of Summer Kit, a digital scrapbooking kit from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles, 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 hope that you can join us as we relax on the Path of Positivity. Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Get Creative Challenges #83 - Anything Goes 
613 Avenue Create #224 - Anything Goes 
A Bit More Time To Craft #97 - Anything Goes

New Release At Bugaboo

Tuesday is new release day at Bugaboo Digi Stamp and today there is a fun rabbit family available.



Materials used:Bugaboo Digi Stamps - Funny Bunny BabiesScrapbook Gems - Happy Easter Digital Papers
acrylic sentiment stamp
black archival ink pad
X-Press It card
printer paper
5x7" card blank
Copic pens:
mother: E97, E08, E19, W7
little brown bunny: E31, E33, E35, E39
little grey bunny: W0, W1, W3, W5, W7
ears: E93, E95, YR02
noses: C3, C5, C7, C9
red egg: R29, R39, R59, R89
green egg: YG03, YG17, YG67, G29
purple egg: V05, RV66, RV69, VO9, V99

I have used two copies of the image, fussy cutting the adult from one image and layering it on top of the other image.

Those bunnies look really mischievous hiding behind mum, although I don't think I would object too much if they threw Easter eggs at me!

I hope you will check out the new release at Bugaboo Digi Stamps and take a look at all the other  wonderful images they have. For more inspiration visit  the Catch the Bug Blog where you can also find details of our two challenges.

Thanks for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
The Library Challenge #3 - Watership Down
If You Give A Crafter A Cookie Challenge #90 - 
Inspiration Destination #146 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #64 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra - March Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations #196 - Anything Goes
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #78 - Anything Goes
A Gem of a Challenge #215 - Easter Time
4 Crafty Chicks #395 - For the Love of Kids/Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft #55 - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers #208 - Bunnies, Chicks or Eggs
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Easter

Faith, Hope and Love

This month the optional theme at Path of Positivity is Faith, Hope and Love. As it is June and the start of the most popular time for weddings we are looking especially for wedding/engagement/anniversary makes reflecting the Faith, Hope and Love theme.

I love finding songs that have thought provoking or inspiring lyrics. I have used quite a few 'unusual' ones in my All Age Worship Services over the years. Jim Croce's 'Time in a bottle' has always been a favourite, the melody is lovely and the words are wonderful. In fact they work so well with the theme for the challenge that I decided to  make them the focal of my make.

Just in case you cannot make out the words from my photo here they are, including the part that did not fit on the front.

"Time In A Bottle"

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with youIf I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with youBut there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do, once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time withIf I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty, except for the memory of how
They were answered by youBut there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do, once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go through time with

Materials used:
Decosse's Dynamite Doodles - As Time Goes By Clockwork papers
Decosse's Dynamite Doodles - A Matter of Time Watch Patterned Paper
Dragons Lair Designs - Summer Sunset Couple Digi Stamp
Serif Craft Artist 2 programme or similar graphics software. (Link to free compact version)

This is a different project for me because I have made the whole thing digitally, not a piece of paper or pen in sight. The papers are layered up, the text and digi stamp added and the shadows put in using Craft Artist software.

If I wanted to make a physical card I have two choices. I could print out all the different element and then assemble them or I could print out the whole project as a card leaving the shadows to give some depth to it. It would also work really well as a scrapbook page, again either printing out the different elements and assembling them or printing off as one page.

While it was fun playing around with the software if I am being totally honest nothing quite beats the more hands on approach with paper, pens and glue!

The optional theme at Path of Positivity is Faith, Hope and Love. As this is the start of the wedding season we would particularly like to see Wedding, Engagement and Anniversary makes.

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 even a wedding anniversary card that reflects the concepts of faith, hope and/or love.  It is time to put on those rose coloured glasses and get a little mushy.

If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize for Most Inspirational. We also ask that you please leave a comment letting us know how your wedding or engagement card relates to the concept of faith, hope and/or love if it isn’t readily clear within the design itself or clearly written somewhere else in your post. While you may easily see how your creation ties into the theme, it may not be as apparent to me or the DT members. That is why we ask that you clarify it somewhere, whether here or in your blogpost. You can simply write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, if it would be easier. We just need to know how your project ties into the theme. Letting us know, clears up any ambiguity that may exist.

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 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.

So what are you waiting for, come along and join us, please.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.



 

I would like to enter the following challenge:
Digitally Made Challenges #2 - Quote
A Bit More Time To Craft #46 - Anything Goes

School's out forever!

At the end of this term the class teacher I work with is leaving to become carer to her husband. We have worked together for over a decade so it will be a hard parting. I made a large card for all the children in the class to sign.



Materials used:Imagine That! digi stamps - School Boy
Imagine That! digi stamps - School Girl
Activity Village - School Books Scrapbook Paper
X-Press It! paper
Copic pens
black card
A4 card blank
white gel pen

I arranged the images on my page before printing them out on X-Press It card and colouring with Copics.

I was going to go with one of the greetings that came with the images but in the end decided to add my own using a white pen.

Before attaching the paper to the card base I went around the edges of the card with a black pen. The coloured image has been matted on black card.
If my card has inspired you why not pop along to Imagine That! digi stamps, there are lots of lovely images covering all sorts of occassions. You do not need to be a 'colourist' either because they come with pre-coloured versions too.

Thank you for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Love To Craft Challenge #1

Today sees the launch of a new craft challenge, Love to Craft. For my first project I have chosen to showcase the gift basket I made to contain an end of school year present for the teacher I work with. It was just large enough to hold a special mug.

                    

Materials used:
Dragons Lair Designs: Earth Tones Mini Kit
printer card
2 vintage buttons
scrap of ribbon
circle die

The box base is made up of printed off sheets of paper from the kit. The handle uses two elements and the circle decorations use a collection of elements put together to form one image using Craft Artist 2 and cut out with a circle die.

For the tag I used the tag and a flower from the kit putting them together in Craft Artist before printing out.

I added two vintage buttons, one at the end of each end of the handle and used ribbon to die on the tag.

I do hope you will come and join us in this new venture. We welcome all kinds of handmade projects - from cards, tags, ATCs and scrapbook layouts to 3-D projects, mixed media canvases and altered projects - and even knitting, crocheting and jewelry! We want to see whatever you're working on!

You may enter up to five different projects and combine our challenges with as many other challenges as you'd like! Winners and Top Picks are chosen by our design team and announced on the 10th of the month following the close of the challenge!

As an added incentive, should you need it, there will be a giveaway when we reach our first milestone of 100 followers.

We can't wait to see what you create! Hope to see you there.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Dragons Liar Designs 3rd Monthly Challenge

I just have a day to post my entry to the Dragons Lair Designs 3rd Monthly Challenge using the Infinite Love Mini Kit. Recently I have been trying to understand the ins and outs of digital scrapbooking and using grahics programmes. I have the original Serif Craft Artist installed on  my computer but hardly ever use it! So with my involvement with Dragons Lair Designs and as they are geared more to scrapbooking than stamping I thought it high time I experimented a bit more. It's not wonderful but it is a start!



Materials used: 
Dragons Lair Designs - Infinite Love (available to download from the Facebook Fan Group Page
Craft Artist software

I have used a few elements from the kit to make up my 12x12 page. As the name of the kit is Infinite Love and since Rachel and Richard are aproaching their wedding I decided to feature them on this page.

I have to say it does seem strange not actually stamping or colouring on something but on the plus side it was a much quicker project to put together. I think I may be more inclined to do a mixture, putting the backgrounds and photos together digitally and adding stamped and coloured images to it.

Thanks for popping in. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my scrapbook page into the following challenges:
Dragons Lair Designs 3rd Monthly Facebook Fan Group Challenge
Crafting From The Heart #16 - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations #158 - Anything Goes
2 Creative Chicks Showcase #11