* Path of Positivity: The Magic of New Beginnings

 

Hello

Welcome to the midway January post for the Path of Positivity Challenge..

Our challenge is always Anything Goes with an optional theme. We have decided that our overall theme for 2024 will be THE POWER OF WORDS.

This month's option is to design a project that is inspired by quotes about New Beginnings.

Here are the quotes chosen for this month:: 

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one."

— Brad Paisley

“New month, new intentions, new goals, new love, new light, and new beginnings.” 

— April Mae Monterrosa

"The magic in new beginnings is the most powerful of them all." 

 — Josiyah Martin

"New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter waiting to be written." 

 — Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” 

— T.S. Eliot

Honours and Prizes include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

Here is my midway DT project.

I decided to use one of the new beginning quotes and add some stamped images. 

I made a stencilled background using dye based inks and added white splatters. I darkened the edges with Oxide inks and Versafine Nocturn ink. The lovely stamps are from Rubber Dance (Loose Florals 1 and Textiured Birds). I coloured them with Inktense watercolour pencils. They are fussy cut leaving a thin border and are loosely attached to the stencilled background, so that there is some dimension and movement. The sentiment was typed and cut into strips.

White paint splatters were applied to the coloured stamps and Glossy Accents added to the flower centres and to the bird's eye.

***

That's all for now.

We would love to see your creations! 

Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!

The link up is here: Challenge #119 Path of Positivity.

Many thanks to Scribbles Designs for sponsoring the challenge.

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo 

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* My Time to Craft Challenge #525 Something New (New Stamps) 24/01

* Inkspirational Challenges #307 Use a Stencil 26/01

* A Perfect Time to Craft AG 27/01

* Pennys Challenges #563 AG 30/01

* We Love Stamping #8 Something New (New stamps) 31/01

* 613 Avenue Create Jan AG/New Beginnings 02/02

Sparkles Challenges #172 New Beginnings 15/02 TOP 3

* Path of Positivity: The Sea

 

Hello

Welcome to the August Path of Positivity Challenge.

Our challenge is always Anything Goes with an optional theme.

This month's option is to design a project that is inspired by the sea.

Honours and Prizes include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

I decided to use Rubber Dance "Textured Sea Creatures" stamps for my project:

I heat embossed the stamps onto white card and used Brushos to colour them, adding water first then sprinkling in the crystals. I love the variegated colours that this gives. I enhanced the colours with Inktense watercolour pencils. The stamps were fussy cut popped up on foam onto the background.

The background has the sand dollar stamp from "Textured Sea Creatures" and some seaweed from "Mixed Media Borders" heat embossed in the background. Some green and blue Brushos powders were sprinkled over and spritzed with water. I also added some Iridescent Sprinkle It and a tiny amount of gold. I used Inktense pencils to add shade around the sand dollars. White paint was splattered over the background.

I used some cheesecloth and some dried flowers behind the shell stamps for some texture and finished off with three clear gems.

Here are the lovely sea horses:

This shows the dimension and texture:

And here is the turtle:

That's all for now.

We would love to see your creations! 
Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!
The link up is here: Challenge #114 Path of Positivity.

 

Many thanks to Scribbles Designs for sponsoring the challenge.

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* All Sorts Challenge 739/740 Anything but square 11/08

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2331 AG 13/08

* Dream Valley #299 Add gems/pearls 19/08  

                                                                             * Aloha Challenges #1 Vacation Mode 28/08 

* We Love Stamping  Aug Masculine 30/08  TOP 5

* Stamping Sensations  Aug AG 30/08

*A Place to Start  Aug AG 31/08

 

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Path of Positivity: Welcoming Autumn

 Hello

Welcome to the October Path of Positivity Challenge.

Our challenge is always Anything Goes with an optional theme.

This month's option is to design a project that focuses on celebrating YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON.

Honours and Prizes include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

I chose to make my DT project about the arrival of autumn. Whilst I don't particularly like cold, wet and windy weather, I do love the colours in this season of change, especially when accompanied by bright, sunshine and clear blue skies :).

Here is the card I made:

I made a wreath using foliage stamps from Inkylicious and Lavinia and inked the background with Elements inks, adding some water droplets to the edges to give a faux bleach effect.

The lovely bird is a stamp called Merry Magpie from Rubber Dance. She was stamped onto white card and fussy cut, then adhered to the wreath.

I matted the background onto black card and popped all onto a card base. Here is a close up:

We would love to see your creations! 
Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!
The link up is here: Challenge #105 Path of Positivity.

 

That's all for today! 

Many thanks to Scribbles Designs for sponsoring the challenge.

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* MMM Challenge Autumn Flora/Fauna

* All Sorts Challenge #696 Gardner's Delights 08/10

* Outlawz Challenges - Sunday Song- & Rhyme 16/10

* Double Trouble Oct Fall Colours 16/10

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #191 AG 16/10

* Use Your Stuff #468 Autumn/Fall 16/10

* Corrosive Challenges #10 AG 31/10 Top 5

* 613 Avenue Create Oct AG 31/10 

*  We Love Stamping Oct Autumn Colours 02/11

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Circle Play

Hello

Yesterday I attended an online workshop hosted by Stampers Grove and taught by Gwen Lafleur. Gwen is an amazing artist and she designs for PaperArtsy and Stencil Girl.  

Here is what I made:

I worked on 9 x 12 inch watercolour paper and collaged the background using Professor Plum and Haystack PaperArtsy Fresco paint, along with some Heavy Cream over the collaged elements. 

The circles were stamped - I used a selection of circular Rubber Dance stamps (from Crazy Flowers Set 1 and Textured Sea Creatures). The leaves were collaged with stamped, green gelli printed paper. 

Colour was added to the circular flowers with Gelatos and Neocolour II crayons and I added some doodling with black, white and gold Posca pens. 

White acrylic ink was splattered over the finished piece and the edges were inked with Ground Espresso and Black archival ink. I also added some gold acrylic paint to the leaves and along the edges.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Creative Artiste Mixed Media #61 AG MM 29/06

* 2 Sisters on the Blog #40 Two Circles 30/06
* Daisy Chain #42 Flowers 30/06
* Mix it Up #38 AG 30/06

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Watercoloured Florals

Hello!

It's another wet and windy Saturday, so I've stayed indoors and been trying out some new stamps by Rubber Dance. 

They are the Loose Florals Set 1. 

I stamped the floral images onto watercolour card and coloured them in my favourite colour with my Cotman watercolours. I fussy cut them, leaving a thin white border.

The background is on mixed media card - it was first given a coating of white gesso, then torn book pages were added. I applied some Crackle Texture Paste through a That's Crafty Bubble Leaves stencil and when it was dry began to add colour to the background. More white gesso was applied to knock back some of the colour and when that was dry, I stamped some Grungy Borders and some words from the Mix A Sentiment stamp set. I also added some Distress Oxide dots from the new Textured Birds set.

I arranged the flowers and leaves and loosely glued them to the background. I used my finger to add black acrylic paint around the edges of the background for a grungy look and finished with white paint splatters.

The sentiment is a sticker from Tim Holtz's Small Talk pack.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Lavinia World Challenges #20 AG Real Stamps 24/02

Addicted to Stamps #377 Make Your Mark 25/02

Take It Make It Feb AG 26/02 WINNER

* Cassic Design Challenge  AG 27/02

* Love to Craft #43 AG 28/02

* Mix It Up #34 AG with Stencilling 28/02 TOP PICK

* Dream Valley #219 Hand Coloured Images (3/3) 29/02 TOP 3

* Tuesday Throwdown #451 Favourite Colour (pinks) 2/03 TOP 3

* My Time to Craft #426 Rubber Stamp 05/03

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Merry Magpie

Hello!

I'm sharing a card I made for the Rubber Dance, November Colour Challenge today.

I used the Merry Magpie stamp set as well as a stem from the Doodle Borders 1 and a leafy stem from Doodle Flowers.

I used a mixed media plate to start the background. I dabbed on some Fossilised Amber Distress Ink and spritzed it with water, then gently pressed it down into the centre of the white card. When it was dry, I repeated with the ink that was left on the plate. I did this a few times until I was happy with the result. I used Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide to blend ink around the card edges, going slightly lighter as I reached right up to the amber circle. I then added splatters of water all over the background and blotted, to take some colour away.

I chose a leafy stem from the Doodle Borders 1 set, inked it with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink and stamped in short sections around the circle to separate the amber from the Seedless Preserves. I also added some stars to the whole background in Smoked Hickory.

The leafy Doodle Flowers was stamped all around the outside edge, first in black archival ink and then in Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide.  

The sentiment was stamped directly onto the card background. Merry Magpie was stamped onto the card base and also onto white card to be fussy cut and popped on foam pads. 

I added some Crystal Stickles to the stars - I love how this picks up the colour from beneath it and shimmers.

That's all from me today.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

QKR Stampede #374 AG 05/12 TOP PICK

* Just Us Girls #51 AG 31/12
* Crafty Cardmakers #246 No Patterned Paper 08/12
* Crafty Friends #124 AG 12/12

* Creative Fingers #176 AG 13/12 ***

* Cat Lovers Hop: Cat and Bird

Hello!

Have you heard? 

It's the Cat Lovers Hop hosted by Janis at Her Peaceful Garden.

This year is the fifth hop and it's a crazy week filled with crafting, commenting and celebrating cats of all sizes. There are fabulous sponsors and prizes to be won, but best of all, friendships to be forged with like minded cat lovers from around the world. Why don't you come and join us?

Here is my first card:

I used a fabulous red rubber stamp from Lost Coast Designs called Cat and Bird.

I began by making the background. I used Distress Oxides and used the smoosh, dab, dry technique on each colour before adding the next. I used Vintage Photo, Spiced Pumpkin, Fossilised Amber and Fired Brick to give a fiery autumnal backdrop. I stamped some flower heads (from Antique Botanicals by Rubber Dance) into the background in Fired Brick and Vintage Photo. When this was dry I stamped the Cat and Bird directly onto the background and again onto white card. The Cat and Bird were fussy cut, ready to be adhered over the stamped image.

I decided to add some foliage around the edges of the background and settled on some Inkylicious stamps, using Daisy Fields around the base and Tumbling Vines for the top section. I finished the background by inking all around the edges in black archival ink.

The background was matted onto white card and then onto black card, then it was popped on a 6 x 6 inch card base.

That's all for now!
Pop over to see what the others cat lovers have been up to
click here

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in the following challenges: 

* 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #31 25/10 (#3)
* Sweet Stampin Feature A Creature 25/10
* Crafty Animals #31 27/10
* My Time To Craft #408 Halloween or Cats 30/10
* Lost Coast Portal #86 Pets 31/10
* Animal Friends Cat 31/10
* Dare 2B Artzy Cute Animals 02/11
* Lil Patch of CraftyFriends #116 AG 02/11
* Ikesworld Challenge #125 J is for Jaffa (Colour Challenge) 04/11
* SUYP #47 AG 04/11

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

* Rubber Dance: Mama Owl

Hello!

Today I have an inky card to share made with a gorgeous stamp from Rubber Dance.

I have to say thank you to Dot Leatherbridge at Inked Art Designs from whom I took my inspiration for this card.

The focal image is Mama Owl on a branch. I made the background with Brushos (Dark Brown, Yellow and Orange mixed with Dark Brown to create a Burnt Sienna colour). The Brusho powders were mixed with water in little, lidded pots. I placed a circle gel plate in the centre of some 300gsm card and dipped my paintbrush into the colours and splattered them on to the card. When the Brushos were dry, I inked around the card edges with Fossilised Amber Distress Oxide Ink and then used Vintage Photo to ink closer to the edges. I used the dog rose (?) from the Antique Botanicals set to stamp around the edges in Vintage Photo and changed to Fossilised Amber to edge the white central circle. The edges of the card were inked with black archival ink.

Mama Owl and her branch were stamped onto a gelli print, made by splattering the diluted Brushos onto a gelli plate and taking a monoprint. I added some shadows and shading using pencils. I cut a slit into the card to thread the branch through and popped Mama Owl on foam tape for some dimension. The sentiment is cut from words stamped with the Mix A Sentiment #1 set.

The colours were taken from the Rubber Dance October colour challenge:

I am entering this card into the Path of Positivity Challenge.
If you haven't come across this blog challenge, then please hop over. It is run by Lisa and is all about positivity, motivation, inspiration and encouraging one another. As long as your project meets these criteria it is good for the challenge. There is also a monthly optional theme and October's is Courage.

That's all from me today.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #31 25/10

* Angies Digital Stamps #36 AG Opt Fall Colours 25/10

* Crafty Calendar Oct Autumn Colours 28/10 TOP 3

* Cafty Animals #31 AG 28/10

* Stamping Sensations Oct Trees/Leaves/Autumn 30/10 TOP 3

* Ellibelles Oct Stamp It 31/10

* 613 Avenue Create #226 AG Opt: Spotlight 01/11

* Dare 2B Artzy Oct Cute Animals 02/11

Path of Positivity #73 Courage 03/11 TOP PICK

* Creative Inspirations Oct Autumn 05/11