Card Design: FBD Give Thanks Challenge Reminder

Hello and happy Wednesday to you all!  It is time to bring you all some freshly brewed inspiration to perk up the middle of your week.  Today starts the second week of our latest challenge going on over at Fresh Brewed Designs.  Right now we are halfway through our Give Thanks Challenge which means you have one more week to get your entries in.  This is the time of year when we see a focus on gratitude as it is on many people's minds throughout the Thanksgiving season.  However, remember that giving thanks is ALWAYS in season, no matter what time of year it is.  We would love to see you create and enter a card expressing gratitude during this next week for your chance to win a fabulous prize!!!

YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL THE RULES TO WIN!

1. This challenge ends Tuesday, December 2nd.
2. You can enter up to 5 times with your NEW creations (no back linking please).
3. If you use an FBD image, please add FBD to the end of your name.

We will be awarding one winner in each challenge, 3 Digital Stamps.  For all the challenge details including the link up, please click HERE.  

Before I show you my card, it is important to note the following... 

Disclaimer:
It clearly states in the Fresh Brewed Designs, terms of use, that images must be hand coloured.  Therefore, please note that I sought out and received permission from the owner, to create a hybrid project that is partially manipulated digitally and partially coloured in by hand.  If you decide that you want to use Fresh Brewed Designs images in this way (partially digitally manipulated), you must seek out permission from Heather before doing so EACH TIME and indicate that you have, when posting. 

General Information:

• I've gone rather untraditional with this card as I've made it into a birthday card.  However, the theme of giving thanks is definitely prevalent.

FRONT

Digital Image Details:

• Cutie Bug Gift:  This adorable image is currently available in the FBD store.  You can find it by clicking on the image watermark below. 
• This image has been coloured using a combination of techniques.  Parts were manipulated digitally (see disclaimer above) and then the image was printed out and the remaining parts were coloured by hand using Copic markers. Digital credits include:
• Ribbon and bow were altered using a layer style courtesy of:  HG Graphic Designs.
• The gift was paper pieced with one of my papers (see info below). 
• Faux stitching was added around the rectangle. 

Digital Sentiment Details:

• I created the pennant shape digitally, coloured it and then added text before printing it.  I then fussy cut the pennant out and added it to the front of the card.

 

INSIDE

Digital Sentiment Details:

• I created the top part of the sentiment specifically for this card.
• The 'happy birthday' sentiment was created by Paulette from Create with TLC.  This is another freebie that I've used before.  This time I coloured in the banner part with the same layer style that I used on the ribbon and bow from the image on the front.  Click HERE to go to Paulette's blog and HERE to go to the store.

OVERALL

Paper Products: 

• Card base:  Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, Cool Water Collection.
• Image, sentiment and pennant shape base base:  Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, Cool Water Collection.

Digital Paper Products: 

• I've used one of my own digital papers for this card.  It is a freebie I offered up back in April.  You can find it and some other birthday related goodies by clicking HERE.

Challenges I hope to enter...

• http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.ca/-- Anything Goes with Patterned Papers 
• http://www.craftforthecraic.blogspot.ie/ -- Birthdays
• http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.ca/ --Happy Birthday
• http://alohafridaychallenges.blogspot.ca/-- Thankful/Thank You
• http://www.dreamweaverstencils.blogspot.ca/ -- Thankful and Thoughtful
• http://meljensdesignsdt.blogspot.ca/ -- Thank You
• http://doubleclickconnections.blogspot.ca/ -- Thank You
• http://paperprettiesblog.blogspot.ca/ --Thanksgiving or Be Thankful
• http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/ -- Thanks or Thanksgiving
• http://seizethebirthday.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes Birthday

Be sure to head over to Fresh Brewed Designs and check out what my fellow teammies are up to these days and of course check out the store for all the fabulous images available for purchase.  You definitely won't be disappointed!

At Fresh Brewed Designs we always have a fresh pot of creativity brewing. So stop by and join us for a cuppa whenever you want!

 

Until next time,

Additional notes:  Just a reminder...
Remember that terms of use or angel policies will differ with each and every company selling digital images.  While some companies do not take issue with their images being made into digital creations, others do, so make sure you seek permission from EACH COMPANY involved.  Also, keep in mind that if you do create a digital piece of work, even with permission, this does not alter the fact that the original image belongs to the original artist(s).  Creating a hybrid project DOES NOT allow you to claim the new creation as your own and do with it as you wish.  The fact that you'd be using an image for your own personal use does not automatically allow you to do what you want with another artist's work.  So, please be sure to get permission first before going ahead with your ideas.

Motivational Monday & PoP Midway Reminder: Gratitude

 If you are new to my blog and would like to know why I started Motivational Monday, please go HERE.

Hello and a warm welcome to those of you stopping by this Monday.  I appreciate you taking the time to come over and read what I have to say.  This evening, I'll be sharing a reflection on gratitude along with a couple freebies at the bottom of the post.  The reflection, and one of the freebies can also be found over on my Path of Positivity challenge blog as part of the midway post where the theme this month is GRATITUDE.  On with today's thoughts... 

 

 Give Thanks

The concept of giving thanks is a universal one.  We all have something in our lives which we can be grateful for.  The list differs for each of us because we all live in our own unique part of the world.  For some people when they get out of bed in the morning they can be thankful there is a roof over their heads.  For others not so fortunate, they can be thankful that no one came by and robbed them or worse, throughout a long cold night on the street.   And for many more, not hearing bombs go off during the night, can be what they wake up grateful for.  There are many people throughout the world that have lists and lists of things that they should be thankful for, but never are.  Then there are people who have so very little or are in pain or suffering great hardship, who make sure to say quiet 'thank yous' each and every day.

Regardless of your circumstances, I hope that there is still something, even if it is something very small, for which you are able to show your gratitude.  Being grateful is a mindset.  We can choose to show gratitude and take a more positive stance on things or we can choose to wallow and fixate on the negative. Being thankful, not just for the larger things but for the smaller ones too, allows us to fill our lives with love and appreciation.  It reminds us of all the good things that we have going for us. No, gratitude won't make the difficult things we are facing in our life go away, but it will help to provide us with a different perspective.  For example, I can complain about how painful and difficult it is for me to sit, stand and walk unassisted or I can choose to be grateful that I still have the capacity to do all three regardless of how long for the first two, or how far for the last.  Most days when I'm within my home, I can get by with the assistance of my canes.  While I have a wheelchair and scooter, I generally only need them when I leave my home or when I have a rather difficult day.  Under different circumstances I might be in that wheelchair permanently. For today I'm grateful that I'm not.

Whether the act of gratitude comes easy to you or not, it is definitely worth the effort.  Remember, everything in life that has any importance, takes hard work to achieve. There have been studies done that show the benefits of gratitude.  They indicate that people who demonstrate their appreciation on a daily basis, tend to be:

• more full of life,
• purposeful, 
• healthier,
• more creative,
• have better exchanges with their peers,
• more optimistic,
• able to deal with stress and personal challenges more effectively.

Sounds to me, like reason enough, to practice gratitude on a daily basis.  During my research, I came across this quote which summarizes some of those reasons nicely:

"In the face of demoralization, gratitude has the power to energize.  In the face of brokenness, gratitude has the power to heal.  In the face of despair, gratitude has the power to bring hope."  (Emmons, 2013, para. 2)

So, why not try giving thanks today and everyday?  With so many advantages to gain, what do you have to lose?!

References 
Adamski, Carol . (N.D.). The Value of Practicing Gratitude. Available: http://gratitudehabitat.com/be-grateful/. Last accessed 16th November 2014.
Emmons, Robert. (2013). How Gratitude Can Help You Through Hard Times. Available: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_can_help_you_through_hard_times. Last accessed 16th November 2014.

 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here are the promised freebies.  The first was offered up at the challenge start and the second was just offered up today for the midway...

 

© 2014 

Font Information: 

• Scriptina Pro font created by Cheap Pro Fonts
• Garineldo font created by gluk

© 2014

Font Information:

• Leafy font created by West Wind Fonts
• Scriptina Pro font created by Cheap Pro Fonts

Please be sure to click on the images to bring them up into the lightbox in their proper size before saving them.  Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  All these fonts were listed as free for commercial use at the time each of these project were made, and as such, it is my understanding, that I am within my rights to use these fonts in my creations and offer them to others.  Please refer to my full terms of service for what you can and cannot do with these digital creations.

 
You will notice that the sentiments may appear huge depending on what software program you download them into.  You can always reduce the size without distorting the overall look. 

 

Credit Notes For These Creations:
©2014. Lisa L. Décosse. PUO. However, you are allowed to use the sentiments on handmade projects that you intend to sell on a small scale basis provided credit is given. You also need to include a credit note and a link to this blog should you use any of my images in your creations and post them on your blog. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with my full terms of use found in the 'Download Instructions & T.O.U.' tab at the top of this page. Of important note:  Please do not share my images with family, friends, etc. Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Box®, 4-Shared®, etc. Instead, please direct people to my blog(s) so they can grab the image for themselves. If you would like to post a watermarked version of the image, please contact me to obtain one.

_______________________________________________________________

I invite you to go and check out, not only, the wonderful creations some members of my Design Team had the opportunity to create over on the Path of Positivity (click HERE for the midway) but also some of the great entries into this month's challenge (click HERE for the challenge).  I also invite you to come over and enter a project yourself, if you haven't already.  I'm sure that there are many people in your life, whom you could share a little gratitude with.  Why not create a card that helps to deliver some thanks to someone special in your life?!

 

Well, that is it for today!  Have a great week ahead everyone! 

 

Until next time,

Gratitude is the Best Attitude

If you are new to my blog and would like to know why I started "Thursdays Are For Thanksgiving", please go HERE. 

Today I simply offer you a sentiment with a focus on being thankful.  This sentiment could be used for a card, layout or other type of project.  I've offered it as one graphic and separated into two in case you want to use the first part on the front of a card and the second part on the inside.  Whether together or separate, they are both the same size when you click on them and save them.  I just made the second look smaller for the sake of saving space.

I think the statement says it all don't you?

Until next time,

Fonts Used:

• Apex Lake
• Foglihten No. 04  

Click the font names to take you to a download location.  Click the font names to take you to a download location.  These fonts are free for commercial use.

Please be sure to read the Angel policy found under the copyright info tab above.  Below is a quick summary of those Terms of Use:   

• Do not claim the image as your own.
• Credit 'Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' somewhere on your creation.   This specific image may be used on handmade items you intend to sell but please see angel policy for the specifics.
• Do not share my images with family, friends, etc.  Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Box®, 4-Shared®, etc.  Instead, please direct people to my blog so they can grab the image for themselves.
• If I have signed an image, do not delete my signature.
• Leave a comment on my blog.  It is currently the only way for me to know if any of my freebies are being nabbed.  Additionally, it will help to inspire me to continue to create and offer future freebies.

A Day for Saying Thank You

If you are new to my blog and would like to know why I started "Thursdays Are For Thanksgiving", please go HERE.

First I need to apologize.  I realized tonight when looking for something in my original Thursdays... post that I had the link wrong.  So, if you were new and tried the link and instead of finding out why I started my gratitude post, found out why Motivational Mondays got started, I sincerely apologize for the confusion.  I don't know where my head was at, I usually check all my links. That being said, let us get on with today's post.

As I mentioned when I started the idea for this post, that while it would be centred around the idea of gratitude, the actual format may change from post to post.  For example, I might pose a question for you to think about, further explore the concept of why gratitude is important, or create a design based on appreciation or maybe, just put out a quote for you to consider.  Today, I'm going to make things a little more personal instead of keeping things general by sharing parts of my Tuesday with all of you.

You see, Tuesday wasn't one of my best days physically.  I wasn't able to turn the light out until around 7:30 am to try and go to sleep and then my mind would NOT shut off so I didn't fall asleep at all until about 10:30 am.  Then, I only managed to sleep for an hour before waking again. I knew that I couldn't function on one hour of disturbed sleep so I after about another 20 minutes I drifted off for another hour.  When I woke up again I got out of bed and tried to work at the computer for three hours but by that time the headache I had woken up with had turned into a raging migraine accompanied by severe nausea so I had to leave the office before I faceplanted into the computer keyboard. Now the reason that I am bringing this up is that even though I was having a difficult day, there were good things mixed in with the bad and there was still opportunity for expressing gratitude.  

When I got settled at my computer and pulled up my email, there was a message from Suze over at Craftysuze congratulating me for my win over at Paper Crafting World. In my head I was thinking, "huh? I don't remember entering any of my latest cards into a challenge over there".  So, I promptly headed over figuring she had made a mistake and another Lisa had won. I was almost resolved to that fact when I finally came to my name listed as the second last winner. 

You see, I had no idea that Paper Crafting World was even offering prizes for people leaving comments during their '25 Days of Christmas'.  It is in my nature to leave a comment when someone offers up a freebie so I was just doing what I always do; however, it was so nice to be rewarded for doing so. Without Suze, I would never have known. Even thought I generally visit Melin's blog on a weekly basis, I would never have thought to scroll through a post listing winner names. Therefore the odds of ever having found my name and claiming the prize on time would have been nil.  To top it off, when Melin came to my blog to verify my information, she liked what she saw and decided to become a follower.  So, not only did I win four digital images from her store, I also gained a new follower through the whole process.

Once I had taken care of those details, I moved on and took care of more correspondence.  Then I came across a message from Sharon who is on the DT over at  Lady Anne's Challenges.  She had left a comment to inform me that I had won the digi she had used in her last challenge.  You see these ladies are not above a little bribery and sweet comments can lead to sweet prizes.  It got better though because Sharon also decided to become a follower.  Who knew how successful a litlle bribery, oops I mean sweet talk, could be? ;O) 

So while I have thanked all these ladies privately, I also wanted to do so publicly.  So thank you to Suze, Sharon and Melin for bringing a little sunshine to what was otherwise a bit of a grey day.  Oh and Suze, since if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have known I had won over at PCW, I will be creating a special digi for you as a thank you.  Watch for it in your mailbox soon.

So, even on those days when things are not their best, we can still take time to say a simple thank you to someone who has made it just a little bit better for us.  These are some of the people that I have said thank you to over the last couple of days.  Who are you saying your thanks to?

Until next time,

Giving Without Expectation

UPDATE:

I'm sorry but the images that were in this post are no longer available for download.  Free Digital Photos has revoked the permission that they had originally given me.  While I am still allowed to post their images on line, I am no longer able to offer them up for download.  I can however still offer you the original quote that was part of the motivational graphic.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

We often forget that we are all made of three parts:  physical, mental and spiritual.  While we take care of our health and exercise to increase our physical attributes; learn and keep our minds active to develop our mental abilities; we rarely do anything to nurture our spiritual self.  Keep in mind that while our spiritual side may involve religion it doesn't necessarily have to.  Something as simple as taking a walk in nature and letting the stillness of the moment flow over you, can help to expand the spiritual side of your being.

Giving without expectation of return is another way to help us develop that all important spiritual side of our nature.  For those of us who celebrate Christmas, this is the perfect opportunity to practice the art of giving without expecting anything in return. There are certain things we should do just for the inherent goodness attached to doing them.  The fact that you have done something right should be the only reward you need in these cases.  Once you’ve conditioned your mind this way, the actuality is that you do indeed get something in return.  Kevin Sinclair describes these benefits in his article, “Give Without Expecting Return”.  When you give without expectation you benefit in the following ways:  “a higher state of awareness; the pride that you have given something of powerful, lasting, un-aging value to the world; and, you have made the world in which you live a better place, which can only benefit you even if indirectly and not in any immediate sense.” 

For those of you who are skeptical that selfless acts still exist, let me share a story with you.  I paid a visit on Monday to the blog of one of my favourite designers.  Many of you are probably familiar with Anna Stillwell from Cuddlebug Cuties.  If you have followed Free Digital Stamps for awhile then you already know that she has a generous nature.  On Saturday, she shared something special with us.  You see, Anna has an Etsy store like so many digital artists out there.  Yet, instead of pocketing the profits, she made the choice to take all of her earnings from every stamp purchased in her store and donate the funds to her favourite bookstore.  Each year during the Christmas season, this particular bookstore does a drive to collect books for a local orphanage.  While Anna was in the very long checkout line, she continued to hear the store associates ask each customer in turn, if they would be interested in donating a book for the book drive.  Unfortunately, there were more people that said ‘no’ than said ‘yes’.  When it came time for Anna to make her purchases, she piped up before the associate had a chance to even ask the question.  It was apparent on his face and in his demeanor that he was dreading to ask the question again and receive yet another reply of 'no'.  She dumped her armful of books onto the counter and said, “these are for your book drive".  The man was so overwhelmed that he started to cry.  Anna made the difference in a number of children’s lives that day, expecting nothing in return.  Now, that is what this season is all about--giving from the heart with no strings attached.

We could all do with a little extra positive energy flowing into our lives this holiday season; so, go out and find someone that you can gift something to without anticipating anything in return.  It doesn’t have to cost money.  Not everyone has the financial ability to do what Anna did.  Many of you need the extra money you make selling stamps to help pay the bills and put food on the table.  Find a different way to give.  Be creative.  The only requirement is that you give from the heart.

If you are interested in the information used to create this sentiment, I have included it below along with my other usual caveats.  Please note that due to the nature of these designs, you may not use either quote on products you sell since three of the fonts are for personal use only with no profit generation.

Until next time, 

 Fonts Used: 

• Cheri & Cheri Liney 
• Angelina
• Lobster Two 
• Champagne and Limousines

 Click the font name to take you to a download location.  While Angelina and Lobster Two are considered free for commercial use, the remaining are for personal use only.

If you haven't already, please become familiar with my terms of use found in the copyright tab at the top of this page.  I have included a quick summary below.   If you are not sure how to copy the image, check out the download instructions page.  
  
Quick summary of Terms of Use: 

• Do not claim the image as your own.
• Credit 'Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' somewhere on your creation
• Do not share my images with family, friends, etc.  Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Pinterest®, 4-Shared®, etc.  Instead, please direct people to my blog so they can grab the image for themselves.
• If I have signed an image, do not delete my signature.
• Leave a comment on my blog.  It is currently the only way for me to know if any of my freebies are being nabbed.  Additionally, it will help to inspire me to continue to create and offer future freebies.

References:

Cabelis, Walter . (2010). The Essence of Giving. Available: http://www.lionslinger.com/2010/01/08/the-essence-of-giving/. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

Deschene, Lori . (2009). 20 Ways to Give Without Expectations. Available: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/20-ways-to-give-without-expectations/. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

Hitchcock, Cheryl . (unknown). Practicing the Art of Giving Back. Available: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/practicing-the-art-of-giving-back. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

Sinclair, Kevin . (2009). Give Without Expecting Return. Available: http://kevinsinclair.hubpages.com/hub/Give-Without-Expecting-Return. Last accessed 11th December 2012.

The Expression of Gratitude

 If you are new to my blog and would like to know why I started "Thursdays Are For Thanksgivings", please go HERE.


Thank you.

So many meanings wrapped up into two little words.  

The words may stay the same but the intensity can change with each utterance.  The same words are used for something as simple as gratitude expressed when someone passes you something at the dinner table; or, it can mean something as profound as the appreciation one expresses to someone for the act of intervening in a situation that could have had deadly consequences.

Two little words.  A multitude of expressions.  

 What does it mean for you?

  

The original size of each of the images is a little under 4 & 1/2 inches wide which might be a bit big for smaller cards.  However, it is much easier to make something smaller than to enlarge it without affecting the resolution of the image.  I played around with different colour choices--grey-blue, burgandy, blue and greyscale.  While three of the images look like they are much smaller they aren't, it is simply to conserve space in this post.  

If you are interested in the font information, I have included it below along with my other usual caveats.

Until next time, 

Fonts Used: 

• Cacophony Loud

• Mutlu

Click the font name to take you to a download location.  Both these fonts are considered free for commercial use.

If you haven't already, please become familiar with my terms of use found in the copyright tab at the top of this page.  I have included a quick summary below.   If you are not sure how to copy the image, check out the download instructions page.  
  
Quick summary of Terms of Use:

• Do not claim the image as your own.
• Credit 'Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' somewhere on your creation
• Do not share my images with family, friends, etc.  Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Pinterest®, 4-Shared®, etc.  Instead, please direct people to my blog so they can grab the image for themselves.
• If I have signed an image, do not delete my signature.
• Leave a comment on my blog.  It is currently the only way for me to know if any of my freebies are being nabbed.  Additionally, it will help to inspire me to continue to create and offer future freebies.

So Very Thankful: Good News To Share

Today I'm so excited to share some FANTASTIC news with you.  In fact, if I was capable of it, I'd climb up and shout it from the rooftop.  Since that isn't possible, I'll just share it with all of you here on my blog.

Today I have one more thing in my life to add to my gratitude list.  I was asked to join a design team and after careful consideration to ensure that I would be able to keep the committment I would be making, I SAID YES!  So come February, I will be designing for the AWESOME Canadian company--Scribbles Designs owned by the super, fabulously talented, Sandy Sommerfeld.  I am truly honoured and so thankful to be chosen as one of the design team members.  I only hope that I do Sandy justice.

Today I want to show you the card I created using one of Sandy's freebies.  You can currently find it and information on the Design Team call over on Sandy's blog, Scribbles By Sandy or on the new Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog.  If you are interested in applying for a team member position, there is still time left.  Just head on over when you are done here and check out the details.  

So, in this edition of "Thursdays Are For Giving Thanks", my focus is on expressing gratitude for this amazing opportunity.  It is especially meaningful because this will be my first Design Team position.  Wish me luck!  I hope you will be joining us when the Scribbles Challenge Blog goes live.  Become a follower so you won't miss any of the action!

I decided to go with a clean and simple look for this card.  Sandy's sunflower design is so beautiful, I wanted to make sure it was the star of the show.  Copics include: Y13, Y15, Y17, E21, E23 and E25 (sunflower); G20, G29, YG61, YG63, YG67 (leaves and stems).  The sentiment, which fits perfectly, is from Hannalie over on Desert Diva.   The inside is stamped with a clear rubber stamp from the Stampendous Encouraging Words set using a Studio-G ink.  By leaving the inside void of any text, the card can be used for inspiration, dealing with difficulty or even for encouraging someone's dreams or expressing pride.

I'm afraid the colour quality of my scans aren't the greatest.  That is something else on my list of things to do--learn how to touch up pics for colour restoration.  Unfortunately, it is rather low on my priority list at the moment and will now have to wait until the new year to explore.  

I have entered this card into the following challenges: 

• Challenges For Everybody -- Challenge #8:  Anything Goes
• Through the Craftroom Door -- Anything Goes Challenge #46
• Make It Monday -- MIM #117:  Anything Goes 
• Digi Haven -- November Anything Goes Challenge
• Pile It On Challenge -- Challenge #48: Anything But a Christmas Card
• Word Art Wednesday --  Challenge #46: God's Goodness/Anything Goes
•  Simon Says Stamps Challenge -- Simon Says...Anything Goes
•  Crafting For All Seasons --  Challenge #41:  Use Flowers
•  Can You Digi It -- Challenge #23: Clean and Simple
•  Creative Card Crew -- Challenge #24:  Anything Goes
•  All That Scraps Challenge Blog -- Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest post. If you have the time before you go, I'd love to know one thing you are thankful for on this day.

Until next time,