Saturday Showcase: November 24, 2012

Hello peeps!  Hope you are all doing well and for my American readers I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love and laughter--two of my favourite things in life.  For that matter, wherever you are in this world, I hope that your Thursday, your Friday and all your days are filled with the same wonderful qualities.  If they aren't currently, then I wish that they will be someday soon.  Now, let's get on with the showcase.

For those of you new to my little slice of bloggyland, each week I come across a lot of truly unique blogs featuring incredible freebies, remarkable card designs and great tips and techniques.  Consequently, I created a special Saturday post designed to showcase other artists' work (whether it be stamps, cards or otherwise), a blog post offering a great technique, or I might even just pick a whole blog to showcase.  The criteria I use is that it has to move me in some way (it makes me laugh or cry; awes, inspires or astounds me; etc). I believe that it is extremely important to support other artists within our creative community and this is my way of doing so.

My top picks for this week include...

CARD CHOICE

This wonderful card was designed by

  KAREN H.

Her blog is called

 Kaleidoscopic Sparkles

I came across this card a few weeks ago on my first vist to Karen's blog.  It is from her October 1st post aptly entitled, "In Everything...Give Thanks". I waited to post it until now because I wanted it to coincide with the American Thanksgiving weekend--appropriate since Karen is from Michigan.  I love the unique shape of this card.  I haven't tried doing shaped cards yet.  I'm a little nervous as to how it will turn out.  However, Karen makes it look easy.  I love her choice of colours which are very fall oriented.  My eyes are immediately drawn to the cluster of leaves.  Karen embossed the leaves and then added gold Stickles around the edge.  The resulting effect is stunning.  I also really like how she accented the frame of the card with rhinestones and I love her vision behind the choice.  She wanted to give the card "'a golden sunset appearance". She most definitely achieved this effect and what I was really taken with was how she herself, saw the embellishments "as harvest sunbeams from above".  I'll take a little descriptive prose on the side of my card viewing any day.  Of course, the quote says it all and fits in perfectly with my "Thursdays Are For Giving Thanks" post from earlier this week.  You will find all the details for this card in the link mentioned for Karen's post previously in this paragraph. If you are unfamiliar with her work, pay Karen a visit and check out her other unique designs.  For those of you who are also interested in baking, she features a 'Sweet Saturday' post filled with yummy treats and recipes (clicking on the blog name will take you straight to her blog).  

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FREE DIGITAL STAMP CHOICE

 This wonderful image was created by

  GINGER

Her blog is called

Ginger's House

I invite you all to stop by Ginger's House.  Well, not literally.  I'm not sure how she'd feel if 20 or 30 people showed up suddenly at her doorstep this afternoon.  I'm talking about stopping by her blog of the same name.  Although, at times it actually feels like you are sitting in her living room listening to her talk about her day or another adventure going on in her world.  Ginger has a very unique perspective on things and likes to share tidbits of her life with her readers.  Oh, and she has free word art too!  This is not your run of the mill wordart either.  I guarantee nobody has word art quite like Ginger.  She can make you laugh, cry, remember something special, really make you contemplate certain aspects of life and inspire you--and that is all in the same week!  I found the above quote when I was going through her archives and fell in love with it.  It is now on my list of daily mantra's and should be on everyone else's.  I feel a discourse coming on...but that is for another day.  The name of the post where I found this little gem is "I'm Playing Today".  Now unfortunately, the download link for this particular quote is no longer valid.  Ginger is hoping to be able to find it and repost it but there are no promises that she will be able to.  While the download link doesn't work you could still click on the image and then save the smaller png version of it.  Don't be discouraged though, there are so many other free images to choose from.  One of her most recent tidbits that touched me deeply was this one:

It is from the post entitled, "Go Vote By Two Moose Designs".  This is another unique phrase that really sings out to me.  As I mentioned in a recent post, my #1 mantra is 'Never Surrender'.  'Life is tough, but I am tougher' fits right along with this sentiment.  I personally, need to print this one out and post it somewhere I can see it.  If this wordart inspires you like it did me, I encourage you to go and get it for yourself.  If this one isn't relevant to your life, I promise that when you visit Ginger's blog you will find one that is.  I assure you, the time spent looking through her designs will be time well spent (clicking on the blog name will take you straight to her blog).

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Finally, that  brings me to the...

 This is a special category highlighting 

a stamp for sale by another artist.

  This week that honour goes to...

This beautiful image was created by  

LYN NORTON

Her blog is called

Spectacular Printable

  Her Etsy store is located HERE

This kit that includes this stamp is available for sale HERE

I came across this image in the post called "Freebie for the week of October 28th".  Now if you weren't lucky enough to get this as a freebie during that week, I'm afraid it is no longer available for free. But that is okay because this category is all about stamps for sale by someone in our community.  Considering that today is 'Small Business Saturday', it is even more important to go out and support the small online crafting businesses like Spectacular Printable and the other small stores I've highlighted during the last four weeks.

I came across this image at a time when I was looking for ideas for my mom and dad's 50th anniversary card.  Lyn and her husband were celebrating their 40th anniversary that week and so she had opted to move away from the fall images for a more romantic theme before heading into the Christmas images. The actual image is from a clip art set available in the Spectacular Printable Etsy Shop entitled "Fancy Heart Clip Art" (link above). I really like the intricate nature of the design and especially the transparent background which makes it great for printing out on all different colours of paper.
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Well, that is it for this week's edition of the Saturday Showcase.  Thanks to all the wonderful artists listed above for agreeing to allow me to showcase their work on my blog.  Don't be surprised to see their work listed here again in the future.  Though you never know, I may be contacting YOU next to showcase something incredible you've created.

 

Until next time,

Note:  

 *Thanks to Nikki from Limited Runs Stamps for creating my Saturday Showcase badge.

Thursdays Are For Giving Thanks

I just want to take a moment to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and friends south of the border.  We celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving back at the beginning of October, so now its your turn.

Even though today is an American holiday, the concept of giving thanks is a universal one.  We all have something in our lives for which we can be grateful .  The list differs for each of us because we all live in our own unique part of the world.  

Personally, I am thankful for a wonderfully supportive husband, two amazing parents, other family and friends in my life and of course my remaining furbaby Marigold.  I am thankful for the many people I have met in this unique online community. I am grateful for the roof over our head, the car in our driveway and the fact that my husband has found part time employment--more importantly, that he likes the type of work he is doing.  I'm indebted for the clean air I am breathing, the clean water I have access to and the peace in our land.  I am thankful that for today my pain is manageable and that I am feeling up to sitting and getting some work done on the computer and that I don't have to rely on my wheelchair for getting around the house.  For this moment, I only need to use my canes.

Yes, today is a good day and my hope is that tomorrow will be a good one as well.  Unfortunately, there are many others out there who are not so lucky.  There are many people in our world who are in pain and suffering great hardship.  However, even if your circumstances are not the best, I hope that there is still something, even something very small, for which you are able to show your gratitude. 

The only thing we truly have power over in our lives is the way that we think.  Being grateful is a choice.  We can choose to show gratitude and take a more positive outlook on things or we can choose to continue to focus on the negative.  No, gratitude won't make the bad things we are facing go away, it just helps us to look at our lives a little differently.  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 or how far.  Under different circumstances I might be in my wheelchair permantly.  For today I'm grateful that I'm not.

Gratitude is not easy.  If you live in darkness it is difficult to see the light never mind try to grasp onto something that you are thankful for.  But I believe the end results will be worth the effort.  Everything important in life takes work.  Start off with coming up with one thing you are grateful for in your life right now.  We are only guaranteed the time we have today.  Worry about tomorrow, when it comes.  

I have decided that at least one Thursday a month I am going to design a post around the idea of gratitude.  Thursdays around here will be about giving thanks.  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.  Maybe, it will just be a quote for you to consider.  I'd love to hear some ideas about what you'd like to see covered in this topic.  Send me an email or leave me a comment.  For today, I'll just leave you with this food for thought.

So, what are you thankful for today?

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

Until next time,

Fonts Used: 

• Scriptina Pro

• Chanpagne & Limousines

Click the font name to take you to a download location.  The Scriptina Pro font is considered free for commercial use and Champagne & Limosines font is free for personal use.  According to Fontspace, 'personal use' typically refers to any use that is not meant to generate profit and covers graphic design for blogs. So, I believe that I am safe in using it here in these designs and offering it to all of you.

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.

Follower Freebies 11 - 19: Offering Up Some Thanks

In honour of the American Thanksgiving tomorrow, and because I wasn't on Blogger yet when we celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving, I offer up some 'thanks' for my readers.  These will also qualify as freebie followers.

Follower Freebie #11:    In honour of 'Michele from MS' who became a follower on Oct. 30th. 

Font:  Janda Happy Day-PUO

Follower Freebie #12:    In honour of 'Suze' who became a follower on Oct. 30th.

Font:  Impact-FW* & Leafyshade-CU

Follower Freebie #13:    In honour of 'SiskiyouSue' who became a follower on Oct. 31st. 

Font:  Autumn Gifts-CU

Follower Freebie #14:    In honour of 'Sharon Kotchkowski' who became a follower on Oct. 31st.

Font:  Rebecca-CU

Follower Freebie #15:    In honour of 'sunshine_ honeybee20' who became a follower on Oct. 31st.
 

Font:  Algeria-CU

Follower Freebie #16:    In honour of 'Suzanne' who became a follower on Oct. 31st.

Fonts: Fleur Corner Caps-PUO & Bodini MT-FW*

Follower Freebie #17:    In honour of 'Mary Van Skiver' who became a follower on Oct. 31st.

Fonts: Impact Label Reversed-CU & Impact Label-CU

Follower Freebie #18:    In honour of 'Sandy Lewis' who became a follower on Oct. 31st.

Font:  Algeria

Follower Freebie #19:    In honour of 'crystaldolphins' who became a follower on Oct. 31st.

Font:  Don't Panic-CU

If you click on the font name in the caption, it will take you to the download location.  I have indicated beside the font name whether they are for personal use only (PU) or for commercial use (CU).  I have also included my usual caveats below.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for another treat.

Until next time,

 
*This font is condsidered freeware on the site.  However, they do not expand on what the term really means.  Use caution when using this font.

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.

Motivational Monday: November 19, 2012

For those of you who are new to Motivational Mondays...
It doesn't matter who you are, everyone needs a little motivation in their lives.   Motivation helps us to stay focused, increase our confidence, and aspire us to achieve our goals.  It also nurtures us and helps us to keep going when the going gets tough.  Most people are just too busy dealing with their daily lives to be bothered with self-motivation; so, allow me to provide a little external motivation for you.

For my faithful followers...welcome back.

This week's motivational quote is dedicated to anyone out there going through some sort of struggle, whether it be physical, emotional, financial, etc.  If this describes where you are in your life right now, please hang on.  You can borrow my personal mantra 'Never Surrender' for as long as you need it.  I am also dedicating today's quote to AmyJo, one of my newest followers, who could do with a little extra boost of encouragement.

Even if you are not struggling, odds are you know someone who is.  Maybe a card made with this sentiment might just brighten their day and help inspire them to keep trying and not give up.

If you use the quote for the front of a card, you might want to pair it up with this for the inside:

 Have a good week everyone and I hope that you all manage to stay motivated throughout it.

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

Until next time,

Fonts Used: 

• TrashHand

• Jenna Sue

Click the font name to take you to a download location.  The Jenna Sue font is considered free for commercial use and TrashHand is also believed to be free for commercial use--key words--believed to be.  TrashHand doesn't come with additional licensing information.  The site where I got it from believes that if an unlicensed font is freely available for download from different locations then it is assumed to be safe to use on a commercial basis. However, there is no guarantee.  Just a warning in case you plan to use TrashHand for commercial purposes.

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.

Designed 2 Delight November Challenge

It is time once again for the Designed 2 Delight free stamp of the month' challenge.  In order to enter, you must either have received the latest image by having partipated in the previous month or you can buy the stamp for the current month's challenge.  Everyone who enters and follows the rules is a winner because you automatically get the stamp for the next month's challenge.  Stop by the site and check out the rules for yourself.  While you are there, have a look around.  Their digital images are just so cute!  This is the card I'm entering.

Front:

Inside:

Here are the details.  I hope I haven't forgotten anything...

• Image of the snowman is from Designed 2 Delight.  It is coloured using Copic(R) markers: snowman-B00 and the colourless blender; scarve, hat & mitts-W1, W3, W5, & W7; jacket-R22, R24, & R29.  
• While it is difficult to see, I added snow glitter to the cuffs, and pom-pom.  Really!  It's there!!  I promise!!!
• Paper:  Basic white cardstock from Michael's(R) for the base; the beige paper with snowflakes, the same with the stockings and ornaments on it and the red polka dot papers are all from the Recollections(R) All Seasons paper pad; the solid red paper I used as a silhouette and the shimmery white paper used for the snowflakes is from the Michael's(R) openstock collection.
• I created the snowflakes from a puncher bought at Dollarama(R). 
• Since I've entered a challenge that requires I use something at least six months old, I need to make note that all the papers used are ones that I have had for longer than six months. 

Including the Designed 2 Delight Catching Flakes Digital Stamp Challenge, I have entered this card into the following other challenges:

• Challenges For Everybody -- Anything Goes Challenge #7
• Through the Craftroom Door -- Anything Goes Challenge #44
• Make It Monday -- Anything Goes (always)
• The Squirrel and the Fox -- Challenge #31:  Anything Goes
• Just Keep on Creating -- Christmas is Around the Corner Challenge
• Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge -- Use something six months old
• Little Claire's Ideas & Inspirations Blog -- Monthly Challenge #27:  Christmas
• Paper Creator's Crafts -- Challenge #1:  Christmas
• Sweet Stampin' -- Snow People Challenge
• Hiding In My Craftroom --HIMCR #72 - Glitz & Glam Blog Hop 

 There are still some challenges I might enter this card into but I'll have to add to this list later if I do.  It's 4:00 am and I still need to all my linking up for the ones above yet before I can get to bed.

Update on November 29th:

I managed to get in right under the wire and entered over at the Avadares Challenge Blog -- Challenge #5 - Christmas.  I can't believe I almost missed Theresa's challenge.  Oopsies!

Sometime during the next week I'll post the sentiment I created as a freebie.

Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to leave some love if you have the time.

Until next time,

Sunday Spotlight: November 18, 2012

For my loyal followers, thank you so much for your continued support.  For those of you visiting for the first time, welcome to a special post where each Sunday I say a particular thank you to one of my readers acknowledging them for something thoughtful, inspiring, or mindful that they have said in one of their comments.  As a way of saying thanks, I will present this person with an advanced copy of a freebie that I promise, no one else will be able to get their hand on for at least three months and possibly longer.  Depending on what it is, I may never release it so it might just become an exclusive item.

So without further ado, the comment I'm highlighting this week belongs to:

 

Naomi Edwards

who said: 
Hi Lisa!!!! Although I am new to your blog I am captivated, it is amazing how you are giving out to others the very thing you feel you lack in yourself...confidence! Your spotlight on others (which I think makes your blog so unique) is very encouraging and I am sure it would spark anyone's spirit.. if they felt secretly insecure by any chance, your write up would most certainly turn their thoughts 360 degrees or at least plant positive seeds. You belong in bloggy land I am feel priviliged to be your new cyber friend, I look forward to getting to know you more.. Blog land needs beautiful souls such as yourself. Big Cyber hugs!!!!!! P.S. I really enjoyed this post.   Naomi Edwards 

It took me awhile to put into words how much Naomi's comment touched my heart.  It is such a nice feeling when you know that what you are doing has an impact on someone else. When I created this blog I knew that I wanted to do something unique.  It was my goal to reach out, inspire, and make some sort of difference in at least one person’s life.  I think that deep down that is how many of us feel.   Why else would we spend so much time doing what we are doing?  When I created the ‘Saturday Showcase’ not only was it my intention to support other artists within our creative community but to help people to see that they had indeed made a difference in one person’s life—mine.  So, now it seems that the circle is complete.  If Naomi believes that I belong in ‘bloggy land’ and ‘looks forward to knowing me more’ then I have indeed managed to touch at least one person’s life—Naomi’s. 

Honourable mentions include: 

• I love your choice of a quote today. Just inspirational. One of the things everyone is guilty of is .... being hard on themselves. We don't think we do enough, we think we do to much and we feel like we don't measure up. Hope is one of those most important emotions we can have. It makes us stand up when the going gets rough and it makes all our dreams reachable. Follow your heart in all things. Hugs --Sue
•  I try to make my goals achievable by doing them in steps - no point in taking giant leaps and sliding back - better to take smaller steps onto steady ground. Thank you again for your artwork. --Margot Petersen
• Yes, we can ALL use a little motivation now and again! Love the flowers, colors and especially the fonts. Thanks for letting me know where they came from!! I will be putting those to good use one day! --Michele from MS

Once again, thank you ladies for your words.

To all of you who left comments throughout the week, even if they were not acknowledged above, please know that I appreciate each and every one of them and each and every one of you!  Without your kind words, there wouldn't be much of an incentive to continue.

Until next time,