Challenge #18--DETERMINATION: September 1 - October 5, 2014

It is the first Monday in September and that means it is time for the next challenge to start.  This time around, for Challenge #18 the theme is "DETERMINATION".  Show us your interpretation of what determination means to you.  You can make any sort of project and/or post as long as it is positive in nature and relates to the theme.

Without determination we wouldn't get anywhere in life.  The simplest of tasks can sometimes feel like too much effort but we know they must get done.  This is where determination comes into play.  Without it we'd just muddle around and go nowhere.  The bigger tasks and goals also take drive and determination to accomplish.  Do you have what it takes to succeed?  Will your determination get you on the right path?  How about those around you?  Do you know anyone who could use a little encouragement to stay the course and not give up?  Well if you do, then this is the perfect time to create a card for them and enter it into this month's challenge.

Don't forget when you link up your project and/or post, to please leave a comment letting us know how your creation relates to the concept of determination if it isn't readily clear within the design itself or clearly written somewhere else in your post.  Remember, the creation must be positive/inspirational/motivational AND adhere to the theme of determination in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes.  While you may easily see how determination relates to your creation, 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.  This way it clears up any ambiguity that may exist.

Remember we've changed up the rules a bit.  As a refresher, please note that:

• Entries will now be limited to a total of three.
• There will no longer be a prize associated with the Voter's Choice.  We will continue to have a Voter's Choice category allowing people to vote on their favourite project but from now on it will be an honourary position.  The person who receives the most votes each challenge will earn a badge as the Voter's Choice. 
• We're also switching up which sponsor is responsible for the Random and Most Inspirational prizes.  You can find out more details about this in the summary below.

This month's sponsor...

It is time to meet our guest sponsor for this month.  We are please to once again have Pickled Potpourri Designs as our sponsor this month.  Here is a refresher of what they are all about...

Pickled Potpourri Designs (www.PickledPotpourri.com) began in 2013 as an offshoot of Red Rubber Designs (www.RedRubberDesigns.com),  a rubber stamp company. But not all images are destined to become rubber stamps, so Pickled Potpourri was created to offer quality digital  papers, printables and stamp designs to inspire and enable everyone to create art!

We feature old favorites from The Angel Company (which closed its doors in August 2011), as well as new, original collage designs. You'll find a potpourri of images in a wide range of styles to enhance your papercrafting, scrapbooking and other artsy projects at Pickled Potpourri!

The design team got the opportunity to work with one of the following two images this month. 

First up we have the inspiring image called, Just Dance...

This silhouette is simply delightful.  It comes with the sentiment as a separate image so that you can place it where you would like.  Dance, like many things in life requires dedication and determination.  I love the freedom and flow of this image.  The scroll work beautifully enhances the image as well.

Some of the DT also got to work with this pretty image called Make Things Beautiful...

Another gorgeous image!  This one comes with the sentiment built in.  I just love how this one is framed so intricately.  Both the image and sentiment are perfect for the theme this month.  Making things beautiful just for the effort of doing so takes a lot of determination.

If you are interested in purchasing either of these beautiful images, clicking on the watermarks will take you to their location in the Pickled Potpourri Designs store.

Now check out what my amazing design came up with to inspire you.  Clicking on the team members' name will take you to their blog where you can check out the details for their inspirational creations...

We are very pleased to have Linda, from Scrapping Heaven, as our guest designer this month...

Hi my name is Linda, I’m 68 yo and I’m from Southwest Wisconsin USA – back in some lovely hills far away from the city lights.  I love all kinds of crafts – for many years I was dedicated to scrapping all photos for my 6 children, 11 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren as well as nature and pets and ancestry!  I really do have a whole wall of albums.  But now I love card making – I belong to a few design teams to keep me busy at 68 years of age.  When I’m not in the flower or veggie gardens I’m on the computer just browsing through all the talent on there!  I do all I can to inspire my 4 great grandchildren, who are the apples of my eye.  I see 3 grown young men and a lady there someday, I only hope I leave them that artistic inspiration and faith in their Lord to help them get there!   Right now they are my Achilles Heel - I'll listen and love every quiet moment and secret they share with me.  I want my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to remember me as having helped this precious earth as we show them ways to live off the grid to a certain point, how to garden organically and care for those veggies through the winter for eating, that I loved people and saw the good in all people, and in everything I've touched I gloried in what was given me...nothing huge, just life.

Here is the wonderful card she came up with...

Wow and simply wow.  My design team and our guest have really created some amazing projects.  They are all just wonderful examples of DETERMINATION.  Hopefully each creation will help their recipients' to find a way to be determined in their own lives.
 
So what are you waiting for?  Create a project and/or post that is positive AND relates to determination, provide an explanation of how your project and/or post relates to the theme somewhere in your post or come over and leave a comment with the explanation.  Easy, peasy!

If you have some time, please visit other people participating throughout the month.  I've included the summary of the challenge details below.  If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

I hope to see you back on Monday, September 8th when voting will start on the Top Picks for Challenge #17.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON DETERMINATION
If you need some motivation to get you started, I've provided a quote for you, which you can find below.

Please be sure to click on it to bring it up into the lightbox in its proper size before saving it.

Credit Notes For This Creation:
© 2014, Lisa L. Décosse. PUO. However, you are allowed to use the sentiment 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 or my personal blog, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, 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.

Font Information:

• PaulMaul font created by !Exclamachine Type
• Quasi font created by Harold's Fonts

Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  These fonts were listed for commercial use at the time of this creation 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.  Always check to make sure the terms haven't changed before using the font on something you sell.

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

CHALLENGE DETAILS SUMMARY
Whether you are new and need to familiarize yourself with all the details,  or a returning participant and just need to refresh yourself, you can always find out everything you need to know in order to enter this challenge in the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page. I've provided a quick summary below.  Please note that dates and times listed below are for this particular challenge only:

• Each Path of Positivity challenge will remain open for approx. a full month.  Entries for this challenge will be accepted from September 1 - October 5, 2014.
• Link up your inspirational post below using Inlinkz. You will be able to submit your link up to 11:55 p.m. on October 5th.
• When you link up, leave a comment summarizing what it is about your post that you feel is inspirational  / positive / motivational and how it fits into the theme if you have not included this information somewhere within your post.
• Don't forget to come back throughout the month and visit others that have participated. 
• You can link up a total of three (3) creations.
• Voting for this challenge will begin once the top picks have been determined.  There will be a separate post detailing those picks.  You will then have the opportunity to vote on the creation or post that you have found to be the most inspirational of the chosen picks.  Be sure to leave a comment telling us what it was that inspired you or something in general if you uncomfortable disclosing any details of your vote. 
• For Challenge #18, prizes will be the following:
• A prize package of a $7 gift certificate to the Pickled Potpourri Designs store (good for any digital product), from our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Three digital images from Ike's Art for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.
• There will also  be:
• One digital designer paper from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

If you ever have any questions be sure to EMAIL ME or just leave me a comment.

We look forward to seeing you participate!

An InLinkz Link-up