Friday, October 17, 2014

Ponderings Along the Pathway...COURAGE

Welcome to this month's edition of Ponderings Along the Pathway, an exclusive feature over here on the Path of Positivity.  The purpose of this column is to continue with the goal of this blog which is to create a space "designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time".  Providing some motivational introspection on the themes we cover each challenge period, is one way of achieving this goal.

This month it is all about COURAGE and PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject...
“One isn’t necessarily born with Courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest.”
This quote from Maya Angelou struck me like an arrow shot to my heart. Everyone has the potential to be courageous. Everyone! It’s only a matter of believing in yourself, of taking that first step, offering that initial “hello” to a stranger, sending in that first manuscript to a publisher.
It’s only a matter of determination that convinces you that one failure doesn’t prove anything, that your first canvas doesn’t mean you haven’t got a masterpiece in you, that one unsuccessful job interview doesn't mean you’ll be unemployed all your life.
Life is full of stumbling blocks. Your attitude toward them will either keep you on the path or trip you up. By continuing the journey, by putting one foot in front of the other, you strengthen your courage. By remembering that the journey is as important as the end, you practice the art of positivity. By keeping positive, you will not only reach journey’s end, but enjoy everything life has for you along the way.

So take heart, tighten those shoestrings, and delve deep into the woods. Follow your own unique path, practicing kindness, honesty, mercy and generosity. I hope to cross paths with you along the way!
 
 
Please be sure to pop over to Pat's personal blog, Patacake Pages, for more inspiration.  That is it for today but please be sure to stop by on Monday when we showcase the midway projects for Challenge #19.

May you always find the courage to do what needs doing.
 
Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Challenge #18 Top Picks: Voting Open October 13th to October 20th, 2014

Just before I get on with today's top picks, I wanted to wish all my fellow Canadians, a very happy Thanksgiving.  I hope that you have each had the opportunity to spend this occasion with the people you love most in this world.  I also hope that you took the time to really reflect on all the blessings in your life--big and small.  I've created a special pumpkin paper in honour of today that you can find on my personal blog HERE if you would like.

Welcome to the Challenge #18 PoP ToP!

Unfortunately, we only had 11 participants enter Challenge #18.  As I have mentioned previously, any time we have under 14 participants we will be opening things up so that all the entrants have the opportunity to be chosen as the Voter's Choice.  However, while we may not have enough participants to have a top seven, we certainly have enough to have a top three.  Therefore, it is time to get on with showcasing the three projects that the team feels were the best of the bunch.

But before we get there, I just want to say a very special thank you to everyone who entered this month. While we may not have had many, the majority took the theme very seriously and not only did they create some wonderful projects but each person who entered took the time to also talk about how their project related to determination.  It was really wonderful reading all your posts this month.  If anyone reading this post right now would like to be inspired then I definitely would recommend visiting each of our entrants if you haven't already.  

 Without further ado, please let me introduce you to the Top Picks for Challenge #18 (in no particular order)...


Congrats Ladies...

As a participant who has been chosen as a Top Pick, each of you is entitled to a special Top Pick badge. Please send an email to popwinners {at} gmail {dot} com, or by clicking HERE to bring up the address in your email program, with the subject "Challenge #18 Top Pick" and I'll email your badge to you.  Please note that it may take me several days to get back to you, so I really appreciate your patience.
Now as I mentioned, each of the participant's who entered Challenge #18 is eligible to have their project and/or post voted on.  Here is a list of everyone who entered.  Each of the entrant's names is linked up to their blog post (order is reflective of how they entered the challenge and nothing else).




Have Your Say!

Now the really hard work starts.  It is time for you, our readers, to vote for your favourite entry.  Which participant most inspires you?  Remember, you are not necessarily voting on a creation that was made.  You might simply find what the person had to say in their post to be inspiring and optimistic and in line with the concept of determination.  Our participants had some great things to say on how their project connected to the theme. Therefore, please be sure to go and check out the entries first and not just make your choices off of the thumbnails.  You can also check out comments left by entrants on the Challenge #18 start post by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the bottom.  Once you have checked all the entries out,  let us know who your favourite choice is by placing your vote below using the Inlinkz feature.

Voting open for 7 days:
 October 13th to October 20th

Come have your say in determining the Voter's Choice for Challenge #18!  Don't forget to leave a comment after you have voted.  There will be a prize for one lucky voter who leaves a comment (chosen randomly).  If you haven't had the opportunity to visit each of the entries already, please go and check them out a little more closely before placing your vote.  Once you have made your decision, why not go back and let them know how they inspired you.

Good luck everyone!

Important Note:

Please note that in order for this to work, I must add all the entries but I can only do this AFTER I have published this post.  So there will be some overlap time between when this post is published and when you will be able to vote.  Once I have uploaded the entries there will be a total of eleven images below on which to vote.  As soon as all eleven are uploaded, I'll enable voting to begin. If there are less than eleven, it means that I am still in the process of adding the images and you should come back in a little while to make your vote.  Thank you for your patience!

Link Up Below:


Monday, October 06, 2014

Challenge #19--COURAGE: October 6 - November 2, 2014

It is the first Monday in October and that means it is time for the next challenge to start.  This time around, for Challenge #19 the theme is "COURAGE".  Show us your interpretation of what courage 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.

Courage comes in many different forms.  It can come roaring in to save the day like a person running into a burning building or an individual who intervenes during a robbery.  Or it can be much more subtle like doing something for yourself for the very first time.  How do you embrace courage?  How do you reward courage that you see in others?  Now would be the perfect chance to create a card for someone letting them know just how courageous you think they are.

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 courage 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 courage in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes.  While you may easily see how courage 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.


This month's sponsor...

It is time to meet our guest sponsor for this month.  We are pleased to once again welcome Sparkle N Sprinkle as our sponsor this month.  Here is a refresher of what they are all about...


SNS Blinkie

Sparkle N Sprinkle is a small company with a big heart owned and operated by Margaret Myers.  SNS specializes in hand-mixed embossing powders and glitters. Our quality, deeply etched rubber stamps are closely cropped on Cling Mount Cushion ready for your acrylic block. Produced in our local Shoppe in Ruskin, Florida, the stamps are already indexed on a laminated color storage sheet for your convenience. SNS sells a variety of other paper crafting tools and products, including a new line of digital stamps and many other exclusive products.   You can find Sparkle N Sprinkle on line at:   http://sparklensprinkle.com

Before I get into the DT projects, I wanted to let you know that we are having an additional prize this month.  In addition to the regular prize for our Most Inspiring pick and our prize for a random winner, we will be offering up a third prize for a special card.  In honour of breast cancer awareness month, if anyone creates a card for a breast cancer survivor using the theme of courage (it must be obvious), that person's name will go into a draw for an extra prize.  It must be clearly written somewhere in your post that the card is indeed for a breast cancer survivor and it must be very clear that the theme is about courage.  While there will be lots of cards made this month to honour the BCA theme at other blogs, we are specifically looking for a card emphasising courage. 

Now it is time to check out what the DT has created.  Normally, just before listing the projects, I would list the images that we got to work with.  However, Sparkle N Sprinkle has very generously allowed the DT to pick whatever image they wanted to work with.  Therefore, I'll provide the image watermark and store link under each project to keep things organized.
Time to 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...
http://desiref.blogspot.com/
Desíre chose to work with the set called A Little Note.  
http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/product_info.php?cPath=250_207_242&products_id=7376
http://positive-force.blogspot.com/
Lynda chose to work with the lovely image called Western Tanager.
Vicky decided to use the peaceful image called Winter Stream.
http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/product_info.php?cPath=250_207_242&products_id=7358
  
http://taylormadecards4u.blogspot.ca/

Monica decided to work with the beautiful image called Catherine Hat Lady.   
http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/product_info.php?cPath=250_207_242&products_id=7013
patacakespages.blogspot.com/
Pat decided to use the wonderful set called Wisps of Autumn.
http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/product_info.php?cPath=250_207_242&products_id=7373
For her project this month, Suze chose to work with a vintage image called Sewing Machine.
http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/product_info.php?cPath=250_207_242&products_id=6760
Sandy chose to work with the lovely Chickadees image.
http://sparklensprinkle.com/o/product_info.php?cPath=82_207_242&products_id=7111
We are very pleased to have Julie, from Muddy Paws, Inky Fingers, as our guest designer this month...
My name is Julie Odil, and I am thrilled to be guest designing for the Path of Positivity Challenge blog. What an honor! I just love this challenge blog and the philosophy behind it that guest designing this month brings me great joy!

I’ve always been creative – I play many instruments, like to write, and have been crafty my whole life. I began scrapbooking about 8 years ago and cardmaking about 4 years ago, but things really took off when I began my blog about 2 1/2 years ago. It was a life changing experience. I can’t believe how much fun I’ve had and how many friends I’ve made through my blog. I’d love it if you’d stop by for a visit: http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com

To find more details about this card, or to see what else I’ve been creating, please visit my blog.
Here is the wonderful card she came up with...

Julie also chose to work with the lovely Chickadees image (watermark and link available above).
I truly am blessed with such a wonderful design team and always manage to procure awesome guests as well.  Now while the concept of courage may not be readily clear in some of these creations, a quick trip to the DT member's or guest's blog will help to clear up how their project ties in with this month's theme.   Hopefully each creation will help their recipients' to find a way to be courageous in their own lives.
 
So what are you waiting for?  Create a project and/or post that is positive AND relates to courage, 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, October 13th when voting will start on the Top Picks for Challenge #18.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON COURAGE
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:
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. However, there is no additional licensing info with the Carrington font and so caution should be used if you intend to create something with this font on it and sell it.  It is my understanding, that I am within my rights to use these fonts in my creations and offer them to others for free.  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 October 6 - November 2, 2014.
  • Link up your inspirational post below using Inlinkz. You will be able to submit your link up to 11:55 p.m. on November 2nd.
  • 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 #19, all the main prizes will be from our guest sponsors this month,  Sparkle N Sprinkle.  Prizes include:
    • Three individual digital images for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
    • Three individual digital images for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
    • Three individual digital images for a person chosen in a random draw based on all cards created for a breast cancer survivor using the theme of courage (it must be obvious--please see details above).
  • There will also  be:
    • One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.
    • 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!