Monday, May 19, 2025

Challenge #131--Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of: Embracing the Unexpected by Making An Unexpected Design...Midway

Badge for Monthly Challenge
 
Hey folks! Welcome back to the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog! It is the third Monday of the month and that means that it is time to present the midway for Challenge #131. It is my fond hope that each of you and your own families continue to stay happy, safe, and well, wherever it is you live in this big wide world of ours. 

As we are a unique kind of challenge blog, it is important for you to understand how things work. Please be sure to check out the START POST FOUND HERE for the specific details related to this month's challenge, and you can find out all the general details you need to know in order to participate, by clicking on the 'Challenge Details' tab (located at the top of the blog). For your convenience, a summary of the most important rules can now be found in the right sidebar under the heading 'General Rules'.
 
Right now, it is time to continue with our midway. Here is a refresher of the details for our current twist:
 

Challenge #131

Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of 

Embracing The Unexpected: 

Make An Unexpected Design

 
This year's goal is to Embrace the Unexpected in our lives (click here if you'd like to read more in depth about our overall theme for 2025). No matter how much planning we do throughout our years on this earth, we're going to come across circumstances that we can't plan for. These unexpected things may be small or they may be huge and life altering. The only thing that we can control is how we react to these events. So this year, instead of BRACING for the unexpected, we are going to flip that and get in the habit of EMBRACING the unexpected. This will help us to train ourselves to look at these types of events in a different light.

To help inspire you on this journey, each month we will be doing things such as creating fun unexpected projects, working with items we might not typically work with, taking approaches that are different from what we normally do, offering up the unexpected to someone in our life, etc. So, let's get to the details for this month's challenge.   

This month's activity should prove interesting. When putting together a project we usually go through our supplies and grab items that have coordinated colours, textures, and flattering embellishments. We expect that our projects will look pleasing and make sense. Many of us want to create the 'perfect' project. This month we're flipping that concept on its head. We are going to make something that may not look nice and something that might not make much sense at all.  Rather than expecting perfection from ourselves, we are simply going to fully acknowledge and appreciate our best efforts.

To start, gather some of your supplies. This is a good time to go through your different scrap piles and use up the bits and bobs that you have. Now, obviously the supplies that you grab will depend on the project you are making. For the purpose of explaining the task, I'll use card making as my main example. 
 
When making a card you usually have a base layer (your card stock colour), some patterned papers or embossing folders, possibly an image or sentiment you've chosen, and some embellishments (such as brads, buttons, flowers, washi tape, etc.). I want you to grab a bag or box that you can't see through. Then you are going to grab a few different card stocks for your base layer and put them into the bag/box. Mix them about, reach in and choose one, then set it aside. Empty your bag/box and this time put in a bunch of different patterned papers and/or embossing folders. Once again mix them up a bit and choose one or two, then set those aside with the card stock you chose. Continue this process with your images, sentiments and embellishments (or any other category of item you are using), making sure that there are at least three choices for each of them. When you are done you'll end up with a mixture of items. Now create your card from that. Here are a few other ideas:
  • If you are a painter you can do the same type of thing just mixing up your bases (canvas, wood, etc.), paint colours, design ideas and even your brushes!
  • Just want to do some colouring? Choose an intricate image that will keep you busy (for ex. a zentangle piece would be good for this). Throw a bunch of markers or pencil crayons into a bag/box and randomly choose colours for each section of the drawing.
  • Throw a bunch of random pictures into the bag/box and choose five to create a collage.
 
It is probably going to look ridiculous but that is okay. It is time to set aside our typical expectations and just be creative and embrace whatever we end up with. This activity should allow us to be fully present to opportunities and possibilities that we may not otherwise have considered.

Remember, the twist is completely optional and you don't need to follow it in order to win. However, in order to be considered eligible for this month's goodies, remember that general types of projects/posts will not qualify for the honours and prize UNLESS they are also positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Additionally, even if a project may qualify as positive, if your post promotes negativity, hatred or anything of an abhorrent nature, your project will be disqualified. Honours and Prize 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, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.
decorative border of footprints
To help inspire you further down the path of Embracing the Unexpected: Make An Unexpected Design, check out the wonderful projects my Design Team had the opportunity to create. Carole is taking this month off and will hopefully be back with us in June. Clicking on each team member's name will take you to their blog where you can check out the details for their inspirational creations.


http://scrappyhorses.blogspot.ca
 framed image of Katrina's creation

 
 
 framed image of Kathy's creation
 
Thanks again to my astounding design team! As always, each of them have their own unique avenues of creation which I thoroughly admire. Each of these designs has demonstrated the theme of Embracing the Unexpected: Make An Unexpected Design splendidly, and I hope we have motivated you throughout this challenge to come up with your own work of handicraft. Be sure to go and visit these accomplished ladies so you can see just how their projects tie in to the twist.
 
Why not join us, if you haven't entered already? Create a project and/or post that is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature and join our link up. How about stretching yourself by also opting to follow the twist?! How do you typically deal with the unexpected in your life? Do you view it with trepidation or take it on as a challenge? This month it is time to make something completely unexpected. It is time to set aside our typical expectations and simply strive for productivity instead of perfection. Be sure to check above for some specific ideas if you aren't sure how to get started. If you want to share your process on how you decided your project, you can write a sentence or two in the body of your post, write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, or simply leave a comment on this post if you'd like.

Also, I know that the participants would love for you to go and pay them a visit. Remember we're creating a Path of Positivity to follow one project at a time and we'd love to see you somewhere on that route even if it is just by leaving a comment on an entry from someone who has touched you somehow with their project and/or post! You can find our list of participants and enter our latest challenge yourself by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the bottom of the post.

 
GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY…
Please show your support to our wonderful sponsor, Scribbles Designs, by going over and checking out their work and saying hi if you have the chance. You may also just find an image or two to add your your collection!

http://buyscribblesdesigns.blogspot.ca/
Thank you so much to this awesome Canadian company for their
continued support of this challenge blog!



Don't Forget...

Winners for challenge #130 will be posted next Monday if everything goes according to plan. You can find the Top Picks post HERE.
 
If you ever have any questions be sure to leave me a comment.
 

 
 
We look forward to seeing you participate!

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