Challenge #10--GENEROSITY: January 6 - February 2, 2014

It is the first Monday in January and that means it is time for the next challenge to start.  This time around, for Challenge #10 the theme is "GENEROSITY".  Show us your interpretation of what being generous 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.  After many people have received so much during the holiday season, now is the perfect time to consider how we can share our generosity with others.  Remember, it isn't always about the giving of monetary objects it is also about giving of our time.  So, consider how you are going to start your generosity this year and let us know what you are planning with your creations and/or your ponderings.

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

Now it is time to meet our guest sponsor for this month.  Once again I am pleased to have with us... 

South African crafters are new to the digital stamping world, with the first South African online digital image store launched in 2010 – Digistamps4Joy (or DS4J) http://www.digistamps4joy. co.za/eshop/ (clicking on the logo will take you to the store as well) .  In May 2012, Margy Kieser took over ownership of DS4J, and there are now two South African artists who contribute to the more than 600 images available. Margy has taken the store to new heights and the store now stocks digis that are cute, whimsical, artistic, sometimes serious, and sometimes humorous. The store has PAYPAL and EFT (South African) facilities.  Digistamps4Joy offers a monthly freebie on the first Friday of every month, and holds regular bi-weekly card challenges on our BLOG (http://digistamps4joy-sa.blogspot.com) that draws entries from all over the world. We are also active on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/DS4Joy) and Paper Craft Planet (http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/digistamps4joy).

The design team got the opportunity to work with one of the following two images this month.   First up we have the delicious image called Cupcakes Galore...

Yum, yum, yum!  Don't all those cupcakes look awesome.  Think of how many hungry people you could feed with some real ones and if the real cupcakes end up as yummy as these look, well, those would be lucky people indeed!

Some of the DT also got to work with this pretty image called Vase of Hearts...

Such a pretty vase filled with lots of love and hope.  It would also be great on a card related to generosity as you will soon see.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these incredible images, clicking on the watermarks will take you to their location in the DS4J 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 Monica Taylor, from Taylor Made Cards 4U, as our guest designer this month...

Hi my name is Monica and was born and raised in San Diego, California. I currently live I Phoenix Arizona with my husband of 21 years, my 16 year old son and 2 Dachshund dogs. I have always been crafty and have at least tried most every type of crafting. I got into scrapbooking when my son was born and switched over to card making about 3 years ago. I am happy to be a guest this month over on the Path of Positivity.

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

Once again my design team and our guest have come through with gorgeous creations all conveying a sense of GENEROSITY within them.
 
So what are you waiting for?  Create a project and/or post that is positive AND relates to generosity, 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, January 13th when voting will start on the Top Seven for Challenge #9.

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

Credit Notes For This Creation:
© 2013, 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 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:

• Dancing Script OT created by Impallari Type
• Foglihten & FoglihtenPCS font created by gluk
• WWHeavenSent font created by WindWalker64

Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  All of these fonts are free for commercial use.

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 January 6th to February 2nd.
• Link up your inspirational post below using Inlinkz. You will be able to submit your link up to 11:55 p.m. on February 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.
• Voting for this challenge will begin once the top seven have been determined.  There will be a separate post detailing the top seven.  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 seven.  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.
• This month, prizes will be the following:
• Ten digital images from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for the person out of the top seven who receives the most votes during voting week.
• Three digital images from Ike's World  for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Five images from Digistamps4Joy, this month's guest sponsor for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• 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.

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY...

Please show your support to our fabulous sponsors by going over and checking out their work and saying hi if you have the chance.  In addition to Digistamps4Joy, our guest sponsor for the month, we also have our regular sponsors:

 

 

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

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Inlinkz collection begins below:

Design Team Delights for Challenge #8

Sorry, I am a bit later than usual getting this post out.  Blogger is having a mind of its own right now and decided to be rather uncooperative!

We had another great turnout for Challenge #8 and it is time for my incredible Design Team to share their choices with you, regarding their favourites of the bunch.  As always, in each challenge you, the readers, get to voice your opinion by voting for your favourite and so it is only fitting that my Design Team get to do so as well.  That is why we have a special DT Delights post just before we launch the new challenge.

Once again, thanks to all of you who took the time to join along our Path during the month of November for Challenge #8.   While it was definitely a difficult decision, each team member found something special in a different creation this time around.  You guys certainly don't make it easy, I know that a few of us were torn between certain creations, they were all just so good...

Lynda--chosen by Vicky...

Vicky had this to say:
"My DT favorite would be Lynda because she's acknowledging her 4 legged friends and we tend to forget them when we are thankful that they really do bring a lot of happiness to us."

To see the details of Lynda's card and read more of what she had to say, click HERE.

Pat--chosen by Desíre...

Since Pat wasn't part of the team during Challenge 8 back in November, she was still in the running for both the top seven and of course for a DT Delight if someone was rather moved by her project.  Well, Desíre definitely was.  In particular, she was moved by what Pat had to say in her post which reflected on why Pat was thankful for her grandmother, who is still alive at the age of 103.  After providing a description of her and her current ailments Pat goes on to talk about the reasons she is so thankful for her grandmother:

"She is the woman who crawled around on the ground with me when I was a toddler, who hand-sewed Barbie clothes, and played board games as I grew older . She let us climb her Queen Anne cherry tree and pick the fruit off the tree, sometimes not leaving any to bring back down for her. We baked bread and sweet rolls together, shared family recipes, and she taught me to sew on her Singer (1929 with the knee paddle). I learned how to crochet and needlepoint and make French knots and cross stitches from her. Drive-in movies, Christmas dinners, catching lightning bugs, hugs and kisses and special treats…
Sometimes  it’s difficult to bring up that vibrant, laughing woman who reigned as a  true matriarch of the family, especially when I see her today in the hospital, confused, scared, not able to stand by herself or take care of  personal hygiene. That’s when her legacy really kicks in. When you are loved all your life so unconditionally, you instinctively return that love and care a hundredfold. Just as she held me and washed me and was unendingly patient with me, so I must be with her. Not out of a sense of  duty, although she did instill that in me; no, it is out of a sense of unconditional love returned…and a sense of gratitude for all the many years I have had her in my life.  So in celebration of my grandma, I made a mixed media canvas a few months back to remind me that while she and everyone else grows into old age, in my heart SHE is forever young.”

To see the details of Pat's mixed media creation and read more of what she had to say, click HERE.

Donna--chosen by Suze... 

This is what Suze had to say:

"Being a CAS girl who struggles with fru-fru cards, I really admire those that can pull it off as well as this one!"

To see the details of Donna's card and read more of what she had to say, click HERE.

Mandy--chosen by Sandy...  

Here is what Sandy had to say: 
"The project that was most  inspiring for me is #44 Mandy – wow- there is so much in her post and you are riveted in your seat.  She is so brave, strong and truly an inspiration."

To read Mandy's inspiring post, click HERE.

Denise--chosen by Pat...

Okay, so while Pat wasn't technically part of the team during challenge #8 which allowed her creations to be in the running, she was officially part of the team when it came time to choose a DT Delight.  Therefore, we thought we would have her get her feet wet and start off with telling you all about her favourite creation from November.

This is what Pat had to say:
"My vote for most inspiring goes to Denise.  I  like people who can be honest not only in what they say but what they do.  I think many crafters can be thankful that she shows beautifully that scrapping less-than-perfect photos of her family is "perfectly" alright-the important thing is to get those memories scrapped! I liked what Denise wrote:"

"November is a busy month, but I think it's important for my family to make time and acknowledge how blessed we are. We have so many blessings in our lives and so much to be thankful for. So I created a very quick and easy scrapbook album where we could record our thoughts this year and which would serve as a keepsake in the years to come…So many photos I snap up with my phone are not awesome, but yet still really encapsulate a sweet family moment…I didn't spend a whole lot of time trying to make the pages picture perfect and fancy because really, it's the journaling and pictures that will make this so precious in the years to come."

To see the details of Denise's scrapbooking creation and read more of what she had to say, click HERE.

D~ --chosen by Lisa (that's me)...

I loved reading D~'s long list of thank yous to the special people in her life.   Many of us are so blessed in this life and it is wonderful to see when people share the gratitude they have in their heart for the individuals that mean the most to them.  D~ did just that giving a special thank you to a number of special individuals.  I was very grateful that D~ decided to share this with us over here on the Path of Positivity.

To read D~'s thankful post, click HERE.

 Creative Congratulations to all of you!

Thank you to everyone who played on our Pathway during the month of November.  We were truly captivated by all the wonderful entries that came into the challenge.  The time and energy that went into each of these creations is evident.  Now if you were chosen as a DT Delight, then we have a special treat for you.   Not only are you eligible for a special DT Delight badge, we will also be having a draw at the end of our first year for a special package of digital goodies.  So, if you are chosen as a DT Delight during any of our challenges, your name will be entered into the draw.  You get one entry per choice; so, if two members picked your card, you will earn 2 entries, three members 3 entries, etc.  The draw will take place around the anniversary of when the Path of Positivity came into existence which will put the draw date sometime in April 2014.  The winner at the time will be notified by email.  In the interim you are more than welcome to copy your framed card above and add it to your blog to share with all your readers; and, don't forget to EMAIL ME for a copy of the special Challenge #8 DT Delight Badge.  I'm always running a bit behind these days so your patience is appreciated.

Thank you for stopping by today.  We hope that you will join us again tomorrow to learn what the newest theme for Challenge #10 will be.

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New Year...New Changes

It is a new year and changes are something that always seem to walk hand in hand as one year unfolds into the next.  It is no different over here on the Path of Positivity this year.

It is time to say goodbye to another of our team.  Samara Navi from Fairy Tale Fountain who joined us back at the beginning of August has decided it is time to move on to other adventures.   Samara's positive attitude and insightful introspection will be sorely missed around here, I can tell you that!  Please join me in wishing Samara the absolute best as she continues down life's pathway. 

Now Samara's departure does not mean that we are going to be a member down.  As it turns out, the same time that Samara was contemplating leaving, another was hoping to join our little family when the time was right.  Well the time couldn't be any more right as I had been contemplating myself on how to best woo this particular individual to jump on board with us.  So, I am super pleased to announce that Pat, from Patacake Pages is now officially part of the Path of Positivity team.  Look at all those P's?!  This a match made in alliteration heaven!   We are so lucky to have someone with Pat's unique perspective on life within our midst.  Let's get to know her a bit, shall we?

Hi, my name is Pat and I live on the outskirts of Chicago.  While I am a card maker at heart, I have fallen in love with mixed media art, and I support this habit by working as a secretary (and substitute teacher) at a private school.  There are five generations of crafters in my family, from my 6 year old granddaughter to my 103 year old gram, although she can’t see well enough to craft any more.  I told Lisa that if I hadn’t found her Path of Positivity Blog, I would have started one myself.  My attitude toward life mirrors her mission to offer inspiration and support for the soul one project or post at a time!

Now how is that for serendipity?!  Please join me in welcoming Pat to the team. You will get to see one of Pat's inspirational creations in just a few short days as she officially comes on board for challenge #10 which begins Monday.   To visit Pat beforehand, just click on her blog badge above.

Now there is just one more thing that I want to share with you all before I go.  I thought that this post would be the perfect opportunity to introduce you all to a new feature over here on the Path of Positivity.

As I indicate at the top of this blog, my goal over here 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".  One of my objectives for achieving this goal is of course providing a place for people to share their positivity inspired art, whether it be in the form of cards and other projects or simply their words.  It has been wonderful this past nine months finding so many people wanting to join in and do just that.  However, another objective of mine has always been to provide some motivational introspection on the themes we cover each month.  At first, I wasn't sure how this idea would be accepted since this is a challenge blog; however, it isn't your typical challenge blog so I had high hopes that people wouldn't be put off by my mutterings on our monthly themes.  Thus, I started to include a short introspection each month during our midway.  The feedback that I have received is so positive that I have decided to make this idea an ongoing feature.  I am happy to announce a new column called, "Ponderings Along the Pathway".  While I wish that I had the time to write for this feature regularly, I'm afraid that my schedule just doesn't allow for it; therefore, I am so pleased that Pat is able to step in and become a regular contributor to this new column.  Some other members of the DT may jump in occasionally as well.  You will get to read our very first Pondering later this month.  I hope you will all enjoy this new direction we will be adding to our Pathway.

 I also hope you will join me again on Sunday for our next 'DT Delights' post, where the DT has a say in choosing their favourite entry from Challenge #8.

May this new year bring new beginnings, new possibilities and new choices for each of you to pursue!