Challenge #12--Midway Reflection & Voting Reminder

Hello everyone! We have reached the midway point of Challenge #12. The theme for this challenge is all about THOUGHTFULNESS. Today I am going to share a little introspection with you all that I am also presenting on my own personal blog in my "Motivational Monday" feature.

 THOUGHTFULNESS

 Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

~Margaret Mead

Isn't it amazing when people come together and connect and when the love, compassion and humanity that is a part of all of us, somehow opens up and allows great things to happen? Well, it begins with the actions of being thoughtful, kind, considerate, caring and respectful of others.  When we allow ourselves to open up and reflect these actions in our everyday life, the effects can be amazing.

Being thoughtful doesn't take a lot of effort or even money.  A simple thank you when someone does something special for you, saying a few kinds words to lift someone's spirits or simply assisting someone out of the goodness of your heart, are all ways you can be thoughtful.  As Pat mentioned in her Pondering for this month, "How many times have you commented on a person’s hair style, clothing, artwork or project and seen them stand up taller or beam with delight?".  Wouldn't it be wonderful to see more of the people in your world standing a little straighter or lighting up the room with their smile because of simply taking a moment to make a difference in that person's life by doing something thoughtful?  The great thing is that not only does your kindness affect that person, but they are more likely to keep spreading the joy to others they meet up with throughout their day.  Additionally, being thoughtful on an on-going basis also helps to form and change your own attitude, moulding you into a better version of yourself.

The bottom line is try to be thoughtful wherever, whenever and however you can.  You'll be amazed at the difference you see not only in those around you but also within yourself. 

To help inspire you down the path of thoughtfulness, check out the wonderful projects a few of my Design Team had the opportunity to create...

Vicky has chosen to use Blossom, from Ike's Art.   This is such a pretty floral spray of some delicate blossoms.  If you are interested in purchasing this beautiful image, click on the watermark to head over to its location in Ike's store.  It is located within the 'Flowers' section.

Lynda has chosen to use an image from our second regular sponsor, Creative Bug Digital SnapShots.  This beautiful digital is called Hearts Bouquet.  If you are interested in purchasing this image, click on the watermark to head over to the Valentine's section on the Special Occasions page in Naomi's store.

 

Pat has incorporated one of Ike's images into her midway project.  She has used a fabulous image, called Muse 6.  If you are interested in purchasing this image, click on the watermark to head over to its location in Ike's store.  It is located within the 'People' section.

Next up, we have two projects from...

In the first, Monica has chosen to use an image from Ike's Art.   This pretty scene is called Greek Window.  If you are interested in purchasing this image, click on the watermark to head over to its location in Ike's store.  It is located within the 'My Latest Designs' section.

Here is Monica's second project...

For this one, Monica has chosen to use an image and a sentiment from our guest sponsor this month, Pickled Potpourri Designs.  The flowers are the beautiful Dahlia image and the sentiment is from the beautiful set called, Today.  Clicking on each of these images will take you to their location in the store.

Sandy also worked with an image and sentiment from Pickled Potpourri Designs.  Both of them are from the Today set.  

I even managed to get a project done for this month's midway...

I too used images from Pickled Potpourri Designs.  I used the same image as Monica, the Dahlia one and then used the same sentiment as Sandy from the Today set.

Finally, that leaves our...

Mandy, from Made By Mandy, who is our guest designer this month, created this cool card...

Mandy chose to use an image from Ike's Art for her midway project.  This reflective image is called Cognitive Thoughts.  Another fabulous image for a thoughtful card.  If you are interested in purchasing this funky image, click on the watermark to head over to its location in Ike's store.  It is also located within the 'My Latest Designs' section.

 Clicking on the team members name (or in the case of our GDT, the blog name) will take you to their blog where you can check out the details for their inspirational creations!

So if you haven't entered already, what are you waiting for?  Create a project and/or post that is positive AND relates to thoughtfulness, 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!  You can enter our latest challenge by clicking HERE.

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!

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).

Don't Forget...

You still have until 11:55 p.m. tonight, to vote on your favourite entry for Challenge #11.  Voting is quick, easy and painless so I hope you will consider casting your vote if you haven't already.  Don't forget, if you leave a comment after voting, you have the opportunity to walk away with a selection of digital papers created especially with your interests in mind. To check out the Top Seven and cast your vote, click HERE.  Winners for challenge #11 will be posted next Monday.

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON THOUGHTFULNESS?
If you need some motivation to get you started, I've provided another sentiment, free for you to download:

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 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 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. 

This word art creation is in png format and published at 300 ppi. It is quite large in order to accommodate different programs that people work with.   If you are a card maker you can always resize it smaller without distorting the quality.


Font and Image Information:

• Scriptina Pro font created by CheapProFonts

Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  This font was listed as free for commercial use at the time this project was made.and as such, it is my understanding, that I am within my rights to use this font in my creations and offer them to others.  Please refer to my full terms of service for what you can and cannot do with this digital creation.

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. You can enter the challenge by clicking HERE to take you to the current challenge post where you can also find a quick summary of the details related to this challenge, towards the bottom of the post. 

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 Pickled Potpourri Designs, our guest sponsor for the month...

...we also have our regular sponsors:

 

 

That is me and I'd love for you to visit me

on my personal blog.

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

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Ponderings Along the Pathway...THOUGHTFULNESS

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 THOUGHTFULNESS and PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject...

Wiktionary defines THOUGHTFULNESS as “thoughtful and considerate attention”, but also as “careful deliberation before action.” I’d like to add, “careful deliberation before speaking”,  because when I start my work day with Diet Coke, I have been accused of talking before I consider all the  parameters of a problem or suggestion. Of course, that is a quality (I’m sorry, a negative behavior) that many have. It would be nice to be labeled as a “quick thinker, but unfortunately Diet Coke doesn’t give me that super power. It just gives me the power to open my mouth before my brain is finished sending an appropriate response to the conversation. So I have been “thinking” a lot about “thinking"…thinking before speaking or posting.
Words have so much power! How many times have you felt prettier, smarter, skinnier, when someone complimented you? How many times have you commented on a person’s hair style, clothing, artwork or project and seen them stand up taller or beam with delight?

My daughter is a thoughtful person. She knows how powerful words are, and she started a tradition in our house. For the last year, we have been leaving post-it notes for each other in the oddest places, like under a pillow or in the make-up drawer, etc. The thoughtful words bring smiles to our faces and give us a sweeter start to our days; words like “Caution: Objects in the mirror are more beautiful than they appear” and “You put the Good in Good Morning.”

I love that we can use our words to show our love even when our schedules might not let us see each other often. It’s a nice surprise to receive one, and it empowers us when we write them. And all it takes is a little thought.

Words can lift a person's self-esteem. Here’s a safe link I discovered on Facebook about the power of words:  http://drkellyflanagan.com/2014/01/15/words-from-a-father-to-his-daughter-from-the-makeup-aisle.  It is a letter from a father to his daughter while he stands in dismay in the make-up aisle of a store. He sees the “writing on the wall” and wants us to take a stand by guarding what words we say to our children, and how they’re going to react when they are old enough to feel the force of them.

Go ahead, "make my day" by using your words thoughtfully.

 

I hope that you get a chance to follow the link that Pat has suggested and read what this particular father had to say to his daughter.  The power of words indeed!  Also, 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 top seven for Challenge #11 and open the voting up to you.

May you always think and act with thoughtful intentions and be blessed to interact with people who do the same. Have a great weekend everyone!

Challenge #12--THOUGHTFULNESS: March 3 - April 6, 2014

It is the first Monday in March and that means it is time for the next challenge to start.  This time around, for Challenge #12 the theme is "THOUGHTFULNESS".  Show us your interpretation of what being thoughtful 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.  Being thoughtful can be as simple as holding open a door for someone, paying somebody a compliment or doing something extra special that a person wasn't expecting.  There are so many ways we can be thoughtful to those around us, strangers and loved ones alike.  Make a concentrated effort this month to do even more thoughtful acts than you normally would.  If everyone were more thoughtful, can you imagine the difference it would make in our world?!

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 thoughtfulness 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 thoughtfulness in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes.  While you may easily see how thoughtfulness 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.  We have someone brand new joining us for this challenge.  Please welcome...

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 beautiful set called, Today...

This set is simply lovely.  With two different images to choose from and three different sentiments, it is the perfect way to show someone that you are thinking of them.  The images themselves are so pretty.  I love how they have a grungy border surrounding them, yet a small section on each image hangs over the edge to create a really neat effect.  These images would be perfect for other occasions as well, including birthdays, Mother's Day or even on a sympathy card.

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

This pretty floral image would also be great for use on cards of many different occasions.  Three flowers provide a perfect balance and focal point to your card.  Not only are the ideas for use endless but so are the colour combinations.  From bold shades of deep purples and hot pink to more subtle shades of soft yellows and white edged in peach, Dahlia's showcase them all.

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 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 Mandy, from Made By Mandy, as our guest designer this month...

 Hi.  My name is Mandy.  I am 42 been with the love of my life for 25 years and very happily married.

Been crafty since I could cut with a pair of scissors, love creating things and this has been a saviour through some very dark times in my life.  Love working with digi stamps and have a 'thing' for pretty papers that talk me into buying them....

Not bought a card from a store for over 12 years and love any excuse to add a bit of twinkle to a card.

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

Wow and simply wow.  My design team and our guest have really created some amazing cards.  They are all just wonderful examples of THOUGHTFULNESS.  Hopefully they will brighten the day of each of their intended recipients.
 
So what are you waiting for?  Create a project and/or post that is positive AND relates to thoughtfulness, 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, March 10th when voting will start on the Top Seven for Challenge #11.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON THOUGHTFULNESS
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:
© 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:

• Foglihten font created by gluk
• Scriptina Pro font created by CheapProFonts

Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  Both of these fonts were listed as free for commercial use at the time that this sentiment was created.  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 March 3rd to April 6th.
• Link up your inspirational post below using Inlinkz. You will be able to submit your link up to 11:55 p.m. on  April 6th.
• 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.
• A prize package of a $7 gift certificate from Pickled Potpourri, 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 Pickled Potpourri, 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!

An InLinkz Link-up