Monday, February 26, 2024

Apologies and an Update

Hello folks! I apologize for being MIA (that means 'missing in action' if you are unfamiliar with the acronym). It has been a rather tumultuous month.

Due to a prolonged and difficult illness (fondly referred to as the virus from hell), I was unable to post February's challenge. For roughly 18 days, the only time I ventured from my bed was to visit the bathroom; and in the first two weeks, even getting there was a struggle. I credit my husband with my survival because I truly believe I may not be here if not for his incredible care during the worst of my illness. Even now, almost exactly a month from the time I became sick, I am still struggling with my recovery due to lingering symptoms.

That being the case, I have made the decision to cancel March's challenge as well. As difficult as it was for me to make that choice, I need to put my health first.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Hopefully, March will provide me with the additional time I need to recover so that we can return in April. However, I make no promises at this time. I will need to see what fate has in store for me.

I hope that you and your families remain healthy and well in which ever corner of this world you live!

All my best,
Lisa

Monday, January 29, 2024

Winners & Design Team Delights for Challenge #118: Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of Be Inspired By MUSIC


Hello to all our wonderful crafting friends! I hope that you all continue to stay safe out there in whichever corner of the world you are located! 

Right now, it is time to present the winners for Challenge #118. First we'll share the names of the Voter's Choice (don't forget, this will be the last Voter's Choice for the foreseeable future), the Most Inspirational and the Random Winner and then we'll move on to showcasing our DT Delights. Who are all the lucky peeps? Well, let's find out.

Without further ado, here are the choices...


Drum roll, please....
 🥁🥁🥁 BBBbbbrrrrrrrrr pish 🥁🥁🥁
 

The people have spoken and their choice for Challenge #118 is a tie between…
 

Becca, you are entitled to receiving a cool and awe inspiring personalized badge for your blog as the Voter's Choice for Challenge #118. Please feel free to copy your badge below...
 


AND


Kathy, you are also entitled to receiving a cool and awe inspiring personalized badge for your blog as the Voter's Choice for Challenge #118. Please feel free to copy your badge below...


 In the category of Most Inspiring, our winner is...


Becca, you are also entitled to a lovely, one of a kind personalized badge for your blog as the Most Inspiring choice for Challenge #118 which you can find below...  
 
 
The Random Winner for this challenge (chosen by Random.org), 
based on all eligible participants is…


Lisa, you have won $6 worth of images or sentiments (digital paper packs not included) from Scribbles Designs, our on-going sponsor providing a prize for the project chosen as a Random Winner for each of our challenges in 2023.

http://buyscribblesdesigns.blogspot.ca/
 
Lisa, you are also entitled to a neat and unique personalized badge for your blog as the Random Winner for Challenge #118 which you can find below...  
 

Big Congrats to...

  BECCA, KATHY & LISA

If you are our random prize winner for this challenge, please send your message to popwinners {at} gmail {dot} com (be sure to replace 'at' and 'dot' with the appropriate symbols), or click HERE to bring our email up in your program, with the subject heading, "RANDOM WINNER PoP Challenge #118" to make arrangements to receive your prize. Please note that I am rather behind these days so it may take me a while to get back to you but I promise I will. I am currently caught up with the mail received in this account.

Now it is time to announce our DT Delights from this challenge. 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.
 
Thanks to the people who took the time to join along our Path during the month of December for Challenge #118. We had a total of 26 entries. Check out the ones that really caught our attention...

Kathy--chosen by Katrina and Carole…  
 
 
Katrina said this:
"My DT Delight is Kathy (#11). Kathy's card really stands out with that gorgeous sky behind the sweet silhouette! Everything from the wooden window frame to the doily on the back of the chair puts me in the mood to relax and enjoy the beautiful sunset with this charming kitty."
 
Carole had this to say:
"My DT Delight is also Kathy (#11). Kathy created a delightful, cozy scene. I was impressed with the use of scraps to build a comfy chair in front of a window for her cat digi stamp. A beautifully creative work of art."
 
To see the details of Kathy's creation and read more of what she had to say click HERE.
 
 
Brenda--chosen by Suze…
 

Suze said this: 
"My DT Delight is Brenda (#24). I really like the colour scheme on this one along with the sentiment. The background pattern is really pretty too."

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

Creative Congratulations to you all!


Thank you to those who played on our Pathway during the month of December. As always we greatly appreciate you sharing your incredible talents with us.

For our DT Delights chosen for this challenge...

Kathy and Brenda
 
You are entitled to the special Challenge #118 DT Delight Badge which you can find below...


Well, that is it for this one. Please join us again on February 5th (as long as everything goes according to plan), when we will be back with our newest challenge. 
 
Do your best to continue stay safe, healthy and positive out there in your daily life and hopefully we'll see you all again soon!!!

Until next time,
 

Monday, January 22, 2024

Challenge #119--Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of: Power of Words… NEW BEGINNINGS ...Midway

 
Hey folks! Welcome back to the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog! It is time to present the midway for Challenge #119. 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 #119

Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of 

The Power of Words: NEW BEGINNINGS


For 2023, our goal each month entailed looking at the things around us that could provide inspiration in our creative journeys. This year, we will be looking at how WORDS can influence our artistic endeavours.
 
In a world brimming with countless ways of expressing ourselves, it is our aptness to convey emotions, ideas, and experiences through words that allows us to yield serious connections, paint expressive vistas, and spark profound change. When we realize the enchantment carried within the letters and syllables that shape our world, we embark on an awe-inspiring journey. Whether we choose to demonstrate through deliberately crafted sentences or raw artistic expression, each and every brushstroke and syllable has the capacity to evoke astonishing emotions and trigger an incredible odyssey of self-discovery. A sojourn where an uncomplicated phrase can breathe life into dormant dreams or ignite our imaginations, where a heartfelt remark can soothe the deepest of torments, and where a well-chosen assemblage of words can unleash the immeasurable power residing within ourselves.
 
Words have the extraordinary ability to improve our frame of mind, and unite us as a collective force for good. With each and every word we speak, we have the ability to paint vivid pictures in the minds of others, to disclose the depths of our emotions, and to construct new worlds of possibility. With a single word, we can lift someone's spirits, offer comfort to a weary soul, or ignite a passion within them that had long been hidden. With each carefully chosen word, we have the remarkable ability to not only connect with others but also to configure the chronicle of our own lives, directing even the seemingly mundane into unimaginable adventures.
 
Given the infinite potential that language has, we have decided that our overall theme for 2024 will be THE POWER OF WORDS. When we align our thoughts with empowering words and affirmations, we set the stage for untold marvels to unfold. So, join us as we embark on a quest this year to speak with intention and clarity, casting aside words of limitation and embracing words that inspire and kindle passion. For in doing so, we tap into the transformational capability of language, becoming sculptors of our own reality. 
 
To help inspire you on this journey, each month we will focus on different quotes. I will provide three to five quotes to inspire your creative projects. If none provide any inspiration, you can pick a quote or phrase of your own choosing to explore. You can use the quote/phrase/sentiment as the focal point of your creation OR you can embrace an aspect of the quote to focus on. As always, following our twists are optional.
 
If you do want to follow the optional twist this month, here are the quotes I've chosen for January: 
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” — Brad Paisley
“New month, new intentions, new goals, new love, new light, and new beginnings.” — April Mae Monterrosa

"The magic in new beginnings is the most powerful of them all."              — Josiyah Martin

"New Year's Day. A fresh start. A new chapter waiting to be written."      — Sarah Ban Breathnach
“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T.S. Eliot

As you can see, the overall theme for January is NEW BEGINNINGS. If you want to follow the optional theme, you can simply use one of the quotes literally and type it out and add it to your project. However, you could also create a project with one of the quotes in mind. For example, you could start a new bullet journal or diary. The first two quotes, along with the fourth could inspire this kind of idea. The fourth one could also inspire a New Year's card. The third quote could inspire a card with two people just starting out in a new love relationship. There are lots of ways you could approach the quotes. And of course, if none of these inspires you, you can always find your own quote or sentiment expressing the concept of NEW BEGINNINGS.

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, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.
To help inspire you further down the path of The Power of Words: NEW BEGINNINGS, check out the wonderful projects my Design Team had the opportunity to create. 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
 


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 The Power of Words: NEW BEGINNINGS 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?! While it isn't mandatory, we'd also love to find out how this month's twist affects your own life. How often do you rely on words to inspire your creative endeavours? This month our quotes all focus on NEW BEGINNINGS. Are you doing anything special this month to start something new or explore any new goals? It is a new year and that means that you can explore many new possibilities. Like the quote from Sarah Ban Breathnach says, let today be a fresh start where you can explore writing this next chapter of your life. 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...

You have until 11:59 p.m., ET, tonight (Jan. 22), to vote on your favourite entry for Challenge #118. Voting is quick, easy and painless so I hope you will consider casting your vote if you haven't already. Please note that as this challenge took place in 2023, it will be the last one [for the foreseeable future] where we will have voting. We're making a change and you can read about it, along with casting your votes for the Top Picks HERE. Winners for challenge #118 will be posted next Monday if everything goes according to plan.
 

Click HERE to head to the current challenge post & link up!



If you ever have any questions be sure to leave me a comment.

We look forward to seeing you participate!