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 DREAMS and PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject...
“We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers
And sitting by desolate streams;—
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.”
      (-excerpt from the poem Ode by Arthur O’Shaugnessy) 

Where would the world be without dreamers?
Would we still be living in caves and living meal to meal?
Would we have reason to laugh and play?
Would our lives be shorter, our work drudgery, our improvement at a standstill?
Dreams lead to change, improvement and creativity.
Thomas Edison dreamt a way to light our darkest nights to keep our fears at bay.
Alexander Graham Bell dreamt of an instant way to communicate over distance, shrinking the world.
If it weren’t for dreamers, we wouldn’t have music to listen and dance to, books to laugh and cry over, and art on which to feast our eyes and dream our own dreams.
If it weren’t for dreamers, we would have shortened lifespans, higher mortality rate and the plague would make a comeback every century or so.
So what do you dream of? A world free of cancer? The next great novel? The newest fashion craze? Whatever your dream, reach for it, work for it, never lose sight of it. Keep dreaming, keep moving and shaking the world, and your dreams will give birth to other dreamers, on and on, forever…

It is the first Monday in July and that means it is time for the next challenge to start.  Actually it is the seventh day of the seventh month--some auspicious numbers indeed making today even more special, but I digress.  This time around, for Challenge #16 the theme is "DREAMS".  Show us your interpretation of what dreams mean 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.  There is an awesome quote by Wilma Rudolph that says, "Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."  How awesome is that?  Each one of us has the magnitude within to do awesome things with our lives and it all starts with a dream.  So be sure to nurture and develop all those secret wishes and desires that you've been carrying around in your heart for years.  Remember, it is possible:  Dreams do come true.
 
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 dreams 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 dreams in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes.  While you may easily see how dreams relate 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.

Some rule changes to note...

Now before we continue, there are a few changes that we are going to implement.  While the challenge itself has now been up and running for about 14 months, the DT only came on in July of last year.  Therefore, with a little over a year under our belts now, it is a good time to review how things have been running and look at possible changes.  So, with that being said, please note the following:

• Entries will now be limited to a total of three.
• There will no longer be a prize associated with the Voter's Choice.  We will still continue to have a Voter's Choice category allowing people to vote on their favourite project but from now on it will be an honourary position.  The person who receives the most votes each challenge will still earn a badge as the Voter's Choice. 
• For the next few months, we are going to switch things up a bit and the prize from the monthly guest sponsor will go to the creation chosen by the DT as Most Inspirational.  Ike's Art, one of our amazing on-going sponsors will be responsible for the prize for an entry chosen in a random draw (except in cases where one sponsor covers all prizes or months with additional sponsors).  Creative Bug Digital SnapShots, our second incredible ongoing sponsor, will now provide one image to each person chosen each challenge as a DT Delight.

There might be a few more changes but how about we start here.  Hopefully, it won't take too long to get the hang of the new rules.

This month's sponsor...

So now that that is out of the way, it is time to meet our guest sponsor for this month.  We have someone brand new joining us for this challenge.  Please welcome...
Scribble & Scrap is relatively new to the scene coming into existence roughly in the fall of 2013.  Lexie, the owner, has a variety of items to choose from including:  different styles of digis (vintage, steampunk, and others); sentiments; cutting files; topper sheets; digital papers; and, as time passes, she will be adding other sorts of crafty downloads.   It is her goal to be able to cater to all sorts of styles and interests, so watch for some interesting new items as time goes by.

Along with the shop she also has a challenge blog where the theme is always, Anything Goes.  There is even candy given out every two weeks!  She has a fabulous design team who provide tons of inspiration for using her products.  Additionally, she also offers up some tutorials.  So make sure that you pop over and have a look around both the challenge blog and the store.  Join Lexie in her journey and be there to watch Scribble & Scrap grow into a thriving business.

You can find the store here:  http://www.scribbleandscrap.co.uk/
You can find the challenge blog here:  http://scribbleandscrapcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/
You can find Scribble & Scrap on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/scribbleandscrapuk

Now normally at the challenge start, I would list the images that we got to work with.  However, Scribble & Scrap has very generously allowed the DT to pick whatever image(s) they wanted to work with.  Therefore, I'll provide the image watermark and store link under each card to keep things organized. You can just click on each of the watermarks to head to that particular item's location in the store.

Monica chose to work with the Vintage Beauty 2 and, as Pat did, used paper from the Elegance Set 1 collection of papers (watermark and link above).
Desíre chose to work with Vintage Beauty 5 and, as Pat and Monica did, used paper from the Elegance Set 1 collection of papers (watermark and link above).
Lynda chose to work with the Floral Ring stamp and used paper from the Fabulous Florals 2 set of papers.


Vicky chose to work with an image from the Vintage Photo Sheet 16 and, as Pat, Monica and Desíre did, used paper from the Elegance Set 1 collection of papers (watermark and link above).

Sandy chose to work with Vintage Beauty #4 and used paper from the Mint Chocolate Set 1 collection of papers.

Suze used the same image as Monica, Vintage Beauty 2 and, as many of the team did, used paper from the Elegance Set 1 collection of papers (watermarks and links for both these items can be found above).
We are also pleased to have Edwina from Edwina's Creations, back joining us this month...

Hi, I am Edwina Brown. I was born in Kentucky USA. I live in New Jersey USA now. I started crafting as a small child. I loved art from the time I got my first box of crayons. In 1996 I started oil painting classes and then watercolors in 2001. I finally learned Pastels and Acrylics too. I learned about scrapbooking in 2003 and finally started making cards as well. I did not get into using digis till 2010. I am addicted to them now. I see an image then I think “Oh that will make a great card”. Next thing I know I am making a card. Sometimes I do not know till the card is finished what it will look like. I love trying new things and I think doing things out of our comfort zone improves our ability and mind. Making cards and other craft items have become a full time thing for me now. I am on 3 DT’s and love working with all 3 ladies. Crafting has introduced me to some very special people along the way. I now call some of them friend. I am thankful for them as they have helped me grow.

Here is the gorgeous card that Edwina came up with for us...
Edwina chose to work with the Vintage Pansy Wreath and used paper from the Fabulously Feminine 2 set of papers.



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:

• GarineldoNo02 font created by gluk

Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  This font was listed for commercial use at the time of this creation 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.  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  July 7th to August 3rd.
• Link up your inspirational post below using Inlinkz. You will be able to submit your link up to 11:55 p.m. on August 3rd.
• 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 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. 
• For Challenge 16, prizes will be the following:
• £15 voucher from Scribble and Scrap, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Three digital images from Ike's Art for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.
• There will also  be:
• 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.



Link up below:

Dawn will be contacted by email to make arrangements to claim her prize.  Thanks to my team for taking the time to carefully consider their choices for DT Delights each challenge and of course to each of you who has participated in our challenges whether by creating a project, voting in our challenges or simply supporting the challenge, the team and the participants with your comments.

Stay tuned for our newest challenge which will be posted tommorrow evening if everything goes according to plan.  See you all then!