Monday, May 25, 2015

Motivational Monday & PoP Reminder: PERSEVERANCE

 If you are new to my blog and would like to know why I started Motivational Monday, please go HERE.

Hello and happy Monday to those of you stopping by today.  I appreciate you taking the time to come over and read what I have to say.

This evening, I'll be sharing this month's Motivational Monday passage, along with a card I created and couple freebies at the bottom of the post.  

This post should technically have been published last week at the same time as the midway post on Path of Positivity challenge blog.  Unfortunately, even though the card was finished, I didn't have it photographed and edited and I just didn't have it in me to get it done.  So instead, I figured I would wait and post it this Monday.

The reflection, and one of the freebies were originally posted last week over on PoP; so, if you've been there already then you can just bypass most of this post.  I'm just getting the card posted today and will add it to the midway post once I am done.  

The theme this month is PERSEVERANCE. 

On with today's thoughts...

 Don't Give Up Hope


So many people around me are dealing with very difficult issues in their lives right now.  Some are battling depression, some are battling pain and other illnesses, some have family members they are extremely worried about.  When living with these stressors, day in and day out, one can start to feel the world crashing in on all sides.  Hope seems elusive at best.

I've been there.  I know just how dark things can get.

We are quick with words of encouragement like, 'don't give up hope' and 'hang in there friend'.  We certainly mean the best when we say them and while the person on the other end of these phrases may need to hear them, don't fret if the immediate response isn't an encouraging one.  It is easy for us to spout these aphorisms but we have to be ready to acknowledge that the individual on the receiving end may not be in the best place to accept them.  It is easy to say 'everything is going to be fine', but when a person feels like they are hanging on by their fingernails, in no way do they believe everything will be fine.

Just as it is important that our friends and loved ones experiencing anguish don't give up, it is even more crucial that we don't give up on them.  Keep reaching out.  Keep trying to connect with them.  Sometime it feels like they are pushing us away but that is when we must dig our heels in and fight all the more.  True friends stick around through the really bad times just as they stick around through the really good ones.

Whether you are the person facing the difficulty or trying to help someone dealing with one...
Persevere
Persist

As much as you may want to give up the fight...
Keep Going
Keep Trying

Don't let anything or anyone sway you from your goal...
Be Determined
Be Stubborn

When you feel like giving in...
Stand Firm
Stay Resolved

When you are your most afraid...
Hang In There
Hang On

When everything is at its darkest...
Reach Out
Hold Fast


Stick With It
Stay the Course
There really is light at the end of the tunnel.  You just have to hold on long enough to see it again.
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This month our sponsors are...

Next up, is the card I made using an image from Ike's Art..


FRONT
Digital Image Details: 
  • My New ShoesAs stated above, this sweet image is from Ike's Art.  If you are interested in purchasing this image, click on the watermark to head over to the section it can be found on in the store. I am so lucky that my card fits into Ike's current challenge.  Well, I think it fits the theme, I guess I have to wait and see if they agree. ;) 
 My New Shoes (located in the 'My Latest Designs' section)
Digital Embellishments: 
  • I added buttons that I created using a template from Marisa Lerin, a designer with Pixel Scrapper
  • The doily was created using a template from Sheila Reid, also with Pixel Scrapper

INSIDE 
Digital Sentiment: 
  • This fabulous sentiment was created by Paulette from Create with TLC.  I picked it up as a freebie.  Check out Paulette's wonderful blog by clicking HERE or click HERE to go to the store.


OVERALL
Paper Products: 
  • Card base: Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, black.
Digital Paper Products: 
  • The shoe paper is from my Mommy Dearest Kit.
Challenges I am hoping to enter:
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Finally, that brings me to a couple of freebies.  The first was offered up at the challenge start and the second was just offered up during last week's midway...

© 2015
Font Information:




© 2015 
Font Information:
  • Odalisque font created by Nick's Fonts
  • Forum font created by Denis Masharov
Please be sure to click on the images to bring them up into the lightbox in their proper size before saving them.  Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  The first three fonts were listed as free for commercial use at the time this project was made.  The last one, Butterscotch, is one I have purchased as part of a bundle and the licence states that it may be used for commercial purposes.  As such, it is my understanding, that I am within my rights to use these fonts 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.

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


Credit Notes For These Creations:
© Lisa L. Décosse. PUO. However, you are allowed to use the sentiments 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.


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 I invite you to go and check out, not only, the fabulous creations some members of my Design Team had the opportunity to create over on the Path of Positivity (click HERE for the midway) but also some of the great entries into this month's challenge (click HERE for the challenge).  I also invite you to come over and enter a project yourself, if you haven't already.  There are so many kinds of cards that would work for this theme, including encouragement, and even graduation cards.  There is still one week left to enter and I'm sure there is someone in your life who could be reminded just how important it is to keep fighting and hang on.

Well, that is it for this one!  If I can pull it off I am going to try and get one of my progressive posts published tonight. 

 

Until then,



11 comments:

Holley (Tondre) Barnhart said...

Love Ike's Art and I totally love the sentiment you chose. Great job. Thanks so much for sharing with us at the Yours Scrapbook Place Challenge. Cheers, Holley

Edwina said...

Hi Lisa, I love the words in this post. I like that all are encouragement to keep going forward. I had my card planned for the POP challenge, but it looks like I won't be able to do it. I love the POP challenges that they make me realize how fortunate blessed I am. Edwina Brown

ike said...

Such a fabulously sweet card and that paper pack is divinely scrummy !!!! I agree - I think historic can be anything from the past :-D
Thank you for coming over to play at IKEsWORLD CHALLENGES :-D

Hugz
IKE xx

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ike said...

Oooops - so sorry... forgot to say a big Thank You for the freebies :-D xxxxx

Sall said...

What a gorgeous card, beautifully coloured. Thank you for taking the time and sharing your creativity with us Love 'n' hugs Sall IkesWorld Challenges DT

As.I.Do.Rodos. said...

Love the papers they so match the wonderfully coloured image. Brilliant sentiment on the inside .Thank you for joining us at Ike's World Challenges good luck Ginny ♥

Mimi said...

Ah how adorable is this creation Lisa, yep small steps every day is so true and they turn into history in the making :) :) I love you creation so much :) Thank you so much for entering our fortnightly challenge at IKEsWORLD and hope to see more of you wonderful creations. Hugs xxxx

Heather said...

I'm a little late commenting, but better late than never. Love your words of encouragement and inspiration. So true, right? Thanks for the freebies...and I love your card. Absolutely beautiful. Take care my friend.
{Hugs}
Heather G

Mrs A. said...

What an absolutely super image this is. Love how you have coupled it with the digi paper. Thankyou for listing them in your post. Sentiment is so apt too. Thankyou for sharing with us at Crafting From The Heart. Hugs ValeryAnne DT.

Shelley said...

What a gorgeous card! Such beautiful colouring on it. Thank you for playing along with us at IWC x

Susan Renshaw said...

Love this image of Ike's!! Great creation! Thanks for sharing with Creative Fingers!