Motivational Monday: Picture Inspiration & Update on the Path of Positivity Challenge

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

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Before we get to today's Picutre Inspiration I have a few updates to share with you on the Path of Positivity Challenge.  First off for those of you who haven't had the chance to familiarize yourself with this new challenge aspect to my blog, please go HERE for all the details you will need.  The updates I am providing below have now been added to that original post.

Now for those of you who are familiar with this new feature, I just want to update you on a couple additions.  Throughout the week there were a couple of questions and so for clarification, here is what I said...

Desire asked:
Just one question, can we enter a card with an inspirational sentiment but where the post itself in which it appears is not necessarily inspirational?

• Sorry if I wasn't clear the first time around.  It can EITHER be a post that has an inspirational vibe or just a card that is inspirational in some way.  You don't have to have an inspirational card AND an inspirational post.  One or the other is fine.

Deb asked:
Can I share someone else's website? 

• I'd prefer that people link up there own blogs but am willing to talk about individual situations.  Just send me an email to discuss it.

Thanks for the questions ladies.  I hope this clears it up for anyone else who may have been wondering the same things.  

In case you haven't noticed it yet, I have created a special badge for this new challenge.  You can find it at the top of my right sidebar.  If any of you would like to take it and share it with your readers to help spread the word of this unique challenge, please feel free to.  To help your readers find the information they need, please link the badge to the original page where the information and linkup is:  http://decossesdynamitedoodles.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-path-of-positivity-challenge-begins.html.

We have had a new sponsor jump in!  YAY!!!!!!!  So, not only will there be a prize for a random draw and 10 digital images (courtesy Creative Bug Digitals) for the person who receives the most votes, there will now also be a prize of three images of the winner's choice from Ike's World.  I've still to figure out the criteria for that prize yet.  Maybe for the person who receives the second highest number of votes?  What do you think?  I am open to input.  Now, in case you have forgotten anything remember that you can always check the original post for all the details you need to know in order to participate (click HERE).

Right now there are four wonderful entries.  I truly hope that more of you will join up over the next couple weeks.  Remember it can be something as simple as card that tells someone you love them.  That is certainly positive in nature!

Now for this week's motivation.  Once again I have a picture to inspire you.   If you are unfamiliar with Picture Inspiration, I have decided to explore different forms of motivation and inspiration.  So at least once a month during a Motivational Monday post, I will offer up a photo that will hopefully inspire you in some creative fashion.  Many challenges use pictures to help motivate their participants to create something new and unique.  I myself am often in awe of the pictures I see on my daily journey; so I've decided to share some of them with you. Maybe you will be inspired simply from the interesting colour combinations that work together or you might zone in on a specific texture. Others may see shapes and some of you may see something that no-one else does. 

Now both Naomi and Ike have both created projects, having been inspired by pictures I posted.  Naomi based hers on the photo I put up for February and Ike did one based on March's choice.  If you are ever inspired to create something using a picture I display, make sure you link it up to the Path of Positivity Challenge.  In fact, Naomi and Ike if you are reading this, I expect to see both your projects linked up to the challenge!  If any of you do choose to create something after having been inspired by this month's photo and you do link it up, just write based on DDDoodles picture inspiration when you leave your comment so that others visiting you understand why it was linked up.
 

In honour of my husband's upcoming birthday next Monday, I'm displaying this reflected image of a tree frog. He adores frogs and I thought this picture could inspire you in so many different ways.  This photo taken by John Starkey is from Photobotos and may be displayed for viewing on websites.  If you would like to keep a copy of this particular picture, I've linked it so that it goes back to the originating site.  If you grab a copy of it to display on your own blog please just link back to the page that hosts the image and the photographer’s credits (i.e. the page you go to when you click the image).  

So what do you see when you gaze into the depths of this picture?  What elements speak to you?  Does this picture inspire you to create something new and unique?  Let me know, I'd love to hear all about it.

Just a reminder that other than quick updates on the Path of Positivity Challenge, the regular Motivational Monday post will be on hiatus until May 6th.  As I mentioned at the end of the Saturday Showcase, with my birthday coming up at the end of this week, my husband's on the 22nd and our wedding anniversary on the 29th, I need to take some time and spend it with the dear man who puts up with me and all the hours I spend with you guys.  It's only fair I throw him a few extra hours, as we celebrate these special occasions.  Additionally, my parents are coming up today for a couple days and I haven't seen them since Christmas, so I'll definitely be spending some time with them too.  So, I will be taking some time off from approximately April 18th to May 2nd.  I will still be around though, I have DT obligations to fulfill and other stuff that needs taking care off.  I'm just going to be taking some time off from some of my regular posts.  If you need to reach me, just send me an email.

Until next time,

Note: I apologize if there are any formatting issues.  This is a scheduled post and we all know Blogger has a mind of it's own.  If it turns out that something looks wonky, i.e.--part of the sentence a different size or font than the rest, I'll fix it as soon as I'm able to.

Picture Inspiration: A Sea of Green

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

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Before I get on with today's picture I just wanted to say my Firefox issue is resolved.  While trying to create this post in Chrome I became more and more frustrated as the night went on.  Not only was I having problems with fonts and sizes, it no longer allowed me to link pictures.  So I said to myself, "self if we don't figure this out soon, there is going to be a really large hole where the computer is supposed to sit."  Self agreed that wouldn't be good for any of us since we spend a significant portion of our waking hours on the Internet. So we I decided to do a search for wonky Firefox issues.  Apparently this happens a lot where suddenly pages no longer load or just parts do, and other troublesome issues occur.  There is also this really neat feature called a reset button because apparently un-installing, re-installing, etc. doesn't do the trick.  The best part is that it tries to preserve all your data, bookmarks, etc.  So I tried that and it really actually worked.  Wondering if my Blogger issues were tied into having to use Chrome, I started typing again and tried to set things with my regular font and normal size and for now things seem to be cooperating.  The only thing I've had to reinstall so far is the dictionary.  Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to have Firefox back.  So here is my question.  If Google is the author of Chrome and Blogger, why doesn't Blogger function properly in Chrome?  Things that make you say hmmmmm......

Anyways, enough about me.  It is time for another picture inspiration.  As I mentioned last month when I did this the first time, I have decided to explore different forms of motivation and inspiration.  So at least once a month during a Motivational Monday post, I will offer up a photo that will hopefully inspire you in some creative fashion.  Many challenges use pictures to help motivate their participants to create something new and unique.  I myself am often in awe of the pictures I see on my daily journey; so I've decided to share some of them with you. Maybe you will be inspired simply from the interesting colour combinations that work together or you might zone in on a specific texture. Others may see shapes and some of you may see something that no-one else does. 

One person last month actually did create a card based on the photo I displayed and she came up with a very creative interpretation.  If you are ever inspired to create something using a picture I display, I'd love to see what you come up with.  Maybe I should be creating a whole new section in the gallery.  What do you think?

Since St. Patrick's day is next weekend and spring is right around the corner a few days later, I thought that a little green was in order.  This photo taken by Marc Adamus is from Photobotos and may be displayed for viewing on websites.  If you would like to keep a copy of this particular picture, I've linked it so that it goes back to the originating site.  If you grab a copy of it to display on your own blog please just link back to the page that hosts the image and the photographer’s credits.  

So what do you see when you gaze into the depths of this picture?  What elements speak to you?  Does this picture inspire you to create something new and unique?  Let me know, I'd love to hear all about it.

Now I am off to re-edit my post for tomorrow that is riddled with editing issues because I did it before this one while working in Chrome and it would look a little strange if I tell you I got everything fixed and then you read that I'm having problems.  For those of you who have really come to know me you know I have difficulties with anything that doesn't follow the lines of logic.  So I suppose I need to make sure I do so myself.

Until next time,

Picture Inspiration: Romantic Night

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

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Today I'm doing things a little bit differently.  I have decided to explore different forms of motivation and inspiration.  So at least once a month during a Motivational Monday post, I will offer up a photo that will hopefully inspire you in some creative fashion.  Many challenges use pictures to help motivate their participants to create something new and unique.  I myself am often in awe of the pictures I see on my daily journey; so I've decided to share some of them with you.  Maybe you will be inspired simply from the interesting colour combinations that work together or you might zone in on a specific texture.  Others may see shapes and some of you may see something that no-one else does.  If you are ever inspired to create something using a picture I display, I'd love to see what you come up with.

In honour of Valentine's day coming up later this month, I've chosen this image.  This photo taken by Paul Lavoie is from Photobotos and may be displayed for viewing on websites.  If you would like to keep a copy of this particular picture, I've linked it so that it goes back to the originating site.

So what do you see when you gaze into the depths of this picture?  What elements speak to you?  Does this picture inspire you to create something new and unique?  Let me know, I'd love to hear all about it.

Until next time,

Digital Design: Life is Like a Piano...

Are you experiencing a feeling of deja vous?  Feel like you have seen this image before?  Well, you wouldn't be completely wrong.  When I put my introduction post for Digital Darla's Challenges Design Team together, I created this same design except it was all done up in blues.  What I didn't tell you at the time is that I had originally created the brown/gold version you see below.  Then I went over and found out our image was supposed to follow the theme that week which was winter blues.  Silly me became panicked me because I had less than a day to figure out what else to do!  I took a chance and turned it into a blue version.  Thankfully, it didn't look too bad in the blues so I used it.  Well, one of my Digi Darla teammates put me on to a challenge that calls for 100% digital creations.  So, the digital creation centre of brain is really excited because now I have a place to showcase the digital designs I create too.  Of course, they'll have to fit into the theme of the week but it is another opportunity to showcase my work which is really exciting.  So, here is the original version I created.

THIS IMAGE IS NOT FOR DOWNLOAD.

Sorry for the big and bold 'not for download' statement but I need to make sure that it is clear.  You guys are used to being able to download my digital graphics but when they are for a challenge it means that I have used a sponsor's image within the piece.  Digital stamps are not available for redistribution whether alone or part of a new creation unless explicit permission has been given from the designer.

Image Details:

• I created this digital project using one of Digi Darla's inspirational sentiments.  You can find this image in the store under the sentiments section.  When I came across this particular one I knew it would be perfect for my design.  The sentiment has been coloured using Photoshop Elements (PE).  I then uploaded the new image into Inkscape to finish putting it together. 
• The background image is a picture in the public domain.  The artist is Sabine Sauermaul and you can find this particular photo HERE at PublicDomainPictures.net.
• The theme of the challenge this week is 'Not a Card or Layout".  I guess the best way to describe this project is as an inspirational poster.  I could print it and mount it or just use it for a backdrop for my computer screen.  I can assure you that the image has been created 100% digitally.

Challenge I am entering this digital design into:

• Digitally Sweet Challenges -- Anything but a Card or Layout
• Crafter's Digital Art Centre --  Anything Goes

 

Until next time,