It never gets easier, retiring a badge. It’s a decision I deal with every year. But alas, it’s that time once again.

Our lovely 2017-2018 Stream of Consciousness Saturday badge by Jill, aka J-Dub, has served us well. I’ll be sad to see it go. This weekend will see its final sharing.

But perhaps she’ll enter the contest again! Either way, thank you for your year’s worth of beauty to grace our SoCS posts, Jill!

And now the excitement begins. I’ll be taking entries for the next seven days (today included) for Stream of Consciousness Saturday badge designs.

Here are the contest guidelines: please read them carefully before entering:

1. The design can be anything you want it to be, but it must include either “Stream of Consciousness Saturday” or “SoCS” and your name and/or the name of your website.

2. Any pictures (art or photo) must be your own.

3. All entries will be posted here on my blog on Thursday August 23rd, 2018, along with a poll that will close the next day, on Friday the 24th. I would ask that each of the entrants make a blog post on their own website with their artwork so I can post links for voters to check them out, and that they link their post back HERE in the comment section no later than Wednesday, August 22nd, midnight EDT (GMT -5 hours). No entry posted after that time will qualify. All links included here within the specified timeframe will be added to the voting list.

4. The winner’s badge will be available for anyone who participates in Stream of Consciousness Saturday to post permanently on their website as a widget and/or to embed in each weekly SoCS post.

5. One entry per person. The contest is open to anyone with an active blog, WordPress or otherwise. I reserve the right to disqualify any blogger from the contest who regularly posts material that may be offensive to others, i.e. porn, highly political posts, or blogs that only exist to sell something.

6. Poll results will not be available while the poll is open. If there is a tie, I will choose the winner myself.

7. Entries are restricted to the first ten linked below (just in case we’re bombarded), so get yours in early.

8. If I’ve missed anything, or if you have any questions, please ask in the comment section below.

9. Have fun and best of luck!

Note: The posting of the winning badge with a SoCS post/on a participant’s website will not be a requirement. It’s purely for entertainment/recognition purposes.