Challenge #33: Optional Theme...Picture Inspiration

Hello crafters! Welcome to The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. It is the first day of September and that means it is time for our next challenge to get under way! The end of the summer is upon us and that means there are only four months left to add to the Christmas and other December Holidays Card Pile so let us continue with that quest!

I realize that I still don't have the winner post ready and I'm sorry.  It is started, I just need to finish tabulating the top picks and do some finishing touches. I am trying to get to it as quickly as possible.

Right now, it is time to get down to the business of our latest challenge. Here is what you need to know...

The Basics

While you can find out ALL the information you need to know in order to participate in the challenge by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page (or by clicking HERE), here is a refresher of the basics.

• Anyone can link up as many Christmas and/or December holiday themed cards (including Happy New Year's cards) throughout the month with an ANYTHING GOES theme.
• Every person who has linked up a MINIMUM of two (2) cards will be eligible to receive a specially designed Christmas themed digital paper.
• Each month there will be an OPTIONAL theme to follow. Anyone who submits a card adhering to the monthly theme, will have the chance to win a prize from that month's guest sponsor.
• ALL entries adhering to our basic rules also have the opportunity to win a mini pack of digi papers each month as well.
• Every holiday card you submit to the link up, earns you one chance to win a special digital Christmas kit that will be offered up after the year is complete.

Now that the basics are out of the way, how about we get on with the details of Challenge #33.

Challenge #33

Optional Theme:  

Picture Inspiration

 

Courtesy of Pexels/Pixabay

This month we've decided to do a holiday inspired picture inspiration challenge. The great thing about pictures is that one person can be moved by one aspect and another individual may see something totally different. So, whether you are inspired by the colours, the shapes, or the objects themselves within this particular picture, it doesn't matter. Maybe you'll be inspired by the Christmas tree or maybe you'll go with a gift box. Perhaps you'll be influenced by one of the ornaments such as the musical instrument, the rocking horse, the angel, the bear, the baubles or even the star on the top of the tree. Perchance you'll be influenced by one of the many designs in the wrapping paper such as the stripes, the snowflakes, the diagonals, the snowmen, the Santas, the birds, the deer or the holly. Finally, maybe you'll simply be moved by the colours, the sparkle, the lights or the ribbons. This month it is all in the eye of the beholder.

 In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, make sure that your Christmas card is inspired somehow by the above picture. The inspiration can be showcased in your image or your papers but they must be used prominently. IMPORTANT: If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize.. You will also need to let us know what inspiration you took from the picture. You can simply write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge if it would be easier.

Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, have a chance to win a special mini kit of digi papers and have your name thrown into the year end draw for some extra digital goodies. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate to the Sparkle N Sprinkle store.

Talking about Sparkle N Sprinkle, it is time to refresh ourselves with the details of this returning sponsor…

Sparkle N Sprinkle is a small company with a big heart owned and operated by Margaret Myers. SNS specializes in hand-mixed embossing powders and glitters. Our quality, deeply etched rubber stamps are closely cropped on Cling Mount Cushion ready for your acrylic block. Produced in our local Shoppe in Ruskin, Florida, the stamps are already indexed on a laminated color storage sheet for your convenience. SNS sells a variety of other paper crafting tools and products, including a new line of digital stamps and many other exclusive products.

Here is the hyper link for the website: https://sparklensprinkle.net/

"Please come visit us at........ We'd love to have you stop by."

SNS Website: https://sparklensprinkle.net/

Challenge Blog (now on Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/groups/SparkleNSprinkleChallenge/?ref=br_rs

SNS Blog: https://sparklensprinkle.net/blogs/news

SNS Store: https://sparklensprinkle.net/

Check out the incredible images that the team worked with this month for the start of the challenge. Clicking on any of the image watermarks will take you to their page in the Sparkle N Sprinkle store where each of these images can be found.

Brighten the Holiday Penguins

70's Peace Sign

Diamond Medallion

You'll get to see more great images used during our midway so be sure to come back again at that time!

While team members had the option of working with any of my Décosse's Dynamite Doodles papers, I did create a special set called The Shape of Things. It is more of a generic set this month but the colours are based on a Christmas palette. Check out the preview...

Everyone who links up a minimum of two cards during the month of September will earn ONE of the digital papers from this set. The specific paper up for grabs will be shown during the winner announcement post. Additionally, one random winner will earn the full set of papers.

Have your say in determining which paper will be offered to those who link up a minimum of two cards this month by completing the poll below.


DIGI PAPER POLL
Please click "like" to choose the ONE paper that you would like offered up to participants who link up a minimum of two cards during the month of September. Poll will be open until September 30th, 11:59 p.m. EST. Please note that you can get a better idea of what the actual paper looks like by bringing the preview ABOVE up in the lightbox.

Now check out what the Sleigh Belles and also Pat came up with to inspire you. Clicking on the names will take you to the individual blogs where you can check out the details for all these wonderful cards...

Inspiration: One of Donna's favourite things about Christmas is the lights. In her opinion, the more colourful the better. So, the lights on the tree were what she used for inspiration!

Inspiration: Susan used the Christmas tree as her inspiration,
along with some of the shapes in the wrapping papers.

Inspiration: Pat used the teal and red colours from the photo as inspiration for
her Christmas card along with the gift packages' striped wrapping paper.

So what are you waiting for? It is time to link up your Christmas and other holiday cards for September! Whether you choose to link up two Anything Goes themed cards simply to earn your free paper this month, link up one or more cards for your chance to win the mini kit of digi papers shown above, OR you choose to also follow the optional theme to have a chance at the sponsor's prize, it is completely up to you!

If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

We have a packed month as usual; so, Pat and I and the rest of the gang hope to see you back with us soon!

• We hope to publish the names of the winners and top picks from Challenge #29 ASAP. 
• Then, be sure to join us again on September 15th, for our midway post where you'll get to see cards created by the Merry Maidens!
• Other special posts may be published throughout the month. Be sure to sign up to have our posts delivered by email or follow us through Bloglovin' so you don't miss a thing!

CHALLENGE DETAILS SUMMARY
Each month we'll include a summary of details for the particular challenge taking place. If you are new, please be sure to familiarize yourself with all the details and rules in the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page.  Please note that dates and times listed below are for this particular challenge only:

• Cards for this challenge will be accepted from 6:00 p.m. (18:00 hrs), September 1st until 11:59 p.m. (23:59 hrs), September 30th, 2017.  All times listed are in EDT (Eastern Daylight Savings Time).
  
• If you wish to receive the free digi paper being offered up for this month, you need to link up a minimum of two (2) Christmas or holiday themed cards. 
• This is NOT a progressive challenge. You can jump in at any time.
• Only a maximum of three (3) entries will qualify for the draw for this month's prize of a $15 gift certificate to the Sparkle N Sprinkle store. You must add 'FT' after you name so we know which cards to add to the random draw for the sponsor's prize. ADDITIONALLY, this month you also need to let us know how you were inspired by the picture.
• No backlinking.
• Make sure when entering your project that you mention The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up in your post with a link back to this blog.
• Please remember to link directly to your blog post where we can see your creation, and not just the generic link to your blog.

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Link Up Below:
If you have any problems linking up, please be sure to leave a comment.

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up Challenge #33
Please link up your Anything Goes Christmas and/or December holiday themed CARDS with the optional theme of Picture Inspiration, below. Be sure to add FT after your name if you followed the theme.  Please see above for all the rules and details.