Holiday Traditions: The Ugly Christmas Sweater

 

Christmas is a time for putting up pretty decorations, so why do we insist on wearing ugly Christmas sweaters? I have often wondered how this all started and that is typically how my ideas come for the tradition posts.

It used to be that our grandparents and older relatives were the ones sporting these loud, overly embellished tacky garments, but now the tradition of wearing these sweaters has picked up steam and we see more and more of the younger generations participating in this fun or should I say funny tradition.

These hideous holiday versions started to show up over the last several decades starting around 2001. It use to be that many of these sweaters were found at Vintage stores and Goodwill, but they are now popping up at major department stores in the States such as H&M and Nordstrom.

These sweaters have been themes for many holiday parties and I have even seen them as theme's on many of the on line challenges that we all participate in. It has even reached the entertainment industry where we have seen late night talk show hosts with segments around Ugly Christmas Sweaters.

The enthusiasm and tradition of these sweaters is not limited to the U.S. Christmas Jumpers, which is another word for sweaters in the U.K. are traditionally worn there as well.

So whether you participate in this tradition accidentally by just wearing one of those "festive" holiday sweaters to keep warm and join the holiday spirit, or wear them only on a special occasion, like a theme party, these Christmas sweaters are undeniably a tradition, albeit a new one, that adds to the warm and fuzzy feelings of not only childhood memories, but fun festivities as well.

References:
Allison Berry. (2011). A Brief history of the Ugly Christmas Sweater.Available: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/22/a-brief-history-of-the-ugly-christmas-sweater/. Last accessed 09/22/2015.

Image courtesy of:   http://www.myuglychristmassweater.com

Challenge #9 Midway: Optional Theme...Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

Hello everyone!  We have reached the midway point of Challenge #9.  It is time to see what the Merry Maidens have been up to with their images from Fresh Brewed Designs, our guest sponsor this month! 

Check out the lovely images that the Merry Maidens got to work with this month for the mid point of the challenge.  Clicking on any of the image watermarks will take you to their page in the  Fresh Brewed Designs store where each of these images can be found.

#1860 Striped Tree

 #1951 Santa Takes a Nap

 #1346 Christmas Holly

While team members had the option of working with any of my Décosse's Dynamite Doodles papers, I did create a special set called Treemendous, based on the theme for this challenge.  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 in the sidebar on the top right hand side.

Now check out what the Merry Maidens 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. 

So if you haven't entered already, 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, or you choose to also follow the optional theme to have a chance at the sponsor's prize, it is completely up to you! 

Here is a refresher of the details for this challenge...

Please remember that this is a CARDS ONLY link up.  While we've had some lovely tag entries in the past, we've sadly had to disqualify them.

Optional Theme:  Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up a Christmas Tree each year? If you do, do you opt for a real one, a fake one, a small ceramic (for those who live with curious cats like I do) or some other kind of Christmas Tree? Do you put it up right after Thanksgiving, wait until Christmas Eve, or maybe put it up somewhere in between? Most families have their own traditions passed down which they continue from year to year. The decorations people put on their trees are as varied as the trees themselves! Some are sparse with their choices and others make sure that very little green is left showing.

In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, we want to see a Christmas Tree (preferably a decorated one) somewhere on your card.  Baubles, glass ornaments, twinkling lights, garland, tinsel and even strips of popcorn are popular choices.  We can't wait to see what your decorated tree will look like!   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.

If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab.  As this is a unique kind of link up where we have both an anything goes Christmas option and an optional theme to follow, be sure to read all the details and rules you need to know in order to participate, by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

You can find the Challenge Details Summary along with the link up for Challenge #9 by clicking HERE.

 Don't Forget...

• Be sure to join us on September 23rd, when Monica will be back to share another holiday tradition with you all.
• Next up it will be time for our new challenge to start on October 1st.
• Then, the winners from Challenge #9 will be posted on October 8th.
• 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!

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Tutorial: Quilting background affect

I had some time this weekend to try out a new technique that I saw on You Tube! It was actually performed on a canvas, but of course as a crafter, I modified it to meet my needs. 

I really liked this technique because now I have use for all my little scraps of paper. I will just put them in a baggy and they will be ready when I am ready. Let me show you what I did.

• Tear up between 10 - 15 pieces of paper (depending on size)
• Rip all 4 sides of each paper
• Distress all 4 sides using Walnut Stain Distressing ink
• Glue down each piece overlapping to cover 4.25" x 5.5" card stock
• Using your finger, spread Gel Medium (found with Gesso products)
• Cut edges with Fancy scissors and distress sides using Walnut Stain
• Using walnut stain distressing ink, stencil an ATC 3.5" x 2.5"
• Distress sides of card 
• Adhere tim holtz washi tissue and Harlequin tape
• Stamp ATC with Coffee Christmas Tree using StazOn Midi - Cactus Green
• Stamp Postale image using StazOn Midi - Ganache
• adhere Christmas Vintage Christmas Tickets from VectoriaDesigns
• Tie twine around bottom of card
• Add Star to top of tree
• Adhere to Base of white cardstock

Now it seams like a lot of steps, but it really is not. Most of the time will come from tearing up the paper and distressing the sides, but if you do this along the way, and save your scraps, you will find that you can put a card like this together in no time. 

The Gel Medium really brings out the distressed ink and makes the background look line a continuous pattern, so don't skimp or skip this step. It really does make the card.

Good luck!

For more fun and inspiration you an follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest.

Challenge #8 Winners Announcement

Hello everyone.  It is time to announce the winner and top three of Challenge #8 along with the list of individuals eligible to receive a free digital paper for August.  Are you one of those lucky peeps?!

Please note that there are still prizes and digital papers that have not been claimed from past months.  Were you a lucky past winner and may have missed it?  It might behoove you to check our Challenge Win Information page listed at the top of the blog (or you can click HERE to go there now but be sure to come back and check this post as well).

CARRIE

Carrie, you are the winner of 2 digital stamps from The Stamping Boutique, our guest sponsor for August (chosen by Mini Web Tool), based on all eligible participants (i.e., those entrants who followed the optional theme). 

Carrie,  please send an email to the_12_moc_linkup {at} outlook {dot} com (or click HERE to bring the address up in your email program), with the subject, "12MoC Challenge #8 WINNER" to make arrangements to receive your prize.  Please note that it may take me several days to get back to you.  Thank you for your patience.  In the interim, please grab a copy of the winner badge below for your blog.

Next, it is time to get on with showcasing the Top Three for Challenge #8.  With so many wonderful entries to choose from, this was once again a difficult task for the design team.  We did however settle on three wonderful creations.  So, without further ado, here are our Stocking Stuffers for Challenge #8:

 

RAINEY

NAZ

ROSINA

Congrats to our top three Stocking Stuffers!  Rainey, Naz, and Rosina, please grab a copy of the badge below for your blog.

Next up, it is time to share all the names of those people who linked up two cards in August which makes each of them eligible to receive the eighth free digital paper of 2015.

26 people linked a total of 56 cards.  Only 12 of those individuals linked up a minimum of two cards each qualifying them to receive the digital paper from August. The paper with the misc. snow related words was the winner in the poll we had up during the month of August with 50% of the votes.   I have included the watermark of it, below.

So, the following people need to send an email to the_12_moc_linkup {at} outlook {dot} com (or click  HERE to bring the address up in your email program), with the subject, "12MoC August Paper" to make arrangements to receive your free paper:

• Cathy (KraftyKoolKat)
• Marji (Tiggerscraps)
• Hazel
• Beckie
• Margaret A
• Rainey
• Terrie (Paper Addict)
• Carrie
• Marie Bingaman
• Megan 
• KT Fit Kitty
• Katrina

This past month we saw several new faces linking up just one card.  Hopefully these ladies, along with our other regulars who only linked up one card during August, will get the chance to link up two this month so they can earn the next free paper.  To all of you who linked up this past month, thanks ever so much!  We are so happy to have all of you with us and hope that you'll continue to link up your holiday cards throughout the year!!!

Now, as always, if you thought you had linked up two cards but don't find your name in the list above, just let me know and we'll sort things out. We will also add these names to the 'Challenge Win Information' page as soon as we get the chance, for anyone who doesn't see this post.  I ask that you be patient with waiting for me to send out your paper. I promise that I'll get to it as quick as I can.

Once again, we are going to have a random draw from all the entries and give out the set of six papers to one lucky individual.  The papers are all made so why not have an extra prize!  Here is the watermark for the full set.. 

The winner of the Snow Much Fun Mini Set of Papers is (chosen by random.org)...

DAWN (~DesignsByDragonfly) 

Dawn, please send me an email (address and link above).  Use the subject, "12MoC: Snow Much Fun Set" and I'll make arrangements for you to receive the full set of six papers.

Well folks, that is it for today.  While you are here, please be sure to check out the details for our current challenge going on now (if you haven't already), with the Optional Theme this month of being "Oh Christmas Tree".  You can find out all the details along with the link up, by clicking HERE.

Also, be sure to join us on September 15th, for our midway post where you'll get to see cards created by the Merry Maidens!  Then on September 23rd, Monica will be back to share another holiday tradition with you all.  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!

Until next time,

Challenge #9: Optional Theme--Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

Hello and welcome to The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. Have you met our new DT Members yet?  If you missed that post and would like to see who is joining us, please click HERE.

Last month's challenge saw as back around the 56 mark.  Hopefully as we get closer to Christmas we'll start to see a few more cards linked up.  For now, let's get September's challenge under way, shall we?!.

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.
• 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 #9.

Challenge #9

Optional Theme:  Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up a Christmas Tree each year? If you do, do you opt for a real one, a fake one, a small ceramic (for those who live with curious cats like I do) or some other kind of Christmas Tree? Do you put it up right after Thanksgiving, wait until Christmas Eve, or maybe put it up somewhere in between? Most families have their own traditions passed down which they continue from year to year. The decorations people put on their trees are as varied as the trees themselves! Some are sparse with their choices and others make sure that very little green is left showing.

In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, we want to see a Christmas Tree (preferably a decorated one) somewhere on your card.  Baubles, glass ornaments, twinkling lights, garland, tinsel and even strips of popcorn are popular choices.  We can't wait to see what your decorated tree will look like!   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. 

Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, 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 3 digital stamps from Fresh Brewed Designs.

Talking about Fresh Brewed Designs, how about we get to know them a little bit better...

If you are looking for some freshly brewed inspiration, then you have come to the right place.  Fresh Brewed Designs (http://www.freshbreweddesigns.com/) is a small on-line company that has been offering a wide variety of digital images and rubber stamps since November 2010, designed to meet the needs of paper crafting addicts everywhere.  With over 30 categories to choose from and several new additions to the store monthly, our range of products is expanding all the time. Whether you are looking for one of our uniquely designed coffee inspired images or something entirely different, you are sure to find something to please.  We'd also love for you to visit us over on our blog (http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.com/) where inspiration is always percolating.  We have a digi release at least once a month as well as a monthly rubber stamp release and blog hop. Come see us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fresh-Brewed-Designs/139388879447210) too.  You never know what other goodies you may find there.
Owned and operated by Heather Dennis, loving wife and mother to two home-schooled children, you can always expect personalized service.
At Fresh Brewed Designs we always have a fresh pot of creativity brewing. So stop by and join us for a cuppa whenever you want!

Store Link:  http://www.freshbreweddesigns.com
Main Blog: http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.com

Check out the great 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 Fresh Brewed Designs store where each of these images can be found. 

#1860 Striped Tree

 #1951 Santa Takes a Nap

 #1346 Christmas Holly

While team members had the option of working with any of my Décosse's Dynamite Doodles papers, I did create a special set called Treemendous, based on the theme for this challenge.  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 in the sidebar on the top right hand side.

Now check out what the Sleigh Belles 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...

***Please note that the FBD image is actually the tree in the bottom left corner that has been fussy cut and decorated.***

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, 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, Monica and I hope to see you back with us soon!

• Join us soon on September 8th,when we'll publish the names of the people who earned the free paper for August along with the winners and top picks from Challenge #8. 
• Next, be sure to join us on September 15th, for our midway post where you'll get to see cards created by the Merry Maidens!
• Then on September 23rd, Monica will be back to share another holiday tradition with you all.
• 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 - 11:55 p.m. (23:55 hrs), September 30th, 2015.  
• You need to link up a minimum of two (2) Christmas or holiday themed cards each month in order to qualify to receive that month's digital paper.
• This is NOT a progressive challenge.  You can jump in at any time.
• You can link up as many holiday themed cards as you want as long as each entry is with a new project.  No backlinking.  HOWEVER, if you decide to follow the optional theme of  Oh Christmas Tree (see specific details above), only a maximum of three (3) entries will qualify for the draw for this month's prize of  3 digital stamps from Fresh Brewed Designs.  You must add 'FT' after you name so we know which cards to add to the random draw for the sponsor's prize.
• 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. Generic blog links will be disabled or deleted. 
• The winners and top picks for this challenge (#9) will be announced on October 8th in a special post.

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Link Up Below:

An InLinkz Link-up