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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS CORNER: Betcha Didn't Know

Betcha Didn't Know...

It’s time to add to your holiday trivia knowledge with some international customs from around the world. While the USA has always claimed to be a “melting pot” of different ethnicities, US citizens are woefully ignorant of many traditions from the very people that are welcomed into the country (by the American people, at least). So let’s just brush up on some fascinating and fun holiday facts from around the world…

Finland starts its Christmas season early with the first Sunday of Advent, maybe so it will seem that the damp cold of winter passes more quickly if preparations start early. Betcha didn’t know that the tree goes up in the house on Christmas Eve and is decorated with international flags as a reminder of friendship between peoples around the world. (Readers Digest)

Red and green are known as “traditional” Christmastime colors. Here are the three of the most important reasons: 1- Centuries ago ancient Celtics valued holly plants because they stayed green all year, and the berries gave color to a grey winter; 2- red and green–painted panels were used in churches around the 14th century to separate the priest from the congregation, but the congregation saw this as marking the start of the new year with the birth of the Christ child; and 3- artist Haddon Sundblum drew (and colored) the very first Santa Claus that went viral. He had been hired by a company for its holiday advertisements. Betcha didn’t know that company was Coca-Cola. (Readers Digest)

In Germany, St. Nikolaus has a helper who walks door to door to greet the children to see who was nice and who was naughty. In the South and in Austria, he is known as Krampus, a monster with horns who beats the bad children with branches. Lots of people know about Krampus, but he is known as Knecht Ruprecht in the northern part of Germany. Betcha didn’t know that Knecht Ruprecht translates in English as “Santa’s Little Helper”, the name of the Simpson’s dog (popular American TV show). (LEO language App)



Christmas tree farmers plant one tree for every tree cut in the Spring. Trees have to be fertilized in order to grow a nice dark green. They also are shaped by having their branches sheared for new and thicker growth. When trees are ready to harvest, they are cut in the Fall and put into cold storage until ready to sell in December. When is a Christmas tree ready to cut and take home? Betcha didn’t know that it takes at least eight years to grow a full-sized tree from a seedling. And I thought my tomatoes took a long time to ripen! (Cricket Media)

Lots of countries have holiday festivals on or near Christmas Day, but in a province in Peru, a different kind of festival is celebrated. Betcha didn’t know that during this special festival, besides lots of dancing, there are lots of fist fights! The jury is still out as to whether the fighting is to settle old scores or just a general show of manhood. (Readers Digest)



Now for a true example of total opposites. On the day after Christmas, hundreds of thousands of Americans rush to stores to snap up leftover holiday decorations, gift baskets, paper and other items that are priced at least 50% off and can’t go back to the manufacturer. I am guilty of this activity, so that I don’t have to pay full price for the next Christmas. Now in England, the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day (no, it’s not another festival like in Peru) where people traditionally “open their boxes” or purses for the less fortunate. Of course, no one can pass up the great sales offered this day as well.

Don’t get me wrong. Many people, in the US and around the world, try to make every day Boxing Day. But wouldn’t it be lovely if everyone in every country on every continent “opened their boxes” and gave a little of their treasure to those who have little to none? And on that note, I’ll end my story.



Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Challenge #47 AND #48 Winner Announcements

I have just spent the last two days getting caught up on sending out all the individual papers up until the end of September and now it is time to continue catching up with winner announcements! After this one, we'll be caught up to the end of 2018! Yippee!!! Thanks to those of you who've left comments or reached out with your kind words and understanding.

Today, I'm here to announce the winners and our top three Stocking Stuffers from Challenge #47 and also Challenge #48. So, are you one of those lucky peeps?! Let's find out!




 For Challenge #47:

***#73. Tracy***

You are the winner of a $10.00 gift certificate to the Limited Runs store, our guest sponsor for November (chosen by miniwebtool.com based on all eligible entries).

http://limitedrunsstamps.blogspot.ca


For Challenge #48:
***#88. Mia (Craftartista)***

You are the winner of a copy of EITHER the Holiday Hoopla Mini Digital Kit OR Five different Mini Kits from the Christmas and/or Winter section of the Preview page from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles. As we didn't have an outside sponsor for the month December, I decided to offer up the prize. If you'd like to see previews of these sets, you can find them on my personal blog HERE (chosen by miniwebtool.com based on all eligible entries).

Please Visit My Personal Blog


Tracy and Mia, 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 #4- WINNER" (be sure to put the actual number of the challenge you won in the subject line) to make arrangements to receive your prize. Please note that it may take me upwards of a couple of weeks 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. With so many wonderful entries to choose from, it is always such a difficult task for the design team. For Challenge #47, Granmargaret, Donna and Helen G., are presenting their favourite cards. So, without further ado, here are the Stocking Stuffers for November:


***#21. Ans ***
 



For Challenge #48, Suze, Donna and Julie are presenting their favourite cards. Thus, here are the Stocking Stuffers for December:


 ***#66. America *** 


***#16. Lena***
 
***#14. rhokes***


Congrats to our top three Stocking Stuffers from each of these challenges! Ans, Kitty, Janice, America, Lena and rhokes please grab a copy of the badge below for your blog.








Everyone who links up two cards each month is eligible to receive a free digital paper. The individuals who linked up a minimum of two cards each during the month of NOVEMBER, qualifying them to receive the digital paper from that month, will receive the Envelope with Yellow Ribbon paper which can be seen in the preview shown below…


Those people who earned the paper from DECEMBER will receive the Green Foil paper. Here is the preview for it…


To all of you who linked up during November and/or December, 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 as you continue to work on your stash for 2019!!! I will send out these papers, along with the paper for October, to those people who earned them as soon as I can find the time to do so.

As always, we are also going to have a random draw from all the entries and give out a set of six digital papers to one lucky individual from each of the challenges. Here is the preview for the full set for Challenge #47...


The winner of All Tied Up for Christmas Mini Kit 
from Challenge #47 is
(chosen by random.org)
 
Alicia, 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 #47 PAPER KIT WINNER" to make arrangements to receive your prize.

Below is the preview for the full set for Challenge #48...

The winner of A Touch of Christmas: 
Glitz & Gloss Mini Kit from Challenge #48 is
(chosen by random.org)
 
Shylaa, 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 #48 PAPER KIT WINNER" to make arrangements to receive your prize.

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 Twist this month of "Brads, Buttons & Bows". There are still five days left and you can find out all the details along with the link up, by clicking HERE.

Until next time,

Friday, March 15, 2019

Challenge #51 Midway: Opt. Twist…Brads, Buttons & Bows

Welcome back folks! It is the 15th of the month and time for our midway. I ended up getting another virus before I'd even finished the last one; so it is now 5 weeks I've been sick. Unfortunately, that means that I didn't get another winner announcement done. I promise, somehow it will be published before the end of the month!

As we are halfway through the month of March already, it is time to see what the Merry Maidens have been up to with their adorable images from Lunagirl, our guest sponsor this month!

http://www.lunagirl.com/

Clicking on the DT names will take you to the individual blogs where you can check out the details for all these wonderful cards. If you are interested in purchasing images from the collage sheet featured in a particular card, you can click on the link indicated below the card to head to the page in the Lunagirl store where it can be found.






http://creamieke.blogspot.nl



http://craftysuze.blogspot.com/




http://www.granmargaret.blogspot.com.au/


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 March. Below you will find 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, ornaments and other creative projects in the past, we've sadly had to disqualify them.


Challenge #51

Optional Twist: Brads, Buttons & Bows

If you want the chance to win this month's featured paper pack, ADD AT LEAST THREE BRADS, BUTTONS, BOWS or a combination of all three to on your card. So for ex., you can add one brad, one button and one bow; three brads; two buttons and a bow; or any other combo. You can always add more but we want to at least see three.

Keep in mind though, that you don't need to follow the twist to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month or for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the Lunagirl store. You simply need to follow the twist if you'd like a chance to win this month's featured digital paper pack, Brads, Buttons & Bows: Christmas Edition.


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 different kind of link up where we have both an Anything Goes Christmas or other December Holiday option AND an optional twist 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). I have provided a summary of the most important rules in the right sidebar.


If you would like a say in determining which digital paper will be offered to those who link up a minimum of two cards this month, be sure to vote in our poll. Click HERE to head there now.


You can find the link up for
Challenge #51 by clicking HERE.


Don't Forget, if everything goes according to plan...

The winner announcement for Challenge #47 & #48 will posted as soon as I can manage and then, be sure to join us again on March 23rd when Pat will be back to share 'All Things Christmas Corner'. Of course, you'll want to pop back over on April 1st for our new challenge as well! 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!

the_12_moc_linkup@outlook.com

 

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Friday, March 01, 2019

Vote for March's Free Digi Paper!

Hey folks. It is the first of the month and that means our new link up has started. As such, it is time to vote on this month's paper pack.

March's set is called Brads, Buttons & bows: Christmas Edition. Check out the preview...


Everyone who links up a minimum of two cards during the month of March 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 who has followed the twist will earn the full set of papers.

If you would like a say in determining which one of these papers will be offered to those who link up a minimum of two cards this month, be sure to vote in our poll below. If there is a tie or no votes are cast, an executive decision will be made as to which paper is offered.


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 March. Poll will be open until March 31st, 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.

 

Don't forget to join March's link up!


You can find all the details for
 Challenge #51 by clicking HERE.

Hope to see you there!

Challenge #51: Opt. Twist…Brads, Buttons & Bows

Hello Crafters!  Incredibly, we are entering the third month of the year already and while Christmas may still seem far away, it is never too early to get started on all the Christmas and other December Holiday cards one will need when December rolls around!

As mentioned in January, we've made a few important changes for 2019. If this is your first visit here this year and you'd like to read up on those changes, click HERE. You can find them towards the top of that post. 

If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I created it under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog). For your convenience, a summary of the most important rules can be found in the right sidebar under the heading 'Basic Rules Summary'.

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


Challenge #51

Optional Twist: Brads, Buttons & Bows

If you want the chance to win this month's featured paper pack, ADD AT LEAST THREE BRADS, BUTTONS, BOWS or a combination of all three to on your card. So for ex., you can add one brad, one button and one bow; three brads; two buttons and a bow; or any other combo. You can always add more but we want to at least see three.

Keep in mind though, that you don't need to follow the twist to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month or for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to the Lunagirl store. You simply need to follow the twist if you'd like a chance to win this month's featured digital paper pack, Brads, Buttons & Bows: Christmas Edition.  

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

http://www.lunagirl.com/
My name is Karen, owner of Lunagirl Images. In 2004, after collecting vintage ephemera for most of my life, I started digitizing and restoring images and designing digital supplies for artists and crafters (my husband collected antique books and prints, so we had quite a house full!) We are proud to have been the first company to offer digital vintage image collections of this size and quality at prices affordable to the home crafter.

At Lunagirl.com (and in my etsy shop) I currently offer you several hundred unique digital collage sheets and dozens of themed craft CDs -- over 30,000 images so far! They are a great resource for card making, scrapbooking, jewelry making, and much more, easy to use, carefully researched and curated, all thoughtfully organized and lovingly cleaned up, ready to you to use in your projects. I love altering and embellishing these beautiful and fascinating images and seeing what my customers create with them.

In addition to digital art and design, I enjoy painting on wood, creating assemblage icons and shrines, reading history books, bellydancing, cooking, and sewing with my vintage Singer. I'm also blessed to be the mom of two teenaged boys.

If you're looking for something in particular in vintage style, feel free to email me at info@Lunagirl.com!

Main Blog: http://www.LunagirlMoonbeams.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lunagirlart/
Store: http://www.lunagirl.com/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Lunagirl


Now check out what the Sleigh Belles came up with to inspire you. Clicking on the DT names will take you to the individual blogs where you can check out the specific details for all these wonderful cards. If you are interested in purchasing the sponsor's image featured in a particular card, you can click on the link indicated below the card to head to the page in the Lunagirl store where it can be found.




http://susanrenshaw0404.blogspot.com/


http://indianainking.blogspot.com




http://craftinghelen.blogspot.co.uk/


So what are you waiting for? It is time to link up your Christmas and other holiday cards for March

If you would like a say in determining which digital paper will be offered to those who link up a minimum of two cards this month, be sure to vote in our poll. Click HERE to head there now.

If everything goes according to plan, another winner announcement will posted between March 8 & 10th and then, be sure to join us again on March 15th, for our midway post when the Merry Maidens will be here to share their amazing cards featuring more images from Lunagirl. 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!


the_12_moc_linkup@outlook.com

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 #51

Please link up your Anything Goes Christmas and/or December holiday themed CARDS with the optional twist of Brads, Buttons & Bows below.
Cards for this challenge will be accepted from 6:00 p.m. (18:00 hrs), March 1st until 11:59 p.m. (23:59 hrs), March 31st, 2019 (all times listed are in Eastern Time). Maximum 10 entries. Please click the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page above for all the rules and details.