The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on December--Rick St. dennis

Hello!  It is time for the final spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015!

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for December, Rick St. dennis.  Check it out...

Rick St. dennis MFA has been an artist, designer, stage designer and instructor for over 45 years, you can find his full Bio here. His digital stamp images can be found on Zibbet or Etsy. Inspiration projects from the Rick St.dennis Elite Design Team can be found on the Sparkle and Glitter blog, or for the darker images on the Airless Chambers blog.

Rick also has a personal blog and on Facebook there is the Rick St.dennis Digi fans and friends group, showcase your cards and other projects using RSD images there to be eligible to win prizes.

Please be sure to go and visit Rick St. dennis and see all the really interesting images that Rick has to offer!! We know that he'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head to his Zibbet store now!  You can click HERE to head to Rick's personal blog and can check out challenges on the EDT blog by clicking HERE.  Rick's Etsy store can be found HERE.  More links can be found above.

Thanks so much to Rick for his generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Well that is finally it folks.  I hope that you have enjoyed meeting all the sponsors we have lined up for 2015.  

On this final day of 2014, Monica and I would like to wish you all the best for the coming year ahead.  We hope that you will join us starting tomorrow for our very first challenge!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on November--Sparkle N Sprinkle

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015! 

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for November, Sparkle N Sprinkle.  Check it out...

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.

Please come visit us at http://sparklensprinkle.com, we'd love to have you stop by!

Please be sure to go and visit Sparkle N Sprinkle and see all the amazing images that Margaret has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out challenges on the main blog by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much to Margaret for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our final sponsor!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on October--Imagine That! Digis by Kris

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015! Just three left to go!

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for October, Imagine That!  Digis by Kris.  Check it out...

Imagine That! Digis by Kris™ is a mother/daughter team bringing you our cutest hand-drawn images that you can flip, re-size, re-color, print & use in your crafting creations!  Almost all our digi sets include both color & outline formats & include sentiments for a great value.  In addition to carrying family-friendly digi stamps, we also offer digital papers and KD-Kits, all available as instant downloads!  You may want to check out our Free blogwear category, as well as find freebies on our Facebook Page and join in our monthly progressive challenge where everyone who plays, Wins!  You can read more about us here on our 'About the Arists' page.

Please be sure to go and visit Imagine That!  Digis by Kris and see all the fabulous images that Kris has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out challenges on the main blog by clicking HERE.  You can visit on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much to Kris for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

We would also like to say a very special thank you to Kris for creating our unique blog jacket especially for us.   We are truly fortunate to have such good fortune.  You can find more of Kris' wonderful blog designs by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

Come Join The 12 Days of Christmas Quest

Hello everyone.  I hope that you have been enjoying the holidays thus far and have had some precious time spent with family and friends.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing a special 12 Days of Christmas Quest on my personal blog, where you can 'play and win'.   Each day there is a simple task to do in order to earn a Christmas themed paper.  If you enjoy working with digital papers, this would be a great way to add some new Christmas themed papers to your collection; so, come on over and play if you have the time.  It started on Christmas day which is officially the first day of Christmas, and will run until Jan 5th.

Since this is a busy time of year for most people, any one who participates will have plenty of time to complete the quest as I'll will accept answers up until January 12th, 2015.

If you are interested, you can find all the details for day one by clicking HERE.  Then for day two click HERE, for day three click HERE, and for day four click HERE. 

Here are preview of the papers from the first four days...

Then there will be eight more to go over the course of the remaining days of Christmas.  The task for each day will be posted at 6:00 p.m. I hope you'll consider playing along.

 Don't forget...

 We have candy up for grabs until the end of the month.  You can find everything you need to know by clicking HERE and heading to that post.

We've also been introducing each of our guest sponsors for the coming year, so I hope you'll continue to join us for those posts as well.

Then on January 1st, be sure to stop by for our very first challenge!!!  We can't wait to see you link up and play along!!!

Just a few more days left in this year.  I hope you are making the most of each and everyone of them!

Cheers!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on September--Fresh Brewed Designs

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015! 

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for September, Fresh Brewed Designs.  Check it out...

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.  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!

Please be sure to go and visit Fresh Brewed Designs and see all the wonderful images that Heather has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out challenges on the main blog by clicking HERE.  You can also find Fresh Brewed Designs on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much to Heather for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on August--The Stamping Boutique

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015! 

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for August, The Stamping Boutique.  Check it out...

Thank you so much for having us as your sponsor. We at TSB are very proud to offer original digital images and artwork to you. Thank you for giving us a few minutes of your valuable time to look over the store at http://thestampingboutique.com/ Good luck in the challenge and we hope to see you over at our TSB Community network. http://thestampingboutique.ning.com/

Thanks so much!

Tracey Malnofski

Please be sure to go and visit The Stamping Boutique and see all the adorable images that Tracey has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out challenges on the main blog by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much to Tracey for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on July--Robyn's Fetish

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015! 

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for July, Robyn's Fetish.  Check it out...

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is proud to sponsor this challenge.

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and is owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers, designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion.

Robyn’s Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to award 3 digital stamps of the winner’s choice to the winner of this challenge.

Please be sure to go and visit Robyn's Fetish and see all the great images up for grabs!! We know that Robyn would love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out challenges on the main blog by clicking HERE. 

Thanks so much to Robyn for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on June--Lunagirl Images

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015!  We are halfway through our line-up!

Today we are going to meet our sponsor for June, Lunagirl Images.  Check it out...

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!

Please be sure to go and visit Lunagirl Images and see all the fabulous vintage images that Karen has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out challenges on the main blog by clicking HERE.  Karen's Etsy store can be found HERE.

Thanks so much to Karen for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

Merry Christmas!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on May--Meljen's Designs

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015!

Today we are going to look at our sponsor for May, Meljen's Designs.  Check it out...

Meljen's Designs is a lovely stamp company owned and illustrated by Melissa Jenkins. She illustrates whimsical rubber and digital images inspired by her kids and family. Meljen's Designs has a new challenge every Thursday, and a Guest Designer each month at the Meljen's Designs Blog. Please visit the adorable line of Meljen's Designs stamps at our store HERE to browse all of Melissa's lovely designs! You can also see Melissa's exclusive rubber stamps at her corner of Whimsy Stamps, too! Don't forget to join Meljen's Designs on Facebook HERE to take advantage of special sales and promotions that are just for her facebook fans!

Please be sure to go and visit Meljen's Designs and see all the adorable digital images that Melissa has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click on the watermark above to head there now or follow the links above to their designated locations.

Thanks so much to Melissa for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

Holiday Tradition: Leaving milk and cookies for Santa

Have you ever wondered why we leave milk and cookies for Santa? Sure it is a tradition we do every year, but how did it start? With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I would see if I could shed some light on this yummy tradition.

Unfortunately, I could not find any specific reason or event that started this tradition, but I did find many theories, so I will share those with you.

During the traditional feast of Saint Nicholas, which was on December 6th, children would leave food and drink for the Saint and his attendants. These would be exchanged for gifts. I am not sure if the food and drink were milk and cookies, but I can certainly see how that could be tied to the tradition.  Another theory is that Santa would often snack on decorations that the German people left on their Christmas Tree, which was called the Paradise Tree. They would decorate this tree with apples, wafers, and cookies. So perhaps through the years, instead of leaving snacks on the tree for Santa, we now leave them on a plate.  The Dutch Children also had another tradition that may be linked  to our tasty treats.  They would leave hay and treats for Odin's eight legged horse Sleipner hoping that the God would stop by during his Yule hunting adventures.  It is also said that during the Great Depression, parents wanted to inspire children to share with others, including Santa; so, they would leave snacks out for Santa and his reindeer.

Now as we get into the 1930s, some say that the Naughty kids would leave the milk and cookies as a way of bribing Santa at the last minute, while the Nice kids left these treats as a way to thank Santa for his hard work on Christmas Eve.

So while I could not narrow down exactly how this tradition started, I am sure you can see there could be a variety of events that lead us to what we do now on Christmas Eve. During my research, I did also find some facts. So I will share those with you as well:

1. The most popular cookie that kids leave for Santa is the Oreo.
2. In England, sherry and mince pie are left instead of milk and cookies.
3. It is popular to give Santa Guinness or milk, along with Christmas pudding or mince pies in Ireland. (My husband would like this one.)
4. Rice porridge is left for Santa in Sweden.

So however this tradition started, whether you need to get on Santa's good side, or you just want to exchange some tasty treats for some gifts, don't forget to leave some cookies and milk out for Santa this Christmas Eve!

References:
Author Unknown. (2006). How did the idea of leaving Santa Claus cookies come about?. Available: http://askville.amazon.com/idea-leaving-Santa-Claus-cookies/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=238567. Last accessed 12th December 2014.
Author Unknown. (N.D.). Why do people leave Santa cookies and milk at Christmas?. Available: http://www.ask.com/holidays-celebrations/people-leave-santa-cookies-milk-christmas-eb10d4fbf576ea74. Last accessed 12th December 2014.
Author Unknown. (2013). Why do we leave Cookies and Milk for Santa on Christmas Eve?. Available: http://www.wockenfusscandies.com/blog/christmas-candy/why-do-we-leave-cookies-and-milk-for-santa-on-christmas-eve/. Last accessed 12th December 2014.
Jojopheena. (2007). What started the tradition of milk & cookies for Santa?. Available: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071225121015AAthArv. Last accessed 12th December 2014.

Image:
Reprinted with permission from Morguefile.com  http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/204954

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on April--Sami Stamps

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015!

Today we are going to look at our sponsor for April, Sami Stamps.  Check it out...

Hello! I'm so happy to be here as a Sponsor for the 12 Months of Christmas! Sami Stamps provides a variety of high quality Digital Stamps in both JPEG and PNG formats. I hope you enjoy crafting with Sami Stamps images as much as I enjoy illustrating them!

If you're having fun here, please feel free to come check us out!

Please be sure to go and visit Sami Stamps and see all the lovely digital images that Sami has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out the Sami Stamps Challenge Blog by clicking HERE.  Sami's Etsy store can be found HERE.

Thanks so much to Sami for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on March--Scribbles Designs

Hello!  It is time to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015!

Today we are going to look at our sponsor for March, Scribbles Designs.  Check it out...

 Looking for a unique image or sentiment? Well then! Head on over to Scribbles Designs and check out Sandy's world of her funky imagination and quirky characters. Sandy has loved art, drawing, water coloring and doodling for many years... and with the digital image world she can now share it with all of you. Brrr (Penguin) was her first main character and her other quirky images followed not long after. We hope you enjoy the endearing images available in the store and add Sandy's images to your digital stamp collections.

 Please make sure you go and visit Scribbles Designs and see all the fabulous digital images that Sandy has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click HERE or on the watermark above to head there now!  You can also check out the Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much to Sandy for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

We would also like to say a very special thank you to Sandy for generously allowing us to use Scribbles Designs images in our badges and watermarks.  We are very lucky indeed to have such good fortune.

Stay tuned tomorrow when it is time to meet our next sponsor!

The 12 Days of Sponsors: Spotlight on February--Ike's Art

Hello!  Today we are going to continue with our spotlight, introducing all of the sponsors that we have lined up for you for 2015!

Today we are going to look at our sponsor for February, Ike's Art.  Check it out...

Hi there – I am Ike……a nickname that I got hooked with many years ago due to my surname, and in my profession at that time, …… they just loved  to give nicknames ☺.
I live in Greece and have a passion for kitties ☺
I am a complete nutter or should I say I’m ‘zany’ hahaha.  I have a very strange/sick sense of humour and I must admit I spend a lot of time talking to myself. !!  Well, I get more sense out of me.!  I reckon in a few years I shall be known as the “crazy cat lady”  ☺
I am an artist and have a strange mind when it comes to creating my art. I either go completely true to life… right down to the last hair… or I go totally surreal.   I have a passion for all things horror/Gothic etc. I’ve always loved horror films and books and I guess that’s why it creeps into my stuff !  Had I been a bit younger I swear I would have been a Goth……luuuuuv it.
Next time around I am gonna be a witch or a cat ☺
I started my Blog a couple of years ago and although I love crafting, my real passion is drawing, and now I just love making digital images.

My SHOP is IkesArt found at www.ikesart.com
My Blog is Ikes World and is at http://suzy-ikesworld.blogspot.com
Exclusive designer for Smeared Ink  www.smearedink.com

 Please make sure you take a trip over to Ike's Art and see the unique digital images that Ike has to offer!! We know that she'd love to have you visit.  You can click on the watermark or follow any of the links listed above to heck out Ike's work.

Thanks so much to Ike for her generosity in sponsoring us next year!

Stay tuned tomorrow when we meet our next sponsor!