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Friday 24 December 2010

Countdown to Christmas & Christmas Eve Blog Party - Everyone welcome!!

Yes - it’s finally here, Christmas Eve …..woooohooooo!!! Time to party (well in a virtual blog type of way - lol) Get yourself a drink (mulled wine for me!) and some nibbles and welcome to the party - it‘s great to see you here!



The party is being hosted by Gayle of Altered Orchid and if you’d care for a little blog hop to get you even more in the mood for Christmas than you probably already are, I’ll put the list of participants at the end of this posting - I’m sure each one would love you to visit them and join in the party - go and see what festive fun they’ve in store for you - I’ll be hopping along myself shortly, maybe I‘ll see you there, be sure to say hello!

As for me, I have a couple of things to share with you - two matchboxes and a Festive Fun Christmas Quiz - (try saying that after a couple of glasses of wine!) - and there’ll be a prize for the winner - are you excited now? Does your glass need topping up yet (mine does!!), so get a refill, sit comfortably and I’ll begin.

Matchboxes

Back in August of this year I signed up for the Countdown to Christmas
matchbox swap hosted by Linda on her blog A Swap For All Seasons. The idea was to alter 25 matchboxes to a Christmas theme and include inside each one a small gift. All the boxes were sent to Linda (and there were 71 participants in total - that’s a lot of matchboxes!), she then mixed them up and sent out to each of us 25 different boxes to showcase on our blogs one a day from 1st to 25th December. It’s been like a virtual advent calendar! As I may be a little busy tomorrow (!!) today I will showcase my final two matchboxes - days 24 and 25. Here goes!


Matchbox No. 24


This one was made by Sandi of

It’s in a very traditional style and I love the dark brown ‘Merry Christmas’ ribbon she’s edged her box with top and bottom.

Here’s what’s inside




I really took a shine to these cute little earrings, I think they’re fabulous and may be able to get away with wearing them other times of the year too!
Matchbox No. 25

Well, this is it, the final matchbox and it comes from Francie of

How lovely and fitting that it depicts the Nativity scene on the front of the box and a gold star with a little jewel for the drawer pull. I love the rich gold edging top and bottom and the gold ribbon hanger too.

…and inside, the final gift is this


A metal charm in the form of a crown bedecked with jewels for the King of Kings, baby Jesus and we mustn’t forget that this is what Christmas is about after all.

Thank you Sandi and Francie for my final two boxes, and also to Linda for organising the whole event. 
 
I mounted all 25 matchboxes I received on a baking tray (cookie sheet)
 

If you want to see the matchboxes I made for the swap, click here.


That's enough about matchboxes!!! Now for something completely different…….


Festive Fun Christmas Quiz

Here's a little quiz based on an English Victorian Christmas.  If you want to take part please email me your answers (email button can be found in my sidebar) and leave me a comment here saying you've done so.  If more than one person gets all the answers right, I'll do a random draw to decide who wins a little mystery prize I will put together. 

I'll announce the winner and the right answers here on New Year's Eve sometime.
So without further ado, here's the 8 questions!

1.  The last Sunday before Advent was known as 'Stir-Up Sunday' where, in the kitchen it was considered good luck for everyone to give the mixture a stir.  What was the mixture for?

2.  Name three spices you're likely to find in mulled wine.

3.  'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens was about Ebenezer Scrooge
 - name three other characters from the book.

4.  Name the inventor of the Christmas Cracker.

5.  Why are mince pies so called, when they contain no mince at all?

6.  Name the well known poem written by Clement Clark Moore about the night time visit by Santa Clause.

7.  Which Royal introduced the decorated christmas tree to England in 1841?

8.  The Twelve Days of Christmas - when do they begin and end?

Good luck!

Now, I promised you a list of Christmas Eve Party Blogs, here they are:

 
Hope you get time to visit them all, enjoy the party and most of all,
Merry Christmas to you xxx

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love your matchboxes! And the quiz I will have a go with later:)

mary pernula said...

Hello, your #24 reminds me of my #24, but I did not get a name tag so I can not be sure. Hope the holidays are wonderful for you. HUGS MARY

Mrs A. said...

It's no good saying I can get a drink and then giving me a quiz to do.Lol I will have to sober up before I attempt to answer. P.S
Fluff is hosting a quiz on her blog too.

Unknown said...

What a lovely blog you have! I love the Christmas matchbooks and I especially love the way you displayed yours!! I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Kristin said...

Hi Sherry! Thanks for the Mulled wine, you are my kinda gal :) Also adore the comic at the top! Your matchboxes are absolutely gorgeous! I just saw these for the first time this year and can't wait to tackle a trade next year, the fun little gifts inside are neat too!

Love your blog, very interesting, I'll be back when I have more time. Thanks for hoping with us and I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy New Year! Great to meet you!

K

Viv said...

Have e mailed you......... LOL

gayle said...

I am here to share some mulled wine! It will be my second of the day, the first went down nicely while shovelling snow this afternoon :)
I have seen quite a few of the matchboxes from this swap on your blog and elsewhere, what a beautiful idea for a swap!
I will certainly have some fun with your quiz later, two mulled wines may befuddle my answers a little though ;)
Merry Christmas Sherry! xx

Createology said...

Hi Sherry. Not entering your fun quiz.
Just want to say I love how you mounted your advent matchboxes. Very clever. Blessings and joyous magical memories to you...

Unknown said...

I am way too drunk on champagne to even think about answering the quiz, but merry (merry indeed!) Christmas to you!

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

Merry Christmas !!! I have your beautiful Day 25 box as well !
(())

BadPenny said...

Merry Christmas what fun you are having here ! Wonderful Advent matchboxes - glad you saw my swap ones too xx

Sunset97 said...

hey, sherry!

i think i am gonna have to pass on the quiz...
however, i am stopping by here to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas! we may be getting some snow here in ga. tomorrow...,but not sure if it will stay on the ground once it comes, if it does...lol i never believe it will snow until i see it actually snow...lol

we are suppose to have breakfast here with my hubby's in-law's family who are spending the night now....then we have to go to my mom's and then my dad's tomorrow and then come back here all in one day...that is if it doesnt snow... :)

have a wonderful Christmas day and weekend!!

tracy

dianapena8 said...

Those matchboxes are so lovely, and I like the creative way you mounted them on the baking tray.
Merry Christmas!
=Di

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

Merry Christmas to you too, Sherry!

Linda said...

I love how you've displayed the matchboxes and what a fun holiday quiz...I'm going to ponder that one a bit. Merry Christmas!

Linda said...

I just wanted to stop in and wish you a Merry Christmas and to thank you for participating in the Matchbox Swap! Linda

Carol said...

Noone has answered your Christmas Quiz, so I will give it a try....

1) The Christmas pudding was stirred by everyone.

2) Cloves, Cinnamon, Allspice (we make our own)

3) Three other characters: The ghost of Christmas Past, The ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Future.

4) Ivor Pall-Dit

5) They are called mince pies because many centuries ago they did in fact contain minced meat.

6) pass

7) Prince Albert probably, wasn't he German?

8) They start on Christmas Day and finish on 5th Jan (I think).

I didn't blog just before Christmas, but wish you a Happy New Year Sherry and I look forward to seeing your lovely work in 2011.

Carol x

Meggymay said...

Sent you an email Sherry, a bit late getting round to doing your quiz. xx