cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge tooHello again and welcome to our next inspiring blogpost – it is high time for “Cultural Extras”. This time you won’t be surprised, I think – the air is full of Christmas, and so  are our inspirational projects!
What are your traditions, your feelings about Christmas time? What are your first thoughts about it? Our talented Designers are from all around the world, so we are sure that our points of view are a bit different… so let’s take a look into each others  the Christmas preparations! Feel invited!

 

Tara says:
Every year our family puts up all three of our christmas trees and decorates them together! Its so fun but a little chaotic at times. We decided to let the kids have ‘their’ own tree and mommy can have ‘her’ tree – that way everyone wins – LOL!

I used one of Graphic 45’s Altered Art boxes so I’ve designed a lovely box in which the mini album can be kept.

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

Mini-album:

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

Altered box:

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

7 Dots Studio Supplies:
Elise Rebel: 12×12 Stickers
Elise Rebel: 6×12 Stickers
Elise Rebel: 12×12 Elements
Elise Rebel Patterned Paper: Delightful, Sensitive
Dreamer: Night’s Fever, City Lights
Dreamer: 12×12 Elements
Dreamer: 6×12 Stickers
Other Supplies:
Graphic 45 5×5 Altered Art Box
Misc: Doily, ribbon, twine, button

 

Teeshoom says:
Russian Orthodox Church use Julian calendar. So russian christians celebrate Christmas on 7th of January. In Russia Cristmas is a religious day.
In Russia we celebrate only New Year in December (I mean the night between 31st of December and 1st of January).
This is the holiday then we have fir-trees, presents, Father Frost, fireworks and other things like that.
I think house decorations are very good way to feel holiday spirit. So my LO is about garlands.

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
Materiały – 7 Dots Studio: 
Elise Rebel – Superstitious
Elise Rebel – Imperfect
Elise Rebel – Stickers 12×12
Elise Rebel –Stickers 6×12

 

Finn pisze:
We’ve got a lot of beautiful Christmas traditions here in Poland, and we even don’t suspect how different we are with our customs from other nations form the east and from the west. Surely, one of the most visible differences is starting our family gatherings and eating together a special meal of 12 fast dishes on 24th December – the Christmas Eve, while others start the celebrations on 25th December – Christmas Day.  A very significant tradition is also waiting for the first star to appear in the sky to start the Christmas Eve meal – this was may inspiration to create this small Christmas tag:)

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

Supplies – 7 Dots Studio:
Dreamer – Night’s Fever
other:
Artful Dwellings die and embossing folder (Sizzix), Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Crackle Accents, Liquid Pearls, Stickles, Dabber Acrylic Paint (Ranger), chipboard Christmas Trees – Dusty Attic.

 

Our 2 Polish Designers, Brises i Magdalena, were inspired by tradition of making handmade centerpieces for the Christmas table or  decoration which can be put out as a part of the Christmas display.

Brises pisze:
At Christmas time I like to create a unique atmosphere with handmade Christmas decorations. Today I prepared a small but very special Christmas tree that can decorate a table during Christmas Eve. I used paper from the Dreamer collection and Elise Rebel.

cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

Supplies – 7 Dots Studio:
papers: Dreamer, Elise Rebel
other:
EK Succes punch, treasures from the drawer, Stickles Ranger

 

Magdalena pisze:
I have made a little home decor. This is a sleigh with four candles inside. I think this home decor can subsitute a traditional Christmas centerpiece or wreath.
I have covered a chipboard base with Dreamer papers. I have added distress inks and embossed snowflakes, leaves and branches cut outs, flowers and pine cones. To get the decorative strip on the candels I used image transferring on the tape technique.
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too
cultural extras christmas spirit and challenge too

 

Materiały – 7 Dots Studio:
Dreamer – Daydreaming
Dreamer – Drive All Night
Dreamer – Sweet Dreams
Dreamer – Nights Fever

 

And now it is YOUR TURN!!!
We hope we menaged to inspire you a bit and you all feel the “Christmas Spirit” in the air now… and you are ready to create! We’ve got a 7 Dots Studio Christmas Challenge for you, so don’t wait, but let your creativity go wild!

The rules are easy as 1,2,3:
1. Grab some 7 Dots Studio Supplies and make a project inspired by our “Cultural Extras” or simply by the Christmas Spirit!  It can be a card, tag, layout, mini-album, altered art, home decoration – feel free to choose  any project you desire!
You can use other supplies in your project of course, but we ant to see how do you use 7DS, so make sure it will be clearly visible!
2. Post the project on your blog. Upload the link below this blogpost using inlinkz. Do it before the deadline, which is 31.12.2011.
3. Keep your fingers crossed  – the 2 winners will be announced after 03.01. 2012 – they will get one complete collection from 7 Dots Studio as a prize!
We can’t wait to see your projects! Good luck!