Well the weeks have flown by and the Design Team are all set for their final week of contributions. We've had thousands of hits (around 10,000) since we started the Christmas Countdown. We thank you all for your contributions and want to extend a final invitation to you all.

If you have been following the Christmas Countdown blog, then feel free to leave comments on the blog posts this week and you'll go in the draw to win a $50 Christmas Goodie Bag. We have another $50 Christmas Goodie Bag to give to anyone who has sent us their contributions. You also get your project displayed in the Competition Gallery. This is the last week - so come and join us for a bit of fun! Send them to artfullcrafts@gmail.com

That's right. We're giving away $100 worth of product next week. The winner will be announced on Sunday the 26th of December. (I'll be driving to Nelson blogging on my laptop!!).

This week's final theme is Christmas Tags. Send us an email of how you like to make your gifts look at bit special. Our Design Team will be inspiring you too of course!

Last week's theme was Table Decorations and finally I had some time to sit down these napkin holders. Well I did steal the idea from the the Kaisercraft website!! These napkin holders just take 6" x 6" of double-sided cardstock each. They sure are simple.



We have a small number of competition entries to show you this week. We appreciate that everyone is getting busier closer to Christmas and thankyou for emailing us your ideas.

The winner of this week's prize is... Sandy A. Thanks heaps for your contribution!! She'll be putting these angels on her table at Christmas.

We have some table settings from Margaret C. She's used the Kaisercraft Be Merry papers on the placemats.

Jo A has enjoyed creating this Pine Tree from Kaisercraft with the Tinsel and Twig papers she won last week!

In fact a couple of Jo's projects were emailed to us and weren't picked up. So we are pleased to showcase them now! Apologies Jo.

Jo created this Tree Decoration - her own original invention. She writes: I wanted to make a “pillow box” type thing to enclose a coffee sachet, and found that the width of the box perfectly fitted the Creative Memories tag maker, so I turned it into a Christmas tree ornament! Or they would also look awesome hanging across the wall like banners I guess…A wee gift for friends or mums at playgroup or customers… it’s sometimes nice to surprise people who you only know slightly with little presents that look fabulous.


Jo also writes about her Christmas Favour idea: I have lots of little $1 scratchies for Christmas day, and wanted to come up with a cool idea for the table. They make a fab crown, but that seemed just too quick and easy! So I have made some wee wallets to put them in. I was going to go with the Christmas theme – Santa, snowflakes, etc – but since the scratchies are bright summery ones I went with the bright summer theme instead. The jandal, sun and glasses are all from one wee Inkadinkado mini clear pack which I bought at Artfull Crafts 6 months ago.

Finally we finish with the Reason for the Season. We celebrate the birth of Christ, the God-man who was born to save us from our sins. The Scriptures say that if we repent and put our faith and trust in Him that he will be gracious to forgive us. May you know His blessing and love this Christmas.

Christ Born of Mary
Luke 2:1
¹ And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
¹⁴ “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.