Friday, September 30, 2016

Countdown to Christmas 2016 Week 3


Christmas Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

It's that time of the year again!
Time for the 5th annual countdown to Christmas
Here are some of the great gift ideas for 2016 from our favorite designers and collectors. 

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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

This song was published in 1935 as a “West Country Traditional Song” from England.  Originally, it was written as “I wish you a Merry Christmas”, but later changed to “We wish you” upon republishing the piece.

The publishing date and the actual creation date are much different. This tune is thought to originate in the 1800s, but there is no evidence of that, and it is missing from some of the more recognized collections of carols from the 1800s, as well as those from the 1600s. It is only mentioned in the 1992 book New Oxford Book of Carols as an English traditional without any source or date noted.

The phrase “a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year” was found in 1740 from a song the mummers sang when they went begging from home to home. Remember the mummer’s from when we traveled around the world at Christmas? http://bmebluprint.blogspot.com/2015/09/here-we-come-awassailing.html

This is from a mummer’s song of the 1700s

I wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Year,
A pantryful of good roast-beef,
And barrels full of beer

Of course, they wanted figgy pudding and a pint.

There are a number of versions of the song, but the most commonly sung one contains these lyrics:

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year

REFRAIN
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.

Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
And bring some out here

REFRAIN

For we all like figgy pudding,
We all like figgy pudding,
For we all like figgy pudding,
So bring some out here

REFRAIN

And we won't go until we've got some
We won't go until we've got some
We won't go until we've got some
So bring some out here

For the record, although I love Enya’s rendition, the one that I really wanted to use is the Osmond’s rendition on the 1968 Andy Williams’ Christmas Show because, well, let’s just say I am that old and was amused and entertained by it (no, I was NOT an Osmond Brother’s fan.) However, the video quality is very poor, but for fun, I am including it and letting you make your own determination.

Now that you are starting to get the Christmas spirit, let’s go shopping!

Nautical Cupcake Toppers in Navy Blue and Red

AdorebyNat

Washcloth Facecloth or Dishcloth Crocheted

ennadoolf

Lipstick Red Handmade Lampwork Beads

Covergirlbeads

Red Flame Box Elder Exotic Wood Large Earrings

ExoticWoodJewelryAnd

Firetruck Christmas Ornament

Kevs Krafts 

Enhanced Candy Apple Red Autumn Leaves from Sugar Maple

Butterfly in the Attic

Hand Knit Evening Poppy Shawl

Crafting Memories 1

Red Sun Gold Earrings

Pretty Gonzo 

Red Bend Jasper Cream Riverstone Czech Beige Crystal Gemstone Necklace

Kats All That 

Jo's Bevel 6" Handmade Stained Glass Quilt Square in Red

2 Glass Thumbs

Handmade Necklace and Earrings

Blue Morning Expressions 

Ruby Red Slipper Socks

Nancys Knots and Lace

Red Holiday Dangle Earrings

SolanaKaiDesigns

Gold, Green, and Red Glass Acrylic Beaded Holiday Christmas Bracelet

Dianes Dangles

Dog Lovers Tri-fold Wallet, Fabric Clutch

Sew Amazin

Guitar Necklace Red, Pink or Yellow Enamel Charm With Sterling Silver Chain

The Singing Beader 

Red Skull Halloween Earrings

Shadow Dog Designs

Burgundy Red & Green Basket - Geometric Pattern

RSS Designs in Fiber

These talented artists are available for special requests or orders, so don’t hesitate to contact them if you have any questions about these pieces.

Here are some more showcases for you to enjoy:

Week 1
Week 2
Silent Night, Holy Night

Hurry because handmade sells out fast, and when they are gone, they are gone! Buy now.

Enjoy!

Julie 

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Friday, September 23, 2016

Countdown to Christmas 2016 Week 2


Christmas Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

It's that time of the year again!
Time for the 5th annual countdown to Christmas!
Here are some of the great gift ideas for 2016 from our favorite designers and collectors. 

Posted by at

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Silent Night, Holy Night

 

Last year, we sang our way to the final countdown to Christmas, and this year, we are going to pick up where we left off with many more of the more traditional songs that can be heard sung around the world during the Christmas season. We are going to start with one that I wanted to include last year, but put aside for this year because I had too many great songs to choose from.

In 1818, the marriage of the lyrics of Joseph Mohr and the composition of Franz Xaver Gruber gave us the timeless Christmas song, Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht, that remains one of the beloved Christmas carols to this day. In fact, the Bing Crosby version of this song is the third best selling single record of all time. Bing has the number one hit with White Christmas and Elton John holds number two with Candle in the Wind for my trivia buff friends.

Father Mohr had written the lyrics to this carol in 1816 before he became a priest in Austria. As Christmas approached in 1818, he asked Mr. Gruber, who was a schoolmaster and organist, if he would be willing to compose a melody along with a guitar accompaniment for the Christmas Eve mass at St. Nicholas parish in Oberndorf. The two men performed the first rendition of Silent Night, Holy Night that evening.

The original manuscript has been lost, but there is one copy in Mohr’s handwriting. The story of the composition between these two men has been retold in a television special, a film and a documentary. The First Silent Night documentary was released in 2014 if you are interested in hearing the whole story.

During World War I, there was an official Christmas truce declared along the Western Front in what was known as No Man’s Land. As the holiday approached, soldiers crossed trenches and exchanged gifts with one another. During this time, the men swapped prisoners, held joint burial ceremonies and offered food to one another. They even engaged in a few games of football.

The one carol they all knew was Silent Night, Holy Night, so they all sung it together. The truce did not last any longer than Christmas, and the commanding officers forbid them from fraternizing in the future.

Thanks to the Internet, here is a copy of the original composition in Mohr’s hand.



There may be no snow on the ground and the Christmas lights may still be in storage, but we can still wish for cooler weather and enjoy these lovely wares to whet our appetite of great things to come over this holiday season.

Without further ado, here are some of the great gift ideas from our friends.

Hand Knit Holiday Tree All Cotton Picture Dishcloth or Washcloth

Holly Knitter Creation

Recycled Wine Bottle Trivet with Embossed Butterfly

Resetar Glass Art

Peace Sign Dream Catcher

Kevs Krafts

Laguna Lace Disc and Sterling Silver Earrings

Crafting Memories 1

Multi-Strand Beaded Necklace with Jasper and Lampwork Bead

Blue Morning Expressions

Peridot Earrings - Tree of Life

LindaB142

Holiday Handmade Fused Glass Red and Green Dangle Earrings

Umeboshi

Teabag Favors with Green Trees Design for Wedding

Adore by Nat

Jungle Jasper Green Aventurine Artisan Necklace Set

Kats All That

Sterling Silver Musical Instrument Charm Bracelet

The Singing Beader

Glossy Transparent Sage Green Lampwork Glass Beads

Covergirl Beads

Green Plaid Dog Scrunchie Neck Ruffle

SewAmazin

Irish Celtic Neck warmer Dark Sage Green

Nancy’s Knots Lace and More

Turquoise Green Owl Earrings

SolanaKai Designs

Green Awareness Earrings, Malachite Gemstone

Pretty Gonzo

Glass Pearl Bracelet

Blonde Peach Jewelry

Tree of Life Handmade Earrings

Shadow Dog Designs

Green and Ivory Cloth, Potholder, Hot Pad Set

RSS Designs in Fiber

These talented artists are available for special requests or orders, so don’t hesitate to contact them if you have any questions about these pieces.

Here are some more showcases for you to enjoy:

Week 1

Hurry because handmade sells out fast, and when they are gone, they are gone! Buy now.

Enjoy!

Julie 

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Friday, September 16, 2016

Countdown to Christmas 2016 Week 1


Christmas Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com

It's that time of the year again!
Did you know that this is our 5th annual countdown?
Here are some of the great gift ideas for 2016 from our favorite designers and collectors. 

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Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Countdown to the Countdown to Christmas 2016

DSC_0323Every year, Blu and I (that’s me and Blu) host a Countdown to Christmas that runs for 12 weeks from the middle of September until the first weekend or so in December.

The countdown showcases handmade gift ideas, vintage items and some supplies for your crafty do-it-yourselfers to make your own gifts.

Usually, there are around 100 unique, one-of-a-kind gift ideas featured each week. These items are designed to make your gift giving easier.

When you give something that is different from every other gift on the shelf, you are giving something that means you cared enough to select a gift that you thought would be just perfect for the recipient. A blender may become regifted, but a  handmade necklace will become a cherished piece of jewelry.

Make your gift one they will treasure. Give handmade.

Here are some examples of the things you may see in the countdown:

 

If you want to be notified when new countdowns come out, then subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog. http://bmebluprint.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Happy shopping!

Julie and Blu

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