An International Merry Olde Christmas with quotes and pix

Vesele Vianoce a stastny Novy Rok

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Slovakian

plate of traditional Slovak cookies

http://www.slovakcooking.com/

Well, it has been a bit of a rough week. Hence, no postings.

Sorry!

I hope you have all been busy decorating for a celebration

visiting friends and family

reaching out to neighbors

enjoying some special food and treats

and smiling a lot!

Santa Claus Academy trainees, 2011 Tokyo, Japan

photo credit Yoshikazu Tsuno

I find it so sad around holidays when people's tempers are short,

the driving is more aggressive

the kids whine more

the parents holler more

with lots of pushing and bustling and

well,

really,

doing everything OPPOSITE of what the season is all about!

vintage Christmas card

"It is not the magnitude of our actions

but the amount of love

that is put into them that matters."

- Mother Teresa

I'd like to share with you some photos of celebrations around the world.

Some celebrate Grandfather Frost,

some Father Christmas;

some celebrate Santa Claus,

some Kris Kringle.

Some will focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus,

and some will focus on the Christ child;

some will decorate with nativities and wise men,

and some will decorate with angels and harps.

There is glizty bling, and simple carved wood.

Candles, icicles, oranges, stockings and green trees -

no matter what your tradition or style,

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve mass

Surabaya, Indonesia

"Sharing and giving are the ways

of God."

- Sauk Indian proverb

Rodrigo de Freitas Lake, 2011  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

photo by Andre Durao

siblings checking out the new lawn decor

Brea, California, USA

photo courtesy of Mindy Schauer

"The Angel Blesses

Christmas Day

while little children

Play."

- vintage verse

Santa Claus in Jammu, India

nydailynews

French soldier, United Nations Interim Force in Deir Zifa, Lebanon

"Christmas waves a magic wand

over this world,

and behold,

everything is softer

and more beautiful."

- Norman Vincent Peale

Decorating at a shopping mall in Beijing, China

photo credit Andy Wong  2011

Harrods 26th parade with Father Christmas London, England 2011

photo credit Steve Finn

2010 Annual Half-naked Santa Run, Budapest, Hungary

photo credit Bernadett Szabo

"Like snowflakes,

my Christmas memories gather and dance -

each beautiful, unique

and too soon gone."

- Deborah Whipp, web designer

tree lighting in Tyn church, Old Town Square, Prague, Czechoslovakia

photo credit Michal Cizek  2011

Time for me to go do some things.

If you have a family tradition that you would like to share,

just leave a comment.

My comment section is easy to use, and you don't have to sign up for anything!

Upcoming -

how do the animals celebrate Christmas?

:0)

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Honor, Loyalty and Chivalry with Castles and Paperdolls

Wai

or Oi or Oye

(Bodo, informal way of saying hello to someone.)

Bodo is a Tebeto-Burman language.



Going to church hat

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

First, I need to apologize for an incorrect link from yesterday.

For any of you that tried to reach Robert Sabuda's

Pop-Up tutorial and directions for a pop-up castle,

here is the correct link:

http://www.robertsabuda.com/popmake/index.asp

Sorry about that. I had forgotten a '/' from the former.

Vittskovle Castle

Sweden

So, did you know there is no country called

"Myanmar"?

The country's name is BURMA.

Myanmar is the name that the rebels have given the country that they took by force and much bloodshed.

They have not been officially recognized by the United Nations,

or the United States of America.

The people of Burma have not recognized them as official.

Only the USA newspaper journalists call it Myanmar...

apparently they have decided that violent takeover

deserves to be taken officially,

and to not recognize the true government of

BURMA.

SO glad that our journalists and newspaper reporters are

sooo unbiased....

moment of sarcasm....

passing now.

Glamis Castle

Scotland

the setting for Shakespeare's MacBeth

Let's get on with our knights -

known for their honor, loyalty and chivalry!

J. Waterhouse

'Tristram and Isolde', 1916

Prince Caspian,

recycled junk mail bottlecap magnet

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

movie poster, 1967

Muiderslot

Netherlands, 13th century

I think it's time for more paper dolls!

(Is there really a time for no paper dolls?)

Castle Mespelbrunn

Germany, 1412

a couple from 1449

'Romance in the Rose Garden'

medieval tapestry

Thanks to OrigamiBears for her spirit of sharing!

Bierten Peasant Castle

Romania

every day activities in Medieval times

Chateau de vitre

 France, 11th century

Knights from the 13th to the 16th century

Budget friendly projects:

Print these knights out on thin paper.

Cut out, and decoupage onto a wooden trunk,

or a set of decorative plates.

Print these knights out on sturdy cardboard - as thick as your printer will accept. If your card is still not sturdy enough, you can glue the printouts onto thin cereal box cardboard.

Cut slits in the bottom. Cut stands from extra cardboard. Slit at the top. Push slits together to make a simple stand.

Think paperdoll stands!

Now you can place these in a medieval/castle diorama,

or play with them with the wonderful cut and assemble castles from Dover publications.



Make your own castle settings, trees, etc. from magazine cutouts.

Mount them on the cereal box cardboard, and make stands as directed above. Set up your own castle scene using an old cookie sheet. Cover the cookie sheet with scraps of green/grey/brick/beige scrapbook paper leftovers.

Or tear tissue paper and overlap. This will work best if you dab glue in just a few places to hold down the flutterings.

Karlstejn Castle

Czechoslovakia, 1450



vintage paper dolls

Let's finish today with a modern day castle,

built in 1908!

Hatley Castle

California, USA, 1908

Browsing castles, and knights in shining armor, and medieval times, I have acquired quite a few more things to share

more along the lines of Camelot, perhaps.

But that's for another day!

Don't forget to smile at someone you don't know today...

inkspired

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/