Joyeux Noel: New Digital Collage Sheets

Here is the last post of new digital collage sheets with vintage European Christmas cards. These are more French holiday postcards... Beautiful angels, some nativity scenes, Christmas children, and of course Santa Claus! The last sheet here is created with antique photo postcards ~ a little girl and a little angel with their vintage Christmas trees, playful children to wish you joyful NOEL, and even a romantic couple in Victorian / Edwardian dress.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed creating them! And I hope you'll go see these and all of my Christmas / Winter / and New Year images and digital collage sheets at Lunagirl.com.

Vintage European Christmas Cards, New!

Continuing to share the new digital collage sheets I've created using vintage Christmas cards I've collected. Most of what I have are French and German, but here are some from other countries. Dutch Santa Claus on a snowy night, Czech holiday cards featuring sweet angels and children, Scandinavian Christmas cards with greetings in Danish and Swedish, and serene vintage Christmas greetings in Italian (with mostly religious themes).   Available for download at Lunagirl.com.

Vive Saint Nicolas!

And here are two more new digital collage sheets created with vintage Christmas cards from Europe. These celebrate Saint Nick... The first is all vintage French postcards depicting St. Nicolas in the colorful coat and "Santa Claus hat" ... the second collage sheet is created with two French cards and two Dutch cards, each greeting St. Nicolas / St. Nikolaas in his traditional bishop's hat and religious robes. More to come! Find everything at Lunagirl.com :-)

New Collage Sheets: Vintage French Santa Claus

Here are two more of my newly created digital collage sheets for this Christmas season. These feature French cards celebrating Santa Claus ... Pere Noel ... St. Nicholas ... Joyeux Noel! All available at Lunagirl.com.

Weihnacten: New Collage Sheets German Christmas

Just before Thanksgiving, I received a request for a digital collage sheet of Christmas cards from different countries. Looking through all my vintage holiday collections, I found I had many more vintage European Christmas cards than I remembered.

I ended up creating 15 new collage sheets, with greetings in French, German, Dutch, Czech, Italian, Danish and Swedish, featuring vintage Saint Nicholas, angels, children, and more. Lots of Santa Claus cards!

I'm going to share all of these over the next few days... Here to start are four collage sheets created with lovely vintage German Christmas cards: Weihnachten is the celebration of Christmas Eve in German-speaking countries. You'll find all at Lunagirl.com!

Creative Challenge: CELEBRATE SAINT NICK

It's time for a new challenge, and since it's well into December let's celebrate good Old Saint Nick, shall we? I absolutely adore vintage Santa Claus pictures, and there are so many to enjoy! We have over 300 in our collection (all available on my Victorian Holidays Volume One CD, btw) and the variety is fascinating.

There are Santas in red, green, blue, white, purple, even pink. Santas in fur, in bishop's robes, in monk's robes, in fancy red suits. Santa Claus on foot, in his sleigh (of course), on horseback, in antique automobiles, hot air balloons, boats, airplanes, trains... what have I forgotten?

We can call him Santa or Saint Nicholas, Pere Noel, Father Christmas... We have plenty of pictures of St. Nick with Victorian children, and also with angels and animals. Some are funny and silly, some are dignified and elegant, some are primitive, some are quite fancy... all are just wonderful to explore and to include in card-making, scrapbooking, ornaments, and other crafts this time of year.

So, I'm  hoping to see St. Nick in every style and guise and color and costume! Need a few pictures of St Nick quick? Check out the CD above or download 110 vintage Santa pics instantly.

Here are the guidelines for this challenge:

Any craft or medium is OK.

Limit of 3 entries from one person in each challenge, please.

Vintage style is encouraged.

Use a Lunagirl image or element and your entry will count twice in the drawing!

Remember to link to this blog and to Lunagirl.com on your site if you have one.

Prize:  Winner will be selected randomly to receive a $15 credit at Lunagirl.com!

Challenge ends at noon CST on December 21.

I love it when you use Lunagirl images, and I hope you'll go take a look at my collections... but that's not a requirement!  But do remember that if you use a Lunagirl image, you will be entered TWICE in the drawing! I welcome everyone and every style but also want to give a little something extra to my wonderful customers! Most important is have fun, get creative, enjoy vintage. 

And don't miss the creations of my Design Team below, for your enjoyment and inspiration!

An InLinkz Link-up

FROM THE LUNAGIRL MOONBEAMS DESIGN TEAM:

The Moonbeams are using just a few of the hundreds of Santa images that are found on Lunagirl Victorian Holidays Volume One...

by MICHELE STORMS of Art from the Well
Michele has used one of my very favorite St Nick pics -- in his green suit
and looking so kindly and gentle with the deer. And I love holly and evergreens for
Christmas. Beautiful card, Michele!

by MANDY CHILVERS of Tag Along
Another favorite image of old Saint Nick! A fabulous Victorian
die cut in a white fur coat and hat, carrying a Christmas tree!
Mandy has used the die cut beautifully here, with such a
lovely snowy-looking background, just the right touch of glitter,
and even some "snowballs" at the bottom!

by VICKI ROMAINE of The Cheerful Stamppad who writes:
Today I used the Lunagirl "Freebie" for my card.  I just love this digital.  The card has a tan base and on top a rustic vintage print designer paper.  I used a couple of leftover strips from previous cutting of card to fill in the front.  Down the side on top of the strip of cardstock are three small glittery reindeer. 

One last blue angel...

Thank you, Vicki Romaine, for one more beauiful Blue Christmas card, a pretty angel in turquoise.

"This angel's wings shine as I put some Wink of Stella on the wings which is similar to glitter.  The black ornate design is actually stickers which I think enhance the card."

Blue Christmas challenge ends tomorrow at noon CST!

Antique Floral Christmas Cards

In our collection of vintage Christmas cards, we have quite a few that feature flowers.  While cards featuring Christmas angels, children in the snow, nativity scenes, holly wreaths, and of course Santa Claus fit our traditional ideas of Christmas, these antique flower cards are sweet for something different.  We think these floral Christmas cards are lovely and quaint -- they certainly reflect the "shabby" romantic spirit that so many of our customers like!

You'll find them, btw, in our Victorian Holidays collection on CD -- and also with holiday greetings removed in our Victorian Flowers collection, to use as flower pictures in your scrapbooking, card making and art.

ABOUT CHRISTMAS CARDS:  The custom of sending Christmas cards began in Victorian London in about 1840, and in 1875 Boston lithographer Louis Prang began publishing Christmas cards in America. The earliest cards usually featured colorful flower blossoms or pictures of birds, children or angels.

Floral Christmas cards were part of the Victorians' (and Victorian-era Americans') love for flowers, and  the early, expensive cards were probably sent mostly by wealthy people.
 
As sending holiday greetings became popular, it was inexpensive holiday penny postcards, sometimes imported from Germany, that were sent by most Americans until WWI.  Christmas postcards were also popular in many European countries, and we find many in French and German as well as English.  Judging by the number of Happy New Year postcards we have come across over the years, sending New Year greetings was just as popular!

More Christmas freebies!

I'm already getting a few orders for Valentines images -- I know many of you who sell crafts are already thinking of Valentine's Day (always a season ahead!), but as we're in the midst of this beautiful Christmas holiday season, here are a couple of free images for tags, cards, place cards, etc.  (Click on the pictures for full size).

And don't forget we have many Christmas and winter collage sheets available for INSTANT DOWNLOADING at Lunagirl.com  (plus cupids and hearts and roses and romantic couples and sweet girls in pink and red if you simply MUST think ahead to February!)

Antique "Xmas" Greeting from Santa?

Perfect for last minute Christmas projects, here is a lovely antique Santa Claus.  I love old Santa postcards.  He was certainly a popular subject for Victorian Christmas cards -- we have over 200 Santa images on my Lunagirl Victorian Holidays Vol 1 CD!

This particular card is especially interesting because of its greeting:
"All Xmas Joys Be Thine."

You might be surprised to see "Xmas" on an antique Victorian-era card, but actually the use of Xmas as an abbreviation for Christmas goes back to the Middle Ages.

The "X" is a CROSS and is a symbol or abbreviation for "Christ."  It's not a modern invention, and it was definitely not an attempt to "take religion out of Christmas" as some seem to believe.  It's just an old traditional abbreviation.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this lovely old image of Santa!

Snow Angels from the Moonbeams

Well, I don't have any snow yet but I do have lots of snow angels.  The entries in the blog challenge gallery are so pretty!  And the Lunagirl Moonbeams DT has been inspired and busy creating more gorgeous samples for you!  I'm sure you'll enjoy them.  You can always see more of the DT's work at their blogs.  And I hope everyone will link up their own angels for the Snow Angels challenge, which continues until Sunday...

This very Christmas-y card was created by Michele Storms.  Lovely details ~ see the little heart the dove is carrying?

Petra Berendsen created this beautiful snowflake ornament featuring a snow angel with glittering gold wings ...


and the pretty Winter Wonderland tag below!

Vicki Romaine sent this sweet little angel card:  "This card puts a Lunagirl Snow Angel on a Cheery Lynn diecut. which has been placed on a piece of designer cardstock.  The flourishes are cream-colored which works well with the beige designer cardstock.  They are made of thick acrylic."

 

And from Mandy Chilvers, two pretty star shaped snow angel ornaments.  

I love the soft vintage pink colors.

Victorian Floral Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards began in Victorian London in about 1840, and in 1875 Boston lithographer Louis Prang began publishing Christmas cards in America. The earliest cards usually featured colorful flower blossoms or pictures of birds, children or angels.

We couldn't find out much more about floral cards, except that they were part of the Victorians' (and Victorian-era Americans') love for flowers, and that the early, expensive cards were probably sent by wealthy people.

It was inexpensive holiday penny postcards, somtimes imported from Germany, that were sent by most Americans until WWI.



We think these floral cards are lovely and quaint -- they certainly reflect the "shabby" romantic spirit that so many of our customers like!



While cards featuring caroling children, nativity scenes, holly wreaths, and of course dear old Santa Claus fit our traditional idea of Christmas, these old flower cards are sweet for something different.

You'll find them (and hundreds more holiday images) in our Holidays & Occasions 3CD set -- and with holiday greetings removed in our Victorian Flowers collection, to use as flower pictures in your scrapbooking, card making and art.

Free Christmas Images for Last Minute Projects

I know many crafters are already in the back of their minds thinking of Valentine's Day (always a season ahead!), but as we're in the midst of this beautiful Christmas winter holiday season, here are a couple of free images for last minute tags, place cards, etc.  And don't forget we have many holiday collage sheets available for instant downloading at Lunagirl.com http://www.summertownsun.com/lunagirl/W-Lunagirl-Collage-Sheets-Holidays.htm (plus lovely cupids and hearts and romantic kisses and sweet girls in pink and red if you simply MUST think ahead!)

Send New Year Greetings: Revive This Edwardian Tradition!

Sending Happy New Year postcards to family and friends was a very popular tradition with the Victorians and Edwardians (and French ladies of the time) ~ as popular as sending Christmas cards, judging by the great number and variety of New Year cards we find!

 

These charming cards often showed illustrations of children, cherubs, Old Father Time, happy couples, benevolent angels, lucky horseshoes and shamrocks and pigs (yes, a symbol of luck and prosperity), even New Year gnomes who bring wealth and happiness to your home.  

Other New Year cards, especially the French ones, featured photographs and the wish for Bonne Annee (a good year) or Heureuse Annee (a happy year), like these from our collection.

You will find a lovely selection of illustrated cards on our Victorian Holidays Volume One CD and beautiful photo cards of children, ladies, and couples on our Christmas New Years Photos CD.

We altered some of the photographs into Christmas cards on the CD, but we left many with new year greetings in French. 

 I think New Year postcards should make a comeback! They would be a wonderful tradition to revive, especially in these anxious times. 

 

  

Just print onto cardstock, embellish if you like, and send to wish your loved ones a happy 2011.  The best wishes of a friend mean just as much now as they did a hundred years ago in 1911!

Merry Christmas Moonday Freebie

Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas ~ please enjoy for your projects (credit to Lunagirl Images requested & appreciated!)

Victorian Floral Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards began in Victorian London in about 1840, and in 1875 Boston lithographer Louis Prang began publishing Christmas cards in America. The earliest cards usually featured colorful flower blossoms or pictures of birds, children or angels.

We couldn't find out much more about floral cards, except that they were part of the Victorians' (and Victorian-era Americans') love for flowers, and that the early, more expensive cards were probably sent by affluent folks.


Prang's cards were expensive, and it was inexpensive holiday penny postcards, somtimes imported from Germany, that were sent by most Americans until WWI.

We think these floral cards are lovely and quaint -- they certainly reflect the "shabby" romantic spirit that so many of our customers like!


While the more traditional cards featuring caroling children, nativity scenes, holly wreaths, and of course dear old Santa Claus do feel more "Christmas" and festive to us this time of year, these old flower cards are sweet for something different.

You'll find them (and hundreds more holiday images) in our Holidays & Occasions 2CD set -- and with holiday greetings removed in our Flowers & Birds collection, to use as flower pictures in your scrapbooking, card making and art.

Christmas Card Arrives 93 Years Later

A Christmas card mailed on December 23, 1914 (same design as the one shown here, from our Victorian Holidays collection) was delivered this week in Oberlin, Kansas!

The Santa Claus postcard was originally mailed with a one-cent postage stamp to the (now deceased) Ethel Martin from her cousins in Nebraska. No one knows where it spent the past 93 years, but it finally arrived in perfect condition, at the home of Ethel’s sister-in-law Bernice Martin.