? SANTA ? Pimped!!!

Well the call has gone out.  Both Santa Claus (Chris @ http://cstoesen.blogspot.  And Secret Santa  (Cath and Ian @ Blog with No Name ) are running Santa gift blogs again this year. Firstly let me say I did enter them both last year and did have a LOT of pleasure doing so. So I would consider doing both again... But see below.

On Chris's Blog you paint a figure or group of figures and send them to someone who is involved and in turn someone, probably a very different person send you one back. Needless to say you are supposed to have a look at the persons blog and select something that appeals to them. But it is random who you get to paint for and who gets to paint for you and you have no real control over what figure they will send. But the idea is that it should be about £5 in value before painting.  So you could get pretty much anything, within that price band. And that is the fun bit.... you could get anything and it may be better than you can paint. But you could get something that while painted to the best of their ability just is not as good as you could have done yourself.  BUT it is the surprise that is the fun and you get to see your work on anothers blog as well when they un wrap it.

Ian and Cath (Ian runs the Blog while Cath runs the Santa) do it a different way. Each participant is given another random blog and they are to scan it and pick up clues as to what that participant might want. Many including myself tend to do a wish list to help any participants who ever they may be to focus them to what you truly want . BUT the list is optional and you can select something else to send them as long as you think it is what they would want. For example a participant may have a VERY narrow set of wants. "I only want this code XXX or code XXY from this manufacturer and nothing else!"  Which does to my mind take all the fun out of it after all where is the surprise, they might as well buy it themselves! But I know at least one person does so. So be Warned and if you get them well basically hard luck OR be prepared to think laterally and get them something else that fits in with their want but is not exactly what they have listed. So you may have to think creatively. I already have an idea what I will get them if I get their name pulled out of the hat.

So the good is that you have some fun and get a gift. Last year I got an absolutely brilliant gift from my SECRET Santa. It I so nice I am a little scared of painting it for fear of ruining it. Yes it is that good. But I hope to soon. Hopefully very soon. Maybe even next week. But I might need to take a bravery pill first.

And the Bad. I did not receive a painted figure from Chris's blog.  Not his fault, he is just the agent who selects people to paint for another. Chris is aware of this lack of figure and while he has apologised as far as I am aware the person who sent it has not. Maybe they have a good reason for not sending a painted figure, maybe the post office failed to deliver (ALWAYS GET PROOF OF POSTING!) maybe they just do not like me, maybe they have been ill maybe I am on Santa's naughty list. Their could be all number of reasons. All I know is that I did not get a painted figure.

having scanned some blogs I know both my gifts arrived and I think were well appreciated and that makes me feel good.

So for that Reason I will not be entering Chris's Santa Clause Blog painted figure scheme this year, but I will be entering Ian and Caths.

Sorry todays blog has been a bit of a rant.

All th best and for a little fun you might try either Santa scheme.