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Hope your holidays were jolly and full of small moments to cherish. My best times are just being in the same room with my children and grandchildren. The little people are finally at the "game age" and we had a lot of fun playing "team Clue."

I enjoyed the Secret Santa exchange also. Some great gifts were exchanged. You could really tell these did not come from China ;) but were lovingly handmade by all of you.

Thanks to participants Sharon Donovan, Robert Wallis, Scott Pakulski, Brian Billings, Robert Johnson, Melanie Rolfes, Roxanne Coffelt, Larry Berman, Patricia DeMaria, Ellen Schneider, Trudi Van Dyke, Wendy Lea Holder, Sandra Schwarzbeck, Ruth Jellema, Meg Funk, Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser, Jacki Bilsborrow, Maureen Roberts, Lois Anderson, Joan Tweedell, Suzanne Ens and Ron Roland.

I received a gift that I prize from my Secret Santa and others did also as reported here: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/santa-s-presents-arriving-show-us

As promised everyone who posted showing gifts will be receiving compliments of AFI my two e-books, "Getting Started at Art Fairs" and "Getting into Art Fairs: 20 Questions Answered." Look for them in your mailbox tomorrow.

In addition, everyone who participated will receive our famous Red Dot bumper sticker in the mail. Please email me your mailing address.

Then I had to find a judge to choose the Grand Prize Winner and it had to be someone with impeccable credentials in the art fair community. Thank you to Rick Bryant, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, who took on this daunting task.

Here are the judge's comments:

This was more difficult than I thought it would be!

I’m going with the license plate mug. Nice photo and object, not cloying and no mention of one’s cats or “my wife made me”. Just a cool outsider-y mug. Nice work.

Honorable mention goes to you. I thought yours was good, but it would be bad form for you to win.

Pretty interesting that our "judge" judged not only on the object but the photography! Obviously knows what he is doing. Thanks, Rick.

The winner of the is Scott Pakulski of Ypsilanti, MI. Scott wins a gift certificate from the famous Zingerman's Bakery in Ann Arbor.  Since you live near I thought I'd let you pick out your favorite goodies. Hope you can use it, Scott.

I don't know who was my Secret Santa and I'd guess Scott doesn't know either. Does anyone want to disclose their identity?

You guys were great and I enjoyed organizing this. Do you want to do it again next year?

P.S. I will always treasure my gift, a warm reminder of the caring that I have received from this community.

Excuse the delay for reporting back on the Secret Santa project we've been working on. It turned into an international gift exchange when Annette Piper joined in so we were waiting for gifts to be sent and received from Australia.

I hope you enjoyed the Secret Santa as much as I did. Some great gifts were exchanged. Thanks to participants Larry Berman, Annette Piper, Steph Mader, Robert Wallis, Elle Heiligenstein, Vivian Leflore Mora, Annette Piper, Deborah Potash Brodie, Melanie Rolfes, Carrie Jacobson, Patricia DeMaria, Susan Kubira, Lida Arthaud, Patty Gamin, Marsha Scherer, Alesia Coppedge,  John Weller, Kathy Czopek, Pat Falk, Lois Anderson, Larry Raineri, Jackie Dunford, Sharon Jeter, Ellen Schneider and Maureen Roberts.

I received a gift that I prize from my Secret Santa and others did also as reported here: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/thank-you-secret-santa

As promised everyone who posted showing gifts will be receiving compliments of AFI my two e-books, "Getting Started at Art Fairs" and "Getting into Art Fairs: 20 Questions Answered." Look for them in your mailbox tomorrow.

In addition, everyone who participated will receive our famous Red Dot bumper sticker in the mail. Please email me your mailing address.

Then I had to find a judge to choose the Grand Prize Winner and it had to be someone with impeccable credentials in the art fair community. Thank you to Rick Bryant, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, who took on this daunting task.

Here are the judge's comments:

This was more difficult than I thought it would be!

But I’m going with the woman who got the blue glass ikebana plate.  She does a great job holding it like the lovely Carol Merrill from “The Price is Right” and there’s a photo of just the item, and also one of it in use. Oh and I liked the story about the leaf in the package. Points to both Santa for putting it in there and the recipient for mentioning it.

Honorable mention goes to the guy with the Pillow. A very simple Get er done aesthetic going there.

The winner of the is Ellen Schneider of St. Petersburg, FL. Ellen wins a portable Solar Charger for iPhones, iPads and other USB powered devices. Hope you can use it, Ellen. Please email me your mailing address: info@artfaircalendar.com.

You guys were great and I enjoyed organizing this. Do you want to do it again next year?

It's that time of the year! The time where people from all over the world come together to do something nice for each other ...

Let's try something new online. Ever been in a "job" where they did the Secret Santa thing? You draw a name and then do nice things for a person secretly during the holiday season and give them a gift at the end -- all anonymously?

We are all so connected with each other in our business that this seems a good time to have some fun with each other. Find the details here: http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/topics/secret-santa-looking-for-you

And Join in the Cheer!