The Great Tissue Box Challenge: Winners Winners

Today I announce the winners of The Great Tissue Box Challenge 2010!!!

But first, before any prizes are awarded, please take a moment to stroll through the tiny villages that each one of these participants has so carefully concocted. Isn't it amazing how each little abode is so meticulously cut, pasted, painted and ornamented?

Take a look at what Amy (with help from her husband) has crafted. Their little ornaments are heavenly! This village of 18 structures comes complete with several teensy gingerbread houses, a set of house-triplets spelling JOY, a townhouse, a barn, a Federal building, and the pièce de résistance, a church! To see more photos of the town, and their creative process, please visit Amy's delightful blog During Quiet Time. So beautiful!

The snowy hamlet created by Linda @ Mermaid's Creations is Santa's own village at the North Pole! There you can see his little elves busy day and night. In fact, Linda has made it so that from one perspective, we see her 18 joyful houses during the day, and then turned the other way, they are magically lit up for the night. It's a downright cozy home for Santa and his elvish friends, don't you think?

Caitlin (Catherine's daughter) from The Sewing Attic built 20, count'em 20, teensy tiny houses!!! I am so impressed with Caitlin's little tissue box village. As you can see, no two houses are alike. Each construction is a unique, sparkling and bedazzled delight! Wouldn't it be glorious if this were a real, life-size street somewhere in the world? I'd live there in a heartbeat. I'm not even kidding.

And finally, here is Fiona's email submission to the Great Tissue Box House Challenge. Count Fiona's houses with me... Count'em again to make sure you got that right... What was that? 27 houses? 27!!! Can you believe it? ONE TISSUE BOX = 27 houses!!! That must be a record. Wow. Fierce Fiona, you are a competitor. Now please take a close look at just one of Fiona's houses. The details are wonderful. Stone house, red shingled-roof, a variety of windows, door with wreath, some rooms lit, others not. So pretty Fiona!

If you have time please visit the competitors' wonderful blogs including the Rebel Submissions from yesterday. They are truly an amazing group of crafters in my humble opinion.

NOW, the overarching feeling in my mind right now is this: WOWEEEEEEE.

Don't you concur? I'm in awe at ALL the entries. I hate to choose winners because, and yes this sounds horribly cliché, you are all winners. Let me defend that statement:

Everyone comes at any competition with a little basket of interesting life experiences. You are individuals who have arrived where you are in a unique way. You are not robots. How is it possible to pit one of you against another? How can I compare a house built by a four year-old to one built by a 40 year-old? It's impossible. I treasure all of your submissions because each one is a tiny part of your individual stories. And that to me is so special. Thank you, thank you for joining in. It is an honour to show your amazing work here on this blog. Hugs to you.

Now, all that said, I have in fact chosen the winners. They are:

(1) The builder of the most houses: FIONA

(2) The builder of the most and prettiest houses: CAITLIN

I will be contacting the both of you as soon as possible with details regarding prizes!

CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS

TO YOU TO YOU!!!

Now please, have yourself a fantastic day! And Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!