>>15936
FAQ
>Q: What is Secret Santa?
A chance to give and receive cards from other anons locally, nationally, or even globally for Christmas
>Q: How do I join the card exchange?
Correctly fill out the signup form and email it to me as an attachment or link before the deadline.
>Q: What is the deadline?
NOVEMBER 7TH 12:01 AM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME
>Q: I already submitted my form, how do I fix something?
If you need to make changes to your wishlist or address, or anything else;
please RE-SEND the form with the changes made as a REPLY to your first e-mail!
>Q: What do cards look like?
See the previous Secret Santa thread: https://www.helma.xyz/sw/res/15526.html
Pic related is also a summary of last year's Secret Santa.

MORE DETAILS
- I will need about a couple of days (at most) to match everyone after the deadline. I will then email everyone their matches once this is finished.
- I may ask you to change your form during the period between the deadline and the matching to change your form if there are any discrepancies (more cards are being sent than there are participants, etc).
- I encourage everyone to mail their cards internationally so as to increase the potential match combinations (non-Americans will pretty much have to send their cards internationally... sorry).
- Please take pictures of your cards before you send them so you can show your assignment your card in the worst-case scenario that it gets lost in transit.
- Feel free to ask me to send your assignment any tracking info, etc
- When you receive your card, please post it (most people post their cards on Christmas day) and thank your anon.
- If the card(s) you are supposed to receive get lost, I will make you a card to make sure you get something. In the event your card arrives super late, I will send an extra card.

Please let me know if there are any questions either by contacting my email or just by asking in this thread.

>>15937
You do NOT need to know how to draw in order to participate. All the card needs is your love and effort.

Pic related is also some other ways that you can make a card

No better time to post this.

>>15939
World Witches Anon offered to send me an extra card, since one of my packages did not arrive (more on that later). I thought I should wait until the next card exchange to scan and post it. It's very cute and much appreciated.

>>15940
This is the one that never got delivered to my PO box, for reasons we'll probably never know.
Several months later, the package was actually returned to my Secret Santa, who was kind enough to send the card again.
Everything went fine this time, I received it in late September. Thank you very much!

>>15939
>>15940
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the card.
>>15941
It finally arrived! International shipping can be tricky sometimes.

Card assignments have just been sent so get your art supplies ready!

Anyways, make sure to send the cards so they arrive before Christmas (and make sure you take pictures of your cards before you send them too).
Also, when you receive your cards, make sure to post them.
As always, let me know if there are any questions or concerns.

I just got a card from Faraway Land.

Got a package from Texas the other day with this cute card inside!
Ahh! The tonttu are so cute, almost as cute as Eila!
I'm excited to open the additional bits come next Sunday!

Oh! Also, S of Canada your card will be in the mail tomorrow morning!

>>15947
Looks like my card is the first to be opened this year. I'm so glad that you like my card. I was originally going to draw a tarot card theme on the front but I decided to switch over to drawing tonttus since I thought they looked cute when reading the Aurora manga. Also because of the disproportionate amount of Suomish Witches on your favorites list.

>I'm excited to open the additional bits come next Sunday!
You can actually open them right now if you want. They're extra goodies that I hope you will enjoy. If you want to save them for Sunday though, I at least encourage you to open the thing that measures about 8 x 16 cm. Inside that thing are hot cocoa packets that I think you should enjoy with the cookies that I've packed.

I have received your package. Earlier than expected too! I have put it away in the fridge for now. I will open it near Christmas and the card on Christmas. Thank you!

Today I received my Christmas card!
Thank you very much, anon! And special thanks because of my last minute participation.
The drawing I find very cute, Trude and Chris seem genuinely happy together, and I hope that gives Trude some much needed relaxation and lightheartedness. I also like the explanation why Erica isn't there; yeah she will definitely prey on that hard work.
I hope your card will arrive on time as well.

>>15953
Cute card. I hope you have an awesome CHRIStmas.

>>15952
Opening the package that anon gave me. This is what the contents look like...

>>15955
Oh my goodness! Anon was so generous with the number of cookies given that the bag was forced open sometime between the drop-off and delivery. The cookies are still good for consumption, fortunately.

>>15956
I had to eat a couple of the cookies before I could even close the bag. That's how many cookies I was graciously given. Even Barkhorn would not have been able to close the bag with her super strength.

>>15958
Here's a better look at the cookies. They're decorated with a star. I presume that's because I listed a lot of Liberions in my wishlist. Very cool.

>>15959
Beyond the cookies, I was given mochi! Home-made mochi was absolutely the last thing I would have expected! I presume it's your first time making mochi - that's so cool that you tried something new for this. The effort has paid off too, the mochi is good.

>>15960
And here's a summary of the package. I got very good homemade cookies and mochi (I had to set the Miyafujis near the mochi). I can only expect the card to follow the same trend. I don't have any Liberion Witch merchandise so I just got a Burger King Crown. Close enough I suppose.

Thanks so much for everything! I look forward to opening the card.

>>15961
Oh wait, I think I should include a clear aerial view of the cookies and mochi. In this picture, you can see that I was clearly eating the mochi in between photo shoots.

>>15962
And here are the cookies. Thank you again for everything.

Anyways, Christmas is around the corner so I have this to say for everyone. For those that haven't received their card yet, I'll still make a card for you if the card is super late or lost. I think January 10th is a good cut-off date. If your anon took a picture of the card before sending it, just tell me if you want to call it and I'll tell him to post the picture. Also, I’m going to start working on the collage now, it will be done when all the cards are posted.

>>15956
It was a challenge to close the bag, but I had to have it be a 3x3x2 matrix of the two colors, leaving off a row just wouldn't have been even!

How was the mochi? Did you have it cold? It would also be good to microwave it/reheat in a pan, they're good warm/hot.

>>15965
>How was the mochi? Did you have it cold? It would also be good to microwave it/reheat in a pan, they're good warm/hot.
Decided to just eat your things for the ultimate breakfast but warm this time. I ate both the cookie and mochi straight out of the box (which was placed in the fridge earlier) in the earlier pics. You are correct, they are better when warmed up. I've always eaten mochi at room temperature and upon warming your mochi, I've noticed that the sticky-gooey texture is enhanced which I like. The cookie became softer too so that's good. Overall good treats in a cold season.

I hope you are enjoying your mochi now too. You'll have to let me know what you especially like among the other things too.

Merry Christmas everyone! This is what the front of one of my cards looks like. It’s the Noble Witches insignia wearing a Santa hat. Upon looking back at the standard Noble Witches insignia, I can’t unsee the Santa hat. The stars on the standard insignia have also been replaced with Christmas lights on the card. Very clever.

>>15967
Upon opening the card, I see Marian and Carla setting up a Christmas tree! Very cute! I really like the detail of Carla putting up the star. Of all the members of the B – unit, Carla would definitely be having the most fun setting up Christmas decorations. I also like the detail of Marian’s pouting face. It’s a misleading facial expression because I am sure that she (secretly) really enjoys Christmas and its cheer. Despite not reading Noble Witches yet, you have perfectly depicted Marian and Carla. I hope you will enjoy reading the manga, it’s one of my favorite entries in the World Witches series. Thank you so much for the wonderful card, I hope you have an awesome Christmas and a Happy New Year!

And here’s my second card. On the front is a depiction of “Christmas in America”. You can see Carla and Grace playing one of Liberion’s favorite pastimes, baseball – except with a candy cane and a bottle of Coke. I really like how the candy cane is being used as a bat, the only alternative use of candy canes that I’ve been able to think of is to stab some poor person.

>>15969
On the inside of the card, you can see the aftermath of Carla’s swing. What should have been a home run is now a sticky situation. Poor Carla and Grace are now drenched with the Coke that should have been used only for drinking. I really like both of their expressions here. I like their blank frowns as if they’re still processing what had just happened. Very funny.

>>15970
And the message on the card. You really don’t have to be ashamed about not drawing anything last year. I enjoyed the card and the story regardless. At the end of the day, I know you put your best foot forward to make my Christmas have a little more cheer and I really appreciate that. And I’m glad that this event gave you a reason to start learning how to draw. It’s cool to see people learn new things like how you also learned to make mochi too. Anyways, thank you so much for the card. I hope you have a very nice Christmas and a Happy New Year.

And just an extra picture since both of my cards had Liberions. I feel like Liberions are underrepresented in the World Witches series. I hope this Liberion display makes up for it. I just hurriedly looked for the most stereotypical Liberion stuff I could find. Thank you again to the two of you for such wonderful cards. Merry Christmas everyone!

>>15972
And an alternative version.

Opened up the rest of my package today, wowzers! Everything is incredible, the Pocky especially.

>.edu email
Haven't been a student in 5+ years, I just keep it around as a good backup and for things like this.

>salmiakki
I've actually had some before. I like it, but that might just be my brain telling me I have to like it because Eila. Good to see it either way!

Thank you so much again for all of this anon! I hope you have/had a very, very Merry Christmas and here's to a great 2023!

Merry Christmas to all of you lovely witchfriends.

>>15975
Merry Christmas to you, too!

>>15974
You finally opened everything up! I hope the hot chocolate will help provide some warmth. It's been colder for the past couple of days.

>Haven't been a student in 5+ years, I just keep it around as a good backup and for things like this.
Oh.

>I've actually had some before. I like it, but that might just be my brain telling me I have to like it because Eila. Good to see it either way!
Glad that you landed into the 'liking it' camp! I hope you also had a Merry Christmas.

>>15975
>>15976
Merry Christmas, Witchfriends.

Happy New Year! Hope everyone's year is full of good fortune.

Very cute card, anon, thank you!
This Inori is exquisite.
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

>>15979
I'm really glad you liked it, anon. Hope you had a merry christmas.
>>15978
Happy New Year!

I got two more cards today, I was expecting 1 so that was really a surprise to get two. They are both super wonderful.

>>15981

>>15979
>>15981
>>15982
Cute cards. Only 1 card left and we're finished.

Just received this card.
It's lovely, thank you very much anon! As much as it pains me to say this, Perrine looks extremely cute when she's getting bullied. Agree with you on Eila's power as well. Out of all the witches it's my favorite. I hope you had an amazing christmas and may your 2023 be even greater.

>>15984
Cute last card! Nice to see Eila and Perrine together again too.

I actually got something in the mail too. Let's see what's inside...

>>15986
Inside the box, I see a ton of protection. That could only mean that the contents are fragile. I also see my Ziploc has returned lol.

I see Mochi! This is different from the earlier batch.

>>15989
A better look at the Mochi out of the bag.

>>15990
And the reason why there was so much protection! Inside these glass jars are Sesame Butter and Apple Butter. I'm excited to try them but what should I eat this with? The only butter I've eaten is Peanut Butter. I'll follow your recommendation and report back.

>>15991
And the summary pic of what was inside the box. Thank you for your everything! It is much appreciated.

Anyways, expect another package. I had intended to put more stuff in your package but I ran out of room. I got a perfect box now~

>>15992
And a taste test of your new mochi. And a visual difference as well. At first glance, you can see an obvious size difference lol. The white color is also more appealing. On taste (the factor that matters the most), I have to say that the second batch is an improvement. The second batch is softer and chewier which overall makes for a better experience. The higher ratio of filling to rice flour is also appreciated. Whatever changes you have done this round should be kept. Thanks again for everything.

And thank you everyone for successfully sending your cards! I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and may everyone's 2023 be good too. I should be able to finish the collage by next week.

>>15993
Glad to hear it!
I was able to cook the dough a lot better and it was easier to work with it.
Two of the mochi I tried steaming (the ones wrapped in the parchment paper).
Much harder to handle cause they were so sticky, but the stickiness was nice to eat, too.
>And the reason why there was so much protection! Inside these glass jars are Sesame Butter and Apple Butter
Actually, I was going to try to ship it in just the bubblewrap, but the people at Fedex put it in a box. Very wasteful of them, I'll have to speak to the manager.

As for the apple/sesame butter, it'd be good on toast/naan/apples, things of that nature.
Having the butters be at room temp would probably be best, I think.

>Anyways, expect another package. I had intended to put more stuff in your package but I ran out of room. I got a perfect box now~
You are too kind. I will be on the lookout!

>>15994
I followed your recommendation to eat the butter with naan (with the apple butter on the left and sesame butter on the right). I have to say that I really enjoyed the two. I've only eaten peanut butter before and I'm glad that you allowed me the opportunity to try new butters.

The apple butter was really sweet (but not as sweet as you) and that was very nice and unexpected. It tasted more "appley" than apples themselves lol. I will have to eat the apple butter with apples later. I am sure the crunch of the apple and the sweetness of the apple butter will be good.

As for the sesame butter. I really liked the consistency/texture of it. It spread nicely and it had that good, smooth 'mouthfeel' when I ate it. Concerning the actual flavor, I was very surprised to find that it was very reminiscent of peanut butter (with which I am more familiar). However, the sesame butter had more of a nutty flavor which is appreciated. As an aside, I really liked eating both kinds of butter at the same time. The contrast in sweet/nutty flavors was good.

Thank you so much for the butter! I will be eating them for breakfast in the coming days. I will have to get some more naan bread and I will definitely try the two butters with other stuff too, of course.

>Actually, I was going to try to ship it in just the bubblewrap, but the people at Fedex put it in a box. Very wasteful of them, I'll have to speak to the manager.
Oh, I was wondering about that. That explains why there was extra address info inside the box.

>You are too kind. I will be on the lookout!
I'll be finishing off what I was supposed to send you the first time. I've been busy lately so shipping won't be immediate but it will come, I promise.

>>15995
>but not as sweet as you
;)

I'm glad you enjoyed them! The first time I made sesame butter it came out a lot smoother, not sure what I did differentl this time to have it come out chunkier, but people like chunky peanut butter, so I figured it'd be fine. Gives it some texture.

>I'll be finishing off what I was supposed to send you the first time. I've been busy lately so shipping won't be immediate but it will come, I promise.
Roger that! No worries on any delays, I'm still a few days out from finishing everything from round 1.

Merry (Late) Christmas everyone! Here is the final collage with all the cards. This time, the collage is a bit different from last year's collage. This time, I included everyone's reactions to their card. I think it's a nice feeling to see your assignment's reaction, I hope you agree.

On a final note, I just want to let you guys know that I don't intend on organizing another card exchange this 2023 Christmas and most likely for the foreseeable future. If you want to continue doing Secret Santas, I suggest just participating in /a/'s Secret Santa. You can list more shows other than Strike Witches and you can even send physical gifts. I actually stole their form (they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) too lol.

Anyways, I hope everyone had a fun time. It was nice to celebrate Christmas with people that enjoy Strike Witches, a show that can be difficult to openly like. And I'm also really glad that everyone was a good participant. In the 2 years of this card exchange, every card was successfully sent to their assignment. Thanks for that, I hope everyone has a happy New Year!

Full Image Download Christmas 2022: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/8j7zlmzd6d4u9/Christmas_2022
Full Image Download Christmas 2021: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ec7440qlz2hxo/Christmas_2021

By the way, in case anyone sees this there are still a few days left to join secret s/a/nta. No Helma secret santa this year but it doesn't mean we can't share the love.

https://boards.4channel.org/a/thread/258864998

>>16012
>No Helma secret santa this year
Hey, I'm sorry that I couldn't organize one this year. Strike Witches is a niche series and I just don't think that there would be enough participants to ensure that everyone gets a new match anymore.
Last year, I had to 'force' a dude to send a card internationally, and for others, I had to lower the amount of cards they could send out.

In any case, I hope you have fun in the /a/ Secret Santa (I'd like to see the cards you get if you listed Strike Witches in your wishlist if you want to share), and of course, I hope you have an awesome Christmas!

>>16013
Wouldn't know about the /a/ Secret Santa if you hadn't mentioned it earlier. Plus you explained why it's not possible to do one this year, no reason to apologise!