#olicitysecretsanta

[olicitysecretsanta]

GOODBYE OLICITY ONLINE GIFT EXCHANGE

Hi, lovely fandom friends!

Like announced here earlier this week, Olicity Secret Santa is going to turn into a Goodbye Olicity Online Gift Exchange for the last season of our beloved show.

To help spread this project, please share this info with everyone you think might be interested in joining in on the fun! The more, the merrier!

You can also help people who need the Safe Mode of this project by sharing that you signed up. You can do so by reblogging or answering to this post.

General info:

Olicity Secret Santa is for everyone who loves Olicity.

With the shifted focus on saying goodbye to our OTP, the Holiday Theme in the name of this blog is no longer the focus of the shared work.

Everyone can contribute to this, creating their own kind of fan content for their giftee. That can be a gif, an edit, a collage, a fic, a video, a playlist or anything else you can think of.

This is an ONLINE gift exchange, so there is no money needed.

There is also no personal information being exchanged, except for your username. You can also add your first name or a nickname to the sign-up sheet to make it a little more personal.

All messages will be sent from the OSS-blog or @smkkbert​. I might add some coworkers to help keeping in touch with all of you. In that case, I will tell you which other blogs are involved. 

Just be sure to remember: There will be a deadline!

Here is the planned timeline:

Dec. 06 - Sign up is being closed.

Dec. 07 - Check-in I (to make sure no sign-up got lost)

Dec. 08 - Assignments will be sent out (hopefully!).

Jan. 02 - Check-in II (to make sure everyone is still in)

Jan. 31 - All gifts are due.

Feb. 04 - All gifts will be posted on this blog.

How to sign up:

Please use submissions to sign up for the gift exchange. Copy the following sheet into the post and fill it out. You can delete the italic suggestions and explanations.

Your name: You don’t have to add it, but it make things more personal.

Your tumblr URL: I definitely need this to contact you.

What you will be willing to make: gifsets, graphics, collages, fanart, vids, fics, playlist, etc.

What you would like to receive: gifsets, graphics, collages, fanart, vids, fics, playlist, etc.

Would you be willing to make something extra in the event that someone backs out?: Yes/No

A few suggestions on what you enjoy so your Secret Santa has some ideas: Please remember these are suggestions, not requests. It is up to your Secret Santa as to what they create for you. It’s helpful to add general things of what you enjoy or not enjoy in the suggested gift, for example the rating of a fic.

Safe Mode*: Add at least two names of other participants that you feel safe creating a gift for or write “yes”, and I will check for someone who proved to be responsible in the last years. *This option is for people who have made bad experience with sharing their works, especially during Olicity Secret Santa or other gift exchanges, as well as for people with angst of sharing/dedicating their work for complete strangers. Please use this option if you feel unsafe without it.

General rules:

If your URL changes, please contact me as soon as possible.

If you have to contact your giftee, please do so anonymously, so the surprise isn’t ruined. If your giftee doesn’t accept anon asks, just contact me & I will contact your giftee for you.

If you are not able to match the deadline or you have to drop out of the gift exchange, please contact me as soon as possible. We can talk about the possibility of delaying the submission date. Otherwise, we have to find someone to jump in, so nobody is left behind without a gift.

If you need to submit a graphic of gif with several photos, please contact me. These last years, I received those gifts over the messenger and saved them on my private laptop to set everything up here because submissions only allowed one photo/gif/... at a time.

If anything else doesn’t work with the submission, just contact me. We will figure it out.

Don’t post your gift before February 04. As soon as the gifts are posted on the Olicity Secret Santa Blog, you are allowed to post them on every other platform, including your own Tumblr Blog.

If possible, please follow @olicitysecretsanta or track #Olicitysecretsanta to keep in the loop for new information! Contact @olicitysecretsanta​ or my private blog @smkkbert​ if you have any questions.

I am super excited for all of the wonderful goodies that are to come and carry us through our first Tuesday without Arrow ever again. I hope we get as many people together as possible! I’d be so happy!

Love,

Kathi ( @smkkbert​ )

[allimariexf]

So I was at C2E2 last weekend, and I had the most amazing time, and ever since I got back I’ve been trying and failing to post about it. (Well, okay, I thought I was going to be posting during the con - HA HA HA NOPE. Turns out I cannot divide my attention like that.)

Anyway, I have been struggling because I don't even know where to start. And all my feelings about it get all intertwined with the ending of Arrow, and I have no fucking clue where to start as far as that goes, and just...there’s just so much I want to say. But to start out I want to talk a little about my fandom friends.

I started watching Arrow in the summer of 2015, I was content to enjoy it by myself...until 6x23 aired and my utter rage and sadness drove me to find other people to commiserate with. At that point, I started following anyone who tagged Olicity (and basically every account they reblogged), and soon I was following about 500 people, and I had found an “active” corner of the fandom. At that point, I just started joining in on conversations (and learning how to tumblr at the same time), hoping that people would notice me...and eventually, some did. 

I am so, so thankful for those people here who started including me in conversations, reblogging and responding to my posts...without them I probably would have eventually gone back to my lonely corner (making increasingly specific Olicity playlists on Youtube!) 😂 (I can’t remember who everyone was, but I distinctly remember being involved in the Arrow Rewatch 2018, and my resulting conversations with @hope-for-olicity @babblingblondegenius @blondeeoneexox and @jules85 I love you all and thank you so much for being my first Olicity fandom friends 💗

After that I just started sharing my opinions, loudly, and through that I made so many more great friends. And though we didn’t always agree on Arrow (and none of us were ever in full agreement, which is how it should be), we respected and loved each other and just had a fucking good time. 

When season 7 started, we commiserated over The Hair and started Hairwatch2k19. Those were good times. (I’ll never forget my masterpiece from those days: You are not alone. 

And I wrote fic and y’all read it and commented and made me so happy, and I made friends with some of my favorite authors ( @smoaking-greenarrow​ and @it-was-a-red-heeler​ immediately come to mind).

And we wrote and reblogged each other’s metas and took part in some of the best Arrow/Olicity conversations ever, and even though season 7 sucked (on the whole), you all made it bearable. 

In December 2018 I went to HVFF in San Jose where I got to finally meet @hope-for-olicity​ in person, and also had the absolute pleasure of meeting @vaelisamaza​ and @missyriver​ and @bowsmoakandarrow​

And at that con I also got to take a few selfies with some faves, including Caity Lotz and David Ramsey:

And then I started the @olicity-fanwork-exchange and ran it with some of my best fandom friends including @1-crazy-dreamer and @lucyyh and @msbeccieboo​ and @faegal04​ and @puck038​ and I hope we do it again someday, because I will never forget the absolute outpouring of love and respect and inspiration for each other’s fandom works on that day.

And I wanted to have better conversations with my Olicity loves, so I started the Olicity Discord server and from there so many of you have become such. good. friends. The friends who have listened to me go through possibly the hardest year of my life, who have been there for me and supported me and I honestly have no words, you guys. You know who you are and I love you.

And then came the announcement that Arrow was ending after a 10 episode season 8 (one year ago today! 😭) and our hearts broke and we on Discord held onto each other tight. 

And shortly thereafter Emily announced she wasn’t going to be in season 8 and we all died...but we were there to pick up the pieces of each others’ hearts, and somehow we made it through season 8. Together. 

And then I had the opportunity to go to the 7x22 Olicity cabin filming - Emily’s last day. And those of you on Discord lived it with me via live chat, and we learned before anyone else in the fandom that the Monitor was coming to the Olicity cabin (not a great spoiler, but still...we knew first! 😭). 

And I got to go on set, and see a scene be filmed, and I got to talk with so many people - actors and crew - and I ate a piece of Emily’s goodbye cake, and so many other things...one of the best days of my life, forever. 

With Stephen:

The cake:

And while everything on Arrow has been winding down, we have stayed active - participating in Fandom activities centered around fic - the Tropetastic Awards, and fic challenges hosted by @olicitytropes​ and @olicitysecretsanta​, and the Weekly Episode Rewatches we host on the Discord server...and there’s still so much to come. 

So while in many ways C2E2 felt like an ending (which I am still struggling with, obviously), it was really just a continuation of the great friendships and love of Olicity that has been ongoing for years. And there’s no reason at all that it has to end.

Those of you who were with me this weekend: @stephswims​ @theasianerd​ @puck038​ @it-was-a-red-heeler​ @chrissykins-for-the-win​ @hope-for-olicity​ (and @crys4728​ though I missed you!! 😭) THANK YOU FOR CHICAGO. I LOVE YOU ALL!

[cherchersketch]

Olicity Secret Santa for @sweetme86

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays~

Sorry for the angst. Haha. Hope you enjoy these anyway. Wishing you a great year ahead

Commission Me | Tictail | Ko-Fi

Had a lot of fun drawing this, especially the GIF. Although it was angst for Christmas XP 

Thank you to @olicitysecretsanta for organising this :D 

Arrow Art Tagbag: @felicitqueen @jaspertown @chelsboyer @phoenixred27 @jessebellr @olicitycomics @mell-bell @andjustforthismoment @scu11y22 @loud-burger @emeraldoliverqueen @swansmoaked @dopecycleblaze @1forallallfor1 @smoakyfox @stellahellaviola @anarrtsygirrlslove @felicitymoaks @nishtanight @tsseract @franeeeng @blackcanarydinah @katala97 @lovelycssefan @not-too-tall-for-trick @olicity-klaroline-addiction @jonhdiggle @green-arrows-of-karamel @bazingagubicorn @geemarie @suziesammy-blog @deyanirasilvaurtubia @emilybuttrickards @eilowyn1 @4firey1 @dullbittylife @prophetkristy @flowerandsunshine @redpensandhoodies @scandalnewbie 

[bissswhwifi]

So happy to be able to post this for @olicitysecretsanta this year.

I just loved writing this for @wherethereissmoak I had been wanting to write a soulmate fic forever and here it is.

The next chapter will be somewhere around the end of the year or early next year.

I hope that you all like it and I wish all of you happy holidays

[swiftletinthecloud]

Hello! This is your Olicity Farewell Exchange gifter, and I just wanted to check in with you before I make your gift - are there any particular things (tropes, seasons, etc.) that you specifically love/don't love in regards to Olicity? I can't promise to meet your requests, but I will certainly try if I can! (btw can you please tag @olicitysecretsanta in your response so they can message me with your answer? I don't want to miss it! thanks

Hi, I do like some fluff.  Soulmates, time traveling, undercover, or outsider’s POV about our main characters are some tropes I generally enjoy.  

While I do love the Olicity babies, I’m also a little nostalgic for the earlier pre-babies days.  Although I can do without any love triangles! 😉

I’m looking forward to anything you have in mind as well! Thank you in advance and have a lovely day!

@olicitysecretsanta

[bifelicitys]

Season 5 AU AKA what really happened

my @olicitysecretsanta gift for @missmudpie

[dettiot]

Random Monday Afternoon Thoughts, Writer’s Edition

--New fic tomorrow, yay!  And thanks to @youguysimserious, it’s got a summary.  The Calculation: Three words and a wedding invitation.

--Should I sign up for @olicitysecretsanta?  I had a great time last year, but I’m worried that coming off Nano and @olicityficbang, I might not be up to putting something out.  But I’d get a present back, so there’s always that.  :-)

--I’m chugging away at Nano, even in the midst of some real-life craziness (but the good kind of crazy, at least).  Trying my hand at original fic, which is hard in its own way, especially since while I know the story I want to tell, I haven’t done much research or planning.  So kinda flying by the seat of my pants on this one.  Fingers crossed that I’ll actually be able to finish the story!

[olicitysecretsanta]

12 participants for the Goodbye Olicity Online Gift Exchange (aka the rebooted Olicity Secret Santa Project) so far.

Where is everyone else?

Is that what it feels like to be one of the few people still in a fandom?

[allimariexf]

I finished my @olicitysecretsanta gift!! (yes yes, several days late, move along)

This means I can return to my regularly scheduled Tumblrings. Which I have been abstaining from for several days now. 

Just fyi in case anyone wondered why I have been silent 👀 

[bifelicitys]

pleasantfanandstudent replied to your photoset “olicity + L O V E (insp.)”

beautifully done!

pleasantfanandstudent replied to your photoset “Season 5 AU AKA what really happened my @olicitysecretsanta gift for...”

beautiful!

thank you, @pleasantfanandstudent! 💖

[olicitylovely-blog]

Olicity AU - Chuck and Blair version: Three words, eight letters. Say it and I’m yours.

Oliver Queen, playboy billionaire, is about to lose the love of this life, Felicity Smoak, to another guy because he cannot put his feelings into words.

To my Olicity secret santa, Jenny (Happyp1neapple): Merry Christmas dear! Hope you have a day full of love and blessings. And hope you like your gift. I’m not very good in AU stories. Actually had never done one before! Happy Holidays love :)

[holysmoaksoliver]

This Secret Santa thing is NO JOKE! haha.  It's quite a bit of work putting everything together/keeping track of who has submitted what, etc.  I think if I ever do it again, it probably won't be without help...

And speaking of.... I'm possibly considering another round for Valentine's day.... a Secret Admirer gift exchange perhaps?

[olicitysecretsanta]

Hi, Everybody!

SinceI have been drifting in and out of a terrible cold since November, I didn’t have time to get in touch with you as much as I wanted to.

The first gifts are already submitted and I hope everyone else is doing fine creating their work.

Please don’t forget that all gifts are due Jan. 31.

If you can’t meet the deadline or have to drop out, message me as soon as possible!

[olicitysecretsanta]

SIGN-UP FORM

The sign-up is open until Dec. 06. For more info please look here.

Here is how to sign up for the Goodbye Olicity Online Gift Exchange

Please use submissions to sign up for the gift exchange. Copy the following sheet into the post and fill it out. You can delete the italic suggestions and explanations.

Your name: You don’t have to add it, but it make things more personal.

Your tumblr URL: I definitely need this to contact you.

What you will be willing to make: gifsets, graphics, collages, fanart, vids, fics, playlist, etc.

What you would like to receive: gifsets, graphics, collages, fanart, vids, fics, playlist, etc.

Would you be willing to make something extra in the event that someone backs out?: Yes/No

A few suggestions on what you enjoy so your Secret Santa has some ideas: Please remember these are suggestions, not requests. It is up to your Secret Santa as to what they create for you. It’s helpful to add general things of what you enjoy or not enjoy in the suggested gift, for example the rating of a fic.

Safe Mode*: Add at least two names of other participants that you feel safe creating a gift for or write “yes”, and I will check for someone who proved to be responsible in the last years. *This option is for people who have made bad experience with sharing their works, especially during Olicity Secret Santa or other gift exchanges, as well as for people with angst of sharing/dedicating their work for complete strangers. Please use this option if you feel unsafe without it.

[olicitysecretsanta]

OLICITY SECRET SANTA 2018

Hey there Olicity fans,

it’s finally time for our usual Holiday Gift exchange in the fandom. We are very excited, and we hope so are you!

Unfortunately, we are a little bit late to the party this year, so everything has to be done a little bit faster, especially the sign-up. Please share this info with everyone you think might be interested in joining in on the fun!

Info for everyone who is new to this:

Olicity Secret Santa is for absolutely everyone who loves Olicity.

This is an ONLINE gift exchange, so all you have to invest is time. No money needed!

There is also no personal information being exchanged.

We are sure, no matter how little talented you feel, you will find a way to contribute to this.

Just be sure to remember: There will be a deadline!

ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NOV. 27.  Assignments will (HOPEFULLY!) be sent out by Dec. 3 and all gifts will be due by Dec 20.

Everyone will be assigned ONE person to make a gift for.  You can request a specific type of gift you’d like and we will do our best to match up people as best as possible.

The sign-up form is here.  Be sure to include:

Your name:

Your tumblr URL:

What you will be willing to make: (gifsets, graphics, fanart, vids, fics, playlist, etc.)

What you would like to receive: (gifsets, graphics, fanart, vids, fics, playlist, etc.)

Would you be willing to make something extra in the event that someone backs out?:

A few suggestions on what you enjoy so your Secret Santa has some ideas. Please remember these are suggestions, not requests. It is up to your Secret Santa as to what they create for you.

All messages will come from the main blog of @tdgal1, @smkkbert or @hope-for-olicity as this is a side blog.

If you change your URL, please message us as soon as possible!

If for any reason you are not able  - to match the deadline or - to follow through with your commitment, please notify us AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

More info (including the rules) to follow, please follow @olicitysecretsanta or track #olicitysecretsanta to keep in the loop!

We’re super excited for all of the wonderful goodies that are to come (it’s always a great way to make it through the hiatus), and we hope that you are too!

[olicitysecretsanta]

Time is almost up!

We are nearing the deadline of submitting your gifts. All gifts should be sent to us by tomorrow. 

We know that something can always get in the way and you might not be able to submit the gift in time. If that is the case for you, please send us - @olicitysecretsanta, @tdgal1, @hope-for-olicity or @smkkbert - a message to tell us that the gift will be a day late. 

Last year, we asked three people to make an additional gift because the planned gifts hadn’t been submitted and the participants didn’t get back into touch with us even when we messaged them. They all submitted their gifts before December 24 though. We were worried that someone will end up without a gift for nothing and those additional gifts were made for nothing too.

Please don’t do this to us or the other people that are participating in the project. It’s not fair!

Be your muse with you during those last hours! The Olicity Secret Santa Team