A SOUTHEND-based website on the art of dressing up your home for Christmas is about to launch an American version.

Pals Jon Stanton and John Kevan started houseblinger.com to celebrate people who gave their home a festive make-over for Christmas, so-called houseblinging.

The site allows people to upload pictures of their home or to search locations.

It is now so popular - they recently had 4,000 visitors in one day - they decided to set up a site for US houseblingers on http://usa.houseblinger.com

Jon Stanton, from Prince Avenue, Westcliff, who created the houseblinger.com website, said: "Houseblinger.com allows people to showcase their blings to the world.

"It's a fun seasonal activity, which generates a lot of money for charity."

The website has adopted Marie Curie Cancer Care as their charity of the year and its Light Up Your Home campaign encourages houseblingers to raise money for the charity.

John Kevan, the designer, said: "Americans don't appear to have a site where you can browse US blings by state."

The site also allows people to vote for the houseblinger of the year.