A Few of My Favorite Things.....

Do you have a favorite collection?  My little obsession - collection started out with one little church. It was a church from Hallmark's Nostalgic Shops and Homes.  I decided I wanted to collect churches so I bought a bigger church.. The kind that you take the roof off and put a candle in to light it up.   The next year, my Mother In Law gave me a few pieces of Colonial Village - a church and a home. Now I wanted to build a village!  My collection grew to additional Colonial Village pieces and then on to Dicken's Village. It became an elaborate set up every year that took an entire day to unpack and set up. In all of those years of collecting, I still made sure to get the new Nostalgic Shop and Houses yearly addition.

I hate to say it, but since my girls have grown up and don't really get into helping me decorate anymore, I haven't pulled all those boxes of houses, churches, shops and accessories down from the closet.  I miss it, but it had become such a chore and then an even bigger chore to put away!  All the boxes are numbered so that they will fit back into the closet like a puzzle.  I do keep my Hallmark collection out year round though.  They sit lined up across an antiqued mirror that has shelves.

Something about these little shops and homes always fascinated me.  When Close To My Heart's Autumn Winter Idea Book came out and I spotted the new Christmas Village (D1554) stamp and I had to have it.  I pondered what to do with this set for a while but tonight I was inspired by two challenges to pull it out and create something with it.

                                 

I had fun coloring the little shops and church with my alcohol ink markers. I stamped two of the buildings on a separate piece of cardstock and cut them out after coloring them.  I adhered them to the card with glue dots.  It gives a little bit of added dimension which doesn't show up in the picture.  I used the dark green glitter paper from the Green Glitter Paper (Z1847) and Red Shimmer Trim (Z1848) to border my village.  I added Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1313) for the snow topped roofs. "Merry Christmas" is from the Holiday Tags (D1560) stamp set.


This close up picture shows the liquid glass I used on the windows to give them a shiny effect.

D1554 - Christmas Village

I'm entering this card into the following Challenges:
Heart2Heart Challenge - My Favorite Things

Papercraft Star for this inspiration photo:

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 19, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    Gina, This is a beautiful card! I found your story very close to my heart. I have collected the North Pole Village and have a closet full! I to haven't put up my village as it takes days and avlot of space! Lol anyway I loved this stamp set the minute I saw it. Thanks for showing such a beautiful way to use it.
    Kathleen

    ReplyDelete
  2. Karen DaySeptember 19, 2013 at 2:26 PM

    Gina, I think that having this set in the catalogue was a sign. I think it's telling you to set up the whole village this year!! VERY sweet card - this was probably the first one on my wish list this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gina BrandstetterSeptember 19, 2013 at 2:39 PM

      Karen, you are probably right. I was kind of wishing last year I had got it out. I don't know.... we'll see how much time I have. If I do set it up - I'll be sure to share!

      Delete
  3. Ros CrawfordSeptember 20, 2013 at 1:56 PM

    What a wonderful take on the challenge ... your card is beautiful! Thanks so much for playing along at Papercraft Star!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amie Kiger (Kigz) September 20, 2013 at 10:30 PM

    I absolutely LOVE how you sparkled this one up! Looks amazing...love all the color in the buildings! Thanks for playing along with us this week over at H2H! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sue Lelli September 22, 2013 at 7:05 AM

    Gina, LOVE how you colored these Pretty little shops and the glitter tape makes it so Festive! FAB card! THX for playing with us at Papercraft Star!

    ReplyDelete
  6. 3treescreations@gmail.comSeptember 22, 2013 at 4:38 PM

    Gorgeous!! I just love all your perfect little buildings! Thanks so much for playing along with us at Papercraft Star.

    Deanne :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shirley Ross, rockin' heARTistSeptember 23, 2013 at 10:10 AM

    Beautiful! I love that stamp set, too and you have given me some great ideas. I love the glitter paper and shimmer trim, nothing says Christmas like bling! Thanks for joining us at H2H.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownSeptember 23, 2013 at 3:31 PM

    Very pretty!! I think I want to go and order this stamp set right now! :)

    ReplyDelete

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