Monday 3 December 2012

Home At Christmas

It's HOUSE RULES at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week and as I love the holiday season, decorating the house and filling the house with scented candles it had to be a Christmas home decor piece for me this week. This piece reflects the enjoyment I get from the season.

I love losing myself in a piece like this, deciding on how to fill each room is so much fun, I spent many hours decorating, painting and searching for bits for each room and enjoyed every minute. The reindeer creates a focal point and dimension in my house cut from mountboard using the Reindeer Flight die. Die cuts add lots of interest and further dimension using Memory Box Bubble Joy, Curved Antlers, Pop Up Joy and Simon Says Stamp Mod Tree dies. Do I give this away to a family member for Christmas or do I keep it myself decisions decisions!
This is the house before any decoration. The first step was to add a few pearls and some of my die cut pieces prior to painting. I added JOY to the top of my house and to the sides along with the curved antlers to one of my sections and the outside of my house. I also cut 25 from card using the mini reindeer die and added to either side of the roof of my house a long with a heart cut using the mini hearts die. I also added a wing for further dimension to the top section of my house. Once these were all in place and dry I painted the house with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paint in sky adding highlights of snowflake to the top, which highlights all the raised areas and texture in my piece.

From this picture you can see how the snowflake paint adds fabulous highlights over all the raised areas, particularly on the JOY and my reindeer. My reindeer is cut using the reindeer flight die, cut from mountboard, adding six layers to give fabulous dimension and then painting with Fresco Finish Paint. For further interest I stamped text onto the reindeer using the background stamp from Wendy Vecchi's Art Of Making It Merry stamp set using manganese blue archival ink. 25 has been added to the top coloured with broken china Distress Ink, adding manganese blue to the edges. I also added baubles attached with jump rings hanging from a screw eye.
From this angle you can see the fabulous dimension on my reindeer.  This time around I only used the head of my reindeer. I have also added a few Christmas finds from my craft room.

This room houses an optical lense showcasing Santa from the Holiday Collections stamp set using manganese archival ink. The snowflake at the back is from a broken earring and I have added baubles for further dimension and interest.  A snowflake from the Idea-ology festive foliage has been added to the back along with two wooden stars coloured with manganese blue ink.
Another one of the fabulous dimensional reindeers has been added to this area again painted with Fresco Finish paint and stamped with the background stamp and manganese blue ink. A Christmas muse token adorns the back of this area along with NOEL using wooden letters and more wooden stars. A rusty bell adds a little more interest to my reindeer.
 This picture shows the dimensional reindeer cut from mountboard prior to any decoration.
 
A Melissa Frances tree adorns this area along with a snowman and snowflake found in my collection. A glittered snowflake, baubles and JOY complete this area.
A mini reindeer is housed in this area along with two heart hat pins, Melissa Frances pearls and NOEL stamped onto white card using manganese blue ink, coloured with broken china using the Seasons Silhouettes stamp set.
A further mini bottle brush here along with a Christmas muse token and 25 using a plaquette.
I cut a mini pine tree from mountboard for this section, covering with a layer of texture paste and once dry I painted with Fresco Finish paints. JOY has been stamped onto white card using the Seasons Silhouettes stamp set and mini wooden birds have been added for further interest.
This picture shows the roof of the house decorated with die cuts and pearls.
One side of my house.
The opposite side of my house.

For more great ideas please pop over to the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog and take a look at my fellow team members they have created some inspirational projects. Remember there is also the chance to win a $50 prize from Simon Says Stamp.  I always look forward to seeing your creations each week.

Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, much appreciated.  Enjoy your week. Tracy x x 

Products Used:

Tim Holtz Stamps - Holiday Collections, Seasons Silhouettes
Tim Holtz Alterations - Reindeer Flight Die, Mini Reindeer & 25, Mini Hearts Set, Mini Pine Tree & Holly
Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Regal Adornments, Baubles Pearls, Jump Rings, Screw Eyes, Festive Foliage Holiday, Christmas Muse Tokens, Plaquettes
Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 - Art Of Making It Merry.
Memory Box Dies - Bubble Joy, Curved Antlers, Pop Up Joy
Simon Says Stamp Die - Mod Tree
Melissa Frances - Pearls, Mini Bottle Brush Christmas Trees
PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Paints - Sky and Snowflake
Archival Ink - Manganese Blue 
Distress Ink - Broken China
Studio Calico Tiny Stars Wood Veneers
Studio Calico Birds Wood Veneers

27 comments:

sally said...

What a fab festive decoration!

Sally

Sue said...

Such a lot of work:)

Candy C said...

Tracy...your house is fabulous. I love everything about it. I love how you've die cut several deer and put them together to create what almost looks like a wooden block. Love that! Love the almost monochromatic theme here...the blue with just a touch of darker blue and the white is so lovely. Love the little cream trees amongst the other beautiful embellishments. The baubles are a great touch, too! Love it all! <3 Candy

Suzanne C said...

Beautiful Christmas House! I love that it is in shades of blue! One of my favorite Christmas color schemes. It was wonderful looking through all the windows and seeing your beautiful vignettes!

Brenda Brown said...

I know I would keep it for me if I'd made a beauty like this. Fabulous house Tracy.
Hugs Brenda xxx

Inkypinkycraft said...

this is fabulous, love the dimensional reindeer they are fab!!! simply gorgeous! love the colour ..trace x

Anonymous said...
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Emma Williams said...

So much fabulous detail and so much to look at in this wonderful piece...it's just STUNNING!!

Hope you're feeling better and everything went well at the hospital! Been thinking of you...
Love and hugs, Emma xx

Tracey said...

Oh Tracy this is such a little masterpiece! LOVE it...so many details to adore!

Anonymous said...

so many wonderful details! gorgeous!

Sandra said...

Ohh Tracy, I'm so in love with your beautiful blue winter house! So much to see, and love your dimensional reindeers and tree! Gorgeous! Hugs, Sandra

Michelle Webb said...

Everything about this piece is genius Tracy, what a brilliant idea with the mount board to cut the reindeer. I really love the dimension of them. The colours is perfect too. Its gorgeous! Michelle x

Alison said...

I wouldn't give this one away Tracy....it's stunning! So much lovely detail to look at! Those reindeers look amazing! xx

Sandy said...

Tracy you´ve made a wonderful home for christmas.
Absolutely gorgeous project and I love all the little details.
xoxo

DonnaMundinger said...

Gorgeous, Tracy! Love the blue and each room is sheer delight. Fabulous! xxD

Redanne said...

A truly stunning piece of home decor Tracy, this is so beautiful, the blue is so perfect for Christmas and I love how you made the reindeer look so dimensional. Stunning! Hugs, Anne x

email: Steph@SimonSaysStamp.com said...

Great house, Tracy! I'm really loving the monochromatic look and you have just lovely embellishments in every little nook & cranny!

*mwah*
Steph
Simon Says Stamp!

Terry said...

Hey there Tracy, you know I just LOVE your house, it is absolutely AMAZINGLY made by your Hands Mrs Evans...wowwwwzerssss LOVE it.
Hugs Tery xxxx

Lynn Stevens said...

Love your frosty blue house, I'm so going to be making some of those reindeer. I get inspired every time I visit. swoon.....
Hugs Lynn

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Your 3D deer are fantastic! Love the solid blue look...very cool!

Lori said...

Totally love this Tracy. The monochromatic scheme is just wonderful for a holiday piece!

Gillian .... said...

Hi Tracy, this is such a genius make, love love love all the detail and dimension. xx

Art By Wanda said...

This is fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa Somerville said...

Stunning home decor pieces, wonderful details and dimension!

Anonymous said...

Hi Tracy, this is stunning... Definitely one to keep I think....unless you feel like passing it my way!! Ha Ha!!!! X

hazel said...

I love everything about your festive house Tracy - it's wonderful.
xxx Hazel.

Words and Pictures said...

Wowowow!! Just catching up with the SSSaS challenge - almost didn't make it again this week, but wow I'm glad I made it round... this is just glorious, Tracy! Obviously I love the colours, and the painty texture is great. The dimensional deer are wonderful - love the white distressed edges; beautiful pearls and stars; brilliant elements in the roof and outer walls - whole thing is a joy! Keep it, I say!!
Alison x