Deck The Halls.....

Finishing Touches....

It is almost Christmas Eve, Dear Readers, and in my eagerness to get the Secret Christmas House done in time for Christmas, I almost neglected to prepare any of my other dollhouses! So I hurried around today and made sure the trees were put up. Charles is admiring the same old tree in the same old corner of The Lovely Old Dollhouse. There is still a little time left for last minute preparations, but he is telling Helen she must not go out in this weather... it is too dangerous! It has been freezing rain all day and everything is covered in ice!  Helen is telling him she doesn't have any more shopping to do anyway, so she is happy to stay home and admire the tree. I must admit, I never get tired of seeing these mini tree lights go on!

The Silver Tinsel Tree has been put up in The Cloud Palace...

It is decorated with Golden "Wishing Stars" 

which are the Specialty of Blue the Blue Fairy Beary.

Sometimes just looking at the stars is enough to grant a fervent wish... 

So you better be careful!

And Brother Beorn has invited Sweet Pea to join him

 on the Palace Tower Garden Top 

to admire the "Christmas Beacon Pines"!

(Surely, Someday this Tower Garden will get finished!)

And since I left you wondering whether I would

 make a better tree for the Secret Christmas House,

 I had better show you what I have managed to do!

Here is the humble beginning... a mini "bottle brush" tree 

next to the paper version that came in the kit.

I started by trimming off all the fake white snow...leaving a narrow brush tree.

(I actually made it narrower than this but didn't take a picture.)

Then I coated it in glue and rolled it in some "landscaping material" 

which was left-over from the Tiny Garden kit I made last winter.

I thought it looked wonderful as is... 

but the color is just a bit too yellow for a healthy Christmas Tree!

So I painted it a richer green...

Which did start to make the texture a bit too "clumped"....

So I used my exacto knife to cut gaps into the shape...

but I am afraid you cannot see the difference.

And then I wanted to see if I could make some 

tiny "berry" garlands out of tiny nail-art beads.....

I spread a thin line of clear gel glue along the plastic surface

 and "roll" tiny beads into it and let it dry thoroughly.

When they are dry I glue them to the tree!

In order to see how this will look in the Parlor, 

I have to cut the tree from the thick wooden base...

 

It is just leaning in place to get a sense of the size....

Here I have added some tiny beads for Baubles....

(I am not sure they are tiny enough!)

And of course, I have to keep testing it in the Parlor

 to see if I am getting anywhere!

And I have to compare it to the paper tree...

 to see if I am making any difference...

It is cute... but not there yet!

And while I am debating and Dithering, Dear Readers, 

Pollyanna has gotten involved in another Teeny-tiny project....

It is a Tiny Dollhouse kit by "Young At Heart" 

that I picked up last year at the Sturbridge Fair...

(I had to give Pollyanna some help... 

she doesn't have the right tools yet!)

I painted the floors red..... 

because the Lovely Old Dollhouse has red floors... 

and this reminds me of the Lovely Old Dollhouse!

With the remaining floor and side added.... 

not as easy as it looks! 

(I don't have the right tools yet!)

We are making some progress!

I painted it white and added the roof....

Oh, I LOVE this tiny House!!!

Meanwhile, Dear Readers, 

I have decided that I simply Must try to make 

some Itty-bitty candles for the Christmas Tree...

The paper version has them, after all.... 

and I have always adored a candlelit tree....

(I forgot to take pictures of the progress... 

but they would have been too small to photograph anyway...)

Can you see them here?

They are made of glue-stiffened sewing thread cut very short, 

with an end dipped in super fine glitter... 

and the bottom end glued to a piece

 of gold "glitter" (the ordinary kind).....

I am sure you cannot see all the bits in the pictures....

Testing it in the Parlor... 

I think the candles add a wonderful layer of detail!

And even though you cannot see it in photos, 

in RL the candles do sparkle!

And there needs to be a gold star on top!

And then I decided that I really did need to "touch up"

 the edges of the Creche figures... 

where they were cut from the card left some white showing

 that was very distracting... 

so I painted the edges of the angels

 with gold on the wings and

 blue and green on the gowns...

And then Finally.. glued it to the mantel!

And the Tree too.... glued in place!

(Oh, I also added more pieces of red "glitter" for baubles...!)

We are nearly done.... 

But the gifts are still not all wrapped!

(I may be running out of Time!)

But it is Christmas Eve...

 

Over at The Folly, 

Will has put up the little Creche....

Such a simple vignette, but so moving....

And in the Lovely Old Dollhouse too...

The usual creche is in the usual place...

(Although no-one can ever remember on which side the camel sits...)

Yes, I may be running out of Time, Dear Readers..... 

but that is nothing new.... 

(even when the Holy Baby was born... they were not quite ready...!)

So I am still Decking the Halls,

 and wrapping the gifts....

Adding the Finishing Touches.....

And I am still drawing the Christmas Card....

But Christmas Comes!

May you All have a blessed Holiday!