Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Tis The.....

 


Christmas Card.... And A New Kit....

Well, Dear Readers, Here it is at last..... And "Last" is the operative word as this is technically Last year's Christmas Card, finally finished (as is the usual case) in the new year! It is as always, 8.5 x 11 inches, watercolor and pen and ink on Arches hot pressed watercolor paper. I hope you enjoy searching out the familiar images.... yes, mostly just The Tree House, most of which is very old work, accomplished in 2012 and 2013 for the most part. But last year was a year that didn't seem to give me any time for focusing on minis, since there were some real-life distractions that took a lot of time and attention. Yes, there was the Leafy Green Rhododendron finally completed properly and a bunch of tiny tapestry cushions stitched.... and a little bit of rocky landscape and the Nursery wallpaper.... and The Nano House... but not much else! Yes, it was That kind of year! I am very much hoping for a more Fun and Productive year of making minis! And because that is next on my agenda since the Christmas Card is Done.... let me show you a little... just a little new kit.....

 
Yes, yes, I know.... 
why ever did I think I needed another new kit....?
 (This is how I get myself into Trouble... Right?)

 
But.... it is called the "Once Upon A Time Fairy-tale Wonderhouse"..... 
A miniature dollhouse shop only about 8 inches wide by 5 inches deep....
and 7 inches tall.... and the front swings open...

 
To reveal the most astonishing assortment of tiny Houses, 
some fully furnished....! and Little Vignettes... 
and a corner nook for construction.... 
and it comes with ALL the parts, 
pieces, printies, Led's, tools and trinkets...
 everything you will need except your Time and Patience!

 
How Could I Resist????  
Well, clearly, I couldn't!
 It is my this year's Birthday gift to myself... 
a Treat for being Soooo Goood all last year 
(Duty before pleasure and all that!) 
It arrived yesterday and I have already spent hours studying
 the Assembly Instructions which are a 26 page 
full-color wonder in themselves!
 I am starting to think of it as a wooden version of
 The Home Sweet Home stitched Cottage project 
I embarked on three years ago... 
it took a year to finish and I learned a lot
 and Loved every minute of the project including the finished product!
 
I am going to TRY to stick to the kit instructions
 and not deviate into glorious unknown territory!
 We shall see how that goes..... 
I really cannot promise anything.... 
 
So There you have it, Dear Readers....
 'tis the Card and a Huge New Tiny Kit .... 
and that means a whole Lot of
 wonderful Tiny Trouble!!!!

 

5 comments:

  1. Betsy, I am speechless! I can't even begin to tell you how enchanted I am by your Christmas card. Even though I don't know much about your personal life, I could feel the love in that painting. I could see the story. It really touched my heart. You are so talented.
    And then you follow that with the most delightful miniature kit I've ever seen. A dollhouse shop filled with dollhouses? I mean....I nearly fainted because I stopped breathing for a minute! Wow!!! What a great birthday present to yourself.
    I'm guessing that the instructions will merely be a guide, and you'll add your magic touch to make the dollhouse shop even better!

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  2. Oh Betsy! Tu maravillosa postal navideña terminada! Es fantástica con tantísimos detalles, la hacen tan especial y amorosa, tan llena de ilusión y dinamismo...me encanta!!
    Claro que necesitabas un nuevo kit, seguro que te enamoraste al primer vistazo, te estaba esperando y seguro que pasarás maravillosas horas deleitándote en su construcción!
    Besos.

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  3. Dear Betsy,
    What a pleasure to see the new precious Christmas card with your memories and experiences of the the past year recorded on it by your own original paintings. You are a super talented lady!
    Hugs,
    Drora

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  4. This looks like an interesting project! I am curious to see what the tiny furniture in the houses looks like. Also, your Christmas card is wonderful as usual, and clearly has taken a lot of time, patience and careful throught to get that much detail in it. It's beautiful!

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  5. A bit late as usual... but I needed to take my time to study the contribution for the year 2025 to this series of annual masterpieces. Believe me... I had so much fun and really enjoyed it to the fullest!!!

    As always you have outdone yourself - the level of your painting skills and the composition of the main theme being the tree house and the vignettes all being framed by the light chain with its fairy lights are drop-dead-beautiful. And I really had to smile when I found out that the tree house with its first three "finished" floors was already the center piece on the C-card for 2012... also being framed by a colourful light chain. But I suppose you were already aware of that fact... *wink* And also of the fact that back then the card's scheme was an "I"... and only logical that it's a "t" for the latest one thanks to your installations waiting to be turned into willow twigs. Yes, "turn, turn, turn"... *LOL*

    As always I'm in awe with this year's card once more as it is not missing any detail, not even the smallest one. Every single piece of decoration in the Tree House can be spotted... and I hope you will not laugh but my personal favourite were the closing loops you invented... It's amazing that you're even painting these practical issues in full glory.

    And an extra deep bow for the once more clever composition... the rhodie on the left side as a natural part of the Folly appearing as the Tree House's background... did I already point out how much I enjoyed to study your newest card? And of course I enjoyed the two vignettes showing you with the nano tree house and while stitching the cushions. These are also stunning in every way... nothing is missing.

    (Okay, except for somethng I personally missed... you know this would come in this comment of mine... but sadly no honey detector showed up anywhere this time... *sigh*. Well, now I hope for this year's card next January and keep my fingers crossed for painted Fairy Bearies to appear in the next issue. And who knows... maybe you'll have a dream about going back to work on the Cloud Palace this year as every inspriration of yours starts with a dream... and perhaps it will be about working on the Lady Fairies bedroom. Have you ever considered to give this some unicorn touch? With grass and flowers on the floor (of course lavender in front of Lady Lavender's bed) and happy little unicorns galopping up there in the clouds? Oh... eh... oops... it just occurs to me... seems that this is far more my dream than yours... *grin*)

    And now best birthday wishes to you - and most of all congratulations for treating yourself with such an awesome gift. And don't be too hard with yourself... there's no such thing as "having too many projects", that's an illusion as every amount of projects under construction or patiently waiting for their "turn, turn, turn" is always the right amount.

    And of course it's easy to see that this kit was a must have - as if the designers had you in their mind to build it. *LOL* But it gave me a good grin when you said you would try to stick to the instructions... haha... don't even try as you will never manage to do so. No Betsy- touch? No teenytiny extra challenges? You will never be able not to do this... or do you really want to keep any fun out while assembling this wonderful kit with all its gorgeous decorative pieces?! My, the variety of dollhouses and shops is breathtaking... but honestly, there was one little thing that really blew me away: The tiny ladder leading up to the flower pot at the left side of the shop's front - that's such a cute little detail and really a proof for the skills of the ones who designed this kit.

    Have fun with whatever you do! ;O)
    Hugs
    Birgit

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