Christmas Trees...

 

 Light Up My Life....

I Know, Dear Readers, that last week I bemoaned how little Time there was between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. But never mind, after Thanksgiving is over life is All about Christmas in my house anyway! And I know it has been many years now that I have been promising to "someday" show you well lit closeups of the decorations on the Lovely Old Dollhouse Christmas Tree. Well, don't be too surprised, but Someday is here! In the above picture you can see a closeup of the glass dove which is one of the very special and lovely little ornaments. Of course, glass is hard to see.... because it is see-through! But there it is! It is about 1/2 inch across. I honestly don't remember where or when I bought most of these treasures. I think I got a bunch of them at a fancy toy store back when my boys were still young and I was still dreaming of "someday" fixing up the old Dollhouse from my childhood. And I think I bought the fake mini tree back around then too... we used it in the "Boy's Dollhouse" aka "The Rustic House", home to teddy bears, dinosaurs and action figures when my sons were little. (You can read all about it in my very earliest blog posts back in 2010!) But all the delicate minis that I bought back then were shoved in a cupboard and saved for that magical "someday".

And here you can see.... or sort of see... 

the glass snowflake (on the left near the bottom),

another of those delicate treasures!

The white icicles are  possibly glass, 

but more likely are plastic.

 

Here you can see a lovely little brass dove... 

(stamped metal I am assuming is brass...)

as well as a little Christmas tree with snow on it

 which is a resin figure on a long bead garland

 that I wrapped around the tree.

I think it was intended to be a "holiday necklace" to be worn in RL!

 I think it looks much better on the mini tree!

 

Here is another view of the snowflake along with

 a red and blue striped glass ball ornament.

None of these ornaments are glued on... 

and the way the branches of the tree are a bit "crude" for scale....

 means that I had to just wind a lot of the garlands around the tree.

For the small glass pieces and brass ones

 I made little brass wire hooks

 and tried to find good spots to hang them!

 

Here is a closeup of more glass balls

 and near the top, a heart shaped piece of lace...

 (Slightly out of focus.....)

Here you can see another of the resin figures

 from the bead garland... a dog with a Santa hat!

Along with a few more of the glass ball ornaments...

 

And still another resin figure... a snowman with a broom!

And you can see some of the large wooden beads

 that are part of that garland.

And way over to the left you can see

 a very fine metallic snowflake....

there are several of these scattered around

 the tree, all with a different pattern!

 

Maybe you can see it a little closer here....?

Sorry... it is hard to photograph!

And here it is in The Lovely Old Dollhouse living room....

I know it is a bit dark...

It's an old house and the lighting needs an upgrade...

 

 

But the Christmas Tree is lit!

Oh, how I love to see those tiny colored lights!!!

 

Meanwhile, Dear Readers, 

I have been scampering around 

seeing to the trees in the other Dollhouses! 

 

In the Castle Great Hall the 

old Witches are gathered around the table...

Tea and board games are on the menu!

 

 

Kendall has put up the huge old tree and lit the candles...

(It is a drafty old Castle without electricity after all...)

It looks so enchanting from outside the windows...!

The Silver glitter Tree is up at the "Shabby Sister House"

 where Sally May and Chip and Annabelle live.

Chip's father, Ernie has agreed that he can see

 the Television just fine if he scoots his chair over a little bit.

(Boy, the batteries on this one need changing....!)

And up above the Clouds in The Cloud Palace,

 the Fairy Bears are admiring the Silver Tinsel Tree!

(It has brand new batteries!)

And Hamish Harry has been admiring

 the Starry Night Village Tree Skirt....

He is looking at all those Reindeer cavorting around the border...

not to mention a couple of sledding elves....

It's a lively scene!

And if you look very carefully among all those bright lights.... 

you might be able to spot

 a couple of tiny "snowpeople" ornaments

 made by Birgit of BiWuBaren fame!

That's as far as I got, Dear Readers... 

Setting up the Christmas Trees takes Time!

But, Oh, how I love the way

 they Light up my Life!

 

Christmas Tree Lights...

 

 

 The Old Fashioned Way....

For Many many years, Dear Readers, I decorated my Christmas Trees with real candles, and on at least one Night we would light the candles and admire the indescribable beauty of real candlelight on the Tree shining brightly in the darkness. And of course, I had to include this in my Christmas Card drawings from time to time. Above is a detail from one of the earliest cards. The first seventeen years of cards were all drawn in black and white, just pen and ink, because there was no inexpensive color duplication in those days. So you would need an imagination to sense the candles lighting the tree! But after color copying became inexpensive I included the Tree lit with candles in a couple of the cards.

It is difficult to get good pictures of the details on these cards.

This was only the second or third year

 that I had painted the card in color.

But you can see the candles in this one!

Here again you can see the candles on the tree lit....

This is taking liberties with real life because

 we didn't leave the candles lit while we did other things!

Usually we had dinner first and then lit the candles

 while we sang carols around the tree.

But this was all long ago...

 the house was big,

 the trees were freshly cut from my own back yard...

Many of us would gather to celebrate.

It is quite safe if you are careful where you place the candles.

I have not put real candles on my trees

 since I moved to my small house.

Everything is too crowded.

But I can remember the light....

and I have always wanted to see if I could make them in mini...

And these mini LED light strings made it so easy!

The "bulb" is just a "blip" in the wire 

and it is easy to bend the wire back on itself.

And then I wrapped the folded wire in paper to make the "candle".

This particular string had eighteen LED's.

I added a "saucer" to catch the wax drips... 

just a card-stock circle punch wrapped around

 and glued at the base of the candle.

 

 

And I painted the candles ocher to look like beeswax.

And when I turned the batteries on....

They were wonderfully realistic!

I could not wait to test them on the Tree!

 

I hastily wrapped the string around the Castle Great Hall Tree

 (I have had this tree forever... waiting to get "candles" on it!)

But the candles did need to be attached so they

 would sit upright so they can burn safely!

Which took a little longer....

and now it is fully dark outside...

But Oh!.... the light is Magnificent and so realistic!!!

It has me completely mesmerized!

 

So I have Finally lit this tree

 the Old Fashioned way

With candles!

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!