I’m actually writing this post from the same spot I was sitting three years ago, on a cozy hotel sofa in Indianapolis, while accompanying my true love on a business trip. Last go-round, I was creating the artwork for what would become one of our most loved stamp designs, O Holy Night. Today, I’m tickled to introduce a set that actually resembles that quaint snowy church, but with a decidedly “homespun” bent. Maybe you will recognize the references I drew upon for this artwork...
Is there anyone else out there who is completely taken with glittery cardboard houses?
Tiny cardboard treasures. Houses, churches, barns, bungalows — with simple window-and-door details, bottlebrush trees in their yards, picket fences, completely encrusted in sparkly micro-flittery glitter. Meant to be arranged into a snowy village setting to decorate a mantel or bureau. They are purely precious!
Originally popping up in the 1930s and 40s, these houses (some call them “putz” houses — a German word which refers to the act of moving around the little houses into a formation until you get them “just so”) were first available at dimestores. These days if you’re lucky, you can find original cottages and mansions and storefronts on eBay or in estate sale Christmas stashes (oohhhh, rummaging through folks’ old boxes of ornaments, the stuff of dreams!!) There’s been a resurgence of the popularity of cardboard Christmas houses, and many people are constructing their own. I have a collection of several, one of which looks a bit like our own house, complete with our house number painted on the front by my sweet mama after we moved in many years ago. They are ALWAYS placed in a position of prominence in my holiday displays.
I personally couldn’t be giddier about seeing so many glittery cardboard Christmas houses around the scene, and I thought it was high time to bring these sweet-and-simple structures into a stamp set... introducing Glitter House Village.
Isn’t that cute?? Holiday homes with wreaths and chimneys and snow drifts galore. Rather than provide single houses, I’ve designed a cozy scene of cottages surrounding a church — they are pre-“putzed”! — with plenty of bottlebrush trees. Glitter House Village is a large stamp that will fill the full card front (get out that MISTI, friends). I’m just going to be frank... it is sooooooo much fun to color and decorate. The variety of combinations is totally endless, and I hope to see you all experiment with them mightily.
We have some wonderful sentiments in this set, along with little accents to personalize your Glitter House Village setting: a snowy, starry sky, two different vintage “tree-topper-style” North Stars, and two swags for creating a repeating bough or a border.
Come see the Bloomies’ SUPERCUTE creations using Glitter House Village:
Is your mind swirling yet with the possibilities? I know mine is.... will I try this one in pretty light pastels? What about a version in all shades of green? Or classic white with colored roofs? No matter what, be sure to have plenty of glitter on hand to completely douse the whole scene.
Tomorrow will bring more holiday sweetness (dare I say, tweetness) and a bit of familiarity — just you wait! Enjoy your day to the highest, and I do thank you for spending some time with the Bloomies and me, we appreciate every little comment and bit of love you leave. You are the best!
13 comments:
Marcy you are certainly not alone. I absolutely ADORE those little houses. The vintage ones are quite impossible to find where I live so I have taken to making my own. Last Christmas everyone in the family got a house as the start of a village as a gift. Each year I plan to add one more dwelling until they each have a reasonable sized little village. This year everyone gets a church. And yes...there is glitter absolutely everywhere when I make them. This set is my favourite so far and I have really liked the others. Another on my purchase list. Amazing job Marcy...as always. Hugs to you.
I just had a look at the Bloomies cards and oh my goodness...I cannot wait to get my hands on that stamp. It will be so utterly perfect to accompany my little houses! Squeel!!!
I have fond memories of setting up the "village" with my mom on top of our massive Zenith TV cabinet. Over the years with the help of eBay, I've managed to create my own collection. This is a wonderful stamp and I can hardly wait to purchase it.
Donna Mc
Oh, WOW! Miss Marcy, you've done it again...and in a such an absolutely darling way! I LOVE this village and think it will be such fun to color in so many ways. My mom would have LOVED this village. I still have all her Cat's Meow village pieces that she would place on window sills. Such charm in things like that and this one. This will be the kind of card that will become keepsakes for display each year. I LOVE it, and the Bloomies BLEW it out of the water!!!! Hugs, sweet friend! xoxo
So cute, creative and unique. And Tosha's card was so cute with the snowflake die cut in the background.
Oh my - this ones is my favorite one of the new releases yet! So adorable!! Love those little houses!
This is the set I've been dying to see, ever since you mentioned Christmas village in the previews, and I am not disappointed! While I don't own any of the cardboard houses I absolutely adore Christmas villages of any kind and always have one set up on my entertainment center throughout the year :)
I think this is the first time I've ever wanted a weekend to fly by, so Tuesday can hurry up and get here and I can get my hands on all these great sets!
These little houses are the cutest! I love this!!
*gasp* I neeeeeeeeeeed this, Marcy!!!!!
Oh, the memories. Oh, the sweetness. Oh, the beauty. How I wish my sister or I still had the cardboard village pieces we had as children. I must have this stamp set, and it will be used to create a special card for my sister and her husband this Christmas.
Love the village stamp!!
All of this release is just gorgeous, and I can't wait till their available! The house are so quaint. Absolutely lovely!
This village is pretty cute !
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