Yes, it was done in time for Christmas.....

O Christmas Tree

The instructions for this kit start 'Working in miniatures allows us many luxuries, one of which is selective snowfall.  It is not only plausible, but also quite beautiful to have snow on the roof of one shop, while down the street, not a flake is in sight'

The kit I ordered from Debbie Young arrived on 19th December, so there's been time to make it up ready for Christmas even though the one from Judith hasn't yet arrived.  I have been preparing ahead for this little shop, in a way. My efforts to find a tiny Christmas tree to use in it were in vain, but fortunately one came with the kit. I still want some more though and will continue to try. In the meantime I also got some tiny beads and gold thread to put on the tree as decorations. And I had a pot of poinsettias, one of four that I made for this shop and the Yule Tide Shop from Petite Properties. I’d also collected a supply of printies of Christmas paper and boxes in miniature to print out and I had some Christmas books to print out and make up as well.

I'm delighted with the accessories that came with this kit.  There's a table and a tablecloth (a 1:12th scale doily- it's perfect); a kit for some nice shelves for the wall; the little Christmas tree; and some tiny blocks to wrap as bags to hold 'baubles' for decorations.  There is also some plaster of paris and fine glitter for the snow.

Here's the exterior completed:

The exterior of this shop is shingled, to give a nice contrast to the other buildings in the Town Square.  I kept to the same Hunter Green that Debbie Young used - it is such a perfect Christmas Green.  And I did the shingles on the roof in a darkish brown to complement the green.

I am hopeless at doing the trim on these doors!  that red detailing took me soooo many tries.  Debbie makes it sound so easy and it should be - but when I get the red paint onto the white I let it dry as instructed and try to scrape it gently off.  No matter how gentle I am, the white paint gets marked and a red stain remains.  So I touch up the white - and get some on the red.  So I touch up the red - and get some on the whtie.......and so it goes until I'm ready to tear my hair out.

The snow is plaster of paris, with fine glitter sprinkled on while it is still damp.  It has obviously been snowing a fair bit - the pathway is half covered and snow is banked up against the walls as well as on the roof. I have found that it chips off very easily unfortunately and will have to replace some of it.

The wreath on the window is again made from the frosted greenery from another kit, and a red bow - I am really pleased with the result.  And also with the shop name sign, which I did in on the computer to fit in the transom. I have carried the poinsettia theme through from the interior to that sign.

So here it is almost finished inside.  I just have to add the star to the top of the tree and some bits to the bottom shelf of the unit on the left wall.. 

Looking at the ground floor, you can see the tree that came with the kit.  I used a piece of gold for tinsel, and beads in gold, red, green, silver, blue and purple for baubles.  The bags around the tree hold baubles for sale. 

The table that came with the kit looks great painted red, and with its white cloth added.  I made three Christmas candles to go on it. The base of the candle is a sequin - I used one red, one in gold and one in green.  The candles are pieces of toothpick painted red, inserted into the hole in the centre of the sequin.  Each candle is surrounded by greenery snipped from a 1:12th scale wreath, and each has three beads to match the colour of its repective base.  Not that I needed to worry about that - you can hardly see them vbg. 

Also on the table is one of the pots of poinsettias that I made and posted about before.  On the floor to the left of the table is a nutcracker from my collection of 1:12th scale Christmas items.

On the wall between the window and door is a wreath, made from twisted wire painted brown with a poinsettia snipped from the pot of flowers on the table, and some gold no-hole beads. I'm really happy with that. 

And I am also quite chuffed with the poinsettia detail in the transom on the top of the door.  Can you tell I like poinsettias as Christmas decorations?  Not overly keen on them as an actual plant though.  Maybe because they grow like weeds here in Australia and the trees themselves are often rather scraggly.  I've actually never seen them grown in pots.

The window has a garland draped across the top, made from more of the greenery snipped from that 1:12th scale wreath and a bow added, and another garland decorates the white shelf unit on the left wall.  This one is made from some snow-encrusted greenery that I filched from a kit for a Christmas scene in a cup that I have. 

And of course if you have been following my Town Square shop series you know by now that there has to be a cat in each one somewhere.  Here a naughty tabby is playing with a gold bauble that she has removed from the tree - a situation familiar to all who are owned by a moggy.


Here's a close-up of the first floor.

This is where extra stock is kept. We have a box with rolls of Christmas paper, a collection of gift boxes and a bag with rolls of ribbon.  I had lots more that could have gone in there too but there isn't room.. So I will keep them for the Yule Tide Shop.

And it was finished - to this stage at least - on  Christmas Eve.  It adds a nice touch to our caravan, being one of the few decorations we have.  There isn't the space (and hasn't been the time) for much more!