From my house to yours

I hope everybody is spending their Christmas just as they want to. I am full of Christmas dinner and desserts so now need to nap before Downton Abbey comes on TV. Before I do I wanted to show you the little configuration house I made last week. I was invited to my friend Carolines along with 4 other crafty ladies. Up until then I hadn't felt very Christmassy, yes I'd done the decorations and sent the cards out but it still didn't feel like it. Until our crafty day. Caroline gave each of us a house box that had been left over from a previous Scrapstars retreat, we were then left to our own devices to do what we wanted.
For a couple of weeks we had all been raiding our Christmas ornaments and the local pound shops and on the day we had a mountain of goodies on the table. We also all took food along for our lunch. It was one of the most relaxing and nicest days that completely turned Christmas around for me. Here was my house

The box had to be painted first, I was a bit adventurous painting it green but then the facing edge I painted in gold. Nobody was more surprised than me when it didn't smudge or run at all. I had taken the nutcracker soldier from my tree because for some reason, and I don't know why but I always think of Christmas when I see these soldiers. Each 'room' then needed a pit of paper at the back to add some interest.

He didn't need anything doing to him apart from cutting the string from his head.
At the top of the house I put some winter flora and fauna, poinsettia, mistletoe, berry branches and an acorn. I have just remembered I had holly to go in here as well but had forgotten to put it in. That's the beauty of this project you can keep tweaking it until its perfect.

I then wanted to do a 'room' about snow, although we haven't had any for Christmas this year the association is still there.

Below that I put a little light, its a battery operated snow ball light and I made a wrap for it using a Tim Holtz on the edge die. This represents all the greetings that go from house to house. I saw something like this on Pinterest and knew I had to use it in my house.

On the ground floor we had  a bell with a big satin ribbon, Santa has them on his sleigh

then the big man himself, it wouldn't be the same without him

then the last 'room' in the box was filled with presents. These took me ages to make, I wanted them to fill the space but Oh my goodness what do you wrap? So I made the boxes then wrapped them.

That left me with a problem, where did the Christmas Tree go? So I built an extension to house it.

On the outside the roof as covered with felt and so that Santa knows where to land his sleigh, I put a string of lights under the felt. These were a real bargain Poundland had them and they are battery operated, I loved them.

So there you are a tour of my Christmas house