The Gothic Mansion at night....

More pictures of the Gothic Mansion at night....

Of course, Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, does her patrol of the rooms after the guests and family have retired for the evening....

'Twas the night before Christmas....and all through the house. 
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...except Mrs. Danvers...
who was on patrol....

Spooky and yet so lovely!~ The countdown to Christmas continues! Lisa

Decorating the Gothic Mansion...

I finally have some pictures of the dolls decorating the tree of the Gothic Mansion! And they are lovely....

Yesterday, I worked on the structure that will be Santa's candy factory and also started decorating the tree in the Gothic mansion...I got some surprising photos, I did not think these turned out all that great until I started editing. 

Here is a photo of the full structure...

I am still way behind on the Set B of this set. I have had some starts and had to scrap what I started because it did not work structurally. Fitting it together so it can be photographed and so it will hold props, dolls, is time consuming especially when working with materials like foamboard, insulation board, etc. as well as wood. 
Enjoy!~Lisa

Christmas cookies, Santa's candy workshop, and Elf on the shelf...

I have been doing alot of different things. Hubcap and I decided to give into the holiday fun since daughter is grown and do the Elf on the Shelf fun. Beau is a mischevious elf who should be on Elf Juvenile probation, lol. Beau is short for Beauregarde. The hubcap wanted the most ridiculous, madcap name he could think of and the name that came to mind was the Bugs Bunny cartoon where the little colonel calls his dog saying 'Oh Beauregarde!' and a big sheepdog comes out of nowhere who can't see. 

I made the cookies of  polymer clay and used glitter to make them sparkle. Beau is pictured here sharing them with Lassie my little Madame Alexander doll. Pictured also here are a gingerbread house, thumbprint cookies, gingerbread men, and candy canes and peppermint sticks. 

There has also been some progress on Santa's candy workshop...Here is a sneak peak of the progress on the front....

Right now, this is the exterior but it will look far more different than this when finished. I have finished the wallpaper and trims on the interior need to get better pics of it before I post again. The exterior hopefully will look like a gingerbread house when I am done! Wish me luck! 

~Lisa

The Ghost of Christmas Past....

I did some work on Santa's candy workshop and then worked on the exterior of the Gothic Mansion, draping it for the snow scenes. I had purchased the rolled flannel snow and the snow that you sprinkle. Anyways, I got the idea looking at my Haunted Beauty Zombie that she would make a fabulous Ghost of Christmas past. Actually, Ghost would be better but I don't own Ghost. And she looks so great in the snow! All I need is a Tiny Tim! and a Grim Reaper! She looks magical in these pics with my trees.

Enjoy! Lisa

What's baking.....in the Patissirie.

So in my spare time, in preparation for the new part of Santa's workshop, the candy factory, I've been making more food. I finished a gingerbread house and some cute gingerbread men with peppermint buttons and candy canes, and peppermint sticks, as well as peanut butter thumbprints. My grandmother used to make these with the hershey kisses in the middle of them, gently melting. I adored these cookies and decided to see if  I could make them in mini.

I did a little re-arranging in the Patissirie /bakery today, it has been so neglected. I stole the door from this diorama, a houseworks crossbuck door last year for Santa's workshop and painted it red, and glued it into that diorama. I have another similar door but it is now going into the candy factory. I have finished painting the exterior so I am now going to be working on the interior walls and floor and then working on that door and window finishes. I won't be posting pics of the progress until it's done and ready for pics, but thought you might enjoy the foods that are going to go in it and on the assembly line for the elves! 

And now, a little bit of the busy life of Trixie, who is attempting to wait on all of the customers eager to purchase all of the newly made pastries at the Patissirie!

I made all of the pastries, cakes, and gingerbread houses,Religieuses pastries,  candys, except for the ones in the case on the top shelf which are Re-ment and one cake made by an unknown artist.

Muffins in cake stand and orange juice, Re-ment, St, Honore pastry made by Me.

Enjoy!~Lisa

A tree for the Gothic Mansion...

After fruitless attempts at locating a tree for the Gothic mansion that resembled a tree in the one from Downtown Abbey that was so impressive-where it touched the upper balconey, I finally decided on one I already had.  I had purchased this tree with others from the Christmas Mouse in Williamsburg two or three years ago for my Nativity pageant scenes in 2012, scroll back in the archives for the Best Christmas pageant ever. This is my biggest tree and it works very well. I got the little lights from Dollar General. I had originally purchased two of them but the 2nd set turned out to be multi colored and I wanted white lights to reflect on the red brocade wallpaper. 

Here are Agnes and Eugenia decorating the huge tree.

In this last photo you can see the entire height of the tree...

These were taken with my phone so were not the best pics. I have the tree off to the side a bit and its tip top reaches through the center of where the stair railing should be on the 2nd floor and you can see the front door.  It might be more impressive behind the columns and with the staircase coming down behind it when I get the 2nd half of the mansion done with the stairs for Christmas and that railing done upstairs decorated with garland. 

UPDATE:
Not to mention- I just began work on YET ANOTHER STRUCTURE- Santa's Candy Factory! How crazy is that?? Yes, I am on a roll... LOL. 

And then there was light....

You may not remember the post from Santa's workshop and prop alert that I did on November 14th last month, about the trees I purchased from Michael's. Well they had lights and needed batteries. 

Yesterday I made that happen. The trees light up, I mean. 

And then..there was light....

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas! Click below to listen to Bing croon away while you look at the pics! ~Lisa