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Sunday 4 December 2011

Opus Gluei Challenge 119. Gingerbread.

The lovely Jana over at Opus Gluei has challenged us to
Run, run as fast as you can...
and create something inspired by the word Gingerbread.

Like many others I don't like the taste of ginger in any form of sweet or pudding including gingerbread but I do love all the creative ways gingerbread is used. It is practically an art form with my favourite use being the making of gingerbread houses.

So I have made a christmas gingerbread house out of card, paper and a little bit of shiny.

Click on the pictures to make them bigger.




I got the idea from the book Mixed Mania by Debbi Crane and Cheryl Prater,
( I've linked to the USA amazon store only because it has the look inside the book feature which isn't available on the UK amazon site, but you can buy it through amazon.co.uk.)
This book is visually feastworthy and the layout using the idea of a cook book style is very slick, novel and appealing.
Another huge draw for this book is that both these ladies keep up a funny dialogue throughout the book. They are both funny and artists, a combination that is seemingly quite rare, quite why I don't know but there it is.
Do publishers think we can't cope with both together or that we wouldn't want that?
Anyway I recommend this book as a stocking or under the tree treat for yourself.

Undone this is what the house looks like.


It is quite straight forward to draw yourself a template, which is what I did.
Each house panel is a 2 inch square. So draw a 3inch by 8 inch rectangle.
The gable ends (the triangles) are 1 inch deep, so draw a horizontal line at 2 inches up the rectangle and draw your triangle points at 3 inches and 7 inches along the top line.
After you have cut it out, score vertical lines downwards at 2, 4 and 6 inches so your template looks like my photo.
The roof is an ATC size, 2 and a half by 3 and a half inches.
Aha! Have the eyes lit up of the ATC makers out there? Just think of the possibilities. You just need to remember it has to fold in half width ways to make the apex of the roof.

There is another lovely surprise in the instructions for these little houses but I'll not spoil it, you'll have to get the book.

Ingredients.
I used Co-ordinations card in Bon bon for the gingerbread.
I used polar white flowersoft on the roof to make the snow which I stuck down with permanent double sided tape that comes out of roller gadget made by Stick it! I don't have any sheets of double sided tape which would be perfect for this.
A wet glue like white PVA (which you would normally use for flowersoft) over the whole area will warp the ATC and you'll end up with a wonky roof so use a dry glue of some sort.
The card candi is held on the flowersoft using silicon dimensional glue.

Plan how you are going to decorate the sides of your house first before you cut the door and windows in case you need to leave enough room for a particular embellishment.
I needed to leave enough room under my windows for the picket fence.
I cut the windows and doors without measuring using a metal ruler and a craft knife.
I used Martha Stewart border punches in Picket fence and deep edger Garden Trellis which I glued on with white PVA and used Anita's 3D gloss to glue on the bugle beads.
The snow on the sides of the house is Stickles in frosted lace (yes another one Electra!).
Make two holes using a pokey tool, one for the brad and the other for the embroidery floss, see the photo above for placement. Wind the floss around the brad to hold the house together.

My prototype house was this one.





 I didn't like it being held together by 2 pieces of embroidery floss tied in a bow, it looks a bit messy so I change it to a brad and embroidery floss on the gingerbread house.

So are you tempted to join in?
Happy creating!
Gini
xx

7 comments:

Jana said...

Oh, your house is delightful. I love all the snow. These little houses are so adorable. Absolutely smile-worthy. And your prototype is cute too.

SYLVIA-ANNE said...

Wow Gini - you've done it again! This is another totally FAB-U-LUS creation!! Love the flowersoft snow, the fence, the candi rooftop - all of it.
Thank you for sharing the details - I had a peek at the book link, and I can see just from the book cover why you love it!
Have a happy Sunday - Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

Rosemary said...

I absolutely LOVE this, I admit that I was actually fooled into thinking that you made a real gingerbread dough house - it's THAT good! The "candies" on the rooftop look like real decorations. I have the Martha lattice punch and yep, I am already thinking how I can fit time in to make one of these and use it!

LOVELY and creative, that's my buddy Gini and this sure is another of your cool projects! Very inspiring!

Rosemary said...

I also now want to get creative with ATCs!

Electra said...

This is SO COOL Gini! I'm going to have to try to make one, you've given such great instructions. As for there not being many with the combination of artistry and funny, there you, and that's all we need!

Margaret said...

The first one looks edible, especially the roof!! totally fab! Great link thank you, very cool looking book. Mx

Sherry said...

It really does look good enough to eat (only if you like ginger though of course - and I do, well I'll eat anything really - except stinky quavers, I'll draw the line at them)

I've got that book (yay!!) although the only thing I've tried so far is Debbi's paper dolls (surprise, suprise LOL) You've re-introduced it to me - there really are some fab projects in there.

Back to your houses, I love them, beautifully done Gini - the brad fastener looks neat, although I must admit to liking a big bow too.

Take care xx