Gingerbread House - 3D papercrafting, stencil embossing

For this holiday season, I decided to make a Gingerbread House but with paper and stamping and other non-edibles. The Gingerbread people and the Mermaid Scales stencil from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps were the start of my inspiration. I added in die cuts from Spellbinders, Elizabeth Craft Designs, and Sizzix with Nuvo drops, Stickles, Liquid Pearls, Snow-Tex, and Glamor Dust.

Putting It Together

This project took so much longer than I intended or than it should have because of my health issues. I had surgery in mid-Nov to repair an incisional hernia. I was recovering wonderfull until an abscess developed and sent me to the ER in the first week of Dec. I was in the hospital a week, more time than for the three previous surgeries (the repair and the two which caused and contributed to its need). I have been recovering at home since, taking heavy antibiotics which have been a bit zombie-ifying (if the malady doesn't kill you, the cure will *laugh*). I've only been able to work on this in small doses of time making its completion take a lot longer.

I started with printing house pieces from an online tutorial: http://essyjae.com/2017/06/22/simple-paper-gingerbread-house-tutorial/ and fussy cutting them. I printed and trimmed additional pieces without the tabs so I could emboss which, from experience, weakens folds. I used kraft for the gingerbread-like appearance.

I used stencils to emboss various parts. The sandwich for stencil embossing is, from the bottom: cut plate, stencil, paper/cardstock, tan silicone mat from Spellbinders, cut plate. Run it through the Big Shot.

For the roof, I used the Kraftin' Kimmie Mermaid Scales stencil for a scallop-y roof. I've been thinking of a roof with this stencil ever since I got it.

I used brown and dark red inks with a blender to add colour to the roof pieces.

I then used a palette knife to apply and uneven coat of Snow-Tex. I sprinkled Glamour Dust on the snow for sparkle.

I used an icicle die to cut vellum which I sandwiched between the roof and the decorated roof pieces. I used Aqua Shimmer on the icicles for a subtle sparkle.

I lined up the printed lines on my scoreboard to make it easier to score and fold the flaps.

I used a window die, adhered between the base wall and the decorated wall, to add the cross pieces for the windows.

I used the Woodgrain stencil to emboss the walls of the house then used caramel ink to highlight the embossing.

I used a brush to add a light spotty coating of adhesive then sprinkled the walls with Glamor Dust.

For the windows and door, I used a frame die. I cut it from patterned paper with two layers of kraft for each opening.

I used a glittery paper on the door and added enamel dots to the window and door frames for a candy look. I used an enamel dot for the doorknob, too. I added vellum for the window 'glass'.

I cut a round hole in the 6x6" matboard base with a Movers and Shakers steel rule die to make it easy to add a candle to the house. I put the house together and added it to the base.

For the walkway, I embossed with the Lots of Dots stencil then used mocha and grey inks with a blender.

I fussy cut the edges of the walkway and added it to the base. I also added a vellum 'screen' between the door and the candle hole.

I added Snow-Tex with Glamor Dust to the yard with some over the walkway. This finished the house a couple days before I ended up back in the hospital.

I stamped the gingerbread people multiple times, tightly fussy cutting four copies and with a thin margin for the top. I stacked the people to make 'cookies'.

I used Nuvo drops, Stickles, and Liquid Pearls to 'frost' the cookies, leaving them to dry in between colours.

In addition to the people cookies, I used a die to cut and stack trees that I also frosted with the drops.

For candy decorations on the house, I used Spellbinder dies with heavy white cardstock. I used the open spaces on the dies like stencils to add the red.

I added the candies and cookies to the house to finish.

Placing a lit battery candle in the hole gives it a magical glow.

Supplies

Challenges

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps: Anything Goes and Skrappy Challenge
Watercooler Wednesday: Anything Goes
Outlawz Festive Friday: Christmas
Dies R Us: Anything Christmas
Try It on Tuesday: Christmas is Coming
Crafter's Cafe: Holiday and/or Something Starting with C (candy and cookies)
A Bit More Time to Craft: Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: Anything Christmas