Gingerbread for the Holidays with Milagros
It’s officially Christmas time and I’m in a decorating mood and what better than to create something for my home? Recently Sandra gave us an intimate challenge, to work with her new Tapestries stamps as well as the old. I’ve had to work outside my studio and I confess about not being inspired at all. But today as I was helping a friend with some small gingerbread houses my imagination sparked to life and I thought what if I could create a big house using Sandra’s stamps. So I ended up with a 16”inches tall house and I am absolutely happy with the way it turned out. And I was careful to document the process to share it with you just in case you feel like trying to make one of your own!
I used a 12x12 kraft sheet to begin the experimentation…I knew I wanted to use the stamps to create the roof tiles. Since Gingerbread is basically attached with royal icing I decided to use embossing powder in a matte white. It took 8 stamped image to cover most of the paper, that gave me a good start. I cut the excess on the side and folded it in half for my roof. Bear in mind I have no pattern to work with…
I took 2 more 12 x 12 kraft sheets and scored 1/2 an inch on each side. Marked my center in the front and stamped a very ornate window. Using a versamarker I drew the window panes and added more embossing powder. Then I marked my stamping block with a bit of washi tape to serve as my guide for stamping the ornate sides of my house on both sides. I then used a full stamp to create my door.. after stamping I cut it with my paper trimmer in half and scored and folded it so the doors would open.
I knew creating the roof support would be a challenge, I had glued my sides and there was not an inch more on my paper to reach my roof. I cut a 6x12 piece of kraft and split again in half, one for each side. I left a gap to attach to my 6x12 sides, marked my half and folded it the way you would for an airplane to create the triangles to grab my roof, architecture 101 right!!!! Of course that gave another place to stamp! As you can see in the photos you’re not cutting anything away. It ended up being really secured and in the right angle to fit the house.
I used a die cut to cut my nutcrackers, slightly obsessed about them on Christmas,,, and another for the small arched windows on the front.