orange and coral autumn church

September 22, 2024 – 12:55 pm

This pale orange and dark coral, autumn church is listed in my Etsy shop. It features a handcrafted wooden, picket fence, handcrafted pumpkins and a handcrafted autumn tree.

The base measures 4 7/8″ wide by 7 3/4″ deep. The Putz is 7 3/4″ tall as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the steeple.

The base is made from an upcycled greeting card featuring the words “Wishing you JOY at Thanksgiving” and a short verse. The word “JOY” is highlighted with copper foil. The traditional hole in the back allows the use of a small LED light string for lighting this and other glitter houses in your glitter house village.

I handcrafted the wooden picket fence from coffee stir sticks. Handcrafted fences can be made in many different patterns. The autumn tree is made with a tree armature, artificial foliage, and tiny leaf litter.

The churchyard has autumn shrubs made from sponge flock, five pumpkins, and tiny leaf litter.

My Putz houses are constructed of white poster board, from patterns I draw myself. Currently, I don’t sell patterns. I cut each piece by hand. No diecuts are used in the creation of my Putz houses. The base is made from an upcycled greeting card. Landscaping the yard, after the building and fence are glued to the base, is one of my favorite parts of creating these little Putz buildings.

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information. https://christmasnotebook.com/putz-little-glitter-houses/

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

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country drive

September 10, 2024 – 3:35 pm

The weather the past weekend was beautiful. REC and I took the opportunity to take a country drive. We went out to Old Salem Cemetery where family members rest. It is a quiet and peaceful place. Care is taken to treat it with respect, keeping it in good condition. Recently, the tombstones were professionally cleaned and they gleamed in the bright sunlight.

REC visited with family…

…and did a bit of birdwatching on the side.

The cemetery is bounded by woods on two sides and corn fields on the other two sides.

Childhood memories pop up when I’m taking a leisurely drive on the back roads. Not sure why. Maybe because we took country roads almost every Sunday to have dinner at my maternal grandparents’ house or for a visit at my paternal grandparents’ home.

Dad always drove. Mom always talked about what she saw out the car window. She loved any wooded area and she’d talk about what was blooming in the woods, how beautiful the leaves were in the fall, how tall the goldenrod was growing along the road, how peaceful a fresh snowfall looked in the woods.

Country roads link me to my childhood. They link me to my mother.

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in the garden

September 2, 2024 – 8:07 pm

The weather was beautiful today. I went outside and supervised while my husband worked in the yard. We plan to have some topsoil added to the yard as the dirt is so poor. To get ready for that, DH potted some hosta that were going to be in the way of the new dirt. Hosta do great in pots as long as they are watered. We have some potted hosta arranged around the old pump fountain.

The hosta in the back, to the right, is ‘Green Fountain.’ It has been planted in the same old, iron kettle for at least fifteen years. When it was moved to our current home last year, DH pulled it out, added some new soil and put it back in the kettle. It has always thrived. A few of the hosta around the pump are in plastic pots. We are changing those out to ceramic pots a few at a time. When we moved to this house a few years ago, DH potted plants from the old garden in every pot we could get our hands on. As it turned out, our older son and his family bought our previous house and now we have perpetual access to the old garden.

A few weeks ago, we had a tree crew take out one of our large oak trees. It has been failing over the past year of so. I asked that they leave a stump, and I asked that they cut the trunk into rounds for use in the garden. They will make nice places to sit for a while, or we can use them as side tables next to the concrete benches in the garden. DH counted the rings in the trunk. It was about 50 years old. Our small yard has maybe eight more oaks that look like they could have been planted at the same time. They line the west and the north sides of our yard.

About ten feet behind this tree is our neighbor’s ten acres. He is actively planting new trees. We love the view! It’s like having a private park in our backyard.

Every season has been beautiful. Below, Winston enjoys a spring sunset with a side of daffodils on the craft desk. It has been nice to watch the sun move north to south and back to north as the year goes by.

After DH’s bicycle accident on Memorial Day, he wasn’t able to work in the yard for two months. Now, at the end of the season, we are doing some catch-up. But it is always good to get outside and see what’s going on.

We have a water station by the back door of the catio, near the pump fountain. So far, we have seen feral cats, skunks, possoms, a fox, raccoons, Chuckles the ground hog, and even an armodillo making daily/nightly visits to the water station. We caught a nighttime picture of a raccoon and a skunk sharing the water with each other. This was several weeks ago, before DH planted a large hosta in the empty pot. Most visit at night, but Chuckles and the feral cats are daytime visitors, too.

I hope you enjoyed a peek at our yard.

My younger son, who oversees the blog for me, thinks he has fixed the problem the comment section has had. I’d love to hear from you. What’s going on in your yard?

~~Rhonda 🙂

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TINY MINI size St. Nick’s tree farm

August 30, 2024 – 6:10 pm

This is the third in a series of tree farms, made in the three sizes I work with. ORIGINAL is 4-6″ tall. MINI is 2-4″ tall and TINY MINI is 1-2″ tall. These three putz were made from the same pattern. The ORIGINAL size building on the left is 4 1/4″ tall. The MINI one in the middle is 3 1/4″ tall. The TINY MINI one on the right is 2″ tall.

The same pattern was used for all three buildings, with minor changes. On the middle one, I left off the top window and used the space to display a wreath. On the third one, I left the top window off, as well, leaving room for a sign. I cut the windows on the third putz house without pane dividers because the openings were so small.

Photos make it hard to grasp the actual size of the TINY MINI putz. The building is 2 3/4″ wide, counting the overhang of the roof. It is 1 1/8″ deep and 2″ tall.

The card I used to make the base features a vintage truck carrying a Christmas tree. The truck and most of the words are picked out in red foil. The house has the traditional hole in the back to provide access for the use of an LED light string to light the building at night.

The fence is made from poster board and cut in a wavy design with decorative scissors. There are nine trees and two wreaths displayed in the yard.

The sign is printed on glitter paper. It doesn’t photograph well, but has a beautiful shimmer when viewed in person. The name of the tree farm is taken from the upcycled card used to make the base.

Meander up the path and choose the perfect tree for your home! Then come in and enjoy hot chocolate and Christmas cookie treats! Merry Christmas!

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information. https://christmasnotebook.com/putz-little-glitter-houses/

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Putz Houses | Comments (0)

mini size tree farm

August 25, 2024 – 9:40 am

My putz houses are made in three sizes. The largest size is ORIGINAL which is approximately 5-6″ tall. It is the size I draw all new patterns. MINI is 3-4″ tall. To get this size, I copy an pattern at 75% of its original size. TINY MINI is up to 2″ tall, and is copied at 50% of the original pattern. Sizes are approximate, but they fit most situations. Sometimes there is an additional elements that have to be figured into the equation. For instance, an ORIGINAL size church would be taller, up to 8″ tall because of the steeple.

Below, the putz on the left is an ORIGINAL size. The one on the right, from the same pattern, is a MINI size.

Patterns can often be altered to make new putz that aren’t identical copies from the same pattern. I left off the upper window on the MINI tree farm and replaced it with a large wreath. A small difference, but a new look. The addition of a small roof could be added to one side of the shed to provide cover for the firewood. The chimney could be left off, or changed in style. The windows could be one pane, two, or four, as shown. These putz have corrugated roofs. They could be made with smooth cardboard for another look.

The tree lot has multiple size trees available. You can find the perfect one for your home!

The name for this tree farm was taken from the picture on the card used to make the base. The base also inspired the type of fence I made for the tree lot.

The sign is printed on glitter paper (which doesn’t photograph well). Next to the shed, on the right side, is a stack of firewood, ready to keep the stove burning.

The post and board fence is made from slivered popsicle sticks and craft matchsticks.

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information. https://christmasnotebook.com/putz-little-glitter-houses/

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Putz Houses, winter putz | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

snow valley Christmas tree farm

August 18, 2024 – 9:25 pm

I realized I have only one Christmas Tree Farm Lot in my Etsy shop. I drew a few new patterns last week and this is the first edition of this pattern.

The putz measures 6 7/8″ wide by 5 1/8″ deep. The structure is 4 1/2″ tall as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the chimney. The fence is made from cinnamon sticks.

The base is made from an upcycled Christmas card featuring a red truck, puppies, a Christmas tree and gifts. A hole in the back of the building allows the use of a small LED light string for lighting this and other glitter houses in your Christmas village.

A total of eight trees are displayed in the yard. Three handcrafted wreaths rest against the fence and the trees, ready to hang on your front door.

A tiny dog waits for his family to come back out so they can load up their Christmas tree.

Snow Valley Tree Farm, ready for the Christmas holiday! The roof is made from corrugated cardboard, mimicking a raised-ridge metal roof.

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information. https://christmasnotebook.com/putz-little-glitter-houses/

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

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MINI size ivory and purple spring putz house

August 14, 2024 – 4:57 pm

This MINI size spring house is from the same pattern as the winter house I made last week. I scalloped the front of the roof on the spring house and added divided window panes rather than the larger ones used in the winter house.

The base of the spring house measures 6 1/2″ wide by 4 1/2″ deep. It is 4 1/2″ high as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the pip tree.

The house sits on the base at an angle. It features paper and velvet flowers, a budding pip tree, and a tiny robin’s nest in the valley between the two roofs on the front of the house. The sidewalk curves from the front door to the opening in the fence.

The base is a beautiful spring-themed greeting card featuring a Carolina wren and her brood. A hole in the back of the little glitter house allows the use of a small LED light string to light this and other houses in your putz village.

The yard is enclosed with a poster board fence cut with decorative scissors.

I made the bird nest from paper-wrapped wire. The eggs are faux cookie sprinkles. The nest is 1/4″ wide

Made in shades of purple, green and yellow, this little house greets spring with an abundance of flowers.

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information.

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  đź™‚

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Putz Houses, spring putz house | Comments (0)

mini size ivory and periwinkle winter putz house

August 10, 2024 – 10:42 am

This house came together more slowly than usual. I finished it last night, and listed it in my Etsy shop. The link can be found at the end of the post.

This house is the first edition of this pattern, which I drew in February of this year. When I am designing a new pattern, I always make a paper mockup before finalizing the pattern. This particular one, though a simple pattern, needed three or four adjustments to make it work. Never cut a new pattern from poster board or cardboard without checking it with a mockup first! It will save more than a few headaches.

I paint each piece separately. One coat of paint is left to dry, then a second coat applied. While wet, the paint is covered with fine, clear glitter. When dry, I assemble the house with hot glue. The stepping stones for the sidewalk are painted directly onto the base. There are two steps leading up to the door.

It makes a cozy looking winter house. It isn’t possible to see in the pictures, but the tree is dusted with irridescent glitter.

The base is made from a greeting card, featuring two small children with gifts, knocking at the front door. A hole in the back allows the use of a small LED light string for lighting this and other glitter houses in your Christmas village.

The house features a small bumpout on the front of the house. Evergreen trims the roofs of the bumpout and the front door.

Santa’s view. A puff of smoke is included for those chilly winter nights when the fireplace is needed.

Details include the stepping stones, the door knob on the front door, the poster board fence with fence posts, and the evergreen hedge and trim.

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information.

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda  🙂

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Dad

August 2, 2024 – 12:01 pm

A light went out in my heart and life on July 20. God called my father home to Heaven after 91 productive years on this earth. Dad worked hard all his life. When he turned 75, he gave his business to my two brothers and “retired,” but Dad never quit going to work. He was there full time until several years ago, when his energy levels determined that afternoons were a better fit. He rarely missed a day. He fought cancer for the last four years of his life. He always regretted medical appointments that took him away from his desk. His last day at work was about a month before he died.

Dad and Mom married in 1952, the year after he graduated high school. They raised seven children and Dad worked hard to make our life as good as it could be. During my next to last visit with Dad, when he was easing his grip on life and finding it hard to stay awake, he whispered, “I’m sorry for the ways I failed you. I worked too much.” I cried when he said that. He said, “Don’t cry for me.” I told him, “I’m not. I’m crying for me.” His eyes were closed but he gave a faint chuckle and squeezed my hand. He understood. Dad never failed us. He did the best he could with the resources God granted him. We all should spend more time than we do with those we love the best, but I don’t remember ever thinking Dad was gone too much. He had to work. That was just a necessity of life as we grew up. It was God’s blessing to Dad that he loved his work. Dad asked to be buried in the clothes he wore to the shop. So appropriate.

When Dad’s father died, he realized that Grandpa hadn’t said “I love you” very often. He was a wonderful father and loved his family, but expressing love verbally was hard for him. Dad decided then that he wouldn’t let another opportunity go by when he could say “I love you. I’m very proud of you,” to his own family.

As much as he loved his family and his work, Dad’s faith in God was the most important aspect of his life. I am grateful for his example, living out his love for Christ in such a kind and generous way to all who had the honor of knowing him. I am eternally grateful that Christ’s intervention on our behalf means that death can’t separate us. We will be reunited one glad day.

I can’t imagine a life without my father in it. I was born a week after Dad turned 21. I am blessed, at my age, to have had him as a vibrant part of my life for so long. He loved us all, no matter the circumstances. We were his heart and his life.

We love you, Dad. We are very proud of you.

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in family | Tagged | Comments (0)

khaki and dark brown autumn house

July 26, 2024 – 9:37 pm

This is the second edition of the pattern 071924. The first one is the blue winter house. The autumn house features fall leaves, sunflowers and four pumpkins. The putz is 6 1/4″ wide by 4 1/2″ and 5 3/4″ tall, as measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the chimney.

The base is made from an upcycled greeting card picturing pumpkins. A hole in the back allows the use of a small LED light string for lighting this and other glitter houses in your glitter house village.

The yard is encircled with a poster board fence. Flowers and autumn shrubs fill the yard. I had planned to put an autumn tree in the front yard, but didn’t have room for it.

The details include sunflowers and handcrafted pumpkins. On the back of the house is a tiny black cat.

I love the tiny leaf litter. It sets off the autumn theme so well.

If you would like to see more of my Putz houses, as well as Christmas ornaments I have made from upcycled holiday cards, please visit my Etsy shop.

ChristmasNotebook.etsy.com

If you are interested in crafting Putz houses of your own, check out my Putz tutorials for more information. Putz House Tutorials The blog can be searched for “tutorial” to find any that aren’t linked to the tutorial page. Working on that!

I am always happy to answer questions about the process. Please ask, if you are wondering about the details of putzing!

All proceeds from my Etsy shop benefit Kenya Mercy Ministries. They work with the urban poor of Nairobi, Kenya, particularly the children and their families who live in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Thank you for your part in helping these children when you purchase items from my shop!

~~Rhonda 🙂

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