Started my Christmas baking:
Ken complained very bitterly ...although he's supposed to be on a diet! So today I'll making mince meat tarts for real.

Teeny Tiny Creches

Remember this creche?Finished it's 5/16" wide by 1/4" tall Those trees were supposed to be at the back & I think my star is upside down. Someday I'll have to remember to read instructions before gluing!
These are my 3 creches as well as the Tudor house. I won't paint the two smaller creches; a coat of paint makes the tabs too thick to insert. I was happy just to fit the pieces together!!!
At the far right is a lantern. At least I wasn't so quick with the glue on it; I've only laid the top on the lantern so if I want, I can place a light inside. I do have 2 lanterns so may hang one on each side of the market stand.
The house is a Tierneys Kit that I bought second hand. And the paper in back of this photocontains the instructions ...part of which reads:

Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier fur is perfect for straw effect on the painted wall and on roof for thatch.

Now I sorry.....can't you just see me walking the streets with my scissors in hand asking people if the dog they're walking is a "Wheaten"!

Starting My Sales Items

The design for the market stall is really quite ingenious. The roof, front counter and front wall can be glued on after the back shelves are filled. I'm just finishing off the siding so I thought I'd start on the items that I'll have for sale at this stall:
Isn't this an incredible size! I'm in awe of people who regularly work in this scale. BTW the gentleman that I bought this kit from, sells as small as 1:1000!

This is supposed to become a 3 story Tudor dollhouse. It's 1:144!! By the time I have all the shelves filled I may have to ask for new eyes from Santa...

Christkindl Market Stand - Beginning

I received a German magazine article about a year ago that describes how to build this type of market stall ...including movable shutters.It's a good thing that I know the rudiments of building because the instructions were a bit beyond my language skills. So I mainly worked from the photo and the parts list that showed sizes.
Here's where I am currently. Probably not the best photo...
And here's what I've learned from this build so far:
1. It's easier to work in centimeters than in inches; you can be so much more accurate.
2. In the magazine, the stall is made from scored plywood; I thought it would be more realistic to use craft sticks. Halfway through gluing the floor, I remembered why I swore never to use them again ...none of them are the same exact thickness, most aren't straight and it's almost impossible to get them level without sanding!
About that same time I discovered that our small sander is buried at the back of the garage behind all the patio furniture ....where I can't get to until spring and that our other sander no longer worked. Maybe Santa can bring me sander attachment for my dremel ...hint, hint I've been good, Santa!
I thought that it would be nice to have a decorated Christmas tree in the vignette. The tree at the left came from the Dollar Store. This is the one that I'll decorate while the one on the right which is a Lemax will become part of a tree lot.
This build is so easy I'll have lots of time for all the tiny ornament kits that I've collected.

Isn't that a gorgeous picture!

"Christkindlmarket" or "Weihnachtsmarkt" usually held in the market square, is associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent and originated in Germany and Alsace in the Late Middle Ages. The Vienna "December market" actually dates back to 1294.

From what I understand, the religious reformer Martin Luther began the tradition of Christmas present giving. Before Luther, the exchange of Christmas presents took place on the Saint Day of St. Nicholas (December 6). Luther, having 12 children, would tell them that on Christ's birthday the Christ child (Christkindl) rewarded good children with presents. The Christkindl, a romantic, fairy-like being, dressed in white and gold, with golden hair topped by a golden crown became a forerunner of Santa Claus.
When I was small, I set my shoes ...polished! outside my bedroom door & during the night St. Nicholas would fill them with fruit and candy. Then at Christmas, Santa Claus would magically fly through a window (we had no chimney) and bring me toys.

Popular attractions at the market include a nativity scene crèche, Zwetschenmännchen (figures made of decorated dried plums), carved nutcrackers, angel pyramids, traditional Christmas cookies such as Lebkuchen, a type of soft gingerbread, toys, books, Christmas tree decorations and ornaments.
Traditionally the most famous of the wooden Christmas ornaments were made in the Erzgebirge region of Germany which although originally a mining area, saw a decrease of those types of jobs beginning in the 16th century. Because the mountainous region was also rich in natural resources, a new tradition of wood carving began and here is where the first carved nutcrackers were made.

I have long wanted to build an old fashioned Christkindl market stall. It's going to be my next project.