A Tribute to Papa Ted and Famous Putz Collection

This is a great article that recently came out about Ted Althoff, otherwise known as Papa Ted in the world of villaging and collectible village pieces.  He has collected a very extensive ensemble of village houses known as Putz, and is a wonderful resource and knowledgeable authority on these older type of village houses. 

Check out his site for a nostalgic trip back in time to some of the early days of villaging.  http://www.papatedsplace.com/ 

Another 5 Great Traditions for Your Family During Christmas

We've added a new excerpt to our library of Christmas stories and articles at Villagescapes by Village Fantasies. Check out our stories page at http://villagefantasies.blogspot.com/p/article-library-by-village-fantasies.html 

Oh Where oh Where Have My Villagescape Photos Gone

What is a villager to do when their harddrive file full of Villagescape photos ends up being inaccessible because the computer had a mind of its own and moved them to an imaginary removable media device entitled local Disk C? He screams at the top of his lungs. Plug your ears, this could get painful.

Wonderland of Noble Firs on Display and Sale at Riley's Farm

A trip back in time to colonial America, a stimulating and invigorating experience that brings smiles and appreciation of a simpler time in our country's history.  At Riley's Farm in the historical Southern California apple town of Oak Glen, you can not only enjoy reenactments and hands on activities that hark back to our country's roots, but you can also buy #1 grade Noble Firs like these cheap, enjoy live music, fresh ground wheat bread, a tavern fireplace, and Adventures in the Old World? Make plans!

Linda and I at Riley's Farm-circa 2009(love that word 'circa', sounds so historical)

A Christmas Village Preview From Villagescapes Past

The Village Fantasies Villagescape transitions from the colors of the fall season in to winter with a light dusting of an overnight snowfall.  A Christmas village with added texture and detail will cause your thoughts to wander back to an earlier forgotten time.

Windermere Church in late fall

A Bountiful and Happy Thanksgiving to All

From us at Village Fantasies, a belated but wonderful Happy Thanksgiving to all of you

Christmas Traditions-Give Your Family Something to Look Forward to With a New Tradition

Christmas Traditions-Give Your Family Something to Look Forward to With a New Tradition

Check out our new Christmas tradition article about adding some new flavor to your annual holiday festivities.

Shutdown of Yahoo Christmas Village Designer Group Leads Many to Tears

My apologies must go out to those who stuck with us on the Yahoo group known as Christmas Village Designers. We weren't able to keep up with the posts necessary for three different social arenas, that being Facebook, the Yahoo Group, and this blog. We made the difficult choice to eliminate the Yahoo group after notifying all the members. We hope that many of you alerted have arrived here safely and are enjoying what we feel is a much more useful and flexible site for displaying all that Village Fantasies has to offer.

Steve

Thanksgiving Music Anyone??

We were just wondering if anyone had any favorite background music that they liked to listen to during the Thanskgiving holiday.  We yearly hear the Christmas tunes playing over the airwaves, but why aren't there any recognizable Thanksgiving tunes?

Pipe in if You Dabble with Harvest Village Displays

Would love to hear back, with photos if possible, from anyone who does any harvest themed villages. I know I'm not the only one.

The Nostalgia of Elgin Park

For anyone who is nostalgic about our country's history like I am, you have to check out Michael's Smith's Elgin Park diorama photos.  His work is amazing.  As someone who appreciates skilled miniature replication, I am in awe of his talents, and eye for detailed imagery.

Michael and I are both cut from a similar cloth, in that we have a passion for seeing larger scale scenery in a smaller format.  The level he has mastered, is being able to replicate miniature vignettes of the 1930s to 50s using scale model cars and buildings typical of the day, and adding magnificently realistic photo backdrops to add a fullness and lifelike image to his work.  Except without the life. You'll notice there are no people in the photos.

Take a look at his use of shadowing and light grading. I'm a fan for life.

Welcome to Elgin Park

  

Christmas Village Design Ideas

Thought I'd share a photo of a prop I made for a village several years ago.  A trash can.  Very simply made from a tiny 35mm film canister. The size was perfect, and just had to paint it to get rid of the shiny plastic appearance. The latest early 19th Century New England Coastal Villagescape doesn't need that. I don't believe they used public trash bins back in those days.

Here is one of our handmade stairways just below.

Apple Pie in Time for the Traditional Harvest Feast of Thanksgiving

It's time to get that apple pie ordered from Oak Glen in time for our Thanksgiving feast. But whose is the best? That is the question.  Nonetheless, need to get one ordered.

A Salute to Our Veterans

Our salute goes out to all veterans, for those who sacrificed their lives and those who are willing to do so in the name of our freedoms and rights. Today, our flag waves boldly in the breeze.

Wave Boldly Old Glory

A Perfect Day at the Base of the San Bernardino Mountains

Linda and I spent an overdue birthday celebration up in Oak Glen, CA on Sunday.  The weather was perfect ,with the landscape awash in fall colors and a crisp breeze to remind us of the holidays about to arrive.  Here is some of the proof of that color.  Sorry about the blurry photo quality. My regular camera battery died, and the Blackberry photos, although they work in a pinch, just aren't as clear.  The reddish tree to the bottom right is a Japanese Maple, and one that does not do well in many areas of the Inland Empire, nor many other parts of Southern California. The cooler mountain climate of Oak Glen must do it well.

My beautiful Linda at Willowbrook Farm in Oak Glen

An Amazing Day in a Glorious Hillside Village

Linda and I spent a spectacular outing in one of our favorite locations today, the foothill apple village of Oak Glen here in Southern California at the base of the San Bernardino mountains.  I have been visiting Oak Glen with family since a young boy, and love it more with every adventure.  A great deal of my inspiration for our Villagescapes comes from visiting scenic locations like this.

Today, among our several stops of the day, was one to a new Bed and Breakfast that opened earlier this year, and the very first in Oak Glen, Serendipity Ranch Bed and Breakfast.   There we met the owners Bill and Nina, and were quick to tell them how happy we were to see their type of accomodations now being offered in Oak Glen.  The village atmosphere is perfect for their warm homestyle accomodations.  Surrounded by nature and wildlife in all its glory, we know we'll be back, and will pass the word on to family and friends.

I hope you check out their website, and pay them a visit for your own tour: Serendipity Ranch Bed and Breakfast

New Pages

We've added a couple of new pages to our blog, and will soon have them updated.  Soon you'll be able to see wonderfully detailed photos of our Villagescapes in our Photo Gallery page, and articles we have written in our Stories page. 

Great News! Now anyone can post

Just thought I'd let everyone know that for now, anyone can make a post to our blog. Want to make it as simple as possible to interact for you fans of Village Fantasies, and those who just want to share thoughts and ideas about harvest and Christmas villages.

Oak Glen from Winter of 2009

Oak Glenn-winter of 2009- thank you Riley's Farm

Great resource for Facts on Putz Christmas Villages

In case anyone is curious, you may want to check out this site for info on the traditional Putz villages that were originated by the Moravian culture that immigrated to the Pennsylvania area long ago.

http://www.victoriana.com/christmas/putz.htm

The Smell of Cider Brewing and a Christmas Village Display Around the Corner

Riley's at Los Rios Ranchos

Locally here in Southern California, many of us have a fall season destination where we can get away from the common everyday congestion and angry tirades that are encountered throughout an everyday clock cycle.  One of our family's favorites is the small mountain foothill town of Oak Glen just at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains above Yucaipa.  My own family has been visiting the town known for its apple orchards and village lifestyle for over 50 years now. The fall season brings the harvesting of numerous varieties of apples, amazing apple pie, and cleaner air to breathe than what we're used to on the lower flatlands.

One thing is missing though. A town Harvest Village Display, and when Christmas arrives, a Christmas Village display. Oak Glen would benefit tremendously from a grand display set up at a central point for visitors to linger around and enjoy as part of the yearly festivities.

After dinner at Hawk's Head Public House
at Riley's Farm in Oak Glen

Fall Ushering in the Harvest and Christmas Village Season

We may have finally reached our true fall season here in Southern California, as we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday seasons. I should say the Harvest and Christmas village seasons, for those of you who are die hard villagers like us.  Would love to hear what everyone has in mind for the upcoming village displays. Not necessarily what pieces you are putting out this season, but how you plan on displaying them that is new. We're all about the creativity and design here, not so much about the collecting.

Christmas and Harvest Villages - A New Horizon

I was asked recently why I discontinued the main Village Fantasies website, even though it had risen to the top of the second page of Google and Yahoo alike under "Christmas Villages" and "Christmas village displays". It was a really popular site, but took too much work, and we felt it wasn't serving the purpose intended. We're hoping the blog and this fan page will rise to that same level of entertainment and following. Thank you everyone.

New Harvest Villagescape and Christmas Villagescape Photos to come

Stay tuned for some new photos and hopefully a video of our new Harvest Villagescape to welcome in the Harvest Thanksgiving season. Soon after we'll be unveiling some changes to our ever popular Christmas Village display, or I should say our Christmas Villagescape.

The harvest season is here!

Ah....it's finally starting to look more like a fall season around here. Clouds in the sky, blustery winds, and a few drizzles dampening the pavement. If only our maples trees would turn yellows and reds instead of that crispy brown we've come to know.

Thomas Kinkade Hawthorne Village collection

Anyone else incorporate the discontinued Thomas Kinkade Hawthorne Village pieces in their displays? Those are the Seaside Village and/or Lamplight Village pieces that are based on Mr. Kinkade's artwork of the same name. Wonderfully detailed and realistic collectibles that are actually my preference over Department 56, Lemax, and other collections. The detail is incredible, and even though made of resin(I believe), they are a denser product which prevents unwanted light from shining through the walls of the piece. It only comes through where you want it, the windows.

Thomas Kinkade's Windermere Church

Christmas Village or Harvest Village Displays?

I was curious if anyone is already prepping or thinking about their displays for the soon upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Whether you are getting excited about your next Christmas Village or our deciding to dabble and experiment with a Harvest Village display, we'd like to hear about your ideas or see your photos.

Great display photo

A very simple display without much creativity, but a wonderful photo as a result of the correct camera angle, and the depth of the photo with the hilltop buildings in the background.  Nice work.

Classic World War II era putz style village houses

Anyone have any of these World War II era vintage homes. Classics, and how must of us villagers got our start. I grew up every Christmas looking forward setting up our small display with several of these. Still have some, but unfortunately they're not in the same prime condition of old. 

Amazing Thomas Kinkade replicas

One of my favorite Hawthorne Village Thomas Kinkade replicas.  Unfortunately the entire line was discontinued as a result of the economic slump. Too bad.  The detail is far more realistic and refined than anything I've seen D56, Lemax, or any other collection put out. I have some favorite pieces from those collections, but they just can't compare.  Look at the realistic windows. You know how the light shines through the walls of the average village collectible? Not with these. The light only shines through the windows.  Everything is proportional as well.

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A few more photos for the Harvest Season upon us

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Fog Effect?

Maybe this will be the year we add a fog effect to our Villagescape. Still trying to figure out how without dampening the Villagescape. Nothing worse than soggy artificial snow.

Village Fantasies Harvest to Christmas Transition Villagescape

Here's the video reposted with annotations.

Thank you Facebook and website fans

Thanks to all you wonderful Facebook Fans and converted fans from our now down website. We hope you sign up for regular Village Fantasies updates, and we also look forward to hearing from you as well.

Village Fantasies Harvest to Christmas Transition Villagescape

Here's a raw video of a past Villagescape. Sorry for the quality problems

Nostalgiac Starlit Villagescape

Here's an older Villagescape photo from a couple of years back showing one of our first experiments with star and moonlit backlighting for the night time sky

Christmas Villages in Medical Offices?

Here's an idea to consider: Doesn't it make sense that the sheer presence of a Village Fantasies Villagescape located within the lobby of a medical or dental practice or hospital would add a relaxing effect to what is normally a somewhat stressful environment? Be it pediatrics or general medicine, all can benefit from the soothing effects of a harvest or Christmas village display. It would help take a patient's mind off, if only temporarily, the negative aspect of their medical visit.

Inspiration for the Holidays

We're always looking for great sources of historical inspiration,from history-based books and movies to authentically sound web sources.Anyone have any suggestions?

Grand New England Bay in Store for Villagescape

We've gotten really great responses to our bay front for the early 19th Century New England villagescape, so we've decided some nice updates are in order. Stay tuned for great highlights.

Hummingbird Guarding its Nest

Took several great photos of this hummingbird outside the front of the house today. It had made a nest in our Leyland Cypress tree. A tiny bird, making a tiny nest, for its tiny two eggs. Check out our photo tab on Facebook for the rest of the photos.

This is new inspiration for our Villagescapes. How to incorporate examples like these of nature's beauty within our Villagescapes?.

Sister site Showcase to Ideas gone forever

Anyone checking out our sister site - www.showcasetoideas.com recently will find that the site is down. It is no longer up. Kaput! Finished! Buried! Sorry to those of you who were fond of the craft and decorating site.