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"At first those little lit houses did not interest me in the least," recalls Lois Rouse, North Carolina Department 56 collector, whose first hobby was building dollhouses. "I would buy Department 56 accessories to use in my dollhouses."
It wasn’t until much later when her daughter bought Lois her first lighted piece, Al’s TV Shop, that she became hooked, that was 15 years ago.
"My collection now includes lit pieces from Dickens’, New England, Alpine, Christmas in the City, and Snow villages. If I like it, I buy it!"
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Water Scene Painted on Wallpaper The right-hand side of a 20' backdrop that also includes a residential and business district. Lois felt this backdrop was too bland... |
And her displays are just as eclectic often mixing village pieces. "If they fit the scene that I envision then I use them. Anything goes!" For example, she placed Dickens’ Ashley Pond Skating Party and Seven Swans A-Swimming together with the Snow Village Treetop Tree House and a children’s swing accessory from Lowe's to create a Children’s Park scene.
Lois became even more creative with her displays when she began hand-painting her own village backdrops. "To give my village a purpose and not to have it hanging in thin air with no beginning and no end," she says. "It also is a good way to hide all those many wires, give my village depth, and for self-satisfaction. I love detail in my villages!"
"I use painting as a way to unwind, to relax, and to rid myself of stress," she adds.
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Water Scene Painted on Wallpaper ...so the next year she added more color and detail to it. Note the sea gulls above the mountain stream. |
Self-taught, Lois gets inspiration from Christmas cards "that remind me of little miniature villages" and then free-hands clouds, trees, flowers, buildings, and water scenes painting a theme that fits the display scene she is working on. She also personalizes her backdrop scenes. "There is one with my church with its name on a sign in front of it. I have a post office with a tiny cat laying in front, Lowe's, our local pet shop, and general store." And she often improvises including sea gulls circling over a mountain stream. "I caught quite a bit of ribbing about that," she laughs. "Sea gulls in ice country? Of course it was my village and I wanted them there so I left them. I just play with it and have fun!"
Whether it’s a water scene, farm, residential, or business district the backdrop extends her village scene.
Lois uses cardboard, wood, fabric, and/or wallpaper to create her backdrops. "I usually like to use one solid piece, not pieced together," she explains. These items are readily available and inexpensive. For example, for a large piece of cardboard - "Appliance stores are tickled to give you a refrigerator box."
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Lighted Backdrop Lois made this backdrop using cardboard, wood frame, blue cloth which she painted, and random twinkle lights. For the water scene, she painted water on a piece of luan plywood and used small pebbles and aquarium rock to create the shoreline. The sand is sandpaper. |
"Left over house paint can be used on all of these projects and is usually more economical," she continues. "Otherwise I buy 1/2 pint cans of acrylic paint found at most hardware stores."
Offering encouragement she adds, "Your painting doesn’t have to be a Rembrandt. Refer to books, magazines, and greeting cards for inspiration and trace them if you feel you can’t draw them."
Multi-talented, Lois also makes her own mountains to include in her displays. "I have mountains made from crumpled grocery bags, then stapled to cardboard and painted to resemble mountains. We did this at church when we put on our Easter play The Promise. It's real easy, non-messy and is another way to recycle."
Seeing the expressions of awe on the faces of those viewing her village displays brings Lois her greatest joy. "It makes it worth all the effort that went into it."
Lois counts the Village Greenhouse among her favorite pieces. "I used to work in a greenhouse and when I saw the retired Greenhouse, I purchased it and then scouted for accessories to use with it."
All photos courtesy of Lois Rouse.