Village Scaping: Halloween: 101
Village Scaping: Village Vignettes
Village Scaping: Creating Large Displays
Village Scaping: A Christmas Story
Village Scaping: Halloween: 102
Introducing Village Scaping DVDs: Numerous collectors have also requested a DVD format to help
them develop better displays. Good displays are more than lining up several buildings and lighting
them. It is important for the layout to flow throughout the display. Create some focal points, balance
the colors and shapes, and bring the viewer into the display. Some people prefer to learn these
techniques by watching someone else create them. Therefore, Village Display Tips has added a new
division called Village Scaping DVDs. If you are the visual type, Village Scaping DVDs are for you!
* NOTE: The best DVD for beginners is Halloween: 101 since it shows the steps to creating a beautiful display
using styrofoam, laying out the buildings, carves the styrofoam with a hot knife, demonstrates how to
paint water, color the styrofoam, hide the cords and personalize with detailing. Techniques are applicable to
any village.
Village Scaping: Halloween: 101 / DVD
Basic Display Development for Any Village
The premiere DVD is called Village Scaping: Halloween 101, this DVD shows how to develop a 75” x
33” basic, quick and easy display using styrofoam. Halloween 101 is illustrated with ten Halloween
related buildings, and numerous accessories - animated, lighted and static. The DVD begins by determining
a balanced layout, then creating and carving elevations with a hot wire; and proceeds
through painting and landscaping techniques, and accessorizing. It is not the purpose of this DVD
to have everyone duplicate the layout, but for viewers to learn more techniques to help them develop
their own layouts, for them to increase their enjoyment of the hobby of collecting porcelain
buildings, and to develop the confidence to build better displays. It IS intended to get the creative
juices flowing by thinking outside the box. Techniques used can be applied to any size village or
any other village, by adding more display area; and/or changing the choice of buildings, accessories
and coloration to suit that village. Therefore, although it features a Halloween motif, collectors
of any other villages will learn from this DVD. Just add your favorite buildings, you can do it
too! It is approximately one hour in length. Halloween 101 is available on DVD for $24.95 each, plus
shipping and handling.
Directed by Sasa Skoko and Leigh Gieringer
Featuring:
Flute solo by David Shostac, from his CD Romantic Flute II,
Meditation From Thais - Jules Massenet / www.davidshostac.com
Used with permission
You can preview the DVD online by selecting one of the following formats:
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Quick Time (small file)
Recommended for dial-up users.
Extension: .mov
◆ Basic step-by-step visual display development ◆ Materials ◆ Styrofoam carving ◆ Paint water and rocks
◆ Build elevations and caves ◆ Illustrated with Halloween Village, but ideas applicable to any village
◆ Hide cords ◆ Detailing ◆ And, more, more, more!
Village Scaping: Village Vignettes / DVD
Dozens of Display Building Techniques
Village Scaping: Village Vignettes offers display techniques for Year ‘Round Enjoyment! It’s interesting
how collecting porcelain houses is habit forming. Collectors have been showcasing their Christmas
villages for decades; however, something seems to be missing when the little buildings are put
away in their little boxes after the Holidays. It’s called Sensory Deprivation. There is a huge void!
But, there’s also a cure! Displaying porcelain houses has transcended patches of winter snow and
Christmas wreaths. Holly Red and Hunter Green can be replaced with Lipstick Red for Valentine’s
Day and Kelly Green for St. Patrick’s Day. Consider creating small, but versatile vignettes and
change the buildings periodically. Although Village Vignettes features seasonal themes, the techniques
used throughout the DVD can be applied to any village: large or small - or any season:
spring, summer, autumn or winter. The format of this DVD is a 48” round board, divided into four
quadrants...one for each season. Each has it’s own background. Learn to carve the landscape, add a
stream, develop an oceanfront, create paths, bridges or decks, or hide the white bases. These are
only a few of the topics shown and discussed on the Village Vignettes DVD. It’s filled with numerous
ideas to keep a display up throughout the year, to switch them for a new look, or to be included in a
large winter display. This DVD is easy to follow and very informative. No matter which village you
collect, this DVD will provide lots of village scaping ideas for inclusion into your next display. Just
add your favorite buildings. You can do it, too! It is approximately one hour in length. Village Vignettes
is available on DVD for $24.95 each, plus shipping and handling.
Directed by Sasa Skoko and Leigh Gieringer
Featuring:
David Shostac - Flute from his CD Romantic Flute II/Antoinette Perry, Piano
Czardas - Vittorio Monti / www.davidshostac.com
Used with permission
◆ Dozens of village display techniques ◆ Applicable for any village ◆ Four different seasons ◆ Four different times of day
◆ Four different ways to create water, landscape, backgrounds and lighting ◆ Create one display, substitute buildings to refresh display◆ Hide cords ◆ Extremely educational ◆ A great reference for beginners and a seasoned display builder ◆ And, more, more, more!
Village Scaping: Creating Large Displays / DVD
Organizing, Placement & Color Usage for Dynamic Results
Now that you have all these beautiful little porcelain buildings, what can you do with them? Step
One: Don’t be intimidated. Step Two: Take them out of the boxes. Step Three:Watch the DVD! Developing
Large Displays features two separate North Pole Villages (through 2003). Each includes approximately
100 buildings and hundreds of accessories.
The DVD's intent is to assist collectors in organizing and creating large village settings. One display
has been created using styrofoam and glass blocks. The other - a more permanent display - is constructed
out of wood and features the excellence of J. Michael Sanders. Each showcases various
building materials, unique building placement and various techniques to make a dynamic and
striking village. Lighting effects, animation, conserving space, detailing, “Polarizing” non-North
Pole buildings - in case you want more buildings, are only some of the topics covered on this dynamic
DVD. Although this DVD features the North Pole, many of the ideas and techniques used
can also be applied to other villages. Just add your favorite buildings. You can do it, too! It is approximately
one hour in length. Creating Large Displays is available for $24.95 each, plus shipping
and handling.
Directed by Sasa Skoko and Leigh Gieringer
Featuring:
David Shostac - Flute from his CD Romantic Flute II/ Antoinette Perry, Piano
www.davidshostac.com / Used with permission
◆ Illustrated with the North Pole Village ◆ Organizing huge displays ◆ Development in sections ◆ Adding to an existing village display◆ Different effects ◆ Attract the viewer's attention ◆ Unifying sections and multiple areas ◆ Detailing
◆ More advanced - Assumes the basics of of display are known, but works well with other DVDs ◆ And, more, more, more!
Village Scaping: A Christmas Story / DVD
Developing City Streets / Quick & Easy Displays
The development of a layout is centered around the placement of the buildings. The spaces between
groups of buildings are as important as the buildings themselves. They create a visual relief from
the intricate architectural structures, separate sets of buildings from each other and provide interest.
They form streets, courtyards, hardscapes and areas for accessorizing. Streets are an integral part of
any village scene: the old streets of London, fancy boulevards in The City, the charming avenues in
Snow Village, winding back roads of New England or Halloween, pathways in Alpine, and the fanciful
arterials in North Pole. Even a simple display will require streets around the buildings. And, if
time or space are limitations to constructing mountains, water and backgrounds, it is both quick
and easy to dress up your display very cost effectively with items found in home improvement
stores. But, how do you work with them?
A Christmas Story, featuring Dickens’ The Christmas Carol buildings, shows the viewer how to develop
a beautiful display using linoleum, porcelian and slate tiles, as well as travertine bricks to
form city streets and retaining walls. Not only are they realistic, they can set the mood and formality
of the scene by enhancing the buildings which are placed on them. They are easy to use and create
impact! The DVD also shows how to use an engraving tool to create your own cobblestones and
retaining walls; as well as to weather accessories - aging them to fit into the setting better, and more!
The items used are only a small selection of what is available. Make your selection based on the coloration
and style of your chosen buildings. Cool grays or warm taupes: most pieces blend best with
one or the other. Strong burgundies, royal blues or purples might accent North Pole buildings. Simulated
marble patterns formalize special buildings. Larger displays can use a variety of coordinated
choices. Small vignettes may be limited to one special selection. Just add your favorite buildings.
Directed by Sasa Skoko and Leigh Gieringer
Featuring:
Flute solo by David Shostac, from his CD Romantic Flute II
The Swan from Carnival of the Animals - Camille Saint-Saëns
and Schön Rosmarin - Fritz Kreisler / www.davidshostac.com
Used with permission
◆ Basic - "Quick and Easy" visual display development ◆ Creating elevations ◆ Develop city streets and public squares
◆ Unite buildings or separate them ◆ Great ideas for modular construction ◆ Hide cords ◆ Illustrated with Dickens' Village A Christmas Story sub-series ◆ Applicable for any village ◆ And, more, more, more!
Village Scaping: Halloween: 102 /DVD
Realistic Landscape Treatments
The Halloween Village has become one of the most popular villages to acquire and display. The
themed buildings are exciting, many with animation to enthusiastically bring the viewer into the
display. There are few limits on creativity. A display can be fun, colorful and vibrant, with cute, little
trick or treaters roaming through out the streets; or become dark, eerie, and scary.
Or, it can be a combination of both effects. Halloween: 101 goes into the basics of display building...
working with styrofoam as the main building material. Developing caves, carving slopes,
painting as well as detailing to personalize your village. The techniques can be applied to any village
by changing the coloration and choice of buildings.
The techniques in Halloween: 102 are more advanced, but are likewise versatile for application
within other villages. Although styrofoam is still the main display element, canned insulation foam
adds a unique touch to form the surrounding landscape - especially in a rocky Halloween, New
England, Snow Village or Alpine mountain scene. The effects of using sands, turf and other landscape
materials is stunning!
This DVD features eight lighted houses with numerous accessory pieces. Most buildings provide
clues to how they should be displayed. Those become the focal points of the display. A mill needs
water. It will be on a stream. The stream drops off a rocky embarkment into a river. It's the perfect
excuse to accent a train. The train runs on track, goes over trestles placed in the water and provides
the illusion of being able to disappear into the tunnels. Go for the simple, quick way; or try a more
striking scene. A stone look or wood, it depends on your time commitment and desire for detail.
Painting water, creating water falls, weathering and aging; Halloween: 102 offers many new ideas
and techniques to include in your next village display. Just add your favorite buildings. You can do
it, too! Halloween: 102 is approximately one hour in length. It is available on DVD for $24.95 each,
plus shipping and handling.
As a special treat, the home of Elaine Schlaht is transformed each Halloween as ghosts and gobblins;
black bats, and black cats; spiders, and witches pay a visit. Observe closely. Her exquisite Halloween
presentation provides numerous ideas for you to apply in your next Halloween display.
Directed by Sasa Skoko and Leigh Gieringer
Featuring:
Flute Solos by David Shostac, from his CD Romantic Flute II, Antoinette Perry - Piano
Song of the Birds - Catalan Folk Song
Day and Night - Russian Gypsy Song
www.davidshostac.com
Used with permission
◆ More advanced step-by-step visual display building ◆ Materials ◆ Elevations ◆ Paint murky water
◆ Use of insulation foam & landscape materials ◆ Build train tressles & tunnel faces ◆ Weathering and aging
◆ Hide cords ◆ Create backgrounds ◆ Illustrated with Halloween Village, but ideas applicable to any village ◆ And, more, more, more!
Village Scaping: Halloween: 101
Village Scaping: Village Vignettes
Village Scaping: Creating Large Displays
Village Scaping: A Christmas Story
Village Scaping: Halloween: 102
No village collector should be without this informative resource.
Only $24.95 plus shipping and handling. To place an order, click on Order Information.
Visa and MasterCard welcome.
