Rolled magazine pages starburst wreath

Still haven't found out how to spin straw into gold, but I sure did a lot with magazines this holiday season!

Here's the last-minute wreath I did for Christmas Eve. Just rolled pages hot glued to a paper plate, with foam half-balls, glitter, and ribbon. So easy, and much better than consigning old Family Circles to the recycle bin.

Backtrack: Christmas card

I didn't design a Christmas card this year, (although I get half points for doing one for my daughter's birthday on the 18th)...I am the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person who finally slapped a few store-bought ones into the mail and called it a season. Or maybe I've lived long enough to know I can't do everything all the time; and if I really want a handmade one it's gonna have to start in, like, July.

So for those of you who just met me, which is pretty much anyone reading this except BBB (she knows who she is) here is one I did a few years ago and still like a lot. In fact, I think I'll just make the same one every year from now on and pretend it's a new idea...think it'll work?



Materials/tools I used: White card stock, printed image and text, crown punch, gold foil, bubble wrap, gold acrylic paint, vintage button, star stickers, torn paper, glitter, recycled coffee holder, glue stick, Mod Podge.

Merry Christmas from the Shannons!

O Tannenbaum

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A nearby community gallery put on an Alternative Tree Exhibit. I made some of my folded magazine trees for the exhibit and was pleased how they came out. Then I was inspired to do this mixed media piece for myself. It looks so great in my house, I decided the gallery could just do without it.

Materials/tools: Blank canvas, hot glue, 24k gold spray paint, rolled magazine pages, tissue paper, grapevine wreath, cork, Stickles Gold 1799, Memories Mist in Cherry Smoothie, plastic medallion, broken piece of brooch, cut letters from magazines, and of course, Mod Podge--cuz it rocks!

Noel Noel, Noel, Nooooooelll

I did one of those clove-studded lemons! I used to do these years ago, but stopped because it was so hard to stick the cloves through the peel. (DUUUHHHhhh--use a skewer first, Silly!) It smells absolutely Heavenly.



This is my favorite project from this year--folded magazine trees! I made a slew of them as gifts. This little one, which used to be the manual for my old Verizon phone, is the one I like best. I learned the process from watching MisadventurousMommy on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flpDtE4Zwng

Bling bling tree '11

This year I got a great idea: I thought, I love to wear my jewelry, so why shouldn't my Christmas tree love it, too? So, along with the vintage glass ornaments, I went through my necklaces, earrings, brooches, bracelets, and hair clips--even a tiara-- and put most of them to work as tree trimming. I really like the outcome.










No, I love the outcome!