Happy Holidays

It's usually a given that a snowstorm will snarl traffic or delay flights during the Christmas season, but this year it's been very warm.  Sandals and short sleeves on Christmas Day - I don't think that's ever happened before.  I can remember one Christmas when it was -20 F at noon and the Massachusetts Turnpike was littered with frozen cars.  But we decorate 'seasonally' whatever the weather so I want to show you these frosty decorations.

All made by a talented artist (my sister) who even picked the grapevines for the third wreath, which is massive - four feet wide!

Hope you celebrated the holidays in style.  Happy Holidays from the Great Escape!

Wreath Obsession - Part 4

The obsession is catching - this was made by one of my Girl Scouts. 

Wreath Obsession - Part 3

I spend too much time and money drinking coffee (and tea and chai) either home made, or shamefully often, from coffee shops. (Although many Girl Scouts around here hold adult planning and recruitment meetings at coffee shops.) I frequent Panera, Starbucks, DD, any handy cafe, any time I feel the need of a pick me up.  In an effort to reuse the cardboard sleeves used to keep hands from burning, I've been saving them. DD and friends have donated theirs.  I cut them open and separated the unglued sides from the glued ones.  Sadly, Starbucks prints a date on each one, so they are not as useful as they might be, and have to be painted.  I fooled with whether to cut holly leaves, paint with thinned latex, acrylic or alcohol...but finally made this.

The ethereal tulle bow does not photograph well, but the streamers are long, and notched at the bottom.  Here it is before the bow.

I think the different textures are attractive, don't you?  I used unthinned latex paint, a .50 cent sample that I picked up in Florida at an Ace Hardware (always check the sample sale table!)

I hope this is the last wreath I feel compelled to make in 2014.  (Is there a support group for crazy crafters and Pinterest addicts?)

The GE committee will be meeting the first week of February to begin work on the workshop schedule for GE 2015, so if you have suggestions, requests, or you want to teach one, let us know by email or comment here!

Now where the heck am I going to put this?

Wreath Obsession - Part 2

One small problem with the wrapped styrofoam wreaths is that they take up room to store.  I started seeing a lot of art on Pinterest that used old book pages, and scrapbook paper that looked as if it were covered with faded script.  Combining those two things with the leftover sheet music and a set of star-shaped cookie cutters, I came up with these totally flat wreaths, of which I made 7 last Christmas. Dollar store ribbon (from the wedding and baby sections) and paint dipped pine cones (yes, I saw that on Pinterest) finish them off.

 I gave all but one of the Christmas wreaths away.  On to Valentine's Day with more cookie cutters as stencils and doilies as a background.

 I found some heart shaped doilies at the store, added wrapping paper and hearts cut from bulb catalogs, and heart shaped resin 'jewels' sold at the dollar store as 'table scatter.'

Spring, Easter and Patriots' Day followed in their usual order.

Back to the stars and music, picks from the Dollar Store, ribbon from stash.

DD graduated from college.  This one stayed on the door all summer!  BTW, she had a wreath of some kind on her dorm door all year long. Every time she came home or we visited I gave her a new one.She made the first one herself using an old grape vine wreath, some shells she collected, sea stars we got as wedding favors, and lavender and hydrangeas that she picked from our garden.  That apple didn't fall too far!

 

Finally, fall came around again.  Leaves, nuts and pine cones dominated my thoughts.  Note the orange bow and apples which were recycled from the previous year's wrapped wreath.  I take the bows off to store the wreaths and reuse them.

The book page leaves on the second wreath are sprayed with alcohol ink.

As winter rolls around, all thoughts turn to holidays once more.  Last year I gave star wreaths to my wonderful service unit cookie and fall sale chairs.  This year, my rocking parade coordinator got this for Hanukkah. She said is her first wreath ever!

I made a few that I forgot to photograph as well.

As we start to think about workshops for Great Escape 2015, I'm thinking I might want to teach one on wreaths.  Ya think?

Next post; combining two obsessions, coffee and wreaths.

Wreath Obsession - Part 1

For almost three years now I've been obsessed with making wreaths.  I don't know why - I think it's something about the form of a circle within a circle.  I find the symmetry comforting.  (Why yes, plane geometry was my best math class ever!)

I challenge myself to make them from free/almost free materials.  I had some photocopied sheet music sitting around (it had been in the basement for years - took it out of a recycling bin) and I saw a wreath on Pinterest made of cones of music on a cardboard base.  That was in October 2012.  This was the result.  It's on my bedroom door right now.

I used the same stash to make these folded and cut ornaments.

The following Thanksgiving, I made these using garden center catalogs, a few scraps of watercolor paper, and some hickory nuts.

At the same time, I decided I wanted to use up some odds and ends of fabric by making these "Rapid Wrapped Wreaths."  Fabric wrapped over a styrofoam base, but I use pins to attach everything so that they can be rapidly changed to be used for other occasions.

The holly leaves and berries are cut from paint chips.

On a bedroom door for a girl's room.  I have to put wreaths on every door in the house - even the laundry!

The bunny is from the dollar store; the ribbon was in my stash. Felt left from a project so old I can't remember it!

The plastic heart/dove is from a chocolate box.  I added the cardstock and doily.  The fleece is left over from making Christmas stockings about 16 years ago.

Two flower picks from the dollar store, cut and reformed with floral tape into two nosegays.

More flowers and leaves from the dollar store.

Pumpkin from the Dollar Store plus tulle left over from last high school reunion.

With one red and one yellow wreath, you can redecorate for a full year.  Red for Christmas, Valentine's Day and Patriots' Day, Memorial Day and 4th of July.  Yellow for St Patrick's Day, spring, summer and fall.

Then I started making wreaths out of old books, pizza boxes and other paper - those will have to wait for a separate post or two!

Pretty Things

It's been over a month since GE 2014 ended.  During November and January, the committee will be thinking about next year in preparation for our Committee retreat and marathon meetings weekend in January.  Here's one little thing I made today - like it?

I liked it so much I made another:

I won't be posting as frequently, but if you have a question or comment feel free!

Adult Learning Conference

I met some people today at the ALC who haven't attended GE yet. Lesley and I invited everyone we met (and those we didn't meet too!) to join us next September 25 - 27 for a weekend of 'glamping.'  That's glamorous camping, and I think GE qualifies because you don't have to look good, but you'll eat well and have fun.  Bring your buddies!

If there's a workshop you want us to offer, a new craft or activity you want to learn, let us know!  Here's one from this year - Happy Halloween!

Email gsgreatescape@yahoo.com and let us know your desires!  (Hey busy moms!  When was the last time someone asked you for YOUR desires.) We'll put you on our list and let you know when registration opens next spring.  Remember that if you sign up before August 1, you get a $10 price reduction!

And if you didn't get to today's ALC there's one in Kingston next Saturday.  Sign up here:
 Sign up!

Sign up Daisys - Cadettes here:
http://www.girlscoutseasternmass.org/search.html?id=13033