Holiday inspiration

I can't stop thinking about the holidays and I'm really fighting the urge to put up the holiday decorations.  I mean REALLY fighting it!  I've been cutting my cravings by making some holiday gifts and decorations.  Miss Mustard Seed has really inspired me this year with her sheet music wreaths and ornaments.  I could only get my hands on one book of music so I used that to make this wreath.

But I do have lots of old, falling apart books so I think I will use those to make my ornaments this year.  So far I have only made one of these (I wanted to test out the look before I committed to making a whole tree worth).

But my favorite by far is this book wreath tree topper I made yesterday evening.  I basically used an El Cheapo chipboard like coaster that I bought in a set of four for 50 cents at the craft store this summer ( I just knew that I could use them for something).  I covered it with parchment colored scrapbook paper.  I then made several (maybe 20) cones out of vintage book pages.  I broke out my trusty hot glue gun and got down to work.  So this vintage inspired tree topper cost me nothing!  Well except a couple of hot glue burns.  Yay!

Yes, that's a oil bottle.  Like I said, fighting the urge!

Party time...

What I've been doing this week...

Some of you may know that my father is an amazing artist...his medium is wood.  He make the most beautiful decorative birdhouses.  Several of them grace my home.  Way back when, he used to do craft fairs and sell his wares but he was making so many birdhouses and so many craft fairs that he burnt himself out.  Well, recently he started making them again and has quite the little stockpile so he is going to do his first craft show is years here where we live (Eureka, Missouri) this Saturday.  I hope it goes well!

Here are just two (of the ten of so) of his birdhouses that reside at my house.

You know, I've come to realize that I have a bit of a compulsive personality.  I start something and I can't stop.  Late last week my newest obsession began...vintage inspired gift tags.  I initially just wanted some to place on Christmas gifts this year, but I couldn't stop.  REALLY.  I COULDN'T stop.  They were so much fun to make, and so easy that I just kept on making them and this is what happened.

 I turned around and thought...CRAP, what am I going to do with all of these.  I have enough here for every Christmas for the rest of my life.  But then I remembered that my dad is doing a craft show this weekend right here in town, so...

Anybody want a gift tag?  aka...help, I'm drowning here!