Non-Traditional Christmas Tree #19, 2023

A Literary Tree - 2023 -
# 19 in the Non-Traditional Christmas Tree

This year, my non-traditional Christmas tree was made from old Italian books. I started this project while in Italy, and continued it in California as well.

I had seen the idea in a home decorating magazine, and thus set out to find books that could easily be used for the project. This meant that I needed to find older books that had what are called signatures. Signatures are small booklets (of sorts) that are joined together to create a bigger book.

So, I spent time looking through Used Book stores for the right kind of books and easily found some.

The first batch I brought home were beautiful books unto themselves and my friends told me I could NOT destroy these. (never mind the fact that I couldn't really read them, as they were in Italian).

Basically, the process is simple:

1. Separate the inside of the book from its cover
2. Separate the signatures from the inside (which involves an X-acto knife)
3. Start folding... each page the same.

Folding Process

                                                                        Work Station

I had grand plans of creating a tree that stacked one tree above that other, but that didn't happen, so here you can see my 'forest' of trees, which I set up with a few lights.

Merry Christmas 2023

Non-Traditional Christmas Tree #18, 2022

Non-Traditional Christmas Tree #18
December 2022

Once again, inspiration came from a magazine photo that suggested using a tree branch as a base. This was the tree we put on the wall of my apartment . Since the walls are cement, and I'm scared to hang things at this point, we used an existing hook.

Ingredients

• One Tree branch, as dry as possible
• Mini balls
• Mini pine cones
• String of lights

Ingredients

                                                            The tree lit up at night

Non-Traditional Christmas Tree #17 - 2021

Non-Traditional Tree #17
Christmas 2021

This was the year of 'round things' for the tree. It had to be a quick and easy one this year, as I was heading to Denver to be with family, yet I couldn't not have a tree.

So, I gathered all things I could find that were round.

The list included

• Shower Scrubbies (form the 99 cent store)
• Felt ball garland (Trader Joe's)
• Garland ball covers for lights (found in Vietnam years ago)
• Holiday ball ornaments

Below you can see the tree (about 3 feet high) in daylight and lit up.

Non-Traditional Christmas Tree #16: A Celebration of Yarn

Celebrating Christmas at the End of a Pandemic Year

Christmas Tree 2020

What a strange year this has been. I think I have spent more hours in my home since March of 2020 than in many years combined prior to that. A lot of the ‘at home’ activity revolved around creative projects, so it would make sense that my 2020 non-traditional Christmas tree this year reflect that.

Since fibers are a bit part of my life and I have ample in my possession, I decided to create this year’s tree from all things related to yarn.  You can see some of the ingredients below.

balls, skeins and cones of yarn

cord, tassels and pompoms

The core of the tree was set around some decorative display items that Starbucks used in their stores a few years ago. I had asked my local store if they were going to toss the displays at the end of the season, if they would toss it my way. Lucky for me, they did, and I’ve been using these yarn and glass ball displays in my home holiday décor for many years.

Decorative core, thanks to Starbucks

Around the tree I placed my cones of yarn around the core. Some of these were from my weaving years, and others from my current machine-knitting years. I attached tassels around the edge of the tabletop. These I made these as demo items in my Textiles class. When we began to study yarns, I showed my students how to create cord, and then how to build a tassel. 

tassels placed around the edge of the table top

Next, I draped the hanks/skeins of hand-painted yarns around the base, and then, I positioned pompoms (also a demo item for my students in Textile Design) and balls of yarn to fill in the gaps.

fill-in items

The last item for the decoration was the stringing of lights. There you have it… a yarn holiday tree,  #16 for me.

2016 Non-Traditional Christmas Tree

Petticoats hanging on display in LA Garment District

I'm a bit behind this season, and am long overdue with blogging.
But, annual tradition of the non-traditional Christmas tree continues. This year, the theme was somewhat Mexican.

Throughout the year, I'm scouting for a 'theme'. This year, the theme was found on a trip up to the Los Angeles Garment District in November. A group of women, who were here for the Fall Cochenille Design Retreat joined in on a day exploring fabric, fashion, and related in LA.

While walking the streets and browsing fabrics, I happened to notice this great storefront.. with hooped petticoats hanging from the ceiling... so that was 'it'.


Students and faculty from Mesa College assisted in putting the tree together.. and as you can see, we continued with the Mexican flavor.

Lights were placed on my metal frame,
and the hooped skirt was positioned above.

Dressing the head! Notice the eyelashes!

Testing the head

Hanging banners for the skirt

Almost-finished dress

 See the video above and forgive the group singing.

2015 Christmas Tree

The final 2016 tree

Wishing a wonderful holiday season to all... it's that time of year, and it's been busy as usual.

Regardless of how hectic the season becomes... it is always a priority for me to create my non-traditional holiday tree. I'm in year 11, I believe, and each year, some idea sparks, during the year to become the inspiration for the annual tree.

This year, my trip to Japan,which was the highlight of the year, served as the impetus for the tree...
So, we needed a few asian elements... hmm... maybe a short kimono/haori, a painted asian umbrella.. some tulle, lights, and of course, many,many little umbrellas cocktail stirrers.

I had two gross of these....

Took a while to open them up..

And string them on the lights..

Closeup

And of course, there is also my little traditional tree... a real green tree.

Not such a big tree.. easily carried

And decorated with chili lights

Happy Holidays to all.

Another Year, Another Tree

As has become my creative practice, each year, I build my 'creative' Christmas tree.
This year... I had most items on hand.

Ingredients:

Books, from my textile art library

Lights... some new types

Table

Then, I added a little help from a colleague and a student:

Gabe, one of my students

Meegan, a fellow Professor at Mesa College

And the result?  A book tree.

By daylight

At night, with the lights on

And a few close-up shots

Happy Holidays to all.

Happy Holidays....another year, another tree

Happy holidays to all. Once again, the challenge for a non-traditional tree was met.

Here are the ingredients...

Palm fronds


Pine cuttings


Bath scrubbers


Tulle and foil paper


And. The finished tree, put into action today.



Merry Christmas to all


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Christmas Tree Saga begins..

OK.. so each year, for the past 7 years, I have created a non-traditional Christmas tree.

I am now in process... and so, here is the first shot of Phase 1.  It began with a phone call, followed by a trip to Twin Oaks Ranch Palm Trees in San Marcos. The theme, as you can guess, is 'tropical'.
Fortunately for me, they were trimming a fan palm tree.  So.. off I went.

here i am with some of the cuttings

lots of palm trees and related.

and the story will continue.
Thank you so much to the management.

This Year's Tree

The holidays have been busy. But, somehow, I manage to make time for the creation of my non-typical Christmas tree. This year, she was focused around a dress form, and the theme of an angel. So, here is the basic progress.








Start with draping some muslin for a skirt... then, add some batting.

Then, add a outdoor screening for the skirt.

about halfway done...

Now, making the wings with my students who came for dinner. Arturo, Anna, and Caroline.

Finished upper

Finished in daylight
Finale... Christmas Morning with my kids.