paint + paper + gum tree

It was purely by accident that our xmas tree for this year has turned into several large gum tree branches with painted recycled paper baubles. On our evening walk with Kibi one night we noticed the beautiful (and ancient) silver bark Gum in our street had lost a very large branch. So rather than wait for the council to come and turn it into pulp I took two large pieces off it, and brought it home. As you do!

I then used some recycled card, cut them into rounds, painted white with gouache, painted little patterns, and attached! I also went a bit mad with paper cut outs, and vintage paper. This has been several weeks in the making, and it's been really nice to see it evolve and grow.

It's also so peaceful looking at this tree.  It's (I think) much nicer than our green pretend plastic thing we usually pull out each year. I think it might be the end of the traditional xmas tree in our house.  I feel truly revived when I take a moment to admire the long slender soft grey brances, with delicate little light paper decorations. It's recycling at it's best? If not, might be a good cure for those terrible hangover mornings! Ha!

* I must add, another thing that inspired me was getting these Kikki K paper baubles... They are the small burgundy ones in the background seen in the photo on the bottom right in the collage, behind my giant red, white and black paper cut bauble.