I'm excited because I found Martha Stewart paints and specialty finishes at Home Depot. I've grabbed some Antique Gold metallic paint, since I'm running low, and some Paintable White crackle paint. I plan to incorporate the latter into my wooden decorations, and into the super duper holiday cards I will be sending this year. They will incorporate an ornament. I also grabbed some of the MS specialty paint chips, which will be perfect to punch some pretty shapes from for my cards and ornaments. In preparation for starting on the cards, I have stamped, embossed and cut out a whole bunch of small images that will be part of the decorations. All I am in need of now is the right yarn for my homemade tassels.

Here's just a taste. Keep your eyes open for the next newsletter from Life Media. My latest "Crafting for a Greener World" column is a tutorial for making a prim style standing doll that could be a tree topper or holiday decor - with almost endless possibilities for variation. It will be up on the Natural Life Magazine website very soon. I'd love to hear your comments, and most of all see your versions of this doll made from recycled materials! You can send them to the magazine, or send me a link here, in the comments below.

Very late, but better than never, I hope. This an embellished, hand drawn paper doll around the theme of Moon. She's called "Moonlight Becomes Her." About 7 inches tall, with a hinged neck. (Pencil, marker, galvanized wire, glass beads, sequins, metallic thread.) She's a little different for me, since I tend to work in cloth most of the time. Swaps have a tendency to get away from me. I've got too many other things on my plate, including a doll I owe a little girl who won it, and the next Coolaberration2010 (which is going to be awesome!). So I think I'll stay away from any more swaps for now.

Black and white rose tags influenced by Zentangles .

I'm listing some handmade gift tags in sets in time for the holidays. Here are the first. There will be more. These ones would be great for the bridesmaids gifts at a wedding - the music in the background happens to be the Wedding March.

All ready to remember good wishes.

I am crazy for paper beads! I use them as part of the embellishments on my dolls and other things. I enjoy using paper from catalogs and junk mail. Mine have a fairly large hole to accommodate yarn. Sometimes I paint the edges gold. Up until recently I made beads from torn strips. Then I acquired a paper cutter which includes a zig zag blade. I love the beads that result! The monochrome ones make me think of snakeskin and the colorful ones are like tiny mosaics. And the manufacturing process is absolutely addictive! Here is my step by step tutorial for making paper beads . Choose your paper. I like catalog pages where the color reaches the edges of the paper. The cutting can be lengthwise or widthwise. I alternate up and down the sheet tilting back and forth. No two beads will be exactly alike by this method. I like to cut up a couple of pages at a time with the wide edge being about 1 to 1.5 inches and coming close to a point. Here is a selection of long and shorter wedge shaped c...