Too Much is Never Enough
Maggie’s work celebrates the past and the present, giving cultural artifacts new meaning and value through large-scale thematic groupings. Each piece is handmade from hundreds of vintage and eclectic items that have been collected over months and sometimes years from garage sales, antique fairs, eBay, thrift stores, vintage shops, junk yards and toy stores. The challenge is finding the right mix of vintage, used and unusual items, with a mix of materials and styles. Many wreaths contain items that Maggie has handknitted. Collecting enough treasures for a single wreath can take anywhere from several months to years, depending on the theme.
Assembling the items is like putting together a puzzle—Maggie’s goal is maximum items per square inch, with an overall balance of color and materials. It’s a more-is-more philosophy. Heavy things get drilled and wired, lighter things are attached with a variety of adhesives including hot glue and epoxy resins. Every wreath has at least one Easter Egg—an item that doesn’t belong—a dog on the cat wreath, a fox on the chicken wreath, oranges on the banana wreath, you get the idea.
About Maggie
Maggie Stephens makes joyful things. She lives in Austin, Texas. Contact her at maggie at maggiestephens dot com.