Making things from scrap and Dresden trim.
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Dresden trim is made of embossed paper, gilded with metallic foil. This type of trim has been used as ornament in reliquaries from the 17th century, especially in Italy, although the Germans specialized in its production since the 18th century. Popular holiday uses include the application of trim on hen's eggs, or glass and papier-mache orbs to create Faberge-style ornaments; it has also been applied to garments worn by statues of saints, Neapolitan creche figures, or as embellishment upon Christmas cards and so on. Scrap is similar, again embossed paper figures depicting almost anything - from insects to people, buildings and flowers, but instead of the metallic finish, these are colorful. Uses for these materials in crafts is almost limitless.
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I have trouble finding these little treasures locally, although I have found several resources online. The best happens to be Blumchen's Dresden Trim Shop. Another very good resource is Victorian Scrap - their inventory appears to be a bit more extensive. The term "scrapbook" derives from this material. It was a popular hobby to collect scrap and arrange it in a book, with poetry, stories, and reminiscences.
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Image: A page of Dresden Santa's, the stamped, die-cut figures need to be cut and trimmed from the stock.
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