I started making collages a few years ago, craving a hands-on, non-toxic, and gift-able hobby that I could practice in my Brooklyn kitchen. I use catalogs, magazines, and newspapers (none of which I pay for), and prefer to work on scraps of material I find on the street... the best are the particle board backs to cheap shelves, since they are very flat, lightweight, yet still cut with an Xacto knife. All I've ever bought is Mod Podge, though sometimes I do incorporate some nail polish.

I just try to make something the recipient will really like, sometimes off pre-requested direction, sometimes just on a hunch. This particular one I made really early on for my dad, who loves "flight."

So far I've made 59!
They're all here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessato/sets/72157605489283766/