Red Satin Ribbon and Gold Stripes

If you have beautiful red ribbon........you can gift wrap anything beautifully. Red ribbon is the classic of them all anytime of year, but it is during the holidays that it shows it's festive and vibrant power. The wider the better, be lavish with it and make great big bows. Red satin ribbon here and here, and plain white gift boxes here. 

I especially like red ribbon with this gilded stripe gift wrap paper for a classic and elegant Kate Spadish presentation. 

Isn't gift wrapping fun?

Photos via Tumblr

Winter White gift wrapping..............divine understatement

Winter White from here, how absolutely gorgeous and dreamy. A whisper soft presentation palette for the upcoming bridal season, any occasion really. A place to use wax seals, deckle papers, roping, twine, fonts, and calligraphy skills. Stock up on white gift wrap, perhaps even parchment? Can a gift be more beautiful?

I didn't think so either, there is a great deal to be said for understated gift presentations. When I ran across this monochromatic array of gifts from a beautiful blog named Uruquay White Life on Pinterest this morning it was the pin description that caught my eye along with the gifted execution. When someone re-pinned this photo they wrote that they had done this numbered idea for a 40th birthday which of course I assumed meant they gave 40 gifts numbered One to Forty. How much fun would that be at any age? White paper, white rope, and a printer is all you need to take this idea and run with it. I don't need to tell you what you could do with this idea for all your vintage-loving friends and brides. 

Though this is a retail packaging presentation, isn't this a clever use for the blind embosser tucked away and rarely used? Or ordering a blind embosser with a clever and generic phrase such as Gifted, Presentation, My Gift, and using it on a solid tone paper and gift cards is an organized and personal way to have gift supplies ready and on-hand for any occasion. Change up the ribbon and the presentation can shift from subtle to bold if need be, but the subtle white palette is more than pure and divine. Add a fresh or silk bloom if the occasion calls for more embellishment. 

There is nothing in the world of written correspondence more classic and refined than a deckle edge card in the softest shade of warm white. Those hand-torn edges signify elegance and tradition. Remember the holiday gift wrapping YouTube video that British designer Nicky Haslam did for A Gift Wrapped Life and his final signature touch? The recipients initials written in flowing black ink on a simple white card...............a most personal touch. Fabulous if you are versed in the fine art of calligraphy.

Soap wrapped in vintage newspaper pages, tied with thread.

Such a lovely idea for bridal shower favours don't you think? Scented Sachets in a natural palette from linen, burlap, and felt, tied with natural twine. 

All photos via Pinterest

All I want for Christmas is French Essence ...........and I can't have it!

It wasn't that I didn't try. All I wanted for Christmas for myself and my website was Vicki Archer's new book French Essence, all the way from Australia. I simply thought it would be the most fabulous book gift ever. But like the rest of us in North America, I will have to wait until the New Year to get this fabulous book back in hand. I repeat, it wasn't that I didn't try, in fact in talking to the Australian publisher I knew ahead that shipping might be a tad high. But a large heavy book shipment coming across the Atlantic? You can imagine........but the minute that book lands in North America in January you can be assured it will be on my website. But I do have plenty of readers outside of North America so let me just say that if you live on the other side of the pond this "this is the best book gift you can buy for any woman this Christmas". Now you are supposed to ask me "How do you know this"?

You can ask me a million times and I won't tell you how I came to have one copy of this magnificent book but I can tell you it is simply the best book a woman could ever want, maybe even need. We all need to be transported at times and Vicki Archer has the remarkable gift of graciously and beautifully transporting us to that exquisite and beautiful place we all want to go..............that la Mas Guest Room for Christmas. Just kidding, but that would be 2ND on my list if I still actually believed in Santa Claus and his sleigh (wink, wink).
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I would like to say that I still have this exquisite book in my possession but I do not. I know, I know..........but it was the best gift for the best person and off it went in October though I did hold on to a few minutes longer than normal when handing over a gift. You are darn right I thought about keeping it for myself but I truly was trying to be a better and giving person that day while listening to myself think of other possible gift options. Anything but this one glorious copy of French Essence. But absolutely nothing was better than this and I knew it.

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I did give it up so to speak and felt quite good about it in the end. It was the gracious thing to do. But not before I took a few photos of some inside pages and how it looked as a wrapped presentation. I have no doubt Vicki could do it better, in fact the gift wrapping in her 2ND book is as stylish as you would expect from our favorite author and blogger (you will adore her feather detail). All I am going to say is if you are lucky enough to be giving this book this Christmas I do think it should be gift wrapped in red. Don't ask me why, it just feels right.

If you or a friend doesn't have Vicki Archer's first book My French Life what on earth are you waiting for? Impress yourself with your own self-gifting ability and then your friends with your impeccable gift style, follow it up next spring with French Essence. They are equally captivating and inspiring. Once you have read the first one, the second will be irresistible. My French Life can be ordered online {click here} or bookstore-bought on both sides of the pond. And you may have just enough time.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Bonjour in Pastel

Nothing like boxes and boxes of silk florals to get me motivated. I had these solid gift wrap papers waiting in the wings and could picture how I wanted to use them. They have matching card stock and I thought they would be perfect for using the Bonjour Rubber Stamp Kit. When the silk flowers that I ordered at the Gift Show showed up yesterday I knew I had found it's perfect finish. This is one of the last Wrap Room Sets that is being added to the almost-launched website ( I have quit saying what day within the next week) and this pastel collection got my flu-fighting head all excited, it turned out exactly as I had hoped it would visually so I thought I would share it with you. I know how you love pretty things.

I admit to not being the best at rubber stamping (I am not nearly as crafty as you would think) so if I can do this, anyone can. I wanted this collection to be easy to do but have a very personal look to it. I also wanted to make sure the collection took advantage of the pastel combination of colours but not be too-sweet if you know what I mean. I opted to add black satin ribbon to this feminine collection as the only ribbon of choice, it adds a bit of sophistication on any of the 3 solid paper choices letting you go in any gift direction you want that day.

These rubber stamps come in different french words and sizes. Stamp on the matching card stock, cut to any size you want and place over the ribbon with double-sided tape. The layered look will make you look like a gift wrap diva. What could be easier? Note that I am cutting the card stock to the size of the stamp and it gives you a different look depending on the french word.

On this papaya solid gift wrap I switched to a wider melon satin ribbon to see the effect of keeping the tone the same. Would it be worth the extra cost of including a pricier ribbon? Though it is lovely, I didn't think so so I'm sticking to my original plan of keeping it simple and easy with the black ribbon. I also left space on the top and bottom of the card stock just so I could place it vertically. This idea can also be used for making matching gift cards. The ink stamp is black but there is no reason you can't stamp in white, silver or gold and if really brave and steady, stamp right on to the gift wrap paper.

This Wrap Room ensemble will include all three solid gift wrap colours, a matching set of card stock for stamping, black satin ribbon, all three silk flowers, and the Bonjour Rubber Stamp Set. As it turned out, the silk flowers varied in size and who's to say you can't mix them up? The celadon green rose on the pink, the pink on the papaya paper, so many creative possibilities. It will be one of the higher-level Wrap Room ensembles because of the silk flowers and rubber stamp kit but I think it might be worth it.

I have been using this card stock even more than I thought I would and it is handy to have ready with your gift wrap supplies. Not every gift card has to be store-bought, a message written on one of these cards and then attached to a gift can often look more personal and less contrived.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Gone Fishing.......with the Guys

If you really did think I have gone fishing, you don't know me very well by now. I went fishing, but purely in a gift wrap manner. The clean, fun kind of creative fishing, I went looking for "guy" type of gift wrapping. It occurred to me and other people as well that I really ignore the men when it comes to gifting and gift wrap too. My gift website is 99.9% designed for women's gifting and between you and I...... I don't think that will change. I simply am not very good at men's gifts, for good reason, I don't have to do it very often.

But it only seemed fair if I was going to offer gift wrap ensembles on my new website, I better offer you some selections for the men in your life. Gifting for men is not something I do too often on a personal level. The guys around here are quite good at self-gifting with a steady flow of new golf equipment and other guy things. They are both low-maintenance in this regard but maybe it's a way to get off the hook? Personally, I think buying a return gift for me scares the living daylights out of both of them so they have opted out of the gifting and claim we can all buy our own gifts. Fine by me, I am really, really good at doing my own self-gifting. You should see all the "gifts" those two buy me when I go shopping. But if I did have to wrap them something, I would use this Gone Fishing gift wrap, I think it is a pattern that men would enjoy.

I love, love this Tan solid gift wrap and all the masculine possibilities. There's a tendency (on my part) to not give guy gift wrapping as much thought and detail. I must think they don't care or notice, or even worse be embarrassed by anything too fussy. If you are gift wrapping a special guy gift, I would think you are also looking to impress, this flat wrap and label technique would do the trick.

I do get called upon to send men gifts so I keep a limited supply of masculine products in their own special spot. Usually it is a job related occasion, a promotion, sometimes a condolence. It is a challenge for me to put together a male-gender gift, but I am going to try harder to search out products at the upcoming trade shows. You usually have to look ten time harder for 1/10 the selection. I often wonder if men even like gifts or do they just smile and indulge the female love of gifting? Though I must say, I think this is a great looking pen.

I do notice men like things they can attach a memory to, something they can look at and say "my son gave me that" or "I got that when I got my promotion". This cigar paperweight would look handsome on a cigar-lovers desk. So tell me...........what gifts do the men in your life like?

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life