Buttoned-Up in Style........... gift wrapping

As you know by now, I am a big believer in hunting around in your own closet for stylish gift embellishments. In my last post seen here, that sparkly bauble was a button if you can believe it! Spare bits of sparkle (single earrings), brooches, bracelets, even pearly and colourful strands which I am working on right now. Next up was the box of random buttons that we all store away so I was delighted when I saw this most lovely of buttoned-up gift packages on this beautiful blog right here. They certainly close a gift parcel up beautifully, don't you think? So special on a gift envelope too. Now go see what buttoned beauties you already have on hand.








Photos from here

Until the snow melts...........and love this embellishment

Just something beautiful and colourful to remind us that snow does eventually melt and go away. Just not this month, but soon.

Take me away from all this snow.

In the meantime............isn't this such a clever gift wrap idea? This sort of ties in to some embellishment and gift wrap ideas I am working on in the background over here (you do have to wait). Go here to see this very creative craft blog where she offers digital downloads such as this lovely feather detail and cameo gift tag. Several stylish feather styles and you can print in any colour of course. There is a free download for Valentines Day but was limited but don't fret if you missed out, I think you can buy the reasonably-priced digital kit here. You can't say I am not looking out for you in a gift wrapped way. Isn't this as cute as can 

be..............clever too. 

I do find this colour helps.

Photo 1 from amybutlerdesign Photo 2 from kitschydigitals

Simple Kraft Boxes.........embellished

I am staying in the coolest part of our house right now. Temps are at 100 plus and as we all know you simply cannot put a 56 year old woman in that kind of heat and not have her display an awkward melt-down. I am cool as an English cucumber and playing with my collection of Martha Stewart scrapbook embellishments, continuing the summer camp of gift wrapping I talked about in my last post. In the summer spirit of keeping gift wrapping simple and easy, I also picked up a collection of basic Kraft boxes to illustrate that gift giving doesn't always have to be a overly-embellished affair. I have deliberately left the boxes unadorned, no gift wrap. Sometimes it is best to keep the presentation simple but thoughtful. When? giving a simple just thinking of you gift. a homemade gift. when you don't know the recipient well. if they live a green life. if an over-embellished gift would make them uncomfortable. when it feels right. when your gift message is simple. when you are sensitive to their reciprocal gift budget.

A special novelty ribbon can elevate even the most humble of gift boxes as seen with this bird nest stamped satin ribbon from Midori Ribbon. The contrast of materials, humble and luxurious, makes for a beautifully understated presentation. The secret to successfully wrapping simple gift presentations is understating the presentation but in a novel way. It shows thought behind the effort even when using the most humble of gift wrapping materials.

For the XO (Kiss Hug) box I used a small jewelry box in Kraft, recycled the brown ribbon from my Kate Spade store box and then added two silver letters from Martha Stewart. As there is no alphabet repeats in the set, you may have to get license plate clever with the words you use. Which can make it all the more fun and novel.

Nothing like a little sparkle to jazz up this larger Kraft box. I thought these Glitter Chrysanthemum stickers from Martha Stewart were a colourful embellishment and you could use a single mum or go colour crazy with multiples as I have shown in this photo. I like the stickers cascading over the box edge but a single glitter mum as seen in a section of the third photo (just brown and silver) works well too.

The MS letter stickers are slightly embossed which gives them an interesting dimension when used in such a simple application. You could also use their initials as a monogram or.............ooh, I just had an idea that would take care of single letters most efficiently(another summer camp post). Next post is the orange and white scrolls you see to the left. Isn't summer camp fun?




All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life


Please Note: Due to the technical difficulties that Blogger was experiencing with comment moderation today, many comments that were received today were not posted. I was able to enjoy them by email. It appears the problem is fixed as the last comment received is now showing.  Hopefully, comments will be back to normal now. SC

The Giveaway Gift Wrap

Since this was the Charlotte Moss Giveaway product choice for one of the three readers who won, I wanted to present it in a box and this larger one just happened to fit. I also wanted to use the gorgeous paper roses that I keep on hand from Noel at Fanciful Designs. Two of them in fact, one big confection of pale pink pretty. I have wrapped this website product in the past by following the round shape but think I might consider offering it in this damask pattern box from now on to give it more presentation. What I would really like is a gift wrap paper in that stunning pink marble paper that lines the inside lids of this gorgeous product. That would be perfection.

I have this same striped taffeta ribbon in black and white as well, but surprisingly the more subdued charcoal and ivory version seemed to look more elegant. Every time I gift wrap this product I do it a different way which just means I am still experimenting. It could also mean I won't be satisfied until I find or design a blush pink marble gift wrap paper.

I wanted to try photographing this product on a velvet fabric that just happened to be the exact colour of the diffuser oil. I have yards and yards of assorted fabric left from my designer days that I will now start using for backdrops. Good thing I kept all of it after all. It's amazing what you find when you do a good clean up.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Back in Order with a Chic Room

I didn't exactly intend on not blogging last week after my Blog Anniversary post, it just happened that way. I swear I don't know where this winter has gone, not so bad to a person who finds winter long and dreary. The steady stream of workers who were putting my studio and office back into order from that ill-timed flood last December have finally left and I must say, I want to kiss my new surroundings. While we were at it, I figured I might as well purge, re-organize, and re-think the space. I now have a Chic Room as I call it and why didn't I do this before? Because it is so much work? But boy was it worth it! Now I can gift wrap, process orders, photograph, have classes, listen to music, watch a movie, lounge, read, chat, nap, blog, eat, yoga (?) and just claimed a whole part of the house as a woman-only zone. My ribbons and gift wrap papers are lined up, scissors sharpened, inventory organized, and my head finally feels straight again. This creative person likes order more than you would think.

You may have noticed a distinct lack of gift wrap posts since the flood and for good reason as I was temporarily squeezed into my inventory storage area. Not exactly conductive to being creative. Now I am set up with a full photo area right across from where I wrap and I can change backgrounds, position lighting, so in other words I have no more excuses not to get back on track with plenty of gift wrapping posts. Not that any of you have said a word, you haven't but you have been saying lots of other wonderful things and I must say Thank You......for all the extraordinary comments on my recent giveaway, birthday and anniversary posts. You are truly the best readers and followers any blogger could want and I hope to make my way back over to you soon to say hello, to say thank you, from the comfort of my Chic Room of course.

Cards from ToykoMilk by Margot Elena

Holiday Gift Wrap - No. 1

Something liberating about a plain white box isn't there? And this is the simplest white box I could find. No need to wrap it with paper, just work with the colour scheme of those department store boxes you will be passing along this season. A bit of glitz never hurts this time of year and in this case the more the merrier as I took on this neutral palette. These mini metallic ornaments are easy to find in any colour and I simply used them in volume (about 20) to make a beautiful topper. I used dental floss through the ornament top and the more ornaments you add the bigger the ornament ball will be, keeping a few aside for an extra embellishment. Just keep adding and when you tie the two floss ends together it forms this ball all by itself. A lot easier than I thought.

For some reason, I am low on solid white ribbon so I used a 1.5" white organza ribbon to make my ornament ball "nest". I had this frothy picture in my head anyways and wanted this over-the-top glamour presentation that would be easy to do. And it is............. anybody can do this.

My organza "nest" is made by tying bows to to the main box ribbon. Use the main ribbon as the anchor for your four-sided bows. Once tied, you can easily "slide" the organza bows in closer to the center or all the way to the outside edge of the box. I actually doubled up on the bows to give it more volume, but it works just fine with a single bow as well. You want to position the outside bows so they "nest" your ornament ball, moving them in or out depending on the size of the ornament ball. I don't need to tell you that this technique would work for any colour combination you are working with for the holidays. A "paperless" way to work with any plain department store box.

Though this technique would work with any style of ribbon, I do like the volume and shimmer of an organza ribbon with the metallic ornaments. It''s my version of a White Christmas gift wrap. Those two mini ornaments I told you to put aside? I like a few dangling on the front as shown here. Just thread them through any of the ribbon tails and then knot them into position. I have a "male" version of this idea coming up, so keep posted. I are wrapping and posting in brillant colour all week long. You didn't think I was going to leave you now did you?

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Kiss.....Kiss Lipstick Gift Wrap

This is my last gift wrapping post this week I promise, but I was in one of those fun moods. While browsing through some fashion sites I came across a red taffeta dress with large pink polka dots and loved the colour combination.You don't often come across those two colours together unless it's Valentines Day, but that dress got me to thinking of my Kiss Kiss Gift Wrap idea. I also had these pink labels that I wanted to use somehow. Pink and red...........it sure won't get lost on a party table full of gifts!


The materials, my metallic red gift wrap that is truly one of the most beautiful red gift wrap paper ever, a roll of large circle labels in pink, wide pink satin ribbon, a narrow red velvet ribbon, a tube of red lipstick, and a good set of lips ( I didn't say they were mine but I was the only one here). You may prefer it as seen above with no Kiss, Kisses but I thought it was just plain fun. I simple cut my gift wrap to size, then added the pink circles (with kisses) in a fairly random pattern. As many or as few as you want. I didn't do it in that order only to be able to photograph it both ways. My Kiss labels went over the plain ones once I was done the first shoot.

Slather on that lovely red lipstick, kiss the label (practise a few times on plain paper as there is a pucker trick to it) and you have lovely Kisses for your next girlfriend party gift. You could take this idea a few steps further, adding labels in multiple colors and shapes on any solid colour gift wrap. If it's a group gift, everyone could sign it along with their kiss or write a positive characteristic of that person. Cover the gift labels with compliments in red pen. Once you get that pucker technique down perfect, you could even try this on a solid gift wrap paper, not too shiny of a paper though or the lipstick will smear right off. Wonder how these Kiss...Kisses in coral, pink, or red would look over my zebra pattern gift wrap paper?

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

Looking for Embellishments

Besides the ribbon, besides the gift wrap, and besides the gift products, I absolutely love embellishments as you may have noticed. My little wired paper roses, my voluminous silk flowers, the gorgeous new paper flowers from Fanciful Designs, these little crystal hearts. It has gotten to the point where a gift package isn't complete unless I add something to top off all the ribbon. I know the ribbon is enough and I admit to my overly-embellished state of mind. But I just love the layering and execution of a beautifully wrapped gift and there is no stopping me now. This was a gorgeous custom gift that made it's way to a California customer last week and the customer liked our crystal heart detail. So I added one to every gift in this lovely turquoise and ivory gift ensemble, how could I not?




My embellishment supply has been keeping me fairly content, but I hunting down some new possibilities this weekend. My mind is wide open and I hope I find what I am picturing in my head. In website terms, Christmas is just around the corner so I have to get in the holiday mode now. I will leave Sunday with my hairdresser (who has her own buying to do, but how good is that to have your hairdresser with you on a 3-day trip?) to scout the Toronto Gift Show. Trade shows always have the effect of putting my creativity into overdrive and I'm ready for a bit of that.



I adore the colour and elegance of this silk photo album that went into this custom ensemble. I do prefer to match up the gift wrapping to the box products. I found this luscious turquoise colour to be inspiring so I added lots of the hand-dyed silk that has such a unique, special nature. It is whisper-soft and ties like a dream.
This album proves I am not the only one who loves embellishments!


Parlez-moi d' Amour (Speak to my of Love) is my personal candle of choice and I will be looking to re-stock this beauty at the show. Though I am highly-fragrance sensitive, this France import doesn't seem to bother me as it burns and releases it's soft fragrance in my office for hours on end. I am careful with my candle selections in fragrance and burn quality, I truly believe there is nothing worse than a cheap and overpowering candle scent. Parlez also has a Pillow Mist in the same fragrance and I use it quite liberally on my bed linens, sweet REM dreams and all that.



It has been wonderful to see the response to the Thank You Giveaway and meet all the new followers. I will be working my way to your blogs in the next few weeks to say hello. You still have time to post a comment if you haven't done so as I have delayed the website launch for another week (Note: Do not try to launch a website in the summer, it is definitely a winter job). Nothing like a meltdown (just a small one) to tell you that you are moving and pushing too fast. In the next 6 days I have overnight guests, dinner out, a big party, cooking, packing, 2 hair appointments, some shopping, some banking, proofs to check, meals to leave, a 3-day trade show, and people to catch up with without stressing about a website going live and me not being here. What was I thinking? It's obvious I wasn't thinking, hence the meltdown (just a small one) and I will be back next Wednesday. Have a fabulous weekend. XO


All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Blogger Break & Sneak Peek

Did you miss me this week? It's the end of a long day, website design is in place (but not up yet)and I adore it. Now comes the fun part. Matching up gift wrap patterns with ribbon, tag, and embellishments for The Wrap Room. My intention of opening A Gift Wrapped Life is to offer anyone a complete gift wrap ensemble (gift wrap/ribbons/tissue/tags/embellishments/silk and paper flowers) so all the work is done for you. A gorgeous, tasteful variety to cover any gift in gorgeous splendor. As you know by now, you really can't wrap badly if you have the right materials at hand. No more running out at the last minute and settling for anything. Well ladies, the right materials and 24 unique collections are on their way. The gift wrapping impaired will be able to suddenly dazzle everyone with their creative presentation. and I can tell you this....... it makes for the most wonderful gift for any woman. You'll see.

I thought I would give you a small showing of some of your new gift wrap patterns. These two bright beauties are going to be in the Versailles Collection

The Eiffel Tower in Hot Pink and Black.Tres chic and this is going to be so much fun to wrap.

Something a bit bolder and I think I will add a series of ribbons with this one.

Bright yellow, Hot pink, and Kelly Green.

Here's a hanging ladder sample of new gift wrap on it's way. I am mixing these up with others for a variety package. You know how I love mixing up patterns in wrapping. Love the Blue Greek key pattern.

~ The Bergere Collection ~

More Eiffel Tower pattern in a feminine Paris pattern. Fabulous for a birthday(all girly ages), wedding shower, or for anyone who loves Paris and that whole Marie Antoinette look.
~

I will show you our gorgeous Versailles gilt collection next week, wait to you see the gorgeous ribbon idea we came up for this series. Our linen fabric wraps are being made and Exquisite Paper Flowers in larger sizes are on their way. This one will be like the icing on the cake.

~
Thank you for all your lovely support and comments this week!

All photos from A Gift Wrapped Life ~ Oooh la la Cadeau product sources