Ribbon Wrapping...........for summertime Gift Wrap

My husband turned into a power wash addict yesterday. I know it was addictive behavior because he wouldn't share and let me have my turn. Fine then, I am going to Pinterest Pin all day long and I think I did. Well actually, I did some other things too. I took Daisy to a rest home to see how she would do as a therapy dog and she barked at the wheel chairs but loved the people. She has potential if I can tone down her excitement level. And I baked some giant muffins from The Barefoot Contessa even though I give most of my baking away these days. I don't consider pinning a productive task, mostly I use it as a relaxation technique while I wait for muffins to cook or while pouting because the power washing was my idea. But sometimes it leads me to some great ideas as it did today when I ran into the Gift Wrap board of Larissa Hill and found this Kate-Spadish gift wrapping idea with neon stickers on kraft paper. Fun and easy, everything a summer gift presentation should be, don't you agree?

I also like this gift wrap technique, shall we call it ribbon wrapping? It works best with narrow and interesting ribbons and that is exactly what I found at The Gilded Bee while pinning away. So maybe pinning is productive at times because I sure do like this Etsy ribbon source.

These aren't your typical ribbons, more tinsel cording and unique trims for gift wrapping, weddings, and crafts but I love the gift wrapping potential, especially for sweet little gift presentations. Glittered Ric Rac, luxe velvets, fringe garlands, and yes, sequins and pom pom garlands as well. Love this Chartreuse  Pom Pom garland here. 

The Gilded Bee also sells these paper butterflies clips with their fuzzy centers and though I would tend to use them en masse, I love the one used below in a singular fashion as well. I tend to think of summertime wrapping as being more relaxed, with simpler techniques and bright colours and this is the season that humble kraft paper does itself proud.

If you really like this wrapped ribbon technique, note how the ribbon is laying flat and twisted, gives it a more interesting variation. You might have to try it a few times and a glass of wine beforehand might relax your hand perfectly for this imperfect technique. It can't hurt. Isn't this ribbon from The Gilded Bee wonderful? It works perfectly for this trendy gift wrap technique. 

Aren't you happy I didn't get my turn at power washing after all?

The Gilded Bee has over 993 items in their Etsy shop so be prepared 

and forewarned. You will want to do some ribbon wrapping of your own.

See my Pinterest boards here.

Top image via Pinterest/1, 2, 3, and 4 via The Gilded Bee

Ribbon.............with a vintage french style

Narrow to wide, grosgrain to jute, even ticking, the Etsy shop  Flea Market Chick has a fabulous selection of vintage french style ribbons. They may not be exactly vintage but she has captured the look in her large assortment. I was excited to run across this Etsy source because I love black and ivory grosgrain, especially the sweet narrow one (no. 5) and I like the stylish understatement of these neutral ribbon colours and patterns on a solid black gift wrap paper or Kraft paper, it is one of my favorite gift presentation styles. Simple and elegant, always. There is plenty to be said for using a variety of these ribbon choices if you have a gift of multiple gift packages. You just can't go wrong. 








Images via Flea Market Chick. 

Amanda Lebel............working in fine circles

Easter Parade by Amanda Lebel

As soon as I saw this wedding topper on Martha Stewart, the style reminded me of someones unique design style. And I was right, it is the exquisite paper work of my old blogger friend Amanda Lebel of the blog Over The Top Studios. I thought of her recently because I was cleaning my desk where I keep the lovely little trinket gift she had sent me a few years back. I hadn't seen many posts recently and now I know why. It seems the her gorgeous wedding cake toppers and fanciful party hats caught the attention of Martha Stewart here which directs you right to the doors of Amanda's Etsy shop. 

Let Them Eat Cake, a party hat in Marie Antoinette style...........doesn't that just bring some fun to the birthday girls celebration? At any age. The fanciful party hat is available in several sizes as are many of her wedding cake toppers. 

Amanda uses German Glass Glitter, vintage music sheets, silk flowers and ribbon and unusual images to style her uniquely handcrafted and popular wedding toppers which are carefully wrapped and shipped to brides anywhere.

Amanda's pastel and glitter Easter Cones, I can't think of a prettier way to say Happy Easter!

~

Speaking of being noticed by Martha Stewart, if any of you missed the Martha Stewart show featuring fellow blogger and floral paper artist Noel Solomon of Fanciful Designs, you can click here to see the tutorial and video for making her large paper flowers. These fabulous creations are big enough to give "a hug" as you shall see on the video.








Photos 1 to 5 - Over the Top Studios/ Bottom photo by Robert Tannenbaum for Martha Stewart

A good egg................for gifting

My own Easter Egg hunt led me to Paloma's Nest on Etsy this morning and I thought these personalized wooden eggs would make for the sweetest little gift any time of year. A takeaway place card holder, an inspirational paperweight or collection, and since we all start as tiny little eggs...............wouldn't it be wonderful to personalize it with a brand new name and tuck it in with a baby gift? 






Photo from Paloma's Nest on Etsy

Wrapped with love

Ribbon of a sweet, tender nature to wrap special gifts found here.

I would like to keep a woven ball of it handy for wrapping last minute gifts.

On black gift wrap paper I think........ maybe white?

Hope your week is off to a sweet start.

photo via Etsy

The romantic and artistic story of Missed Connections

When I ran across this story this morning, I just knew I had to share the clever inspiration behind the work of Etsy artist Sophie Blackall. Watching the charming video and following her artistic story and where it has lead kind of gives you that warm and cosy feeling...............sort of like what Valentines Day does for the hopeful and unattached. That something wonderful can happen if you just look up and make a connection. Anyways, I am telling you too much and I will send you over to the blog Miss Moss to watch the video and read the post about artist Sophie Blackall and all those Missed Connections. Simply charming.............and romantic I think. 








Photos via Sophie Blackall-Etsy

Buzzzzzed..............over these gift boxes

Clever little circus tents to gift small treasures at an adorable 

Etsy shop named The Inklings of Tess. 

Gift presentation with big top appeal.

Photos via The Inklings of Tess

Fifi.................strikes my fancy

~ Holly Golightly Breakfast II ~

~ Reading Fashionable Friday In Paris ~ 

~ Paris Hotel Chair ~ 

~ Holly Golightly Breakfast I ~

You can't have a blog and not know Fifi Flowers. It just isn't possible, her whimsical drawings are as colourful as they are frequent and that is the part that strikes my fancy. What Fifi sees is what Fifi draws, whether it be a Paris balcony, a stylish fashion photo or my blog header (click here to see 2010 post) and I got to thinking that it must be so much fun to have a direct line and immediate line between seeing and creating. She often does a drawing a day, maybe more, and you can't help but think that if you are an artist what a wonderful dose of inspiration to introduce to each and every day. You can see Fifi's drawings at her Etsy shop here and though I am personally drawn to her stylish drawings that use black (my favorites being the Holly Golightly I and II), Fifi is best known for her Parisian subject matter, a love of fashion and her use of exuberant colour. Most of her drawings are 5" x 7", perfect for framing with extended matt sizes and her reasonable prices mean you could consider building a collection of Fifi drawings to group in a fabulously fun arrangement. Fifi recently introduced a series of handpainted bookmarks to go along with some of her favorite reads, a thoughtful and colourful addition to any book gift. She truly sees inspiration everywhere, and I mean everywhere..........really, how much fun is that?

All Copyright Images via Fifi Flowers

Some days I get gorgeous gifts too...............

I totally get how people feel when they receive a beautifully gift wrapped package. I like to wait hours to prolong the pleasure of unwrapping something so thoughtfully created and so I did. When I received my recent Etsy order from Mandy at A La Parisienne and finally opened the box ........oh, my goodness, a peacock feather. How gorgeous! Such a fabulous embellishment.........wouldn't we have fun gift wrapping together? 

One of Mandy's feminine note cards from her Etsy shop in the background. Simple white paper but so striking with green ribbon and the hounds tooth pattern. The same colour scheme, but each package styled differently. Doesn't Mandy prove my that gift wrapping point I am always trying to make? It's not what you use, it's how you use it. Though the peacock feather is most special I must say.

Mandy used hounds tooth tissue paper to make these scalloped cut-outs and layered them into a petite embellishment. She sent me some extra so I could experiment with them, I can't quite think how I could do this any better.

Something extra as well from my fellow blogger friend.........a thoughtful trio of her own Joyeux Noel photo postcards. I like the idea of sending these out soon, a bit of holiday beauty landing in some one's mailbox.

Mandy has many beautiful things at her Etsy shop, always something new and clever. She recently introduced these genuine vintage fur collars and they reminded me of a stylish Parisian lady I saw in a Paris restaurant. My sister-in-law came back from the toilettes and said you have to go to the toilettes right now so you won't miss the lady in the corner table. You have to see this now. Wearing an elegant fur stole over a simple silk sheath, sparkly but discreet earrings, a wispy chignon, red lipstick, and sitting at the table with very erect posture, the elderly Parisian lady (with a bit of a Grey Garden look) owned the table that summer evening with her chic ensemble. I wanted to sit down at that table, ask her to tell me her story, I know she would have had a really good one. Doesn't everyone?

s

I adore my new (but vintage) fur collar from talented Mandy, it adds something to every outfit. I think I must wear it next weekend, the sooner the better. Sit up straighter, wear some red lipstick.........make up a chic little fashion story of my own.

All photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life

Bottom Photo via A La Parisienne-Etsy

Mally Bibs...........a 'green" baby gift wrapped in red

"Can you make the gift look kind of Canadian Mom?" Oh, and I am leaving in an hour. Well yes..... but can I put a yellow duckie on it so it somewhat looks like a baby gift and not a box of maple syrup? My son loves theme gifts, babies, and his country so when he and his rotation partner wanted to give their US attending resident (eg. boss) a baby gift they wanted Canada written all over it. My son's partner found the Canada theme bib online which I thought was very resourceful of her and then they had me add in a few more things. Sophie the giraffe, the french teething sensation is peeking out of the box too. And yes, it is handy having a mother who can gift wrap at short notice.

I will admit when I first saw this leather bib with the Canadian maple leaf all over it, I wasn't overly excited. I love my country, the maple leaf emblem not so much. Then as I was wrapping I started to read the promotion material from Mally Bib that was tucked into the rear pocket and then this forgetful mature mother started to see the benefit.... it is actually a clever baby gift with some good practical sense. First and foremost, it is a soft 100% baby-safe biodegradable leather (it is beautifully soft) on both sides so it is wipeable instead of machine-washable which saves on laundry (water, electricity and detergent) and will protect those cute little outfits for a long time as a "green" bib choice. Secondly, the age-adjustable clasp is magnetized which makes it remarkably easy to take on and off, not to mention you can just stick it on the fridge for handy storage. Now that makes sense to me.

Mally Bibs was founded by Nicole Garza, a young mother of two and the handmade bibs are manufactured in British Columbia, Canada but these popular bibs ship all over the world. Canadian and US orders ship through Canada and international orders are handled by a European distributor to cut down on delivery times and shipping costs. There is a handy spill-pocket on the rear (or for a stash of cheerio snacks) that can be personalized in leather with the child's name. They feature a large variety of bib images such as planes, animals and cute little insects and they have a custom department as well. Maybe someday, I will order one with a little stethoscope? I am just saying......one day.

Of course there is a US version too, we are neighbors after all. Mally Bibs also has a Etsy shop under the name Mally Designs where they reuse and recycle any leather cuts into new product introductions. I am also going to state that Mally Bibs are much nicer "in person" than they show photographically. You know how picky I am about gifts. The more you look at the idea and the more you think about it, the more you may think like I did.........these just make sense and a great gift. I am off to order a few right now.





Photo 2 and 3 by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life/All other photographs used with permission from Mally Bibs

Floresdelsol............preserved beauty on Etsy

Petite Craspedia Topiary...........clustered craspedia (aka billy balls).

Dear Mother 2010................preserved hydrangea. pink preserved coxscomb. soft pink parchment paper roses.

Mossy Garden Mound.......fluffy reindeer moss. textured mood moss. faux moss cobbles.

Honeyed..........aspen gold hydrangea. yellow parchment paper roses. yellow preserved billy buttons.

Visit the beautiful preserved floral world of Floresdelsol on Etsy.

All photos from Floresdelsol ~ Etsy

A Bookish Gift.........and wrapping it too

photo by Kimberly Taylor ~ Mimi Charmante

It was this photo by talented blogger Kimberly Taylor at Mimi Charmante that got me to thinking about book gifts. First of all I love this photo she sells in her lovely, lovely Etsy shop and the other thought was she must be a reader too. You couldn't take this wonderful of a photo and not be, it has too much reverence in it. It's surprising really that I haven't talked about a simple book as a gift sooner especially since reading has been such a source of pleasure in my life. I can do anything, wait anywhere, endure most, as long as have a book in hand. When I was 9 years old I read all 52 Nancy Drew books in one year ( I told you I was intense) and I haven't stopped reading since. I read way too fast, have way too many books, spend too much, and don't see any of that changing in the years ahead. It is written into my marriage vows.......take me, take my books, their expense, and my nightly reading light...........sorry about that~xo




By January 1st, most people are gifted to the hilt and there likely isn't much more that they need or want. Which makes it the absolute best time of the year to give a book gift. It makes snow days positively welcome. Pick the absolute best book you have read the past year, or a stack of them even better, and indulge someone with the pleasure of reading. When I give a book gift there is a few things I do to make it more "bookish" so to speak.

My Bookish Details




Bookmarks

Always a bookmark. In fact, keep a handy supply around and head over to Kimberly's Etsy shop (click here)and stock up. She has a gorgeous selection of new velvet bookmarks with charms and pearls that will add a thoughtful touch to any book gift at a very reasonable price of $8.00. Consider adding in her gorgeous print shown above, any reader would love this addition. You must visit her blog Mimi Charmante, you will be absolutely charmed by her, if you aren't already.





Hide the Price
Use little stickers or seals to cover the price. My friend always does this and I have adopted this most civilized habit.These tiny stamp stickers are the perfect size but if in a pinch a real one would do nicely as well. They know roughly what you've spent anyways but this looks so much better.




Bookplates
Always have a packet of decorative but blank bookplates handy. I place a single one loose inside the front cover. Let them decide if they want to use it or how they will label it.

Personal Book Plates
If working ahead of your gift giving date and dealing with a serious book lover, order in a set of these adorable personalized bookplates form the fabulous artist Felix Doolittle. 25 Ex Libras 2" self-adhesive labels for $50.00 and they come in the cutest little tin. Lots of image choices and other shapes as well.

Wrapping the Book Gift

Yes, you can use brown kraft paper. I am always a bit wrapped-out in the first few months of the year and like to explore more relaxed styles of gift wrapping. I have nothing against twine, what you usually see with kcraft paper, but much prefer a simple ribbon. Books are perfect for this understated wrap.

I prefer a double layer gift wrap for books. Maybe I am afraid sharp folds will bend the book cover. This method eliminates any need for tape and I just like the relaxed style. One layer in one direction(shown above) then another layer going the other way so all book edges are covered. This technique also works really well with tissue paper. I will show you how to pleat and wrap with tissue in an upcoming post.

Here you can see the two paper directions. I used a small off cut of this graphic black and white gift wrap as a base for the attached and layered card I made. White cotton ribbon from Kate Spade was recycled after a quick iron. Keep reading, that copy you see is my new favorite thing to do on book gifts.

Book Quotes

Make a gift tag with a quote from the book. A few lines of book copy handwritten or printed on a blank gift card adds a bit of mystery to the book gift. I like to entice them to open those pages and immerse themselves in a story I think might bring them great reading pleasure. I will tell you what book this quote is from in my next Reading List post. It was my favorite book from 2009.

Reviews
Include a newspaper or online review of the book or links . I like to know how others thought of a book before I start a new one. Just fold and tuck into the rear cover.

Enjoy the story.........

Photos 1 to 3 from Mimi Charmante/Photo 7 from Felix Doolittle/All other photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life