Good luck, gifted wrappers!

See tip 2. Why is this picture so blurry?

I can't believe it's already been a year since the 2012 Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest! There's no better way to enjoy a weekend than meeting other skilled prezzie artists and enjoying holidaytime in NYC.

Not sure who's competing this year, but I'll be following the 2013 contest, which takes place Friday, Dec. 6. Best of luck to this year's contestants. Here are my top 5 tips for the big day:

1. Get good sleep the night before. It might be tough if you get jitters, but contest day starts early, the rest is worth it.
2. Smile, and don't take yourself too seriously. That's good advice for anytime, right?
3. Relax. The atmosphere can be overwhelming and mess with your focus. It will be loud and frenetic. Be prepared to deal with it.
4. Enjoy the company. This is a chance to meet other people who share your intense interest in giftwrapping; they're really interesting and fun folks!
5. Have fun. Seriously. By all means, do your best and try to win. But remember that if you don't, it's still an awesome experience.

Game on, wrappers!

Dr. Who TARDIS giftwrap, pt. II

I enjoyed my last Dr. Who themed giftwrap so much that I made another one. A big one! A lovely couple asked me to create a TARDIS for their daughter, a huge Dr. Who fan. This giftbox measures about 14" square by 30" tall, plenty of space for the many fun gifts they bought her. It was so much fun to make:

The lantern was a lucky find: a little plastic jar from my shop.

If you decide to make your own, get extra glue sticks and dots. And measure EVERYTHING. Twice.

I especially loved the cool old-timey (or timey-wimey) ornamental feet and corner caps. Thanks Tim Holtz!

One last pic to show scale! This was a complicated project with a ton of steps, but I loved every part of it. It's really fun; try making one yourself! Allons-y!

Countdown to go-time: 9 days until the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest!

Practicing my giftwrapping kung-fu with packages of all sizes.

It's finally sinking in and starting to feel real. Next Friday I'll go toe-to-toe with seven other prezzie masters in the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper contest! The nice people with the contest sent me a fabulous box of goodies to practice with, so once I've stuffed myself with turkey, I'm off to my shop to practice my speed game.

I'll be tweeting and instagramming from NYC, so be sure to follow me for the latest!

Happy thanksgiving! And wish me luck!

Mini is better.

New obsession: minigami. I was working on a prezzie for my friend Michelle, who mentioned that her daughter liked a butterfly-adorned gift on the Jolie Colis site. Since the giftbox was pretty small, the butterfly had to be teeny. I love a challenge.

These were made with a .75" square of origami foil. Good thing I have small hands! I love tiny things. My friend Camille at Craftistas put her finger right on it when she said, "Mini is better!" Here's the finished prezzie. What do you think?

Want. Exquisite paper post

This is a time for restraint and discipline. I cannot buy more paper until I get another Jolie Colis order, so instead of going on a spree, I'll just talk about all this gorgeous, gorgeous paper I covet. Maybe writing about it will scratch the itch until I can claim these pretties.

Amethyst and gold brocade paper from Luxe Paperie. So extravagant and vibrant. I'd wrap something shirt box-sized or larger to show off as much of the print as possible. A sheer ribbon would be nice, something really fine and diaphanous with lots of volume. $6.50 for a 39" x 27.5" sheet. Not bad! Made in Italy.

Emilio Pucci "blu" paper from Luxe Paperie. Ooh, fashionista! Love, love, love this paper! I love wrapping gifts with fashion in mind, because wrapping gifts is a bit like dressing yourself. You need color, shape, good proportions and accessories. $4.50 for a 20" x 28" sheet. Slightly smaller and more expensive per inch, but seriously. Pucci. Made in Italy. Of course.

Gold calligraphy from Luxe Paperie. Drool. This paper combines three of my favorite things: giftwrapping, fountain pens, and penmanship. (Which still matters, by the way. Stay tuned for a post on why you should care about handwriting.) $6.50 for a 39" x 27.5" sheet. Made in Italy.

Midori Pink Chandelier from Midori. Okay, I have this paper already, but I LOVE it! The silver is so bright, and it has such a wonderful weight and texture. Better for bigger gifts because the print is pretty big, and the weight needs a larger surface area to avoid bulking up. $25 for 5 21" x 29" sheets. I used it to wrap a book -- it came out fabulous!

Midori Lavender Cherry Blossom from Midori. Yeah, I have this one, too. But as soon as I'm out, I'm buying more. These papers are so lovely, I feel a bit of agony cutting into it. But I did, and it was worth it. Check it out! $25 for 5 21" x 29" sheets.

So, yup. I still want to buy paper. And I'm cursed with a taste for really fancy, expensive goods. Eh, you have to be who you are. :)

Holiday giftwrapping tip 8: rob your Christmas tree

It's almost go-time, and if you're like me, you're probably frantically getting those last few gifts on your list. That means you've got less time to lovingly wrap them. Here's a clever way to dress up a gift that's quick and green, in a way. Your recipient will take home your gift and hang the little ornaments on their own tree.


Cute, right? This prezzie has mini-ornaments and a jingle bell, secured with a simple, slim ribbon. The pleated paper band is optional, of course. And if you don't know how to do the pleat, a regular band of paper, or a wide grosgrain ribbon will do.

For larger gifts, use larger ornaments. Just make sure you take them from the back. :)

Happy holidays!

Holiday giftwrapping tip 5: pop the question with style!

Besides the general happiness of the season, I always look forward to hearing news of holiday engagements. Here's an idea for anyone planning to give a HUGE gift this year. You know, the kind measured in carats.

This wrap, called "Say Yes", is one of my favorites. It's totally romantic, and the little "clues" (sheer veil and tiny bouquet of real flowers) are sure to make your sweetie go weak in the knees. This is one of the biggest gifts you'll ever give, so do it right!

My 5 favorite papers: stylish bargains and splurges

I know I should be focused on buying holiday gifts, but I can't stay away from the many beautiful papers you can buy online this time of year. Some of you might be surprise to hear that a $6.50/sheet paper is a bargain. Compared to something that's $18/sheet, it is!

Anyway, here they are, in no particular order:

Bargain #1: White squares on silver, Papersource $4.95/sheet

I actually used this cool paper on a corporate job I had last year, and it held up great. The silver is really bright, and it has this nice weight and linen texture. I just wish I knew I could get it through Papersource. I bought it locally and paid almost twice that. Ugh.

Bargain #2: Paisley batik, Elum $3.75/sheet

Elum makes gorgeous letterpress stationery and chic giftwrap. A subtle pattern like this is beautiful with a wide ribbon in a deep chocolate brown or gold.





Bargain #3: #1741 Winterberry, Snow & Graham, $6.50/sheet

Like Elum, Snow & Graham makes incredibly cute letterpress and paper products. I love this one because it's wintry and evocative of the holidays, but it's not so literal (see Holiday Giftwrapping tip #4). It's pretty on its own, but would look sweet with a wide red ribbon.


Bargain #4: Joyeux noel, Cavallini, Luxe Paperie, $3.50/sheet

I'm a huge fan of Cavallini's charming, vintage-inspired paper products. In fact, I have several sheets of Cavallini paper waiting for frames to grace my home. It's hard to believe how this paper can be so affordable. You get gorgeous prints on really nice, heavy, textured paper. Almost too beautiful to cut!

Bargain #5: Thai marble paper, gold/black, Kate's Paperie, $5.50/sheet

Of course, I have to give Kate's Paperie a shoutout, since that's where I first discovered my love for paper and wrapping gifts. This is another incredible buy. I love the contrast and drama of this paper. This stuff is interesting because it's very thin, very sturdy, and feels like fabric.




Splurge #1: Handmade open geo, black, Kate's Paperie, $24.50/sheet 

So, so cool. I'd layer this on a contrasting color, or over a subtle pattern. It's so artful, I'd consider framing this, too. It reminds me of Jackson Pollock.








Splurge #2: Orange stitch on pink paper, Papersource, $9/sheet

Hooray for an affordable splurge! This paper comes from India, and is sewn with contrasting thread. The thread and little holes in the paper add graphic and textural interest, too.



Splurge #3: Personalized gift wrap, Neiman Marcus, $90 
This is a super-cute, super-splurge, and I'm not even sure how much you get for the $90. Maybe if you have to ask, you can't afford it. Various colors and patterns are available, and you can personalize it with your initials or a limited amount of text.





Splurge #4: Pine cones, Heidi, $21.99/set
Heidi sells stylish gift wrap sets in pre-coordinating colors and patterns. Very convenient. You get enough to wrap about 2 shirtboxes, complete with paper, ribbon, gift cards, and note cards. It's like the Garanimals of giftwrapping!





Splurge #5: Richard de Bas floral paper, Paper Arts, $18/sheet
I love this paper because it reminds me of pressing a flower in the pages of a book. And because I'm a total romantic. 




Well, that's all for now, friends. Tune in tomorrow; I'm finally going to post my video on how to make the monogrammed prezzie from last week.

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

I'm back with the valentine of the week, inspired by Chanel. I've never been a real girly girl, and I've only recently gotten into pink, so be prepared to see a lot of it in my prezzies this year. Pink and black are so beautiful together. For this gift, I combined some really cute black and white quilted paper with a bit of double faced satin ribbon (1/2 inch pink and 1/8 inch black) and some prezzie bling (pink rhinestones and mini pearls). It reminds me of a Parisian lingerie shop. Ooh la la!

The bow on the top was really easy, it's just two closed loops on top of each other, secured by a glue dot. The big pearl on the top almost didn't happen, because I was thinking of Chanel's advice: before leaving the house, look in the mirror, and take off an accessory. I generally follow this less-is-more philosophy, but it looked so darn cute on the bow.

That's it for me this week, friends. Until the next time, give pretty!

Isn't it romantic?

I know, it's a little early, but I'm a romantic, and I love Valentine's Day. While I don't love the overly commercialized, ready-made corner cutting method of celebrating your sweetheart, I like the idea of giving something inspired and sweet to someone you love.

This little gift box starts with a simple paper jewelry box, the kind you get at the department store. I dressed it up with some lace ribbon, 2 layers of satin ribbon and some little adhesive gems. The little key was something I had around. You can find these little embellishments at craft stores everywhere. Antique buttons or beads could work just as well. Experiment and look for things that speak to you. Little personalized touches like this are what make people feel special.

Well, that's it for now -- stay tuned for another Valentine next week. I'll be uploading more soon.