Every artist needs a studio

Hi friends,
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. My dayjob has been pretty demanding. But I've still been a busy little bee making prezzies and doing other fun stuff. The most delightful of which is my new craft station, which is totally sweet! I got tired of hauling stuff up from the basement, to the dining room table, and back to the basement, so I cleared out a closet in our guest room and built this shop. Doesn't it make you want to roll up your sleeves and make something beautiful?

I had been wanting a gift wrap station for some time, and my research got me very inspired. Check these out:
At Home with Kim Vallee
Lowe's
And the mother of all awesome craftiness

There are some very beautiful pre-fab gift wrapping/craft stations out there, but I didn't want to shell out the cash for them, and frankly, I like the flexibility of a modular system. My favorite thing about my station is you just have to close the door to clean up!

All together, I paid $144 for this setup:
$20 for the table top at IKEA
$60 for the table legs at IKEA
$34 for the pegboard at Lowe's
$30 for the hooks at Lowe's

You could probably do it for less, especially if you choose a different table. I chose this one because the legs are adjustable, and I prefer to work standing up - it's much easier on your neck and back. Whether your station is splurge worthy or budget conscious, I recommend them highly. It makes working on your projects a real pleasure! Happy crafting!

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.

Simple and thoughtful are always in style.

Greetings, friends.

I hope you had a lovely and restful holiday. And I hope you got lovely prezzies. I did! Here's my favorite - it was from my friend Grace, who is teaching me Korean.

Pretty, isn't it? I couldn't tell you exactly what it says, since I'm still learning. I was just in awe of this special gift. And I hadn't even opened it yet! Grace said the paper shows an ancient script of Korean used during the Chosun Dynasty. Of course, I hated opening it, because I was afraid of tearing the beautiful paper.

But I did. And here's what was inside!

Beautiful, aren't they? They're traditional patchwork magnets. The colors and design of these are very Korean, and the little knots or "yeonbong,"at the center of the "quilt" were used as buttons on classical Korean formalwear. Grace, the wife of a doctoral student here at the university, told me she bought this gift months before coming to the US, with the intention of giving it to a dear friend she'd make here. I was so moved by this small gift, and the care with which it was chosen and presented.

That's what fine giving is all about!

Happy 2010! I'll be back soon to discuss Valentines.

You can't judge a book by its cover. But you can judge a gift by its wrapping!

Hello friends,

Welcome to Fine Giving, the official blog of Jolie Colis. What is Fine Giving? It's putting as much care into gift wrapping as you do to gift buying. Why bother? Because presentation matters! Which gift would you rather receive?

This one? It's not bad, but it's certainly not inspired. Doesn't exactly get you curious about the gift inside.

How about this one?

It's personalized, with an elegant monogram, so right off the bat, you have a feeling of "ooh, goody". It's also sophisticated and beautiful. And since there's no paper to tear open, it's a keepsake, too!

Most people think that first impressions are just for job interviews and meeting blind dates. But a beautifully wrapped gift can make the person you're giving to feel special long before they see what's inside. Making the effort shows you care. It shows that you have thought about making the experience wonderful.

How about this one?

I love a gift wrap that tells a story, or one that matches a recipients style, taste, or hobbies. This one is called "Old World". I love it because it reminds me of a time when correspondence and gift giving were personal and intimate. Forget e-mail and gift cards. I'm talking about hand printed paper and wax seals. Could it get more romantic than that?

So this holiday, when you're preparing your gifts, try to do a little something extra. Make someone ooh and aah before they open the gift. In my next post, I'll show you how. Now go throw away all those horrible cheap gift bags and curly ribbon!