Last year we celebrated xmas out-of-town, and quite apart from the security concerns of taking wrapped gifts on the plane, all those bows and curling ribbons don't travel especially well in luggage. Year before that I suspect my giftwrapping station was still in storage, as we'd just moved.

This view shows a little of paper.

So it's been awhile since I've wrapped and decorated more than one or two gifts at a time, and this was my first effort for the holiday season. I absolutely loved the paper, which depicts elaborate xmas tree ornaments in gold on a burgundy background. Even the strings were drawn in several different styles; unfortunately, I had only small pieces of this wonderful paper, and my photograph doesn't do it justice.

My spouse was ready to scream because I had to have some ripped burgundy curling ribbon to pull the design together, and as I frantically searched for the correct color of ribbon, and the shredder, I was making us late for the party for which this hostess gift was intended.

But I lucked out, and found both ribbon and ripper (more commonly called shredder) pretty quickly, so I was able to indulge my ideas. Interestingly enough, the recipient, although she adored the handmade gift inside, didn't really notice the effort to dress up the packaging (let alone the fact the paper advertised the contents:) At the time, I was just the tiniest bit disappointed, but now, twenty or wrap jobs later, I can honestly say it's not my best effort—though not too bad for a first effort after a long hiatus.

file created 24dec05

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