Dare to Dream: All the Trimmings

Each time I wrap up a present or a package for the shop, I reach into my box of wadded ribbons with a sigh. Wouldn't it be nice to have spools and spools of vintage trimmings... and an equally splendid way to display them?

This wall of rainbow ribbons at Nancy's Sewing Basket is set up for easy clipping on rows of copper half-round gutter. Martha, of course, had the same idea.

Someday, maybe, a craft room. Or damn, at least a bigger closet!

Paper Heart

I'm feeling particularly lovey-dovey this year, what with all the wedding planning going on, so I decided to put together some valentines for family and friends...

Shimmery paper banners, suede hearts, a favorite photo, and simple sentiments. 

Beyond valentines, I'm also designing save-the-date cards and other paper goods for the wedding, which I'll be printing myself with my new Epic 6 letterpress! I told you I was feeling ambitious- I've practically transformed our dining room into a little stationery studio. However, I'll be taking a day off for a romantic drive up to Sausalito with Adam this weekend. It is Valentine's Day, after all!

xoxo,

Elizabeth

Show & Tell: BYW Mood Board

Hello my lovely, patient readers! As you may have noticed, I've been here, there, and everywhere... except on my blog. I've been purchasing (more on that later), adventuring (more on that later), and learning from the great blogging masters: this winter I enrolled in Blogging Your Way, an e-class taught by the estimable Holly Becker of Decor8. 

Our latest assignment was to create a mood board. I was excited to break out my scissors and get clipping- until I remembered that my prodigious stash of snippets, magazines, and what-not was in another state. Drat! I started hunting through the odds and ends that I had on hand: the clipboard for my to-do list, some finds from my weekend jaunt through Pike Place Market with the delightful Maggie of Magchunk, a favorite necklace, a photo of my neurotic cat...

I was surprised (and for the sake of BYW, totally relieved) to see how beautiful it all looked when assembled. 

Voila. A mood board, and a glimpse at the aesthetic I'll be infusing into my new apartment and the new website for Shock the Bourgeois! (I told you we have a lot of catching up to do!)

In the Cards

Once, as a little girl, I received a deck of tarot cards as a gift. I couldn't make heads or tails or cups or swords of the whole thing, but I loved the illustrations!

Tarot cards are steeped in history and symbolism, depicting classic archetypes of the human experience. Adam may raise an eyebrow to the occult association, but he's a Joseph Campbell enthusiast and an avid student of Medieval literature. I wonder if I could persuade him to consider some tarot art in the new place?

I've seen individually-framed cards before, and I caught a glimpse of this giclee in a house tour. The cards are divine in this 3x3 presentation, but I'm not so excited by the illustrations (or the price).

I did, however, have way too much fun with the new feature at AllPosters that allows you to view pieces "on the wall" in a selection of styled rooms. Yeah. Way too much fun.

I foresee a DIY project for the Berkeley apartment. I like the style of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, but the bright yellow and orange throws me. Perhaps I'll trace and hand-color my own (especially if I'm unemployed for any length of time).

Images from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck courtesy of Tarot Experts & Instant Oracle

I'm not superstitious, but I might do a little research first to make sure I don't hang some dire prediction on my wall! What do you think?

It's a Wrap

I'm running a little behind today, so I'm going to postpone the third installment of Adam's Salmon Bisque Tutorial until tomorrow- many apologies to those of you craving soup!

You may be wondering why the blog has been a little quiet this week.  I've been having so much fun at my day job that I've been neglecting my hobby!  I've had the great pleasure of putting together my company's annual client and associate gift.

My task was to dress up a bottle of wine in a way that represents the company and celebrates the season.  Think of it as one part marketing to five parts good cheer. Here's what I came up with...

The wine boxes are from Paper Mart, an excellent online source for packaging materials. I worked with a local printer to have the company logo applied to each box in metallic silver ink. Each box is stuffed with shredded plans- much more attractive than multi-colored crinkle filler, and a great way to recycle! A trip to the hardware store produced hex nuts, flat washers, fishing line, notched washers, and mirror florets. These inexpensive materials are sparkly, but definitely relevant for a construction company! I strung them with beads to make simple gift tags into ornaments.

They resemble snowflakes, and each one is different!

After I wrap-up this task, it's on to the next: wrapping up my own Christmas gifts! I'm going to be using the same hardware for my own gifts, but I'll style them with a bit more festive whimsy. If you're bored of the same-old store-bought bow, I'd recommend you give this a try. It's a very approachable project (and you can use up all the extra parts and pieces in your junk drawer!).

Because I had to be a thrifty gifter this year, it's especially important to me to go all-out with extravagant packaging. Presentation is everything- and a gift doesn't have to cost a fortune to look like a million bucks.

Ah, I love wrapping gifts. It's my favorite part of Christmas! Don't suppose anyone has any extra presents I could decorate?