I am already having Holiday pangs of joy…thinking about gifts, and giving and my Christmas tree and shopping and crowds. So, I thought I would post something that will be useful for those of us who LOVE to wrap beautiful presents. In my mother’s house as I got older, present wrapping was a production. We cleared off the dining room table, put the extra leaf in, and brought out the bins, and tubs of ribbons, tags and stunning papers. It was hours of wrapping until every gift looked like a work of art. Secret Santa’a within our family were funny…my cousins always knew that there gift was from Aunt Rosemarie! Anyway, that brings me to Whimsy Press. I was poking around for holiday papers and found some truly wonderful wrapping paper on their site! My two favorites are below, but please go and take a look as there are MANY more! They are double-sided papers, so their are two images for each paper type!

“Retro Festive” $4.50/Sheet

(All images and designs are property of Whimsy Press.)

This next find is a Trunkt Artist who is also on Etsy. Lucky Duck Designs handcrafts beautiful cards using beautiful papers and soft delicate tones! They make me feel relaxed and loved just looking at them, so I imagine getting one in the mail would be REALLY nice! Aside from my favorite picks below, there is also a service where you can order 10 cards in a row, it’s called “Ducks in a Row” and if you give them all of your info about a friend’s birthday or an anniversary, they send you a reminder to mail the cards! This is priceless to me, I never remember anything! Please take a look at the shop, they are too pretty to miss!

Just say “HI” card $3.25

“Birthday Stripes” $3.25

“Green Garden – Set of 3 Cards and Envelopes” $8.50

“Texture” $3.25

(All cards and designs and images are property of Lucky Duck Designs.)

The next crafter is a man I found on Etsy…yes I said a MAN…who makes some truly beautiful journals. “Nielsen” crafts these beautiful journals using materials like vintage books, hemp, fabrics and even adds some freehand designs using his sewing machine to finish them off! They are carefully laid out, and artfully put together. Each one tells a story…if you will…using texture, color and details. Here are my favorites, but don’t let me steer you…check out the etsy shop for many more!

“Discovering Our World, Large Blank Journal-(5.5×7)” $85

“Spines, Small Blank Journal-(4.25×5.5)” $55

(All images and designs are property of Nielsen.)

I am an Esty addict, and if you read this blog you already know that…most of my posts are filled with work from all of the talented Etsyans I find! And this is yet another. I found “From My Heart To Yours” while I was posting on the Etsy forums. Not only are her things beautifully done, but they have a sense of humor too. I chose to feature her humorous retro tags because they made me laugh out loud…being a wife myself…I especially love the “you must be confusing me with the maid we don’t have” tag! Her sense of color and form, as well as her choice of accents just makes each piece she creates a complete work of art.
Please stop by and look at her shop:

If you are looking for the perfect card to send you a friend, or for a birthday…look no further…you will find it at Valerie Cards! And if the thought of fighting the masses in your local card store makes you twitch…DEFINITELY check out this shop! Support an Indie Artisan and find a beautifully handcrafted card for your occasion in this Etsy Shop:

Wedding Bells, Anniversary, Engagement,
Valentine Day Card $3

If you are looking for a gift, for a wedding, or a new baby, or something for a friend who just took a trip to Europe…Paper Per Se is a great idea. The handbound albums come in a range of beautiful often times imported fabrics, and are even interleaved with glassine tissue to protect all of your precious memories. The two different sizes available are: a 6×8 book with 60 pages (30 sheets) that holds up to 60 5×7 photos, and a 12×12 inch book with 100 pages (50 sheets) that holds up to 400 4×6 photos. Take a look at my picks below, and then head to the site for more choices for every occasion!

I found Ink & Wit through www.Trunkt.org an online catalog of artisans and crafters. Their everyday cards are fun and bright with bird motifs and playful swirls in a variety of colors. They also carry holiday cards and baby cards for special occasions. If you are looking for some fun stationary or notecards to use for everyday notes check out their site and my favs below:

If you are looking for a fun way to organize your keepsakes, or for a great gift for new parents this is the item for you! They would also make a great time capsule for your kids, get one with each of their names on it…and keep mementos for when they are older, stories and photos…it’s a wonderful sentimental gift. NcaseOfKleinAndReid on Esty has a great shop with Scrap booking Paper Piecings and boxes and books. Take a look at the shop and the Custom Lunch Box Tins I featured below, each tin comes with a mini book inside that goes with each tin so you can write or keep photos:

If you’re looking for a classy way to send a note, or a beautiful interactive card you need to check out Moth To Flame Studios. The somber colors and detailed graphics on the cards make them hard to pass up. If you are looking for something special to send, or something a little different, her “You Move Me” series fits the bill. They’re not just cards, they are a stationary experience! Please look at her Etsy shop: