Pretty things

I can't resist buying a roll or three of pretty paper every now and again! And as for ribbons - I have yards and yards in every colour imaginable! l collected these and zillions of beads when I lived in Hong Kong. The area of Sham Shui Po was a veritable crafters' paradise - semi precious stones, pearls, beads of silver, wood, shell, ceramic and glass, swarovski crystals, ribbons, lace, leather, feathers, flowers, buttons and buckles - you name your trimming, you'd find it there! The choice was vast and the prices really cheap - I could spend hours there - genuine shop till you drop territory!

All the colours of the rainbow in tissue and narrow satin ribbons!

Classic black and silver printed tissue paper teamed with tassles.

I look out for unusual, hand made papers like these Japanese silkscreened Chiyogami papers. I use these and others for covering little albums, making cards and gift tags, and using in collages as well as for gift wrapping.









I have a little Etsy shop which has been temporarily closed this summer but I will very soon be stocking it again with lots of new items. You'll find albums and cards, as well as small prints of my watercolour paintings, including a range for children. Please do visit in a couple of weeks or so! I'll post a note here when the shop is fully operational again!

Photo Sande Chase

Who doesn't love a prettily wrapped gift? Both giving and receiving one is a joy! I'm always on the look out for ideas for creating gorgeous gift wraps and last week I was delighted when I stumbled across a lovely blog called A Gift Wrapped Life. Canadian Sande Chase fills her stylish blog brimful with stunning packaging creations and as well as fashion and interiors inspirations.

Photo Sande Chase

Need to send a gift to someone? Sande also has an online shop Oooh La La Cadeau specialising in beautifully wrapped gifts - I'm not sure if she ships internationally, but at the moment she has free shipping in the US and Canada.

Photo Sande Chase

To celebrate the launch of a new website and her 100 blog posts milestone, Sande is having a giveaway - do visit her blog - you're in for a treat! Leave a comment and you will be entered into the draw to win one of three gift wrap ensembles!

Photo Lala Ema

And finally, with our daughter Louisa's wedding on the distant horizon (November 2010) I've just started looking at all things bridal! Isn't this little beribboned box pretty? You'll find this and other delights at Un Mariage au Soleil. This brand new blog has just been launched by the very talented designer Lala Ema, to accompany her new wedding planning enterprise in the South of Spain! Her latest post features delightful packaging for wedding favours and in future she will show you amazing venues and many creative ideas for decor, stationery and gifts . Do pop over and pay Lala a visit!