Christmas

This is definitely the “Less is More” school of package wrapping!
Gift of Joy Cut brown wrapping paper to fit gift. I like to buy a large roll and use for almost all of the gifts. Creates a “theme” of sorts. Mount stamp....in this case “Joy” from Sheet 11A....on Jim Stephan’s foam “Quickie Mount.” (See his web page--www.JimStephan.net--for purchasing information.) Stamp Joy randomly over paper. Color with Sharpie Fine Point markers or whatever are your favorites. In a hurry? Color only parts that show on the front. Note: Only the letters and the frame are colored in. Make a matching small gift tag and tie with red yarn. The tag can be cut with any decorative edge from your sisors collection but the brown paper makes a nice finish when just torn against a straight edge. (My personal preference.)
Erik’s Wine Apron Wine glasses stamped randomly in several colors. (The gold does not show up well in the scan, but adds richness to the paper.) No gift tag. (A personal message inside.) The recipient’s name added to front with alphabet decals. You could also use alphabet stamps. If they’d been available at the time, I would also have added small (cake decorator size) plastic wine glasses to the front of the package. Sometimes, with the heavier brown paper, regular tape won’t hold. In that case, the transparent packaging tape fills the bill. Can’t stand the look of this? A standard glue stick application works pretty well to hold the flaps in place until you can tie them with your chosen string/yarn. Another hint.......When working with heavy brown wrapping paper (packaging rolls, grocery bags, whatever your source)....keep your bone folder handy! Good creasing helps! -------------- What? You don’t HAVE a bone folder? (See me raising my hand?) The rounded end of a paper clip works to score a crease. The side of the pen you are using will serve to make a nice tight fold. I found a great took in my sewing (?) mending (??) stash. Meant to turn fabric corners, it works well in lieu of the ubiquituous bone folder. (It may also find its way into my pottery tools collection after the holiday packages are complete.)
The name was stamped in red. (No gift card for this one, etiher!) No, gg designs does not sell this alphabet. Picked these up on sale at Barnes & Nobel a very long time ago. The “squiggles” down each side of the name (done with a red fine point Sharpie) are one of my favorite fill-ins. Don’t have to be straight, even or squared with the item they are encasing....it’s a no fail “tool.” The candy cane is from the “Christmas Mini” sheet.
There IS something about “Brown paper packages, wrapped up with string.....” In this case it was a joke (of sorts)! Inside was a gift for an avid scrapbooker....and we all know they don’t speak “Less is More!” The package was deliberately unadorned. Even the card that goes with it was “plain wrapped.” It was attached “inside out” to the back of the package. On the back was a note and a manger scene....from sheet 110 B. Versafine black pigment ink was used to stamp the image. This is by far the easiest, cleanest, most reliable of stamp pads and it dries so quickly. (They are my all time favorites and except for their limited color palate, I probably would use nothing else.) The card was then painted with a combination of watercolor (from nearly dried out felt tip pens) and glitter paint. The result was pretty interesting, for a “plain wrapped” package. (Unfortunately, the glitter is subtle and doesn’t show up in the scan.)
Virtually all the random stamping “techniques” --they are so basic, so simple, “techniques” sounds a tad grandiose--work equally well on white tissue paper. You do have to double/triple wrap sometimes, but tissue paper takes ink well and the colors are bright and fun. AND you can save “test pieces” to scrunch up in packages as filler when you are mailing gifts. Lots better than the dread plastic “peanuts.”
	From my pet to your pet!
While not necessarily "Quick" or "Easy," still....fun ideas....check out the December 05 "Mystery Stamp" presentations.
NOTE: Click-Class One--a very beginner/basic instuction module features some of these stamps "in action." When you are finished browsing, check it out in the "IDEAS and TECHNIQUES" section. (Or, click on the link above.)