The Flickr Specialtypaper Image Generatr

A "paperquilt" that also happens to include fabric: burlap panels at the top and bottom, satin ribbon at the sides, and 3 pieces of vintage lace. The papers include several pieces of paper that has leaves prominently showing in it, a piece of mulberry paper, and some textured paper with many horizontal folds creating raised pleats across the surface. A rectangle of light tan cardstock holds my signature, and all of this is adhered to a backing of white giftwrap paper. The piece is 24x36" in its frame, and is available for purchase on my website unicoherent.com in the "Original Art" section.

I had to buy special 16lb ultra-light weight paper to get each volume to be only 2.5 inches thick. Regular copier paper would have resulted in much heftier tomes. I bought special backing boards from Talas so that I could round and back these beasts. The rounding worked out pretty well, but I tightened my kettlestitches too much for the backing to work properly. I put in black headbands and did a spine lining using chalkboard cloth, with the "cloth" used on the larger portions of each cover actually being an expensive paper I got years ago from Paper Source off the racks where huge sheets are sold individually. Some people might say that a person who would create a paper version of a book on rationality was missing the point, but I would just smile at them and silently value sensuality.

floral wax, wax paper, paper loses all definition, pixels take over

Finally, the last page of my Cousin Camp 2019 album. In full disclosure, these were posed the last day because no one got photos when they were really drilling. Hence, no safety gear.

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The global specialty paper market reached a volume of 30.5 Million Metric Tons in 2017. Specialty paper refers to superior quality paper which is produced or designed for a specific application. It is manufactured using Nano-based materials, composites, fibers and different types of pulp, such as recycled paper, cotton fiber, wood pulp and wood chips.

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Silver embossed specialty paper from Europe.

Thick, striped specialty paper from Europe, white black and silver glitter.

Gold embossed specialty paper from Europe with art deco design.

Card made using Thai card stock, specialty paper, Japanese “yuzen washi”, fan cutout and ribbon.

Dimensions: 15.8 cm x 10.5 cm

I can't really explain in just a few words exactly why I enjoy creating great gifts for people so much. I enjoy the creativity of it. I like to share things with people that I know they will appreciate and things that will make their lives easier and their hearts happy.

I love their comments about the packaging being a gift in itself. I love how some recipients carefully disassemble each piece and others rip right through it like the world is going to come to an end if they don't get to the good stuff ... the contents ... the real gift ... now! I guess I just enjoy that whole process.

It's also a hobby that fits the size of my life. I've never owned a square inch of this earth. I live in a 600 square foot space that I rent. I'm very grateful for these 600 square feet. They've been good to me. I've cared for them well, and I've lived in them happily and successfully for twenty-two years.

I've had twenty-seven people over for supper in this space. I've hosted our men's Bible study group here many times, studying and praying with some of the most spiritually-minded men that I've ever known ... guys who understand the value and the strength of reflecting Jesus clearly to this world through their lives ... humbly, gently, quietly.

For seven and a half years, a great youth ministry flourished from this little corner of the world. And over a span of two decades, I've been blessed with a strong, life-changing relationship with our Father, Jesus and His Holy Spirit in this house.

Living in this little place has helped me to understand and appreciate some incredible lyrics penned by Fernando Ortega, "You can have all this world, but give me Jesus." He doesn't need a lot of space to deliver undeserved forgiveness, deep inner peace, contentment in the depths of the soul and overflowing joy. This is a good place for me to be. What I have learned and experienced here helps me be good to others.

I've got friends who own land, and they hunt, camp and fish. I've got friends who have money, and they travel to amazing places. I have friends who have large TVs, and they sit and watch them ( I don't recommend that one). I have friends who are social and political movers and shakers, and they move and shake. And I love that.

I have a drop-leaf table, some great papers, some cool gifts and a camera, and I create gifts that I believe make people feel special ... important ... and loved. And I love that. We all do what works within the space we've been given, and it all comes together to make a pretty fascinating and enjoyable world.

I guess it would be possible to camp out in my living room, but the hunting and fishing parts wouldn't work too well. Thirty feet is as far as you can travel in any one direction in this house, and some furniture would have to be moved to get into the beginning and ending corners of that little trip. Watching TV isn't an option because I don't have one ... one of the greatest decisions of my life. Times with friends and family work well here, and voting gets taken care of on a consistent basis, but not in here. However, lots of great gifts get wrapped and photographed in here before being whisked out the door on their way to their new homes. That makes me happy.

I've got a great little life, and I love sharing it with others. I guess that's why I enjoy creating great gifts for people so much. Create some great gifts for the people in your life. Their friendships are the greatest gifts on earth.

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Here's the scoop on these packages: The papers and prints are a fun mix from Hollander's, Paper Mojo and iStockPhoto. I love that grungy candy cane starburst design. Something told me it would make a crazy cool package, and it did. It makes such a bold statement that I just used it as is ... no embellishments ... perfect for an eighteen-year-old ... quick ... simple ... memorable. He tore into it!

The green and white fleur-de-lis paper is accented with metallic gold highlights. It's simply one of the most beautiful papers I've ever worked with. Kudos to the designer. The same goes for that red, marbled paper. It's simply stunning and serves as a great backdrop for the laser-cut wooden snowflakes (an Etsy purchase) on the top and sides.

On my budget, these specialty papers are only affordable for small gifts, but the longest dimensions of these boxes averaged five inches, so they were a good match this time around.

The ribbons are pretty simple and inexpensive ... grosgrain ... sheer ... satin with gold highlights ... and a dark green cord to add texture to the gift for my brother.

I loved the contents ... personalized, handmade mugs for everyone ... one of those surprises that is actually fun. The boxes without bows all contained some small bills and were wrapped at the last second ... literally an hour before they opened them (I always do that). Some hard things hit our family this year, and I simply ran out of time for Christmas shopping. (Note to self: Nobody complained about getting money.)

I've been blessed with an incredibly wonderful family and the best friends on earth. I consider it an honor to have the opportunity to give back to them in this way, because the real gifts are their friendships, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

Merry Christmas 2010!

May 2011 be kind to you and those you love.

~s

Note to Lightroom fans: I bounced the flash off of the ceiling and intensified the blacks just a touch with the slider in Lightroom to make the background recede.

Created for the "5 handmade postcards" swap on swap-bot.

Painted cereal box, Carroll's hairy paper and fancy paper fish.

I love wrapping packages for family and friends. That wise old saying from Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive", is so powerful and so true.

Giving is an energy-filled activity. It involves thinking about and understanding the wants, needs and preferences of the person who will receive the present. Time and energy are committed to purchasing or creating the gift ... packaging it creatively and beautifully ... photographing it to upload to Flickr ... delivering it ... and letting it go.

I believe that letting it go is the most important part. When I was in college, I loved the song, "Hold on Loosely", by .38 Special. I've never forgotten the following words: "Hold on loosely, but don't let go. If you cling too tightly, you're gonna lose control." Those lyrics refer very effectively to relationships, but they apply just as easily to things.

Let go. Let 'em open it any way they want. If they appreciate your efforts ... and carefully deconstruct each element ... great ... don't rush them. If your creative expression completely misses their radar ... and they rip into the package like a kid at Christmas ... great ... be inspired by their zeal. Just enjoy the process, and enjoy the recipient's response ... whatever it is.

Once you hand it to them ... it's no longer yours ... it's theirs! That's what giving is all about. Besides, in our digital world, you're only one click of the shutter release away from sharing your creative talents with everyone on the planet ... "If you upload it, they will come."

Creating this gift was fun. The contents? A book for my nephew, Michael. The cover? A simple, elegant patterned paper from Paper Mojo adorned with three red oak leaves ... two spray-painted copper and one painted a rich gold ... gently suspended from a bow of braided cord from Wal-Mart. The leaves are gifts from the tree just outside my front door.

Expensive? No. Expensive looking? I'll let you be the judge. Though it really doesn't matter. I'm very pleased with the results.

Oh, and see that glimpse of green and cream stripes over to the left? I created that pattern in Photoshop, had it printed up at our local print shop at 100% and 85% to produce dark and medium green patterns, and used it to wrap two gifts. It cost me a dollar, yet the paper was unique and beautiful.

Cultivate your creative side. That nurturing will reward you and others many times over. Merry Creative Christmas!

~s

I love to give compact discs as presents. I think they make great gifts ... inside and out. The size and shape of the jewel boxes offer beautiful possibilities when it comes time to add wrapping paper and ribbon. They don't require much of either. I used leftover scraps from larger packages to wrap these.

The small size suggests a simple approach ... a solid paper with a decorative ribbon ... or a patterned paper with a simple bow. One ribbon ... or two that harmonize well ... should do the trick. The square shape makes the presentation symmetrical and pleasing to the eye. They're lightweight and easy to mail. They can also be tucked gently into the top of a stocking.

The materials required are inexpensive and produce a beautiful package that can be completed in just a few minutes. The wrapping materials displayed here all came from Wal-Mart, CVS Pharmacy, The Container Store, Michael's or Paper Mojo.

This group of CDs was mailed to good friends last Christmas in time for the recipients to enjoy some great music before the holiday officially arrived. What a great way to say, "You're special to me. Thank you for being a great friend!"

It's always appropriate to express appreciation. Let someone know how much they mean to you this Christmas ... or just anytime. You'll both be glad you did.

~s

This beautiful Buddha book was made using coptic stitch!
An image transfer adorns the cover, and ephemera used for
the 3 wool strand bookmark of various colors.
At the end of the book mark on the inside is a beautiful wooden bead with tiny picture of Buddha.
The book itself is 5 1/2" x 4" .
Inside the book you will find gorgeous paper for the three signatures with over 68 of 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 blank pages for you to write your precious notes.
On one of the signature you will find tibetan paper for collage perhaps or any creative endeavor
This book was completely designed by, and only one of a kind.

At my Etsy shop petitbijouartshop.etsy.com

God is in the details. ~ Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

I'm a detail man ... always have been ... always will be, so I was thrilled when I found this floral stitched paper to use for wrapping my niece's birthday present. It's sophisticated, elegant and classy.

The white threads shine, and the silver threads sparkle in the light. The gift turned out great, and the paper really did all of the work by itself. All I did was add some ribbon to complement the design.

The details helped to make this a gift that I really enjoyed giving and Kathryne really enjoyed receiving. God blessed our time together ... He always does. He truly is in the details ... and in our hearts.

Happy birthday, Kathryne!

~s

This was a fun gift to wrap ... partly because Kathryne loves to receive really pretty packages. She saves the ribbon and paper, so I don't hesitate to spend a little more to get supplies that go the extra mile when wrapping gifts for her.

The colors used to wrap the present were chosen to match the gift inside (see previous photo). This paper is stitched with a floral pattern using silver and white thread. It's unique and very, very chic.

In order to let the stitching on the paper create a sparkle all on its own, I chose not to use silver ribbon in the bow. Instead, I used a wide, sheer pink ribbon with solid borders, a narrower, structured ribbon striped with black, white and gray and a fancy, pearlized, cream ribbon to echo the stitching in the paper and to add texture.

The technique I used to make the bow is a combination of styles learned from Carolyne Roehm and Martha Stewart with a twist of my own thrown in to simplify one of the steps.

The "hydrangea" card is by Ellen Blonder, one of my all-time favorite illustrators.

Despite the fact that several of our family members were still recovering from a week of illness, we had a great time celebrating Kathryne's birthday. We ate homemade chocolate cake along with scoops of vanilla ice cream in homemade frozen chocolate cups ... cool! I pretended that those items were on my diet in honor of the occasion.

Thank you, Kathryne, for giving me an opportunity to be creative and indulge in some of Gran's wonderful homemade desserts. Happy birthday!

~s

Christmas presents are fun ... and funny. I try to wrap each one as attractively as possible ... so it looks like the kind of gift I would like to receive and want to open. However, the most important part of any gift is the contents, and I've wrapped a lot of things over the years that I wouldn't want.

This year, I wrapped two gifts for my brother, and I still don't quite know what I gave him. The items were on his wish list, so I bought them, wrapped them and gave them to him. Even though I have no idea what they were, when he opened them, he did, and he was happy, and that's what counts.

Of course, I think that a great presentation is very important, or I wouldn't bother with all of the paper, ribbon and color matching. But, I think there's a lesson here ... it's what's on the inside that really counts ... both in packages and in people.

Notice and appreciate the pretty ones, but remember that true beauty comes from within. Don't just unwrap the first pretty package that comes your way. You might end up with something you don't know what to do with.

Choose wisely, and have a Merry Christmas!

~s