lisasgiftwrappers.com Blog

I guess it’s kind of like having a new car- it’s that certain scent that stays in your memory forever as you recall what a new car is like. And it doesn’t exactly have to be your car- it can be anyone’s. That scent will trigger all kinds of memories.

So what does this have to do with September? For me, even though I am well past the days of going to school, some how September always seems to remind me of getting ready and then actually starting school.

Perhaps it’s the new pencils and the smell of getting them sharpened. (O.K., I know I’m showing my age here- but I don’t care for mechanical pencils. They just don’t seem to me to be the real deal).

Or maybe it’s getting the ruled, spiral bound notebooks for each class. Or the ruler, scissors and colored markers or pencils, maybe even glue or tape.

I think it’s the process. Thinking about the year to come and what I might learn and whether I will like my teachers and what will it be like in the grade or college level I’ll be in.

Maybe it was also about seeing my mother get ready to start her year as an art teacher. Making sure she had her supplies organized, ready to go.

I have always ascribed to the idea that you should never stop learning. So for an adult to take a class and squeeze it into our busy schedules, I say it has to be something that you have always wanted to learn.

So embrace the return of Fall and think about a class you might take. Go to your local library or community center. I would suggest a class that will stir your creativity like an art class, an exercise class, something where you will learn an entirely new skill or brush up in an area that you started learning years ago.

At Lisa’s, we love to offer classes in the fall and spring. We start with classes on how to wrap and make a wonderful bow. It’s simple. It’s fun. But best of all, there are other people there for the same reason, and meeting new people is half of the experience. This year classes are on Saturdays, October 25 and November 8. To sign up call us at 248-547-9094.

It’s not rocket science- but it’s the tips and tricks when the presentation is as important as your gift. You can check out our sister website, http://www.readysetwrap.com, for tips and pictures on wrapping if you can’t make it to one of our classes. And if you get stuck, just e-mail us at lisa@lisasgiftwrappers.com for help or ideas.

I definitely inherited this problem from my Father.

My dad was great at taking the shell of something and seeing all its greatness.

But sometimes that gets you into trouble. Or at least that seems to be my problem.

For instance, I bought this darling doll house kit for the daughter of a good friend, because a) I have a son so I wouldn’t be able to indulge that fantasy and b) I had always wanted to make one of these.

So, I bought the basic kit. Pretty simple if I had stuck to their plan. But O-h n-o, not me. A little tiny whisper said “wouldn’t the roof be cute with shingles?”- so I bought the shingle package. And since I can stencil, let’s ditch the basic stencil for the shutters and look high and low for the perfect stencil.

Of course, you’ve got to pre-sand and then prime and then paint everything with at least two coats of paint. (This treatment is better than what most homeowners do. Is someone for real going to live in this place???).

An update: The surprise I had planned is still in pieces in my basement, waiting to be finished. I know that I should get my butt in gear, so that one of my friends with little girls might get to enjoy it this century.

Any advice from those of you who have fallen into the big trap of “Incomplete-itis” or “Have too many projects going at the same time- you slightly over planner?” Please share.

Today is one of those days that I long to be a kid again. I think it had something to do with the opportunity to sleep in (when does that ever happen) and then yearning to do something creative and arty. Instead, I got to do my long list of “wife-y” things- none of which gave me a creative outlet.

So, standing in the line at Home Depot, waiting to pay for two door knobs, one for the in-process remodeling of our guest bathroom and one for the door opposite the bathroom, I got to look at the shelves ( and I do mean shelves) of magazines devoted to homes, cottages, decorating, DYI opportunities- you name it, they had it.

Second best to being creative, I thought to myself, is seeing what others were doing.

So I picked out a few magazines- grabbed my beverage and snack of choice to nosh on while reading, and decided an afternoon on the back deck surrounded by others being creative might get me in the mood to do something myself.

We had a freak thundershower that sent my dog, Jake and I scrambling to make it indoors before we got soaked.

But, it was a “dog” day of summer for me today. And, Jake, who is a German Short Hair Pointer, but at 73 lbs. thinks he’s a lap dog, is also the biggest couch potato you will ever know.

We hung out on the sofa for the rest of the afternoon. Hilarious- I heard the biggest sighs of contentment from Jake.

So there must be some truth to the “dog days of summer”. And maybe you have a favorite hang out space- porch, deck or where ever that gives you the space and time to just “ponder the possibilities”. Share them with us.

I guess what’s great right now is that there are re-runs on so many channels that I have had to relax by reading instead.

Good thing because I have had a stack of books by my bedside, along with catalogs that I save and magazines that have been read in a hurry and I can now go back and leisurely re-read them.

My most current find is Charles Harper’s Birds and Wisdom. “ Charley Harper was an American original. For over 60 years, he painted in a style he referred to as minimal realism….He liked to say “I could never get close enough to count the feathers in the wings, so I just count the wings”.” (from the dust jacket). Todd Oldham is the designer of the day- and he has probably the most to do with Charley Harper’s images getting a second look.

Charley was smack dab in the mid century or what was then, the 1950’s, when he started working. His work became more recognizable when he was hired by Ford Motor Company to be a writer and illustrator for their magazine, “ Ford Times ”, and stayed there a remarkable 30 years.

What is so captivating is how fresh his illustrations look today. And how he has captured the essence of the birds he drew in the fewest of lines. His color ideas are also refreshing and look so modern.

My next favorite book for eye candy is Eva Zeisel by Lucie Young. Eva is another of the great designers of the 20 th century. She is probably best known for two designs of china, one called Town and Country , made for the company, Red Wing and a second design, called Tomorrow’s Classic , for Hall China .

I happen to have a set of Tomorrow’s Classic dinnerware, which my parents had. It’s white with a black motif that looks like a starburst. I love this set because the lines of the pitchers and other serving pieces are so fluid. The dinnerware looks so amazing to me. And, over the years, I have collected vintage 1950’s tablecloths that work well with these dishes.

I put them away for awhile because small children have a way of dropping things. I look forward to bringing them back out now, especially because of this book.

Even more amazing is that Eva has had such a prolific career beyond designing china. She designed a tubular steel and canvas chair, which is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). She has designed interiors for offices and retail stores. Most recently, she designed pieces that Nambe’ has produced.

The last book I have been reading is COLOR: Messages and Meanings, a Pantone Color Resource by Leatrice Eiseman. Ms. Eiseman is the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute and founder of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training.

All I can say is what a feast for the eyes. Each section takes a color range and helps put into words the emotions, positively or negatively, that this color range invokes. Of course, color has connotations. For example some colors work for selling things, and some colors might be a turn-off. But this book is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and your mojo working!

The best part is the actual Pantone color number and how it’s been married with other complimentary, monochromatic and other color methods. It shows how color can work in many different situations. Certainly, the photographs of successful ads, interior designs, products and other uses help demonstrate the usefulness of this book.

The price of the book might steer you away- but I can’t seem to bring myself to buy the Pantone Color Charts, so to me this is the next best item for color references and ideas.

There is not a book that I don’t wish I owned. Maybe you’ve got a favorite- I’d love to hear where your design inspirations come from.

I’ve got to confess that I’m a sucker for craft tools. I often take a lap around the local craft store deciding whether I r-e-a-l-l-y need it or not. And I have to ask myself if I have an immediate purpose for it or it’s just got to wait.

So, the most recent tool justification is a perforating disc for my cutting board. It’s really just there to trim paper or cut things to size.

But, Annie, our graphic designer, was doing a project where we needed to perforate a place card for a wedding. And well that turned out to be a great tool, which we have found lots of other cool things to do with this special cutting disc.

My newest cool tool is a board that allows us to score paper. I do know how to score paper by hand, but it is time consuming and most of the time I end up actually cutting through the piece when all I wanted to do was get a good fold. And to get a really great fold you have to know the direction or grain of the paper, which sometimes you have ignored in the process of printing something. So this scoring board allows you to avoid these issues.

I was like a kid when I brought the scoring board into the store and I immediately had to demonstrate its vast abilities.

It immediately came in handy when I made a custom cover for a significant proposal one of our customers was submitting. We were able to make a cover that had expanded sides to accommodate the thickness of the proposal as well as allow for flaps to overlap. So when the cover was opened, it would look a little like a flower opening.

Now I will say that a new tool doesn’t have to be the most expensive version- I think you need to take into consideration the wear and tear this equipment is likely to get. You can always upgrade, if you find that it is used often.

Everyone has a favorite tool that they use. You know some of mine- tell me what are your favorites and why you can’t live without them. I may just have to have one, too.