This is hands-downs my favourite gift-decoration from the holiday season of 2019, so it's altogether fitting that it was for the most important person in my life.

mucha paper, gold-wire edged ribbon over flocked ribbon, curling ribbon, silk flowers, beaded garlanding, brass horn Lumix-LX100 24dec19—note that the box is tilted up, which not only separates the background but also causes the beads to hang better:)

Since the wizard selected the box's contents & obligingly had it shipped, all the part of the gift that was actually from me is on the outside, so I went all-out, inspired, of course, by the beautiful paper, itself a gift from my oldest friend.

The romantic lensbaby version. I like the way the touches of leftover paint on the deck—an artefact of f2tE painting a canvas floorcloth (onto which the weather very disobligingly rained, transferring most of the paint to the deck, so it had to be done over)—echoes the blue-green bits in the gift decoration. 24dec2019

For this I was willing to haul out the yellow/brown box of silk flowers, awkwardly located in the corner & 3 tubs down; use one of my two precious brass horns, as well as the uber cool lime green and turquoise butterfly, not to mention scarce matte cream curling ribbon, matte gold bow, two sizes of gold bead garlanding, and fancy gold-edged ribbon.

closeup

Typically, when doubling up wrapping ribbons, the wider ribbon goes on first: however, the transparency of the gold-edged ribbon (with the spirals) provided a wonderful opportunity to reverse this practise: not only did layering it over the avocado green flocked ribbon soften that even further (desirable in the context of the very romantic quality of the paper) it also showed up the gold spirals: they nearly (but not quite!) disappear over the ivory paper—thereby adding a subtle transition. I just love this sort of thing, obviously:)

Another view with the lumix.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.