Papers with a relatively limited colour scheme and all-over patterns are my favourites for gift decoration because they've got enough interest to suggest a colour scheme, and possibly theme as well; but really busy, contrasty papers are a struggle for me.

paper, flocked, twisted, curling ribbon; bows; cardboard xmas ornament, 24dec2019, Lumix LX-100; perspective, cloning, cropping with gimp.

This charming paper, featuring an assortment of colours and patterns, is a good example: it's sort of a patchwork itself, with areas of white splashed with vivid colours (say orange or red) alternating with a rich ultramarine blue. I chose it deliberately, hoping I could come up with something that would look really good.

Since the blue and gold seemed to me dominant, I put a fair amount of that in, but I also wanted to show up the richness of the gold accented paper, and its deep, saturated colours, so the wine-red velvety ribbon seemed a good choice. I stuck a fancy cardboard carousel lion ornament as the vertical element because it was in a somewhat similar rich style.

Aaaaaand, I failed. I mean, it's not horrible or anything, but the ribbons and bows fight with the paper, instead of co-ordinating with it. The lion focus basically disappeared, especially in this photograph. So, fail. Sometimes, that's just what happens.

(To add insult to injury, the poor recipient got all excited about the ornament, thinking it was an angel one—she has an angel tree, the way I have a silver and white one—and of course was disappointed.

That at least I could remedy. I toddled down to the thrift shop on the day after Boxing Day and got two cute angel ornaments—one a sort of pressed tin, the other a hand-made wool-felt with sequins, obviously vintage, for the princely sum of five cents each, so I'm ready for next time:) I just have to be careful not to get hot glue all over them so they can actually be used.

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