swee swee paperie and studio: A wrapper’s delight

This is a sad, but true confession: I keep a bag of recycled, wadded-up colored tissue in my closet, bits of ribbon in a drawer, and various gifts bags in odd spots around the house. When I have to wrap a gift, I do it five minutes before I leave the house. And it looks like it. That's why I admire creative people like Ann Conway, who opened swee swee paperie and studio at the end of September in West Seattle.

This new shop is the answer to all your gift-wrapping problems. Whether you're all thumbs when it comes to presenting a pretty gift or you need new greeting cards, invitations or note cards, swee swee has it all wrapped up.

Conway's shop is airy, inviting and colorful. A central column is painted a bright magenta and matching drapes line the back wall. A chartreuse upholstered chair and ottoman offer comfortable seats for clients, and a dress form with a skirt made of wrapping paper graces the window. The shop is filled with bright and contemporary gift wrap that's exclusive to the store or hard to find in Seattle. It's all very pretty stuff worth framing -- and it is, on one of the shop walls.

You'll find gift wrap by Whimsy Press, Heidi and others for $3.80 to $4.50 a sheet. Some sheets are double-faced with different patterns on each side. Individual cards range from sweet to humorously sarcastic in sentiment ($2.50 to $5). The letter press cards are adorable, especially those from Good on Paper, Paper + Cup, and Dear Monday. Some of the invites are printable; run them through your printer at home to add personalized information. Apiary Design has an elegant set of invitations (10 for $24), place cards (10 for $7) and menus (10 for $8). Pick up one of the Russell + Hazel day planners -- you can personalize it with a variety of inserts including clever pages that allow you to insert business cards ($22 for the day planner).

Have Conway work her wrapping magic on your gifts. Fees are reasonable and gift recipients will be impressed with your presentation effort.

Wrapping charges: Free, if you purchase paper and ribbon in-store. Otherwise, small gifts are $3, medium are $6, large are $9, and extra large and odd-shaped packages are $12 and up. Discounts are available for volume: Get a 10 percent discount for wrapping between five and nine gifts and save 15 percent when you wrap 10 or more packages. If you bought something in the West Seattle Junction, you'll receive a 10 percent discount. Pick-up, delivery and shipping are available as well.

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