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For a long time I've tried to purchase Christmas wrapping paper with a Nativity theme. Most Christmases I can't find it at all. The times I do, it's rarely appealing.
A few years ago, I budgeted to buy wrapping paper at a more expensive store that carries religious gifts. When I discovered the same selection of Santa and candy cane gift wrap available elsewhere, I commented on it to a woman standing next to me.
She turned out to be the store's buyer. She explained that Christmas wrapping paper that is obviously Christian in theme is generally not offered in wholesale catalogs.
That day I decided our family would someday produce well-designed Christmas wrapping paper that portrays the Christmas story with the joy and beauty it deserves. |
Part of the First Christmas Supporting Cast. |
I'm pleased to introduce First Christmas, a family-operated company now offering the one Christmas item we could never
find – wrapping paper that truly celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Cheri Loveless
Owner |
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Cheri Loveless is the mom-at-home entrepreneur who owns and is developing First Christmas. A native of the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she is the mother of five girls and three boys (ages 34-14) and the grandmother of eight.
As a young mom, she co-founded a food cooperative, a small private school, and a national support group and publication for mothers. For the past 20 years, she has freelanced as a professional editor and has co-authored two books, including What's A Smart Woman Like You Doing at Home? She recently finished the college degree she interrupted 34 years ago to be home with her children (a BA in French with an Anthropology minor). She loves to read (biographies and history), used to dance, and enjoys a good discussion with people of all backgrounds and ages. She has been married 35 years to Scott, her friend and favorite philosopher. |
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Meet our artists and designers, those who visualize how to bring the birth of Jesus Christ into every First Christmas specialty gift wrap design . . .
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Josh Robinson is a self-taught artist. He grew up on a farm in Utah. He started drawing when he was young and has continued throughout his life. As a youth, he was inspired by Walt Disney and his grandpa’s chicken drawings. After seeing Vincent Van Gogh’s original paintings, he discovered a strong interest in becoming a painter. He has worked on several animated films as an animator, story-board artist, and set designer. He loves classical paintings and 1950’s graphic art. He lives in Utah with his wife, Allison, and his baby son.
Josh did the artwork for two of our 2009 designs: “Shepherds” and “Stars.” We look forward to developing other concepts he has prepared for us. |
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Dayna Boshard takes the concept drawings of our artists and formats them for the printing process, including the creation of repeat patterns. She also designed our logo.
Dayna is a freelance graphic designer who specializes in print work. Her artwork is influenced by a combination of modern art, architectural elements, pop-art, and the organic shapes found in works by Georgia O’Keefe. In 2007 Dayna received a BFA in Graphic Design from Utah Valley University and went to work for the international architecture firm, IBI Group. She later left IBI to pursue a career as a freelance designer and to launch her own skateboarding brand, Fiber Skateboarding. She is a wife and the mother of three children, and resides in Provo, Utah. |
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While still in college earning her BFA, Stefanie accepted her first assignment for a children's magazine, eventually illustrating for 10 years at publications like Humpty Dumpty , Turtle , and Children's Digest Magazines . Working for Grey Advertising in Los Angeles indirectly led her to her current career as a toy designer. She has worked for many major toy companies, including Mattel, Hasbro, Playskool, Tonka, Fisher-Price, and currently Spin Master Toys. During her freelance years, she developed computer design skills that have also led to work as a graphic designer and digital scrapbook designer.
Stefanie has been married to her husband, Bruce, for 31 years. They have four children, ages 30-18, and two grandsons. For fun, she plays autoharp, guitar, banjo, and hammered dulcimer in an all-woman bluegrass band called the Boney Mountain Mamas. Her concept drawings for First Christmas can be seen in Gallery 2010. |
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Meet the people who help First Christmas produce and bring our high quality Nativity wrapping paper to your doorstep . . .
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Graphics One founder, Doug Russell, consistently went the extra mile for our First Christmas Nativity wrapping paper concept. When timing and expense prevented us from printing wrapping paper rolls in the necessary quantities for 2009, he helped us develop our specialty sheets.
Doug has been in the printing industry since 1978. He has been an owner of two print manufacturing companies, Advent Graphics and Universal Graphics. In 1988, he started Graphics One, a print management firm dedicated to helping small businesses with printing, print advertising, and graphic design solutions.
www.graphicsone.biz |
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Internet Marketing powered by Dean Arrow & Associates, LLC is a father and son webpage production team that patiently guided
First Christmas
through the confusion of technical webpage design and taught us the meaning of “search engine optimization.”
www.denverinternetmarketingspecialists.com |
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When other fulfillment companies were reluctant to talk to a small, family-owned start-up, Propeller, Inc. invited us into their facility to watch the fulfillment process in action. They also walked us through the many variables associated with establishing a shipping fee – not once, but several times. When we insisted that our high quality specialty sheets should not be folded for shipping, one of their managers personally rolled different quantities of our large paper sheets into tubes of various sizes and shapes until we found the right shipping option to bring First Christmas Nativity wrapping paper to our customers in top condition.
www.propellerinc.com. |
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