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GREENSBORO -- The prize for winning the News & Record's holiday gift wrap contest is getting your design printed in the paper. But for last year's winner, it also led to getting her design printed as actual wrapping paper by a local company.

Sue McBean's winning design in our 2007 contest will be offered by Shamrock Giftwrap and Accessories and Innisbrook Wraps next year.

Now it's your turn.

Starting today, we're accepting submissions for our annual gift wrap design contest. There will be two divisions this year, one for youths (children through the eighth grade) and one for adults (high school through senior citizens).

Last year's contest drew more than 100 submissions from throughout the Triad.

It was Sue McBean's delicate hand-painted design that most impressed the judges.

The Haw River State Park superintendent would never call herself an artist, but admits to being an avid "doodler."

McBean's design particularly impressed contest judge and Shamrock art director Sally Wilson. She says McBean's design is timeless and could be used for any occasion. She also cites its appealing color palette.

"It was unique and so nicely hand-drawn," Wilson says. "So much of the art that's done these days is very computery looking or computer manipulated."

McBean, who entered the contest on a whim, says she would love to create more giftwrap designs. "It was a great surprise and was very flattering," she says of her win.

This year, it could be you.

We want you to show off your creative skills and design your own wrapping paper. We'll print the winning designs in both categories as sheets of real gift wrap in the Dec. 21 Life section.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• The contest is open to everyone but is limited to one entry per person.
• On the back of your entry, write your name, age (students, include what grade you're in) address and a daytime phone number.
• We want to see what you can do, not your computer. Use paint, crayons, construction paper or whatever tickles your fancy, but make sure your entry is handmade.
• No commercial characters. And while we encourage Japanese-style manga artwork, because of copyright issues, don't replicate existing characters. Submit only original manga characters that you've created. Again, we're looking for original ideas.
• Try to make your entry as close to the size of the finished design as possible -- 111/2 by 18 inches.
• No color photocopies or pencil sketches.
• All entries must be received by Dec. 5. Because of the volume of mail, we will not be able to return submissions.

Send your entries to:

News & Record

c/o Tina Firesheets

200 E. Market St.

Greensboro, NC 27401

Contact Tina Firesheets at 373-3498 or tina.firesheets@news-record.com