the stationery place

good idea: paper party pack

2012-02-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

i think these paper party packs from mixt studio are so cute. a set of 4 placemats, coasters, wine glass markers and napkin rings in coordinating themes like holiday, oodles of doodles and wine party. an easy, quick way to add pretty paper to your next soiree!

[all photos courtesy of mixt studios]

happy valentine's day!

2012-02-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

[source: sparrow nest script]

happy valentine's day! we just got back from spending a romantic weekend in arizona. [romantic = the main purpose of the trip was to visit my grandparents, and we brought jack along, so i guess it really wasn't very romantic. ha.] sooo i'm busy catching up and getting ready to celebrate the big v-day with my little family tomorrow.

here are a few final valentines for you -- hope you have a great day tomorrow, spent with someone you love.

more valentine's day on the stationery place:

valentine round-ups one and two

valentines by smock paper

secret love notes

valentine stamps

[source: avie designs]

love is in the air!

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

i guess with valentine's day around the corner, i've got romance on the brain -- here's a round-up of some awesome wedding stationery i've collected from around the web lately.

basically in love with EVERY one of the items in the avie designs shop, but i had to pick soiree to share with you because it has my favorite color ;)

the cutest save the date photos i have ever seen! love the photo strip look, love the washi tape, love the colors, love the hand-lettering. LOVE. [printing & calligraphy by tara at ephemera press; spotted on oh so beautiful paper]:

"eat, drink and be married" customized wedding pockets from paper themes -- you insert flat cards with all the wedding and rsvp info:

pretty letterpressed invitations from im-pressed:

adorable sea creature wedding suite, designed by katie from rocket ink & printed by kseniya at thomas printers. i love the little starfish. (spotted on oh so beautiful paper):

amazing "graphic & glitz" wedding announcements designed by amy hardy from design8days (spotted on paper crave):

** all images from their respective sources. paper themes is a sponsor of the stationery place.

DIY grandparent valentines

2012-02-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

i can take exactly ZERO credit for this idea -- i spotted these cute stamped valentine cards on hello jack [fabulous name, don't you think? ;) ] and knew i had to try them out. you use a toilet paper roll to create a heart shape, then stamp it in paint before sticking it on a card. perfect for my 18-month-old jack! and perfect to send to all our much-missed relatives in other states.

i used pre-cut and pre-folded cards from american crafts, rescued the toilet paper roll from our recycling bin and grabbed some crayola finger paint i have on hand for moments just like this. i demo'ed the stamping for jack exactly one time before he was ready to try it himself -- and he wouldn't stop! he LOVED stamping hearts. i made him stop after a few on the cards but let him go wild on some old newspaper.

then i dressed the cards up a little bit with some washi tape and patterned paper. naturally mama has to get in on this crafty action :)

my little "helper" -- he made a mess while i got crafty. thanks buddy!

this whole project took way less than an hour, start to finish (done in our pj's, no less!) -- and now i have super-cute handmade valentines to send to the grandparents. score!

for more of my handmade valentines over the years, check these out:

tiny valentines

L letterpress valentines with homemade envelopes

good idea: free valentine printables & ideas

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

my friend muffin from sweet muffin suite has teamed up with sharon from lemon squeezy to design six days of free valentine printables! [muffin is basically amazing -- some of her graphic design work is featured on products at TARGET! sooo legit.]

the girls are halfway done so stay tuned this week for more. seriously, these are the cutest.

while we're talking about sa-weet valentine countdowns, my friend lindsay is chronicling her 14 favorite valentine ideas on linniebell. so far she's covered treat bags, heart-shaped jewelry and red velvet hot chocolate -- YUM! can't wait to see what else is in store.

also, the very talented sara at confetti sunshine featured a great tutorial on a valentines breakfast, complete with free printable downloads. i think i will be using some of these muffin toppers and pancake flags for MY valentine festivities this year. she even has some yummy-sounding recipes to try and cute matching invitations to hand out.

and, if you're participating in the 2012 handmade valentine swap, don't forget that all your cards need to be in the mail by tomorrow! i've already gotten a few and they are SO adorable. can't wait to share them with you next week.

** all images from their respective sources.

seattle paper: impress rubber stamps

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

i've been meaning to post about impress rubber stamps FOREVER but valentine's day finally got me in gear! impress is a cute little stamp and paper craft store with three locations around the seattle area (tukwila, bellevue and university village) -- my closest one is in the bellevue square mall and i can't help but stop in there every time we're nearby.

[photo of the bellevue square location by me]

the shop is PACKED full of amazing rubber stamps -- we're talking wall to wall, floor to ceiling. i'm not even a huge stamper but i always get a little giddy thinking of all the possibilities impress can help you create. how adorable is this seattle-themed valentine??

[image - impress]

impress also offers a wide array of card-making classes -- check out their online class catalog full of valentine workshops. they had a pop-up valentine class last night that sounded pretty fun -- look, this chair is made out of paper:

impress sells some non-stamp items too, like embellishments and paper sheets and cute packaging. and they have plenty of stamped projects around to help you get some inspiration. all the images i pulled for this post are from their facebook page, and you can learn to make them in upcoming classes.

[images - impress]

follow impress on facebook for more info on their upcoming, non-valentine classes -- plus sales and other events.

impress rubber stamps
258A bellevue square
bellevue, wa 98004
http://impressrubberstamps.com/

good idea: secret love notes for v-day

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

have you ever heard of a punch box? i hadn't, until i saw these cute modern ones created by leafcutter designs. it's a box made out of letterpress paper, tissue paper and washi tape, and when you punch out each circle with a pencil, a tiny little message pops out!

leafcutter sent me one to try out, and i thought it was really cool. jack especially loved trying to catch the messages once they shot out of the box -- i guess i'm an aggressive puncher :)

there are two versions, one with pre-written notes like the one above, and a slight more expensive one where you can customize all the messages. i think this would be such a fun way to send a love letter or even propose. if you want to send one to your valentine this year, leafcutter recommends ordering by this sunday to make sure it arrives by feb. 14. happy punching!

valentines by smock

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

smock deserves a post of its own this valentine season. their new line of valentines is amazing! these latest designs are so whimsical and fun -- for $4, you can send a memorable love card guaranteed to make a big statement.

here are some of my faves from the 2012 line:

all smock cards are sustainably letterpressed on exclusive bamboo paper -- you can buy all of the cards seen here on the smock website. they've also updated their line of new products with some spiffy wrapping paper, notepads, patterned boxes and more. if one of these printed notebooks showed up from my valentine this year, i'd be really happy!

[all images courtesy of smock]

for more from smock, check out their website and blog. they're also on facebook and twitter. so many ways to get your pretty paper fix!

valentine overload

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

hooray, the handmade valentine swap is underway! i sent out all partner assignments over the weekend, and i'm so excited to see you guys start sending them out. if you're participating, feel free to send me pictures of your valentines-in-progress while you're working on them, via twitter or facebook. i'll post a big round-up of everyone's work after feb. 14.

meanwhile, it's OFFICIALLY valentine season around my house and i've got nothing but pink & red love on the brain. here are a few pretty valentines i've been collecting from around the web -- hope they get you as excited for valentine's day as i am!

wooden owl valentine from night owl paper goods:

tons of customizable photo valentines from brightside prints -- sold in mini (business card) and small (3x5 index card) sizes!

self-mailing valentines from 1canoe2 that you fill out, fold in half, stamp & send:

an amazing hand-cut rose silhouette card from etsy designer arwen designs:

pretty valentines from swizzlestix, available via snapfish:

clever letterpress valentines from hello!lucky:

two-tone block printed cards from est. 1986 (spotted on design*sponge):

more valentine love to come so stay tuned :)

** all images from their respective sources.

good idea: DIY custom stationery

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

i was excited to learn about a new line from bell'invito called i pezzi -- it's a printable DIY stationery collection! you buy your supplies -- envelopes, liners and cards -- and once they arrive you can print any design onto the cards right from adobe illustrator. high quality paper, pretty designs...it's a classy way to make your own stationery.

there are more than 80 styles (!) of envelope liners, all pre-cut and ready to go. forget printing my own stationery, i'd just buy the envelopes and liners and use them for every card i send out this year! :)

[all images courtesy of bell'invito]

since the packs are designed for at-home assembly, you can host a little stationery-making party once your supplies arrive! i can think of nothing better to do on a cold winter night than having a few friends over, eating some cookies and crafting pretty stationery.

valentines, wedding invitations, birthday invitations, baby announcements -- the possibilities are endless. your DIY stationery options just got a whooole lot better!

purchase i pezzi products at bellinvito.com -- and for more on bell'invito, check out these posts:

baby by bell'invito

bell'invito letterpress collection

the best-designed week of my life

2012-01-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

you'll recall i spent last week at the altitude design summit, billed as "summer camp for bloggers." i have to say that the description totally fit! i hung out with new and old friends, filled my brain with all sorts of new ideas and inspiration, and enjoyed a much-needed break from day-to-day life.

i'd been dying to attend ever since alt was born in 2010 -- but the first year i was on a business trip the same week, and last year i had a new baby to take care of. this was my year and i was so excited to finally go!

technically i was there for work, on behalf of one of my clients [one charming party, the most fabulous party blog you will ever read] -- and on that level the conference was awesome. so many amazing bloggers and brands were in attendance; we were able to generate / develop great collaborations and partnerships. but beyond that, for me -- first and foremost as a blogger! -- alt was just the breath of fresh air i needed to remember that i'm on the right track.

i could probably talk for days about everything i learned and did last week, but instead of boring you out of your mind -- here's a condensed version.
my top 5 experiences at alt.

ONE | my peeps

sometimes i feel like no one in my "real" life quite understands my "online" life. family and friends look at me like i'm an alien when i say i'm a blogger or i work in social media. as i learned at blogher this summer, it is sooo refreshing to be around people who GET me. this is my tribe. we all automatically have something in common -- love of blogging, of good design, of the internets -- and i felt like it was easier to make friends with that kind of foundation already laid.

[me & brittany -- photo is mine]

TWO | ben from pinterest

alt's keynote addresses were off the hook. "the relationship between traditional & new media" by pilar guzman (martha stewart living), deborah needleman (wsj magazine) and maxwell gillingham-ryan (apartment therapy) was fascinating and timely. "designing your life" by gretchen rubin motivated me to make my life a little more deliberate (and to read her book again -- i HIGHLY highly recommend the happiness project!) but it was the heartfelt, honest look at the business of pinterest -- by founder ben silbermann -- that touched me the most.

hearing ben's path to creating pinterest, finding himself, and sharing his vision for the future of social media made me want to be better. the internet really can bring the world closer together and give us meaningful lives in the process. i felt lucky to be in attendance that day.

[photo is mine]

THREE | good paper supplies

naturally, the paper goods at this conference caught my eye more than anything else. from neon business cards from strangers to letterpress cards in my gift bag to pinhole press notepads on every table, i was in paper heaven. more to come on all that.

[photo is mine]

FOUR | celebs

i got to interview anya, the winner of project runway! this has nothing to do with stationery or with this blog but i thought it was pretty cool. i also ran into dooce at lunch one day. she said she liked my green jeans. OMG!

[photo credit -- dana ]

[photo is mine]

FIVE | an education

from stimulating panels to meetings to random conversations, my brain was filled to the brim with new information. i love learning from fellow bloggers. i also took a few design camp classes -- bookbinding, taught by allison from igloo letterpress, and sewing, taught by dana from MADE -- and loved being able to indulge my creative side a bit.

[pic of me from the bernina twitter feed -- i made that bag!]

[i'm not in this photo but i just really love it -- that's grace bonney from design sponge, 2nd from left on the floor -- i think it captures the essence of alt. chatting, texting, sitting, learning. that was my week!]

[me, jessie from shop sweet lulu and brittany from one charming party at dinner the first night]

so there you have it. if you're even considering attending alt in the future, i highly recommend it -- you might surprise yourself with how worth it and fun it is. even if you get nervous in large social gatherings like i do :) like i said, it took me two years to get there -- so save your pennies and maybe i'll see you in 2014.

and p.s. -- unless otherwise noted, all photos were pulled from the alt flickr page. these amazing photos were taken by the hired photographers -- justin hackworth, b.a.d. photography and moss & isaac.

officemax giveaway winner + etc.

2012-01-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

[image via pinterest]

congrats to #4, amy!! you are the winner of the officemax prize pack :) please email me your mailing info so we can get your prize in the mail. thanks again to everyone who entered! [winner was chosen with random.org.]

i'm working hard around here to get caught up -- come back tomorrow for my full alt summit recap. also, tomorrow is the LAST DAY [for real this time ;) ] to enter the handmade valentine swap! if you signed up, expect an email from me this weekend with your swap partners.

i've got tons of valentine goodness coming your way soon, so stay tuned! in the meantime, i'm saving some awesome valentine ideas in my pinterest account. are you on pinterest? follow me for lots of pretty paper :)

ALT, national stationery show, and catching up

2012-01-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

whew! what a crazy past few days. last week i hopped on a plane to salt lake city just as seattle was experiencing its worst snowstorm in 30 years -- and spent 4 days at the altitude design summit. the conference was amazing, inspiring and SO much fun.

i'll have much more to tell you about that later this week, but in the meantime -- i wrote a column for the national stationery show's paperclips newsletter and it's live today!

i wrote about three trends in the stationery world that i think we'll continue to see a lot of in 2012 -- click here to see what they are! i'm especially grateful to marsupial paper, courtney khail and susy jack for providing me with perfect product images to include.

anyway, since i'm pretty much drowning in work and catch-up from being gone last week, i'm extending the deadline for the handmade valentine swap until wednesday. i'll be back then with our officemax winner too. thanks for your understanding & i'll see you soon!

giveaway: officemax holiday help center

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

we've all got valentines on the brain by now, so i feel like it's just a continuation of the winter holidays around here. i told you about officemax's holiday help center last month -- it really did save me time when it came to wrapping presents! -- and i'm excited to be giving away a help center prize pack to one lucky reader.

the officemax prize pack contains one of each of the following:
>> scotch paper cutter to help you slice right through wrapping or decorative paper
>> 3M adhesive strips for damage-free hanging [i actually use these to hang paper poms and garlands around my house -- easier to hide than tape or nails, and they don't damage your wall when you pull it off]
>> scotch pop-up tape handband with pre-cut tape strips for easy wrapping or crafting

just think of how helpful these tools will be when you're wrapping valentine presents, crafting your handmade cards, or just organizing your gift wrap supplies! genius. be sure to check out the holiday help center for more practical ideas.

to enter, leave me a comment below telling me your favorite valentine memory. the giveaway is open until wednesday at midnight, and i'll announce the winner next week. good luck!

good idea: handmade valentines

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

now that the 2012 handmade valentine swap is officially under way, i thought i'd give you some valentine inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. as mentioned, you can make the cards yourself OR buy them from someone else -- a friend, a local letterpress printer, an etsy seller -- and send those too. support DIY!

whichever path you choose, here are some pretty valentines to give you some ideas:

hand-painted striped heart from empty on the inside

silhouette valentine by treasures from the 80s

paint swatch valentines via country living

glitter handprint card by rosy posy

printable valentines from k.becca

love card by kristina werner [via two peas in a bucket]

quilled heart card by martha stewart

handmade valentine swap 2012!

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

it's january, and do you know what that means??

it's time for the second annual handmade valentine swap!

last year's swap was a huge success -- i knew planning one for 2012 was a must. we had participants from all around the country and world, and i LOVED hearing about all the pretty cards everyone made & how much they loved getting real mail. personally, i have already become depressed by the state of my mailbox this month -- i totally miss all the fun cards that showed up each day in december, since now we're back to bills and ads. and it's always nice to have a reason to get crafty!

so here's how it works:

>> email me at stationeria [at] gmail.com before january 25 with the following info:

name

address

email address

blog URL / twitter handle [if applicable]

ok to swap with international partners?

>> i'll match you with up to 4 swap partners. they'll be randomly assigned and [if you're okay with it] could be international. look for an email from me with info on your partners before january 30.

>> then, you create and send valentines to your swap partners -- you'll need to get them in the mail no later than tuesday, february 7.

after that, sit back and wait for your valentines to roll in!

i answered a bunch of faq's about the swap, like "do i have to be a blogger to participate?" [no!] and "do i have to make the cards by hand?" [kinda] in this blog post, so check that out or email me if you have any questions. the main intent of the card swap is to make pen pal friends -- so send your partners a pretty piece of mail, with a handwritten message inside. [we're not sending blank valentines for them to use later -- it's a valentine greeting for them now.]

can't wait to see what you all come up with -- let the valentine swap officially begin! <3

2012 calendars!

2012-01-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

obviously i've had planners on the brain, but regular calendars go hand-in-hand with planners so i've found a bunch of those i love too :) see below for a round-up of the prettiest paper calendars of 2012. your new year HAS to be amazing if you document it on something so lovely!

a calendar of gorgeous polaroid images, from life love paper:

paris! a calendar made of vintage posters, maps and images of the city of light from cavallini [available at paper source]:

a perpetual calendar to remember important dates, year after year, by tutta lou press [a seattle company!]:

a pretty desktop calendar from grace hester design:

french pastry wall calendar from sycamore street press [apparently i have a thing for france this year?]:

colorful & fun desk calendar from page by paige -- and right now it's 50% off! what a deal:

have you picked up a 2012 calendar yet? any favorites i should know about? leave a note in the comments!

2012 planners: erin condren design

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

last week, i tweeted about shopping for a new planner and the fabulous @heathercowdell directed me to erin condren design, a stationery designer based in my lovely home state of california. i was hooked as soon as i saw erin's site -- so many fun colors and pretty products!

since i've got planners on the brain, i checked those out first -- and i LOVE erin's options. the life planner has all sorts of cute cover options and it's got tons of space for EVERY day -- perfect for type-A's like me who need to make super-detailed lists frequently :)

if you're into large desktop calendars, wall calendars or monthly notebooks, erin has those too -- all with her signature clean designs and bright colors.

i think these calendars are perfect for families -- or for anyone who wants a bright, happy calendar to use throughout 2012. be sure to check out erincondren.com for calendars, planners and lots more paper goodness.

2012 planners: blue sky

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

hooray, it's 2012! you know what that means -- time for a new planner. there are so many ways -- and apps -- to keep your calendar in check these days, but i will always be partial to a good old-fashioned paper planner. and right now i'm in the middle of finding a new one! i've been going crazy, making plans for the new year but not being able to write them down, so i need one STAT.

i'm still researching options, but thought i'd share some of my favorites this week -- starting with blue sky. i used an egg press for blue sky planner throughout 2011 and i LOVED it. i felt happy every time i pulled out the robins egg blue notebook and got to write something down. (it even held up after getting thrown around in my giant purse and chewed on by a toddler.) lucky for all of us, egg press is back with new designs for 2012!

susy jack is also back for 2012 with a tablet calendar and different sizes (and colors!) of planners:

blue sky has a variety of other designs in planners -- i especially like the dominique and grace versions:

blue sky products are available for purchase online via their website, on amazon, or in stores like target and office max. hope you like yours as much as i've loved mine!

good idea: thank you note tracker

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

it's good to be back! i spent far too much time eating, playing and relaxing over the holiday break and it was glorious -- but as always i love getting back to my routine.

one thing on my to-do list is to write my thank you cards -- gotta get those babies done in a timely manner, you know. [fyi, general etiquette consensus is within 2 weeks of getting a gift -- but i agree with emily post that you're better late than never!]

that's why i think this little thank you note tracker from the gracious girl is such a good idea! you can download it right from her site to keep track of who gave you what, what presents you received and who you've already thanked. i love being organized and this is a perfect way to do it. happy note writing!

how-to: holiday gift wrap

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

i was a busy little bee at the beginning of december. i signed up to participate in the brooklyn bride holiday card swap AND in the freshly picked / ardor handmade gift swap. i looove getting mail so these were no-brainers. but they definitely added to my already-too-long holiday to-do list. [worth it.]

i put together a "holiday survival" stationery kit for my gift swap partners. it had some handmade thank you cards [for the thank you cards you HAVE to write!], some stripey straws [so you can look cool at every holiday party or at home] and a mini holiday garland.

i packaged them all up in clear patterned bags [with green gift bag stuffing] from the container store -- it really IS a gift wrap wonderland in there!! -- and sealed them with a hand-written label. tied em up with some baker's twine, wrapped them in recycled brown grocery bags and we were good to go!

do you get really into gift wrap at the holidays? i wish i had time for things like super-cute diy packaging but let's face it -- when you're crunched for time, sometimes a gift bag and some tissue paper have to make it work. that doesn't mean i can't appreciate some good wrapping though! here are a few favorite ideas from around the web.

diy packaging from one charming party:

AMAZING wrapping paper options from vivid wrap:

simple, neutral and classy from style me pretty:

i came across the holiday help center from office max this year, and i thought it was pretty cool. they've got a guide for all those holiday chores we SHOULD know how to do, but maybe don't...like wrapping a present, shipping a package, and hanging decorations without damaging your walls. there are links to all the most-used holiday supplies too [i refuse to wrap a gift without scotch magic tape]. so helpful!

happy wrapping!

p.s. since christmas is two days away (!) i'll be taking the next week off to spend time with family. hope you & yours have a wonderful holiday season! xo

our christmas cards, 2011

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

as mentioned, i have a total obsession with christmas cards. not obsession like "i judge you if you send costco cards" but more like "i love love LOVE getting cards in the mail!" yeah. so anyway, i hope you don't judge my christmas cards because i love them.

we went with brightside prints for the 2011 wells family card, because they are AWESOME. [see also: moving announcements.] and also because i got free mailing labels! woot.

it was a tough call since there were sooo many good options [chevron stripes! swirl borders! non-traditional colors!] but we chose peppermint stripe, designed by the very talented lauren at palm papers.

we used a photo from our shoot with adele. it's us in front of lake union [with the space needle in the background, see it on the right?] and i thought it was a fitting tribute to our big move of 2011. i also love to read little family updates so i wrote a tiny summary and taped it to the back of each card with some festive washi tape. [brightside prints has the BEST backers on their cards, i thought the stripes were adorable.]

as much as i love a holiday card itself, sometimes i think envelopes are even better. this is what people see as soon as they open their mailbox! i always go a little overboard on addressing and decorating my envelopes. i hand-wrote every address, added our brightside prints return-address label, and threw another piece of washi tape on the back to double-seal the cards.

for the record, we ran out of holiday cards before we ran out of friends and family, so i ended up making a costco run anyway to add some extra, less-expensive cards to our stash. can't beat those costco prices, but you also can't beat the awesome extra touch that comes from cards NOT ordered there. and that, my friends, is my personal eternal debate. moving on!

i worked on our cards on and off for six nights before getting them all mailed out. ha! it was a labor of love, for sure, but i'm so happy to be able to keep in touch with our loved ones in this way. and for a flashback -- check out our holiday cards from 2010 and 2009.

seattle paper: christmas activities

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

just a note on some fun things to do around seattle for the holidays. i can't believe christmas is less than a week away!

first up -- the downtown seattle macy's is decorated SO CUTE for the holidays. i love their toy train window, the giant teddy bear on the corner, and especially santaland. i took jack there last week with a group of local bloggers and he loved it all -- except, of course, for santa. ha! better luck next year, kiddo.

[image 1 courtesy of marie; image 2 is mine]

macy's did a great job of bringing some holiday cheer. festive decorations throughout the store and a very kind, jolly santa claus [who i saw get swapped out as we were leaving -- don't tell your kids there are two santas!] who didn't mind a hysterical toddler. i felt very miracle on 34th street being there and it got us in the christmas mood. downtown seattle is so fun this time of year with all the lights and christmas trees. [and ice skating rink at seattle center!]

here's a shot of all the seattle bloggers who came on friday, plus our kiddos. the whole day was put together by jenny [who IS on the spot], and i loved meeting [or re-meeting] such fun ladies: my IRL friend marie from make & takes, allison from no time for flashcards [my FAVE go-to site for toddler activities, seriously i'm obsessed so it was like meeting a celeb], tammy from tammy's two cents, kat from mama's losin it, louise from momstart and mandy from harper's happenings. when it comes to cool bloggers, seattle is where it's at.

moving on. the east side has it's share of christmas fun, too! bellevue square has a totally cute snowflake lane celebration EVERY night at 7 p.m. drummers, music, giant snowmen -- and real snow! we're taking jack there this week.

[image]

i've also heard great things about the garden d'lights at the bellevue botanical garden. they've got a half-million lights all over the grounds and it looks really cool. garden d'lights is open every night from 5-10 p.m.

[image / image]

and, if you still need some time to work on those holiday cards, impress is having a "stamper drop in" night at all seattle-area locations on wednesday, december 21. this sounds so fun! even if you're done with all your holiday prep, i'd say everyone could use a detox craft night to chill a little before christmas hits. [side note: check out the impress 2011 gift guide -- so many cute crafty supplies! love.]

what am i missing? any other fun seattle christmas things [paper-related or not!] to do?

p.s. macy's provided me with that priceless santa photo, above, but all thoughts & comments are mine all mine.

how-to: holiday card display

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

it's the most wonderful time of the year -- time for christmas cards!! i LOVE sending and receiving christmas cards every year and [because i'm a total dork] i start planning our cards way back in october. you'll get a peek at the wells family card next week, but in the meantime -- what do you do with your holiday cards?

i personally like to display my cards in my living room so i can enjoy the photos and greetings from friends and family throughout the christmas season. my mom collects all of hers in a cute reindeer basket on her coffee table. some people [gasp!] take a look at their cards and throw them away. tragic.

this year, i tried something different -- i stretched sparkly holiday ribbon across our front closet and pinned the cards on with clothespins. i wanted to spray paint or modpodge the clothespins, but ran out of time & steam. maybe next year. i think it looks festive and cute, though -- and it's very versatile. more cards come in the mail? just add more ribbon.

here are a few more ideas, from around the web AND from some of my favorite bloggers -- cool and creative ways to display your holiday cards.

a cute "christmas corner," complete with fresh pine boughs and beautiful cards. [from carina at crow and canary.]

clever wreath made from colorful clothespins -- this is much better door decor than mine :) [from brianne & danielle at ravenna girls]

pinned to a string of lights around a bookcase. [from melanie at fifth and hazel.]

post cards and sparkly ornaments on a cute mirror for a shimmery, festive backdrop. [from minted.]

turn them into art -- use a punch to cut circles from the holiday card patterns, then sew them into a wreath. [from better homes & gardens.]

post them on the wall. [from dana at MADE.]

any ideas you've seen and loved? i'd love to hear -- please post in the comments.

letters from santa

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

whew! our 2011 gift guide week is over! how did you like my selections? now that we've wrapped that up, here are some more fun holiday stationery ideas for you.

first up: do you know you can have santa send your kids a real letter? choose a card from sent-well.com [like the one above] and write your own message from "santa." the folks at sent-well will handwrite your message inside the card, stamp and send it to the recipient of your choice -- from the north pole! what a fun idea. the "sent by santa" offer ends this sunday so all cards can be mailed in time, so hurry and sign up now! [and -- a heads up -- ALL sent-well holiday cards are 20% off until january 2!]

[image from one charming party]

and, next year, you can have your OWN mail postmarked from the north pole. i learned about this one a little too late this year (all letters had to be received by december 10 to ensure christmas delivery) but it's such a cute idea. you package up all your letters or christmas cards with correct postage, then put them in a box and ship them to anchorage, alaska. postal workers there will give each envelope a special north pole postmark. [i learned about this from one charming party -- sorry for the late notice!]

LOUIE awards deadline this week!

2011-12-12T05:00:00.001-07:00

attention, all stationery printers and designers: thursday is the deadline to submit entries in the LOUIE awards, a celebration of the best and brightest of the stationery industry. established by the greeting card industry, the LOUIE awards show will take place on may 20 at the national stationery show. this year's show will feature 50 seasonal and everyday card and invitation categories!

[this is the official call for entries, isn't it cute? images from oh so beautiful paper]

the judging panel alone makes me totally excited -- we're talking representatives from kate's paperie and barnes & noble, some stationery manufacturers, plus nole from oh so beautiful paper and sarah schwartz from stationery trends -- they'll get together next month to evaluate the entries. finalists will be announced in march, and winners will be recognized at the awards show in march.

so, if you're a stationer and you have some amazing work to show off, you should enter! click here for more info on submissions -- just be sure you get everything in before thursday!

gift guide 2011: bitter sweet | ultra-chic paper goods

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

all this week i'm featuring FANTASTIC gift ideas that will suit anyone with a stationery sweet tooth -- whether you're addicted, like me, or just an occasional admirer. check back often!

bitter sweet is a shop for the chic and stylish stationery-lover. i feel like these are the type of paper goods rebecca from style with benefits would LOVE. but, you don't have to shop at mango to buy these babies (heaven knows i don't normally think of myself as being uber-chic) -- just about anyone can get behind the mod designs & bright colors featured on bitter sweet.

[all images from bitter sweet]

the tribal designs, cheetah prints and eiffel towers give traditional paper goods a modern edge. if you're looking for an extra dose of cool this holiday season, these are perfect stocking stuffers! see the bitter sweet shop for greeting cards, notebooks, cupcake flags & more.

gift guide 2011: paperfinger | calligraphy goods

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

all this week i'm featuring FANTASTIC gift ideas that will suit anyone with a stationery sweet tooth -- whether you're addicted, like me, or just an occasional admirer. check back often!

if you've been around the blog for a while, you know i'm a huge fan of calligraphy -- i'm totally in awe of people who can write so beautifully. bryn from paperfinger is definitely one of my favorites -- but did you know she has an online shop?

[all images from paperfinger]

the paperfinger shop features custom and ready-made calligraphy items. you can get personalized ribbon, stamps, gift tags and gift wrap -- all featuring bryn's fabulous penmanship. i LOVE the ribbon. how fun to be able to wrap up a gift in a beautifully-scripted personal message?! check out the shop for a full selection of paperfinger goodies.

gift guide 2011: paper culture | bamboo wall art

2011-12-07T05:00:00.001-07:00

all this week i'm featuring FANTASTIC gift ideas that will suit anyone with a stationery sweet tooth -- whether you're addicted, like me, or just an occasional admirer. check back often!

i'm always framing prints and pretty paper for hanging around my house -- sometimes i just can't get enough of it, so i need to put it on my wall where i can admire it often. what if some of your favorite print designs came to you, already mounted and ready to be hung?

paper culture has a TON of bamboo wall art prints with different illustrations and designs [including holiday!] and you can even customize them with your own photos. it's like a christmas card you can admire year-round. i posted some of my favorites up top, but check out the full paper culture gallery for more. [and don't forget the personalized stationery, another good gift option.]

gift guide 2011: DIY | feather pen pal stationery kit

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

all this week i'm featuring FANTASTIC gift ideas that will suit anyone with a stationery sweet tooth -- whether you're addicted, like me, or just an occasional admirer. check back often!

i saw this DIY idea on design*sponge a few months ago and pinned it right away. [unrelated: are you on pinterest? come follow me, i pin lots of pretty paper that may or may not make it onto the blog ;) ] the contributor, halligan, wrote: "why not initiate a pen pal communication line by sending a special pen-and-paper set in the mail?" i couldn't agree more!

[all images from design*sponge]

the DIY instructions cover dyeing & creating your own feather pens, a downloadable file for printing your own stationery, and tips for purchasing matching stationery if you'd rather go that route. a genius handmade holiday gift!

gift guide 2011: mercier beaucoup | stationery subscription

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

all this week i'm featuring FANTASTIC gift ideas that will suit anyone with a stationery sweet tooth -- whether you're addicted, like me, or just an occasional admirer. i'm even breaking my 3-posts-a-week rule and posting every day, so check back often!

for the holidays this year, why not give a gift of stationery that continues all year long? yes, i know, i can hear your excitement -- it's my dream come true too! mercier beaucoup stationery (an online shop of curated goods from brands like wit & whistle, egg press, fig. 2 design and rifle paper co) offers stationery subscriptions for 3-, 6- or 12-month periods.

[all photos courtesy of mercier beaucoup]

each month of the subscription, your recipient receives 3 cards in the mail -- a mix of occasions, artists and styles every month. talk about finding something exciting in your mailbox -- EVERY month! go here for pricing & more info on the subscriptions.

and if my husband is reading, consider this post a hint ;)

how to throw a holiday paper party: food + decor

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

welcome back! now that thanksgiving is over, it's officially christmas season in my home and i'm SO excited. to kick off the holiday season, i'm sharing some of my best party tips -- all related to paper, of course.

for part 3 of my holiday stationery party how-to, i thought i'd give you some tips on food & decorating for your party. i believe adding some unique, small touches give any party an extra sparkle -- doesn't need to be anything extravagant, but you can still do a few things to set your party apart from the rest.

first: the food. my party started at 7 p.m. on a weeknight -- i didn't want to have to prepare a meal or anything. so instead i just set out some festive snacks -- my favorite products of the holiday season [and all from trader joe's]. we had pumpkin muffins, peppermint joe-joes, sparkling cranberry juice and a mini cheese plate. it was my first time doing a cheese plate and i was a little too excited about it. [mmm, peppered toscano cheese.]

see that table runner up there? that's a piece of holiday wrapping paper, picked up in the target $1 section. one of my best-kept decorating secrets, that dollar section :)

i love those stripey paper straws and had been needing a reason to buy some. i got these cute red ones from paper source, but you can buy them online at green party goods.

and finally, what's a party without decorations? i made a holiday-colored garland [modeled after my halloween garland -- i told you i'd be making another one soon!] and hung it up around the kitchen. i thought it was a perfect touch.

so, there you go. this week we've covered everything you need to throw your own holiday paper party -- invitations, activities, food and decor. whether you're throwing a big christmas party this year or just inviting a few friends over to help you address holiday cards, i hope my tips will help you spice things up.

come back next week for the stationery place's 2011 gift guide! hooray for the holidays :)

how to throw a holiday paper party: the activities

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

after handing out my invitations, the question i got almost immediately was "so what are we going to do?" ha. sometimes i forget that the rest of the world isn't as into stationery as i am. in case you are also wondering that same thing, i am here to help.

since christmas is around the corner, that means it's time to start thinking holiday cards. getting christmas cards in the mail from friends and family is my #1 favorite thing about this time of year, so i always make sure to send my own cards out too. whether you order your cards or send handmade, it's going to take some time to prep everything. getting some friends together to do it with you is a great way to turn an otherwise tedious process into a party!

in my case, i have a ton of card-making supplies but no time to use them. getting friends to come over and craft with me is the perfect excuse to get it all out. i spread all my supplies out on the counter and we went to town.

[glitter paper, holiday patterned paper pack and most of my ribbon is all from american crafts. don't forget about their warehouse sale if you're in utah!]

some of my friends complained they weren't "crafty" or "creative" enough for that. to which i said, yeah RIGHT! seriously, even the self-proclaimed least-crafty women came up with the cutest cards by the time we were done. you'd be surprised what you can come up with when you sit down and let your creative juices start flowing.

but, regardless of talent, some people just want to order their cards. so i invited honna garza, the seattle area's paperly representative, to come to my party too.

honna set up an awesome table full of amazing holiday goodness from paperly -- there were christmas cards, tags and ornaments but also plenty of stationery-related gift ideas. address stamps, note cards, kids' supplies, you name it -- my friends and i had a blast going through all the stuff and picking out some holiday presents.

so THAT's what you do at a holiday stationery party -- in my house, at least. for more holiday stationery party ideas, check out post 1 -- and come back friday for more on decor & food ideas.

how to throw a holiday paper party: the invites

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving! now that thanksgiving is over, it's officially christmas season in my home and i'm SO excited. to kick off the holiday season, i'm sharing some of my best party tips -- all related to paper, of course.

a few weeks ago, i threw a holiday stationery party. it wasn't even thanksgiving yet, but i knew it was important to get a jump start on all the fun christmas stuff coming our way. i invited a few friends over on a thursday night for a DIY card-making night.

i truly believe that invitations set the stage for any party, big or small. if you make an effort [i.e. go beyond an evite and actually send something in the mail!], i think it lets your guests know that your party is going to be special and unique. paper party invitations are a MUST, in my opinion.

i chose to print my invitations through paper culture. you know i love their fun designs and their eco friendly practices -- and i found a great snowflake design that didn't look too christmas-y. after all, it was november.

paper culture orders come in cute little cardboard boxes with recycled shredded paper for padding. nothing is better than getting a package full of pretty stationery in the mail :)

to dress my invitations up a little bit, i sealed each one with a holiday label [these are from paper source] and tied some baker's twine around the envelope.

then i hand-wrote the name of each recipient on the envelopes and i was good to go. luckily all the girls i invited live in my neighborhood, so i just handed the invitations out in person.

there you have it -- my little party was off to a good start. come back wednesday for part two of my holiday paper party.

news + notes

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

SO many things going on, i feel like we need one big round-up for everything. here we go!

>>> if you live in utah, this weekend is BIJOU MARKET!! [provo this weekend, salt lake city next weekend.] oh how i wish i were there -- i haven't missed a show the past two years. it's the best collection of handmade in the state, including this totally awesome chevron wrapping paper [designed by melanie from fifth & hazel + brianna from collected]:

>>> also in utah, the annual AMERICAN CRAFTS WAREHOUSE SALE is happening from now till the new year, wowza! just because i used to work there doesn't mean i'm lying to you when i say they have some freaking awesome stuff -- and it's all for dirt cheap. the sale is in a new location this year so check out the blog for more details.

>>> if you live in california, this weekend is QUEEN BEE MARKET!! i wish i were there too :) i went to my first qbm at blogher and fell in love. tons of stationery, clothes, kids' clothes, jewelry. (i like these sewn cards by lollipops.)

>>> if you live in washington, NEXT weekend is the etsyRAIN handmade holiday show!! 55 vendors will gather at seattle center to offer awesome handmade gifts. i can't wait to check it out! will i see you there?

>>> AND -- for all you seattle bloggers -- i'm so excited to announce SEATTLE BLOGGERS UNITE, an informal monthly meet-up group for local bloggers. we're planning our first meet-up for december, so if you want to come (or find out about other local events & activities) come visit our facebook page and i'll add you to the group.

>>> if you live anywhere, and you love mail -- which i'm pretty sure you do! -- you should sign up for the brooklyn bride 5th annual HOLIDAY CARD SWAP!! kind of like my valentine swap [which you BETTER believe will be coming back in 2012] but for holiday cards. hooray, handmade mail! go here for info on signing up -- but hurry, you have to do it before november 23!

and that's a wrap! i'm taking next week off to enjoy the thanksgiving holiday with my family, so i'll see you back here after that. enjoy your turkey & football (if you're in america) or your 3rd week of november (if you're not ;), and don't forget to be extra grateful for the good things in your life. xo

paper crafts by make and takes

2011-11-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

marie from make and takes (and my seattle blogger partner-in-crime) just released her first book! make and takes for kids is an adorable month-by-month roundup of simple crafts to do with your kiddos.

i highly recommend picking up a copy -- it's got some great paper-related crafts, including a tissue-paper mother's day card and googly eye cards for halloween. i also like the apple stamping and the snowman puzzle.

make and takes for kids is available on amazon, barnes and noble, and wiley publishing -- plus, go here to see a list of all the blogs giving away a copy this month. congrats, marie! what an accomplishment!!

introducing: courtney khail designs

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

today i'm introducing you to one of my FAVORITE new stationery designers -- meet courtney khail stationery.

courtney is a watercolor artist and stationery designer who has combined both interests into one gorgeous business. she designs beautiful cards, wedding stationery and prints -- each one is hand-drawn and hand-painted. [i signed up to take her watercolor class at the ALT design summit in january -- can't wait!] since every piece of stationery is made-to-order, each one is unique -- no mass production here. when you send one of these cards, you're sending more than a quick note; you're actually sending a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

here are some of my favorites from her collection:

[all images courtesy of courtney khail]

beautiful, aren't they? visit the design gallery for more of courtney's recent work, or contact her for info on options and ordering.

seattle paper: merchant's & marsupial paper

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

last week i had the opportunity to visit merchant's / marsupial paper and pouches in kent, just south of seattle. this 2-in-1 company does it all -- not only do they wholesale beautiful paper supplies, they also design and produce stationery suites for any occasion AND they have a retail store! whew. talk about a one-stop shop.

i got to scope out their showroom, with all their beautiful samples laid out. merchant's wedding stationery is truly awesome -- fun designs, high-quality paper [of course!], tons of colors.

designers at merchant's will sit down and consult with customers on a one-on-one basis to really bring your vision to life -- something i think is so important if you're planning a wedding. they take care of every detail you can dream up, from save-the-date magnets to specialty invitations to day-of stationery to thank you cards. we're talking menus, programs, place cards, seating charts, table numbers, favor tags, wine glass tags -- you name it, they can do it.

plus, they've got holiday cards, business stationery and baby announcements too. i wasn't kidding when i said they do it all!

[all photos by me]

the best part is, their marsupial retail store is open every day so you can swing by and pick up individual papers, envelopes and pockets for your every DIY need. [see above -- is that not the most delicious wall you've ever seen?!] if you're not local to seattle, though, marsupial products are available at stores throughout the US and canada.

i totally recommend stopping by the shop or checking out marsupial products in person. the staff is so nice there and they're really passionate about good paper products. every seattle wedding planner needs to have merchant's and marsupial on their radar!

merchant's
6624 s. 196th st. #u104
kent, wa 98032
http://www.marsupialpapers.com/

seattle paper: photography

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

today's post departs from the norm a bit, but i guess it still ties into stationery :) since it's already holiday card time, i knew i needed to do a photo shoot with my little family since we hadn't officially taken photos since jack was born. i met adele cabanillas at our blogger meet & greet this past summer, checked out her website, and fell in love with her amazing photos. i booked her for family portraits as soon as i could!

adele is amazing. her images are so gorgeous and i feel like she perfectly captured this stage in the life of my family of 3. she's got such a good eye for framing photos, and -- bonus -- she was tooootally patient with us (and a certain cranky one-year-old). anyone who can get good shots of a toddler is a hero in my book.

if you're in seattle, i HIGHLY recommend booking adele. be sure to check out her blog for more recent work & contact info.

check back here next month to see which photo made the cut for our holiday cards ;)

all images by adele cabanillas: www.adelecabanillas.com

harvest at starshaped press

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

[image]

man, i'm having a hard time getting going today. anyone else feel me out there? ughhh. anyway, though we'd start the week out easy with a fun announcement. one of our lovely sponsors, starshaped press, is celebrating its 12th annual open house this saturday! they're hosting guests with yummy treats and a sneak peek inside their studio. plus, everyone who comes will be able to print a birthday card on a 100-year-old press. that's so cool!

if you're in chicago, i highly recommend stopping by. wish i could be there!

starshaped press

4636 N. Ravenswood #103

Chicago, IL 60640

SMASH it

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

just wanted to introduce you to my newest obsession: smash books.

i learned about these books over the summer, heard buzz about it online, and finally decided to check it out for myself. basically, a smash book is a scrapbook/journal for people [like me] who don't really have time to scrapbook/journal.

it's a book [which comes in 7 different styles], full of a variety of pretty paper. smash books also come with a nifty pen+gluestick built right in, to make journaling and gluing easy. then, the rest is up to you -- fill in the book with whatever thoughts, momentos, treasures and photos that come to mind. the book itself is totally cute, so you add in your stuff and it becomes an instant keepsake.

let me tell you why i love my smash book. i've always been a fan of journaling and have faithfully kept a personal diary for 10 years. BUT that's all it is: a journal. i've also held onto random little memories over the years -- concert tickets, receipts, brochures, metro cards, whatever -- and had nowhere to put them. i scrapbooked for approximately 2 1/2 years in high school / college but let's be serious, who has time for that? since jack was born, i've felt an even greater need to preserve our lives so he can look back when he's older and see what this exciting time was like for our little family of 3 before it flew by.

enter: my smash book. after much consideration i finally opted for the simple style [love the graph paper & vintage-y printed sheets] and have already started filling it up with my random odds and ends. so far i've included symphony tickets from a recent date, a thank you card from our anniversary trip hotel and some pretty leaves i collected on that weekend too. i can't wait to fill up more! [plus i really love to say SMASH - i think that is a perfect name for this product.]

you can get a smash book online, or at a variety of stores [i've seen it at paper source, and i bought mine at impress]. check out a video here of how to smash YOUR story. plus, smash accessories include mini books, notepads, calendars, tabs and even polka dot tape to make your book even more awesome. check it out and let me know what you think!

party paper: movie party printables

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

last week, i mentioned that jenny from hank + hunt is a mind-reader. those halloween printables seriously popped up right when i needed them. BUT this wasn't the first time she became my psychic party planner.

our apartment complex here in seattle has a mini movie theater in the clubhouse, and since we moved in i've been planning a little movie night party in my head. [the party was indefinitely on hold -- just needed to make some friends before i could actually throw the party, lol!] THEN, a few weeks ago, jenny posted about some movie party printables she created for glue dots.

how did she know this was exactly what i needed?! jenny, i am SO honored that you are my IRL friend... you are one talented lady. [did you hear she's also a new diy contributor for oh happy day?]

[images courtesy of glue dots]

these printables are the perfect way to incorporate cute paper crafts into a fun, simple party to give it an extra-special touch. there are printable invitations, garlands, cupcake toppers, popcorn cones and way more. genius.

get me some new friends, stat -- i am so throwing this party.

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-06:00

this is what halloween looks like at my house:

and what i WISH my halloween looked like this year:

image via bing

fugu fugu press via paper crave

image [from here]

image via pinterest

image via here

image via pinterest

image via my FAVE recipe blog, mels kitchen cafe

hope you're having a freakishly fun halloween! :)

recap: a night of witchCRAFT

2011-10-28T05:00:00.000-06:00

happy to report that last week's night of witchCRAFT was a huge success! considering marie and i whipped that little evening together in a very limited amount of time, i was super happy with how it all turned out.

we had the party at trophy cupcakes' party room -- the same place as our blogger meet & greet in august. i really love that little space. it's perfect for any occasion and was just the right fit for our group of crafty ladies. plus i happen to think trophy is the best cupcake bakery in all of seattle. :)

we made five crafts: a festive felt wreath, spooky scrabble tile necklaces, hand-stitched spider greeting cards [of COURSE there had to be stationery at this party!], typography pumpkins and glitter spider rings. each project turned out really cute, and you know they've gotta be easy to execute if DIY-challenged people like me can handle them.

funny story -- stephanie [from stephmodo -- that's me & steph, above], marie and i all moved to seattle from utah within a year of each other. totally random, right?! apparently the PNW is the place to be! i'm so happy to be able to hang out with them more now that we've all relocated.

i was really excited to meet dawn from not just a mommy (an awesome crafty/party blog, btw) -- she's so fun to talk to. back when i announced i was moving to seattle, dawn was one of the people who left a comment "welcoming" me to my new city and giving me some suggestions on cool things to check out. i was so happy we could finally meet!

anyway, it was fun to chat, craft and eat cupcakes with fellow seattleites; i love getting to know more people in my new home. marie was a perfect partner -- i mean, hello, she IS the queen of craftyness -- and i can't wait for the next one!

[all photos courtesy make and takes]

see what some of our attendees had to say about the party: kathleen at twig & thistle, dawn at not just a mommy, kira at tangarang and michelle paige. [and of course, make and takes.]

mark your calendars, locals -- we're thinking a valentines craft night is up next. see you there!

how to: DIY halloween garland

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

well HELLO wednesday! geez, this week is flying by. we went to vancouver, canada for the weekend [it was my first time in canada, i loved it!] to celebrate our anniversary -- and obviously i've been a little behind in catching up :) in any case, i'm back!

just wanted to share a super simple halloween paper craft i whipped up last week. i wanted to make a garland to use in decorating our night of witchCRAFT -- more on that later! -- and came up with this cute little guy after jenny from hank + hunt popped out of thin air with perfect printables. thank you, jenny. you knew exactly what i needed!

[image from michelle paige]

i printed out a few sheets of the printables, punched them out with my new handy-dandy 2 1/2-inch recollections punch, then punched a bunch more circles out of a martha stewart halloween paper pad and some orange cardstock. [i used double-sided tape to glue the printables to heavier paper, since the regular printer paper was too thin and could tear easily.] then i just ran them through my sewing machine with brown thread, making sure to alternate patterns.

voila! the easiest garland known to woman.

seriously -- i came up with the idea on monday morning and made the whole thing, start to finish, during a conference call and my baby's naptime that afternoon. it was ready for hanging at the witchCRAFT event that night. piece of cake!

[image from michelle paige]

i'm already scheming my next paper punch garland...thinking a christmas one is definitely in order.

holiday by smock

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

i think smock is one of my favorite letterpress stationers. their designs & high quality just can't be beat! so, i was especially excited to hear about their holiday card selection, especially because there are more card options to choose from than ever before.

and, if you order before december 1, you get free printing on ALL your envelopes! exciting. some holiday cards are also designed with photo mounting in mind, which can be tricky to find when selecting letterpress cards. [we loved our letterpress christmas cards, but it was impossible to attach a photo -- we just had to include the picture separately. i wish we'd been able to fix that!]

take a look at these lovely cards:

more info about the smock 2011 holiday promotion here, and even more holiday card options here. happy card hunting!

5!

2011-10-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

tomorrow is my five year wedding anniversary! half a decade down -- what an accomplishment. [ha.] i gotta say, i feel like being married gets better every year. i'm so lucky to be married to my best friend, and i mean it. we're off to celebrate, so i'll see you back here on friday :)

top image / bottom image

holiday by brightside prints

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

brightside prints just released their first holiday card line with more than 100 prints to choose from -- and i love it! SUCH fun designs, and did you know they provide complimentary printing on the back of every card?

brightside prints is the best because every order is prepared by a real, live, human graphic designer who takes care of your every need. i know from experience that they do an amazing job! (plus, brightside uses such thick, pretty paper for the cards. yum.)

anyway, back to holiday. brightside prints has a special going on for the month of october -- EVERY holiday card order gets a free set of matching address or gift labels! even if you don't have your family photos ready yet [i hear ya on that one!], you can still put an order in before nov. 1, qualify for the special, and then send the picture & info in later. such a deal.

here are some of my favorites from the 2011 collection:

recognize this one? ;)

be sure to check out brightside prints for more holiday card options.

introducing: children inspire design

2011-10-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

came across children inspire design last week, a really cool site + shop that features products that are modern, eco-friendly and culturally diverse. all items -- including wall art, posters, journals and more -- are made from recycled products from all over the world, with the goal of teaching children about global responsibility from a young age.

now that's a cause i can get behind -- especially when it involves cute stationery for sale!

you're invited: a night of witchCRAFT

2011-10-12T19:52:00.000-06:00

a fun announcement for my seattle friends: you're invited to a night of witchCRAFT!

marie from make & takes and i are hosting a fun halloween craft party -- taking place next monday night (oct. 17) here in seattle. we'll be making FIVE different halloween crafts [including stationery!], eating cupcakes and having a grand old time.

here are the projects you'll go home with:
- a typography pumpkin
- a festive halloween felt wreath
- hand-embroidered spider greeting card
- spooky scrabble tile necklace
- glitter spider rings

WHEN: monday, october 17, 7 - 9 p.m.

WHERE: trophy cupcakes party room (wallingford)
1815 N 45th St. Suite 209
Seattle, WA 98103
click for map

WHO: anyone, at any level of crafty-ness -- just don't forget to wear your witch hat!
go HERE to sign up -- there are only 25 spots, and they're filling up fast! it's $25 to join us, but that just covers the cost of your supplies...and you get to go home with all these spooky crafts, plus some delicious cupcakes.

hope to see you there!

etsy greetings blog

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

apparently i'm WAY behind the times, but i just discovered the etsy greetings blog. where have i been?!? looks like this site, which spotlights various greeting card artists with etsy shops, has been up and running for years -- and i never knew!

if you've ever tried to look for stationery on etsy, you know it can be kind of tricky to dig through everything on there to find good, quality cards. the etsy greetings blog makes it easy to find the awesome card designers -- i've already discovered a bunch of favorites! take a look:

personalized letterpress stationery by honizukle press --

illustrated holiday cards by the painted peep show --

vintage halloween card by killam creative --

owl thinking of you fabric & paper card by hollyernst430 --

halloween banner card set by ktf designs --

this blog is THE place to go for the best handmade cards around. check it out!

digital greeting cards from punchbowl

2011-10-10T05:00:00.000-06:00

thought we'd start this week off with a shout out to one of my favorite online stationers, punchbowl. you know they offer party invitations & event tips, but now punchbowl just introduced digital greeting cards and i love them.

these free ecards are so much better than other e-cards. [funny story: when i was in college, i'd send family & friends e-cards on their birthdays -- i never knew where to get them, since they weren't as prevalent then, so i'd just google. and normally i'd come up with something like 123greetings -- nothing wrong with those, i guess, they're just NOT my style. sometimes a dancing bear or crazy digital fireworks just don't really do the trick, you know what i'm saying?] punchbowl has classy designs, awesome envelope liners, even textured paper.

such an eco-friendly way to send pretty stationery:

there are also holiday options -- i like the scary halloween card & thanksgiving greetings:

these are a perfect way to let people know you're thinking of them, and you don't even need a stamp to do it. check out more digital greeting cards from punchbowl here.

meeting grace bonney + holiday paper sales

2011-10-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

last week was super fun -- i went to the design*sponge at home book signing here in seattle!

i'd also nabbed myself a spot in the uber-coveted craft session right before the signing (i literally set a calendar reminder for it so i'd be sure to grab a ticket as soon as they went on sale) -- so it was me, grace bonney, and an intimate group of seattle bloggers sitting around for an hour trying not to light anthropologie on fire.

but i'm getting ahead of myself. if you don't know who grace is, she's the founder of design*sponge -- a must-read for ANYone interested in design, home decorating, travel or cool stuff. it's a great blog, of course, but beyond that -- i've long admired grace for her awesome entrepreneurial skills, eye for design, writing style and the fact that she basically created the next generation of design blogging. my PR career has given me a unique perspective of the publishing and social media worlds, and i think grace is totally a pioneer in these industries.

but anyway, enough gushing. now you're aware that i was realllly excited to go to this! i rolled up to the craft session a few minutes late [thanks, traffic] and made it just in time to hear final instructions on diy wooden seals. therefore i didn't get to meet as many fellow crafters as i'd hoped [apparently not martha was sitting at my very table! really wish i could have said hello, she's one of my favorite bloggers] but my friend maggie & i still had fun. we used wood-burning tools to carve letters into our seals, and i couldn't believe we didn't burn the place down -- when it was time to burn the wax for our seals, mine literally lit on fire & dripped balls of flaming wax onto the table. oops!

here's grace showing our table what to do:

then we got in line with 500 others for the book signing. luckily there were mini trophy cupcakes to sustain us.

here's me & maggie [from maggie rose interiors, a super helpful interior decorating site!] with grace -- don't mind the awful lighting or the fact that it looks like i'm hiding behind the flowers:

grace was super nice and totally cute & tiny in person -- i liked the boots she was wearing. we chatted a bit about wood burning crafts and her book tour and her crazy jet lag. and maybe i pretended for five seconds that she was my real-life friend.

afterward, i met up with fellow seattle bloggers jenny from hank + hunt and jenn from bow tie & bustle. it was such a fun night! except that i ended up paying $14 for parking. seriously?? i hate public parking.

thanks for letting me share my IRL blogging adventures. since you've been so kind to indulge me, thought i'd pay it forward by sharing some of the awesome holiday card sales popping up lately. it's not too early to start thinking holiday cards!!

you will probably want to jump on these asap as many expire next week:

MINTED - order by 10/10 for 20% off using code HOLIDAY20
SHUTTERFLY - order by 10/12 & save 20%
TINYPRINTS - order by 10/11 for 15% off orders of $99+ using code HOLCARD11
PAPER SOURCE - order by 10/31 for 25% off holiday photo cards
MORE THAN PAPER - special early bird pricing on holiday cards throughout the month
RIFLE PAPER CO - order by 10/14 for 15% off with code CUSTOM15

how to: halloween garland by provo craft

2011-10-05T05:00:00.000-06:00

now that october is here, i'm officially decorating my apartment for the season! provo craft sent over this super cute & simple halloween garland with me last week -- i love any holiday home decor that involves paper, so i had to share it. take a look at the step-by-step instructions below...

halloween rag garland
supplies:
patterned cardstock
glue sticks or other adhesive
muslin
string

instructions:
1. Tear a strip of cotton or muslin atleast 60" long and 1 1/2" wide.

2. Tie 9 knots at equal distances leavingsome fabric to dangle at ends.

3. Cut 9 banners at 5 1/4" fromcardstock and 9 more at 4 1/4" from a complimentary paper pattern.

4. Cut letters to spell"Halloween" at 2" tall [or use your cricut to cut them for you!]

5. Assemble layered banners and letterswith adhesive.

6. Punch holes in top corners of bannersand hang from knots with string.

snail mail competition

2011-10-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

of course, i'm ALWAYS in favor of snail mail -- so when i heard about a little snail mail competition being put together by a stationery shop in australia, i was all over it.

newspaper taxi is a boutique vintage shop in newtown, australia, and right now they're collecting mail from all over the world in celebration of the snail mail tradition. anyone can enter by sending in some stationery or mail -- a flat card, handmade envelope, stamps, ribbon, whatever -- and all the mail will be displayed in their shop window and online.

THEN, after november 4, they'll pick 3 winners -- one to win the collection of stationery from across the world, and two others to win prize packs from rifle paper co and sycamore street press [pictured above]! awesome. i'd loooove to have that much new stationery at my disposal.

check out the newspaper taxi blog here for all the info you need on entering. good luck!

introducing: k.becca

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

just wanted to give a shout out to my friend kristen from paper crave -- she just opened a fabulous online shop & portfolio site called k.becca!

you can purchase digital items like die-cutting templates, printable paper and other fun goodies to use in your paper-crafting projects. k.becca also features some of kristen's personal crafty projects [like these hand-stamped halloween treat bags]. ah, to have this kind of talent...

love these SUPER cute halloween printables [getting a jump on the holidays -- i can't believe october starts tomorrow!]. i think these patterned papers would be so fun for a halloween banner, maybe around your front door to welcome trick or treaters. check them out:

[all images from k.becca]

be sure to stop by and get some halloween paper goodies before this crazy month passes you by!

seattle paper: real card studio

2011-09-28T05:00:00.000-06:00

i've posted before about real card studio and their gorgeous wedding stationery, so i was definitely already a fan -- but when heather & the team invited me to come check out their studio in seattle, i was all over it!

my favorite part about real card studio is the personal touch. they print and assemble everything in-house (how fun would it be to sit and put stationery packages together all day?!). they have such a luxurious product line, one that's perfect for every special occasion. just ask p.diddy -- they printed his holiday cards last year! isn't it pretty?

here are a few photos from my visit to the shop:

pre-assembled stationery // a peek at the portfolio

loved checking out the stacks and shelves full of paper & envelopes in every color you can imagine.

evolution press shares the building with real card studio, and prints all the stationery for them. evolution does everything, from letterpress to offset printing to embossing to foiling!

you can find real card studio products in a stationery shop near you, or by using their handy search function here. [they're offering a fabulous holiday promotion right now too, good till 12/1!] and you'll be supporting the seattle stationery industry while you're at it!

real card studio
www.realcardstudio.com/
http://www.facebook.com/RealCardStudio

hallmark get carded challenge

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

i was so excited when hallmark asked if i wanted to participate in their "get carded" challenge. they send you seven cards with only one requirement: send them to seven different people, for no reason at all.

obviously i'm a huge supporter of snail mail and sending cards to let people know you're thinking of them, so i was all over it! i selected each card with a person in mind -- wrote little messages inside, addressed the envelopes and decorated each envelope. i sent cards to both sets of grandparents, a few close friends, my brother serving a mission in mexico. [i used some petite stickerie labels too, of course!]

taking a second to think about each person while i wrote their card -- and imagining the happy surprise this card will provide when they discover it in their mailbox -- made me feel so good. i'm lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life and i loved being able to send an unexpected note to tell them i love them. i haven't heard back from anyone yet, but i don't need to -- just taking a second out of my everyday life to say hello and think of these good people was enough for me.

thanks to hallmark for giving me an extra reason to send some great snail mail!

introducing: petite stickerie

2011-09-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

i'm totally in love with these cute labels from petite stickerie:

each book contains 138 labels! WOW. what a deal. the kind folks at madison park greetings were kind enough to send me some samples, and i was so impressed with the ginormous selection -- mailing labels, round stickers, squares & rectangles with coordinating designs, all in one handy book. i happen to love cute labels and stickers [up until now, i've exclusively used paper source labels on envelopes and packages] and these were so much fun.

with stickers this adorable, how can you NOT go around labeling everything in your house? :)

i highly recommend picking some up -- these are the perfect way to dress up your stationery, and with six different collections to choose from you really can't go wrong. find the sticker books at a local gift or paper retailer near you, or use their handy "where to buy" page here.

madison park greetings supplied me with sticker books to review, free of charge, but didn't have any input on this post. all reviews and opinions are my own. thanks, madison park!

taking notes in style

2011-09-21T05:00:00.000-06:00

i'm a BIG list maker. always have been. but now that i'm a mom, i live and die by my lists even more than i used to. there's so much to keep track of -- shopping lists, baby stuff, play dates, work, etc. -- that i totally forget even the most important things if i don't write them down.

sometimes my lists get out of hand. check out THIS five page to do list, created around the time we moved back in june:

not too pretty, right? [though i do LOVE my planner from blue sky.]

lately i've been experimenting with keeping all my lists on my smartphone with the sticky notes app. i have a bunch of notes going -- one for groceries, one for a to do list, one to keep track of gift ideas [when your MIL asks what your baby needs for his birthday and all you can say is "uh...socks?" you KNOW you need to keep a list]. it's nice having everything in one place, and since it's on my phone i know it will be with me at all times.

typically i'm old-fashioned and like to take notes on a good old fashioned pad of paper. there's just something about writing it down and crossing it off that gives me such an accomplished feeling.

therefore, i'm always on the lookout for cute notepads. i bet many of you can relate, so i thought you might be interested in some of the gorgeous & fun notepads i've had my eye on lately:

letterpress bicycle notepad [and it's eco-friendly!] by smock paper - LOVE this one

owl notepad from paper source

candy-colored campo marzio notepads, available at kate's paperie

hilarious "get it done" zebra notepad by rifle paper co

monogrammed notepad by inkello letterpress

what do you think, fellow list-makers? do you like these choices? how do you keep track of notes?

[image at top spotted here]

introducing: tiffany lane creations

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

tiffany sent me an email a few weeks ago to introduce me to her shop, tiffany lane creations. all cards are handmade using stamps, pretty paper, ribbon, etc. she even makes gift tags! super cute stuff:

i really love a well done handmade card. i think it gives your message such a special touch.

this card is especially perfect for the men in your life -- i'm always telling my husband to send thank you cards, but he doesn't want to when my whole stash involves pink and flowers ;) this would be perfect, and it's customizable for any occasion:

be sure to check out the tiffany lane etsy shop for lots more. thanks for the email, tiffany!

i'm always on the lookout for new stationery designers, so if YOU are a brand new card-maker or even a seasoned letterpress printer, send me an email! stationeria (at) gmail.com.

seattle paper: paper delights

2011-09-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

miss carina [from crow & canary] told me i needed to check out paper delights as soon as i got to seattle, and boy was she right -- i was beyond thrilled with this little discovery. paper delights is on 45th street in wallingford -- just down the street from trophy cupcakes, site of the 2011 seattle blogger meet & greet! -- and it is THE greatest stationery shop i've found yet. (i think.) (i've been to a lot of stationery stores.)

aisles and shelves and more aisles full of gorgeous paper happiness. seriously. take a look:

i also really liked their display tables, organized by color families. how pretty is this green and blue ikat-themed table?

even the wall behind checkout was awesome. can i get a wall like that in my apartment?

seattleites, do yourself a favor and check out paper delights NOW. you won't be disappointed.

paper delights
2205 north 45th st.
suite b
seattle, wa 98103
http://www.paperdelights.com/

stick2it by american greetings

2011-09-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

american greetings just introduced a fun new line: decorative decals called stick2it! i'm a big fan of their stationery products so i was excited to see them branching out to another form of paper art.

i got to try out some of the new decals (the full line features cell phone stickers, wall art, car decals and more) and loved the quality. i've tried some other peel-and-stick stickers in the past that were super low quality (ahem, ikea!) and peeled right off -- but these were perfect.

i got a little robot to put up in jack's room -- obviously he was really excited about it.

and, i tried out a fun laptop cover too. it was really easy to trim and stick to my computer -- i had a couple of air bubbles, of course, but could easily reattach the sticker once i pulled it up.

highly recommend these stick2it decals if you're looking to spice up your walls, car windows or cell phones. check out the stick2it web site for more details and info on where to buy in your area.

[american greetings provided me with these products free of charge, but did not pay me for this post. all reviews and opinions stated here are my own.]

baby thank you by little miss cards

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

a special sneak peek for you today -- some adorable baby thank you cards from tsp sponsor little miss cards! these notes are such a classy way to say thank you following a baby shower -- love the pink and blue options too. AND -- you can get these for 25% off if you use coupon code OHBABY25 at checkout.

elissa from little miss cards has the coolest story about how she came to be a stationery designer. in her own words:

When I started Little Miss Cards, I was pregnant, soon to be a single mom and going to be out of work after my maternity leave. I was scared. I couldn't work, so I was living off the small income I made as a janitor from my church, the love of my family and my savings account which was slowly dwindling. Since I didn't really have any money for Christmas gifts that year, I made them. Along with those gifts were handmade Christmas cards. My sister received hers in the mail and called me to thank me and tell me how beautiful it was. She also said, "You could sell these!" A little lightbulb went off in my head. I did some research, bought The Handmade Marketplace and came up with a name based off of one my daughter's nicknames, "Little Miss." Ironically, about a month into this venture I remembered I use to make birthday cards and as favors I had made invitations for friends parties. I guess I've always been in the card business!

What makes my cards special and unique is that my cards are truly handmade. Unlike other stationery shops with similar items, I cut, fold, stamp and emboss every card by hand. No machines here, no expensive pre-folded cards sold here, just a person putting love into each card and then sending it your way.

that's so inspiring! thanks for sharing, elissa. and, as a bonus, little miss cards is donating 50% of all september sales to operation write home, an organization that collects and ships handmade cards to our soldiers overseas. place your order today and help the cause!

the seattle meet & greet recap!

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

we got our pictures from the seattle meet & greet back from our amazing photographer (adele at abigail reese photography, lots more to come about her!) and i couldn't WAIT to share them with you!!

[above, party guests mingling; below, me & nikki from the pearly life becoming bff on the spot]

our party was so much fun. jenny from hank + hunt was the perfect co-party-planner -- she did all the awesome decorations and had such a vision for how the whole party should look. i loved how it turned out.

[me, jenny, and carina from crow & canary showing off our fave trophy cupcakes]

and i LOVED meeting some of my fellow seattle bloggers!! such fantastic ladies turned out to party with us and we had a wonderful time. it's so nice to feel like i finally have a few bloggy friends in my new city -- i don't feel like quite a stranger anymore :)

we had the best sponsors for our party -- all pacific northwest-based small businesses. we did the shindig at trophy cupcakes' fabulous party room at wallingford center -- such a bright, airy space that would seriously be perfect for a baby shower, girls' night out or just about any party you're planning.

[above, some of our tasty eats + drinks; below, me chatting with carina, jenny and kathleen from twig + thistle (may it rest in peace, sniff) ]

high 5 pie, molly moon ice cream, trophy cupcakes and dry soda donated food + drink for us to enjoy. we also put together little goodie bags (sewn by me & jenny, ha!) with products from the best of the PNW. THANK YOU to these companies for helping us out!

seattle meet & greet sponsors included:

-- rooster blue fine jewelry

--   pretty little lion hair accessories
--   estrella artisan soap
--   this charming candy gourmet lollipops
--   yarnia handmade yarn
--   paperculture stationery
--   crow and canary stationery

i can't say it enough -- jenny was THE. BEST. i think we make a perfect party-planning team. check out hank + hunt for tons of awesome party diys...that girl is super talented.

thanks again to all my new seattle friends for coming out! our first annual seattle meet & greet was a success!

seattle paper: thank you card shop

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

a whole online shop devoted to thank you cards?! love it. amy lowry started the thank you cards shop (based in vancouver, british columbia) after designing stationery for her wedding six years ago and discovering a need for better thank you cards. now she runs a shop full of bright and fun thank you cards specifically designed for weddings, kids' parties, baby showers and more.

i love the new summer brights collection -- this aqua and lime green pairing is one of my very favorite color combos!

how fun is this morocco-inspired thank you card?

[all images courtesy of the thank you cards shop]

the thank you cards shop also features a handy list of links for how to write a great thank you card, from martha stewart, emily post and others. such a good idea.

to learn more about the thank you cards shop or to order the perfect thank you card, check out their blog and facebook page.

www.thankyoucardsshop.com

printables from HGTV

2011-09-02T05:00:00.003-06:00

** the winner of the blogher giveaway is #7, heather! hooray! email me your mailing address :) **

yay, it's friday! is it just me or can the weekend not come soon enough this week?! i'm so excited to get this labor day weekend party started -- but wanted to send you off with some pretty paper inspiration before i head out.

HGTV.com recently did a round-up of printable party invitations and i think they are so pretty! here are a few of my faves -- check out the site for more.

[images]

hope you have an awesome & safe holiday weekend! see you back here after labor day :)

guest post by nikki gossell: using a wax seal

2011-08-31T05:00:00.001-06:00

i met nikki from the pearly life at the seattle blogger meet & greet and thought she was super cool -- and then she started telling me how she has a wax seal that she uses for correspondence (um, amazing!) and i knew we were meant to be BFF. i asked her if she'd write up a TSP guest post about using wax seals, since i've never tried that technique myself. see below for her expertise -- thanks for sharing, nikki! - L

One of my best friends from college taught me a lot about correspondence. No, not just sending pretty cards (guilty) but sending thoughts and love; sending correspondence. For my birthday one year, she bought me a personalized wax seal stamper and metallic gold melting wax. I’ve used it on every card and letter ever since.

Just like how your stationery is a reflection of your personality, your wax seal will make a great first impression and may even become a signature part of your letters that friends will look for and love.

I adore taking this old-school idea and turning it into a fun and classic way of tying together the whole experience of giving a letter.

[image: Paper Source]

Supplies:

-wax stick (can be found online or at most craft stores)
-stamp - I’ve found a lot of pretty stamps online. You can get a shape, a letter, or even a custom monogram
-lighter
-napkin/scrap paper

How-to:

Seal your envelope. Light the wax (if it’s made for stamping it will have a wick) over the spot where you want to stamp. Wait a few seconds to have a good amount of wax melted and pooled on your envelope (about a quarter in size). Blow out the wax and set it on the napkin/scrap paper. Press your stamp firmly in the wax pool, holding for about 10-20 seconds. Remove and voila!

Tip: drips are ok! These add character and can look really great. Sometimes I even purposefully drip for drama.

Warning: you may love the look of this so much even your bills and serious mail might all start being stamped. I’m sure it would make the accountant’s day. Enjoy!

-Nikki, The Pearly Life

seattle paper: paper source grand opening!

2011-08-29T05:00:00.001-06:00

it's no secret that i LOVE paper source. a friend in california turned me onto the store a few years ago and i've been a major fan ever since. i've taken a card-making class, attended their weekend workshops, and bought way too much stationery there over the years. i love their craft supplies, their amazing paper selection, their quirky gift supply. i could spend hours browsing :)

[all images courtesy paper source]

i was thrilled to move to washington when i realized there was a paper source in bellevue -- in the very building my husband works in, no less! BUT -- did you know they're opening a new location in seattle?!

paper source seattle opened this month, and this saturday they're doing a grand opening event complete with free workshops on envelope liners, rubber stamps, party favors, paper flowers and more. the celebration runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at their new location -- be sure to check it out!

paper source seattle

university village

bldg B, space 25

seattle, wa 98105

paper source bellevue

700 bellevue way NE, suite 105

bellevue, wa 98004

www.paper-source.com

seattle paper: tutta lou and wayzgoose

2011-08-26T05:00:00.001-06:00

last week i was fortunate enough to meet sarah from tutta lou press -- a one-woman letterpress studio based right here in seattle!

[all photos are mine]

sarah let me (and jack) come by her studio to check everything out. i was in heaven -- from the turquoise press wheel to the beautifully displayed products to the cute decorations all around, sarah's studio seems like the perfect place to work.

sarah worked in a completely different industry before beginning tutta lou a few years ago, and has turned her hobby into a booming business. she is definitely in the right spot, in my opinion -- check out her awesome work!

tutta lou specializes in custom work (hint hint, wedding planners!) and wholesale orders. they sell a wide range of products including cards, prints, business cards, invitations and more. to learn more about tutta lou, visit their web site below.

tutta lou press

www.tuttalou.com

like them on facebook

sarah also introduced me to the 10th annual letterpress and steamroller wayzgoose smackdown (whew, what a name!) happening TOMORROW at the school of visual concepts. it's a festival of all things letterpress and there will be a marketplace full of local printers selling their wares. um, sounds amazing!! i'm going to try to swing by -- will i see you there?

wayzgoose

1 - 6 p.m., saturday aug. 27

500 aurora ave.

seattle wa 98109

on the street: queen bee market

2011-08-24T05:00:00.001-06:00

*don't forget to enter my blogher giveaway -- entries close on friday!

while i was in san diego, i went to the queen bee market. this is a san diego-based craft fair with the CUTEST handmade things -- i couldn't believe all the awesome vendors they rounded up! mique (from 30 handmade days) and jess (from allora handmade) are ridiculously talented themselves AND the brains behind queen bee -- it was so fun to meet them and check out the best of southern california's handmade industry.

and, of course, my favorite part was the stationery!

the first booth i saw when i walked in the door was for red star ink. i LOVED everything about it -- the fun booth design, awesome cards, new native summer line of products. love.

[all images from my trusty phone unless otherwise stated]

i also discovered duck pond paper company. their tag line is "cards too cute to end up in the trash" (lol!) so of course i felt like we were kindred spirits. duck pond specializes in cupcake toppers, card sets, gift tags and more. here's their queen bee booth:

earth cookie creations was another fave. such cute party supplies and cards! this six-shooter card was too cute:

[image]

AND, last but not least, i discovered lollipops cards -- fun hand-sewn retro stationery. they also have a great line of monogrammed cards.

[image]

if you're in so cal -- be sure to sign up for updates from queen bee market. they have a holiday 2011 show coming up and you won't want to miss it!

moving announcements from brightside prints

2011-08-22T05:00:00.004-06:00

the seattle blogger meet & greet is over! it went so well and i was so happy to meet some new IRL seattle friends. a recap is coming soon -- jenny and i are wiped out ;)

in the meantime -- now that we've lived in seattle over a month, i decided it was time to send out some moving announcements!

moving cards are one of those "nice to send" things -- i don't feel like they're AS vital to send out like a thank you card or even a christmas card would be (you could just write a quick email to family & friends, letting them know your new addy -- boring!), but if you have the time to put one together i HIGHLY recommend doing moving announcements. it's just a fun excuse to send snail mail and keep in touch with friends -- and as we all agree, any reason to send some cute mail is a good reason. [see past moving announcement coverage here.]

that's why i was SOOO excited to work with the incredible jill from brightside prints [you might remember her from her week of guest posting while i moved] on our latest moving announcements.

brightside prints is a recent addition to the stationery world -- you visit their site, choose a design, work personally with a designer to customize the stationery to your liking (or request a new one-of-a-kind design, that they'll print for the SAME price as a pre-made card!) and then watch for your cards in the mail!

brightside prints curently features wedding announcements, party invitations, baby announcements, customized silhouette cards and more. and my favorite part about the company is that they employ a host of graphic designers who will work directly with you to make sure you get exactly what you want. since it's a smaller operation, they avoid a lot of the overhead costs of some of the other web-based stationery designers (and pass the savings onto you -- less-expensive cards!) -- plus they make it so easy to customize, something else that's hard to come by online.

[address removed to protect the innocent - ha]

i worked with jill to design our moving announcements, which are based on a design i'd seen on the site. originally, i had all these crazy ideas of different things to incorporate -- jill never told me i was crazy, she just made the changes i requested until we decided it was perfect.

one of the best parts of working with a REAL PERSON designer (instead of just semi-designing on my own online) was that jill made my requests flexible. i loved the idea of including a family photo in the backer of the card, but since we'd just moved and life was crazy i didn't have a current photo with high enough resolution. instead of cancelling my idea, jill made the photo smaller and added a little texture to make the photo work on the back. i LOVE how it turned out -- maybe even better than just leaving the whole picture :)

i can't speak highly enough of how great it was to work with jill and brightside prints on this project. be sure to consider brightside prints for all your upcoming parties, announcements and stationery needs -- especially because you can get 10% off your next order using the discount code TSP.

*brightside prints provided me with these moving announcements free of charge, but did not require me to write a review of their products. all opinions stated here are mine -- and i seriously love this company.

blogher11 recap + a giveaway!

2011-08-19T05:00:00.004-06:00

guys, blogher was awesome. between meeting new friends [or finally seeing old ones face to face], talking with different companies, learning about how to be a better blogger -- it was two days well spent.

more than 4,000 people attended the conference, which made it a little overwhelming. BUT i highly recommend attending if you're even the slightest bit interested in the blogging world, either as a hobby or a career. so much learning, networking and fun goes on there!

none of this would have been possible for me, though, if it weren't for clever girls. that's the blog network i'm part of, and back in february they put out a contest where members could write in and request to be sponsored to attend upcoming blog conferences. i have dreamed of going to blogher for YEARS but felt like i couldn't rationalize paying for a ticket since blogging is just my hobby...so i applied, thinking, what do i have to lose? and guess what -- they PICKED ME. omgosh. i was soooo over the moon and appreciative. i even got to attend their "i'm with the brand" party at the hotel solamar -- i staffed the elevator arrival area & check in table with my fellow bloggers and it was a blast.

[clever girls is really, really an awesome group to be part of -- if you're a blogger at any level, i highly recommend joining their ranks. they have more than 3,000 bloggers signed up under them, who are eligible for all sorts of brand partnerships, giveaways, ad programs, etc. check out this site for more info.]

a bunch of stationery companies were represented at blogher [hooray!]. i loved the hallmark lounge -- you could send cards to loved ones, browse stationery and even charge up your cell phone. genius.

paper culture also had a booth in the expo hall with some very cool new products [more on those later]. i've written about paper culture here before but it needs to be repeated: i LOVE their eco-friendly practices (they plant a tree for every order you make) and i really love their cool designs.

[image]

i also attended the wonderlandia party sponsored by hostess with the mostess, and evite and tinyprints were sponsors there. hooray for stationery! so great to see all these companies out mingling with the social media world.

AND -- another highlight of blogher -- i even met some blogger celebrities. i ran into kelle hampton from enjoying the small things in the lobby of the marriott and pretty much gushed my adoration for her all over the place (luckily she was totally gracious and nice). i also got to meet gretchen rubin, author of the happiness project.

but anyway. what's in it for you after all this, you're asking? i'll tell you.

i want to share all my blogher fun with you -- so i have a special giveaway. i've collected a bunch of freebies i obtained at the conference -- coupons for all sorts of free food, products and more including a $50 gift certificate to paper culture! -- and i'd love to give it away to one of you. to enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite blog. extra entries if you tweet or facebook about it! (just leave an additional comment so i know you did.)

i'll choose one winner at random next friday night, so you have until 8/26 at midnight to enter. good luck!

seattle paper: the container store

2011-08-17T05:00:00.001-06:00

sooo this one isn't really specific to seattle, or necessarily paper-related...but it kind of is ;) have you been to the container store lately?

[image]

i'll admit, i've only been in there a handful of times and usually it's just to run in, grab a basket or two and run out. but the other day jack and i browsed our local store much longer than usual, and i was delighted at all the fun packaging supplies!

my container store has three full aisles of packaging -- boxes and bags in all sizes and shapes, fun random party supplies from meri meri and others, hundreds of different wrapping paper options. i mean, just look at the tissue paper selection:

i can't wait to send my next gift just so i can go there and package it up.

the only washington container store is in bellevue at lincoln square, but it's totally huge and i love it. check it out the next time you need some creative packaging paper.

the container store

700 bellevue way NE, suite 120

bellevue wa 98004

www.containerstore.com

reminder: seattle blogger meet up

2011-08-15T07:14:00.002-06:00

finally on my way home after a crazy two weeks away -- yay!

this saturday is the seattle blogger meet & greet and i'm so excited. do you still need an invite? email me or comment below and we'll get you one! this event is open to all bloggers in the seattle area, so don't be shy -- we'd LOVE to meet you!

a week off

2011-08-09T09:58:00.001-06:00

this blog post is being written from the car, somewhere in the middle of utah. I'm on my way to a family reunion in yellowstone, complete with 60 family members, matching t shirts and a trip to a bear-feeding park.

I had a total blast at blogher and can't wait to tell you about it (and some amazing new stationery companies I discovered along the way)...so, assuming I survive the bear park, I'll be back next week with tons of new posts.

see you soon!

how to: simple DIY baby shower invites

2011-08-05T05:00:00.002-06:00

hi guys! while i'm away at blogher today (yippee!!), i have a special guest for you. meet lindsay -- awesome name, don't you think? ;) -- a handmade stationery designer who blogs over at easy made invitations. she's here with a quick tutorial on making baby shower invitations (using paper source supplies, so she's a girl after my own heart!). take it away, lindsay!

Hi, I'm Lindsay...a wife, a mom and a girl who loves to design homemade invitations! I love the design and creativity that goes into making a great invitation.

Homemade invitations add a practical, personal and fun touch to any occasion. Creating your own handmade invitations for your parties is a great way to save money and get really creative! And, contrary to belief, they can be really easy! All your guests are sure to love receiving a fantastic homemade invitation when they're invited to your party, shower or any celebration.

I've been busy creating lots of great new invitation designs and I wanted to share this one with you. Discovering these trendy colors of lime green and chocolate were my inspiration for this super cute baby shower invitation.

The great thing about this invitation is that it's really versatile too! The colors and design would also work great for a bridal shower, birthday or anniversary party.

The supply list for this invitation is pretty easy too! Basically, just some cardstock, ribbon and you're set! I've provided the actual supply list below (with links to where you can buy each product) for your convenience.

8-1/2"x 11" chocolate cardstock

8-1/2"x 11" chartreuse cardstock

8-1/2"x 11" white cardstock

7/8" lime green organza ribbon

mounting squares

6-1/2"x 6-1/2" envelopes

To make the invitation I always like to cut down the papers first. That includes the chocolate base sheet and the green accent sheet. I liked the idea of a square look for this invitation, so I went with a 6-1/4"x 6-1/4" overall size. This size requires a special size envelope, which I've listed above, and may require additional postage. If you'd rather use a standard size envelope, just reduce the overall size to 5-1/2"x 5-1/2" and adjust the remaining paper layers accordingly.

Next, cut the chartreuse cardstock to a size of 5-1/4"x 4-1/2". This allows for a 1/2" reveal on the bottom and sides of the invitation, but a 1-1/4" reveal on the top to leave room for the ribbon.

The next step is to determine a text layout. I always use my printshop program to create a layout. I used a horizontal page layout and created a text block in the upper left corner. The overall size of the text sheet is 4-3/4"x 4" so, if you do it right, it's possible to fit 4 text blocks on one sheet of paper which will help reduce paper costs!

I used a fairly plain font called 'Mason' for the main portions of the text, and a fancier cursive font called 'Elegance' for the names on the invitation. I used this cute saying on the invitation too...

"On a day in July as quiet as a mouse,

a baby boy will be sleeping in the

Kesler House!

So, before we meet this baby boy,

let's shower him with linens or a toy!

Please join us as we honor the mom-to-be

Ashley Kesler"

I concluded by adding the remaining information for the shower. I also printed the main text in a brown ink and the words "Kesler House!" in a lime green ink, which helps everything blend together.

I usually do a trial and error printing on cheap printer paper until I know the layout will fit perfectly. Once the layout is exactly as it should be, print it on the white cardstock.

Next, cut that cardstock to a size of 4-3/4"x 4".

Now comes the assembly process....the really easy part! Using scrapbook mounting squares, attach the white cardstock to the green cardstock, making sure to keep it centered. There should be a 1/4" reveal of green around the white.

Next, attach the top two layers to the chocolate cardstock. Leave a 1/2" reveal on the bottom and sides and a 1-1/4" reveal on the top.

Then, using a hole punch, punch two holes centered about 5/8" down from the top and 5/8" apart. Using a length of the organza ribbon, thread both ends through the front to the back. Cross them in the back and thread them back up through the opposite holes to the front. Pull the ends snugly and trim them on an angle.

Place a mounting square under the ends if they don't want to stay in place.

That's it! Can you believe that you can make something so cute in such a short amount of time?!

If you like this invitation design, visit my website www.easymadeinvitations.com for more easy homemade invitation ideas!

Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear all the ideas you like to use for your invitations too!

-Lindsay

thanks, lindsay! i can't wait to plan a baby shower for someone just so i can make these cute invites. friends, be sure to check out easy made invitations for tons more ideas on DIY stationery for every occasion.

introducing: little miss cards

2011-08-03T05:00:00.002-06:00

these thank you cards from little miss cards are perfect! simple, straightforward and just lovely. the subdued color scheme is so pretty:

[all images courtesy little miss cards]

the embossing on a few of these is a nice touch -- good alternative to letterpress, for something a little different.

little miss cards also features fantastic blank stationery sets and personalized options, so be sure to check out the etsy shop!

little miss cards is a sponsor of the stationery place. for more info on my advertising policy or rates, please contact me.

you're invited: seattle blogger meet & greet!

2011-08-02T05:00:00.002-06:00

big news today, guys! jenny from hank + hunt and i both just moved to seattle. so what better way to start making some new friends than by throwing a party?

the seattle blogger meet & greet is happening saturday, august 20.

jenny and i have been working hard on all the party details and would LOVE to have you join in the fun.

if you're in seattle, portland or anywhere in the pacific northwest -- you're invited! email me at stationeria@gmail.com and we'll put you on the guest list to receive the evite.

hope you can come! seriously, i need some IRL (in real life) friends. lol. we're going to have yummy treats, fun treasures from a variety of PNW-based businesses, and lots of face-to-face mingling. because everyone needs to get away from their computer once in a while :)