November 2009 - Paper Source Blog

by Paper Source
November 30, 2009

My first homemade holiday cards

This year I challenged myself to make my own holiday cards – my first attempt…ever. I’ll admit, it takes a lot of time, but I’m so happy with the finished product and I know the recipients will be too. My holiday card design was inspired to by things: 1. Annie’s blog entry about the Halloween wreath card and 2. an amazing assortment of Italian scrap paper that my friend brought back for me from her trip this summer (a gift only a true paper lover could appreciate).

Packed inside the simple plastic bag were scraps of paper no bigger than note cards (and many much, much smaller) with pattern after pattern – intricate, colorful, elegant…totally inspiring. I’ve been stumped over the past few months as to how to use them, but when I saw Annie’s card idea using decorative punches I knew this scrap paper was perfect.

DIY

by Paper Source
November 25, 2009

Decorating kraft ornaments & stars

Looking for a glam decorating idea for the holidays, but have a fear of glitter or aren’t feeling especially crafty? Try this easy craft project from our team at the Paper Source Reston store! They added tons of elegance to kraft ornaments with a clever combination of stamp pads.

It takes just 3 simple steps to make these festive holiday decorations! With this Ball Kraft Ornament they first applied a Colorbox Chalk Inkpad to add color, then used the Platinum Color Box Metal Extra Inkpad on top. Hang them on your tree, decorate a mantle, or use in a centerpiece on your holiday table.

Stop by a store location this weekend for more tips & tricks on decorating holiday ornaments!

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Saddle Stitch Notebooks

DIY

by Paper Source
November 24, 2009

How-to: gingerpaper advent calendar

Advent calendars are so much fun for kids (and adults!) – a festive count down of the days til Christmas. We were so excited to come up with a way to create an advent calendar using our Gingerpaper House Kit, so that kids could actually make their own (yes, with some help from mom or dad)! By adding numbered shingles to the house, you have a way to mark the days – and because the roof opens, parents can hide candy or little gifts inside, as a surprise for each day.

A great way to get the whole family into the holiday spirit!

– Claudia
PS colors: curry & fuchsia
Latest fave: Mini Magnolia Paper Flower Kit

At PS

by Paper Source
November 23, 2009

Thankful for YOU!

To the Paper Source team – our employees and customers:

It has been a year of big economic challenges, which have required all of us to use extra ingenuity to make ends meet. As a company, we have done some tough belt tightening to ensure that we would stay healthy and be able to grow. I am grateful for all of the teamwork in our stores and our Chicago headquarters that has allowed us to find new ways of working, utilizing our resources in nimble and creative ways – all with the goal of keeping the magic alive in our mission to inspire people to “do something creative every day”.

DIY

by Paper Source
November 20, 2009

Holiday card making ideas

If there is something I look forward to every year, it’s holiday card making! But with the hustle and bustle of the season, the task can seem daunting. Luckily, with a little imagination I’ve discovered a few ways to embellish cards that are quick and easy. For example, what’s easier than peeling and sticking? Decorative stickers are a simple way to add colorful images to a card. To really make them stand out, stick them onto a strip of paper in a contrasting color, and add a few adhesive crystals for sparkle.

Gift

by Paper Source
November 19, 2009

Find us in your favorite holiday magazines!

We worked hard for it and now we’re seeing the results – a whole lot of exciting Paper Source product featured in the press this holiday season! The fun part about seeing our products in these wonderful magazines are the great ideas their creative teams come up with on their own – often with new uses we hadn’t thought of, that we love!

Better Homes and Gardens really showed us off with their story on holiday trimmings. Our Solid Wrapping Papers in pool, moss and red are coupled with our Moss, Pool Diagonal Stripes Wrapping Paper, along with gift wrap from our good friends at Snow & Graham – an inspiring mix of pattern and color. They used the 2010 Paper Source Mini Calendar to top a gift box in place of a bow (a great idea if you’re shipping a gift wrapped package since a bow might get smashed in the mail). The pool January page of the calendar looks so fresh with the red and white wrapping paper featured.
Read More

DIY

by Paper Source
November 18, 2009

Decorating kraft letters

I recently found myself needing a gift for a friend of mine… a friend who has everything. I came up with the idea of making him a set of decorative kraft letters in his initials. Although I’ve used glitter to decorate these in the past, I wanted to try a new technique that would create a handsome piece he could display on a shelf in his home.

Wedding

by Paper Source
November 17, 2009

Charleston Wedding: Part 2

With save the dates under her belt, Sarah moved onto planning her wedding invitations and day of details. Continuing to leverage colors from her inspiration print, she used Sapphire cardstock to create a custom piece that would hold all of the items in her invitation suite. She backed her printed invitations with the featured Italian paper creating a decorative trim, then adhered that to the inside of the Sapphire folder.

DIY

by Paper Source
November 11, 2009

This weekend: a first look at the new at-home letterpress machine!

Come to a Paper Source store this weekend for free holiday demonstrations and “make & take” projects… AND be one of the first to see the brand new at-home Letterpress Machine! We are so excited about this amazing table top machine that allows you to make your very own letterpress cards. Paper Source is one of the only vendors in the country to carry this item, and we’re thrilled to give you the opportunity to see how it works in person.

DIY

by Paper Source
November 11, 2009

Homemade personalized stationery

What could be more personal than creating custom stationery for a special friend? By choosing specific paper colors, embellishments, and adding their name you are honoring their personality and creating a one-of-a-kind gift. A stationery set can be as simple as a collection of note cards and envelopes, but by adding other letter writing components like labels and pens, or personalizing the stationery with rubber stamps, you create something truly unique.