This year we decided our bride-to-be’s deserve a morning tea, done the Paper Source way! Join us for The Wedding Tea workshop where we’ll give you a personal introduction to our brand new 2010 Wedding Invitation line (hot off the press!), hands-on projects to build your DIY skills, great raffles, and the bonus – a 10% off coupon to use towards purchases made that day (get your wedding supply list ready)! All while you sip tea and nibble on sweet treats.

Mark your calendars for this one hour morning event on Saturday, February 20 from 10-11am. Then stay for our free event, Paper Wedding the same weekend – February 20 and 21!

Don’t worry, we’re covering all the categories of wedding tradition:

Something Old
We’re old pros at showing you the tips and tricks for creating your perfect wedding suite.

Something New
Our fabulous new collection of exclusive Paper Source wedding invitations and accoutrements!

Something Borrowed
Use any of the kool crafting supplies we have at our workshop tables to build your make and takes.

Something Blue
Ah yes, we built the whole Wedding Tea theme around our lovely blue shade of pool.

Space is limited, so sign up early and perhaps bring a friend to help you take notes. We can’t wait to spend the morning with you!

Cheers,

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: 2010 Paper Source Letterpress Calendar

These wise words of advice from our CEO, Sally Pofcher, are captured in a wonderful behind-the-scenes article about her role at Paper Source. Check out the 10-page spread in the spring 2010 issue of Where Women Create!

– Carolyn
PS colors: moss & papaya
Latest fave: Desk Embosser

We are well known for our collection of high quality fine papers – but how much do you know about how they are made? Some of our best selling Lokta papers – Black and White Paisley and Gold Mums on Cream – are hand-crafted by Nepalese artisans. The material used for making these papers is the daphne plant, grown in the Himalayas. The bark of this plant is cleaned and cut into small pieces, then beaten with a wooden hammer until it’s reduced to fibers.

It is then put into a metal drum along with ash and water to produce pulp. The pulp is mixed with water and poured into wooden frames to dry in the sun. Once it’s dry, the pulp becomes a natural, eco–friendly paper prized for its superior strength, durability and rich texture!

These papers are processed in the city of Kathmandu by women co-operatives Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to weddings, popping the question is no longer just the groom’s responsibility. The tradition has taken new form, as brides begin to more formally ask their dearest friends, “Will you be my bridesmaid?” A simple and sweet question that’s been asked for years, has developed into a creative opportunity, and the result is often a delightful invitation style approach. When I got married, I decorated small Moleskine Journals and wrote a note on the inside, “love you so much, been through so much, will you be my bridesmaid?” As brides begin to explore how they would like to, “pop the question”, the bar it getting quite high, with some very innovative bridesmaid invitation card ideas.

The cutest one I have seen so far, comes from a close friend of mine Katie Sprenkle, a graphic designer from San Diego. The card read, “The wedding is not until 2011, but I just had to ask: Will you be my bridesmaid?” It came complete with her witty top five reasons to be her bridesmaid, and a paper chain of bridesmaid dolls adorned in magazine page dresses.

Each cut out girl is a different friend within the wedding party, even our facial expressions and hair styles display our unique qualities. She tucked everything inside lovely pointed flap envelopes, and sealed them with printed labels that read “Official Bridesmaid Post”. Her combination of Paper Source solid papers, decorative papers, and recycled materials makes for a request that’s hard to resist.

Of course I’ll be your bridesmaid!

– Lauren
PS colors: night & chartreuse
Latest fave: Patterned File Folders and #10 String & Button Envelopes

For those of you who have tried it, you know, lining envelopes is oh, so satisfying! It’s an easy, instant upgrade to wedding invitations, stationery, and greeting cards, and even if you claim you’re not crafty, you will be able to do this. You can use almost any paper imaginable to make envelopes liners – solids, patterns, fine paper, newspaper, magazine pages, even photocopies of pictures.

When lining Paper Source envelopes, the trick is to use our Envelope Liner Template Kit, which comes with traceable plastic templates in 7 envelope sizes. Check out our How-to Video where our beloved founder Sue will show you how to make envelope liners, and keep you entertained along the way.

Enjoy, and, as Sue will remind you, Do Something Creative Every Day!

– Cindy
PS colors: pool & red
Latest fave: Dutch Woodcut Floral Wrapping Paper

Brides are always looking for unique wedding ideas and we think we have just the thing! This wedding cake wish box is the perfect addition to a guest book table or to display on the way into the reception area. Guests can write well wishes onto small slips of paper, then open the lid of the wish box and drop them inside. What a treat it will be to open the wish box when you return from your honeymoon! A charming keepsake for you and your groom.

We used the three smallest Scallop Edge Kraft Boxes to make our wish box, which creates a cake that is about 9″ tall (excluding the ribbon loop) and 5 1/4″ in diameter. You can create a larger cake by stacking larger box sizes or even add more tiers. The boxes can be decorated in colors and patterns to match your wedding decor. A wish box also makes a wonderful bridal shower activity!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Tree Trunk Tea Light and Japanese 8 1/4″ Scissors

Materials Needed:
How to PDF
Scallop Edge Kraft Box (extra small, small & medium)
7 Point Shape Hole Punch Read the rest of this entry »

This blog post has provided me with an opportunity to talk about two things I love: Our wonderful bindery department (yep, heard me right!) and the joy of learning to make handmade books. When I first came to Paper Source 7 1/2 years ago, our founder, Sue Lindstrom wanted to create our very own in-house bindery. She was interested then, as we are now, in creating hand-crafted products that speak to the core values of our company: use quality materials; pay close attention to the details; and above all, do it better than anyone else! All these years later, I am proud to say we are still making exquisite handmade products in our bindery at our headquarters here in Chicago.

Here are a few shots from our Paper Source bindery showing the items that eventually become the lovely photo albums, journals and guest books that you see in the stores and on our website. Some are covered in our Paper Source prints, some in our imported fine papers. And I couldn’t resist a photo of our imported German paste brushes that are so well-used, well-loved and last forever!

Now, if you’ve always wanted to learn to make books from scratch, then this blog post will satisfy that requirement too! Coming from someone who truly loves to make things with her hands (top of list are books), this next piece of information will make you very happy… this year we made sure to include on our New Year’s list of classes, a “how to craft an album or book by hand.” So, for all of you bookbinder wanna-be’s, this Saturday, January 30 ALL stores will be hosting a Fabulous Handmade Album workshop. We’ll teach you the in’s and out’s of making a 6″ x 8″ album by hand. You’ll not only leave with a finished album (plus get to be the envy of your friends), you’ll get to start the year off with a checkmark next to this one! Sign up while seats are still available.

Cheers & happy gluing!

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: 2010 Paper Source Letterpress Calendar

We are thrilled to introduce the Paper Source 2010 Wedding Invitation Collection – now available in stores and on our website. What labor and love the teams here at PS put into the design and execution of this year’s wedding invitations. Planning our collection was not unlike planning an actual (BIG) wedding, just without the pretty dress, fancy cake and amazing party!

To kick off the development of our new wedding invitation collection, we began by creating an inspiration board. We looked at current trends in color, pattern, fashion and design, and gathered things we love – buttons, bits of lace and fabrics, branches and flowers. We also considered feedback from our wonderful customers about what was missing from our 2009 collection, and what they loved!

Much of this inspiration and insight eventually made it into the 2010 wedding collection in the design of our new embossed Faux Bois invitations; the introductions of curry and beet letterpress ink colors; the whimsy of the Carnival suite; and the much desired inclusion of black and white patterns and styles! In addition to beautiful wedding invitations and save the dates, we also created wedding guest books and rubber stamps that coordinate with many of our new designs so you can carry a theme throughout your wedding.

P.S. In planning your wedding, consider building yourself an inspiration board. You’ll have such fun doing it and it will remain a great reference for you throughout your planning process. And, when you’re happily married, it will be a wonderful remembrance of all the planning, labor and love that you put into your big day!

– Karen and Cindy
PS colors: moss & papaya and pool & red
Latest faves: India Calico File Folders and Dutch Woodcut Floral Wrapping Paper

Okay I’ll admit, the past few years I have not been so lucky in love. None the less, I am still a hopeless romantic, so I decided to create my own “recipe for love” Valentine cards using our Mini File Folders. Now this isn’t Hogwarts and these concoctions may not work, but it’s still so much fun! Consider delivering your Valentine messages this year in a creative package like this.

Most people put their recipes inside file folders, but these wonderful mini tabbed folders are actually great for printing on the outside. I printed my recipe for love on each (2 cups sweetness, 1 spoon of romance), then embellished them with Valentine rubber stamps and decorative hole punches. Tuck your Valentine greetings inside these folders for a private way to deliver your message.

Let me know what your ingredients are for love – I just might try mixing it up! Here’s hoping you have a sweetie to share a recipe of love with this February 14th!

p.s. If you’re looking more inspiration on valentine crafts, check out our new Valentine workshops in January and early February.

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: 2010 Paper Source Letterpress Calendar