Photo courtesy of Paper. Scissors. Superheroes.

Paper. Scissors. Superheroes. shows us how to turn magazine pages into adorable Valentine’s Day heart ornaments. Try your hand with your latest Paper Source catalog, thread or Baker’s Twine and a few handy adornments.

Photo courtesy of One Sheepish Girl

Recycled never looked sweeter than this upcycled version of our Letterpress Calendar. Our Bridgeport store fell in love with the crochet edge of these cards.

Photo courtesy of One Sheepish Girl

One Sheepish Girl walks (or should we say stitches) through the steps of creating this boarder on a flat card or around a heart card.

Photo courtesy of Smells Like Home

Ann, manager of our wholesale business, spotted another adorable Valentine’s Day craft. Smells Like Home repurposed holiday gift wrap to create a Valentine Box for her son’s classroom. A little red dots wrapping paper, silver glitter wrap and ribbon around a cereal box and this was born.

Photo courtesy of Paper Source

Another great box concept for a classroom is this Foxy Valentine craft created by the Crafts Design Team here at Paper Source.

Photo courtesy of Design Sponge

This DIY project featured on Design Sponge left our hearts pitter pattering. Use our specialty 300GSM paper in white or blush to hold watercolor treatments like paint, water brush or watercolor pencils. Or, pick from our note cards and envelopes and create something similar with inkpads.

Photo courtesy of Beauty and the Beard

If you need to add a touch of love to a Valentine’s Day gift, then this adorable mini heart garland idea from Beauty and the Beard is perfect! Our collection of 12×12 paper makes this an easy project to customize. And if hearts aren’t your thing, Kristen shows us a similar execution with festive pennants.

Photo courtesy of Twig and Thistle

We’re closing out this round up with our favorite part of Valentine’s Day – the treats! This simple treat bag is such a wonderful way to celebrate the small things, like brownies. Twig and Thistle offers completed bags or nab kraft treat bags and use their printable template. And don’t forget the milk and adorable paper straws!

Use this craft for other events and deck out bags with rubber stamps and coordinating plates. That’s right, you can rubber stamp with powdered sugar to transform plates for any occasion.

Here’s to an inspired Valentine’s Day.

Last spring our colleague Laura married her best friend in their hometown of Peoria, IL. Laura incorporated a number of DIY wedding projects to make her event a Paper Source wedding. Her day was special in so many ways, so we asked Laura about the inspiration behind this hometown celebration.

Here’s her story…

What were the themes for your day?

Ross and I grew up in Peoria, Illinois, but didn’t meet until we were counselors at Camp Highlands for Boys and Clearwater Camp for Girls, respectively, in Northern Wisconsin. Although I knew his sister (from camp and school in Peoria) and Ross knew my brothers (one was his camp counselor when he was 10), our paths never crossed until that summer. And, ironically enough, our parents now live three blocks apart.

We considered Wisconsin and Chicago for our wedding, but ultimately decided that the Peoria connection was too strong to overlook. It was also the perfect way to share our fondness for our hometown and our families.

After selecting Peoria, our goals become clear: keep everything calm, simple and personal.

Did you plan anything special for your ceremony?

The May showers and cloudy skies made for a cozy, warm feeling at First Federated Church, where I have been a member for years. It was important to honor my grandfather, who passed away last June. He was a minister for 25 years and was married to my grandmother for nearly 70 years. My cousin read a passage from First Corinthians, a passage he included in every wedding of his career. We also included two special readings read by close friends and my middle school band director played the trumpet.

I also incorporated a piece of lace from my grandmother’s wedding dress in my bouquet. Our siblings were our attendants and my niece and nephew were the flower girl and ring bearer.

What Paper Source projects were incorporated into your wedding?

Magnolia paper flowers! I thought paper flowers were a great way to involve my 93 year-old grandmother in the planning process. Now, she can’t get enough! She cut 2,300 petals. She and my mom made in excess of 30 giant, 100 medium and 100 mini magnolias, each with 10 petals per flower and two leaves per flower! She cut out some of the centers and kept finding ways to do more and more and more. She said creating the paper flowers gave her a purpose.

Her favorites were the giant magnolia flowers; she absolutely loves them, as does the entire retirement home where she lives. My mom became quite fond of the mini flowers. This project gave way to their favorite products: Paper Source paper (especially the shimmer and textured ones) and PVA.

Our Save The Date Cards were a holiday photo card design with our favorite photos and our wedding invitations were also from Paper Source. Ross and I designed the ceremony programs using solid paper. We also printed menu cards and used the printable place card and table tent templates found online. Our wedding colors were shades of greens and whites, which Paper Source offered many options.

What are the things that made your day unique?

We made the paper flowers into reception centerpieces by arranging them in antique cut glass bowls and upside-down cake stands from my mom’s and a family friend’s collections. We included cut branches from a bush in our backyard to make each one unique.

That was for the low arrangements of medium and mini magnolias. Each giant magnolia centerpiece was showcased in a metal vessel, created by a blacksmith friend. We purchased steel tubes at a home improvement store and he welded them together.

Rather than place cards at tables, we found pictures of each guest from a memorable experience and slipped them into a photo coaster. Ross and I had so much fun going through photos and finding the best ones for each guest. Our parents found old photos of their friends as well, many from old yearbooks. They became great conversation pieces.

I am gluten intolerant and wanted to treat our guests to a tasty gluten-free meal. Rather than one wedding cake, we offered a dessert bar full of gluten free cakes, cookies and bar options from a wonderful bakery in Peoria which has a gluten-free kitchen.

What was your favorite moment of the day?

My brother organized The Run for Cover (Ross’ last name is Cover) the morning of the wedding. This 5K fun run took place on the street where my parents live, which was also the street of our reception venue. Ross and I, along with friends and family, ran through the rain and wind to kick off the big day. Ross and I finished together, and joined guests for breakfast and prizes at my parents’ house before going our separate ways to prepare for the ceremony.

–Laura
PS colors: curry & gravel
Latest fave: custom stamps

Love is all around and this year we found new gift items — along with adorable cards, kits and crafts — that you are sure to fall in love with. Whether you’re looking for something quirky or sweet, you are sure to find the perfect little thing in our latest Valentine’s Day gift selection.

Here are a few that I find to be swoon-worthy:

Adding to our collection of kitchen aprons is this simple and sweet Heart Apron. It is a great way to pamper yourself for Valentine’s Day or a lovely way to shower your favorite baker with love. Add the heart-shaped oven mitt (shown above) for the perfect ensemble.

Nothing warms the soul better than a hot cup of coffee, tea or cocoa. Why not score your favorite Valentine a new coffee mug? Give a hardworking mom or dad something to smile about with our Mama Bear Mug or Papa Bear Mug. Remind someone to Keep Calm and Carry On with our best selling porcelain and enamel mugs. Or, take your love to new depths with this tentacled creature. Our new Octopus Mug is perfect for a nautical romance or someone who likes quirky doodads.

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day with out sweet sentiments. Pen something original in one of these journals, made from our fine papers. Can’t find the right words? Shakesphere’s Love Sonnets book is sure to be just as romantic. Or, leave the writing to them with one of our personalized note pads.

And what Valentine’s Day round up would be complete without mention of candy?! Give the traditional Sweethearts candy (also available with Spanish phrases) or dive in to heart-shaped Junior Mints. Our red and white paper straws are back in stock for anyone who is mixing up their own sweet goodness this Valentine’s Day. Claudia offered up this adorable Valentine’s Day craft as a way to celebrate the season.

XOXO,

–Lindsay, PS Buying Team
PS colors: beet & fuchsia
Latest fave: Octopi

Love is in the air and we are ecstatic! Not only have we launched the 2012 Paper Source Wedding Invitation Collection, but we are hearing inspiring stories of love from brides-to-be and newlyweds. Even our associates have bells on – recently engaged Kristen shared her wonderful Will You Be My Bridesmaid card concept and newlywed Susan gave us a peek inside her perfectly Night and White destination wedding. And there is plenty more ahead!

For those of you who just started wedding planning (raise your hand by commenting to this post), be sure to check out the Paper Source YouTube Channel where our associates take you through DIY projects and planning exercises that help you create an event to remember.

In this video, Ann sheds light on a term you hear quite often at Paper Source — the wedding invitation suite. And suite it is! Together, with your wedding invitation, these components help inform and inspire your guests.

But that is just the beginning… there is more inspiration come, so stay tuned!

We’ve added readings for our new Paper Source colors — Aubergine and Slate — providing more ways for you to express yourself through color.

Go ahead, think of your two favorite Paper Source colors. Check out our Colorscope readings, then tell us what you discover!

Last year one of our colleagues had a destination wedding and, like many of us, Susan wanted to incorporate Paper Source elements into her wedding ceremony and reception. Since many of our readers are also considering a destination wedding, we had Susan tell us how she prepared for this perfectly night and white wedding in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Here’s her story…

Being a destination wedding, I prepared items in advance as much as possible, but there were a few projects that we completed on site, each providing an easy way to get into the spirit.

Elements completed beforehand:

Our menu cards were printed prior to leaving

I used the Martha Stewart Double Loops Decorative Paper Punch on Night Text Paper to make strips for napkin rings

Seating cards were stamped with the Pearl Strands Rubber Stamp and heat embossed to coordinate with my wedding invitations

Completed at our destination:

Paper flowers, used at our outdoor cocktail hour, were made in my hotel room prior to the wedding (super easy and I saved a ton on flowers!)

Favor boxes were assembled and filled with candy, then placed at the seat of any child who was in attendance

Night satin ribbon was provided to the florist for the pomanders that hung on down our aisle

Items needed to complete projects on site:

Glue for the paper flowers

Double-sided tape for the napkin rings

All in all, it was very little to travel with but provided charming little details that you might not normally have at a destination wedding. Perhaps the best part about using paper items… flat packing!

–Susan
PS colors: aubergine & slate
Latest fave: Personalized Note Pads

Using Liz’s recipe ensemble as my guide I printed cards with information I wanted my bridesmaids to have. The cards were cut with varying widths allowing the card titles to appear in succession. I printed and mounted a Will You Be My Bridesmaid? tag on the inside panel, which greeted the girls as they opened the enclosure. In all this project took diagonal enclosures, fine paper for liners and decorative elements, cover weight 8.5 x 11 paper cut down, and free fonts found online.

The cards included: our wedding date and location, the list of bridesmaids, rehearsal and wedding day details, a personal letter to each bridesmaid…and my favorite, a card with the silhouette of a bridesmaid dress to represent the bridal shopping to come.

This project was so worth the extra time – I will never forget the smiles and tears that came when my friends opened their packages. I know they will spend a year making me feel incredibly special, so I was happy to do the same for them while asking them one very important question.

–Kristen
PS colors: peacock & cement
Latest fave: Printable Labels

It’s always fun to make a themed party extra special, and our pre-cut heart shapes and striped paper straws are a perfect match for your Valentine’s Day get-together. They’re a cinch to make and will make a bold, colorful statement on your table. Show your guests extra love and customize them with names!

Materials Needed:

• Valentine Party Drinking Straws How-To PDF
• Red & White Paper Straws
• Heart Shapes Pack
• Fuchsia Glitter Ribbon
• Rouge Glitter Ribbon
• Hot Pink Adhesive Crystals
• Red Adhesive Crystals
• Uniball White Gel Pen
• Small Zots Dots
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Layer heart shapes using small zots dots.
2. Embellish by writing a loving message or adding adhesive crystals.
3. Attach to straws using more small zot dots.
4. Create ribbon flags by wrapping a small length of glitter ribbon around straw and using a zot dot to keep in place.
5. Trim ends with scissors for added flair.

Sip & Enjoy!

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

We hope you enjoy this story and the inspiring year ahead!

I am so lucky to have an incredibly amazing sister who just so happens to live on the other side of the world– Sydney, Australia to be exact. Several years ago (when she lived oh-so-much closer) we went through a brief phase where we would send each other wacky postcards that we found on our journeys. It was always such an unexpected surprise to go the mailbox and find a postcard mixed in with the bills, magazines and junk mail that awaited me. It’s so rare to receive a piece of handwritten mail these days and these little cards brightened my spirit. They made me laugh, they warmed my heart and they made me think of my beautiful sister and remember how dear she is to me.

Postcards from Allie

Late in 2010, an idea came to me that I hoped my sister would embrace. I thought it would be fun for us to do a sort of New Year’s Resolution together, but instead of giving something up, we would take on a challenge. The challenge? Send each other a postcard each week of 2011. Thankfully, my sister jumped right on board and, by the first week of January, a beautiful postcard of the Sydney Opera House arrived in my mailbox.

Searching for postcards fitting to send is part of the adventure. Wherever I go, I now scout for postcards that either make me giggle or evoke a memory from years past. The messages written on the cards vary from week to week. We share details of recent trips (hers are admittedly more exciting than mine– I sent her a postcard about my day-trip to Minneapolis to conduct a Store Audit the same week that I received a card from her with details of her adventure in Malaysia), other times we share memories from our childhood, and stories of the crazy things that our cats– and husbands– do.

Postcards from Stephanie

Every week this year I’ve been able to find a little treasure in my mailbox, and my sister has been able to do the same. In a busy year for both of us, our ‘resolution’ has strengthened our bond and made the thousands of miles between us feel much shorter. I have saved every card that I have received this year and have them safely stored away so I can reread them whenever I start missing my sister.

Fifty-two weeks later, the tradition is still going strong and we recently decided that our year of postcards will continue into the New Year, and likely beyond. My plans for this weekend include a search for another stash of cards to send her way– I may even create a few of my own! I can’t wait to see what cards I receive this year and look forward to staying connected with my sister in this very fun and special way.

If you’re looking for a different sort of resolution for the New Year, grab a friend and start a postcard or letting-writing adventure of your own in 2012! Who’s in?

–Stephanie
PS colors: peacock, night & antique gold
Latest fave: Silhouette Machine

Our handmade holiday card inspiration continues with this magnificent creation by Rick V., Midwest Regional Manager for Paper Source. The corporate office was buzzing when this wonderful creation arrived.

Of course we had to find out more, so here is his story…

Having spent the past few years in the Pacific Northwest, the mountains, snow and beauty of the moonlight shining on the snowy trees was the initial inspiration. The snow and surroundings are amazing after a nice snowfall.

The card went through several rounds. At first it was going to be a pop up card, but I could not perfect it in time (will probably be included in my card next year). Then, the idea of cross sections of wood spurred this iteration, as did our Faux Bois stationery and rubber stamp. The layers of trees and forest animals completed the idea with additions added throughout the process.

I like to incorporate sensory into my cards, so I worked in a small electric tea light. Scent seemed like natural addition, so I also included a small sprig of incense to evoke the feeling of light reflecting throughout with the scent of the forest ever present.

The subtle variance in color of the eco white, luxe white and stardream quartz cover weight papers worked well in creating dimension and texture. It was only enhanced by our white glitter wrapping paper, unryu fine paper and inkjet vellum paper.

The Silhouette Machine was used to cut the layers. (To remember that I used to make cards cut by hand seems crazy now!) The components were assembled using super tacky tape, Zots of every size, and foam squares.

The packaging consisted of a long white shipping box. I used our large circle labels for the addresses and a band of Silver Birds fine paper.

I have been making handmade holiday cards for 25 years, and the process evolves each year. It was sure a fun project — I hope it is as fun to view as it was to create.

–Rick
PS colors: chartreuse & moss
Latest fave: Custom Stamp Gift Box