I like to think of our die-cut paper snowman shapes as a blank canvas, and I decided to create a rather debonair pair for the holidays. I’d like you to meet my Mr. and Mrs. Frosty!

I’ve used just a few things to make my festive, dimensional characters. I started with our die-cut snowman (or snow lady) shapes, then cut hats and scarves out of card stock. Our leaf hole punch and red adhesive crystals make a perfect sprig of holly.

A tiny mustache rub-on transfer was just the thing for Mr. Frosty… and a string of adhesive pearls for the misses.

Just sign your name or add a greeting to each and use as keepsake holiday cards (they fit into an A7 envelope). They would also make wonderful holiday gift tags, place cards or even menu cards!

Happy Holidays!

–Dustin, Paper Source Lincoln Park Store
PS colors: gravel, chartreuse, moss, pool & grape
Latest fave: Kraft Boxes & Satin Ribbon

More and more people are throwing parties and insisting that their guests not bring presents… “No presents, just your presence” seems to be the theme. In these tough economic times, that’s not a bad thing. However, I often find myself wanting to bring at least a little something – a token of my friendship with that person. I’ve found recently that a handmade card can be just the thing.

Recently, a friend threw a surprise birthday party for his wife. The Sunday before the party, several of us gathered at my house where I pulled out my boxes of cards and craft supplies. Having moved across the country, I have gathered Paper Source materials from several stores: Chicago, Evanston, Carlsbad, Georgetown, Alexandria, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, and Thousand Oaks (lucky me, I know). By now I have quite an extensive collection of labels, blank cards, envelope liners, rubbers stamps, stamp pads, embossing supplies, rub-on transfers, ribbon and other materials. The plan was to create one-of-a-kind birthday cards for our friend.

At first, the room was quiet as people rummaged through the supplies and formulated ideas. Some started immediately cutting and gluing, others sketched out a draft of their design…and many started one idea, stopped, started another and so on. You can learn a lot Read the rest of this entry »

In my world, wreaths aren’t just for Christmas. By using a black and orange color palette, presto-change-o… a spooktacular Halloween card is born! When I find a technique or idea that I love, I use it for all types of occasions throughout the year by making simple changes to the design. This card is super easy to make using our shape hole punches – perfect leaf shapes every time!

Try making this card with a blossom wreath to welcome a baby girl or a bluebell wreath for a baby boy. How about a fuchsia and red wreath for a Valentine’s Day card? The possibilities are endless!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Owl Placecard Kit

Materials Needed:
A2 Poppy Folded Cards Read the rest of this entry »

You asked for it… our first ever Holiday Card Making Girls Night Out! Get your creative juices flowing while you play with our new holiday rubber stamps, punches, cards and glitter – leave the mess with us and take home all sorts of great ideas. The event is this Thursday, October 1, so call your girlfriends and reserve your seats today!

Along with useful tips and tricks, you’ll bring home a beautiful linen folio to hold your holiday card creations. Even better, you’ll receive 10% off all your purchases in the store that night – an opportunity to gather keen card making supplies and get ahead on your holiday gift list! Tickets for Thursday’s event are only $25… sign up with a friend and receive 10% off your ticket purchase.

WHAT: Holiday Card Making Girls Night Out
WHERE: All Paper Source stores
WHEN: Thursday, October 1, 7-9pm
HOW: Visit our workshop page to find your store & purchase your $25 ticket.

We hope you’re so very proud of your hand-made holiday cards this year that you will submit your design to our Fourth Annual Holiday Card Contest also kicking off October 1st!

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

I love the graphic simplicity of our India Rubber Stamps. Whether used as one clean image or stamped in multiples they really make a statement. When I find a new rubber stamp design I love, I make several cards and gift tags to keep on hand. These cards would work for birthdays and as thank yous, and gift tags are great attached to a gift box or tied to a bottle of wine (the ultimate last minute gift!). If you love our India collection as much as we do, read more about the inspiration behind the entire collection.

p.s. Did you know that elephants are a symbol of luck, fortune and protection? They’re perfect for so many occasions!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Owl Placecard Kit

The associates here at the Evanston Paper Source store are always excited to see the new and creative products that arrive on a regular basis. We love being able to share these products and all the imaginative ways they can be used with our customers. Our most recent favorite is a set of decorative tapes – so unusual and so multi-purpose. We immediately began coming up with ways to use this fun product!

We love this greeting card made by our associate Kate, which uses the woodgrain decorative tape along with chocolate 2.5” circle labels and the heat embossing technique. Kate applied the tape across the front of a folded card as well as to the outside flap of a chocolate envelope. Making greeting cards is a great way to use up odds and end scraps leftover from other projects, and these decorative tapes are great for no-mess crafting – this greeting card did not require any glue!

Our four decorative tape styles (also available in black damask, purple lace and chartreuse scrolls) feature various patterns and colors allowing you to create a completely different card with each. Decorative tape is also great (and easy) to use for gift wrapping…really the uses are endless!

–Paper Source Evanston Store Team
PS colors: curry & gravel
Latest fave: Eco Cups

Hole punches are a super easy way to decorate a handmade card or invitation. With this birthday card, we repeated the punch using the cupcake cutouts to create impact with lettering. In addition to the cutouts, you can also use the negative spaces left by the hole punch to create little peekaboo windows into the inside of the card! Read the rest of this entry »