The latest Paper Source catalog hits mailboxes this week! Inside you will find a special feature on The Art of Craft, an inspirational resource page with recipes for rubber stamping, embossing and stenciling. We also explored DIY letterpress and digital die cutting projects.

Paper Source associates, even many from your local store, offered their vision for an assortment of Silhouette Machine executions. Here are the stories behind their innovative designs, along with tips for helping you master this versatile cutting tool.

Butterfly Box by Wendy Parks
Paper Source Evanston

Q: What inspired your design?
A: SPRING! I like to think of creative ways to spruce up something simple (like a kraft box) in minimal time.

Q: What tips do you have for successfully executing this Silhouette project?
A: I loved the idea of layering butterflies to give them a 3-D effect.

Did you know: You can get 1 free download each week to add to your library! It’s like iTunes for images.
Read the rest of this entry »

A few months ago, I was on a search to find boxes to package my handmade stationery. I searched high and low, but boxes just didn’t seem to come in the size I wanted. I was so desperate that I came close to paying a ridiculous price to have some boxes shipped from Asia, but luckily I stumbled across Paper Source on a weekend trip to Boston.

I walked past Paper Source’s window display of colorful papers and couldn’t resist stepping inside. I was so distracted by the beautiful papers that I almost missed the handmade boxes on display! They were so beautiful I wished I could learn how to make them myself. Luckily for me, Paper Source had all the materials to make boxes right there! I picked up some book board, bookbinding cloth, PVA glue, and an instruction manual, and headed home to make my box!

The PS instructions made the box construction easy to perfect with practice. I hadn’t worked much with PVA glue before, so that was a challenge at first. But I eventually found the best ways to handle the materials, and not get the table all sticky! I was happy to have my bone folder as well to smooth the paper down on the box as I glued. The handmade boxes turned out to be the perfect way to package my cards.

Here’s how I made my box: One by one, glue and secure the walls to the base. Read the rest of this entry »