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.

When I’m feeling really crafty I use rubber stamps in my card making. Try rubber stamping in a bold color and adding layers of paper to create borders and dimension. The card above features our new Holiday Greetings Square Rubber Stamp, which is a fun way to add holiday sentiments to the outside or inside of a holiday card. Layering a rubber stamped piece onto a patterned note set creates a festive finished look.

Use decorative punches to create graphic shapes that turn blank cards into modern works of art! I punched circle shapes in a few bright colors using a 1″ circle hole punch. Next, I punched cute holiday shapes with the Fat Tree Punch. Once I was happy with the arrangement of the shapes, I used a glue stick to stick them in place. The overall effect is striking, yet so simple!

This technique works for many occasions with different hole punches and colored paper. Just imagine our Heart Hole Punch with red and fuchsia paper for Valentine’s Day cards, or a card with our Rubber Duck or Bunny Hole Punch and pink or blue paper to congratulate a new parent! Make a bunch and keep them on hand for when you need a last minute greeting card.

Here’s a tip for when you want to send a handmade card that looks exceptionally sharp – use our classic holiday shape cards as a base. They’re already diecut, so all that’s left to do is embellish! With so many combinations of adhesive crystals, stickers, ribbons and snippets of paper, the options are limitless!

Happy holiday card making!

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

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.

Turns out heat embossing using a metallic powder creates an elegant and sophisticated finish. I used the VersaMark Watermark Inkpad on the kraft letters, sprinkled on embossing powders in a mixture of Jade Patina and Metallic Copper, and used the heat embossing tool to set in place. Combining those two embossing powders created a patina that looks similar to an old penny.

In the past I’ve decorated kraft letters with glitter by covering them in PVA, then sprinkling on glitter. These “JOY” letters in True Red Glitter make a great holiday decoration – use in a centerpiece arrangement or display on a mantle surrounded by evergreen branches. You could achieve a different red finish by using the heat embossing technique described above and Cherry Twinkle Embossing Powder.

My gift of the “JC” initials was extremely well-received, because it was personal and unlike anything he had. They turned out so well in fact that I decorated other kraft letters to display in our store!

–Ken, Paper Source NorthPark Dallas Store
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Woodgrain A2 Embossed Stationery

I’m so in love with our Chalkboard Sticker Frames! We use them around the store to highlight upcoming workshops and events – so much more fun than flyers. I usually write on the chalkboard surface with Bistro Markers, but I’m always looking for new ways to decorate them. So, what about rubber stamping?

It works! I experimented with various rubber stamps using the Bistro Markers as ink. Turns out it’s an easy way to add fun images to the chalkboard – no artistic ability required! I found that the best rubber stamps to use are those with intricate designs – they are so impressive against the black backdrop!

A few quick steps: Draw directly onto a rubber stamp using a Bistro Marker – covering the entire surface. Press your stamp firmly onto the chalkboard. Lift the rubber stamp carefully so you don’t create any smudges. The image should dry in seconds!

p.s. Bistro Markers wipe off a chalkboard surface with the help of glass cleaner sprayed onto a paper towel!

–Catherine, Paper Source Alexandria Store
PS colors: gravel & curry
Latest fave: 2010 Cavallini Easel Calendar – Italia

Masking is a very cool rubber stamping technique that involves layering rubber stamp images to create depth. By rubber stamping images one on top of the other using masking you give the illusion that images are in front or behind each other. I’ve demonstrated this technique in the 5 steps below – give it a try to add visual interest to your next rubber stamping project!

Here are the materials I’ve used in this demonstration:
• My own hand carved rubber stamp
• Sky Blue Color Box Inkpad
• Moss Color Box Inkpad

1. Stamp Your First Image: For this demonstration I’m masking using a single rubber stamp with two different ink colors. The first image you stamp will be the one in the foreground of your picture. Ink the rubber stamp in your first ink color and make your impression.

2. Create The Mask: Read the rest of this entry »

Here it is, your step by step guide to perfect rubber stamping and heat embossing, just in time for holiday card making*. You see us using these techniques all the time, and there’s a reason for that – they’re super easy and add a professional decorative look to all types of projects. Give it a try and have fun experimenting!

Here are the materials I’ve used in this demonstration:
• Petal Enclosure (In my finished sample I’ve used dark paper to remind you that this stamping technique works so well on dark colors!)
• VersaMark Watermark Inkpad (This clear ink creates a watermark impression, leaving a darker version of the color of your paper.)
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Heat Embossing Tool
• Cottage Bloom Rubber Stamp
• Scrap Paper (Do your work on scrap paper so you can capture excess embossing powder and recycle.)

1. Ink Your Stamp: When working with larger rubber stamps, flip them over to ink them, instead of pressing them down onto an inkpad. Holding them rubber-side up allows you to see when the entire surface is covered with ink, which can be especially helpful when inking with a clear inkpad (the surface will appear shiny when applied).

2. Create Your Stamp Impression: Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever had trouble finding just the right rubber stamp or if you’ve wanted to create a custom rubber stamp for a wedding or special event, consider making your own rubber stamps! This month we’re running a Carve Your Own Stamps workshop at all of our stores. We’ll take you through the start to finish process from creating an original drawing to carving your rubber stamp design. You’ll leave the workshop with a kit and the know-how to make plenty more custom rubber stamps at home. Design a few custom rubber stamps for your holiday cards and gift wrapping this year, and create one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for friends and family!

WHAT: Carve Your Own Stamps
WHERE: All Paper Source stores
WHEN: October. Dates and times vary, see store for details.
HOW: Visit our workshop page to find your store & purchase your $45 ticket.

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

I just love the “aha!” moments when I make a discovery that saves time or turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. I had one of those wonderful moments when putting together my sister’s wedding invitations. My sister loved the richness of our satin ribbon, but the idea of tying a bow didn’t appeal to her. My solution? Use the ribbon as a decorative band for a pop of color.

In my quest to perfectly adhere our 1 1/2″ Satin Ribbon to the wedding invitations I reviewed all the standard options. Glue stick? Messy and time consuming. Double-sided tape? Would create visible ridge from the tape’s edges. Zots? Bumpy and lumpy. Liquid glue? Would soak through the ribbon creating splotches. Ugh! I was out of options.

Thankfully, I don’t give up easily. I spied our Baby Xyron, a great little machine that turns almost anything into a sticker – including ribbon… Aha! The results could not have been better. The ribbon adhered smoothly to the paper and the process was clean and quick. The final product was more than I’d hoped for – perfect wedding invitations with an elegant ribbon embellishment. I also layered on a 1/4″ Satin Ribbon with a little knot in reference to the happy occasion.

Read on for a list of materials and instructions needed to create wedding invitations in the style I did for my sister. The printed wedding invitation (so easy using our online print templates) accented with the satin ribbons is mounted onto a backing creating layers or textures and colors. A beautiful design for any special occasion!

–Sarah, Paper Source Oak Park Store
PS colors: rhubarb & moss
Latest fave: Owl Placecard Kit

Materials Needed:
A7 flat cards (backing) Read the rest of this entry »

Want to learn impressive bookbinding skills AND get organized at the same time? In this workshop we’ll teach you easy bookbinding techniques using our adhesive tapes and precut boards. At the end of the class you will have created your very own handmade 2010 datebook and we promise you’ll feel SO very accomplished! Our lovely Italian datebook inserts have traversed hurricane seas to get to us, so sign up early as this class is sure to sell out quickly once the books hit the stores.

Just think, once you gain these skills you can (and will want to!) make many more datebooks as keen holiday gifts!

WHAT: You never forget your first “Datebook”!
WHERE: All Paper Source stores
WHEN: Thursday, September 24. Times vary, see store for details.
HOW: Visit our workshop page to find your store & purchase your $35 ticket.

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

As useful and handy as this craft tool is, we think the word “Xyron” should be in the dictionary. Until it is, we figured we’d help explain for those who haven’t had the pleasure of getting to use one.

A Xyron is a machine that applies an adhesive to the backside of any paper you run through it. Besides being super easy, what makes this adhesive so useful is that it is dry — ever tried using a glue stick and noticed everything you glued began to curl? This happens to most surfaces, but especially paper, when introduced to the moisture of wet glue. With the Xyron machine, you create a dry adhesive akin to a sticker– no wet, no curl, no mess. All in all, a smooth, clean and fast way to add creativity to any project.

Xyron machines come in many sizes, each appropriate for different kinds of projects. The 510 machine, which takes paper up to 5” wide by 10’ long Read the rest of this entry »