We have so many splendid ideas to share with you at our Annual Seasonal Table Event that I couldn’t resist providing a little sneak peek at the collection of ideas we are featuring at Thursday’s Crafter’s Night Out.

These colorful holiday favor pouches provide the perfect opportunity to create something unique. We will be adding stamped accents to make them fun and personal. Imagine these on your holiday table?!

Or, perhaps you are a cookie aficionado – baking goodie bags for your work colleagues, like so many of us at Paper Source. (I know. Aren’t we lucky?!) These cellophane bags will be the perfect inspiration for your holiday confections, complete with fun retro accents cut from 12×12 decorative paper.

We also have other unique ideas using our new rubber stamps, like this one from a wonderful French Canadian vendor. They are sure to add charm to your seasonal presentation.

Be sure to sign up early, and enjoy $5 off your seat when you sign up with a friend! Sip wine with fellow crafters, nibble on treats, create stunning decorations and shop the night away with your 10% off coupon.’

Seasonal Table Collection of Ideas – Crafter’s Night Out
Thursday, November 10th
6pm – 8pm (local time)
To sign up, stop by your local Paper Source store or register online today.

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar

Are you always on the look out for personalized projects that are great for anyone on your list, including those hard to shop for folks?! Well, our new 2012 DIY Calendar is perfect! With 12 months to work with and a manageable size, all you need is inspiration… and a little time to create!

And, speaking of time, we totally have that covered! On Thursday, September 8 join us for our Crafter’s Night Out event. From from 6-8pm you can use our supplies, including stamps, ink pads, punches, paper cutters, decorative papers, glitters, and more, to create your own calendar. Learn tips and techniques from our craft experts and leave with a completely finished calendar – ready for giving or for treating yourself!

For details or to reserve your seat, check out the Paper Source Workshops page. Remember: You can save $5 off the seat price when you register with a friend.

Cheers,

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar

In grad school I fell in love with the rich colors and layered textures of mono-prints, so you can imagine my thrill when I discovered the Letterpress Machine Combo Kit can recreate these luscious prints. Using the components of the kit, plus a few extra ink colors, rubber stamp resists and accents, I printed on our wonderful collection of papers. It took only a few minutes to create dramatic results!

Learn some of these wonderful techniques at our upcoming workshop.

Mono-Print & Stitched Booklet Workshop
Thursday, August 4th
4 – 6 pm (local time)
Register online or contact your local store

You’ll love the results and the versatility this machine offers for artistic endeavors, not to mention the opportunity to learn how to stitch simple booklets.

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar

This month it seems we have a love affair with all things French! From Lauren’s experiences in the color-filled countryside to our recent Parisian-inspired bridal shower, we’re smitten with the sights and sounds of France. And, to top it off, tomorrow is Bastille Day!

Get inspired at the Bastille Day Crafter’s Night Out happening tomorrow night (July 14)! We’ll have wonderful crafts, including stamped favor bags, paper covered magnets, and baby envelopes and stationery using Cavallini papers. Enjoy creating with fellow crafters while listening to classic French music and nibbling on light hors d’œuvre.

Sign up, find out more, and discover other inspiring Paper Source Workshops.

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar

What’s more fun than barrel of monkeys? Gigantic paper bag monkeys with Paper Source style.

Inspired by the Paper Source Halloween costume contest of 2010 (see image), our store teams started monkeying around with life-sized versions of our Monkey Puppet Kit, dressing windows with hilarious scenes of mischief and mayhem. It hass become a bit of a contest among our associates… so we’d like you to weigh in!

Head over to the Paper Source Facebook Page and check out the monkey business happening at each store location, then vote for your favorite photo using the “like” button. You can lead your favorite to victory by inviting friends and family to join in the fun – It’s a barrel of laughs for all ages!

Winners will be announced on Thursday, June 30th.

Winners update: Congratulations to Bethesda (97 likes), Walnut Street (93 likes) and Carlsbad (51 likes) – Thanks for inspiring us with your monkey business!

Looking for monkey business for the weekend? Check out Saturday’s Family Fun Workshop!

–Hayley, visual director
PS colors: chartreuse & beet
Latest fave: Yuzen Beet Flower Fine Paper

You’re probably thinking, “Zutter, what?” Or maybe you’re already a fan of this new DIY tool. To help you discover the magic of the Zutter Bind-It-All and its accessories, I created a simple keepsake book in five easy steps.

Items needed:

• Zutter Bind-It-All
• Wire cutters
• ½” gauge wire (thinner books) or ¾” gauge wires (thicker books)
• Envelopes, cover stock and text for pages
• Chipboard for covers (try adding decorative paper or photos to the cover)
• Xyron 510 or Tape Runner adhesive for attaching paper to covers
• Your imagination!

Step 1: Set your guide to “C” for creating the holes in the chipboard. Set your covers (these are finished with Cavallini Gift Wrap) inside opening, stopping at the guide. Make sure the stabilizing foot is out, then pull the handle down. Read the rest of this entry »

Our newest crafting tool has me dreaming up great gifts, like the perfect graduation gift for my nephews. The Zutter Bind-It-All let me turn old photos, loose objects and paper into a spiral bound keepsake book. Since many of you seek unique graduation gifts and creative ways to package your summer travel memories, we’ve taken this project and turned it into a workshop.

Join us for:

Creative Spiral Travel Book Workshop
Saturday, June 11, 2011
11:00 am – 1:00 pm (local time)
Register today!

Get hands on experience with a new tool and leave with a wonderful book for summer journaling or gift giving!

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Zutter Bind-It-All

Drawing inspiration from paper artists like Helen Musselwhite, we have created a workshop that focuses on the wonderful art of paper cutting.

Join us for:

Artful Paper Inspired Cards Workshop
Saturday, May 28, 2011
11:00 am – 12:30 pm (local time)
Click to register!

Cull inspiration from master technicians and create colorful 3D cards using simplified paper arts techniques like cutting, stamping and layering. You’re sure to leave with something wonderful.

Can’t attend? Read our recent artist inspiration feature and tell us about the artist who inspires your craft or enhances your technique.

This month we created a class inspired entirely by color. After all, color is what we do so well here at Paper Source! We’ll share simple ideas and techniques to build your foundation, then let you take these ideas to another level through the creative use of color.

Color, Color, Color! Stationery & Favors Workshop
Thursday, May 5, 2011
6 – 8 pm
Click to register.

If you appreciate projects with plenty of room for your own creative voice the Color, Color, Color! Stationery & Favors Workshop is the perfect class for you! From rubber stamping to punching, eyelet setting to watercolor pencil techniques, we’ll make you think about color in a whole new way!

–Linda
PS colors: paper bag & persimmon
Latest fave: Academic Great Big Calendar