July 2010 - Paper Source Blog

by Paper Source
July 26, 2010

The ultimate PS color guide

Our new swatchbooks have arrived and with them our yummy new colors, peacock, persimmon, sunshine and paper bag. We’re all about color here in the Design Department, and there is a certain giddy vibe that comes over us when the new swatchbooks are ready. It’s sort of like the satisfaction of getting shiny new school supplies in the fall.

Inside you’ll find a page in every color of the PS palette, as well as handy shape and size guides for our cards, envelopes and enclosures.

They’re so useful for planning a project…even take it with you when shopping for decorations and flowers to match colors to your invitations!

–Fabra
PS colors: gravel & chocolate
Latest fave: Teflon bone folder

DIY

by Paper Source
July 23, 2010

Extra special stationery for a first-time camper

My oldest daughter just went to sleep-away camp for the first time. It’s a big deal for both of us – she’s a bit reserved and home-based, and I like having her around! Of course I wanted to send her off with materials to write our family lots of letters (we’re five days in and nothing has arrived yet). She left with a cool set of Sukie stationery with 4 different types of writing paper and patterned envelopes (available in stores only at this point).

DIY

by Paper Source
July 21, 2010

How-to: E-Z notepad

Jot lists, to-do’s and ideas on this E-Z to make and stylish notepad. Make it tall, make it small! Customize your notepad colors to suit any mood or room in your home. Handmade notepads make fun gifts for friends – don’t forget to pair them with paper covered pencils!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Japanese 8 1/4″ Scissors

At PS

by Paper Source
July 20, 2010

Ask Annie

For my last blog entry as a summer intern at Paper Source, I interviewed someone who embodies creative inspiration – Annie, our Craft and Visual Merchandising Designer.

What do you do on a typical day at work?
Everyday I brainstorm new kits, how-to ideas for the stores and our blog, as well as physically work on numerous craft assignments. I make samples for our stores such as cards, invitations and paper kits. I even make birthday banners for PS employees!

Gift

by Paper Source
July 15, 2010

Introducing… our 2011 calendar collection!

For the design team, working on the Paper Source calendar collection is a true joy and privilege. Having all of us work on the 2011 calendars results in a creative variety of design and illustration styles, tied together in look and feel by the PS color palette. Like clever little squirrels, we spend the year gathering inspiration and sketches so that come spring, we have a surplus of creative ideas for our new calendar designs!

You can see some of our favorite illustrations, patterns and designs in our 2011 Letterpress Calendar, Wall Art Calendar, Mini Desk Calendar and Academic Grid Calendar. Have you seen Archie the dog? Or the classic cruiser bicycle (see Elaine’s bike inspiration)…or the serene forest? You’ll also see our new colors Persimmon, Peacock, Sunshine and Paper Bag featured prominently throughout the designs.

Wedding

by Paper Source
July 12, 2010

Our first guest blogger! Introducing Andrea Boudewijn…

We reached out to you recently for guest blogger submissions and received many great stories about how you use your favorite crafting essentials. We’re thrilled to introduce our first guest blogger, Andrea Boudewijn, whose creative inspiration is simply delicious! Here’s her story:

Hi PS Fans! My name is Andrea Boudewijn and I’m a baker of wedding cakes and confections who loves to shop at Paper Source in Pasadena and Beverly Hills. As a cake maker, I’ve often looked to Paper Source for tools I can use on my cakes. I know what you’re thinking: What could a paper store offer that could be used at a bakery? More than you can imagine. Everything in the shop is an opportunity to get a creative edge on my cakes, but today I want to talk about a tool I reach for and use every single day: The bone folder.

At PS

by Paper Source
July 12, 2010

Behind the glass: a look into PS window displays

It’s nearly impossible to walk past a Paper Source store without stopping to admire the creative and colorful window displays. If you are like me, you may have simply assumed that the items in the windows – whether giant paper dolls or bigger-than-life pastel paper magnolias – are mass-produced by machinery. But I learned on my very first day as a Paper Source intern that every single item in a Paper Source window is made by hand.

One of my first projects this summer was to help make multicolored whirls from envelopes that are now displayed in the windows of our new stores in Corte Madera, California and Houston, Texas. We made these sunburst shapes in our new PS colors: persimmon, peacock, sunshine, and paper bag; using four different envelope sizes. I worked along side Maria and Estela, two of the master crafters here, who work every day to make the beautiful items you see in our windows, as well as the samples in our stores.

At PS

by Paper Source
July 9, 2010

Inspiration doors

It’s funny “living” in a space – you tend to overlook things after awhile, especially when it’s busy (which at Paper Source, it always is!). But all around our office space in Design, there are inspiring moments, some of which we have created. The old doors Sue, Paper Source founder, use to collect for our very first stores, now serve as a “bulletin board” for the inspiration gathered by our Design team – magazine pages, fabric, print outs from the web, etc. And Ms. Linda, with her artistic photographer’s eye, has captured their grit and beauty – a gentle reminder to pause and look around every so often!

P.S. Take a close look at what inspires our team, perhaps you’re somewhere up on our inspiration doors!

— Cindy
PS colors: persimmon & paper bag
Latest fave: Keep Calm and Carry On Water Bottle and Colored Dots Insulated Lunch Bag

DIY

by Paper Source
July 8, 2010

How-to: paper covered pencils

Make the mundane magnificent by covering mechanical pencils with beautiful papers! Improving on an already classic idea and using refillable – not disposable – pencils makes complete sense in this time of reusing and recycling. Enjoy the fruits of your labor over and over (and over again)!

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Japanese 8 1/4″ Scissors

Wedding

by Paper Source
July 7, 2010

Easy wedding table cards

I’ve never planned a wedding, but when I do, I’m calling Linda (my colleague and regular blog contributor). Look at this easy wedding table card idea she shared with me – just a table tent with a beautiful rubber stamp and an expression note attached with eyelets. We have expression notes printed with wonderful sayings, but you could print your own with words or numbers and use the same design.