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Girls Night Out: Renew, Reuse, Recycle!

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Earth Day is April 22, and we have an eventful evening planned to celebrate. We’ll blend unique ways of being creative, with caring for the planet, in this years Girl’s Night Out: Renew, Reuse, Recycle! It’s the perfect combination of our classic crafting with a twist – using reclaimed catalogs,…
Making handmade books

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This blog post has provided me with an opportunity to talk about two things I love: Our wonderful bindery department (yep, heard me right!) and the joy of learning to make handmade books. When I first came to Paper Source 7 1/2 years ago, our founder, Sue Lindstrom wanted to create our very own…
How-to: E-Z notepad

Meg Kowieski

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…
Gifts for kids – Lindsay’s fall favorites!

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For this blog entry I wanted to focus on some of my favorite new kids gifts! One item that I like simply for its cute design and Japanese aesthetic is the Momiji doll. The new ones for fall are Snuggle (with the mushroom hat) and Happy Birthday (with the adorable pigtails and a cake for... The post…
“Twice as nice” twins baby shower

Meg Kowieski

We recently threw a baby shower for our coworker, Lauren, who is having twins next month (or perhaps sooner!). With a “twice as nice” twins theme and a color palette inspired by her nursery, we put together simple decorations and a fun card with a baby shower gift that made for a…
Easy wedding table cards

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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…
Affordable wedding favor packaging

Meg Kowieski

With wedding season just around the corner, we thought we’d share some cute ideas for using our cellophane bags to package up wedding favors and gifts for your bridal party and guests. Clear cellophane bags work great because they’re both affordable and flexible, making them ideal for a wide…
How-to: paper flower pins

Meg Kowieski

We’ve made plenty of paper flowers out of colored paper and old catalogs, but we recently found a new material that creates wonderfully frilly petals, perfect for these paper flower pins. Our new paper ribbon has a fun texture and comes in lovely colors. Layering fuchsia and pool, we created…
French Message Board workshop – join us TONIGHT!

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So many kids have enjoyed our ‘Tween Message Board craft during private workshops that we wanted to create a crafting project for our adults – the perfect elegant French Message Board! (Sorry this is not a kid’s class – this is for adults only – please see the policy page.) If you are the…
Recipe for love

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Okay I’ll admit, the past few years I have not been so lucky in love. None the less, I am still a hopeless romantic, so I decided to create my own “recipe for love” Valentine cards using our Mini File Folders. Now this isn’t Hogwarts and these concoctions may not work, but…
On display now: PS Christmas tree at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Meg Kowieski

The ever-busy gnomes at the Chicago Botanic Garden have just unveiled the 2010 PS Christmas tree at the annual Wonderland Express Walk. Our tree theme this year? Elves! And not just cookie-cutter elves. My own elfin PS Crafts team and I started with our new Holiday Elf Kit and crafted 100…
Coordinating cards make a perfect package

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I pride myself on sending the perfect card for every occasion. I’ve collected cards over the years so I have plenty at hand. But sometimes I just can’t find the right one, so I make my own. What I thought would be perfect for this little package is a coordinating birthday card using the…
Easy holiday card display

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Looking for an easy way to display Christmas cards or place cards at your holiday table? In just a few short steps you can create pocketed tabs that hold the corners of the items you want to display. 1. Start with paper cut into rectangular shapes where the width is twice the height 2. Follow...…
Confessions of a Wrapper

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Hi, my name is Ann and I’m a wrapaholic. Each holiday season, I prepare two lists – one filled with gifts for my family and friends and one outlining my wrapping plans. I am a planner and perfectionist at heart, and I anxiously await the thrill I get from filling the tree skirt with…
Get your fix

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We all know duct tape to be a universal fix it tool, but have you ever caught yourself grabbing something random to get you through a household task? Then thought to yourself, “Not too shabby.” No? Well, you’re free to laugh when I tell you PVA is my duct tape. Flip flops with a…
Paper Source in the Holiday Press!

Meg Kowieski

This year Paper Source received great response to our products and thought we’d share with you what our friends in the media think is hot (a little hint, it’s the same things you all love too!). Better Homes and Gardens loves Paper Source and we certainly appreciate their support! In the December…
We’re making a list! Share your favorite expression of gratitude.

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In flipping through a back issue of Budget Travel, I read the article “50 Top Tips From the World’s Smartest Cruisers.” The tips were pretty good, running the gamut of planning scenarios, but one, in particular, stood out to me: #37- “Reward Good Service” Since I am…
Paper + Craft book signing event

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This Saturday Minhee and Truman Cho of Paper + Cup will be visiting our new Brooklyn store for a special Paper + Craft book signing event. Learn how to make tissue stars and moon and visit with the authors — You can even buy a book at the store and have them sign it too!... The post Paper +…
How-to: Santa goody boxes

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Like many of you, the holiday season has always been my favorite time of year. Nothing fills me with the spirit of the season more than seeing the smiles of friends and family each year, and what better way to entice them than with some of my famous toffee bark? Each year I look for... The post…
Holiday “Wrapture” – Its all about your style!

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We have a bit of gift wrapping competition around our house at the holidays. My sister-in-laws each have their edge; Lisa is fantastic at turning ordinary boxes into something really special with glitter paper and complementary ornaments while Lynda manages to take her bows to the new heights with…
Free holiday demos tomorrow – Our gift to you each season!

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Don’t forget to leave time between brunch and errands to visit your local Paper Source store tomorrow. Our stores will be hosting our annual holiday demos, which are certain to inspire the season and, perhaps, ignite your holiday shopping spirit. Featured in the day’s events are some of our…
‘Tis the season

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Once the holiday music begins in November most people seem to cringe. Not me. There is something about hearing the Charlie Brown classic “Linus & Lucy” by Vince Guaraldi that always makes me smile. Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby make me want to pull out my cookie press while Frank Sinatra and…
Love note to Persimmon & Paper Bag

Meg Kowieski

We recently noticed that many PS bloggers list their favorite PS colors as Persimmon & Paper Bag. It’s true! These new colors have quickly found their way into many of our craft projects & product designs. Persimmon, bold, happy and bright, tempered by the earthiness of Paper Bag. It’s a…
How-to: E-Z gift wrap

Meg Kowieski

Whether it’s a nibble or a necklace, finish off your handmade holiday with my e-z wrap how-to! Top off Square Favor Boxes with pieces of your favorite decorative paper and simply finish with a tag stamped with our “Handmade by” rubber stamp. Handmade through and through will make…
Thanksgiving place card ideas

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Thanksgiving is fun for SO many reasons. In my family, everybody works together to prepare the meal, each person with a specific task (the same task each year so we’re experts). I am in charge of the green bean casserole and place cards. I take each of these tasks VERY seriously, and I have a...…
Paper Ginger House for happy little hands

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Recently, a Facebook friend posted that she had inadvertently created what she called, “a child meltdown” by trying to make a “real” gingerbread house, which she then proceeded to tell her kids they couldn’t touch. She finished her post by saying it was, “…pure torture for them. What…
Video: HouseSmarts gets crafty with Paper Source

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If you missed PS craft expert Linda Barrett on HouseSmartsTV this weekend you can catch the segment online. Watch Linda help “Mr. Fix-it” Lou Manfredini get crafty at our new Southport Chicago store: The post Video: HouseSmarts gets crafty with Paper Source appeared first on Paper…
PS gets crafty with Lou Manfredini (and our own Linda Barrett)!

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When “Mr. Fix-it” himself, Lou Manfredini, and his crew came to film a crafting segment at our new Chicago store on Southport, I found myself with quite the crafting challenge. To begin a project, I find it is best to consider the audience, including the person for whom the party, gathering or…
Seasonal Delights, a Crafter’s Night Out (it’s not just for the ladies anymore!)

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It begins with bags of sugar, cups of flour, a dash of vanilla (or maybe even rum), whipped eggs and a preheated oven. And it ends with perfect confectionery containers – Yes, it’s time for holiday food gifting! Here at PS, we have a major love for cooking, and consider ourselves to be real…
Holiday card making recipes – Get ’em while they’re hot!

Meg Kowieski

We had such fun creating our holiday card idea samples this year – including a multi-department crafting lunch, complete with holiday tunes (but missing the “lunch”)! From the creativity of that day came the cards pictured above, along with recipes for you to follow, or improvise. We hope you enjoy…
How-to: lovely leaf lights

Meg Kowieski

Add rustic charm to your Thanksgiving table using recycled jars and our Small Leaves Die Cut Pack. Assemble a cluster of jars at your table’s center and dress up mantles or shelves to add a warm welcoming glow. –Annie PS colors: peacock & paper bag Latest fave: Spritzer Rubber Stamp…
Guest blogger: Carol Schultz

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I got engaged and laid off in the same week…in that order. Rather than being entirely saddened by a job loss (well, a little bit), I thought, “Well, now I’ll have time to make all 200 of our wedding invitations, response cards, rehearsal invitations, and open house cards by…
Let the holiday card making begin!

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As much as I hate to admit it, it is already October and whether I have my Halloween accents done or not, the holidays are just around the corner! Each year we like to do a kick-off Holiday Card Making Event that begins the season of stamping, stickling, heat embossing, and layering (both papers…
Hometown Pride & Two Grand Openings this Saturday!

Meg Kowieski

This weekend is a biggy for Paper Source, and for us Chicagoan’s – being the home base for the company – it’s a moment to pause and celebrate a bit of hometown pride! When I joined the company eight years ago, we had 9 stores. Today marks the opening of our 39th store in Studio... The…
How-to: Halloween treat bags

Meg Kowieski

The mood at your next Halloween shindig won’t be “grave” when your guests see these hauntingly fun treat bags! Our Tombstone Place Cards, which are great for marking the seats of your un-dead guests, also work boo-tifully tucked into our small cellophane bags filled with treats as…
A lovely companion to a wedding guestbook

Meg Kowieski

It’s so much fun for us to find good ideas using Paper Source wedding products (things we had not thought of)! This bride, featured on marthastewartweddings.com had a very clever use for our Academic Grid Calendar. Enjoying sending birthday cards to friends and family, she asked that her wedding…
Spooky-fun Halloween favor boxes!

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These fun square favor boxes – made using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board – are perfect for tucking in yummy Halloween treats! Here are a few of my classic 1, 2, 3… steps for making these spooktacular little boxes using our Halloween Witches 12×12 Paper (or try the text weight…
Creative gift card wrapping

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I love gifting. I enjoy the challenge of finding something that fits the recipient’s interests, something they would not expect you to know. I revel in the surprise of giving something so perfectly them. With this also comes an aversion to gift cards. But two of the most creative people I know are…
Guest blogger: Mary Vasquez

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If you ever feel nostalgic for those sticker collections of early childhood, then let me introduce you to my new crafty best friend, the Xyron Create A Sticker. It brings back memories of carefree days and transforms all sorts of beautiful paper into stickers I can use for grown-up things like…
NEW! Crafting Studio featuring Epic Letterpress Machine

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In grad school I fell in love with “George”! He was older – a bit outdated for his time; he weighed 1200 lbs and smelled of inks and solvent. None of that mattered – George and I had a love-hate relationship from the start. To everyone else he was known as the Vandercook…
A calendar to use, reuse and share!

Meg Kowieski

Since I moved into a tiny city apartment, my respect for anything that is functional, artful and compact all at the same time has deepened. New to our calendar lineup for 2011, the Paper Source Postcard Calendar truly is the best of both worlds, merging form and function, all in a fun little…
Guest blogger: Maria Kanakis

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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... The post Guest…
Eat. Drink. And just BE married.

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A few weeks ago Cindy asked readers to talk about their wedding inspiration and the discussion showcased so many thoughtful themes. It also gave me pause: What the heck was my inspiration? The Mister and I knew we wanted our guests to have fun, but we needed it to be a little more meaningful…
With love from Whidbey Island

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Since it’s back to school time I thought I’d choose one of my favorite teacher appropriate cards and tell you a little bit about the company who created it. The card I’ve chosen is called Apples made by Salmonberry Studio on Whidbey Island, Washington. Salmonberry Studio is actually a lovely…
Printable place cards – the new wedding essential

Meg Kowieski

It’s no secret, the last few weeks leading up to your wedding can be surprisingly action packed! Even the most Zen personalities can find themselves overwhelmed by all the tiny details. It’s a story the wedding experts at Paper Source hear all too often. You may have booked the venue…
Dressed up recycling

Meg Kowieski

The Design Department at Paper Source is a full of color and creativity, and you don’t have to look hard to see that the team really loves inventing new things! What I love about our space are all the little surprises that pop up – the creative things people bring in and add to their... The…
A most unusual paper collection

Meg Kowieski

Is it wrong to collect something that wasn’t meant to be seen? No, according to me and my Paper Source work mates. A few months ago I brought in my collection of security envelopes and tacked them to my inspiration board. Each day since everyone in the Design Department has been adding to the…
How-to: customized cubbie

Meg Kowieski

We love how our wall bulletin organizer dressed up our work space so much that we created a coordinating cubbie to hold pens, notes and of course, our PS Swatchbook. Follow our steps to create a desk organizer of any size, and cover it in your favorite wrapping paper. A great back to school…

2010

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