Stationery Blog - Paper Shop ink

Gilah Press & Design

2009-07-03T12:06:00.003-05:00

Beautiful invites by Gilah. Love the owls. Gilah is both a design and letterpress shop. Looks like a fun place to work.

Paper Shop ink. on Etsy

2009-06-30T09:00:00.002-05:00

I added the wedding invites I recently created to etsy. I never have much luck selling on etsy though. Any advice?

Screenprinted Cards – Made By Keli

2009-06-29T15:41:00.005-05:00

Almost made it through Monday. Working a full time job inside is so difficult in the summer. Especially when you live in Ohio and only see the sun a few times a week.

Thought I would share these beautiful screenprinted cards from Made By Keli on etsy. Hope everyone else made it through Monday too!

Mixed Tape Wedding Invitation

2009-06-26T03:00:00.003-05:00

Short post this week because I'm packing up for a road trip. Best thing about a road trip? The mixed tape of course! In honor of my excursion enjoy this rockin' wedding invitation set from Studio on Fire.

Photos courtesy of Beast Pieces

{Find me}
Web: www.jumpingjackdesigns.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/modernpaper
Email: info@jumpingjackdesigns.com

Little pieces of letterpress

2009-06-25T10:21:00.006-05:00

by Public Design for Bistro Vida

I found this great site called Card Observer. It's a collection of the coolest business cards we've seen so far in one place! Here are some of my favorites...

Whitney Shaw

By Jacob Pierce

by Lovely MPLS, for Lucky Cat, printed by Studio on Fire

by Uncommon Envelope for Cheryl Griffin

by Space 150, printed by Studio On Fire

by Marc Katsambis

[photos: Card Observer]

Wedding Invitations: Custom = Personal

2009-06-19T03:00:00.002-05:00

If you are a paper or design junkie, you probably know this invitation. It has been making its way around the blogosphere at lightning speed (after lying in hiding for about six months). I had to include it because it is rare that I am blown away by an invitation. This one did it for me so I have to pay homage.

Take a look and you'll see why it is such a sensation.

Image courtesy of Mother Board

Moral of the story... Custom = Personal = Oh, so inviting!

{Find me}
Web: www.jumpingjackdesigns.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/modernpaper
Email: info@jumpingjackdesigns.com

Call of the Wild

2009-06-18T09:33:00.010-05:00

Chickens Letterpress Greeting Card by Dee & Lala

Rabbit Letterpress Thank You Card by Dee & Lala

Cowboy Letterpress Card by SweetBeets

Baby Boy with Giraffe Toy by SweetBeets

Animal & Friends Letterpress Gift Cards by 9SpotMonk

Animal & Friends Adhesive Bookplates by 9SpotMonk

Animal & Friends Greeting Cards from 9SpotMonk

Baby Shower Invites

2009-06-17T15:52:00.002-05:00

Just love these french circus baby shower invites I saw on the Hostess with the Mostess blog this morning. What a cute theme and the color combination is awesome. Jen is so talented.

Wedding Shower

2009-06-15T11:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my sister's wedding shower. The weather was perfect and we had a great turn out. Just wanted to share a few of the details with you. Thanks for reading!

I believe I posted the invite collection already on here but wanted to show you again. This was the beginning of the theme of the tropical shower and wedding. Some of the paper products came from Paper Source.

We did a brunch buffet. The buffet included bagels, eggs, hash browns, danishes, ham, yogurt, muffins, vegetable pizza and banana bread.

A friend of mine made a beautiful cake that resembled the shower invitation design. It was delicious and I was very happy with how it came out.

To decorate the tent and outdoors I made a few Pom-Poms. These were so easy to create. I'll probably hang them in my office now. Not sure what else to do with them and I didn't want to throw them away.

Some time before the shower I had the idea to make candles as favors. Before starting these I thought it was going to be very difficult and time consuming. However, it was easy and fun and I thought they turned out great. All the materials to make the candles came from Candle Science.

The tables needed some decorations so I bought Blumeboxes and filled them with carnations from Stems. I love Blumeboxes. This was my first time using these but they are great. From a distance they look ceramic but they are cardboard. They are very affordable and look great. Blumeboxes are available in many different colors and styles.

This isn't the best photo of the garland I ordered but it was very pretty. It came from the etsy shop of Kate Greiner. They are little pieces of round paper that is hand painted and sewn together.

Table Numbers

2009-06-11T21:49:00.006-05:00

Garden Theme Wedding Reception Table Tents from Tucci Paper Co.

Table numbers are a fun way to show your personal style at a wedding reception or party. The beauty of table numbers is they create a big impact for a nominal price. Depending on the size of your celebration, most likely you will need a small number of cards, making a table numbers an affordable way to indulge your paper cravings.

Enjoy this sampling from some of my favorite Etsy sellers.

Sepia Table Numbers from Dear Emma

Lavender Table Numbers from Jumping Jack Designs

Save Me a Seat Place Cards from Half Full Martini

Round Table Numbers 1-15 (Digital File) from 2 Bird Stone

{Find me}
Web: www.jumpingjackdesigns.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/modernpaper
Email: info@jumpingjackdesigns.com

Everyday Letterpress

2009-06-11T03:04:00.014-05:00

Mod Spiraograph Cards by Black Bird Letterpress

Blossom Folded Card from Muslamb Paper Goods + Design

Noodle Note Card by Muslamb Paper Goods + Design

Acorn Folded Cards by Dozi on Etsy

Caged Bird Notes by Megan Creates on Etsy

Floating Bird Notes by Two Hand Design on Etsy

String Along Card by Paper Dragonfly Press on Etsy

Floating Seahorse Letterpress Card by Dandy Lion Press on Etsy

Thanks for reading my post, I hope today's images will inspire you to give your keyboard a much needed rest. Pick up a pen and send a card...

Support the independent artist! ;)

- Vivian

I made Soy Candles

2009-06-09T11:53:00.002-05:00

Last night I made Soy Candles for the first time. It took me forever to decide what I needed to buy and how to do this but it was surprisingly easy. I know this isn't the best photo it was taken with my phone. I'll have some better photos later on.

They are for my sister's wedding shower this weekend. The candle says " Tropical Shower (scent), Shannon and Trip 8.08.09".

Moving Announcements

2009-06-04T21:28:00.005-05:00

Custom Letterpress Moving Announcements from Duet Letterpress

Did you know moving season is upon us? Newlyweds, new grads and many others are making the move to new digs. While this can be a stressful time, it is also very exciting and fun. Celebrating your move with a moving announcement is a great way to let your friend and family know you've relocated and how to reach you. It is also a personal way to let your loved ones know you'd like to stay in touch. Sending the perfect card that represents you will leave your recipients smiling at the mail box.

Information to include in your announcement can include:

New address
New telephone number
Mobile telephone number
Email address
Website, Twitter or Blog address

Below are several fun and creative options for moving announcements.

Change of Address from BoyGirlParty

Packed and Moved Announcement from Social Circles

Moving Post Cards from Vol25

New Pad Moving Announcement from Jumping Jack Designs

{Find me}
Web: www.jumpingjackdesigns.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/modernpaper
Email: info@jumpingjackdesigns.com

Wedding Invitations Are Done

2009-06-04T12:01:00.002-05:00

The other night I finished my sister's wedding invitations. Previously I had created a Save the Date card and a Shower Invitation for her. She had wanted a tropical theme so I kept everything consistent and matching. The above image is the collection.

I'll be posting photos from the shower in a couple weeks.

An apple for your teacher...

2009-06-04T10:41:00.017-05:00

Preschool is coming to an end for Kaesaria, our 4 yr old daughter and we have been trying to put our brains together to find her teachers a nice gift and a thank you card for all the wonderful work they have done for a whole year... Kaesaria loves to draw, so I asked if she could draw a portrait of each teacher with just a black marker and I would have it professionally framed and then wrapped. They were well received and we hope cherished for a long time. This would be a great opportunity to make something together with your child to give, it's super sweet and super original. And don't miss the 9SpotMonk Giveaway at the bottom of the post!

From Etsy, by Jaquelineknit's, an apple jacket - who would have thought? My friend Jac bought these tween daughters in hopes that they'll bring more fruit to school with style... it was a no go. But this would make such a beautiful for a teacher!

Neat eyeglass case, handmade, and can be found on Etsy!

Teacher appreciation cards, how neat are these cards! They can be customized too, will make a great gift for your favorite teacher.

I'm not trying to be biased here, but most of the teachers at my daughter's school are female... this set of cards by cbcdesigns is letterpress printed and hand painted! Each one is a little different and very personal.

Ok, you study hard, your best friend is the librarian. This thank you card would make such a sweet end of year thank you!

A super stylish ring your your super stylish teacher. PetitOiseau makes jewelry from reclaimed items such as buttons and beads, they have a really nice stylish vintage feel to them.

Last but not least, 9SpotMonk Colour in Cards, $4.50 each, comes with 3 non toxic crayons, 100% recycled.

9SpotMonk Giveaway! Respond with the best gift you've ever given a teacher and receive a free "Dear Teacher" card from us.

Thanks for sharing this time with me! My sister and I will be going to the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this Sunday, we'll take lots of photos and do a recap on Thursday.

Have a great weekend!

- Vivian

Gift Wrap from Feterie

2009-06-01T11:30:00.005-05:00

I've been into gift wrap the past few weeks. I saw some great sparkly wrap at Paper Source a few weeks ago but didn't have a need for it at the time. I should of bought some anyway. These great gift wrap designs are from the etsy shop of Feterie. With your order you get two sheets of hand screenprinted gift wrap. Each sheet is 19" x 25".

Feterie also has a blog. I'm glad I found it today. I'll be checking back often.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You Notes

2009-05-27T20:24:00.016-05:00

We're glad to be back from the National Stationery Show that just finished up last week. Tif and I were happy to see our trade show friends and meet new friends too. With the economy in such see-saw action, we were happy to see friends like Red Cap Cards, Smock Press, Blue Barnhouse, Tallu-lah, Albertine Press, Gilah Press and many others return. The show was much smaller than in past years. New friends that had great stationery goods - Sunshine and Molasses, Maginating Press, Sugar Paper, our new neighbors at the show, Chewing the Cud, hello to you all again!!

This week on all letterpress all things good and budget conscious, we're going to take a look at a cost effective method at thank you cards. I think for weddings, thank you cards are an absolute necessity but they don't have to match invitations if the cost is too high. Most times when an invitation collection and thank you cards are ordered the same time, there are printing discounts. Do inquire about these discounts! Stores are always willing to help you get what you want. Sales gals are educated in their custom service and can think of many great ways to help you out. Don't forget to go local! Visit your local stationery retailers!

Did you know that with most letterpress cards, you can customize them through an ink jet printer? Our house stock paper, Crane Lettra in 110lb cover, prints beautifully through the ink jet. Yes, it is thicker than regular paper, you'll have to figure out the right settings. Our studio printers, a Canon MX700 and i4000 can feed the Lettra just fine. Just make sure to get about 10-15% extra of what you need, just for alignment and setting samples.

From Egg Press, Spring Flower Silhouette. These gorgeous cards are on sale right now, box of 8 for $6.75! For an idea on name placement, we would suggest the big flower on the lower right. A nice dark brown or blue in script or a san serif like Modula Sans would give these set a modern and expensive feel, without the expense.

From Linda and Harriet, Birch Trees, $14 for 6 cards and envelopes.

From Hello! Lucky, Swallows & Blossoms, box of 6 cards and envelopes for $12.00

From Albertine Press, Last Duck Wedding, $5.00 per card and envelope. Albertine sells this card as single cards only, not in packs, but I spoke with Rebecca, who was very helpful on the phone (thanks Rebecca!) and if you order this with a 50pc minimum, she will work with you on a bulk price.

From Gilah Press + Design, Heart Design from the Jubilee collection. I love how gentle this card is and will make a great personalized set through the ink jet. It is a square card, so there will be a bit more on the postage end but I think it's worth it. The cards come in a set of 6 with 6 envelopes for $16. I think a Bickham Script font would work beautifully with this design.

Thanks for reading my post on all things letterpress. See you next week! - Vivian

Ginko Papers

2009-05-26T18:37:00.002-05:00

When I was getting ready to write my post on Ginko Papers this evening I decided to check out the Ginko blog called Fresh Ink to learn a little more about the web site. The latest entry on the blog announced the birth of a baby girl named, Mina. So, I just wanted to say Congrats to the family. How exciting and such a pretty name.

Garin wrote me an email that briefly described Ginko Papers. This sentence got my attention "I specialize in bringing Japanese stationary, letter sets, greeting cards, stickers, masking tape, decorative tape, erasers and postcards to those outside Japan". Garin finds one-of-a-kind items in Japan and then sells them on the site. It's a really unique site. You could spend a lot of time looking through all the products. Japanese stationery is so colorful and exciting.

Below is Japanese masking tape. I love the packaging.

Cute stickers!

Invitation Sampler: 2009 National Stationery Show

2009-05-21T22:55:00.005-05:00

Sub-Studio photo courtesy of Oh, So Beautiful Paper

The National Stationery Show is "the premiere market for social stationery and related products in the United States." Every May greeting card companies and invitation designers showcase their stationery lines for the press, retail buyers and others in the industry. Large companies such as Hallmark and American Greetings and small indie design studios unveil their newest designs. The coming year's stationery trends are forecast by the cards, invitations and paper goodies found at NSS.

The 2009 NSS wrapped up earlier this week. I have been devouring inspiring blog entries written by the lucky exhibitors and attendees. I been diving through the copious Tweets about #NSS on Twitter. After a week of living vicariously through my friends in cyberspace, I have begun planning my trip to next year's show. National Stationery Show 2010, here I come!

Below is a sampling of the invitation designers who stopped me in my tracks. Enjoy!

Sub-Studio

LilyWillow Paper & Press

The Happy Envelope

Yellow Owl Workshop

Linda & Harriett

{Find me}
Web: www.jumpingjackdesigns.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/modernpaper
Email: info@jumpingjackdesigns.com

Cecily Ink Is Closing Its Doors

2009-05-20T20:45:00.002-05:00

When I received an email from Cecily Ink the other day I was not expecting what I read. On May 31 Cecily Ink will be closing. I really enjoyed viewing the work from Cecily Ink. They were definitely one of my favorite stationery shops and I'm sorry to see them go.

Don't miss your last chance to own some of their products. Use coupon code closeout to save 50%.

Studio Rona

2009-05-19T11:29:00.003-05:00

This is unrelated to stationery obviously, but wanted to share this jewelry with you. These pieces are from Studio Rona. I was thinking of buying one for myself and one as a gift for a friend. It's hard to know what other people will like and you can't return things on etsy usually, but I'll take a chance I guess.

Do you like them both?

The Perfect Baby Shower Invitation

2009-05-15T00:44:00.005-05:00

Jennifer Murphy

Baby showers are the perfect occasion to go all out with beautiful invitations. They are an invitation that will be cherished for years to come. What mom-to-be doesn’t showcase her invitation in a scrapbook or pregnancy journal. Plus it is a great opportunity to set the tone of the shower. Baby shower invitations should reflect the personality of the expectant parents and set the mood for the party you will be throwing.

There are many options for shower invitations, but it can be difficult to find the perfect one. If you don’t find what you need, consider a custom or semi custom design. Many stationers offer designs that can be modified with different fonts or colors to reflect the theme of your party. They don’t always state that outright, so if you see a designer who’s style appeals to you, contact them directly with your specific wishes. Most stationers enjoy the challenge of custom design and are willing to work with you to create the perfect invitation.

Before you begin the design process, take some time to spell out your ideas and wishes. A clear vision and open communication will ensure you and your designer are happy with the final design.

Elements to consider:

What is the personal style of the expectant parents
What colors do you want to incorporate? Do you prefer pastel or vibrant colors?
Boy, girl or multiples?
What is the mood of your shower? Casual or formal?
Will it be a couples shower?
Have the parents chosen a theme for the nursery?
Is there a special story behind the baby’s arrival?
Are there specific elements you would like to incorporate such as a photo or quote.

There are few events as special to a new mom as her baby shower. If you are able to take the time to create a truly personal invitation for the shower you are throwing, it will be treasured for years to come.

Jumping Jack Designs

Sinthetik Designs

Serendiptiy

Cape Card

Katie Anna

Paper Lanterns

2009-05-14T14:53:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it's hard to find exactly what you're looking for. I was recently searching for paper lanterns. I'm planning on using them just as decoration not as actual lighting.

Just wanted to share this site I found called The Paper Lantern Store. They seem to have everything related to paper lanterns. It's easy to navigate through and there are a lot of images.

Father’s Day is coming

2009-05-12T09:52:00.001-05:00

Oops, another posting over here at Paper Shop Ink has crept up on me and I’m not prepared. So, you’ll have to forgive me for bringing up Father’s Day so soon after Mother’s Day. But, I’m currently in design mode for Father’s Day cards, so I thought I’d go on an Etsy Hunt to see what others stores are getting ready early. Check out these green greetings.

Ey, Pops Card for Dad by Aspen Doo Lilly

Robot Dad Card by Mama Robot

F is for Father Letterpress Greeting Card by hijirik

Dad you Rock by modernemotive

Father's Day - Gocco/Screen Printed Botanical Card by Anna Cote

Are you planning for Father’s Day yet? Got any great gifts you just have to get him? Don’t forget it’s June 21st so get thinking!

See you next week.

Elsewhere
etsy: http://modernemotive.etsy.com
blog: http://blog.modernemotive.com
twitter: http://twitter.com/modernemotive

Paper Garland

2009-05-11T20:46:00.003-05:00

My sister's wedding shower is quickly approaching. Guess where the party is? It's at my house. So, I'm of course trying to think of creative ways to decorate and make things festive with out going over board. I already know what I'm doing for favors (I'll share those later). I've also found a great place to order some paper lanterns, since we'll hopefully be partying outside. (Please pray that we have sunny and warm weather). However I still need some more decorations. Flowers are a must but those I'll order closer to the date.

Early today I came across come garland ideas on etsy. The following ideas are from Kate Greiner and Aaron Murray. The circles would be perfect for me. I'm hoping Kate will take an order for some custom colors. It's probably possible to make these myself but I'm running out of time.

When I was in DC this weekend I stopped in the Paper Source store in Georgetown. They had some cute flower garland but it was only available in pink. I wish they had blue. Also if you'd like to read about my trip to DC you can do so here. We had a great mini vacation.

If you have any examples of cool handmade garland I'd love to see it. I'll share your ideas with other readers.