National Stationery Show 2016 #fresh

This year’s National Stationery Show is just a few weeks away! I seriously look forward to the National Stationery Show ALL year long! Even though this will be my 8th (!!) year attending the show I still get excited to wander the aisles, catching up with old friends and discovering new-to-me talent. I’ve been browsing the exhibitor list and the NSS Planner to prepare my walking list for this year’s show, and I’m particularly excited to see the exhibitors in a special juried section of the show called #fresh that features new and up-and-coming companies. Some of my favorite discoveries from the #fresh section in the 2015 National Stationery Show included Fox & Fallow, Katie Leamon, and Tack and Ward!

National Stationery Show #fresh: Katie Leamon / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Katie Leamon (booth #1552)

National Stationery Show #fresh: Fox and Fallow / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Fox & Fallow (booth #1545)

National Stationery Show #fresh: Tack and Ward / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Tack and Ward, who “graduated” out of #fresh this year – they’ll be in booth #2270!

#fresh has been my first stop at the National Stationery Show since it made its debut two years ago. Now in its 3rd year, #fresh features approximately 100 emerging businesses in stationery and lifestyle gifts, with a focus on original and creative product design and packaging (so important!). Companies in #fresh can only have been in business for a maximum of five years and cannot have exhibited in the National Stationery Show for more than four years, which means it’s a great way for retailers and folks like me to discover new talent! Some #fresh exhibitors will already be familiar names to OSBP readers – like Ashkahn, AHeirloom, and Hartland Brooklyn – but others are still waiting to be discovered at the show!

National Stationery Show #fresh: Hartland Brooklyn / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Hartland Brooklyn (booth #1556)

National Stationery Show #fresh: AHeirloom / Oh So Beautiful Paper

AHeirloom (booth #1259)

National Stationery Show #fresh: Meeschmosh / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Meeschmosh (another #fresh graduate – they’ll be in booth #1854 this year!)

The 2016 National Stationery Show #fresh - Hartford Prints! / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Hartford Prints! (booth #1346)

National Stationery Show #fresh: Printable Wisdom / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Printable Wisdom (booth #1356)

I think what I love most about #fresh (other than discovering awesome new stationers, of course!) is that it reminds me of the reason I started OSBP in the first place, all the way back in 2008: to connect people with a stationery community that was bursting with fresh energy and new ideas, and to make sure that all the new artists and designers I was discovering wouldn’t get lost in an already rich crowd. I can’t wait to see who will be there this year, and I’ll be sure to report back here in May!

The National Stationery Show is a once-a -year experience. Click here to register for your buyer badge or inquire about a booth. 

This post is sponsored by The National Stationery Show. All content and opinions are my own. Follow The National Stationery Show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday

This installment of Behind the Stationery features a stationer who creates some of the most beautiful acrylic and gouache work I’ve seen. Patricia at Our Heiday is a talented artist who left the world of law to grow a stationery company in LA. This sister act has found great ways to break out responsibilities and grow the team. I’m so excited to have them here! Take it away, Patricia. –Megan

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Hello, friends! Patricia here, founder and creative director at Our Heiday. We’re so excited to give you a little peek into what goes on behind the scenes at our studio in downtown Los Angeles. I started this company in June 2014 after leaving two years of law school at UCLA. A lifetime of reading contracts or writing legal briefs was not a commitment I was willing to make and so pivot I did! Our Heiday is named after my mom and her four sisters who fostered so much of my creativity growing up. I’m a self-taught artist who draws so much inspiration for my family’s endless repertoire of painting, graphic design, dance, and film. My sister and I were given drawing pads before we could even write properly and working with our hands was part of the daily.

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

I spent about 9 months prior to starting Our Heiday refining the first release and because my mom had run a robust wholesale business my entire life, I knew that was the direction I wanted to take the company. When the website launched, I expected nothing more than to grow organically, one shop at a time, one order at a time. After months of running solo (read: living room was a warehouse, dining table a worktable, floors a packaging station), our “Ooh Those Baby Toes” card was picked up by Anthropologie in March 2015 and this gave me so much momentum heading into the National Stationery Show that year.

So much changed after May 2015 – we had an incredible experience debuting at NSS and after running the booth with me, my sister, Donna, also left her career in teaching to join Our Heiday full time. Working with family, let alone your best friend, has been the most amazing shift!

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

We moved into a separate studio space (my husband is still singing praises) immediately after we returned from New York and hired two more employees so that I could focus solely on the creative side. These big moments have shaped so much of how efficient and effective we’re able to be day-to-day. Prior to having a team, I was shouldering all of the daily responsibilities of running a creative business and being able to delegate was one of the best things that happened after the show. Amber and Megan head up packaging and production, making sure that all of our orders are fulfilled quickly and carefully. Donna handles all of our operations, accounts, customer service, and communications so that no one slips through the cracks. We wouldn’t be here without our customers and it’s so important to us that every one of them feels invested in Our Heiday.

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Details, details, we love them. From the branding stamps on our shipping boxes to the labels on our wrapping paper, each element is meticulously thought through before we send our products.

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Every week, we have a team meeting so that everyone is contributing to the conversations about new product releases, systems that need improving, projects with upcoming deadlines. Donna lives in New York currently and joins us remotely unless she’s in town visiting. This will change when she’s back in LA this August!

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Having a team means I can focus most of my time on creative and high level growth. I spend my days painting and lettering new work and making sure that we’re always coming back to the core vision of the company. I’m so grateful that my hands have been freed to do what they’re best at; it’s been the ultimate blessing. We currently offer cards, art prints, gift wrap, phone cases and table decor items, but my goal has always been to become a lifestyle brand, offering a wide-spanning range of products that elevate the everyday. We’ll be showcasing a new line of desk products full of fresh patterns and a calendar for 2017, which was so fun to put together. Sneak peek below!

Behind the Stationery: Our Heiday / Photo Credit: Lily Glass Photography / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Thanks so much for joining along today! You can shop all of our products including the newest release on our website at ourheiday.com and follow along with us on instagram, facebook, and twitter at @ourheiday.

Photos by Lily Glass.

If you’re interested in participating in the Behind the Stationery column, contact Megan at megan[at]ohsobeautifulpaper.com!

Best of 2015: My Favorites

Oh So Beautiful Paper: The Best of 2015 / Calligraphy by Cast Calligraphy

Image by Cast Calligraphy

Today I’m wrapping up my 2015 recap posts with some of my personal favorite posts from the year! 2015 was, for me, kind of a chaotic year. I feel like I spent most of the year chasing deadlines and constantly running around in an effort to just keep up, which didn’t leave much time to think about the future or how I want to grow my business. So while I’m still trying to wrap my head around my thoughts and goals for 2016, I know that at least part of what I want for the new year is to slow down, simplify, and focus on doing things intentionally rather than constantly reacting to everything around me. In the meantime, I’ve been looking back at 2015 to figure out what worked, what brought me joy (like the posts below), what I want to change, and what I want to do MORE of in 2016.

Hand Painted Rose Gold Foil Baby Announcements / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Alice’s Hand Painted Rose Gold Foil Baby Announcements

Okay, so I’m obviously totally biased, but I’m still completely nuts for Alice’s birth announcements! Each individual announcement was hand painted by Jenna of Mon Voir, meaning no two announcements are the same, and feature Jenna’s calligraphy and text printed in rose gold foil by Bella Figura on their gorgeous smooth cotton paper.

Brick + Mortar: All About NSS Mailers / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Brick + Mortar: All About NSS Mailers

Emily‘s Brick + Mortar column continues to be one of my favorite bright spots on OSBP! Two of my favorite installments from 2015 are the post that Emily and I co-wrote in March about NSS mailers and Emily’s post in September about the importance of the word “no” in growing your business.

Brick + Mortar: How Saying No Can Help You Grow Your Business / Art by the Dancing Cat / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Brick + Mortar: How “No” Can Help You Grow Your Business / Artwork by The Dancing Cat

Paper Party 2015! / Oh So Beautiful Paper / Photo by Charlie-Juliet Photography

Paper Party 2015!

This year’s Paper Party was a huge undertaking and SO much fun! We went with a subtle tropical theme with a color palette of cobalt blue, gold, and shades of pink, and plenty of tropical details like palm fronds, flamingos, and tropical fruit. The invitations were designed by Moglea with a hand painted background, hand painted envelope liner pattern, and text printed in matte gold foil by Bella Figura. Michele of Meant to Be Calligraphy addressed the envelopes in gold ink, and I dip dyed them in pink Kool-Aid!

Hand Painted and Matte Gold Foil Invitations for Paper Party 2015 / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Paper Party 2015 Invitations!

Tips for Working from Home / Bright Room Studio for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Tips for Working from Home from Bright Room Studio

Love these tips from Kim of Bright Room Studio for anyone working from home!

The Earth Laughs in Flowers / Oh So Beautiful Paper + Mon Voir Calligraphy Collaboration

The Earth Laughs in Flowers Art Print

Our very first limited edition art print! I collaborated with Jenna of Mon Voir on these gorgeous art prints featuring her floral watercolor artwork and calligraphy printed in matte gold foil. I can’t wait to do more of these collaborations in 2016, and in the meantime you can pick up your very own print right here!

Quick Pick: Fox & Fallow Wedding Signs

These gorgeous chalkboard and timber wedding signs from Fox & Fallow were one of the biggest hits at the 2015 National Stationery Show back in May. It’s easy to see why! Each sign is printed in white ink on chalkboard and stained wood – and you can even add your own details on some of the chalkboard signs. Just beautiful!

Fox & Fallow Chalkboard and Timber Wedding Signs / Oh So Beautiful Paper

These and many more signs available right here!

NSS 2015 Mailers

Back in March, Emily and I shared some thoughts on pre-trade show mailers along with some of our favorite mailers from the 2014 National Stationery Show. I shared this year’s mailers over on Instagram, but I thought I’d share them here, too, so that you all have them in one place! I put them in alphabetical order just for my own sanity – and I’m loving the range of design styles and formats reflected in the mailers for this year’s show!

OSBP-NSS-2015-Mailer-Alexis-Mattox-Design

A beautiful tropical laser cut mailer from Alexis Mattox Design (and how great is that pineapple envelope liner?!)

NSS-2015-Mailers-Antiquaria-OSBP

I loved Antiquaria‘s peach box mailer with a little sample notebook inside – and that beautiful wax seal!

OSBP-NSS-2015-Mailer-Dahlia-Press

Dahlia Press

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