Holiday Workshops at Common Room Studio!

DC friends – are you ready to make some handmade holiday gifts and wrap your presents in style? Join us for a couple of holiday workshops at Common Room Studio! We’re joining forces with our friends at Penny Post to host a holiday gift wrap party on Saturday, December 8, then Kelly Laughlin of Odette Press will host paper marbling and bookbinding workshops on Sunday, December 9. Details below!

Beautiful Holiday Gift Wrap Pairings

First up, gift wrap! Join us on Saturday, December 8 from 4 – 7 pm for a holiday gathering that is part workshop, part holiday party. Penny Post will teach you how to wrap and ribbon like a pro, and provide plenty of gift wrap and ribbon to get you started, then I’ll share a few DIY ideas for embellishing your gifts! Bring your unwrapped presents,we’ll provide all the supplies! Oh, and we’ll even have snacks from Buttercream Bakeshop and our Spiced Winter Punch to enjoy! If all of that isn’t enough, everyone in attendance will receive a $10 Penny Post gift card to spend on additional wrap, cards, ribbons, gift tags, or whatever else strikes your fancy. It’s going to be so fun – sign up right here!

Kelly Laughlin Paper Marbling

On Sunday, December 9 join us for a day of making handmade gifts with Kelly Laughlin of Odette Press. Join us for a paper marbling workshop from 10 am – noon, where you’ll make your own collection of marbled paper to turn into notecards, gift tags, and more! Then join us for a bookbinding workshop and learn how  to make hand stitched journals from 1 – 3 pm! Bookbinding workshop participants will also receive a tool kit that you can use to make additional journals at home. Both workshops are great for beginners and all supplies will be provided. Come have fun and make some one of a kind holiday gifts while you’re at it!

Bookbinding Workshop at Common Room Studio with Odette Press

Hope to see you there!

December Wallpapers!

Happy December everyone! Are you excited for holiday decorations and the final month of the year? I could barely wait for Thanksgiving to be over before I started putting up the holiday decorations. I’ve been craving a minimalist color palette with lots of fresh and faux greenery – garlands, wreaths, even a few branches scattered about. Here are a couple of new illustrated December wallpapers from Riley Sheehey, Post Calligraphy, and Mint for Hue to help celebrate the season! As always, the wallpapers are available for your desktop, iPad, and phone – so download your favorite below!

Riley Sheehey Nutcracker Illustrated December Wallpaper

Desktop | iPhone | iPad

Hand Lettered December Wallpaper by Post Calligraphy

Desktop | iPhone | iPad

Merry and Bright December Wallpaper / Mint for Hue

Desktop | iPhone | iPad

Looking for more ways to celebrate the season? Here are our wallpapers from December 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014!

For personal use only. All illustrations by Mint for HuePost Calligraphy, and Riley Sheehey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

If you’re a designer or illustrator interested in contributing your own designs to this column, please email your design to hello(at)ohsobeautifulpaper.com with the subject line “desktop downloads” and image files in desktop retina, iPhone, and iPad screen sizes. If it’s a good fit I’ll add it to the post for the following month!

2018 Gift Guide: Cocktails + Entertaining

Today’s gift guide is all about entertaining! It’s no secret that we love gatherings around here, from Friendsgiving to small cocktail parties.We know how difficult it can be to find the perfect gift for someone who loves to entertain and make cocktails at home, so we’ve got your back with today’s gift guide. We rounded up a few of the things that we love using for making cocktails or entertaining at home – including a couple things that are on our own wish lists! You can also find some fantastic ideas on our gift guide from 2017 and 2016!

2018 Gift Guide: Cocktails + Entertaining

1 – The prettiest cheese board I’ve ever seen – just look at that mother of pearl inlay! This wood, marble, and brass board is another great option, and I also love this ceramic slab with gold splatters from the Suite One Studio x Food52 collaboration.

2 – Two spirits that make wonderful gifts: this single-village Mezcal from Del Maguey (it’s sort of like the equivalent of a single malt scotch for Mezcal drinkers – if you live in a city you can also probably find it on Drizly) and Riptide Whiskey from Cali Distillery. 

3 – The cutest little cheese picks to go with your board!

4 – This infusion kit looks like a fun gift for a cocktail enthusiast! There are a few versions for different spirits, but each one comes with a bottle with a built-in strainer and a variety of infusing ingredients for making your own custom infusion!

5 – A ceramic french butter keeper is a wonderful luxury for anyone that entertains – or just enjoys soft butter on a fresh baguette. I bought this french butter keeper a little over a year ago, and it has basically changed my life. Plus, they look beautiful out on the dinner table during gatherings!

6 + 7 – A couple of fantastic recent cocktail books, including this amazing book from The Aviary – an innovative bar in New York City â€“ and Cocktail Codex, the most recent book from the folks behind Death & Co. The Aviary book is so beautiful it can even sit out as a coffee table book! 

8 – Linen napkins are the perfect addition to any table, so if you know someone who loves to set a beautiful table and doesn’t already have a set – a beautiful set of colorful linen napkins is basically like gold. I’m loving the color options for these linen napkins!

9 – This atomizer is a fun toy for cocktail enthusiasts. It turns any liquid into a fine spray!

10 – Know someone who loves wine? Get them a beautiful way to display their favorite bottles at home! Loving the sculptural quality of this brass wine rack.

11 – I’ve had this french market tote on my own wish list for the longest time. Perfect for anyone that makes regular trips to the farmer’s market!

2018 Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Creatives

We’re kicking off our first official gift guide of the season with some gift ideas for creatives! I did things a bit differently this year and asked for input through Instagram stories – and you guys all had some really great suggestions! We’ve got a little bit of everything below, from books and art supplies to my favorite styling resources. So whether you’re searching for gift ideas for your creative friends or planning to send this gift guide to your well-meaning family and friends, hopefully you’ll find the perfect holiday gift below!

2018 Gift Guide for Creatives / Oh So Beautiful Paper

1 – 4 Styling Supplies: So many of you said you’d love to receive styling supplies and equipment as a gift! My favorite styling boards and backdrops come from One Stone West (I especially love their canvas backdrops) and Woodville Workshop. I also love using small ceramic dishes from Suite One Studio and The Object Enthusiast in photos to hold small things like cute paper clips, wax seals, and vintage postage stamps. Finally, a good telescoping tripod and light diffusers are essential pieces of equipment for taking beautiful photos. Plume Calligraphy and Angela Liguori offer some beautiful styling pieces, including vintage ink wells and glassine envelopes – you can also browse eBay for vintage ink wells! This handmade ceramic watercolor palette is both a beautiful piece of equipment and would look gorgeous in photos!

5 – A desk calendar is a wonderful gift idea! I love this simple black and white calendar from Our Heiday, but you can find even more calendars right here!

6 and 8 – Apple Pencil and Procreate Brushes: I heard from a number of calligraphers and illustrators out there with an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil on their holiday wish list! But if you’re lucky enough to already have those powerful tools in your arsenal, Isidore Augustine just released a brand new set of Procreate brushes just for calligraphers

7 – Scissors: Every creative person needs a beautiful set of scissors, and Angela Liguori makes the most beautiful scissors on the planet! These Fiskars scissors are my go-to for everyday crafting.

9 – Gift Cards! I know gift cards can seem like a lame gift idea, but they have the potential to be a really personal and thoughtful gift if done well! A few gift card ideas: an Airbnb Gift Card to help your favorite creative go on a solo weekend creative retreat, a gift certificate for a manicure at a local nail salon (especially for calligraphers and stationers), And for someone just starting out might really appreciate a gift certificate to a high-end supplier like Artisaire (wax seals) or Pressed Paper (handmade paper), or even to Blick Art Supplies or a local art supply store.

10 – Artist Supplies and Equipment: So many options! Choose from shiny crafting machines like the Minc Foil Applicator or Silhouette Cameo (I have both and LOVE them!), invest in a heavy duty paper trimmer, or keep things simple with paint, paper, and pens. It’s the perfect chance to try something new, like this Artist Pad Collection from Legion Paper with twelve 9×12 drawing and watercolor pads, this Coptic pen set, or this watercolor set from Sakura of America. Oh, and don’t forget a nice bag to carry things with! I’ve had my eye on this Madewell leather tote and this Everlane tote

11 – Books and Magazines: So many great book ideas for artists! Check out the shopping widget below for a few of my favorite suggestions, including The Designer’s Dictionary of Color and The Gift of Calligraphy. A subscription to a cool magazine like Uppercase is also a great gift idea!

12 – Classes and Workshops: Online classes and in-person workshops are a fantastic way to develop creative skills and find new inspiration. Look around for in person workshops in your area, including letterpress printing, screen printing, calligraphy, watercolor painting, paper marbling, weaving, macramé, etc. If in-person classes aren’t an option, look for online classes you can gift – or gift a Skillshare membership! I love the online weaving and natural dyeing classes from Rachel at Smile and Wave, and Simply Jessica Marie offers a range of online watercolor and brush lettering classes.

13 – This amazing Wood Drawing Board and Portable Easel would be such a lovely gift for a painter or illustrator!

14 – This adorable enamel pin by Cami Monet would be a perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite artist!

2018 Gift Guide: Cyber Monday Faves!

OSBP Cyber Monday Faves

Okay friends, it’s gift guide season! I’m working on a gift guide for creatives, a small business gift guide, and some gift ideas for kids that will be coming up later this week. But in the meantime, there are some really great Cyber Monday deals that I wanted to pass along. First of all, I didn’t think this would ever happen, but the Samsung Frame TV is ON SALE over at Amazon!! You can save between $300 and $800 depending on the size, so if you’ve been planning to get one – today is the day! Aside from the Frame TV, Amazon has some pretty fantastic Cyber Monday sales ranging from this robot vacuum for grown ups to this toy chemistry set for kidsWest Elm and the Pottery Barn brand family are also having a pretty fabulous sale if you’ve been thinking about investing in a new sofa or home décor items, and almost everything at Crate & Kids (formerly Land of Nod) is 20% off – including play tents and toys! Gifts at Anthropologie are also 30% off today; I highly recommend this birthstone necklace and this monogram notebook. Just click the images below to go straight to the product page for purchase (and if you’re reading through a feed reader, you may have to click through to the post to see the shopping widget)!