Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 – Enrollment Opens Today!

If you’re anything like me, you love all things calligraphy and hand lettering. Brush lettered envelopes, delicate place cards, even tropical leaves and wood boards covered with gorgeous writing. And now you have the chance to learn this beautiful art form from some of the most talented folks in the business. The Modern Calligraphy Summit is bringing all of the best calligraphers together to share their best tips and tricks with all of you– right from the comfort of your own home! Modern Calligraphy Summit 1.0 covered everything from beginning calligraphy and developing your own style to envelope layouts and brush lettering. Now the Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 is just around the corner, and enrollment is open starting today!

Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 / Wildfield Paper Co

Image by Wildfield Paper Co.

Enrollment for Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 will be open for five days only, from February 9 – 13. Once MCS 2.0 kicks off next week, you’ll get two and a half weeks of online (and fun!) calligraphy classes with over 7 hours of video lessons from some super talented instructors, including Katherine Ross of Script Merchant, Lauren Saylor of A Fabulous Fete, Jenna Rainey of Mon Voir, Karla Lim of Written Word Calligraphy, Sharisse DeLeon of Pieces Calligraphy, Younghae Chung of Logos Calligraphy, and Molly Knabel of Poppy and Mint Design. Topics include digitizing watercolor illustrations, invitation design, brush calligraphy, classic copperplate, writing on non-paper surfaces, and more! The Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 also includes handy templates and handouts, a private Facebook community to support you as you learn, and LIFETIME ACCESS to all the amazing content.

Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 / A Fabulous Fete

Image by A Fabulous Fete

Enrollment for Modern Calligraphy Summit 2.0 is now open! Don’t miss this chance to join in the fun – click here for more!

p.s. If you missed Modern Calligraphy Summit 1.0 last year – don’t worry, you can still sign up for lifetime access to all the original video instruction, worksheets, and templates right here!

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on these links, you’ll help support Oh So Beautiful Paper while also learning the beautiful art of calligraphy! I only recommend products that I truly love and trust that you’ll love, too. My full disclosure policy can be found here.

Seasonal Stationery: Romantic Valentine’s Day Cards

Last week’s Valentine’s Day card round up focused on universal designs that worked for anyone and everyone on your list. But what about that really special love (or loves, no judgment here) that you want to convey romantic (or otherwise) affection for? Look no further! From the sweet to the saucy, these romantic Valentine’s Day cards send messages ranging from true love to pure lust. Pick one, two – or even a few to organize a Valentine’s Day card scavenger hunt at home. Here are a variety of options to make sure this February 14th is a resounding success!

Romantic Valentine's Day Cards

From the top right:

1. If you’re lucky enough to have found your true love, shout it from the rooftops with this card from Heart Swell Co.

2. Who wants to spend Valentine’s Day at a crowded restaurant? This Sugar Paper design with sweet pink stripes is straight to the point.

3. You + me = love from Ashkahn

4. A sweet and simple message in gorgeous script lettering (and neon pink envelopes!) from Anne Robin Calligraphy

5. Whether you’re browsing Tinder on the daily or in a full-on relationship, this card from Emily McDowell is just the right amount of brazen humor.

6. I mean, who wouldn’t love to receive this card from Ink Meets Paper?? So sweet!

7. Loving the gorgeous vintage-inspired gold foil patterns and innovative die cut shape of this Valentine’s Day card from Rifle Paper Co.

8. Dear Bespoke Letterpress: please make a print of this downright gorgeous gold foil, script, and watercolor masterpiece. Framer!

9. You really can’t go wrong with a bunny covered in kisses for Valentine’s Day. Such a sweet illustration in this Dear Hancock love bunny card.

10. The candy made us do it! A fun ode to the conversation heart in this card from Ghost Academy.

11. There’s really nothing more romantic than pink hearts and glittery gold foil. According to Hartland Brooklyn, that is.

12. Definitely no hidden innuendoes here! Simple, saucy and straight to business (illustrated by Barbara Dziadosz for Red Cap Cards).

 

Next time: No beau this Valentine’s Day? No problem! We’ll be sharing a few friendship-based Valentine’s Day cards for your BFFs in our next installment.

2017 Reader Survey!

Oh So Beautiful Paper 2017 Reader Survey

Before we get too far into 2017, I want to hear from you! I have big plans to make 2017 the best year EVER, and I want to make sure that we’re delivering content that you all love and want to read! I’m embedding the survey form below, but you can also click through to take the survey HERE. I want your thoughtful opinions and constructive criticism – so please be honest! I’ll be reading each and every survey response and using them to come up with our content for the year. I can’t wait to read what you have to say!

In the survey you’ll find a bunch of multiple choice and open ended questions about what kind of content you like on Oh So Beautiful Paper: what you’d like to see more of, what we can do to improve, and a few other topics. You can even ask me questions (business or personal) and I’ll answer them in later posts. After more than eight years of blogging, I sometimes forget what I’ve shared or not shared here on the blog, so go ahead and ask me anything!

And as a thank you for taking the survey, you can enter to win a huge prize pack of greeting cards from my personal collection! I’ll choose a total of SIX winners, and each box contains around 20 cards each – so it’s a great chance to win some seriously awesome stationery!!

*Survey and giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on January 31, 2017!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! How was your first week of 2017? I spent most of the week cleaning out my office and trying to mentally prepare myself to dive into 2017. The last couple of years have felt VERY chaotic, both personally and professionally, so this year I’m trying to take a step back and focus on building a foundation that will help me grow and move forward in an intentional way. I know we all project a positive, happy, and successful vibe on blogs and social media, but behind the scenes life often feels like the exact opposite! So, last summer, I signed up for Shanna Skidmore’s Blueprint Model program to help me build that foundation. I’m only about two thirds of the way through the 12-week program, but it has been absolutely invaluable in helping me figure out the direction I want to take, both with my business and my life (more on that sometime soon!), and some of the key ingredients missing from my business model. Anyway, I’m looking forward to finishing the final third of the program while things are still fairly quiet in January, and if any of you are interested in doing something similar for your business, I’d definitely encourage you to sign up for the next 12 week round – registration opens today and runs through January 12! And you can even get $100 off your registration with code “THEYTOLDMETOO” at checkout. And if that wasn’t enough, Shanna is offering one-on-one sessions for the first 25 people that sign up. Go NOW! But in the meantime…

Little Arrow Shop / Don't Quit Your Daydream

Don’t Quit Your Daydream Unicorn pin by Little Arrow / Photo by @tokyokittengalaxy

…a few links for your weekend:

  • How stamps get designed. I think this is just the coolest thing ever.
  • Just totally obsessed with this vase – and this matching terrarium
  • The holidays may be over, but I totally want to try Ashley’s recipe for dairy-free Milk Punch (made with almond milk!)
  • Have any of you tried a facial cleansing oil? I tend to get really dry skin in the winter months, so I’m very curious!
  • Can I please get this sweater in my size?? (I’m totally getting one for Sophie – and it’s 40% off with code MUSTSHOP!)
  • The invisible workload. I found this article super interesting. I’m sure in some homes it’s the husband who does most of the invisible thinking work, not to mention households with couples of the same gender, but I’m guessing in most homes the invisible work generally falls to one person. In my home, my husband helps keep track of our grocery list, but I keep track of pretty much everything else. What do you think? Is it the same for you?

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

That’s it for us this week! Have a fabulous weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week! xoxo

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale Retailers!

You guys! Today is a really, really exciting day. I’m teaming up with Etsy Wholesale to share ELEVEN of my favorite independent stationery stores and boutiques across the country, all in the spirit of shopping small and local this holiday season. I’ve admired every single one of these fantastic stores and their talented proprietors for years, and it’s always a treat when I get to share photos of their beautiful shelves with all of you! Shopping small and local is such a great way to support both your local community and independent artists and designers by supporting the retailers that carry their goods. You can also browse the listings on Etsy Local to find even more independent shops that carry handmade goods in your area!

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Spruce

These eleven stores stock their shelves with exquisite greeting cards, accessories, gifts, home décor items, jewelry, and so much more – many of which are created by talented Etsy artists and designers on Etsy Wholesale. If you aren’t already familiar with Etsy Wholesale, it’s Etsy’s private wholesale market – where retailers connect with wholesale-ready independent designers and makers to stock their shelves with unique products. Etsy Wholesale offers retailers the opportunity to reach a wide variety of artists, including the ability to search for specific product types to fill gaps on their shelves and discover new artists. It’s such a fantastic resource for both sellers and retailers! And for those of us out shopping this holiday season, we’re guaranteed to find something really special on the shelves of Etsy Wholesale retailers. We also asked each retailer to share some of their favorite products from Etsy Wholesale sellers currently on their shelves, which you’ll find below!

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Photo Credit: Emilie Inc Photography

The eleven retailers below all have absolutely impeccable taste and are trendsetters in their communities. If you live near any of these shops, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello for me!

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store / Brooklyn, NY

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

We love working with Etsy Wholesale sellers because their products are so unique and you can’t find them anywhere else. We can pick and choose from so many great resources all in one place and shop anytime! – Ann of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Seoul Little

There are so many Etsy Wholesale designers that we LOVE! But in terms of one I discovered through Etsy Wholesale – it’s got to be Seoul Little. Their jewelry is amazing, I wear their earrings EVERY DAY!!! – Ann of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store

Broadway Paper / Milwaukee, WI

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Broadway Paper

My favorite part about working with Etsy Wholesale is the ease of buying. Having the ability to peruse, shop, order and pay for an order all in one place (with multiple sellers) is invaluable. I also very much enjoy the Etsy Wholesale email blasts that are sent out; I have ordered from a handful of the featured sellers. –Kate of Broadway Paper

Lucky Horse Press / Broadway Paper

Lucky Horse Press

My favorite designer that I currently carry that I discovered on Etsy Wholesale is Lucky Horse Press. Their unique look and clever greetings have gone over very well with our customers. – Kate of Broadway Paper

Clementine / Middlebury, VT

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Clementine

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Clementine

Etsy Wholesale sellers have the heart of handmade crafters with the knowledge of how to interact successfully with retail stores. Also, the checkout makes it really easy to make an order quickly. – Emily of Clementine

Little Goat Paper Co. Bloody Mary Birthday Card and Enamel Pin

Little Goat Paper Co.

I stock over 160 lines at Clementine and at least a quarter of them sell their work via Etsy Wholesale – they’re all my faves. But I did recently discover Little Goat Paper Co. and love their simple cards and corresponding enamel pins. With social media, writing for OSBP, and my friendships in the stationery world, it’s rare that I find something I haven’t yet seen, but her letterpress printed illustration of a Bloody Mary (“Hope your birthday is chock full of good things!”) and a pin to match…had me saying: Yes please! – Emily of Clementine

GREER / Chicago, IL

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Greer

My favorite part about working with Etsy Wholesale sellers is the independent creativity they bring to our merchandise mix. And it feels great to support the passion and effort of so many small makers. – Chandra Greer

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Greer

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Greer

Heirloom Tomato's / Greer

Heirloom Tomato’s

I can’t say I have an absolute favorite  product or designer we discovered on Etsy Wholesale – I love them all – but one of the newer designs that we’re excited about and amused by is a line of award ribbon greeting cards from Heirloom Tomato’s. I’m also a big fan of Alisa Bobzien, another designer we discovered on Etsy Wholesale, because I’m personally in synch with her design inspirations – books, coffee and positive thinking! – Chandra Greer

Alisa Bobzien / Greer

Alisa Bobzien

Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Portsmouth, NH

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Gus & Ruby Shop Photo Credits: Emilie Inc Photography

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

We love that we can discover smaller companies that we might not have been able to find easily and then share their incredible talents with our awesome customers. We care deeply about the artists and makers whose work we carry so supporting up and coming designers is such a treat. – Samantha, Whitney, and Byrdy of Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Card by Parrott Design Studio and available for purchase here / Photo Credit: Emilie Inc Photography

Harvest Paper Co. Matchstick Jars / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Harvest Paper Co. Matchstick Jars / Photo Credit: Demri Rosekrans

We carry so many Etsy Wholesalers so it’s really tricky to choose just one as a favorite. At this very moment, we’re really loving the bold, graphic pouches, buckets, and bags from Zana Products. Their quirky designs and fun patterns are so eye-catching and the quality construction and materials makes for some seriously awesome pieces. – Samantha, Whitney, and Byrdy of Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Herringbone Planters by Elizabeth Benotti Ceramics / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Herringbone Planters by Elizabeth Benotti Ceramics / Image Credit: Demri Rosekrans

Inkling / Chicago, IL

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Inkling

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Inkling

Worthwhile Paper Co. / Inkling

Worthwhile Paper Co.

My favorite designer I’ve found through Etsy Wholesale is Worthwhile Paper Co. She’s been super easy to work with and is always finding creative ways to incorporate her designs into different products. Her line is evolving but she definitely has a distinct style and I always look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. – Stephanie of Inkling

Mac and Murphy / Charleston, SC

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Mac and Murphy

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Mac and Murphy

Chalkscribe / Mac and Murphy

Chalkscribe

It’s always fun to have a mix of products that keep up with pop culture and Chalkscribe does an incredible job creating hilarious greeting cards. Even though we order through Etsy and don’t get to meet the designer you always know with someone like Chalkscribe that you’ll be immediate friends. We love that about our brands on Etsy. – Ami and Liz of Mac & Murphy

Papél New York / Brooklyn, NY

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Papel New York

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Papel New York

I meticulously curate and hand select every item that enters the shop. So I find that Etsy Wholesale allows me to search for items that are not easily found elsewhere, and are made with care and integrity versus the big box vendors. Sellers are super flexible about minimum order requirements, sending samples before placing an order, and the like. – Raegan of Papél New York

Lemon Drop Papers / Papel New York

Lemon Drop Papers

Lemon Drop Papers is one of my favorite discoveries via Etsy Wholesale. Their tiny love notes are a staple at our counter and simply put, folks just love them. Who wouldn’t want a tiny card and envelope the size of a postage stamp?! – Raegan of Papél New York

Red Barn Mercantile / Alexandria, VA

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Red Barn Mercantile

For any retailer to stay in business they have to stay current and fresh. Etsy Wholesale artists make that easy for us. These are the creative minds that are coming up with the next cool thing. They are innovative and interesting, which keeps my store relevant to all generations. When Etsy launched this wholesale program it was a game changer for both makers and retailers. It’s an amazing platform for small businesses to find each other and grow together. –Amy of Red Barn Mercantile

Paula and Waffle / Red Barn Mercantile

I love Paula and Waffle for sweet, understated stationery and Upper Metal Class for modern and edgy jewelry. My customers have responded to both enthusiastically! –Amy of Red Barn Mercantile

Salt & Sundry / Washington, DC

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Salt and Sundry

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Salt and Sundry

We’ve been introduced to so many talented designers and makers through the Etsy Wholesale platform. I love that we can connect and learn the sellers’ stories and processes, and the platform makes it so simple to order. – Amanda of Salt & Sundry

Worthwhile Paper Co. / Salt and Sundry

Worthwhile Paper Co.

We have so many beautiful goods from Etsy Wholesale sellers in the shop! We just added the gorgeous letterpress printed and screen printed leather goods from Almanac Industries, which I can’t wait to receive. I’m also crazy about Worthwhile Paper‘s lunar prints and phases of the moon calendar. – Amanda of Salt & Sundry

Spruce / Bellingham, WA

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Etsy Wholesale a diverse community of entrepreneurs and small businesses in one marketplace and that allows us to bring in beautiful products sourced from all over the globe. Small businesses are the heart of any community and we love that if you shop with us, you’re really supporting a wide network of communities all over the world. – Brittany of Spruce Stationery & Design

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Fox & Fallow

With the new year fast approaching calendars and planners are our favorite! A fresh start is always inspiring. Etsy Wholesale designer Fox & Fallow is a husband and wife team located in Brisbane, Australia and their 2017 positivity calendar has all the good vibes we need to take us through the rest of our American winter. – Brittany of Spruce Stationery & Design

Don’t forget – you can browse the Etsy Local listings to find Etsy retailers in your area. Yay for shopping small and local this holiday season!

This post was created in partnership with Etsy Wholesale. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!