December Desktop Downloads!

Happy December everyone! Are you all starting to feel the holiday cheer yet? I’m still waiting for our first snowfall of the season, but it’s so fun to see Christmas tree stands and holiday decorations going up around our neighborhood. Here are a couple of new illustrated December wallpapers for your phones and desktop from The Good Twin to help celebrate the beginning of December – and the last month of 2016! Eeek!

Illustrated December Wallpapers by The Good Twin

 

Desktop | iPhone

Illustrated December Wallpapers / December Bows by The Good Twin

Desktop | iPhone

For personal use only. All illustrations by The Good Twin 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 in Retina screen and iPhone 7 dimensions to submissions(at)ohsobeautifulpaper.com with the subject line “desktop downloads.” If it’s a good fit I’ll add it to the post for the following month!

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!

Seasonal Stationery: 2016 Holiday Cards, Part 2

Ho ho ho! Time to get out your stockings, dust off those fairy lights, and make sure Santa knows you’ve been good this year. While the promise of snow seems far in the distance for many of us, the promise of holiday shopping and gift giving has definitely arrived. We know custom and photo holiday cards aren’t for everyone, so we wanted to make sure we rounded up some gorgeous 2016 holiday cards that help share the spirit of the Christmas season either long distance or in person. We’ve taken the liberty of collecting some of our favorites below! –Shauna

2016 Christmas Card Round Up / Oh So Beautiful Paper

1. Loving this claymation-inspired Santa and Rudolph from Clap Clap Design

2. A more traditional sentiment from Chic + Nawdie featuring classic Christmas icons

3. Those hardworking elves over at Rifle Paper Co. know a thing or two about making cute holiday cards. This one is even die cut in the shape of a snow globe!

4. Clever use of copper foil in this holiday card design from Nicolas John Firth for Red Cap Cards. Don’t you wish this guy was coming to your holiday party?

5. The Nutcracker ballet remains a childhood favorite, so why not share this Pei Design with someone who shares a love of nostalgia?

6. All I want for Christmas is to sleep in, but I suppose diamonds don’t hurt either (according to 417 Press)

7. Power and Light uses a simple message paired with a candy cane stripe for a modern twist on a classic design

8. It’s a card! It’s an ornament! Get more bang for your buck (or pound) with this cleaver Katie Leamon holiday card

9. If you are as obsessed with Stranger Things as I am, you’ll love this creepy Christmas message from Lionheart Prints

10. Such a sweet illustration from Amy Heitman

If Santa and elves aren’t your thing, be sure to check out yesterday’s round up of 2016 holiday greeting cards that celebrate the winter spirit!

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations

We may be heading into winter, but Spring will always be my favorite season in my heart. I adore the combination of spring floral illustrations and  whimsical calligraphy in these romantic gold foil calligraphy wedding invitations by Kara Anne Paper. Kara designed this invitation suite for her own wedding and incorporated many meaningful nods to her family, including her new family crest and an illustration of her father’s home. What a special invitation suite that will certainly be treasured for a long time to come!

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

From Kara: Designing my own wedding invitation suite came easy! After finalizing our wedding style and color scheme, the late night invitation doodles began. Staying cohesive with all the paper details was important to me.

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

William and I wanted a chic backyard wedding filled with beautiful spring colors and a touch of gold accents. I felt introducing an original watercolor invitation cover was just the perfect touch for our gold foil calligraphy invitation. The invitation was printed on 220# Crane’s Pearl White Lettra with gold painted edges. We also included a tri-fold reply card with our new family crest on the front and an illustration of the ceremony location and reception venue. This design was letterpress printed on 110# Pearl White Lettra. Our special wedding suite was all tied together beautifully with silk blue ribbon and placed inside a Crane’s Royalty envelope. The front of the envelope was graced with gold calligraphy to match the invitation.

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

The wedding program was one of my favorites! The small booklet included a cover page with a pop-up illustration of my father’s house, where I was raised and where William and I first met. To tie the program back in with the wedding suite the cover was a blind embossed printed impression of the same floral pattern used on the invitation cover. Behind the pop-up, on the inside page was the illustration of the pond and dock where William and I exchanged vows. The pages that followed included the ceremony and wedding party details.

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Although our rehearsal dinner was indoors we wanted it to have a fresh spring, outdoor feel. We had fresh flowers that matched the watercolor paintings used on both invitations. The invitation was placed inside a wood and glass box with preserved green moss laid nicely on the bottom. The top of the box included the guest names with a pretty blue silk ribbon tied around it. Our closest friends and family were invited so we wanted these invitations to be extra special and personalized.

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Romantic Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Kara Anne Paper

Thanks Kara!

Design: Kara Anne Paper

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Kara Anne Paper and Kim Box Photography

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

I love figuring out ways to make holiday gift giving more personalized and meaningful, especially for adult family members. My parents and in-laws are usually my biggest challenges: they already have plenty of things and accessories in their home, but they’re always on our case for more photos of my kids. Zazzle offers an incredible range of personalized and photo holiday gifts – including a really impressive collection of artisan gifts! – and I was thrilled when they invited me to share some of my favorite personalized holiday gifts with you! You can customize pretty much anything and the beautiful products come so quickly in the mail. I love being able to include some meaningful and personalized items in our holiday gift-giving list!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

I had to start with these adorable custom tote bags that we made using some of my 4 year-old daughter’s artwork. I’ve been a big fan of Zazzle’s custom tote bags ever since we collaborated with them on the Paper Party tote bags a couple of years ago, and I wanted to try printing some of Sophie’s black and white illustrations on a tote! The whole process was super easy: I just took a photo of Sophie’s artwork with my phone, upped the contrast to full black and white, and then uploaded the image to Zazzle. I went with the versatile budget tote since I like the handle length, but there are also heavyweight versions for errands and grocery shopping, including custom BAGGU duck bags!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

These photo mugs are the perfect way to share a favorite memory with far-away loved ones! And I love having another way to share more family photos beyond just framed prints, especially since so many of our favorite photos are just quick snaps on our phones. I made a few mugs using only Instagram photos, and I’ve pretty much decided to gift a new mug to the grandparents (aka my parents and in-laws) every year. We’re all big coffee and tea drinkers, and I love that they’ll start their mornings with my girls’ sweet faces!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

These little photo Post-it® notes make the cutest stocking stuffers! And if you need to scribble out a quick shopping list or appointment reminder, why not do it while also looking at a favorite family photo? I made these with my parents and in-laws in mind, but I also love the idea of making a few of these for your spouse to take to the office.

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

These beautiful custom name bar necklaces are the perfect gift for any mamas in your life: wife, sister, mom, or even grandmother. The necklaces are available in silver, gold, and rose gold, and I love the clean, minimalist design. So simple and chic.

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

I always struggle with “traditional” gift ideas for the men in my family. Books and magazine subscriptions are usually a better fit for holiday gifting than anything involving golf (or sports in general), grilling, or power tools. These monogrammed pocket squares offer an extra dose of flair for my fashionable husband that wears a three-piece suit to the office, while the engraved Waterford ballpoint pens are the perfect choice for my music teacher brother-in-law. I also love these personalized leather journal covers for my historian father-in-law who is constantly taking notes for his World War I book series!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Thanks again to our partners at Zazzle for letting us run wild with their many personalized and photo holiday gift offerings! Click here to explore their extensive collection of artisan gifts, here to create your own custom tote bags, and here to create your own custom photo mugs. You can also check out their collection of holiday photo cards here!

All photos by Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

This post is sponsored by ZazzleAll content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!