02/16/2017

The World of Illustration: Marta Abad Blay

Hello everyone! Who else here loves collections? I’ve always loved collecting things and grouping like things together (the stylist in me). Â I think it’s so cool when illustrations include collections, which is a common theme I’ve seen in modern illustration. That eye for collections is what caught my eye with modern illustrator Marta Abad Blay. Let’s dive in to see herÂ illustrative hand at work. – Jen

I know that animal illustrations tend to be equated with kids rooms. But the detail on these animals! This color palette! I’d happily hang this wild mix of animals on my living room wall.

Happy neon greens, bright flashes of pink, and illustrations of houseplants. What a quirky, cool illustration!

This collection of foodie items is just the kind of print to add that necessary fun touch of personality to a kitchen. Especially when you consider the kitchen is aÂ space that’s filled with cold surfaces of tiles and countertops and practical storage. Wouldn’t this just brighten up a breakfast nook?

Who needs chalkboard paint when you can create a simple pretty mural with your child with plain old butcher paper. Marta shares that she’s fascinated by the way kids represent the world with their drawings. As an artist, she says she does not focus on “perfection but just in the most intuitive drawing, like kids do, without any pretense.”

The vivid colors make her illustrations feel happyÂ and whimsical. And the color palette also feels decidedly modern. Marta finds inspiration in nature, like plants and animals. Including the jungle! Rather than working always in one spot, Marta draws anywhere she’s inspired.

And here’s the artist at work! Marta and her family have been living in Amsterdam for 12 years, but they’re soon moving to a little village in Spain.

I’m such a fan of her work! I love when InstagramÂ brings you a new favorite artist to follow. I have my eye on this print for my daughter’s room. See you again soon, friends!

Photo Credits: Marta Abad Blay

01/20/2017

Glogg: Traditional Swedish Mulled Wine Recipe

We’re back with a new recipe, this one in the spirit ofÂ hyggeÂ â€“Â the Danish concept of comfort and coziness that is perfect for making it through gloomy Scandinavian winters and our dreary, drizzly January here in DC. This time, we’re making Glogg (which you might also see as GlÃ¶gg or GlÃ¸gg), a traditional SwedishÂ mulled wine. It’s hot and it’s sweet and and it’s rich and it will warm up your cold bones.Â â€“Andrew

Glogg

1 750 ml bottle Bordeaux
1 cup Brandy
1 cup White Port
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Raisins
1 cup Blanched Almonds, Slivered
1 Orange Peel
6 Cardamom Pods, Cracked Open
4 Cloves
2 Cinnamon Sticks, Broken Up
1 Star Anise Pod

Combine everything in a big sauce pan and simmer together until the sugar is melted. Remove from the heat, cover, and let infuse for at least an hour and overnight if possible. Strain through cheesecloth, squeezing the cheesecloth to extract as much liquid as possible from the raisins. To serve, reheat and ladle into cups or mugs. Enjoy!

This is a perfect comfort drink: mild, warm, with lots of baking spice and sweet almond and mellow citrus flavors.

When Nole suggested that weÂ make a Glogg, I went digging through recipes. And I discovered that no two were alike. Some called for brandy, others for rum, and still others for bourbon to fortify them. Some used raisins and almonds and others didn’t. Some even called for setting the mix on fire (I was really tempted to try one of those…) to extract flavors from the spices and orange peel. They were all over the place!

And I realized thatÂ of course there should be no single recipe. Glogg was the sort of thing that each family would have made at home, probably from memory and probably without trivial details likeÂ measuring. So take this recipe with a grain of salt, a starting point rather than anything definitive. Play around with the spices (maybe some allspice next time?) and the fortifying spirits (maybe some aquavit and sherry instead?) and the citrus (maybe some lemon or some exotic winter citrus?) until you come up with your own family recipe.

And then memorize that recipe, and never write it down, and pass it down to your kids for winters to come.

(Donâ€™t forget to follow us onÂ Instagram!)

Glassware byÂ Liquorary

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

01/03/2017

Stationery A-Z: Holiday Thank You Cards

Happy New Year! You’ve opened your presents, drank all the eggnog, and celebrated to the fullest. Now it’s time to show your gratitude… start the new year (along with those pesky resolutions) off right by writing some good old fashioned thank you notes. Besides the obvious (mom for that cozy sweater, grandma for the new socks), be sure to also include those who hosted you at their annual Christmas Eve cookie bake-off, cooked all day to bring you Latkepalooza, and threw the downright classist New Years Eve celebration. While the thank you cardsÂ below aren’t all overtly holiday themed, they all convey the appropriate sentimentÂ in their own way. See below for our selections/gentle reminders.Â â€“ Shauna

From top left:

1. This blank note fromÂ Hart Paper Co.Â feelsÂ both celebratory and seasonally appropriate. What better card to use when thanking Uncle Tim for those new kitchen utensils?

2. While this Rifle Paper Co. design may not have been intended as a holiday thank you, the metallic hue and floral berries definitelyÂ feel appropriate forÂ expressing post-holiday gratitude.

3. A cheerful color palette and a sweet but simple message of thanks from Sugar PaperÂ â€“ perfect for sending thanks to co-workers and employers.

4. We love thisÂ elegant floral thank you card from Ink Meets Paper, especially for sending holiday thanks to neighbors or elderly relatives.

5. Loving this super cute and colorful thank you card by Moglea. The colorful dots and gold foil feelÂ festive without being overly holiday.

6. These berry-like flowers fromÂ Worthwhile PaperÂ give a subtle nod to the season while sharing a particularly kind message â€“ a great card for that extra special person who got you that extra special gift.

7. ThisÂ whimsical card from Near Modern Disaster is the perfect way to send thanks for any occasion!

8. Did someone go above and beyond this holiday season? Maybe they watched your kids so you could shop for presents, helped with holiday party prep, or just really knocked it out of the park with a personal and meaningful holiday gift. Send them this gold foil thank you card from One Canoe Two!

9. These “recipe” cards from Belle & Union are so sweet, and a really fun way to send a thank you note to a dear friend or loved one.

10. These double-sided postcards fromÂ Mr. Boddington’s Studio are both super adorable and so fun! They are intended for children, but would be just as much fun for adults. Definitely one of our faves.

Up next week: Engagement Congratulations!

12/15/2016

The World of Illustration: Salini Perera Illustration

Hello everyone! The countdown to Christmas is upon us. I was in the mood for finding some Christmas goodness in the illustration world, and I was also poking around the world of female illustrators. Something about Christmas and the female spirit hits home for me. I feel like my mom was the gatekeeper of Christmas for me when I was a child, and now as a mom myself, I love creating rituals and traditions (and crafting!) with my kids. When I started scouting around the world of female illustrators, IÂ stumbled on the work of Salini Perera, a woman who draws in a mix of mediums and even has an illustrated Christmas book with the 12 Days of Christmas. Let’s go take a peek! – Jen

I personally have a soft spot for any whimsical, illustrated depiction of the 12 Days of Christmas. A few years back, I bought a set of ornaments from the Land of Nod featuring the 12 Days of Christmas, and they’re still some of my favorite ornaments for the tree. I love Salini’s version of a partridge in a pear tree.

What a pitch-perfect color palette for these illustrated three french hens.

She’s inspired by folk art, vintage children’s books, and you do get a sense of nostalgia looking through some of her work â€” yet her illustrations still feel modern.

Here’s a whimsical, modern map of Canada, where Salini now calls home. I like her use of color for the map â€” it’s more spare so that all the details don’t get lost.

Besides how awesome this fun girl-on-a-horse illustration is, I think it’s totally awesome that Salini draws women with real bodies. Growing up, I honestly don’t think I saw an illustrated woman with hips.

Here’s hoping your countdown to Christmas is filled with many good things. Thanks for following along this look into illustrator Salini Perera’s work!

Photo Credits: Salini Perera IllustrationÂ and Salini Perera on Instagram

12/14/2016

DIY Iridescent Winter Wreaths

I kind of missed out on holiday decorating last year. We were in the middle of renovating our bathroom for most of DecemberÂ and were living atÂ a rental apartment for Christmas and New Year’s. So I’m making up for it this year by decorating ALL of the rooms in our house. Wreaths are such an easy way to decorate for the holidays, especially when there are little kids running around! Today I’m super excited to team up with Krazy Glue to share a trio of DIY iridescent winter wreaths that you can make for the holidays!Â I’m always looking for more ways to bring iridescent shimmer into my life, especially during the holidays. And these wreaths look so cute hanging on doors from a colorful ribbon, they’d be the perfect way to decorate a kids bedroom for the winter season!

When it comes to the holidays and winter months, I like to use decorations that can stay up even after the Christmas tree comes down. I mean, January and February are rather dark and dreary â€“ and DEFINITELY in need of some extra sparkle, don’t you think? I always buy a few potted poinsettias and grow paperwhites during the winter, and I’ll probably leave some of our twinkle lights on the mantel for a few weeks. I took the same approach with this trio of winter wreaths, bringing in seasonal faux foliage like poinsettias and pine sprigs and mixing winter whites and metallics with shimmery iridescent tissue.Â Make a few wreaths for Christmas and then keep them up through the end of January!

And since my love for all things iridescent goes hand in hand with my disco obsession, I couldn’t resist incorporating some disco ball ornaments into at least one of the wreaths. Just a single drop of Krazy Glue can hold up to 2,000 pounds and takes just 30 seconds to dry. I wanted to put the power of Krazy Glue to the test â€“ and it totally worked! I usedÂ Krazy Glue Craft No Run Gel with Skin GuardÂ to make all of my wreaths, but Krazy Glue is available in a wide assortment of instant adhesives for multiple applications, along with an all-purpose formula that bonds to a variety of surfaces, so you can find the right adhesive for your crafting project. I recommend hanging the disco ball wreath near a window so that it catches morning or afternoon light and fills the room with sparkles!

Supplies

Krazy Glue Craft No Run Gel with Skin Guard

White Wreath Form

Faux foliage (I used gold and white Poinsettia and gold and green faux pine sprigs)

White Crepe Paper Streamer

Iridescent Tissue Sheets

2″ Disco Ball Ornaments

7/8″ Mini Disco Ball Ornaments

Scissors

Stapler

To make the wreaths:

Step 1. Start by placing any faux foliage on your wreath form, either in an asymmetrical arrangement or with foliage continuing all around the wreath form. Cut stems down to about 1″ long and use the stem to make a small hole in the wreath form. Add a drop ofÂ Krazy Glue Craft No Run Gel to the bottom of the stem and insert the stem into the hole.

Step 2. Once you’ve placed your foliage, wrap the entire wreath formÂ with the white crepe paper streamers or 2″ strips of iridescent tissue, making sure to weave the material between the previously placed foliage. Use a small drop of Krazy Glue Craft No Run Gel to secure the ends of the crepe paper or tissue, and hold the end downÂ until dry, approximately 30 seconds.

Step 3. Cut the iridescent tissue sheets into 4″ squares. Fold 2-3 squares together and pinch them at the bottom, forming a bouquet-like shape. Staple the tissue paper squares together, then secure the iridescent tissue bundle to the wreath form with Krazy Glue. Hold each bundle in place until the glue is completely dry. Continue around the entire wreath, filling any gaps between foliage with iridescent tissue bundles.

Step 4.Â (Optional) For the disco ball wreath, startÂ by wrapping the entire wreath form in 2″ strips of iridescent tissue. Next, placeÂ faux pine sprigs on the wreath form using the method above. In lieu of foliage, I used a silver tinsel gift topper, but a faux Poinsettia would be great here, too! Glue the largest disco ball ornament to the pine foliage first, followed byÂ a few smaller disco ball ornaments. The Krazy Glue Craft No Run Gel is perfect for gluing mismatched surfaces and works great on the iridescent tissue, just be sure to use plenty ofÂ the Krazy Glue to make sure the glue gets a good enough hold to secure the disco balls to each other. Let the glue dry between applying each disco ball. Cover the entire wreath form in bundles of iridescent tissue, working clockwise around the wreath form and making sure to tuck the end of each bundle under the previous bundle so there were no visible gaps. Glue additional mini disco ball ornaments around the wreath form as desired.

These wreaths are such a fun way to add some iridescent shimmer to your holiday dÃ©cor â€“ and I love that you can keep them up until well into the New Year! Yay for all the sparkly things!

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

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The World of Illustration: Marta Abad Blay

Glogg: Traditional Swedish Mulled Wine Recipe

Stationery A-Z: Holiday Thank You Cards

The World of Illustration: Salini Perera Illustration

DIY Iridescent Winter Wreaths