2015 Gift Guide: For Stationery Enthusiasts

You didn’t think I could resist the opportunity, did you?? I mean, this entire blog is basically one big gift guide for anyone who loves stationery, but there are a few things that make especially great gifts for the holidays. So here are a few gift ideas for stationery enthusiasts!

2015 Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Stationery Enthusiasts / Oh So Beautiful Paper

1. This Letterclub message board from Three Potato Four is basically the coolest thing ever. Use it in the office, to display party menus, or even just to display a favorite quote at home!

2 + 3. Stationery subscriptions are a fantastic gift for the paper obsessed. We put a full list of stationery subscriptions together over in the Market List, from this fun collaborative subscription from Ali Makes Things to the curated print and paper samples from Parse and Parcel.

4 + 5. Art is a wonderful gift any time of year. I’m obviously partial to my limited edition floral and calligraphy print collaboration with Mon Voir, and I’m also totally in love with the gorgeous new prints from Snow & Graham.

6. Keep track of correspondence with the Letter Ledger.

7. Because your favorite photos deserve to be printed.

8. The cutest business card holder stand from Kate Spade.

9. Paper people are all list makers, right? Help them stay organized with weekly desk jotters, like this jungle-inspired version from Idlewild Co.

10. I’m obsessed with the wall charms from The Great Lakes Goods. This arrow charm is one of my favorites.

11. Moglea makes the prettiest notebooks and jotters – with hand painted details and gold foil!

12. Take the guesswork out of envelope addresses with the Lettermate

13. The pin + post series from The Good Twin is so fun  – card and gift in one! Choose from thematic sets, the Zodiac series, or City sets – and she just released a new set of city pins that includes my home town of DC!

DIY Watercolor Paper Snowflake Gift Toppers

We’ve been playing “Jingle-Bells” since the moment the weather turned chilly here in London. It is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year! With under three weeks to go until Christmas Day, I wanted to share an easy gift wrap idea that you can make with things you can find at home. These snowflakes are – like the real ones – unique and personal in every way. They only take 5 minutes but look amazing! - Erin from BerinMade Paper Goods

DIY Watercolor Paper Snowflake Gift Toppers / BerinMade for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Supplies

Copier paper (1 sheet makes two small ones)

Flat brush

Stapler

PVA glue

Blue watercolor paint or acrylic paint

Sharp scissors

DIY Watercolor Paper Snowflake Gift Toppers / BerinMade for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Step 1. Dilute your paint with water in a plastic container. Dip your brush into the paint, then tap the brush so that the brush is slightly wet but not dripping. Stroke lightly over the paper to make faint, painted lines. Paint over the entire piece of paper. If you’re making more than one gift topper you can also paint multiple sheets at the same time.

Step 2. Cut the paper in half length-wise, and fold into a 12-part accordion, and trim the ends into points. Staple the center of the accordion, then cut a combination of straight and curvy lines into the folded accordion. Get creative with your snowflake designs by experimenting with different sizes and shapes for the cutouts.

Step 3. Fold the accordion in half and gently open it up like a fan, carefully separating the snowflake tips. Secure the ends with glue or double-sided tape.

Step 4. Use mounting squares or double-sided tape to adhere the gift topper to your present!

DIY Watercolor Paper Snowflake Gift Toppers / BerinMade for Oh So Beautiful Paper

 

DIY Watercolor Paper Snowflake Gift Toppers / BerinMade for Oh So Beautiful Paper

 

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Photo Credits: Lauhaus Co

2015 Gift Guide: For Designers, Calligraphers, and Artists

I’m back with another gift guide, this time with gift ideas for designers, calligraphers, and artists! I started doing this guide a couple of years ago, after a very sweet husband sent an email asking for gift ideas for his wife. This year I turned to a few friends for input, including Katie from The Good Twin, Jenna from Mon Voir, Bailey from Antiquaria Design, Rose from The Great Lakes Goods, and Katie from Idlewild Co. I absolutely love their gift suggestions!

2015 Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for Artists, Calligraphers, and Designers / Oh So Beautiful Paper

1. Colorful baskets to organize the studio. The pom pom baskets from Eliza Gran are my all-time favorites!

2. A pretty sketchbook or a cute notebook is always an excellent gift idea for artists and calligraphers.

3. Calligraphy Starter Kits. There are so many great kits on the market right now – and you can find a full list of the available options here! This starter kit from Maybelle Imasa also comes with a beautiful botanical tote bag, and this booklet from Mon Voir is a great overall introduction to calligraphy.

4 + 5. Calligraphy tools and supplies. This FineTec gold palette is a wonderful gift for established calligraphers, or even serious amateur calligraphers – and it includes rose gold! This Slider Writer is the perfect tool for creating even lines on dark surfaces, and a light box is a must for writing on light surfaces. Or consider gifting a set of Copperplate practice pads, along with this nib sampler set.

6. Beautiful porcelain palette bowls for mixing paint and ink colors.

7. A powerful lightweight light box perfect for illustrators. Also, it’s definitely pricey, but a Wacom Cintiq would be an amazing gift for any illustrator.

8. A Windsor & Newton Cotman watercolor set for painters and illustrators.

9 + 10. Pens and Pencils! Artists never have enough pens and pencils. Both the functional variety – like graphite drawing pencils, Micron pens, and colorful thin line gel pens – and the cute variety. I love the new Rifle Paper Co. pencil sets and these pencils from Betsywhite Stationery for some inspiration around the office, and this pencil set includes fun design puns and inside jokes for the design community. These water brush pens can be used with watercolor and gouache paints (so handy!), and Katie from The Good Twin recommended this Tombow dual brush pen set as a must have for any artist.

11. A lightweight tabletop easel for sketching and painting on the go.

12. The Interaction of Color by Josef Albers. A classic must-read for any artist.

13 + 14. Brass desk accessories to help corral paperwork and display favorite projects or keepsakes, including brass clips from HAY via Nannie Inez and Yield Design Co.’s geo brass stand set.

15. The custom calligraphy pens from Ashley Bush and Yoke Pen Co. are GORGEOUS and would make the most wonderful gift! Bailey from Antiquaria Design also recommended this leather desk blotter.

A couple additional ideas:

Consider gifting workshops and classes, like the Modern Calligraphy Summit, Melissa Esplin’s online calligraphy class, Molly Jacques Workshop, Mon Voir’s online watercolor class, or any other calligraphy, printing, or other artist classes and workshops in your local area.

Magazine subscriptions make wonderful gifts! I love to gift artist and entrepreneur friends with subscriptions to trade magazines in their area of interest – like Stationery Trends, which is an absolute must for anyone in the stationery industry. Rose from The Great Lakes Goods recommended a few magazines for general inspiration, including Gather Journal, The Plant, and The Desert Oracle.

Brick + Mortar: How to Submit your Line to Retailers by Email

In the past, I’ve given you some meaty posts. Now it’s time to break them down into bite size pieces. We’re going to start with how to submit your line to retailers by email. This submission option is quick and free. But if you’re like me, even the simplest emails can take forever to write. So how about I write this one for you? – Emily of ClementineHello Brick and Mortar: How to Submit Your Line to Retailers by Email / Oh So Beautiful Paper

Illustration by Emily McDowell for Oh So Beautiful Paper

This post is brought to you by MailChimp. More than 9 million people and businesses around the world use MailChimp. Their features and integrations allow you to send marketing emails, automated messages, and targeted campaigns. And their detailed reports help you keep improving over time.

Hello Brick + Mortar Sponsored by Mailchimp / Oh So Beautiful Paper

I wrote a long post about how to get a shop owner’s attention here. If you’re like me, you enjoy reading thoughtful things, but when it comes to perfunctory business dealings, it’s better when someone just tells you how to do it. So, ok. Here is my suggested template for the best way to submit your line to an independent retailer by email.

Hey there [Emily]!

If you’re writing to an independent retail shop, find the retailer’s name and use it. Based on the volume of submissions (and how easy it is to find my name on Clementine’s website,) I don’t reply to those who don’t bother to find my name. Double check, that you have the name right if you’re copying and pasting.

I’m writing to introduce [Undressing Press], my line of [letterpress prints inspired by vintage lingerie]. I found your store on Instagram and I love [the way the light hits your desk obscuring the papers you obviously hid under your chair.]

This paragraph is short: it tells who you are, how you found me, and that you know that my shop is uniquely mine. It doesn’t give me three paragraphs about your history and what you’re inspired by. I love getting to know lines, but the intro email isn’t the place. Also, closing with a compliment helps you avoid the temptation to tell me that your line would fit in my shop. Instead, it subtly tells me we might get along.

I’ve attached images of my current favorite prints so you can take a quick peek. If you like what you see, you can find my entire line at [website link and/or I’ve attached an online catalog.] I know you’re busy, so I’ll send a follow up email in two weeks.

Thanks so much!

Frou Frou

To recap: The intro email is short, sweet and free. (And I hope it goes without saying, this template is based on my experience. It doesn’t guarantee a shop will give you the time of day, but I think it’s a great start. Please tweak it to the recipient and your own style). It’s easy to duplicate for many retailers, but gives you the space to personalize. It should fit on my screen so I don’t have to scroll down and include your version of:

  1. Personal Salutation
  2. Who are you, how you found the retailer, and a little compliment for them.
  3. Web link or online catalog and 2-3 low res images of your work
  4. Promise to follow up and closing salutation

Till next time! xoxo Emily

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p.s. This is my view at Clementine when I’m reading emails. The light is good, but believe me I am also surrounded by piles of to-dos that are instagramed out of the frame.

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