Search Results for: letterpress stationery

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

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 cards below aren’t all overtly holiday themed, they all convey the appropriate sentiment in their own way. See below for our selections/gentle reminders. – Shauna

Holiday Thank You Cards / Oh So Beautiful Paper

From top left:

1. This blank note from Hart Paper Co. feels 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 definitely feel appropriate for expressing post-holiday gratitude.

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

4. We love this 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 feel festive without being overly holiday.

6. These berry-like flowers from Worthwhile Paper give a subtle nod to the season while sharing a particularly kind message – a great card for that extra special person who got you that extra special gift.

7. This 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 from 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!

Best of 2016: My Favorites

Today I’m wrapping up my Best of 2016 recap with a few of my personal favorite posts from the year! 2016 was definitely a rollercoaster of a year, and sometimes it has been tough to find the bright and happy moments with so much turbulence around the world. But when I look back at our posts from the year, each one below fills me with happiness and gratitude. I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye to another year (and welcome a new one!). I wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful New Year!

Best of 2016: Rainbow Watercolor Hologram Foil Party Invitations by Ashley Buzzy for Paper Party 2016

Rainbow watercolor and hologram foil party invitations for Paper Party 2016. Designed by Ashley Buzzy and printed by Bella Figura. The invitations that started my love affair with hologram foil!

Best of 2016: Paper Party 2016 Art Print

I’m still completely obsessed with the limited edition art print that we made for Paper Party 2016! Designed by Ashley Buzzy, and printed by Mama’s Sauce on Legion Paper lavender Color Plan paper. Hologram foil for life!

Best of 2016: Dip Dyed Letterpress Printed Baby Announcements by Swell Press Paper

I loved these two-color dip dye baby announcements by Swell Press Paper – with mint green edge painting!

Best of 2016: Behind the Stationery with Hammerpress

Our Behind the Stationery column continued to be one of my personal favorites – this installment with Hammerpress was a particular highlight from 2016!

Best of 2016: Brick + Mortar / Daydream Prints

Over in our Brick + Mortar column, Emily talked about why stationery matters in these challenging times. So much yes. Greeting card by Daydream Prints.

Best of 2016: How to Style Stationery for Photography by Coral Pheasant

How to Style Stationery for Photography – I learned a ton of new tips and tricks in this guest post by Nichole of Coral Pheasant

Best of 2016: Eleven Independent Etsy Wholesale Boutiques

I got to share eleven of my favorite independent stationery and gift boutiques across the country in partnership with Etsy Wholesale!

Best of 2016: Our Bathroom Renovation

On the personal side, I got to share our bathroom renovation! This was our first major home renovation, and we did our best to create a bathroom that both honors the age of our home and maximizes storage for a family of four.

If you made it this far, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting Oh So Beautiful Paper this year. I love my job and the fact that I get to do it every single day, I love this blog and the amazing stationery community, and I love all of you for coming here to read our posts! The last couple of years have been incredibly challenging as I’ve tried to learn how to balance motherhood with entrepreneurship and try to figure out how to grow a business in an ever-changing environment. Your comments here and on social media are always a highlight on even the most difficult days. So thank you for supporting, commenting, sharing, and coming back. I may pop in with a couple of quick posts next week, but otherwise we’ll be back in 10 days. See you in 2017, my friends. xoxo

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations

Watercolor and letterpress printing are such a fabulous combination. Lauren of Darling + Pearl designed these gorgeous purple and gray watercolor wash wedding invitations for a wedding in Philadelphia with the juxtaposition of hard and soft in mind. Other special touches, like the floral envelope liner, perfectly curated vintage postage, and the print of city hall, pull everything together in such a beautifully cohesive way!

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

From Lauren: The inspiration for Nicole and Matthew’s wedding invitations was heavily drawn from their Philadelphia venue, Front + Palmer, a modern loft style venue in the city that was renovated from an old barrel factory. How rad is that? We wanted to emphasize the balance between masculine and feminine, hard and soft, and color and neutral (which is usually my aim as I piece together the elements of my work anyway, so it was definitely a win-win.)

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

It was ridiculously fun seeing all these elements come together! The suite was letterpress printed in grey with varying watercolor elements throughout. The main invitation had a patina-esque background wash that picked up some of the lavenders from the STUNNING floral print envelope liner and the backside of the information card.

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

Nicole and Matt LOVED the idea of representing the city within their wedding stationery. We included a black and white print of iconic Philadelphia city hall that I’m sure has now made for an awesome keepsake for many of their guests. We used dark purple reply envelopes so we could letterpress print their return address in silver.

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

The icing on the cake for the invitation design was certainly the vintage postage we curated. Vintage stamps can really pull everything together even more when they’re chosen effectively. It’s really inspiring to check out all of the postage that’s still available out there.

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

For their day-of stationery we letterpress printed small thank you notes that were placed at each table setting. Nicole and Matt were able to express a sweet sentiment to their guests and also introduced some new watercolor elements that lead back to the originality of their invitations, but in a refreshing and cohesive way.

Purple and Gray Watercolor Wash Wedding Invitations by Darling and Pearl

Thanks Lauren!

Design: Darling + Pearl

Darling + Pearl is a member of the Designer Rolodex – you can see more of their beautiful work right here or visit the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Lauren Reed

Seasonal Stationery: 2016 Hanukkah cards

Oh, the festival of lights! As a kid, I couldn’t wait to open my Hanukkah gifts. As an adult, I can’t wait for a guilt-free way to enjoy fried foods (pro-tip: if you are planning to make latkes at home, be sure to open all your windows BEFORE you start cooking). Whatever your personal motivation, sharing a joyful message with loved ones is what the holiday is really all about. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite iconography associated with the holiday including chocolate, misspellings, and the aforementioned fried foods (and yes, a few traditional icons such as dreidels and menorahs as well) to bring you a few awesome Hanukkah cards. – Shauna

Seasonal Stationery: 2016 Hanukkah Cards

1. Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve this year, so this play on a famous Christmas carol feels especially appropriate – from People I’ve Loved.

2. Really appreciating the tight registration and geometric details of this three color letterpress card from Hammerpress.

3. Egg Press celebrates the sweeter side of the holiday with a gelt-themed design.

4. If simple and elegant is more your bag, you can’t go wrong with Los Angeles-based Sugar Paper.

5. Loving this clever bird menorah (letterpressed in four colors!) from husband and wife team Fugu Fugu Press.

6. Most Hanukkah cards feature a menorah, but this folk-inspired one from Hello!Lucky is one of my favs.

7. This Lark + Raven card made me laugh out loud. Perfect for your friend who celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas!

8. Paula and Waffle, you had me at cheese latkes.

9. Speaking of latkes, a good food pun is also always a good idea (from One Canoe Two).

10. ‘However you spell it, we’ll celebrate it!’ with holographic foil! This super fun design comes courtesy of Ladyfingers Letterpress.

11. For those purists out there, this gold foil menorah from E. Frances Paper is a sure win.

Be sure to check out our previous holiday card round ups here and here!

We’ll be back soon with a few more holiday cards, New Year’s cards – oh, and a few 2017 calendars, too!