About

Welcome! Oh So Beautiful Paper is a leading lifestyle and design blog that makes beautiful design accessible to everyone. Since 2008, we’ve been sharing awesome entertaining and DIY ideas, gorgeous paper goods, beautiful wedding invitations, home décor inspiration, and original cocktail recipes. We’re all about bringing an extra dose of fun and beauty to everyday life. Please have a look around – I hope you enjoy our posts and archives! You can also find us on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and Pinterest.

About Oh So Beautiful Paper

Launched in 2008, Oh So Beautiful Paper reaches an audience of more than 100,000 unique monthly viewers and is a daily read for creative people around the world. Oh So Beautiful Paper also has a loyal social media following, with more than 150,000 Facebook fans, 58,000 Pinterest followers, 16,000 Twitter followers, and 62,000 Instagram followers. Our pins on Pinterest reach an average of 4.2 million monthly viewers, and pins from Oh So Beautiful Paper reach an average of 435,000 daily viewers.

Oh So Beautiful Paper readers value beauty and fantastic design, and they want beautiful things in all aspects of their lives. Our readers are interested in everyday design, DIY projects, food and cocktails, home décor, fashion, travel, and more. 85% of Oh So Beautiful Paper readers are female, and the majority of readers are between the ages of 25 and 34.

Interested in working together? Oh So Beautiful Paper offers sponsored content opportunities (blog posts and social media posts), traditional sidebar banner ads, and styling work (prop and food styling). We’ve worked with a variety of brands, from small independent stationery and design studios to large ‘household name’ brands, including Home Depot, Post-it Brand, Fiskars, and My M&MS. Get in touch with us here for more info!

OSBP-Family-Photos-Charlie-Juliet-Photography-17

Photo by Charlie-Juliet Photography

About Founder + Editor Nole Garey

Hi everyone! I’m Nole Garey, and I like to say that I’m a recovering diplomat turned full time creative blogger. I previously worked in international diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State from 2003 – 2010 before leaving to pursue Oh So Beautiful Paper full time. I hold a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University (where I met my husband Andrew), but I’ve been passionate about design and all things paper my entire life.

I fell in love with the world of wedding invitations and stationery while planning my May 2008 Washington, DC wedding and started Oh So Beautiful Paper in large part to help connect other engaged couples with talented designers. Andrew and I welcomed our first daughter Sophie (you can see her awesome birth announcements here) in 2012 and our second daughter Alice (you can see her beautiful birth announcements here) in 2014. We currently live in Washington DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood with several adorable cats.

Our Philosophy

At Oh So Beautiful Paper, we believe that stationery is an extension of your personal style. It’s a nice and all too rare treat to come home to a handwritten letter or card. We believe sending paper – taking the time to buy, write, and send a card – has enormous interpersonal value. Sending handwritten mail has become a signifier: a mark of the importance and value that the sender places on the relationship with the recipient.

We believe stationery has a role to play in a beautiful lifestyle. Our goal is to help you find paper products that represent you and your personality, whether you live in DC or California or Australia, while also helping to support local businesses, small businesses, and eco-friendly businesses. It might not seem so at first glance, but stationery supports all of these goals. We’re not focused on the mass market, but on stationery that is unique and different, just like you and me.

In The Press

Print

New York Times (June 2016)

The Chronicle Herald (January 2017)

Brides Magazine (April 2011 and November 2012)

Southern Weddings (2010, 2011, and 2014)

Stationery Trends Magazine

Online

The Huffington Post: Caipirinha Recipes You Should Be Downing During the World Cup (06/2014)

The Etsy Blog: Guest Curator, Stationery to Make You Smile (05/2014)

Imbibe: The Summer Rose Cocktail Recipe  (03/2014)

The Huffington Post: Brunch Cocktails: Booze Recipes for the Time Between Breakfast and Lunch (08/2013)

The National Stationery Show: Capture Press Attention with Booth Design (03/2012)

The Etsy Blog: Guest Curator (09/2010)

 

Contributing Editors

 

Emily Blistein / Hello Brick + Mortar

Emily Blistein owns Clementine, a little shop in Middlebury, Vermont where she curates an ever-changing collection of goods to help feather your nest, delight your loved ones and swaddle your little ones. She is a letterpress admirer, typewriter enthusiast, recovering lawyer and lobbyist for women’s health, advocate for small businesses and cheerleader for things handmade. She lives with four boys (aged toddler to husband), is an ENFP (which explains why having a brick & mortar is heaven), and she really, really likes to laugh.

View all of Emily’s Brick + Mortar posts right here!

 

Megan Soh / Behind the Stationery

Megan is obsessed with beautiful stationery, which makes her the perfect author for our Behind the Stationery column! You can find Megan on her blog, Petitely, and on Instagram.

View all of Megan’s Behind the Stationery posts right here!

 

Andrew Whitehead / Cocktail Contributor

Andrew Whitehead is a DC-based cocktail enthusiast (and just happens to be Nole’s husband). You can find him on Instagram, where he shares cocktail recipes and a behind-the-scenes peek into his liquorary concoctions.

View all of Andrew’s cocktail posts right here!

 

About The Design

The design and layout of Oh So Beautiful Paper® was created by Nole with hand lettering and watercolor graphics by Liz Libre of Linda & Harriett and web development by Eli Van Zoeren. For those of you obsessed with pretty fonts like me, I have featured many of of the fonts used on Oh So Beautiful Paper in a weekly column here. If you have any questions or would like to say hello, please email me!

Thanks for visiting!

……………..

Cards of Love and Solidarity

Did you march on Saturday? Either here in Washington, DC or in one of the sister marches across the country or around the world? I marched here in DC, with my husband, some close friends, and all of our children. It was a beautiful thing to see so many people (probably more people than I’ve ever seen in one place) marching together for tolerance, respect, inclusion, equal rights for all, and so much more. Making their voices heard in a peaceful way. Everywhere I looked, all I could see was PEOPLE. It gave me so much hope. So many of the signs that I saw involved messages of love and kindness, so I thought I’d start the week with a quick round up of cards to help keep that message going. Cards with simple but powerful messages of love, solidarity, encouragement, and support – all things that I know I’ll be holding dear for the next four years.

Cards of Love and Solidarity

1. laLa Grace for Love is Mightier

2. Send a message of support with this card from Heartell Press

3. E. Frances Paper

4. Love and solidarity in one card from And Here We Are

5. Love is love (is love is love is love) from Heart Swell Co.

6. Love in the prettiest indigo brush letters from Sycamore Street Press

7. + 8. Sweet and simple gold hearts from Sugar Paper and Parrott Design Studio

9. Gorgeous gold foil calligraphy and indigo marbling from Antiquaria

10. Wild Ink Press

11. L-O-V-E from Idlewild Co.

12. One of my favorite cards from Our Heiday

p.s. Stationers – I think I’ll make this a regular feature throughout the year, or as long as needed. If you have cards that represent the values of love, kindness, inclusiveness, and solidarity, please feel free to send them our way! You can email them to submissions(at)ohsobeautifulpaper.com, and don’t forget to review our submission guidelines here for appropriate image sizes, etc.

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!

Brick + Mortar: Stationery Matters. It’s time to create.

If you care about words, and how they’re used, this has been a challenging year. If you care about sentiments, and kindness and how to get back to a place where we value kind sentiments, this has been an excruciating week (months, year). In the stationery world, where we all mingle, we can feel removed from tangible ways to enact positive political change, but I’m here to tell you, we’re in the quiet center of it. Stationery matters. We can shift the discourse by creating new opportunities for conversation. Let’s use our power for good ~ Emily at Clementine

Ladyfingers Letterpress: It's Going to be OK

Ladyfingers Letterpress, it’s going to be ok.

I am not a political commentator and this is not the place, but it doesn’t take an expert to know we are unsettled by recent political events. As creatives and small business owners, many of us have been stunned into silence, unsure of how our daily offerings can actually help. I want this post to remind you that creativity has power because it radiates. I see your work touch lives everyday. The most poignant moments I share with customers are over their card purchases. People write when they can’t pick up the phone; when they know the right card will lift a friend’s mood; when their own joy overflows and they want to share it; when they don’t know what to say to ease someone’s pain, but they know they have to say something; when they ache for connection. As makers of cards, creators of sentiments, you are creating new avenues for connection. So what should you do today? What you do best:

1. Create the cards that are missing from the market place. Create them now. Say the things you want to say (design them well) and print them. Are you afraid they won’t sell? Be afraid. Create them anyway. We need fresh love. With Leonard Cohen’s passing, his words reverberate this week:

Ring the bells that still can ring/
Forget your perfect offering/
There is a crack in everything/
That’s how the light gets in.

 

2. Write. Write to give thanks, write because appreciation lifts spirits, write to offer support, write to lift the darkness. Write to people you don’t know, who are scared because they are being threatened, find a teacher or a place of worship where students or members of a congregation have been targeted. Write letters to the editor, or small notes to any member of your community who is struggling. Write to your high school friends and current neighbors. Write to your family members who you disagree with, write to your family members who you love. Flood the world with actual, tangible good words.

Here is a sample of the cards and prints that remind me that simple, fresh sentiments can create a zing of hope, humor, and possibility. I’m sending some and framing others. I hope you’ll join me – share the new designs you create and the cards you’re sending out. I’d love it if you’d also add #osbpsendlove so we can see and share hope within this community. Move mountains with your words. Make love big. xo Emily Ghost Academy: Bad Bitches Run This ShitGhost Academy, bad bitches run this shit

La Familia Green: I'm Here for Anything You Need

La Familia Green, I’m here for anything you need.

People I've Loved: Shit Doesn't Have to Make Sense

People I’ve Loved, shit doesn’t have to make sense

Yellow Owl Workshop: Friends Come in All Colors and Shapes Print

Yellow Owl Workshop, friends come in all shapes and colors

Ink Meets Paper: Together We Can Get Through Anything

Ink Meets Paper, together we can get through anything

Emily McDowell: Broken Objects

Emily McDowell, broken objects

Daydream Prints: Find Your Tribe, Love Them Hard

Daydream Prints, find your tribe, love them hard

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! It’s November! How is it November??? Daylight Savings Time comes to an end this weekend (ugh), so we’ll fall back an hour on Saturday night. Have you grabbed your new phone or desktop wallpaper yet? You can find them right here! But in the meantime…

Sugar Paper: Start Each Day with a Grateful Heart

Image by Sugar Paper via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

That’s it for us this week! Check back a bit later for a cocktail recipe (yay!) and I’ll see you back here next week! xoxo