vote!

This card was selected for the Etsy Valentine's Market. Now they are asking you to vote for your favorite 'love' themed item to be featured on the Etsy blog and in their Valentine's gift guide. So head on over and vote for our little card here!

wanna trade?

The article I wrote about the National Stationery Show for the Storque (Etsy's online newsletter) was just posted the other day. So far people seem to be digging it. I hope that the companies featured feel that I represented them well and that readers have found some useful information. I would love to hear what you think. Catch the full article here.

poppytalk handmade

From May 12 through June 6th you can find us over at poppytalk handmade, a virtual craft fair of sorts created by the lovely Jan and Earl of poppytalk fame. we are excited to debut some of our newest cards which so far, have only been available at the most recent Chicago Depart-ment show. (most of them sold out at the show... exciting).

This particular month will feature paper goods makers in celebration of the annual National Stationery Show in NYC. It is the place to be every year for anyone even slightly interested in selling stationery products. This year I will be attending as press for Etsy for an article I am writing for them. If you sell cards or want to sell cards and have never been, I encourage you to go to the show next year. Note, it is a trade only event so you must prove that you are in the industry.

vote for this guy

This is a super spiffy illustration done by my even spiffier hubby, Rusty. It is actually up for votes online over at threadless. So get on over there and rate his design. Pretty please.....

And if you really go ga ga over this illustration, it is for sale in his etsy shop. It is a super fancy giclee print. We have a copy in our house and it looks smashing.

Click this button to vote (and then rate the image).

etsy love - elsa mora

I am online searching for a new guillotine paper cutter and I was reminded of a different type of paper cutter... artist Elsa Mora. I love this little mini bee sculpture in her Etsy shop. $49.50 found here. She also has the most lovely blog with all sorts of glorious things.

brooklyn letterpress

Here are some new postcards in our Etsy shop. They come in sets of 4. Great to send but I think they'd look nicer in a frame.

Printed in green on the super thick Crane's Lettra paper. It is 100% cotton (tree free) so it not only looks lovely but is super earth friendly as well.

blogging in the new year

How can it be the middle of January and I am just adding my first post of the new year now? I suppose I knew having a baby would change a few things but didn't realize how much.

Right now for example, the baby is laying on the Boppy eating his lunch while I have my laptop perched precariously on my knee, trying to type. My boston terrier is pushing against my left side, snoring away while one of the cats is on my right. He is licking the baby's head. Great.

One thing I was able to do, was finally read a copy of Craft, Inc. by Megan Mateo Ilasco. My favorite part was surely the interviews. Even though I knew most of the info it suggested, it was still a great refresher as well as inspirational. Here, Jackson at 3 months is already looking towards his crafty future.

As for what Paper Stories has been up to, I am working really hard on a whole year's worth of designs. I just finished a whole collection of designs for readymade occasion cards such as birthday, thank you, and engagement cards. I am so excited to get these printed. And I certainly can't wait to show them off. Let's just say they mix the old with the new. I am also working on some new designs for a furniture related set of cards. I am still trying to flesh out my ideas but again, am so thrilled with the results so far.

In May I will be traveling to New York to cover the National Stationery Show for an article for Etsy. That should be fun. I didn't get to go last year but had so much fun the year before. I am a little nervous though since we will be bringing the baby on his first plane ride. Yikes. Any suggestions for safe travel with little ones?

cards for your sweetheart

I have been really hesitant to make Valentines Day cards. I am just not into 'holiday' cards so much and really struggled with the Christmas/Hanukkah cards. Not sure what my aversion is. Well I decided to suck it up and make 2 cards (both available in my Etsy shop). First I made a pretty straightforward card. It is in 2 very slight shades of a pinkish red color and comes with a strawberry pink envelope.

Next I went a more nontraditional route and like this card even more. I was thinking about all those old Rorschach patterns and how it might make an interesting card. Originally this was going to be in black and white as just another everyday card. I decided to juice it up a bit with the red ink.... so now it is perfect for sending to friends and family for V-Day without getting all mushy on them.

I guess I am just not a Hallmark & Kleenex type girl. (If you saw my bittersweet cards, then you would know that!)

sudlow

I just wanted to take a second to post the prettiest little jewelry pieces by a super sweet designer, Rachel Sudlow. I love her peapod necklaces and the leaf imprint earrings are so pretty.

She even makes these awesome little dog tags. We got this one for Chloe, the Paper Stories mascot. She certainly has earned the title! Rachel's stuff, including lots more, can be found at her Etsy shop.

that's Chloe on the right with her little buddy Neuman.