lindambarrett

prop styling to inspire

While walking the CHA shows looking at new product each year for Paper Source, I often come across some of the most amazing set styling by the designers to grab our attention, drawing us into their booths. One compelling example from Studio Calico - were these wonderfully simple and elegant foam balls decorated with circle punched patterned papers - secured with pins. 

I fell in love with them and had to made a few of my own using their fun 6x6 pads of patterned papers.  

This is one of those "sit in front of the tv" projects - where it is all about the repetition of the punches that make them so wonderful. Keep a thimble handy - after awhile your finger needs the support!

Cheers,

Linda ~love your life & do good!

vintage photos for personal stationery

Nothing is better than inventing from old family photos for creating the perfect personalized gift. I'm lucky because my Granddad on my Mom's side, was both a Cubs fan and keen on taking loads of pictures - both traits I am grateful to attribute to him from the gene pool. 

So, sometime ago, I gathered a wonderful collection of these vintage images and turned them into the perfect personal stationery gift set for my mom. Working with my Epson color printer I positioned the photos on the scanner bed then printed the images directly onto the card stock.

Not all printers like to take cover weight  (pre-scored card stock), so you should probably do some tests with your machine - for defining both the placement of your images along with feeding paper into the carrier - to create your collection. I used Mohawk superfine white for my mom's folded card collection and paired them with gravel envelopes.

To present them to her as a gift, I added some wonderful labels , which I had purchased awhile ago from work (at Paper Source) - then tied it with a matching ribbon all neatly tucked into an A7 Box Mailer.

She loved this gift so much that she couldn't bear to mail them. In the end I had to print a few extra cards so that she wouldn't feel that they were too precious to send. Once she had these extra in hand she penned a note to her sister with a photograph she knew she'd love seeing after all those years.

With a computer filled with images and boxes more under my bed - no doubt this won't be the last of these stationery collections for gift giving this year!

Cheers,

Linda  ~love your life & do good!

 

 

renew, reuse, recreate projects

Earth Day is on April 22; there are so many things one can do to turn something old into something new. Here, I've created these fun workshop projects the upcoming Crafter's Night Out at Paper Source.

 

(above photo by Emma Nunn)

These photos show how I incorporate recycled Cavallini Calendars for creating handmade envelopes and accented stationery. The envelope templates for making these are so affordable and easy to use - who doesn't love getting something this fun in the mail? Heck, even the mailman wpuld be jealous!

(photo by lindambarrett)

My favorite piece of designing the project had to be making the whimsical folio - cut & folded to fit the depth of your crafty-collection of cards and envelopes  - finished with string & button closure. Who doesn't love string & button closures?!

(photo by lindambarrett)

 If you've never taken one of our Paper Source workshops - we provide all the materials, supplies and tools - you just bring your imagination, some friends and enjoy the evening. People who register get to leave with a full stash of cards, envelopes, the folio, and a 10% coupon for shopping - plus tips and tricks for recreating this again & again! Here's to hoping to see you at a workshop sometime soon.

What do you have at home to renew, reuse, or recreate?

Cheers,

Linda

~love your life & do good!

 

 

brooklyn

had a good visit in brooklyn for our most recent Paper Source grand opening. met loads of wonderful people and did some fun demos!

managed to grab a few fun images during the quick in & out trip...enjoy

and home to my best dawg after her first winter snow for the season

perfect!

xo ;) linda

one of the things i love most about my job at paper-source, is getting to design new products - especially new kits!
i feel fortunate to have the ability to combine my love of craft while inventing workshops - providing such great potential to share so many tips and techniques all at the same time.
 
it's been awhile since the orginal drop spine box kits i designed (so many years ago) came out, and given that i've always loved making frames, it seemed only logical to try to invent something for those fellow gluing and bookbinding types - with a handmade frame kit in mind.

i especially dreamt of the day when all the pieces would be pre-die cut..no measuring, no cutting, no hassels! we'll hallelujeh - this sans board cutting project has finally arrived - while the kit won't hit the streets until the fall - the die came early enough for me to create a workshop!

http://blog.paper-source.com/stores/picture-this-handmade-frames/

if you get a chance, check out this new project -- sorry for the short notice-- we have it as a new class running tomorrow nationally, but last minute sign-ups are always welcome. so fun!

tell me what you think.

cheers and happy gluing!
linda

wedding suites event projects -- done!

this coming march 4 is the next event i just finishing shipping out to the Paper Source stores across the country. And looking ahead we have plenty more to come. 

if anyone has any friends getting married or looking for a great opportunity to be crafty/creative - then please tell them to sign up for the paper source wedding suites event while we still have seats available.

 

i had fun coming up with some interesting projects, but you'll also get to see many of the other gorgeous wedding inspiration on the walls, and the latest 2010 line of the new invitation collection, sure to knock any brides socks off!

 
these two shots are the finished handy work of an amazing design team and fabulous sample makers!

Yep, all of us have ben very busy these days preparing for wedding season.  
Cheers,

Linda

 

Girls Night Out

We just completed the Encore running of Girls Night Out at Paper Source.

The first event sold out across the country, and we had so many people still interested that we ran an additional time at 14 stores.

Dallas, which just opened recently,

is the next one running the vent on September 21, Sunday.  But, until then let me tell you about yesterday - Thursday August 21's event!!

I am proud to say that what I love about my job is inventoing these wonderful  in store special events.  I especially  loved getting to experience first hand the amazing, playful, fun and creative energy of all the ladies who attended at several of the Chicago stores I visited.

It makes these creative opportunities a huge plus and very rewarding. I hope to see many of you at the  Holiday events I will creating this season at Paper Source.

Cheers!

Linda Barrett

paper source bindery

The Santana Row Paper Source location had the best feature of our bindery items in their front window during the recent Paper Wedding Event and I just couldn't resist taking a picture to share with my team back in the bindery in Chicago.

I have the most amazing team of about 6 people who handmake all of the cases for every album, journal, address book, beach book, guest book and more. Visit the site sometime to see what new creations we have or visit a Paper Source store near you. I'd love to hear what you think of our work...drop me a line and let me know.

until then, i hope you are making time to fill a favorite book with special drawings, thoughtful words or amazing photos!

xo

linda

paper wedding

This past weekend I did several demos at our annual Paper Wedding event. This year we have 13 stores total hosting the event, the first round took place at seven of our Paper Source stores, Georgetown, Boston, Bellevue Washington, Lincoln Park- Chicago, San Francisco- Marina, Kansas City and and our Southern California location at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. i was at the SCP store where the staff and the customers were as warm as the weather.

At the event we introduced our newest line of letterpress invitations, ideas to inspire any event. Demos that covered everything from Savvy Save-the-dates, to Favors to Savor. There was also a wonderful florist, delectable catering and a great photographer Marc Weissberg. He shot some amazing images capturing the color and spirit of the event.

The next event I am traveling to for all of their demos will be to our Santana Row store in San Jose, California. If you are in the area please stop by for a visit, or at one of the 5 other locations Feb 23, for free demos and all day make & takes.

See you there,
Linda

poor wrigley

you see at paper source, where i work, i wear several hats.

i head up the bindery and manage national workshops, stage all demos at new store grand openings, and organize special events...i also oversee production for our online videos. let's just say i'm busy and miss time with my dawg.

this past weekend we did one of our quarterly filming sessions covering anywhere from 6-10 new projects which we post (after about 3 months of post production editing that brian does) on our paper source website, take a look:

http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/howto/lacquered_jewelry.html.

our video production team consists of three people: leigh on sound, brian on camera and myself as pre-production, producer and staging- sue, the founder is the talent in the videos, some of which are hilarious...very "anit-martha stewartish".

anyway, the point is that this time I brought wrigley into work with me since she has such great energy and is such a quiet dawg...no problems for her on set. but getting out of the car she ripped her nail and her quick (sp?)bleed so bad that leigh and i had to do a little doggie paw protection.

leigh shot this photo of wrigley watching me during set-up...kinda makes ya wanna give her a big ole hug doesn't it.

the sub-zero weather and snow are not helping the healing process, so i hope it warms up a bit - soon.

my poor sweet wrigley, here's to believing that

kisses do make things better!

xo

linda