And speaking of Post-its...

The adhesive for Post-its ® was invented in 1968 by a research scientist for 3M. It was a quirky substance and deemed unusable. Years later another research scientist got stuck on the idea of the semi permanent adhesive and gave new life to the product. After a brief stint as hymnal book markers, the first blocks of notes partially coated with the tacky adhesive were tested in 1977. The rest is history and by 1990 Post-it Notes® were one of the top 5 best selling office products in the U.S.

Read more fun Post-it® trivia including the fact that they are (and have always been) recycleable- it's a great testament to innovative stick-to-itiveness!

Photo by 3M

It's Cherry Blossom Season

It's Spring (finally!!) and cherry blossom season is upon us. As the flowers bloom on the trees Spring is all around us inside the shop as well.

So pretty!! Cherry blossoms and textile inspired mini florals have always been popular, rather classic in fact. But the last few years these blossoms have branched out and really bloomed.

We're featuring a recent release from Anna Griffin - pretty note papers in a tidy box with bow, floral mouse pad/to-do list, and even a fabulous coated canvas tote. And from Galison...file folders, perfect for purse pocket sized note pads and a great trifold desk planner. All of these blossom inspired lovelies coordinate together in to one perfect collection. Coincidence you may say? Genius buying I'd say!          ;-)

And just in time for Mother's Day!

Stick to It

Just arrived...these new Post-it® style sticky notes from Cavallini. Great vintage images of Paris and fine feathery friends. So convenient and tres chic. Perfect as a reminder note to self or pop one on a memo to add a personal touch- beats an email any day!

Photos by Cavalini & Co.

Invitation Trend: Black & White

Back in the day- a proper wedding invitation was always black engraving on ecru cardstock. And if you wanted to step it up a notch- black engraving on white stock. While times have indeed changed and almost anything goes when it comes to color driven invites- the classic color combo is making a comeback.

Black says drama like no other color- and paired with a crisp white- it can tone even the brightest of colors down on the spectrum when it comes to making a bold statement. Shown here are several dramatically different invitations available at On Paper. They remind us even though we know everything is not always black and white- sometimes it's a great option!

Dear Mister President

People really do still write letters. Tens of thousands of them, in fact. Daily. Who's the lucky recipient? Our very own Barack Obama, of course! A fascinating NY Times article chronicled the day to day activities of the White House Office of Correspondence. Of the thousands received, a hundred per day make the first cut and a mere ten letters actually make it to the desk of the President each day. All are chosen for their poignant content and for relevance to represent a cross section of American sentiment. And it's not always pretty. Many letters are selected for their "uncomfortable messages", that when read- send a chill. The President rarely has time to respond- and when he does it is on azure blue paper- and with a name like "Azure" this stationer guesses-it's got to be Crane's.

Photos: The New York Times

Japanese Style

While in Chicago last week I had the opportunity to stroll around numerous boutiques to trend watch and get inspired...one of the best parts of my job! I saw a lot of Japanese graphics and imagery which has been trendy for some time now and never seems to quit.

Photos from sunny-style.com

One designer in particular kept popping up- Shinzi Katoh - a Japanese artist with a charming, naive, whimsical style that typifies all that is popular in Japanese cultural iconography today. While we don't have any of his work in the shop at present- I'll be sure to be sourcing it on my buying trip to the Stationery Show in May. For more great Japanese style- check out these websites- sunny-style.com and, you guessed it- Japanese Style!

Charmed I'm Sure

Charm pendants are all the rage. Varying in size from tiny initials in sterling silver (or special order gold vermeil) to larger rounds, ovals and rectangles- charms are the IT necklace du jour. We especially love the epoxy message charms (top right). These are hand screened prints placed under an epoxy "gem" and strung on to a silk cord. Subtle messages are captured in a whimsical yet poignant way.

One of our newest best sellers are these tiny initial charms- only about 1/4" in diameter they flatter every wearer and look great worn alone, grouped together in sets to form words, or reworked with other charms you may already have.

And of course. let's not forget the ever popular wish necklaces from Dogeared. Delicate charms are strung on cording that eventually wears away granting the wearer their wish. Placed on mounting cards with pithy messages- these charms ensure all your dreams will come true!

Fabulous Fonts

At On Paper, we love, love, love fonts. We have hundreds in our archives but must admit that there are the proud and the few that we use all the time. They are just perfectly suited for invitations. Our most popular are Mrs. Eaves, Copperplate, Bickham Script and Dearest. The old stand bys!

So we're happy to have just purchased some new fonts (shown above) and we welcome them aboard!

If you want to visit some fun fonts sites check out: veer.com, fontcraft.com and to find out what a particular font is on a particular document go to: What the font - it's fab!

Shout Out on Yelp!

We recently received a letter via snail mail :) from Yelp.com commending us on our recent fabulous reviews. So we took full advantage and popped the oh so bold decal and letter it in our window.

So at the risk of patting ourselves on the back- check out our reviews and feel free to post one of your own- (especially if its a rave!!!) ;)

And by the way- if you are not already familiar with Yelp.com-it's a must for candid customer reviews about restaurants, shops and all local businesses. Show your own support for the businesses you love and give them proper props- on yelp.com.

"Ink Spot" - Featured Company: Arabella Papers

In our new monthly feature called "Ink Spot" we'll spotlight a particular company of our affection.

This month it's Arabella Papers- a relatively newcomer to the retail wedding market.

Arabella Papers uses an exquisite printing technique called the Bellpress. It is similar to engraving in that it is raised, is capable of reproducing intricate detail and gorgeous saturated color. Unlike engraving it does not leave an engraving "bruise" on the back of the card so it is perfectly suited to two sided printing. Bellpress printing can also cover larger areas of ink so bold, powerful design options not suited to engraving are perfect for this method.





Known for their elaborate "wallpaper" designs- these intricate patterns cover the backs and often the fronts of the invite with wall to wall pattern. Designs range from the most traditional textile inspired prints to modern geometrics, and of course, custom designs are a fabulous option.

Arabella invitations have been selling so well at On Paper and we think it's because it is tremendous value for the price. It's rare that invitations that include elaborate printing, high style design, top-drawer papers and the finest attention to detail can be found- no less found at a great price. While not inexpensive, invitations can run in the $600 to 3,000+ range for 100 pieces, clients agree that it's serious bang for the buck.

So with the economy in the doldrums- Arabella is well worth it- and it's why we keep saying "Bella Arabella!!!"

On the Drawing Table

Just to give you an idea how diverse our wedding projects at On Paper really are...

Here are two projects were are working on right now. Both are On Paper Press designs being created in-house. Joe, our Graphic Designer is really covering all sides of the spectrum!

The Happy Couple

There's nothing more rewarding than seeing the smiles when a couple picks up their wedding invitation and they see it for the first time. Last week we caught this Kodak moment for Lorraine & David. Oh happy day!

Invitation Trend: Mad for motifs

Swash motif at the top of a Save-the Date card

Acorn used as a typographical ornament to break sections of type

Multiple motifs create a modern classic. Note round spacers between words.

Everyone loves motifs- they add flair to the simple and an air of sophistication to any invitation. They have been popular on party and wedding invitations for some time and never seem to go out style. Perhaps because of their classic nature. "Dingbats" or typographical ornaments have been used for centuries by typographers as visual ornamentation and to create space breakers for page composition.

The samples above are 3 simple examples of the many motifs we've used on invitations on recent projects. For more on motifs see the next post. We've even created a special line called On Paper Press Express which relies on the motif to create fast, inexpensive party invites. See them on our website: On Paper

For weddings, we especially like to draw a visual thread through a project by utilizing motifs on each of the components of the invitation and stationery ensemble. Not only does it create a theme but it helps create a memorable event. From save-the-dates to thank you notes- it's a perfect way to create a look that is uniquely yours.

When in need of that certain something to add to a page- consider the motif!

More on motifs

These motifs shown above were all used on the invitation. We used them again, as shown here - printed on coordinating envelopes. What a great way to make snail mail the highlight of the day!

Dog Day Afternoon

The annual Easter Egg Hunt for pooches was held on Saturday in the Short North at Goodale Park. Lots of yummies were had by the likes of Fido, Bo and Owen. Lots of furry friends visited the Short North making for a very busy Saturday! Read more about all the goings on in the hood at Shortnorth.org

Great Cards from Screech Owl Design

All styles copyright Screech Owl Design.

We LOVE these new cards from Screech Owl Design!

I met the very cool Jacqueline and George Smith at the last NY Gift Show. The husband and wife team have a fantastic bold, graphic and charming style. Inspired by nature, they strive to be a green company and all cards are printed on recycled stock.

It's hard to pick a favorite style (there are more in the On Paper shop) but one thing is for sure- they are fast becoming an On Paper fave!