Trissa Garvis is one of our Smock Everyday Reps who sent us her first custom letterpress order. This was so amazing, and we hope she sends some more! Bar and Bat Mitzvah cards are known for their bright colors and elaborate designs, and this letterpress invitation set certainly delivers on that reputation. With the multiple fonts and custom artwork, these invitations look very busy, but in exactly the right way. Sometimes it’s hard to fit a lot of design in without overwhelming the invitation, but this set just looks exciting! Excellent work, Trissa!

inks: custom | fonts: lawrence + carrington stripes + billhead + century gothic + rockwell | paper: 1-ply white bamboo | printing: letterpress | | bat mitzvah invitation with custom inks and art |

Got the back to school blues? This DIY is an adorable way to spruce up your school books (or any other books, for that matter) and it’s super easy! You will need:

• Your favorite Smock gift wrap (our picks from the left: Pageant, Plume, Jade, April, and Beetle)
• A ruler
• Scissors
• Tape
• A pen or pencil

To start, you’ll need to measure and cut your sheet of gift wrap to fit your book. We recommend giving a 3-4-inch margin on either side of the (open) book, and then a 1-2-inch margin above and below the book.

After you’ve cut your gift wrap, fold up the top and bottom of the sheet. Be sure that the folds are not shorter than the book. Use a few pieces of tape in the middle to keep everything straight.

Next, with the book inside, fold the paper in half, making sure the sides are even. Then, take the top part of the gift wrap and fold it neatly under the book’s cover. Repeat this step on the bottom.

After you’ve made even folds, carefully slip onto the book, securing the book’s cover into the little pockets that the folds create. Secure with tape.

Tada! We are loving the end result. And since our gift wrap is double-sided, you can alternate patterns – perfect for prettying up a set of books to display at home!

We’re so happy to be able to share more photos and highlights of our West Coast travels! It was such a treat to be able to visit Sugar Paper when we were in LA  – it’s the most adorable stationery boutique with so much style and charm. Chelsea from Sugar Paper gave us the scoop on what’s trending, what they love & how they’re making the world a better place.

Is there a cause or charity your store supports? Tell us all about it:

Sugar Paper donates to a myriad of charities throughout the year.  Our clients are very philanthropic and we support their causes through donations.  This year, however, we have chosen pediatric cancer as our personal cause.  Jamie and I are both new mothers and a close friend recently lost her baby to a rare form of cancer.  Her battle was a tough fight and loss of baby Quinn has left a mark on our hearts.

What about your store are you most proud of? What makes you unique?

We’re proud of the Sugar Paper team.  The invitation business is driven by deadlines and our days can be very busy.  We feel lucky to work with a group of creative people who work extremely hard and make us laugh every day.  Laughter seems to make the load lighter.

What do you predict will be the biggest wedding or stationery trend for 2012?

Hottest color palette right now?

If someone is visiting your store, what’s another essential stop in your neighborhood?

If you’re visiting our original location on Ensley Avenue, Clementine Bakery is a MUST.  The chocolate chip cookies are gooey in the middle and crisp on the edge – our favorite kind.  If you visit our Brentwood Country Mart location, the Mart is a destination in and of itself.  Caffe Luxxe serves artisanal coffee and Sweet Rose Creamery makes homemade ice cream that will knock your socks off.  The salted caramel is our personal favorite.

A huge thanks goes out to Chelsea for filling us in on everything Sugar Paper – if you’re in LA, be sure to stop in!!

**Be like Sugar Paper and support research for pediatric cancer by visiting any of the following foundations:

Pediatric Cancer Foundation

Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

As owners of The Enchanted Florist, a whimsical, flower lover’s dream come true,  Lance and Kim Williams opened the most charming stationery boutique in Burbank, California – An Open Invitation. This inviting space is nestled right next store to their flower shop, so visiting is certainly a treat!

About two years ago, I met the cutest couple ever at the National Stationery Show – guess who!? They both had the warmest personalities and a great love story! I was hooked! Lance and Kim had actually met and fell in love while working in the flower business together – adorable, right? And they just so happened to be overly intrigued by Smock – even better! They wanted to be Smock dealers right away and the rest is history.

Our adventurous trip out west in June lead us right to this enchanted world of flowers and stationery created by the Williams’. Surrounded by the scent of orchids, the textures of fine papers and sweet-as-pie gifts – I didn’t want to leave! You won’t want to either!

Be sure to stop by – the invitation is always open!

by Lindsy Aragona

Couldn’t make it to the Summer Social at Urbanic? Dying to make your own bundle of fabulous Smock pinwheels? Here’s the how-to!

No great pinwheel is complete without our eco gift wrap – it’s double-sided, so you’ll get bold & beautiful patterns no matter which way you decide to create your masterpiece. Our gift wrap is sustainably printed on 100% post-consumer recycled, FSC-certified paper, so it’s not just pretty, but it’s eco-friendly, too! We’re diggin’ the Sorbet, Pollen and Anchor gift wraps – so perfect for summertime. Pick out your favorite patterns & get crafting today!

Photography - The Why We Love

Our lovely friends over at Union Street Papery sure know how to throw a party! On June 12, Lindsy and I teamed up with Stacey, Nichelle and the rest of the team at Union Street Papery  in San Francisco to throw an amazing trunk show complete with sweet pastries, bubbly champagne and gorgeous new letterpress goods from yours truly. Guests had the opportunity to check out Smock’s new designs at Union Street Papery’s new location – a gorgeous little stationery shop with an upper level bridal bungalow and a charming courtyard to mingle in. Here are some photos of the sweet setup:

Lindsy, Stacey and I before the event!

Union Street Papery carries a great selection of our eco-friendly Smock Everyday products – boxes, cubes, letterpress calendars, gift wrap, letterpress note cards & more can be found in this charming shop!

Upstairs, brides & stationery aficionados had the opportunity to look over the brand new designs from our new album in the stunning bridal bungalow.

We had so much fun getting to know the gals at Union Street Papery, and especially enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with some local stationery lovers and help them design their own custom pieces! A huge thanks goes out to Stacey for hosting such a fabulous event!

We are so excited to share this amazing little video from the Urbanic Summer Social! Design Life Cinema shot this great footage, and we just love seeing all of our crafty guests picking their favorite Smock gift wrap & putting our DIY pinwheel project in motion!

Lindsy and I are back from our whirlwind adventure to California, and we are so excited to share photos from our trip! We had the opportunity to visit with a bunch of our amazing dealers, and even had the pleasure of teaming up with Urbanic for a kickin’ summer social. Complete with DIY pinwheels (made from swatches of our favorite eco gift wrap), delicious lemonade cocktails, and the best (organic!) ice cream ever – this was one awesome celebration of summer. Here are some photos of the set-up – stay tuned for part 2!

Our friends at Haute Papier in Leesburg, Virginia recently featured our Smock Everyday Flounce Wrap on their blog- Haute Papier!

We love the Kusudama origami flower they created! For how-to directions please visit: Haute Papier!

(Our double-sided gift wrap, by the way, is made from 100% post-consumer recycled, FSC-certified paper, and is printed via wind power).

We cannot wait to venture out to the West coast this week to host a trunk show event with our friends at Union Street Papery in San Francisco! The event will be held on Sunday, June 12 from 2pm-4pm, and we are so excited to show off all the fabulous letterpress invitation designs from the amazing new Smock wedding album.  In addition to some fantastic promotions (we’re offering 25 free letterpress invitation sets when you buy 75 or more!), you’ll get the chance to chat with Smock design experts to dream up the most gorgeous wedding invitations for your big day.  So come join us — we’d really love to meet you!