It’s that time of year again — the Smock letterpress holiday sale is back! This year, we’ve got even more options to choose from for custom letterpress holiday cards, and to make the holidays even sweeter, we’ve got a special promotion going on! Between now and December 1, all custom letterpress holiday orders will receive free printing on our luxury bamboo envelopes.  All you have to do is purchase the blank envelopes, fill out a coupon with your local Smock dealer and we’ll take care of the rest. Need some ideas for your holiday cards? Check out some of the customizations below!

These are just a few of the designs available for the 2011 holiday season — check out this slideshow on Flickr if you’re looking for more inspiration!

It’s easy to get swept away with this charming letterpress invitation customization made to our Burstell design submitted to us by our friend Ailbhe from Pretty as a Picture in Ireland!  This modern text based invitation has clean lines and the right amount of flourishes to add a touch of elegance to this set.  We love the luscious raspberry on the interior of the folio even more because it is probably not something guests will be expecting!  The exterior of the folio is printed in our virelles pattern which looks positively nature inspired!  Pretty as a Picture always sends us the coolest customizations-and it’s safe to say this will be another crowd pleaser!

ink: espresso | fonts: spence + graham| paper: 1-ply ivory | printing: letterpress |folio exterior: virelles pattern in espresso | folio interior: sinclair pattern in raspberry | invite size: 5.125 x 7.75

We were so happy when we were able to offer to letterpress print submitted artwork for no charge, it opened up the door for beautiful new designs to come our way! Michelle at Paperkiss sent us this wonderful invitation set and it came out beautifully. Michelle is a great friend of ours in Australia and we are always happy to see what she sends. Thanks again to Paperkiss!

ink: navy + silver | fonts: inigo + custom font | paper: 1-ply white | printing: letterpress  | submitted art |

You’ve sent save the dates. Ordered invitations. Received invitations. Jumped for joy. Then stopped to realize you haven’t got a clue how to put these things together. Not sure how to stack your cards? Invitation assembly got you stumped? Don’t worry – we can help! Check out this how to and allow us to walk you through the entire process – we made it easy for you!

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We have our great friends at Magnificent Milestones in Chicago, Illinois  to thank for this custom letterpress Alzette vow booklet! Letterpressed in sky & lake inks on our 2-ply white bamboo paper the cover is perfectly designed with a 3-letter monogram. We think this is a great way to include guests in the joy of exchanging vows.

inks: sky + lake | fonts: nelly + inigo | paper: 2-ply white bamboo | printing: letterpress |

If you’re looking for an autumnal feel in a wedding set and still want an elaborate design, then look no further!  Shelby at Seaside Papery delivered a one-of-a-kind invitation set that pieced together tangerine, espresso, and grass inks in a way that just speaks to us.

Based on the Helani design, this one had a little bit of everything and has been used as a great example of how to celebrate in the fall.

inks: tangerine + espresso + grass | fonts: bescal + carlton  | paper 2-ply white | invite size: 7 x 7 | printing: letterpress

This design won an honorable mention in our Smock design competition for the first half of 2011. This twice-a-year competition recognizes outstanding and inspired designs submitted by our beloved dealers.

You’d never know this invitation was offset printed unless you felt it! Libby of Byrd & Bleecker definitely knows how to work within and around our albums, combining a converted version of the Lashar design that looks completely unique, with the peacock plume from our Everyday line.

Because the full order was offset in midnight and peacock inks, she was able to help the client save a bit of money and still get them an eye-catching design.

inks: midnight + peacock | fonts: engravers + gothic engravers | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: Tier 3 | liner: repeating lashar cartouche design in white + peacock  | printing: offset

This design won an honorable mention in our Smock design competition for the first half of 2011. This twice-a-year competition recognizes outstanding and inspired designs submitted by our beloved dealers.

Day three of our design contest brings us an incredibly elegant invitation set – a simple design that looks anything but simple!  Hats off to Tasha at The Dandelion Patch for this one.

Coconut ink looks incredible letterpressed in our Champlain pattern, and is an impressive compliment to the Eggplant used throughout the set.

Everything from the square cards to the rounded corners to the elegant script make this quite the eye-catcher.

Thanks again to The Dandelion Patch for sending us this gorgeous customization!

inks: eggplant + coconut | fonts: spence + cooper | papers: 2-ply white | invite size: s-7 square | liner: reversed champlain in eggplant

This design won an honorable mention in our Smock design competition for the first half of 2011. This twice-a-year competition recognizes outstanding and inspired designs submitted by our beloved dealers.

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

During our West Coast travels, Lindsy and I had the chance to stop in and visit lots of our LA dealers – we were thrilled to be able to stop in to the shops and meet our lovely retailers in person! Today we’re highlighting some images of two of the stores we visited during our trip – we’ll start with Presence Studio City, a stationery and gift shop in Studio City. Presence offers a carefully curated selection of unique gifts – including some gorgeous hardcover books, one-of-a-kind jewelry, home decor, fragrant candles, and more.

We chatted with Kaila from Presence – she was kind enough to tell us more about this sweet boutique!

What about the store are you most proud of?

We try to showcase unique yet affordable gifts that people won’t find anywhere else. We also pride ourselves on our customer service – many of our stationery and gift customers come back on return visits because they were so happy with their experience.

What’s the hottest color palette right now?

We’ve been seeing a lot of blues right now – cool tones of blue paired with silver, lots of navy, some turquoise here and there too. Blue is definitely a popular color right now.

One of our other stops in LA was to Landis Gifts & Stationery – a shop that truly has something special for everyone. Located on Larchmont Boulevard – an area that got its start in the early 1920’s – the shop is nestled into one of the most historic areas in LA and is surrounded by a wonderful mix of boutiques and restaurants.

Edie shared some thoughts about some of our latest products – check out her interview with Lindsy!

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