Tag: etsy

Tinder Love Stories

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I love the small glimpses my work gives me into my customers’ lives—whether they’re the guy who opened an etsy account just to buy a handmade “I’m sorry” card, stocking up on congratulations cards because this is the summer all their friends are getting married, or creating custom invitations for one of the biggest days of their lives, every order reminds me of the small acts of kindness that are so prevalent, yet often overlooked, in this world.

tinder_7905My “So glad you swiped right” cards have definitely yielded the best stories. Recently I had the most moving order from a man in Brazil, who asked if I could write his message (which was in Portuguese) in the card and send it halfway around the world. Naturally I obliged… and then snooped to see what he had written (thank you Google Translate!). Turns out, I had just transcribed one of the sweetest love notes I’ve ever read!

Another customer shared the way she and her boyfriend met after purchasing the card. In her own words:
“Robert and I met on Tinder almost 2 years ago! I had been on Tinder for a couple of months before matching with him, and had never actually had anything come out of it besides a few almost date-worthy conversations. When we matched, I almost didn’t believe he was real because of how inconsistent his pictures were (some with a beard, some with a mustache, short hair, long hair, etc.)…but decided to still swipe right, because what are the odds I was actually going to date one of these people?

“After a day of talking, I immediately realized he was different than any of the other guys I was talking to, mainly because he didn’t ask me right away to get drinks or meet up. So, about a week after we started talking, I took a risk asked him out on a date! I wanted to meet at a super public space for our first date because I was terrified to meet someone off the internet, let alone Tinder (hello catfish!), so we met at a bar in Chicago for dinner. After a 6 hour dinner, we finally decided our first date should end…only to have our second date the next day. Two years and endless amounts of dates later, we both couldn’t be happier that we made the somewhat shallow decision to be on Tinder way back when :)”

And here’s a photo of the couple because they’re adorable. Share your Tinder love story below!

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Letterpress Card Sale!

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

You guys, I’m so excited. I finally took the plunge and switched from the magnesium and wood plates I’ve used for years to photopolymer plates from one of the biggest producers in the U.S. I say “finally” because it’s been a long time coming—not only have the quality and customer service declined at my old platemaker, but I’m looking forward to better print quality and registration as well with this new system. For a few years now, I’ve watched what other printers can do with photopolymer with amazement, and I’m so excited to be part of the club! And the icing on the cake? Shipping and production costs are a bit less, so I won’t have to raise my prices again right away this year. Win-win-win!

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I created a handful of new designs to learn the new system with, and I’m planning for a big order of new work this summer, so to make room for all these new designs, I’m trying to clear out a few older ones. I’ve moved a ton of merchandise to the SALE SECTION in my shop, so make sure to go check it out! I won’t be reprinting any of those designs soon, so if there’s one you love, make sure to stock up!

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Snarky New Hoop Art

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been friend with Nicole, who I recently visited in Houston, since she moved to Wisconsin in fifth grade. She’s one of the funniest, weirdest (in a good way!) people I know, and also happens to love the embroidery hoops I can’t seem to stop making. So when she started shouting out funny and often inappropriate phrases followed by “Put that in a hoop!” I started taking notes.

get_your_shit_together_1394The first hoop I worked on was actually my idea—one of my favorite sayings actually! A lot of these hoops will be set in my favorite gorgeous calligraphy typeface, I just love the contrast of the cheeky message with the elegant typography—especially in such a traditional medium. It’s been super popular on Instagram, so get it here while you can!

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These little orange numbers are all Nicole. I even sent the “lolz” design her way as a birthday present last week (hopefully it has arrived and I didn’t just ruin the surprise!), but if you want your own (in custom colors!), just get in touch.

dreamcatcher_1402I’ve also made a few non-vulgar hoops, but where’s the fun in that? Anyway, this dreamcatcher one is my favorite. Get it here.

Well folks, now I have some sad news. I’m out of hoops. I went to the local fabric store to pick up some more, and oddly enough, all sizes were about the same price. But that means the smaller sizes cost about 5 times what they cost in the states, so I just can’t swing it. I’m exploring other ways to frame these up (which may end up being cheaper to ship too! YAY!), but in the mean time, I’ll still be stitching away! Here’s a design that doesn’t have a home yet:

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Now go away ;)

Home Improvement

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

If you’ve been with me on this blog for many years, you might remember that I used to love home projects. I love ripping out carpet, painting walls, upholstering furniture,  I’ve even stripped and refinished original baseboards (although I can’t say I particularly loved that one). Even my three rentals that followed were lovingly decorated with lots of unique furniture and artwork. Having a home filled with pieces that bring me joy has always been important to me.

However, when I moved to Bermuda, minimalism became my new mantra. I was loading a crate onto a cargo ship headed for a tropical island, remember? Plus, we’ll probably only be here for a few years. So anything that couldn’t stand the humidity, that might break during the journey, or that added too much weight to my crate had to go. I sold all of my well-curated furniture, gave away a few special decor items, and put the rest in storage in my parents’ basement. Unfortunately, this made for starker surroundings than I would like. So I did a little soul searching a few months back, and investing my energy into a few small decor projects was one of the things I decided could be easily accomplished and make a big impact on how I feel about living here.

I’ve got a few bigger projects in the works, but right away I’ve added a few small decor pieces. I’ve brought a few things from home and bought a few things when I’ve been back in the states, but the things that make me the happiest are the pieces I’ve made!

12717958_1123524741020732_1256405991863931753_nFirst up, I got my ever-growing collection of embroidery hoops arranged and hung up in our guest bedroom. I love how they look grouped together and I’m sure will be adding to them consistently!

I also hung this pomegranate stunner solo in our kitchen. This hoop took hours and hours, so I wanted to give her a special spot—at least until she sells! Want her in your own home? Available here.

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The other project is one I’ve been thinking about for a little while now. At any given time, I have a fairly good stock of paper flowers in my studio, but I’ve never really made a bouquet just for me. One of the areas in our home I’ve really wanted to do something with is our upstairs landing. There’s a funny little nook that’s not really big enough to do anything with, but looks a bit odd when it’s empty.

I recently moved a side table there, and now I’m working on creating the perfect collection to top it, so of course this was the perfect place to create a bouquet just for me! I wanted a loose, free-form arrangement that looked natural, so I created these poppies with extra long stems and just a few small leaves.

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I’ve also been wanting to experiment with some new techniques for more botanically accurate flowers for a while now, so this was a great opportunity.

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I mastered the curly stamen effect, and on this bloom above experimented with a bit of hand-coloring in the center. wild_poppies_1364

I’ve also added the criss-crossing strips of contrasting colored paper, to give the pleated effect of the poppy center. In this bloom above, I also tried bleaching the centers of the petals, to varying success. It’s a technique I’ll try again with a more saturated paper!wild_poppies_1360

I’ve also seen other paper artists add a bit of confetti to the ends of their stamens to give the effect of pollen. I like how this turned out, although I really need to find a bright yellow paper for it to look real. wild_poppies_1365

After a few tries, I also created a poppy bud I like! Although now after looking at the arrangement again, I’m feeling like I should go upstairs and bend the bud down, as that’s more typical than facing up. Either way, I’m loving how these turned out and super excited about my latest addition to my home!

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