Papernation

It’s Friday night and I’m just waiting for supper to cook after a hard day at Papernation HQ.

Working at Papernation I obviously love stationery of all sorts and I’m a collector of bits and bobs to clutter up my desk.  It’s not a conscious decision to buy or acquire “desk accessories”, it just happens.

Anyway I was looking at this rather ugly paperclip pot -

- and I thought  it could do with a bit of refurbishment and I had just the thing – my MT tape – and here’s the finished result, which I think is quite cool -

MT tape is masking tape in fabulous colours and designs from Japan.  It has so many uses I can’t list them here but it’s great for wrapping presents, sticking photos in a travel journal and decorating  just about anything.  It’s also great because you can peel it off, re-position it and re-use it.

You can see a range of the tape that we have here but be sure to check back as we have new designs coming next week.

We’re really excited by the latest arrival at Papernation – the incredibly lovely MT tape.  This clever little tape is, quite simply,  masking tape reinvented.  It’s no longer just a boring old DIY item, as the amazing MT company from Japan have turned masking tape into the most exciting, colourful creation that’s perfect for all sorts of crafty projects.  From simply jazzing up your gift-wrap or decorating an envelope to more elaborate creative projects – the possibilities are endless.

The tape comes in an array of gorgeous colours and patterns, as well as different widths.  Here are a few to whet your appetite:

Using the tape couldn’t be simpler – just stick it on the item you want to decorate – and if it doesn’t look exactly right, just peel it back and start again! Because it’s a paper tape, you can write on it too!

And if you need some ideas on what to create with this fabulous tape, here’s some inspiration:

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Here at Papernation we sell a lot of travel journals to people who are jetting off to faraway places and to people who may be going camping in Devon for the weekend. Each will have great memories, unless of course you’ve picked the camping option and there’s torrential rain for the weekend, and then the memories perhaps aren’t so great – believe me.  

Anyway, as I had a great holiday in San Francisco at the end of last year I decided that I would have a go at creating my own travel journal. It’s still a work in progress but I thought that I’d give you a preview. It’s great fun cutting and sticking,  and it’s good to do something away from work, and it’s surprisingly relaxing.

Here are some of my first pages -  they might get a bit more sophisticated as I get more practised.

I cut some letters out of the  Sunday papers to make the words and I’m using  the travel album from our range. I had a desk easel calendar from Cavallini last year and it was full of vintage images of San Francisco so  I cut those out too – some of them mirror the photos that I took which is quite fun. I also had some butterfly stickers  which I used  to act as photo corners which brighten up the pages.  The photos of my album would have looked a bit dull on my desk and so I thought I’d use some world map gift wrap from Cavallini to act as the backdrop.  I think it’s set the photos off a real treat.

We’ve just added a range of coloured ink stamp pads to our online store, and we thought we’d give them a whirl ourselves to see how they shape up. This card is quick and easy to make, and creates a unique card tailored for the birthdate of the recipient.  read more…

This weekend saw the annual open studios event for the amazing Jamaica Street Artists Studios, in Stokes Croft, Bristol. It was a fabulous event, and the talent of all the artists is incredibly high. I’m eagerly waiting for the phone to ring to tell me my bid in the mini-canvas auction was successful, but I fear as time ticks on that I was outbid at the last!

Anyway, on to some photos:

The building has been artists’ studios for 20 years but the artists now need to pull of a miracle to ensure the studios survive.  Their lease runs out next year, and the building owners have indicated that they intend to sell the building at that time. So the artists have just 1 year to raise around £1million to buy the building.  £1MILLION!  It would be such a sad loss to Bristol if they didn’t make it…here’s hoping that miracles really do happen. With Bristol’s vibrancy, energy and enthusiasm for life, art and individuality, I’ve got a feeling this will actually come off!

Jamaica Street Artists Studios

We’re really excited about this weekend’s open studios event at the Jamaica Street Artists Studios, in Stokes Croft, Bristol. It promises to be a fantastic exploration of a place that’s usually hidden from public eyes, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s packed to the rafters with incredible artistic talent.  As there will be plenty of artwork available for sale, I think there’s a very real danger of feeling like a child in a sweetshop!

The video below was produced last year to promote the 2008 Open Studios event, but it is still very much worth watching!

Jamaica Street Artists Studios, Stokes Croft, Bristol

Now, this is just so creative….everyone has heard of origami, and I’d imagine most people have had a go at making a swan or something like that at some stage.  But folding banknotes origami-style – and making use of what’s printed on them is an artform in its own right.

This pic is from Fun Fever where they have some great face-themed moneygami.  Over at Commongate, they have a whole gallery of incredible dollar-bill moneygami examples.