Welcome to Paper Ink.

Welcome to Paper Ink., a social papers studio.

While I have been designing custom invitations for all kinds of occasions for the past few years now, it has always been a hobby and a fun outlet for my creative side. I believe your invitation is your first impression to your event, no matter how casual or formal, large or small. And you know what they say about first impressions…

I have always been a paper addict and find myself collecting stationery, spending time fondling the texture of papers or admiring a particular font.  Weird?  maybe. probably. But fun definitely!

I have to admit that this paper thing is in my blood. My mom is a hostess with the mostest and the epitome of social grace.  She saves invitations, wedding programs, menu cards, etc.  that she finds to be really attractive or perhaps unusual. This eclectic collection of hers was so inspiring when we began planning my own wedding.   Which brings me to my mother-in-law. She owned a social stationery & gift shop in Crestline Village for many years and when I lived in Birmingham I would spend hours at the store,  checking out the latest stationery suites, scheming for an excuse to have a party just to send out a clever invite and longing for the day I chose my own wedding invitation.  So between my mother, the party planner and my MIL, the stationery expert I have learned so much! 

Over the years friends have asked for my advice on everything from thank you card etiquette to “where can I find this kind of invitation?”. I have learned that my acquired knowledge, combined with my passion for being apart of the design process actually can be pretty valuable, and fun!

So how did I get from this side hobby to officially being in business?  Well, I still am asking myself that.  Taking the leap is a little scary, a lotta crazy but nevertheless thrilling.  Of course the obvious answer is that once I realized people actually were willing to pay me for something I loved—well, it was hard to not pursue the opportunity. 

I prayed about this itch I had, did some soul searching, talked with some wonderful friends and of course got some good counsel (both legal and marital) from my husband.  After a lot of careful thought and some great encouragement, I finally made the decision to go official.  And the most amazing things have been happening ever since! I’ve had at least one open project every week for the past month with several more on the horizon.

I do not have plans to start a website or take online orders because there are so many others that do that and do it well.  Nor do I want to compete with retail operations.  The niche I am aiming to fill is providing one-of-a-kind, unique design that maybe you can’t find on your favorite shop’s shelves.

This blog will be my place to show you some pieces of my portfolio, offer invitation & stationery etiquette tips, offer some recommendations and bring you the trends and show you some of my clever finds from the world of social papers.

So if you need invitations, personal stationery, labels & tags, announcements let me know-I’d love to have the chance to work with you.