Recycling Christmas Paper

Being in the stationery business we obviously use alot of paper, but like everyone else, we try to think of the environment wherever we can. Christmas is a very environmentaly unfriendly time of year, with everyone travelling to family, buying up supermarkets of food, and sending cards and wrapping gifts. But you can help by being conscious of what you do with old wrapping paper and christmas cards and make sure you recycle as much as you can.

Reuse wrapping paper you like by ironing out any creases, or really special designs can be put in small frames to make cute pictures. Shred paper and use the brightly coloured shreddings as packing around future presents. Children can use scraps of paper in scrapbooking and to make collages – why note get them to make thankyou cards with a montage of different papers. Stick small sections to card to make new gift tags, or get really creative and make christmas decorations using paper mache. Even more eco friendly is to use gift boxes and gift bags that can be used again and again – thrifty and green!

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Colour theme: Gold

Ok, so the big day is officially over but its still Christmas for at least another 9 days according to the tradition of the 12 days of Christmas. And its cold and rainy so lets brighten things up abit with some gorgeous gold. Gold can bring a touch of elegance and class to any gift whether its on a card, thankyou note, gift tag, or the gift itself. Heres our favourites

Work from Ditzy Creations, Gemma with a G, Ink Me Up, Bad Books, and Belle and Boo.

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Happy Christmas

This weekend its pretty obvious what we’ll be doing – eating too much, arguing with brothers and sisters, and trying to look pleased when opening yet another pair of socks. Merry Christmas to everyone out there in blog land! I hope you all have a wonderful day, whether with friends or family or celebrating alone. I think someone once said that Christmas isn’t a single day, but a state of mind – and I hope to keep all those Chrsitmassy feelings of good will and festive spirit well into next year after the last of the turkey has been finally eaten. And don’t worry, we’re just taking a few days off – we’ll be back after Boxing day with tips on using old wrapping paper and writing those all important thankyou cards.

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We love: Gift Tags

Perfect finishing touches for presents this Christmas with these great little gift tags including Letterfest’s personalised tags where you can have any name cut out of an assortment of coloured cards. You’ll have to get one for each of your family so no one misses out!

Work from Letterfest, Belle and Boo, Happy Kimono, and Darling Dilly Dilly

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Have yourself a black and white christmas

with a little touch of silver! Monochromes are very on trend this season with striking Black and White decorations, gift wrap and ornaments.

Gift Tags from Sweet Pea pattern and print

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Colour theme: Berry Red

Red is the colour of holly berries, mulled wine, christmas stockings and of course, the man himself – Santa Claus. So celebrate this Christmas with our pick of whats red and recommended by us!

Work from Something Wonderful UK, Summersville, Hello Marine, Gemma Bear, Ruby Recycled

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This weekend we’re…

Putting up our christmas tree. I love this tradition, it gets me all christmassy, topped with baking mince pies, drinking mulled wine and watching my favourite Chrsitmas DVDs (Scrooged, Love Actually, and Its a Wonderful Life). This is our tree last year – we always go to the local village shop who sells real trees, and decorate with some treasures we’ve collected over the years, including some beautiful glass baubles, handmade and blown by a glass-maker friend of ours. Its great in the evening when the twinkly lights come on and we always miss it when it coms down in January. Until then, this is the official start of Chrsitmas for us!

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Friday Favourites: Journals

I seem to collect journals and notebooks. Not only are they super useful for jotting down ideas when I’m out and about, but there is something so lovely about a little bound book that I just want to touch and flick through them. And they make perfect stocking fillers this Christmas. You get get some really unique designs from UK artists, and the handfinishing and craftsmanship is always so good. Heres my wish list for my stocking this year!

Work from Bad books, Bookity, and Champignons

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Festive entertaining

If you’re throwing a party this festive season or hosting Christmas dinner itself, accessorise your table with unique place cards, decorations and floral arrangements. Choose a colour theme, like red and white, or silver, and decorate with ribbons, baubles, and evergreens.

These cute Robin place cards from Pocket Studio would be a great personal touch to any gathering, and the white “christmas tree” style cone could make a contemporary centre piece to your festive table.

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We love: More Christmas Cards

Last Posting date for First Class Mail in the UK is Monday Dec 21st, so theres still plenty of time to find that perfect card for someone special. Heres my pick of what I like and its all christmassy and red.

Cards from Heidi Burton, Parsy, Ruby Recycled, Sweet Pea Pattern and Print, Quite Contrary 2, and Something Wonderful UK.

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Papertastic on Facebook

As of today we’ll be adding all our blog posts to our Facebook fan page and Twitter stream. Make sure you check us out and add us to your favs or followus. Many thanks

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All Present and Correct

Half the fun of giving and receiving christmas presents is wrapping them in gorgeous and creative ways. When I wrap my presents I always choose a theme across all of them, so when they’re nestled under the tree they look so stylish, like a photo from a magazine! This all goes to pot when other people give me their presents and they clash horribly, but it looks good for a few days at least! And giving your friends and family gifts that are really thoughtfully wrapped makes them even more special.

You can take inspiration from your environment and accessorize presents with natural touches such as berries, fir cones, holly, and sprigs of cinammon. If you want them to last longer you can always opt for fake berries and silk flowers.
Choose a color theme across your presents thats suitable for both men and women. I choose a different one each year so it never gets boring, and a quick flick through interiors magazines will help you with inspiration and what’s on-trend this year.
Keep it simple with clean colour combinations of Black and White or White and Red. Simple brown craft paper can be brught to life with assorted brightly coloured ribbons and gift tags.

Add bows and ribbons, and unique touches such as stamps, stickers, buttons and christmas decorations. V V Rouleaux have unique ribbons and finishing touches for sewing projects that can be perfect for sprucing up a boring present.
Use Gift Boxes for difficult to wrap presents and irregular shapes. These are great as they can be re-used again and again, so help save on waste paper.

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Colours: Winter Whites

A cool, winter palette of whites. Who’d have though white can come in so many subtle shades, yet you need only look at a paint chart to see the variations – pure, chalk, sail, milk, antique, lime wash, aged, snow… White can feel crisp and clean, or soft and warm, and is never boring as some colour-junkies might think.

Work includes Mr Yen, Paper Paper, 100% Delicate, Sarah and Bendrix

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This weekend we’re…

Frantically christmas shopping, writing christmas cards, trying to think of gift ideas for ourselves (if Santa can’t come up with anything) and stocking the drinks cabinet for yuletide drinks (and probably drinking some of it – one glass of sherry is never enough!). Also I’m going to try and drag the husband to see “Where the Wild Things are” under the premise it was directed “by that same bloke who did Being John Malkovich”.

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Friday Favourites: Art Prints

Give something beautiful this Christmas with these contemporary art prints from the best illustrators and graphic designers working in the UK today. Monochrome prints with highlights of scarlet and berry make perfect gifts.

“Big Smoke” by Cut, Copy, Create
“Butterfly Dreams” by Lottie Frank
“Grey Rose” by Askey Illustration
“London” Art Print by Taylors Typographic Art Posters
“Upper St Giles Street” Original Wood Engraving, by the Lapwing Printworks
“Home” Typographic print by Letterfest

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An angel at your table

If you’re doing a bit of festive entertaining this year, try this cute paper angels. They make cute place cards for christmas dinners or can even decorate a tree or be strung together for a unique banner.

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We love: Christmas Cards

Instead of sending the same Christmas Cards as everyone else, choose one of these unique, limited edition designs from small, independent producers within the UK. Here’s our pick of the best Christmas Cards to buy at the moment.

Cards from Mr Yen, Asking for trouble, Pocket Studio, Ruby recycled, Gemma Bear and Belle and Boo.

No Comments | Posted in » GIFT GUIDES, SPECIAL DAYS

Christmas Decorations

Some very talented people at have come up with some truly unique ways or recycling pages from old books. I’ll be showcasing some more of their later, but meanwhile here’s some decorations that would be perfect for Christmas.

Gorgeous Bird decorations made from recycled poetry books from Cotton Bird Designs.

These beautiful paper garlands catch the light in an amazing way and are made from pages from Shakespeare’s plays, by Bookity.

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Colour: Blue Frost

Each week, I’ll be putting together a colour theme mood board from the latest work from all the best designers and illustrators working in the UK. To start, heres blue frost. Inspired by the first frost we had in the UK last week, and I’m sure theres many more to come. the palest of blues and aquas offset against chalky whites. Wrap up warm out there!

Work from Nuvo Nova, Zara Illustrates, Bee Designs, Gemma Bear, and Pocket Studio.

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Christmas Resolutions

Its that time of the year again when I start the month thoughtfully searching for perfect gifts for friends and family, and two weeks later I’m madly stuffing anything into my online shopping basket. Each year, I tell myself it will be different – I will be more prepared, I will buy local, ethical, and unique gifts from small independent shops. And every year the festive stress hits and I start to panic. But this year I’ve done my research and can share my finds with you. Gift ideas, gift wrapping, christmas cards, decorations… its all to come. So lets start with the traditional advent calendar. Perfect for kids big and small to countdown to the big day (chocolates optional).

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