"Moving on up...."

For those of you who follow us and haven't figured it out yet, we have moved our blog. We think it looks way better and we hope you agree! I feel terrible that I forgot to post this before now. Our friend Kate just said she went to our blog (this one) and couldn't believe we hadn't updated in almost a month...and it hit me then that we never announced the move.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR NEW LAYOUT AND WEB ADDRESS

Just a reminder...

Paper Persuasions will be closed Saturday July 4th.

We have had several phone calls today asking if we will be open tomorrow (Friday) - and in case you too are wondering, the answer is YES! We will be open 10-4 which is our standard Friday schedule.

We hope you have a happy and safe holiday with family and friends.

May's Custom Invitation Recap

No, It's not a mistake. I somehow overlooked updating the blog for most of May and June. Somehow meaning this: wedding season kicked our butts and we had a family vacation (closing the studio for a week) smack dab in the middle. Things are finally getting back on track and we are happy to share some of our favorite summer projects with you below.



Here's a lovely pocketfold we created for an October wedding. A rich chocolate brown pocket topped with the white and champagne regalia pattern.....and finished with wasabi and ecru papers. A perfect combination for a warm fall evening!



This pocketfold was designed for a bride that lives in the Akron/Canton area but is getting married around Lake Tahoe. Although the wedding is on the small side - it's going to be packed with fun. With so much to do in the area, (not to mention a stunning invitation) I'd bet that she ends up with more guests than expected!



This invitation was actually designed by the bride (Katie) and printed and assembled by us. Katie lives in the Columbus area and works as a fashion designer for Abercrombie. When it came to the invitation design, she already knew what she wanted....she just needed an avenue to get there. With 4 great minds working together (her awesome mom included!) a gorgeous final product was achieved.



We designed this invitation for a bride who calls herself "The pickiest bride God ever made". While it did take several visits and mock ups to achieve the final design, I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful invitation ensembles we have ever made. I am a big fan of monochromatic design so I loved the subtle colors and simple paisley design.

These accessories were for Amy and Jeremy's June 13th wedding held at the Tudor House. Amy helped make her own invitations (we designed and printed them - she assembled them) and we are still waiting for her to send pictures of the final product! The programs, table cards and place cards are shown - but we also made a ton of various signage used throughout the reception which can be seen throughout the Ceremony Recap on Heidzilla's blog. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of Heidi in the coming months as she seems to be the most talked about coordinator in years!

These Table Cards, Favor Tags and Thank You cards were all made to coordinate with the first invitation listed in this weekly recap.

These Table Cards (along with matching placecards which are not shown) were made to coordinate with an invitation shown here weekly recap.


Wine Cork Place Cards for Chuck and Brookes wedding in California. These turned out SO awesome! The bride and groom ordered wine corks online and used a bread knife to cut one side flat and then slit the top. A perfect addition to the tone they set when they sent their plantable invitations.

Studio Closed June 13th - 22nd

Paper Persuasions is a locally owned, family owned business. As such, we will be closed June 13th thru 22nd for family vacation. We will have access to email and voicemail and will be responding to messages when possible.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that you too will be able to spend time with your loved ones in the upcoming summer months!

Outer Banks....here we come!!!

Steph & Stacy

Real Brides: Ashley and James take on DIY Invitations

We first met James and Ashley on a CRAZY BUSY Saturday. They are one of those couples who are just...well...infectious. They are both so nice, smiley and awesome that you can't help but be in a great mood after talking to them! They knew they wanted to make their own invitations - already having purchased a DIY kit - but just weren't satisfied with the results. James' mom encouraged them to take the 1 hour+ drive down to our studio after hearing about us on Fox 8 News.

Not wanting the hassle of printing the invitations, they knew they wanted us to provide the printing but handle the rest of the project on their own. Their initial visit lasted about 1.5 hours and we were able to work with them to finalize their design, wording, typestyle and layout. They weren't sure of their final counts - so a quick email and phone call later in the week was all we needed to get the proper amount of product ordered. About two weeks later, their product was here, printed and ready for pickup. The rest is history.....and the couple has shared photographs and a few tips from their DIY journey......

Product arrives - time to dig in!

To conserve paper, we printed multiple pieces on a single 8.5 x 11 sheets. We were able to get 20 tags per sheet, 4 invites per sheet, 5 rsvps per sheet and 6 reception cards per sheet.


James was the designated cutter....

Everything is *perfectly* cut and ready for assembly

Ashley did the spray gluing for the thinner pieces...

And tape gluing for the cardstocks....(this is our tape gun - they are available for rental with any DIY purchase)

Ashley and her mom Laurie working on assembly

James' mom Becky did ALL the addressing of the outer envelopes by hand...and even used the back of the pocketfold as an inner envelope by writing the guests names directly on the pocket.

The finished product - hot pink, orange and white pocketfolds.

We ask all of our DIY clients to complete a brief survey to share with other prospective DIY'ers. Here are the results of theirs:

Did you initially plan on making your own invitations? Yes

Approximately how ling did your project take to complete: 20 hours

Was was the difficulty level of your project compared to what you expected?: About what I expected

Please describe your project in as much detail as you'd like. Feel free to include funny stories, hassles and mishaps, your over all experience, etc. : Advice would be to have a paper cutter! Split the project up over days, I (James) did all the cutting while watching the basketball playoffs and Ashley did the gluing of the invitations while watching movies in the background. With the cutting, be sure to "Math Out" how many sheets of cardstock you will need for each card before cutting and place them in separate piles. When gluing, the gun saves so much time and is easy to use. Make sure to have old newspaper down for the spray adhesive as it travels everywhere no matter how careful you are. Save all left over pieces - you never know when they might come in handy again. Be sure to get your invitations weighed. Our finished invite mailed at $.61 even though it was a standard sized envelope. Again, spread the project over a week as taking your time will give you amazing results! We had a great time making our invitations and now have even more special memories as we did them together.

Do you feel Paper Persuasions was a valuable partner in helping you throughout your project?: Yes. Stephanie was very helpful and spent so much time explaining and helping us pick out and individualize our invitations.

James and Ashley - thanks for taking that long drive down to the studio! You both were a pleasure to work with. Your project turned out amazing and we are happy to have provided the paper products and printing services for your DIY Invitations. Best of luck as you continue to plan the wedding...and Ashley - we hope have a blast at your Bridal Shower this weekend!!

We Won!

Thanks to all of you who took the time to vote in the Akron/Canton Hotlist competition. We were a little late in sending out the email (like 24 hours before the competition ended) so to be able to take home the title with such a small percentage of our clients being able to vote - it really means the world to us! Many of your comments actually brought tears to our eyes (click the banner below to read them yourself!) We appreciate you more than you will ever know! Thanks again for your support.

Stephanie and Stacy

Catalog Invitation Pick of the Week

(Each week I pick one of my favorites and share it with you!)

This week's pick: Silver and White Shimmer Flat Panel




Catalog: Bride and Groom by McPhersons
Price Points
75 Ensembles: $4.43
100 Ensembles: $3.51
150 Ensembles: $3.11
200 Ensembles: $2.92
Approximate price per ensemble including proofing, shipping, and tax. Ensembles include invitation, response card with printed envelope, reception card, and return address printed on mailing envelope.

Catalog Invitation Pick of the Week

(Each week I pick one of my favorites and share it with you!)

This week's pick: 4x9 Seal and Send on White Shimmer Stock




We received an updated version of the Something Different Catalog by Carlson Craft, and were delighted to find something different for a seal n' send option! This seal n' send has a finished size of 4x9, so it's presentation is a little more substantial that the typical seal n' send finished size of 4x5. It is made of a trendy black and white pattern printed on white shimmer card stock and accented with your choice of ink colors for the copy content. Just fold it up, seal it, and mail it - no envelopes used! Your guests tear off the perforated response postcard and send that back to you, saving you postage and saving the environment some paper waste!

Catalog: Something Different by Carlson Craft
Price Points:
75 Ensembles: $3.45
100 Ensembles: $2.91
150 Ensembles: $2.77
200 Ensembles: $2.70
(Approximate price point per ensemble including proofing, tax and shipping. Ensembles include entire ensemble with return address and response postcard address printed)

Bi-Weekly Recap 4/19-5/8/09

Okay - so its more like a tri-weekly recap. I suppose that I will always push these things one week past the due date until I am doing a Yearly Recap!

Well, I made it through Stacy's first ever vacation from this place...and now it's her turn to make it through mine. I leave for LA on Tuesday and will be gone through the 19th. So....from May 12th - 19th, we will be open regular hours but with walk-ins only. (We schedule appointments so that our brides can have one-on-one attention and when only one of us is on staff, we have to be able to handle everything that comes our way - phones, walk-ins, etc.) I guess now also seems like a good time to remind you that we will be closed June 13th - June 22nd for family vacation. Now I know it must seem like we travel ALOT - but I swear - this is the first time we have taken time off in YEARS. It just so happened that each of us had an out-of-state obligation during peak wedding season PLUS we are taking our FIRST family vacation in 14 years! Since we are sisters and all, it wasn't fair for one of us to miss out on that - so we will be closing for the week.

Here are a few things we have been working on over the past three weeks:
Catalog Wedding Invitation: Love Birds

This ensemble is one of my catalog favorites. The cool thing about working with it this time, is that the bride was able to work in the rich purple she was using. Although it is not shown in the photo above, we were able to add a purple layer behind the teal layer using custom cut Envelopments products.


Catalog Wedding Invitation: Red Roses

These were for a Red, Black and White wedding. I love the detail brought to the ensemble by the red deckled edges on the invite, response and reception card and all the envelopes!

Catalog Wedding Invitation: Shimmer Pocketfold

Here is a color scheme we have shown before, but in a totally different layout. The Paper Duvet Catalog allows you to mix and match from several different layouts - and several different paper colors to create your own one-of-a-kind pocketfold ensemble.

Catalog Wedding Invitation: Seal and Send

I love the combination of this Ecru Seal and Send with Navy Blue Lettering - it's quite simple and elegant and at a great price!


Custom Baby Shower Invitation

This baby shower invite was custom made for a former bride who is expecting her first child (a girl!) in three short months! This design features Envelopments original artwork.

Catalog Wedding Invitation: Black Pocketfold

This is another mix and match style of pocket and this color combo was perfect for the brides Hawaiian wedding / Ohio reception. This came from the Carlson Craft Pockets album...and we just got our newest edition with 12 new layouts!

Catalog Wedding Invitation: Black and White Recycled Invite

This invitation comes from the Naturally Ever After Album and features 30% recycled papers. The rich texture of the paper with the simple black and white photograph combine to form a unique, simple, elegant ensemble.

Custom Photo Thank You Cards

These thank you cards are for April's Featured Bride.

Custom Wedding Invitation: Gold and Navy Pocketfold

This custom pocketfold was made for a bride using the Claddagh theme throughout. Although it is not pictured here, the front of the invitation includes a tab with the symbol on it and will be the first thing the guests see when opening the envelopes.

Catalog Invitation: 50th Wedding Anniversary

We don't get to see too many clients who are celebrating their 50th anniversary...but to meet one who is more in love today than 50 years ago is an amazing feeling! We can't wait to work on matching photo bookmarks which will be given to all guests.

Custom Wedding Invitation: Lime Green and Persimmon

We loved how these turned out! The floral pattern on the invite and small bird detail on the insert tied everything together to create the natural feel this bride and groom was looking for.

Custom Wedding Invitations: Black, Ecru and Red Flourish
These were made for someone extremely dear to our hearts....and maybe I am biased, but I LOVE them. I especially love the artwork on the design and how it is split between the inserts.

Custom Thank You Note: Polka Dots - Black, Pink and Lime

These are from our custom thank you card line - and were made to match an invitation featured a couple of weeks ago. We are also doing some favor tags and table numbers with the same theme and those should be featured on the blog in the next few weeks.

(Each week I pick one of my favorites and share it with you!)

This week's pick: 100% Recycled Flat Panel Black & Teal

This invitation is part of the "Go Green" selection so it is made from 100% recycled papers and includes a single mailing envelope. The simple design is dressed up with a little bit of teal color in the flourish and the bride & groom's names. A lot of style at a very affordable price! Colors and design are available only as shown, but fonts can be changed.

Catalog: Wedding Collection by Carlson Craft
Price Points:
75 Ensembles: $4.12
100 Ensembles: $3.41
150 Ensembles: $3.12
200 Ensembles: $2.98
Approximate price per ensemble includes proofing, shipping, and tax. Ensemble includes invitation, response card with printed envelope, reception card, and mailing envelope with return address printed.

Paper Persuasions is proud to support Domestic Violence Project, Inc. Help us help them! Donate 5 different items from their list of needs and receive an additional 5% off your catalog order!

Real Brides: Nicole and Rich - Valentines Day 2009

Although Nicole and Rich have been 'a couple' for years...they decided to tie the knot on Valentine's Day 2009 with a Brunch Reception to follow at Chenoweth Country Club. Until Nicole, I had never met a bride whose attention to detail was parallel to my own....so her and I worked together fabulously. Since she was a DIY bride in many areas (floral and other decor) we were honored that she and Rich selected us for their Stationery needs. The color scheme of the invitation was hard to nail down at first...but once we found the right combo - we carried it through everything paper!

Here are shots of the Invitations, Table Cards, Place Cards and Seating Chart (not pictured - photo thank you cards and favor tags for the little bag of chocolates they gave to their guests).

Nicole made all of her own centerpieces and florals - and when she brought in a sample to see how her table cards looked next to them, I was blown away. She is so talented! I would give anything to have seen the reception hall. Below are a few shots of the bride and groom courtesy of Tom Forrest Photography.

A letter from Nicole to us:

To my Friends at Paper Persuasions,

I wanted to say "thank you" for everything you did to help me have the perfect day! Our wedding was awesome and all the details & frills of each beautiful piece of Paper and Cardstock Art were Unbelievable!! You both were so careful and helped me truly create the exact look I wanted for my invitations, place cards, seating charts, favor tags, table tent cards and even my Thank You cards! You never rushed me - you always took the time to listen carefully, and you always followed through with FLAWLESS EXECUTION of EVERYTHING! You both are wonderful people and I will make sure to stay in touch and utilize your services for any special invitation or paper product where PERFECTION is needed!

With Sincere Thanks,

Nicole

Catalog Invitation Pick of the Week

(Each week I pick one of my favorites and share it with you!)

This week's pick: Vellum Overlay Invitation w/ Monogram in Jacket Slide

This ensemble is just darling! The bright white outer jacket is embossed with a flirty floral design. The invitation, featuring a monogram, slides out of the jacket by pulling on the ribbon. Change the feel by choosing from a selection of ribbon colors and 27 ink colors! Make it more classic with black , or more autumn-inspired with brown!

Catalog: Wedding Invitations by Stylart
Price Points:
75 Ensembles: $4.24
100 Ensembles: $3.42
150 Ensembles: $3.06
200 Ensembles: $2.70
(Approximate price per ensemble including proofing, shipping, and tax) Ensembles include invitation, slide, ribbon, response card with printed envelope, reception card, and return address printed on back flap of mailing envelope.
Paper Persuasions is proud to support Domestic Violence Project, inc. Help us help them! Donate 5 different items from their list of needed items and receive an additional 5% discount off your invitation order!

New Wedding Stamps

So we were at the post office today and *finally* got to see the offical catalog of new stamps reflective of the May 11, 2009 increase. I have to say, I am slightly disappointed with the 'gold rings' wedding stamp - but I guess it beats a big ole Liberty Bell. My personal favorites are the Simpson's stamps....and the King and Queen of hearts stamps. Oh - and as per the usual - they are relasing a nice $.44 flag stamp (not pictured).



Seriously! I'm in love with these stamps.


But more in love with these!! This image is of poor quality - but these totally rock. The king and queen are each their own $.44 stamp. I think these will work great for people with 'in between' postage quotes of $.79 - $.84. How cute would it be to use one of each to total $.84 rather than using the $.79 mountain stamp?







These are the new wedding combination stamps. Use the $.44 for your reply envelopes (the rings) and the $.61 for the ensemble (the cake) if it weighs in at over 1 oz.

Etiquette Question of the Week 4/20/09

Q:I am working on my guest list and I have 120 addresses total. How many extra invitations should I order?

A: Well, that depends. How firm is your list? And are you ordering Custom invitations or Catalog invitations?

If you are ordering Catalog invitations, you can only order them in quantities of 25. Since you have 120 addresses already, only ordering 125 invitations may be cutting it too close...so I would suggest ordering 150. That should give you plenty of extras. If you are worried about making mistakes on the envelopes - do not order extra ensembles - just request 25 extra envelopes. The cost is MINIMAL compared to ordering 25 extra sets.

If you are ordering Custom invitations, you can order them in any quantity you need. If your list is firm at 120, then 135 should take care of any last minute guest additions and keepsakes. Same rules apply for extra envelopes - if you are worried about making mistakes when addressing them, simply order additional envelopes.

Submit your very own etiquette question on our website - you will receive an email response with the answer within 48 hours - plus your question could be featured in an upcoming blog or newsletter!

Bi-Weekly Recap 4/5-4/18/09

Hi there! These last two weeks have been insane around here. Now that the weather is breaking, we seem to be meeting an increase of brides who are in panic mode as their invitations have not yet been ordered for June/July weddings. We experienced the busiest days EVER on Easter Weekend. Thanks to everyone who came in and who were patient as Stacy and I worked the crowds! And please be patient if you are planning to stop in between the 23rd and 28th. Stacy will be on vacation and those days are treated as 'walk-in' only days. I won't be taking appointments because there is no guarantee that I won't be pulled in three other directions at any given moment.... and we like to give our appointments our undivided attention!

Here are some pictures of things we have been working on:


Catalog Invitation: Save the Date
This Save the Date card was actually meant to be used as an invitation but the bride got creative! Instead of the B&G names being printed within the 'window' they had their wedding date. The card slides out via ribbon to reveal the preliminary information about their wedding day. Great idea!



Catalog Invitation: Black and White Pocketfold
We've had this one on the blog before. It's a pocket from the Blue Album and it comes in at a GREAT price. You can drastically change the look of this invite by simply changing the ink color.


Catalog Invitation: Cala Lily Seal-n-Send
One of the downfalls of a Seal-n-Send invitation is having to write the address on the backside of the invitation. If you are having an adult only reception, or want to be very specific with who is invited, it can be difficult to do with just one writing surface. Many Seal-n-Sends fit perfectly into Envelopments envelopes (available in over 70 colors)...and this one was printed in ginger ink and placed in a sunstone envelope. Since the return address was no longer needed on the back flap of the Seal-n-Send, the bride replaced it with a quote from their first dance song.


Catalog Invitation: Save the Date - Fall leaves



Catalog Invitation: Peacock Blue Pocketfold
This was another catalog invitation that we added custom touches to. The bride was looking for a specific shade of blue...but rather than facing the expense of custom design, she wanted to stick with a catalog option. We searched high and low and couldn't find the right shade of blue so we ordered the catalog invitation without the middle layer (Carlson Craft gave us a nice discount) then we ordered in cardstock from Envelopments and cut it to the right size. Although it ended up being a slightly higher cost than straight catalog, it was well worth it to get the right color!


Custom Invitation: Chocolate Brown, Blue and Red Pocketfold
This is a pocketfold that we designed for a bride - and even made matching envelope seals which have their return address printed on them! This is actually for a DIY project - we did the printing and they will be doing all the cutting and assembly. We loved the design so much, we wanted to make one for ourselves...and of course we wanted to show off the custom seal...we are excited to be offering these now!


Custom Wedding Invitation: Pink, Silver and White Pocketfold
This bride and groom and her mom have been absolutely wonderful to work with. I am so happy that we are doing all of their accessories too so that we don't have to say goodbye just yet. We have been working on finalizing their invitation order...and we finally got their custom postage stamps in from Zazzle so I was able to take a shot of the ensemble. The custom monogram (actually designed by the groom!!!) was used on the front flap of their pocketfold, on the envelope seal and on the custom postage stamps. This order is a true piece of art!


Custom Wedding Invitation: Pyrite, Persimmon, White Shimmer
Again - another bride that I'll be sad to say goodbye to! We are also doing custom accessories for this order...and Contessa Polina has made cookies to match the front tag of the invite. You will definitely be seeing more of this design on the blog soon!

Custom Accessories: Ecru Shimmer, Pyrite and Starfish theme

As I type this the bride and groom are probably sitting in the airport waiting for their flight to Jamaica! We made custom invitations for them a few months back and these accessories carried the starfish theme through to the reception. From top to bottom: Menus, Table Cards (with island names), Escort Cards (with envelopes!), Stick-on tags for the favor boxes & Welcome tags for the guests gift bags, and finally Ceremony Programs. Can't wait to see the photos...and to work on their custom thank you cards! Congrats you two!

Here We Grow Again!

Usually on Wednesdays, I share a catalog invitation pick of the week with you. This week I'd like to introduce 3 new catalogs we added to our selection last week! We are always looking to increase our selection of low to moderate budget invitations, and these three do just that!

Bride & Groom by McPhersons
Offering a broad range of styles from Cinderella romantic to contemporary patterns. Here's a peek:







Flower by Carlson Craft
Yes, there a some invitations featured with a floral theme, but this catalog also includes some nice non-floral selections. Here's a peek:






Save the Date by Carlson Craft
An entire catalog of Save the Date choices! From photo magnets to scratch off tickets to detailed itineraries, this book has it all! It's an updated catalog offering extensive color choices and more themes. Here's a peek:







We are proud to be adding these three catalogs to our collection, bringing the total to 31! Stop by soon and we'll help you find the best invitation for you and your event.

Etiquette Question of the Week 4/13/2009

Q: I didn't order my invitations through you (wished I would have, long story) but I am wondering if you could tell me if I should be ordering invitation tissues to go with my invitations? The place I did order them from said that they aren't used any more and they can't get them for me but my mom is pretty upset that they were not included in the order. I'm just wondering if it is proper etiquette to include them? Thanks, Anne (from Cleveland)

A: Hi Anne! All of the catalog companies that we represent have discontinued including tissues in their orders - however, they are available by request. Tissues were used to help keep the printed portion of the invitations from smearing - but due to modern printing methods, the tissue is no longer needed for this purpose so most people were not using them. It is not considered improper etiquette to not include them but if you still want to use them for your invitations, let me know the finished size of your invitation panel and I'll be happy to get some for you.

Submit your very own etiquette question on our website - you will receive an email response with the answer within 48 hours - plus your question could be featured in an upcoming blog or newsletter!

Catalog Invitation Pick of the Week

(Each week I pick one of my favorites and share it with you!)

This week's pick: Chocolate Brown Folded Card with Flourish Pattern and Ivory Inserts



This invitation is a new addition to one of my most favorite catalogs - Candlelight by Carlson Craft. It is a rich chocolate brown folded card with the invitation and reception details printed inside on an Ivory insert - all tied together with a chocolate brown satin ribbon. The beautiful flourish/damask design embossed in the card is carried through to the response insert and the custom printed inner envelope. This ensemble is perfect for a fall wedding!




Catalog: Candlelight Collection by Carlson Craft
Price Points:
75 Ensembles: $5.47
100 Ensembles: $4.47
150 Ensembles: $4.05
200 Ensembles: $3.85
(Approximate price per ensemble including tax, shipping and proofing)
Ensembles include: Invitation, ribbon, response card with printed envelope, inner envelope with pattern printed, all copy and pattern printed in brown ink, and mailing envelope with return address printed in black ink.

We need your votes!

So anyways...the Akron/Canton Hot list is back...and we need your votes! Please take a minute to vote for us with as many valid email addresses as you have. We promise - they don't spam you if you do not request to receive email. I've voted in a few of these! If you have an extra minute or two, we'd love if you took the time to rate us and write a brief review about us.

Thanks for your support!

Steph
CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Etiquette Question of the Week 4/6/09

Q: How do I address an invitation to a married couple where the woman kept her married name and is a doctor and the man is not a doctor. Do their names go on separate lines?

A: This is a great question. For the example, let's say that the name of the woman is Jane Jones and the name of the man is Dan Smith. The degreed individual is listed first and yes - their names are listed on separate lines:
Dr. Jane Jones
Mr. Dan Smith

Let's say that the woman was a doctor who took her husbands name it would be:
Dr. Jane and Mr. Dan Smith

Or both were doctors:
Drs. Jane and Dan Smith

Submit your very own etiquette question on our website - you will receive an email response with the answer within 48 hours - plus your question could be featured in an upcoming blog or newsletter!