ok, so this isn't technically paper

but it's the technology that will help me create better beautiful papers, and i'm excited!
it arrived this morning:

and, of course, this (without which i would be lost):

little known fact about me and adobe: i hate photoshop. a lot. but, my friend rachel loves it and she is giving away beautiful desktop images. check it out. i'm using it and it's so nice to look at.

toasted notes

how cute is this?

it's easy being green

if i could re-do my wedding, i'd do it in green stripes. i think this would also work well for a birthday party or baby shower. so cute.

link it up: the knot, martha, paper source, tie, necklace, bouquet, shoes.

how about orange?

i am loving jessica jones' blog. she is a girl after my own heart. in fact, as i was about to post my tutorial on making a notebook, i read HER tutorial this morning. hers is better. go check it out here.

(i'll still post mine...after the awesomeness of hers is forgotten) ;-)

halloween paper crafts

i wish i was throwing a halloween party. i have a good friend who's birthday is on the 30th, so maybe we could throw him a halloween-inspired party?! hm...i better get on that. all of the following are made from paper!

pumpkin candy holders and lanterns:

kitty candy holder:

pumpkin bags:

buckets covered in candy wrappers:

invitations:

bat bags:

paper shadows:

"don't forget" finger invitation!

"mad scientist" invitation:

bat pinata:

pumpkins:

trick-or-treat bags:

food tags:

paper:

kitty invite:

gorgeous paper wreath:

via martha, of course (and her craft store).

notebooks!

ok, i own too many notebooks. there. i said it. none of the above are mine, though i want them very badly. this weekend i'm going to put together a tutorial based on a notebook a friend made for me. it's a cheap and easy way to make a plain old notebook your own. i'll share it with you next week.

for now, check out this flickr pool for inspiration: notebooks

Banned Books Week

this is banned books week. books are made of paper, so i thought it fit. it might be a stretch, but i just had to post about this. i was shocked at the number of banned and/or challenged books i've read. i think you'll be surprised, too, if you look over the lists. here is a small sampling of the banned books i've read:

here are some links if you would like more information on banned books and the history behind why each book was banned. very interesting stuff:

• American Library Association (ALA)
• wikipedia
• banned books

take a couple days to read a banned book this week! as for me, i'm going to re-read "the perks of being a wallflower." happy reading!

pink

i know a lot of people have been doing this, but i wanted to spend some time searching for beautiful pink papers in honor of breast cancer awareness month. my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago, and after being clear for a few years, it came back with a vengeance this past summer. my mom spent time with her in california to care for her during treatment. the breast cancer has spread to her nervous system, eyes, and skull. my aunt is a very strong woman, but breast cancer is a very aggressive and tricky disease.

please, please do regular exams and get screenings, especially if cancer runs in your family. there is no reason to wait and hope for something strange to go away or get better. if you suspect anything, go to your doctor.

links for the collage (click image for larger view):

• 3d flower cards - karterskardz
• hot pink owl note cards – snew
• 3d pink tags – NYPapercrafter
• painted cards – tinacarroll
• pinwheel notebook – suzyjack
• xoxo paper – rose and radish
• and the rest is from, of course, paper source (i'll get over my obsession soon, i promise)