Stationery Trends Magazine

Editor’s Letter: Time and Space

Recently, while looking for something else, I stumbled across my own birth announcement. It was nothing like the sumptuous creations that fill this issue, or even the custom letterpressed design we sent out when my daughter was born four years ago (the creation and mailing of which preoccupied me for weeks). Rather, I suspect mine was pretty standard fare for 1969, probably purchased at the hospital gift shop. The self-enclosed, fill-in mailer was printed in both pink and blue for a versatile one-size-fits-all quality. Back then, filling them in as well as addressing and stamping them was most likely the perfect activity for new moms to fill the lengthy post-natal hospital stay. What really strikes me is that although my announcement has long served its purpose, it has an altogether new meaning today. It's a relic, a remnant of the past and part of who…  » Read more

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Designer Profile: Wanda Wen

A prolific designer helps the world live each day with beauty and inspiration Sometimes the line between designer, wholesaler, retailer, collaborator, author and even product spokeswoman gets blurred. Such is the case with Wanda Wen, who is not so much any of these labels as she is a force of nature, infusing her vision and personality into myriad projects. Some of these include: creating lines of custom invitations and various stationery components; being the proprietress of Soolip in Los Angeles; authoring "The Art of Giftwrapping"; spokesperson for Scotch brands; and founding of a Soolip Wedding, consumer events that present brides with the most distinguished area bridal services.They're all expressions of Wanda's quest to show the world how to live each day with beauty and inspiration. Stationery Trends interviewed the Soolip founder and creative visionary to learn more. Starting OutST: Tell us about your start in…  » Read more

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Retailer Profile: Paper Treasures

A Midwestern stationer goes from dreams to the national spotlight Some people have hope chests, but Joan Schnee once had a "paper store trunk." It housed her favorite ephemera: precious, elegant cards, letterpress card sets, French ribbon, vintage buttons, flower petals and Japanese Asanoha lace papers. More importantly, it represented her dream to have her own paper store one day, a day that arrived in August 1997 when Schnee opened On Paper's doors in Columbus, Ohio. Years before her store came to life Joan had her retail concept already developed, down to her list of vendors. Her early experiences certainly set the store's stage. After studying set and costume design at Carnegie-Mellon, Schnee earned her bachelor's degree at New York University. Schnee then worked in the display department at Macy's. "Almost immediately, I caught the retail bug, which launched a 20-plus-year career in visual merchandising…  » Read more

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The DIY Experience

What's a bride-to-be to do when she finds herself with the proverbial champagne taste and beer budget? For many brides, that means cutting costs wherever she can, which includes creating invitations and related stationery pieces themselves. The numbers back this up. According to the Craft & Hobby Association's (CHA's) Attitude & Usage Study, card making ranks seventh in terms of dollar sales and U.S. household participation. In 2009, it was a $1.187 million industry, a 7 percent rise over the previous year. Eleven percent of American households participate, each spending an average of $86.31 on an average of 10.4 projects each year. While the ability to literally inject oneself into stationery creations is a big draw, the main reason behind this growth seems to be purely financial, according to Victor Domine, CHA public relations manager. "Over the last couple years, consumers have been faced with…  » Read more

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