Blog Has a New Home

My blog has a new home! Check out Stationery Scoop which replaces Heidi's Paper Musings. I switched to the TypePad service because of the extra features available - check out the photo album and the RSS feed. Let me know what you think.

Reply Card Album

I was chatting with Gillie from Fairchild Bridal Group today (publishers of Bride's, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride), talking about reply cards and what to do with them after the wedding is over. We spoke about how many guests write personal notes to the bride and groom on the cards. These become special momentos of the special pre-wedding time, and of the friends and family who were invited to share in it. Gillie suggested that brides create a Reply Card Album. Using a simple scrapbook album or a guestbook such as this Handbound Guestbook from Botanical PaperWorks, affix the reply cards to the page. And voila - a beautiful keepsake album to treasure for years to come!

New Ribbons

Have you seen our new ribbons? Shown here - Vibrant Pink, Vibrant Orange, Celery Green and Medium Blue. This fabulous new ribbons are available on all of our handmade wedding invitations and Plantable Seeded Favors. All are available from Botanical PaperWorks.

Fall Bridal Gown Fashions

Modern Bride has photos fresh from the runway. Check out the wedding gown styles by visiting Fall Runway 2005. You can even vote for your favorite dress!

Martha Stewart Ad

On shelves soon...the Fall 2005 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Look for Botanical PaperWorks' ad in the Marketplace section at the back of the magazine. This issue's ad features the Butterfly in Flight plantable seed favors.

Butterfly Favors

We're working on some new photography for our website, and I wanted to share this bevy of beautiful butterflies. Shown at left, the Plantable Butterfly Seed Favors are available in white, pink, blue, yellow, lavender and new green. Plant the butterfly and the paper will grow into a pot of beautiful flowers. Each butterfly is made with Garden Greetings handmade wildflower seed paper. This special paper is plantable, which means that the seeds germinate right from the paper. Click here for more plantable seed favors. More lovely photos to come...stick around!

Update on DIY Prep

I'm off to Burbank in just 1 week, to tape the papermaking episode of Craft Lab, a new show from the DIY Network. On Friday, the head papermaking from Botanical PaperWorks and I spent the day getting materials and equipment ready for the show. There were many samples to be made, and bits and pieces to gather. We had to make extras of every sample, in case one gets lost or ruined during taping. I'll be traveling to Burbank with an odd assortment of equipment in my luggage - kitchen blender, dried pulp, handmade paper, whisks, plastic buckets. What will customs say?!

Introducing Toni

I would like to introduce you to Toni, Botanical PaperWorks' Customer Care Manager and Assistant General Manager. When you call to place an order, track a package or inquire about a product, most likely you will speak with Toni (or another member of her customer care team). Toni has been with Botanical PaperWorks since 2001, and her experience means that she can help you quickly and competently. I love this photo of us at the National Stationery Show in May 2005. We're dressed in identical t-shirts, as part of the booth uniform. Toni is here to help, so please call or email her with your questions and comments. She'd love to hear from you!

Free Wedding Planner Workbook

I love this wedding planner from Martha Stewart. It's called the Wedding Workbook and it's free for you to download. Use it to track expenses, plan the photography and more. It also includes a super helpful timeline for ordering invitations, booking facilities, etc.

Forgotten Thank You Note - What to Do

Here's a great Q&A from Modern Bride, addressing an awkward situation - what to do if you forget to send someone a thank you note. Yikes! It happens to the best of us. Click here for the answer.

Handmade Paper, An Overview

One more article that I suggest: Handmade Paper - An Overview is a useful introduction to handmade paper, the process of making handmade paper and other interesting details. It was written by the papermakers of Botanical PaperWorks, experienced in making handmade paper.

Handmade Wedding Invitations

Here's a helpful article called Tips for Ordering Handmade Wedding Invitations.

Good Manners During Wedding Preparations

On the way into work this morning, I was reminded of the importance of having good manners during a season of wedding preparations. I have recently been trying to contact a friend who is getting married, and she just is never returning my emails or calls. Now, I understand that she is insanely busy. More than insanely - unbelievably, crazy, over-the-top busy, with a lot on her mind. But I really need to get in touch with her, and short of renting a hot air balloon, I've run out of ideas for getting her attention. With so many details and concerns on our minds, pre-wedding, it's so easy to be on overload. And when we're on overload, we just don't care, or simply can't manage, to juggle all the balls in the air. I understand. Really. I've been there. But here's my word of caution: pulling off a wedding takes a lot of people who care about you and are willing to pitch in by throwing bridal showers, decorating the reception facility, addressing your invitations and listening to you ruminate on bridesmaids dresses and flower choices. In short, you need these people now, and you'll need them as friends later, once all the wedding insanity is over. Be careful to care for these friends now. You'll be so glad later that you did. Heidi Botanical PaperWorks

Read Wedding Monthly Online

If you didn't get a copy of Botanical PaperWorks' Wedding Monthly in your email in-box this month, you can now read it online. September Issue of Wedding Monthly Enjoy! P.S. Access more terrific articles by visiting our Articles and Resources page.

Wedding Verses and Quotes

Looking for a special verse or quote for your wedding? At Botanical PaperWorks, our customers often ask us for help with finding a verse or quotation for their wedding invitations and favors. To help you find a special piece, we've compiled this list of our favorite quotes and verses. Wedding Verses and Quotations If you have a favorite wedding quotation or verse, please contact us with your suggestion. We'll add it to our list to help future brides and grooms.

Handmade Paper Workshops

We receive many inquiries about whether Mary and I host classes in making handmade paper. The answer is yes we do! In the eight years since we founded Botanical PaperWorks, Mary and I have taught papermaking and bookbinding classes in many and varied settings. Some examples include: • seminars for teachers who want to teach papermaking in the classroom • papermaking classes from our studio at Botanical PaperWorks • sessions at community centers • kid's classes for church groups and other community groups • and more If you are interested in holding a papermaking class and would like to invite me and Mary, please contact us for a fee schedule. We look forward to hearing from you! P.S. Get all the basic supplies and materials for making handmade paper by visiting these links: • cotton linter pulp for making handmade paper • papermaking pigments • mould and deckle set for papermaking (shown at right) • sheets of handmade paper (in case you run out of time to do it yourself!)

Monday Morning Quote

I found this quote from Seuss-isms For Success, a fun little book with inspiring quotes for business, taken from the great author himself, Dr. Seuss. It's a good one for a Monday mornings: Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. From "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" Have a great week! Heidi from Botanical PaperWorks

Special Offer on Plantable Christmas Stationery

Would you like to get totally on top of your Christmas/Holiday cards now, in the month of September? Would you like to feel the relief of knowing that you won't have to scramble in December? Here's your chance - go right now to Botanical PaperWorks' Stationery Department and order some cards from our new 2005 Christmas and Holiday Stationery Collection. Each and every product is plantable, which means it will grow spruce trees when the handmade paper is planted. And as a bonus, receive $5 off your freight on all Christmas and Holiday Stationery orders placed in September. So start preparing your list of addresses and order the cards today...you'll be all done by October. And you can brag to your friends! :)

Wedding Monthly Easy-Subscribe Button

Botanical PaperWorks has a new easy-subscribe button on the Wedding Department page. It looks like this: Click on it, and you'll be able to instantly subscribe to Wedding Monthly, the premier monthly publication for brides and their advisors. We hope that this improvement to the Botanical PaperWorks web site makes subscribing to Wedding Monthly faster and easier.

September Issue of Wedding Monthly

The September issue of Wedding Monthly was sent out today. This month's special feature is $5 off freight for all orders of Christmas Holiday Stationery placed in the month of September 2005. Other special features include updated articles in the Wedding Resource section, including a new article called Wedding Verses and Quotations. This article has a selection of special verses and quotes perfect for a wedding or bridal shower. Don't miss the October issue! Join us by subscribing here. It's quick and easy to subscribe, and you'll start receiving Wedding Monthly in the first week of every month.

Christmas Holiday Product

We've just uploaded our 2005 Christmas Holiday Stationery Collection and you're invited to check it out. Visit the Botanical PaperWorks Stationery Department for handmade papers, envelopes and our new Christmas Collection of stationery. All products are available wholesale to qualified wholesale customers. Click here for a wholesale catalog.

Recommendation: Yahoo Papermaking List

Looking for an on-line forum for papermakers? Wanting useful advice and helpful direction? Look no further! The Yahoo Papermaking List is a list of 1000+ members who are united by their passion for papermaking. This convival group of crafters and artists discuss all matters relating to papermaking, including pigmenting, using different kinds of pulp, pulp processing, working with botanical inclusions and much more. Don't just take my word on it - go check it out yourself! Cheers! Heidi Botanical PaperWorks

DIY Network Show - Craft Lab

In just a couple of weeks, I'm off to Burbank, California, to tape an episode of "Craft Lab". It's a new craft show produced by Screen Door Entertainment for the DIY Network. The spot is all about...what else...papermaking! I'm really excited about this opportunity because so many people will get to experience papermaking in a fun and accessible format on TV. Also, all of the show's projects and instruction will be available on the DIY website. So all you have to do is watch the show or follow the on-line how-to's and you'll be set to make paper. Tons of Botanical PaperWorks product will be featured, including all of our great papermaking supplies. Be sure to visit my blog in September for updates on this amazing experience!