Printfresh Blog

1) Make sure your Bridesmaids are ready for your Bachelorette Vacay with Edge of Urge 3D Zip Set in Pastel

2) Make sure that everyone knows who your bride tribe is with these Edge of Urge 'Ladies' Enamel Pin

3) Your ladies will be able to elegantly put their hair up with Edge of Urge Camping Hair Pin

4) Use this Edge of Urge Sacred Sage Smudge to help keep the surrounding vibes positive 

5) Every bridesmaid will need to relax leading up to the big day, so this Urbanic Gold Tin Candle will do just that

6) Let all of your bridesmaids plans for the Bachelorette be written down in our fun Mini Velvet 'Spellbook' Journal coming soon to Tweak!

7) And for the big day, give all of your girls a personal Hand-Stamped Cuff from Edge of Urge

1. Jazz up your BFF's wrists with Good Karma-Message Bangle from Tweak 

2. Tell your bridesmaid how thankful and appreciative you are of them with Urbanic's Colorful Thank You Card Set

3. Let all of your bridesmaid plans for the Bachelorette be written down in our fun Medium 'Magic' Velvet Journal coming soon to Tweak

4. Be sure to get each of your Bridesmaids this personalized 'Pick Up Stix' tumbler from Ivy + Anchor for the Bachelorette party!

5. Everyone needs a little sparkle in their life, and these Heart Shaped Wand Sparklers from Tweak are perfect for a good photo op!

6. Every bridesmaid will need to relax leading up to the big day, so this Urbanic Gold Tin Candle will do just that

Amplify your smartphone sound with outdoor speakers made from simple household items We decided to amp up the classic speaker DIY with a little pizzazz from our Elephant's Garden & Foreign Bazaar wrapping sheets!

All you need is an empty paper towel tube and two paper cups, and you’ll be jamming out to your favorite tunes in no time. This DIY craft is easy to make, costs next to nothing, and, best of all, truly works!

To make them, here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 empty paper towel roll
• 2 paper cups (the bigger the cup, the bigger the sound)
• Markers or pencil
• Utility knife
• Sharp scissors
• Double stick tape
• Printfresh Foreign Bazaar & Elephant's Garden Wrapping Sheets

Once you have gathered your supplies you are ready to roll. Start by cutting down your paper towel roll (optional) to the length desired. Then hold cups up to one end of the speaker and trace the size of hole you will need to cut out of the cup. Cut along the circle you just traced out and adjust size of circle to fit paper towel circumference if needed.

Now that you have your measured circles cut out, you can start to cover and decorate your speaker! This is the fun part and is totally up to you to design how you want your speaker to look. We decided to cover ours in our wrapping sheets for the office.

Once your speaker is decorated you can now start to assemble. Fit in your paper roll into the pre-cut circles in your two cups. Secure with tape underneath if needed.

Lastly, pick your favorite playlist and enjoy your DIY outdoor speaker by the pool or barbecue!

Let us know what event you use your speaker for!

I can't believe the National Stationery Show wrapped a whole month ago already! It feels like yesterday that we were pulling into New York and hurrying to the Javits Center to set up our booth, merchandising all our product for the first time, and waiting excitedly for the earliest buyers to stop by for a first look. I learned so much from the 2017 NSS: an immersive lesson about the stationery and gift industries, introductions to countless buyers and boutiques from across the country, and maybe most importantly further insight into the Printfresh brand and my own aesthetic sensibilities.

As an artist, my favorite part of NSS may have been just walking the show and feeling completely inspired by all of my fellow talented artists, makers and brands. I saw so many amazing products and design, ranging from cards to notebooks and journals, pins and buttons, gorgeous party supplies, and all kinds of imaginative gifts in-between. There were beautiful prints, interesting techniques, and hilarious hand drawn typography galore! Despite the variety of styles and aesthetics on display at NSS, it was impossible not to notice some of the most popular trends, and marvel at how different artists chose to interpret them.

Introducing a completely new brand at such an important show like NSS was such a great experience. Just like it's impossible for me to list all of the lessons learned, it's equally difficult to translate the experience into just a few blog posts. But that being said, when I first started writing this series I knew I had to end with some kind of trend round-up.

So let's go through some of my favorite trends from the 2017 National Stationery Show, and take a look at some of the best products that were on display. Be sure to check out all of the other great artists and brands I've highlighted, and let's get inspired together!

NSS 2017 Trend #1 - Feminist Power

I was so happy to see pro-Feminist themes reflected in so many collections around NSS. I couldn't include every feminism anthem in this round-up, but highlighted above are a few of my favorite designs from Natasha Rose, Big Wheel Press, The Roc Shop, and Party Sally.

NSS 2017 Trend #2 - Retro Vibes

A lifetime lover of vintage (you may not know this about me, but I've run a vintage textile studio called PF Vintage for almost a decade), I adore retro-inspired designs. Our new Printfresh collection features flocked text notebooks, inspired by the groovy typography of the 60s and 70s. These notebooks will be available to purchase starting in September, and pair perfectly with the patches from Lucky Horse Press and cards from Imogen Owen, featured above.  

NSS 2017 Trend #3: Psychedelic Holographics

Everyone loves something metallic and shiny, and the variety of holographic finishes sprinkled throughout NSS reminded us of the flashy 90s and early 2000s fashion and gifts. Designs ranged from opalescent and dreamy (a la The Good Twin and The Roc Shop) to neon, in-your-face fun (417 Press and The Social Type).

 NSS 2017 Trend #4: Outer Space and Beyond

I love astrology-inspired illustration, and we explored this theme throughout our new Printfresh collection; I especially love our Hello cards, featuring a celestial take on the traditional bandana. These heavenly themes were also reflected in a number of other exhibitor's collections, including Lucky Horse Press and Natasha Rose.

NS 2017 Trend #5: Memphis Movement

Last but not least, I loved seeing all the Memphis Group-inspired playful and painterly geometric patterns that lots of different brands were showing. From black-and-white focused designs by The Good Twin and Bash Party Goods, to blush and pastel interpretations by Dear To Me Studio and Moglea, this 80s-inspired style was definitely having a moment.

Where there any big trends from the 2017 National Stationery Show that I missed? I'd love to hear your take on the show, and what designs inspired you the most!