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Caught in a Daydream: The Reverie Desk & Stationery Collection

9.01.2016

Sometimes it is beautiful to get caught in a daydream; there’s a peace and tranquility in allowing your mind to wander freely. That is precisely the essence of the Reverie Desk & Stationery Collection, new from Elum. Even if you’re a prisoner to a computer screen most of the week, your mind has the freedom to create a beautiful escape through a daydream. In that same way, the Reverie Collection can turn a mundane workspace into a serene landscape.

Whimsically flowing watercolors and carefree pen strokes in a flush of lavender, deep navy, pear and sorbet capture the essence of a waking dream. Accompanied by brilliant pops of rose gold, these elements come together seamlessly in the introductory desk and stationery collection designed and manufactured by Elum.

The Reverie collection is elevated beyond an ordinary stationery line both in quality and design. The addition of one of a kind products like the dimensional Peony Notepad and the 3 Pack Paper Journals with rose gold stitched binding make it truly extraordinary.

We carefully crafted every detail of this collection, from the artful coptic stitch on the Exposed Bound Journal, to the luxe ultra-thick paper of the Edge Painted Note Boards, cleverly called “Certified Snail Mail”. The inclusion of products like the Petite Paper Wrapped Week Ahead Clipboard will help you get organized for the coming week, making the Reverie Collection the perfect combination of beauty and functionality.

Of course no collection from Elum would be complete without a callback to our foundation in the highest quality letterpress printing. The Reverie Collection includes 7 brand new boxed letterpress note cards in gorgeous complimentary designs.

You can see the entire collection at ElumDesigns.com. Or find out what our friend’s Julie Lauren and Kellie Van have to say about the collection on their blogs.

Let us know what you think about the new collection in the comments below.

Office Life: Elum Painting Party

8.30.2016

We’re a versatile bunch here at Elum. Our extraordinary design team is assembled from all sorts of artistic backgrounds. We are graphic designers, illustrators, painters, photographers, fine artists, and textile designers. Even though we come from different formal training, two things are absolutely true about every member of this team:

#1- We love to try new things.

#2- We like to party.

A few weeks ago one of our favorite clients asked us to create a hand-painted collection for their next line of desk & stationery products. Even though it’s not something we’ve done in the past we jumped at the opportunity. First we had a team brainstorm to narrow down painting techniques we wanted to execute. Then, we organized a painting party complete with smocks, new paints , fresh brushes and our favorite 90’s pop music playlist.

The final result is truly a thing of beauty. Because of our different backgrounds each member contributed something unique to the collaboration. As a result, we achieved a perfect combination of artistic textured brush strokes, delicate watercolor washes and graphic stippling and stripes.

The collection continues to come together beautifully. Check back for more progress updates and info on when it will hit stores. If you can’t wait for the new collection you can buy our Reverie Desk & Stationery Collection right now at elumdesigns.com or head over to papyrusonline.com to check out the Bijou Collection, designed by Elum exclusively for Paper Destiny.

Elum is up for 7 Louie Awards (AGAIN!)

4.25.2016

We’ve heard the old adage “Lucky Number 7” but for Elum it seems to be the luckiest number. For the second year in a row Elum has been nominated for SEVEN Louie Awards. Honestly, we’re so excited it’s impressive we were able to stop high-fiving long enough to get this blog post written. Without further ado, our 7 Louie Award nominations are:

No 1: If Memory Serves

Back in her college days while “under the influence” someone asked our founder, Melissa, a question to which she looked at them and said, “If memory serves me correctly, I have absolutely no idea.” It got a huge laugh and led her to this hilarious card concept all these years later.

No 2: Nap Hard

We all want to go big for birthdays, but let’s get real, life is tiring. Inspired by the “work hard, play hard, nap hard” mantra, this card was written for the girl knows a good party needs a good pre-game nap. The combination of witty messaging and extra celebratory confetti make this card a winner in our eyes and our staff pick favorite!

No 3: Priceless Torah

Bar Mitzvah cards are usually very serious. This card takes a more light-hearted approach with a playful design and humorous message. It was created to have a hand-drawn feel and ended up with a fun & unexpected dramatic comic book vibe.

No 4: Life is

Sometimes life is super amazing but sometimes life just feels like it’s totally against you. When kind words and motivational quotes fail, this card tells it like it is, with a candor that will hopefully make someone smile during a tough time. We hand lettered the message to give the card a more personal feel and used subtle colors with just enough punch to let the recipient know you are right there with them when life gets tough.

Elum Louie Award Greeting Card Nominations

No 5: Our Gnome

We know how to appreciate a good pun, which makes this card another Elum staff favorite. This sweet & silly letterpress holiday card features adorable gnomes with over exaggerated hats in a cheerful forest scene inspired by Scandinavian design aesthetic.

No 6: Rainbow Cake

Designing our same sex wedding card collection was one of our favorite projects of all time. We wanted to incorporate the rainbow, a symbol of diversity and pride amongst the LGBTQ community, and the traditional wedding cake revealing the colorful layers. It seemed like the perfect celebratory symbol of marriage equality.

No 7: Everything Fluffy

We think this card pretty much sums up how every little girl feels on her birthday. Melissa took herself back to childhood days, remembering that “magically dreamy birthday girl feeling” to come up with this message. The cotton candy hair do is the pretty much the epitome of every little girls fantasy.

Obviously we think they’re all winners but do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Don’t forget to check back soon to find out which awards we come home with and be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram for up to date news and info from Elum!

Introducing the Bijou Desk & Stationery Collection

4.11.2016

It may seem like we’ve been quiet here at Elum but behind the scenes we’ve been working harder than ever. Our team of uber-talented designers was asked to create a line of stationery & desk products for Paper Destiny, to be sold exclusively at Papyrus stores, and of course we jumped at this amazing opportunity. We couldn’t be more excited to finally announce the arrival of the new Bijou Desk and Stationery Collection, available now at Papyrus.

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]The Bijou Collection[/typography]

We were inspired to create a line of products that exudes confidence but has romantic and feminine touches that bring the elements of hard and soft together seamlessly. Multi-colored designs use bold color blocking in coral, pink grapefruit, lagoon, and striking black to drive the color story. A touch of white oak wood veneer provides and unexpected natural element. Warm gold foil adds a subtle elegance and the hand brushed typestyle fashionably finishes out the collection. The name Bijou felt like the perfect fit, with every item being an elegant little jewel for your workspace.

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]Gilded Notecards, Tres Important Square Notepad, 3 Pack Paper Journals[/typography]

Products like the luxe ultra-thick Edge Painted Note Boards, cleverly called a “vintage text message”, are one-of-a-kind additions to the Bijou collection. Foil stamped on 1/16″ thick soft-textured stock and carefully edge painted by hand, no other products on the market can compare to their quality and design. (pictured below)

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]Edge Painted Note Boards[/typography]

Every detail has been thoughtfully crafted, like the artful coptic stitch binding on the Exposed Bound Journal, filled with soft cottony sketch paper that you can’t help but run your fingers over with every turn of the page. Once you make it through your first volume you can head back to Papyrus stores, where this product will be a staple of their stationery department and we will continue to add new beautiful designs. (pictured below)

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]Exposed Bound Journals[/typography]

The Bijou collection is elevated beyond an ordinary stationery line in both quality and design, with the addition of several new unique products. We adore this line so much it’s hard for us to pick favorites but the 3-dimensional Topographic Notepad that mimics map topography (pictured below) and the Macaron Erasers, inspired by our favorite Parisian treat and finished with a delicate gold bow definitely rise to the top of our must-have list. With 41 pieces in all, it’s easy to mix and match to find the perfect combination of beautiful office gems.

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]File Folders, Topographic Notepad, Gilded Notecards, Exposed Bound Journal[/typography]

Of course, true to Elum’s roots in creating the highest quality letterpress cards & invitations, the Bijou collection includes six exclusive letterpress & foil stamped box notes, proudly designed and printed at our studio in San Diego, CA. (pictured below)

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]Letterpress and foil stamped box notes[/typography]

This collection will create a truly chic workspace in any home or office or make an unforgettable gift.

[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”10″ size_format=”px” color=”#a3a3a3″]The Bijou Collection[/typography]

The Bijou Collection is now available for a limited time, only at Papyrus stores or at http://www.papyrusonline.com/

We’re absolutely in love with the new collection, let us know what you think in the comments below. Don’t forget to connect with us on Instagram & Facebook to get up to date information about what’s coming next from Elum, new product releases, promotions and more. Check back soon to get a sneak peek of the Elum Desk & Stationery Collection, coming in July!

ELUM IS UP FOR SEVEN LOUIE AWARDS!

3.26.2015

There are fist bumps and high-fives all around Elum. Why? Because we are finalists in seven different categories for this year’s Louie Awards put on by the Greeting Card Association . Congratulations to our talented team of idea makers, designers and artisan letterpress print makers for your dedication to ensuring Elum creations are NOTHING short of small works of art. You touch lives everyday through the work that you do and the cards that shared all over the world because of the passion you put into your creations. Sniff, sniff. . . Now, let’s meet the finalists!

Louie Award Finalist No. 1 BIG DILL – in the Congratulations category
Yes, Melissa’s family is pickle obsessed. With one child nicknamed “pickle” (and her own original pickle theme song to match) and her younger sister citing pickles as her favorite meal, it’s no surprise that a pickle greeting card would be created at some point. Every single person that walks by this card smiles. And now a possible Louie Award? This is a really big dill people, a REALLY BIG DILL.

Louie Award Finalist No. 2 WINGTIPS – in the LGBTQ category
We were asked to design a small collection of Same Sex greeting cards for Barnes & Noble. We wanted to do a play on words with the term “soulmates”. The idea for the rainbow wingtips as the pair of shoes came after and when it did, we knew we had something special. When this beautiful card came off the letterpress, we all felt it was one of the best LGBTQ cards we had ever seen; t’s simple, sophisticated, endearing and truly iconic.

Louie Award Finalist No. 3 GALACTIC –in the Friendship category
Sometimes a really great message is all you need, and we worked as a team to draft this totally awesome one. This card has connected with so many people and it’s so ridiculously awesome read over and over and over again. And just to prove that inspiration truly come from anywhere and everywhere, April’s inspiration for the design came to her via a pair of galactic style leggings for sale at Urban Outfitters. Go figure.

Louie Award Finalist No. 4 LAWFULLY ANNOY – in the Wedding category
We needed to add some letterpress wedding cards to our greeting card collection, but we decided we needed some with some personality. The “happily ever after” messaging had all been done. So, we dug deep into the minds of couples married for no less than 15 years. The result is a classic statement that will stand the test of time. But the real kicker is when you open it. . . See inside message on our site here.

Louie Award Finalist No. 5 PURPLE POTATO CRISPS –in the Friendship Humor category
While visiting the Bay Area, Amy was reading a local magazine on the topic of Dry Harvesting. As she read, she found herself pondering the ever growing movement toward safe & healthy agriculture and the terminology that we adopt as these descriptions appear on food labels. And, so the over-the-top idea for this totally hilarious and truly unique letterpress friendship card was born. Try not to laugh. It’s ridiculous, you gotta love that.

Louie Award Finalist No. 6 MUSHY GUSHY –in the Wedding category
How do you say it all without saying a single word? I think we have that covered here. We wanted this letterpress Valentine card to be everything one would expect from a quintessential old school Valentine; frilly and red with a scripted message. The idea was that you would really have to read it to realize that it was basically a spoof on itself. The irony is just flat out fun.

Louie Award Finalist No. 5 3D POP-OUT GINGERBREAD HOUSE –in the Christmas Holiday category
Honestly, it’s true, we were all so bored with the same-old same-old photo cards for the holidays that we decided we needed to create a clever (and of course letterpress) alternative to re-invent the idea of the holiday card all together. So, we thought, what would bring a smiles to both adults and children alike? Well, the answer was simple; this ridiculously adorable interactive 3D Pop-Out Gingerbread House card, of course! It’s kind of like the cutest thing ever.

Non-Traditional Valentine’s Day Cards

1.21.2015

Cupid is currently sharpening his arrow in preparation for Valentine’s Day, but here at Elum, we know that Cupid’s arrow comes in many forms (it also misses its target sometimes). So whether you’ll be spending the holiday-of-love with your one and only or a big group of your besties, we’ve got some fun, non-traditional Valentine’s Day cards for just about everyone.

SEXY FUNNY COOL
A sense of humor is one of the sexiest traits to have in a Valentine. This year, instead of an obvious sentiment that tugs at the heart-strings, go for the funny bone. It’s hot. (Left) Bow Chicka, (Right) Make Out

SAME SEX
Our letterpress (Left) Wingtips and (Right) Hers&Hers

ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY
Do you loathe Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone. But you can bring a reluctant smile to any V-Day hater with this letterpress cross stitch masterpiece. They’ll never see it coming. And they’ll kinda love you for it. (Left) Step Off

CRUSH
Got a crush on someone at the office? Or just wanna tell somebody that you like them, (like, a lot)? We’ve got just the right Valentine for your crush so they’ll get the hint in just the right way. (Left) Weird

GALENTINE
What better way to make your gal pal feel extra super special? Give her an unexpected friendship Valentine that reinforces
how awesome a friend she is. We all grew up handing out Valentines in grade school, so why do we stop when we grow up?
Keep the love alive people. (Right) Galactic

Our Favorite Designs of 2014

12.29.2014

2014 was such an incredibly awesome year for us here at Elum. We beefed up our shop with three new letterpress machines, added six new employees to our team, and started foil stamping everything we could get our hands on. On top of all that growth, we checked some boxes off our designer bucket list by launching our Same Sex Greeting Card Collection and designing invitations to impress awe-inspiring designers like Tom Ford International and Nate Berkus. We’re not worthy. . . (ok, maybe we are)!

HERE ARE OUR DESIGNERS’ PICKS FOR OUR FAVORITE DESIGNS OF 2014

Favorite Letterpress Projects

[typography font=”Montserrat” size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]ART DIRECTOR AMY’S PICKS:[/typography]

In looking back on 2014, I have two favorites. The first was a custom B’not Mitzvah invitation we worked on with our lovely custom dealer, Elyse Fuerth at E.A.F. Fine Papers. Her clients came in, two young girls with a sense of high fashion style wanting something to wow their guests. The final invite included a shimmery gold peek-a-boo pocket that revealed just their names. Upon opening, a chic monogram, created just for the twins and hand-dusted in our fine Tahitian gold pixie dust filled the page. Accompanied by hot pink edge painting, gold foil-stamping, hot pink letterpress and a shimmery gold backer, this was a true stand-out piece.

how_can_you_choose

Art Directors favorite letterpress projects

The second project that was near and dear to me was on the other end of the spectrum of what we do here at Elum. It was our line of Father’s Day cards made exclusively for Papyrus/Clinton’s in the UK. The cards explored all of the relationships we have with fathers and had just the right balance of the funny dad-humor and the sweet sentimental stuff. Each card was paired with incredible art by our talented group of designers here.

favorite letterpress projects

[typography font=”Montserrat” size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]ELUM FOUNDER MELISSA’S PICKS:[/typography]

When I found out that Elum had been selected to design the wedding invitation for Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, I had to pinch myself. I mean, this invitation project was monumental in its importance. And not only because it was the very first gay marriage to take place at the New York Public Library, but because as a tween, I used to race home from school on the days Nate was going to be featured on Oprah so I could gather around the TV with my mom and sisters. Nate was, and still is, a design hero to me personally. Over the years his design ingenuity, creative influence, and impeccable taste level has been an inspiration. So, needless to say, this is a project I called home about. It was an honor of a lifetime.

DESIGNER'S favorite letterpress project

[typography font=”Montserrat” size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]APRIL’S PICKS:[/typography]

Our new letterpress Galactic card combines two of my all-time favorite things: clever, witty messaging and hand drawn lettering. With an awesome message from Melissa and Amy as a starting point, we pulled together some celestial inspiration (including some crazy galaxy leggings!) and decided to go with a casual hand drawn feel. After seeing the card printed in its interstellar color palette, it’s definitely my favorite greeting card I’ve worked on this year.

designer shannon's favorite letterpress project

[typography font=”Montserrat” size=”16″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]SHANNON’S PICKS:[/typography]

My favorite letterpress card has to be the Bacon & Eggs card, for so many reasons. Besides the fact that I loved spending my work day drawing bacon & eggs in a romantic setting, I really love the concept behind this card (props to April for this one)! It’s subtle yet hilarious, and manages to be romantic without being nauseating.

The Bacon & Eggs card is a great example of what I love about our creative team at Elum; we take sentiments that could feel cliché and find new ways to express them that feel honest and that will (hopefully) resonate with our customers. This was one of the first cards I worked on at Elum, and it was a great collaborative experience.

DIY Holiday Decor and Crafts With Paper

12.05.2014

Being the paper fanatics and art lovers that we are, what better way for us to decorate our homes and our office than with some of our very own decorative Elum holiday wrapping paper? Here’s a few of the creations our in-house designers whipped up for DIY holiday decor and crafts with paper.

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]SECRET STASH FAVOR BOX[/typography]

This cute little pyramid craft will add a sweet surprise to each place setting at your holiday table. You can fill it with a piece of decadent chocolate and holiday fortune inside for each guest. We used a straightforward template we found on Pinterest (where else?) and then added some candy cane colored baker’s twine.

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]CHUNKY PAPER STAR GARLAND[/typography]

This star garland is super fun to make, like stringing popcorn but way better. We used this origami star tutorial that we found via Pinterest but instead of using the really tiny strips, we cut the wrapping paper into 2” wide strips to make larger chunkier stars that are pretty much the most irresistibly adorable things we’ve seen.

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″] PAPER STAR ORNAMENTS[/typography]

Ok, so these DIY paper ornament masterpieces were admittedly a bit more complex (mainly because the instructions were in another language), however, through the art of pictures and a wee bit of patience, you too can make one . . . and then have boat loads of fun making more!

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]WOVEN PAPER BALLS[/typography]

Instead of Jingle Bells, how about using woven Paper Balls to decorate your holiday table or your tree? Just cut small strips of our gorgeous wrapping paper, follow the instructions found here and then jingle all the way.

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]3-D PAPER DIAMOND ORNAMENT[/typography]

This sturdy little 3-D paper diamond can bring some homemade bling to your tree year after year. Assemble the diamond with these directions and then use a needle and some gold metallic thread to turn this little bobble into an ornament. Boom!

[box][highlight]TIP:[/highlight] THIS IS A PERFECT USE FOR THE LITTLE SCRAPS REMAINING AFTER YOU FINISH GIFT WRAPPING.[/box]

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]PAPER WRAPPED CANDLES[/typography]

This is an awesome way to reuse & unify your mis-matched candles. You can disguise any colored candle and bring together an entire collection to create your own look.

[box]PSST! THIS IS ONE SO EASY EVEN THE KIDS CAN DO IT![/box]

Just measure the height of your candle, draw a line on the paper, cut, roll and tape. Done.

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]PAPER TRAY LINER[/typography]

No glue, no tape, no mess. Just cut and lay the wrapping paper inside a tray with edges. The tray can then be used for setting out a stack of small hors d’oeuvre plates or cocktail beverage glasses.

Now it’s your turn! Show us your best DIY holiday decor and crafts using wrapping paper, post your creation to Instagram and tag it with #ElumHoliday and @ElumDesigns (also be sure to follow @ElumDesigns). We will re-post our Top 3 picks on Thursday, December 11th and have users pick the ultimate winner by likes and comments. See our Instagram feed for details.

[box]THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH AND WILL RECEIVE A $50 ELUM GIFT CARD TO BE USED ON OUR SITE! GOOD LUCK![/box]

Stylish Hanukkah Gift Wrap & Cards

11.24.2014

OK, so we all know Hanukkah loves its blue & silver, but there’s more to Hanukkah than dancing dreidels and smiling stars. We want to share our inspiration for this lovely holiday of light and encourage you to bring updated style to your Hanukkah gift wrap and holiday cards. Here’s how we see Hanukkah today . . .

Stylish Hanukkah Gift Wrap and Cards

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]SUPER STYLISH HANUKKAH GIFT WRAP (FINALLY!)[/typography]
1. A fresh approach to Hanukkah gift wrap is to take our monochromatic wintery Birch Wood gift wrap or Wood Grain gift wrap and add a gorgeous luxe turquoise velvety bow to bring in the element of traditional blue.

2. With these beautiful Hanukkah wraps you don’t even need to add a ribbon. The artful placement of designs creates a picturesque scene that can stand all on its own.

3. Our 3-D Hex gift wrap is decidedly our most modern Hanukkah gift wrap. The abstraction of dreidels and cool combination of blues can be paired with striking gold embellishments in lieu of silver for Hanukkah style that is bold and contemporary.

[box]YOU CAN PURCHASE THIS HANUKKAH GIFT WRAP ON OUR WEBSITE OR FROM PAPYRUS RETAIL STORES, OR OTHER FINE STATIONERY STORES. [/box]

[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]HANUKKAH CARDS WITH CHUTZPAH![/typography]
4. Our letterpress Dreidel Dreidel card uses the classic dreidel shape to form a modern unassuming pattern in a fresh combination of cool blue hues. The letterpress printing on our soft cotton paper brings the pattern to life in such a way that they’ll be dancing the Hora into the night!

5. This uber-unique Hanukkah card is so clever and creative that it was named (eh-hem) winner of the Greeting Card Association Louie Award for Best Holiday Card. This oversized letterpress card has the cutest keepsake pop out menorah that will bring smiles for all 8 glorious nights. Some might say it’s the perfect Hanukkah card for kids, but we grown ups are so smitten with it (no joke here), we leave ours out all year!

[box]WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO [highlight]SHARE YOUR HANUKKAH GIFT WRAPPING STYLE[/highlight] WITH US! [/box]

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