Sweet Summer Fetes
Don't let summer slip away without throwing a casual and delightful little party (or two)! You know who's on the invitation list now you just need that spark of an idea or theme to get the creative process going! Our shelves are loaded with books that have beautiful pictures to go along with the tasty recipes. The books themselves are coffee table-worthy little beauties!
Learn to create a little feast for the eyes as well as the appetite! This is a helpful source for putting together all kinds of platters - both savory and sweet. It's great for the specifics of how much of each item you'll need for each guest and for creative suggestions of foods that accent and/or compliment each other... and, of course, lots of mouth-watering pics!
Not just lemons - this is the source for those simple/fabulous recipes you put together to show off your effortless flair. Full of future go-to entertaining meals!
This beautifully illustrated guide provides the ideas and how-to details to create refreshing cocktails using fresh botanicals. A real treat for summer entertaining!Here are a few of our current faves! Drop by one of our shops and explore the creative possibilities!
Gift Wrapping Creativity!
Once we begin to get our gift list under control, it's time to think about putting together a pretty combination of giftwraps! Weather you love the traditional red and green or prefer a contemporary look of gold and white we have a lovely selection of patterns in each of our shops.This year as we continue to be totally smitten with all forms of calligraphy, we've had such fun creating wrap with plain black, white, kraft or gray paper and a variety of the pens we have in stock. The Faber-Castell white PITT artist pen makes a striking, bold line on black, kraft or gray wrap. If you haven't had a chance to take one of our Calligraphy classes yet (check them out here: http://www.paperdelights.com/product-category/classes/), you may want to get a start with a good calligraphy book. We recommend Modern Calligraphy Workshop by Imogen Owen (https://www.paperdelights.com/product/modern-calligraphy-workshop/).What to write on your lovely wrap? Repeating the name of the recipient (on a diagonal?) makes a snappy pattern. Lyrics to a familiar Christmas Carol makes a nostalgic statement. If beautiful script is not your thing, try using a long straight edge and a bold to make a trendy plaid or repeat a small icon in a grid pattern. Add a ribbon, a sprig of holly or cedar and you have a package that shows how much you care!
Sugar Skulls and Paper Flowers!
On a recent trip to the amazing Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende I came to embrace the Day of the Dead holiday and the flamboyant native art associated with it. This Mexican holiday evolved from All Saints Day and is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd to honor deceased relatives. I must admit my first take on all the skeletons was "morbid and creepy" but as I learned about the background and traditions and started seeing the art everywhere I began to embrace the whole idea. Actually I think it was the sugar skulls that won me over. These ornately decorated skulls are offered as a welcome to deceased ancestors to return home - not so creepy!This year I was a little late in decorating for Halloween (and not a big fan of "fall colors") so "Dia de los Muertos" it was! First, our black chalkboard paper sets a nice clean background for instant creativity. Making the sugar skulls in white chalk was a fun exercise in doodling! The elegant white gourd was a natural for my table scape but as much as I like a black and white color scheme I needed a shot of color to give a little nod to Mexico. Out came the crepe paper (and some old paper flower making skills) to create just the color pop I was looking for!
A few tips: the white chalk gives a nice bright white line but will, of course, smudge when touched. So you might want to try our white chalk pencils or chalk pens. None of these will completely erase so I start by sketching softly with a regular pencil (that gently erases nicely) before completing with the white. This is also a perfect opportunity to use your calligraphy skills! Lacking Calligraphy and Paper Flower making skills? Click on our "Classes" and get yourself signed-up!