Stationery Scoop: the blog by paper company CEO Heidi Reimer-Epp

Some free Christmas printables

From Michaela at Hey Look, here's an easy and fun DIY Advent Calendar project:

Go to DIY Printable Advent Calendar to print out the templates.

From the Botanical PaperWorks blog, here's a new (and free) printable 2013 monthly calendar. I received a pre-release copy back in September and have been using it to plan for the new year. I coil bound it and love it!

Go to Free Printable 2013 Calendar to download and print.

For more great free stuff, I've saved lots of free Christmas printables over on Pinterest and in the Freebies section at Botanical PaperWorks. Check it out!

Starts Today! 12 Weeks of Christmas, find out more:

We've been preparing this for some time now, and I can't believe it's finally here! The 12 Weeks of Christmas starts today over at the Botanical PaperWorks blog. Here's all the info, please join us!

Paper cuts + free templates

In grade 6, Mr. Blake went to Japan for Christmas holidays. On the first day back, he gave each of us girls in Room 6B a package of Japanese paper cuts (in case you're wondering, he wasn't sexist - I went to a girls school).

I still have those paper cuts, and I'm still enamoured with them.

Have you heard of Mr. Yen? He a modern-day paper cut artist and designer. If you weren't in Mr. Blake's class in Victoria, BC, you can still get your hands on some amazing paper creations. Go to the Mr Yen Buying Guide and get the info.

Photo by Mr. Yen, go and see and buy, the stuff is totally amazing!

Have you heard of Julene Harrison? Another TOTALLY talented paper cut artist that I first heard about via Apartment Therapy. Julene takes commissions for custom paper art and illustration, so you can order a personalized piece. Check out this one for a couple's wedding:

Photo: Made by Julene and her creative inspiration

These artists must have very steady hands and super sharp X-acto knives to create these pieces. 

Want to try your hand at paper cutting? Download these Flowers of the Month templates from Martha Stewart and follow the directions. Here's what you'll get for October. Enjoy!

Very Special Paper Craft Tools

photo credit: The Paper Place

Calling all paper crafters and bookbinders - these one-of-a-kind paper craft tools are now available at the Paper Place in Toronto. The awls and bone folders are carefully handmade, cork cap included. The tools are perfect for piercing, punching, folding and scoring, and are useful in a variety of applications such as bookbinding, cardmaking, art journalling and scrapbooking.

I was curious about the art of making handmade papercrafting tools and found this course that teaches you how to do it: Bookbinding Tool Making. Unfortunately, the course took place two years ago (!), but it makes me realize that it is possible to make your own tools.

Having said that, I love these tools from The Paper Place and it's much easier and way more fun to go shopping there. So I think I'll stick to what I know best and leave the tool-making up to others!

{free printables} Jam Jar Labels and Tags

It's almost grape jam-making time in our house and I was looking for an easy way to dress up the jars that we'll be giving away as gifts. Happily, Botanical PaperWorks designed these free printable jam jar labels and posted them today. The labels can be printed on sheets of sticky paper to make labels or on cardstock to create tags. I love the designs for summer gift-giving or for Christmastime (check out the red).

So scoot over to the Botanical PaperWorks and download the free file: {free printables} Canning Labels For your Homemade Goodies.