Card of the Month: October

Hey Y'all! We're so excited to announce our "Card of the Month" series. From here on out, we'll be choosing a card to highlight and show off each month - because we think every one of our designs deserves a time and place to shine.

Check back here and on our Instagram every month to see what's in the spotlight!

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OCTOBER:

"Dream Big, Work Hard, Stay Humble" - Breath of Inspiration

As we approach the holiday season (quickly!) we think this card is an important reminder. Always remember to "dream big" - especially as we approach this season of miracles. "Work hard" so that you can play hard and make for an amazing few months of celebration with your loved ones, and "stay humble" through it all. Good advice for always, but especially now.

Here's to October! 

#CardoftheMonth

We're Loving Nash!

Almost a year ago now (where has the time gone?!) we moved our little family and business to Nashville. Despite the typical stresses of moving, the city seemed to welcome us with open arms. 

We made the move because of an AWESOME opportunity for my Breathless counterpart, husband and best friend. Matt is killing it at his dream job as an Art Director with Sony Music Nashville. He gets to work with what he loves: music. All week long, he helps musicians get their music 'out there' by designing album covers and logos, and capturing amazing photos of the artists. 

The best part? Our kids love music too, so we could not be happier.

Here's a bit of what we're loving in our new city:

Nashville is full of music, creativity, positivity and good energy. You'll find it in every corner and crevice, especially in the neat little boutiques, restaurants and music venues. 

Fave shops so far:

Serendipity

Whites Mercantile

Two Old Hippies

You're Invited

Philips Toy Mart

Spruce

Fave spots to eat so far:

Taqueria Del Sol 12 South (with the kids!) 

Hattie B's

Caviar and Bananas

Adele's 

Local Taco

Caviar and Bananas

Local Taco

What We're Listening To:

Tyler Childers 

Ryan Bingham

The Sisterhood

Fairground Saints 

Holly Williams 

Jason isbell

Josh Ritter 

Cam 

Ivan & Alyosha

The Sisterhood

River's Faves: 

Levon 

Brothers Osborne 

Jason Isabel

Scout's Faves: 

Cam

The Sisterhood 

Shake it off - Taylor Swift 

Thanks, Nashville, for treating us so well! We're so happy to grow our family and business in Music City. 

Trade Show Recap: From ATL to NY

As summer comes to an end, so does the summer trade show season. We’ve been from the south to the north at shows in Atlanta and New York City.

Trade shows are hard work, but they’re so worth it. We’re excited to share with you some highlights from our time in both cities. 

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ATL: AmericasMart

Constructing our booth... always a feat! 

Serving amazing Walker's cocktails to our booth visitors!

We're in love with the way all our cards & paper goods look all set up! 

How gorgeous is this Old Whaling Co. display?!

heirloomed collection always perfects her booth. 

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NYC: NYNOW

Arriving at the Javits Center, ready to go!

Bringing a bit of the south to the Big Apple with one of our collaboration cards with Old Try

All set up in NYC and excited to share our designs in the greatest city!

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We had such a blast showing off our classic designs and our newest creations (that we're totally head over heels for). Not to mention, we got to meet tons of retailers and amazing makers from across the country. But just because this trade show season is over, doesn't mean you can't get your orders in, too! Reach out if something catches your eye: breathlesspaperco@gmail.com

Thanks for supporting Breathless Paper Co. & makers everywhere. 

XOXO,

BPC

Meet: Ashley Galloza of The Rootless Wanderer

The Rootless Wanderer is a unique online boutique that carries the best of the best American made goods. Ashley Galloza, founder and creative mind behind the boutique, has an eye for maker-made goods. We're honored that she carries Breathless Paper Co.! We talked to Ashley about The Rootless Wanderer and her relationship with Breathless. Read on for her story and philosophy behind her online boutique. 

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Breathless Paper Co.: How long has The Rootless Wanderer been around?

Ashley Galloza: The Rootless Wanderer made its Instagram presence November 2016, and the website launched January 1st, 2017. I just missed the ending of market season so I found my inventory through my personal Instagram following. For so long I followed artist and markers that one day I hoped to carry in my shop.

BPC: Tell us a little bit about the mission behind your company.

AG: I am a military spouse, my husband serves in the United States Marine Corps. I have become a rootless wanderer due to this military lifestyle. Most would never understand it unless you are living it. My mission behind my company is to embrace Handmade and American Made Goods.

BPC: What do you love most about your job?

AG: I love creating and building my own brand. But I absolutely love being a buyer and going to markets to search for goods. Getting to meet the artists and markers behind such inspirational stories. Then I get to share with the world a unique collection of my favorite things.

BPC: How long have you been working with Breathless Paper Co.?

AG: I met Jessica at the Atlanta Market in January of 2017.

BPC: How do you select the other products you carry?

AG: There are four ways that I selected the products that I carry in my shop. It has to be Handmade and American Made. Has to have a good story, sense of inspiration, and I have to get this "excitement" feeling over the product. 

BPC:  What's your favorite part about working with artists and makers? Why is it important?

AG: Creating and maintaining a relationship with artists and makers is one of my favorite parts. I think being as excited about their product as they are is important. I love doing collaborations.

BPC: If you weren't running The Rootless Wanderer what would you be doing?

AG: If I wasn't running The Rootless Wanderer and weren't living this military lifestyle I would have a brick and mortar. It has always been a dream of mine since I was young to open a boutique.

BPC: What's your favorite BPC card or item? Why?

AG: My favorite BPC item is the tiny cards, big words message cards. I think they are just so inspirational and an every day reminder.

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Check out The Rootless Wanderer for all of your American made and handmade goods needs. We can't get enough of Ashley's curated collection! 

Meet: Michael Colton

So many amazing people help make the dream work here at Breathless Paper Co. when it comes to producing our cards and paper goods, and getting them to you guys. We wanted to share with you one of those people, Michael Colton, who's been making our fabulous wooden card displays for years. He's a rockstar. Read on for his tidbits about why handmade is important, and why sending cards is, too. 

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Breathless Paper Co.: How long have you been a carpenter?

Michael Colton: Actually I'm not a real carpenter. My background is in advertising and graphic design. When I bought my house in 1985 I wanted an old pine armoire that would hide all of my electronics (which took up more space back then) but I could never could find the right one, at the right price. So I started thinking about how a rancher or farmer would make an armoire 150 years ago, especially if they had limited tools and no formal training. That's how I got started making what I term rustic furniture for ranch, farm or home. And the displays followed along that same theme. 

BPC: What do you love most about your job?

MC: What I love is working collaboratively with clients to solving some type of problem. Whether that be an issue related to size, color or function, or all three.  A shared creative  solution is usually the best, and often the most rewarding.

BPC: How long have you been working with Breathless Paper Co.?

MC: I'm guessing I've been working with Breathless Paper Company for about five years. 

BPC: What's fun about making displays for Jessica?

MC: What's really fun is delivering displays to Jessica and not getting a call about a rough edge on a piece of wood or metal. Jessica tends to be very particular about quality control issues even though these displays are made one at a time, just like pieces of 3-D artwork. It's so great to please the client.

BPC: What do you consider when making displays for various companies?

MC: The point of any display is to sell something. On the creative side, if the personality of a display can enhance a product or extend it's brand personality, then that usually leads to customer interest and that increases the chance for a sale. On the practical side, there are always the real world issues of cost, assembly and shipping. 

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BPC: Why is it important to have a handmade display piece?

MC: To my way of thinking, a hand made display begins to tell a story about the company it represents. By appealing to visual as well as tactile sensiblty it usually indicates that the company founders have an affection for their product which they feel is unique or in some way different.  The display is the vehicle that helps send that message.

BPC: If you weren't a carpenter, what would you be doing?

MC: What I would be doing is what I used to do. I was a creative director for a number of design firms, including my own. My area of expertise was creating retail environments with visual personalities that extended to the individual graphic identity of the store as well as the displays within the stores. But since selling my graphic design firm and leaving the corporate world, I turned back to making things by hand one at a time, rather than having things mass produced.  It's a different way to think. 

BPC: What's your favorite BPC card or product?

MC: My favorite Breathless Paper Company card is any card that can be used to say "Thank You", because so few people send cards like that anymore. It's a one of a kind type of thing. 

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Shout out to people like Michael (and so many more) who help make the Breathless Paper vision a reality, everyday. You guys rock. 

XOXO,

Breathless Paper Co.

A Weekend at CMA Fest!

One of the best parts of living in Nashville is the music. A couple of weekends ago, our family experienced Music City at its best at the CMA Festival, all while cheering on the Preds!

We were so lucky to get to experience the weekend to the fullest, thanks to Matt's job with Sony! The first show we went to was Brothers Osborne at the Riverfront Stage (River's fave band). They were awesome and we totally recommend. Then - of course - we got CMA tees for the kids, and they were super excited about them. I had to wash River's every night so he could wear it everyday of the festival. 

Saturday morning we saw Fairground Saints (Matt did their logo!) at the Hard Rock Stage - they're a huge favorite of mine and I LOVED it! Check out River with his Fairground Saints tattoo below. 

The rest of the day we hung back on the lawn listening to lots of musicians at the Budweiser and Cracker Barrel Stage (the Budweiser sign was amazing!)

Admist all of the music excitement, the city was buzzing over the Preds! We became total hockey fans. Matt and the little ones were so into it. 

On Sunday we saw Levon (Matt did their logo, too!) and then headed to Barlines for the rest of the day to see all the acts Sony had planned. We saw Ben Gallager - a killer guitarist you should keep an eye out for - and Walker Hayes who's so fun to watch.

While we were there eating and drinking, we saw the Luke Combs coasters Matt had photographed for! Needless to say, we totally have our own set at home now. 

The kids stopped by the Sony space at the Omni Hotel and got lots of fun stuff: Miranda Lambert pink sunglasses, Kenny Chesney brush, Kane brown bag & more. They became even bigger fans of music and Music City that weekend for sure. They were so adorable and absolutely decked out!

It was a blast of a weekend, and we're all totally in love with Nashville. We saw some of the greatest music, munched on great eats like Retro Sno Cones, and got to experience the city come alive over music and hockey all at once. 

A Decade of Paper + Laughter

A decade. 10 years. That's how long Breathless Paper Co. has been churning out cards and crafting sayings and -- most of all -- working to spread love and laughter through paper goods. 

Read on for a look at some of our favorite cards... from the originals to the new stuff.

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THE FIRST BREATHLESS PAPER CREATIONS:

Made by Matt and I in the light of our living room, while laughing a lot. 

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SOME "DEEP BREATH" FAVES:

Inspired by our daughter, Scout.

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FOR BIRTHDAYS: "BLOWING CANDLES"

Bright + celebratory stationery.

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NEWER & BRIGHTER PICKS FROM "FRESH BREATH":

All about adding some color to your life and your cheeks. 

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We want to send a warm, loving THANK YOU to all of the Breathless Paper Co. supporters, card-buyers, note-writers and paper-lovers out there. You guys have kept us going these past 10 years, and we wouldn't trade a second of it. Stay tuned for more new stuff from Breathless Paper Co. in the near and distant future, because we're in this for the long-haul. 

XOXO,

Breathless Paper Co.

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[remember... you can order HERE!]

A Guide to Father's Day Gifting

Dad's are extra-special. Let's be honest, they deserve more than just a day. Regardless, this Father's Day we encourage penning a thoughtful card for the special dad or dads in your life, and pairing it with something from one of the ah-mazing makers and brands that we just can't get enough of. 

Unwind with a drink:

• Walker Feed Bloody Mary Mix from Turnip Truck Market
• White's Elixirs Moscow Mule Mix from Serendipity 12 South & online
• Bottle of Tito's vodka

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For those dad adventures:

• Hershel Supply Co. duffle bag from Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom
• Orville Tool Roll from Sturdy Brothers

Lookin' fresh:

• Alternative Apparel Tees: online
• Kilim Wallet from Res Ipsa

We wish all of you and all the dads out there a celebratory and joyful Dad's Day. Sit back, relax, and let the love pour down.

Our Breathless Paper Co. dad, Matt. 

XOXO, Breathless Paper Co.

The Art of Letterpress: Blue Canoe

Blue Canoe letterpress is a company comprised of a family of lifelong printers and creatives. Honestly, we love and trust Blue Canoe with our most delicate and loved designs. They've brought some of my most favorite passion projects to life. So we got personal with the duo -- Gale and Becca -- about crafting incredible designs, following the footsteps of the family biz, making cards for Atlanta Falcons and overcoming struggles. 

Breathless Paper Co.: Tell us a little bit about what you do and how you got started doing it. 

Gale: My dad was in printing, and in 1960 started a color separation trade business serving the printing industry. I always went to work with my dad, and actually began making plates, and line negatives when I was 8. I learned how to "make" color separations and screen positives when I was 13.  Printing, and it's processes, have been a part of my life a long time. Several years ago, I told Becca that she needed to find someone with a letterpress to reproduce some of her "doodles." When my life had a major "shift" around the same time, it was a natural step for us to start a letterpress business.

BPC: What sort of clients do you typically work with / what kinds of projects do you usually take on? 

Becca: We get to work with a variety of clients, so we are actually quite spoiled in that we never get bored. Our highest traffic would probably be amidst the wedding industry and bespoke stationary. It’s our privilege to not only work with some of the most talented and nationally recognized designers in the southeast, but also to call them friends.

Gale: As Becca says, we are blessed to work with a number of very talented designers.  We have also had the good fortune of working with a few brokers which have given us the opportunity to print some creative pieces for corporate clients. We enjoy trying new things, and printing on unique mediums...and several of our clients have trusted us experimenting a bit...making it possible for us to learn a lot about what can be done with letterpress that is "outside the box." 

BPC: Is there a recent project you've most enjoyed or a specific project that has been your overall favorite? 

Becca: Oh this is hard…we may give you different answers, but personally I would say the truly unique jobs where we get to experiment and bring to life an artist’s “dream." One that stands out for me would have to be when I got to design and print a unique thank you card for an Atlanta Falcon. Printing on wood and being able to create the flame/charred effect with ink was a bit of a thrill.

Gale: As Becca says, this is tough to pick just one!  One that sticks out is a project we did for a client that had several steps which were new to us.  We duplexed a linen fabric to a cotton stock, letterpress printed, diecut & scored (to make a passport holder), and then sewed pockets into the inside front & back...to hold a "Save the Date".  What we made was to be used after the "Save the Date" purpose as passport holders for those attending the destination wedding in Europe.

BPC: How and when did you begin working with Breathless Paper Co.? Tell us a little bit about the projects you've completed for them.

Gale: Jessica contacted us about her idea to letterpress a new project, and using a double thick card stock. These thicker stocks cannot be run through an offset press, nor a digital press.  It was important to Jessica to use one of these thicker stocks, and she really wanted the letterpress deboss effect anyway.  Their idea was the "Tiny Cards: Big Words" suite of cards.  I think the original project was for 40 different cards, printed on 220# Lettra. We have not only enjoyed immensely our opportunity to be a small part of the  Breathless Paper "team", but value the way they work and "do business".  They are EXCEPTIONAL!

BPC: What is the most rewarding part of the job you do? 

Becca: Making a client proud to present something you’ve created on their behalf is quite possibly the greatest reward in this industry. Whether it's a businessman who looks for opportunity to give out his card, or a designer who gets to see her creative thoughts enhanced and appreciated in medium…the ability to encourage self-confidence is an honor.

Gale: It has always been a dream of mine to "be creative" in some way...in any way. So, when a creative person gives me the chance to be a part of their creative process...and they love what we do...that is rewarding.

BPC: When you looked forward at your life many years ago, did you see yourself doing letterpress for a living? 

Becca: Ha! This just makes me laugh! Absolutely not! As a college athlete, biology majoring, doodle hobby-ing young woman, owning and operating a letterpress business with my parents was not even something that I thought I could dream of, let alone see a projection towards.

Gale: For me...this question makes me smile!  I worked for my dad from the time I was 8...through high school when not studying or involved in sports at school...during college on weekends and summers.  Then I went to medical school...my dad had a heart attack in my second year of medical school...I left medical school to run the family business (printing)...did that for 17 years...my dad was killed in an accident...we went out of business in 1997...I went to work for Scientific-Atlanta...then Cisco Systems...they “retired me" in 2013...I was diagnosed with lymphoma..we started Blue Canoe Letterpress.  I guess you could say...I have not had many opportunities to look too far ahead...and when I did, what "I saw" would be changed or redirected by "life." BUT - Printing...putting ink on paper...has always been a dream of mine.  In my dad's business we had a 4-color proof press...and a small harris offset press.  I loved watching those precision machines "do their thing" to rhythm all their own...  I have always wanted to print!  Letterpress is doing that at the most interesting..."tactile level". 

BPC: How did "Blue Canoe Letterpress" get its name? 

Becca: My parents live around a lake and canoeing has always been a favorite pastime. Growing up we've had a couple canoes, but only one that was blue. This blue canoe went down in family history when our friends' car caught fire with the canoe anchored to its roof. Nobody was hurt, so it was a rather hilarious and awkward phone call that had us all remembering the blue canoe in a glowingly glorious death. 

BPC: It seems like the paper goods and letterpress "industry" is growing, especially in the maker and entrepreneur community. What do you think of this growth and how has it been to be a part of it? 

Becca: We love it! Growing up in the printing industry and being a third generation printer, I feel as if people are finally appreciating this art form and nod to history the way that it deserves. It’s such a personal work process, with hand mixing the ink, hand feeding the press, hand wrapping and assessing for quality…that said it’s like a proud parent watching their child get their first raise because a higher-up recognized their worth.

Gale: Becca is so right.  Letterpress has many facets at which we you personally "touch" the work in progress.  There are so many points at which you make decisions and adjustments that effect the final piece...you get the chance to be a real part of the creative process.  I think this is one of the reasons for the resurgence of letterpress.  It is not a "cookie cutter"/mass produced, rendering of what a designer has in their head.  Letterpress allows for so many points of personal touch and the making of each piece a little unique.  When you hold in your hands a piece of stationery that has been "letterpressed" it is obvious that it is a piece of custom handiwork...from an old school way of craftsmanship!  This is rare today...and people are growing more and more appreciative of these types of things - the marks of personal touch...reaching for ways to communicate on a more personal level, instead of the "coldness" of online personal media and email...actually seeing the evidence of life in how we communicate, and the medium we use to communicate...

BPC: What is your typical process when it comes to gaining inspiration and planning for a new project / client? What inspires you most? 

Becca: Every card or design is personal. For boo’s blue cards, each card has been designed for my own use. Selfish, right? I carry a moleskin notebook around with notes of sayings or ideas that come from anything during the day. It may be a conversation or a thought. Can’t forget that I also have the hilariously creative friends who will just send me a note with “you should make a card with this…” As far as bespoke stationary or wedding designs, I tend to spend a lot of time with my client getting to know them and their story as an individual and then the design comes naturally. These items are a representation of the individual and as such should be treated with the attention to detail appropriately befitting.

Gale: For me (the UNcreative person, totally dependent on the creativity of others), I yearn for those times that our clients ask us the question, "how could you do this?", or "could you make something like this?"; "what do you think about this, and how could we do it?"...etc.  This really gets the side of me that "yearns to be creative" going...  These are the opportunities for us to really be a unique part of the creative process for the REALLY CREATIVE people.

Blue Canoe has three generations worth of heart and experience. Thanks, to Gale and Becca for their spirit and for being a valued part of some of my favorite projects. 

xoxo,

Breathless Paper Co. 

Breathless Paper Co. on the West Coast

Recently, Matt and I traveled to LA for a trip that was part business, part pleasure - and 100% totally awesome.

After a whirlwind of flight changes and lost luggage, we went to dinner and the to see Levon - a band Matt is working with - at the Peppermint Room in West Hollywood. The space was great, and the sound was even better! Plus, the band was an incredible rock/country mix and are clearly so talented. 

Matt spent time in LA right after college, so I got to see into a part of his life I'd never experienced, and it was so fun! We drove the Belmont Shores neighborhood and had brunch at a small hole in the wall diner - Chuck's Coffee - which we both loved. It's retro in style and has the best omelettes. My favorite part, though was the sign that read: "Locally World Famous." 

Once Matt headed off to work at his video shoot with the band, I met my cousins in Dana Pointe for the day. My takeaway from the journey was: traffic is terrible. Nonetheless, I made it back to the hotel just in time to grab cocktails with Matt after his shoot!

Wednesday was an early start! Matt was working all day so I was on my own to explore and pop in to see a bunch of shops, some of which have been carrying Breathless Paper Co. for years!

The drive to Pasadena from Marina del Ray was gorgeous, and the perfect way to start a day. I went to see Marci, who owns the most wonderful special shop called Lulamae. It is full of amazing energy and was truly a special spot. She also has her own line of greeting cards that are hilarious!! I had to have some of the cards, and I also picked up the best little wish jar as a gift for Matt. 

I worked up an appetite walking around Pasadena, so I stopped for lunch and then ducked into Buttercup, a great baby gear and kids shop. Of course, I had to find something for our little ones. I snagged some new sets of tegu blocks for them since they just love them, and I love watching them get creative when they play. 

Next stop: Culver City. I popped into Lundeens - a shop packed with awesomeness. They carry an incredible mix of baby and kids goods (yes…my kids got some great stuff from here too!) as well as stationery, candles, body products and some hilarious finds that gave me a good laugh.

Later on, I went to Burro in Venice Beach. Let me just tell you... this shop was all i imagined it to be and more! We have been working with them for years and i wanted to buy everything. I left with just what I could fit into my suitcase among the things I got our kiddos. 

Los Angeles is full of unique boutiques and hip spots that allow creativity to thrive. I couldn't get enough! Matt and I loved exploring, and I was so happy to cross some shops off my list. As if you needed anyone else to convince you LA is awesome... I'm giving you my recommendation!

xoxo,

Breathless Paper Co.