Creative or Craft Challenged? New Store Offers Outlet in Paper

Whether you are a crafting queen or have failed Scissors 101, a new store in Naperville will help you put your own personalized stamp on notes, invitations or paper projects.

Paper Source, a Chicago-based company offering cards, papers, stationery, art kits and other gift knickknacks, opened earlier this month in downtown Naperville. The store will celebrate with a grand opening March 5.

Located next to Talbots at 215 S. Main St., the shop offers a variety of papers and other kitschy items ranging from coffee mugs and ear buds to fine papers and custom stationery.

The company has been in business for about 30 years, said CEO Sally Pofcher in a phone interview earlier this week. Paper Source has stores in 15 states. Sue Lindstrom founded the company and its story has evolved over the years, Pofcher added.

“It was born out of a love of fine papers from around the world,” Pofcher said.

Over the years that love has allowed the company to evolve from fine papers to gift items and to the introduction of the company’s own letterpress.  The company makes many of its own cards and wrapping papers in Chicago, Pofcher said.

 Whereas, there are many stores that sell cards and stationary, Paper Source is different in that it offers regular demonstrations and classes allowing customers to learn how to do projects, she said. 

The company’s tagline is: “Do Something Creative Every Day." To that end employees are encouraged to start the day off creatively, said Lauren Garvey, the store’s manager.

A demonstration cart is kept in the store where employees are able to show customers how to do any of the Paper Source projects as well as how to how to personalize cards or stationery. On a recent visit, a store employee was creating a sunflower using one of the kits sold at the store.

Garvey said that the response to the store has been good and customers are becoming acquainted with Paper Source products.

The location was chosen, in part, because Paper Source prefers to be on the street and in neighborhood communities, Pofcher said.  The company also looks for communities that have concentrations of creative people and highly educated women and families that celebrate life events.

“I love independent bookstores and a community that can support an independent bookstore is a great marker for me that it can support one of our stores,” Pofcher said.

Many of the stores cards and items are handmade or artisan made, including some of the papers, Garvey said.

“It blows my mind when I think about the hand that have touched that paper and created it,” she said.

Some of the cards the company sells are from Etsy, while many are Paper Source designed, she said.

Although the store offers personalized stationery, the employees are able to help a customer regardless of budget or needs, Garvey said. For example, the store can print customized wedding invitations, but it can also teach a customer how to design and create an invitation, putting a personalized touch to the invitation.

Garvey has been with Paper Source for four years and said it is a great working environment.

“It is a stimulating environment and fun,” she said. “The customers are great and we are celebrating important moments with them.”

Paper Source will hold its grand opening March 5 and will have demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be snacks and raffles throughout the day. Demonstrations will include: Dressing Up Your Envelops; Rookie Rubber Stamping; Celebration Accents, Favors & More; and Pretty Paper Flowers & Other Fun Kits. Learn more about the grand opening at www.paper-source.com.