Inspiration From The Past | Guest Post by Nate

We headed downstate this weekend for a family gathering in historic Bishop Hill, Illinois. The little village (population 150) was founded as a Swedish utopian commune in the 1840s has retained a number of beautiful structures. I took hundreds of photos, but don't worry - I'll only post a few! In addition to the great architecture, there were great interior vignettes everywhere. Bold, bright blues and yellows were the theme in some of the spaces, but other rooms were painted in the quietest chalk white with just a tiny bit of color to enliven the view.

The trip is about 3 hours from Chicago, and is well worth it. Most of the shops are open on Saturday and Sunday. We had a great lunch on the shady patio of The Red Oak (www.theredoak.com), where traditional Swedish specialties are the name of the game. There's also a nice bakery/coffee shop and even an inn, should you be so inclined.


Captions and pics:

The Colony Store is full of traditional Swedish decor and delights, and is like stepping back into another era. I love the facade, with its simple brick pilasters and bold triangular pediment.

Wonderfully folksy church birdhouse at one of several antique stores.

Best DIY detail of the day - stained plank flooring with painted "grout" lines. I love it! Could be a really interesting treatment in an entry foyer, powder room, or even on a small wall. Very cool.

Loud color...

And contemplative restraint.

Bishop Hill was known for it's brooms. I like the black ones.

The commune was very well-planned. Early settlers included farmers, bakers, business people, and the carpenters who made this wonderful piece, with it's bold cornice and original faux-graining.

Despite the heat, this was a cool spot to stop and enjoy a bit of timeless beauty.

How was your weekend?

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ETSY SHOP | BUY 2 GET 1 FREE SALE

Hello lovelies!
Can you believe there's only one month left of summer? I can't! Hard to believe my sweet boy will be going to Kindergarten this year. What a bitter sweet feeling that is for me!

To celebrate the end of summer {coming soon but not here yet!!!} we're having a special SALE on our Etsy shop - this week only! So hurry up and get shopping! We've got the sweetest 'back to school' gifts!

Here is what you need to do:

• Order any 2 items by placing them in your ETSY Shopping Cart
• Mention the 3rd item you would like to receive for free in the “Message to seller” box.
• NOTICE : 3rd free item has to be equal or of a lesser value than the least expensive item in your cart.
• Place your order, and we'll send it out in 2-3 business days. If you order a custom silhouette with your purchase, we will email you a proof in 1-2 days days and once approved, you guessed it...we'll send it your way and presto!
• SALE ends SUNDAY, AUGUST 1st.

{international buyers are welcomed to participate as well}

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A Weekend Getaway | Galena, IL

It's almost the weekend!! We're heading out for a small getaway.
Looking forward to a carefree weekend filled with:

downtown strolls,
window shopping,
good food,
rest, rest and more rest.

Do you have any good recommendations of "must see" places in Galena, IL? If so, leave a comment below.  I'd love to find out! I promise to share pictures!
Happy Happy Weekend!!

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Interview | Story by Mia

I am so happy for today's interview.  Story by Mia has been such a sweet inspiration to me.  Mia's simple and elegant style shows through her lovely products.  Besides running her Etsy shop, Mia spends her days with her two adorable kids doing what makes her happy and enjoying every bit of it. Today, Mia is sharing with us her experience on being a mom and running a business. Grab a chair and join us!

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What do you do?

My name is mia. I'm full time mommy and full time maker.  

Both of my kids ( hannah 3 + luke 2) don't go to nursery so I stay with them 24 hours a day every day....yes, it's crazy days but I'm I'm very happy and greatful of my wonderful family. My husband Insun is a industrial designer and he is a awesome daddy and huge supporter of my little business. ^^ Insun looooooves vintage eams chairs and he collected hundreds of them, which inspired me to design this years calendar.

2. Is this something you always wanted to do?

I love making things.
My hands are constantly making things, baking, decorating, designing, taking pictures, making music.....and yes, this is something I really really love to do. I always wanted to have my own business and although storybymia is still too small to call it 'a business' but I'm loving every little part of it. 

3. How do you run your business while being mom to young children?

To be honest, its not easy to run both family and business at the same time. But since this is what I really really love to do, I do have to make some sacrifices. ^^ My working hour starts after my kids goes to sleep around 10 - 11 pm. I work until 3-4 am usually. ^^ My husband helps me with shippings and many trips to post office. yay

4. What's a typical work day for you?

My days are crazy but super simple.
I cook + clean + entertain kids (crafting,painting, picnics,walk around river...etc) and after kids goes to bed, my working hour starts. I do all my works at late night and my husband take all the packages that I worked on to drop it to post office.

5. How do you get inspired?

From time with my kids. what kids love... flowers, sky, animals and their smiles.

6. How do you balance work and family? Any tips you'd like to share with us?

I can not become lazy. *^^* I try to manage my time wisely to be perfect mom + maker.

7. What's your idea of a perfect day?

Everyday is perfect....but when my family are all healthy and happy. 

8. What makes you smile?

When my kids hug each other after they had crazy fights. ^^ soooo cute.

Find Mia here :  blog | shop | twitter

Thank you Mia for sharing a bit of your experience on balancing work and motherhood with us!

{all images courtesy of Mia @ Story by Mia}

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Sneak Peek | My Silhouette Art Book

If you follow Le Papier Studio on Twitter and Facebook, you might have heard about the book I wrote for Chronicle Books called Silhouette Art.  The book is coming out this October but is already available for pre-order right here.  This one is the advance copy I received in the mail a few weeks ago. It's such a great feeling to have the actual book in my hands.

Inspired by the elegant French expression of paper, this book offers a new take on the custom silhouette artistry with a modern, inspired twist on the time-honored technique of silhouettes.  The book features a collection of patterns, papers, instructions for making modern heirlooms.  

Sign up for our mailing list to be notified of upcoming dates and events for the book launch.


Photo by :  Vana Chupp/Le Papier Studio Ltd.

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Arkitektur Giveaway Winners

The winners of our recent giveaway are:

nr. 2 {Gloria}
nr. 3 {Lakshmi}
nr. 5 {SuperSarah}
nr. 8 {MissBags}

Please email me to claim your prize. Thank you everyone who participated! Check back for more giveaways in the near future.

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Happy Weekend!

Hello lovelies!

Oh what a week it has been! One of those where the days go by so quickly and you wish for more hours in the day. I will be enjoying another weekend work free - all due to my wonderful part time assistant (more on that soon!).

Have a fabulous and restful weekend with yours and enjoy the summer while it lasts!

I will be back on Monday with some exciting news. Til than, enjoy this lovely art piece by my very dear friend, Kerry Brooks. Her work is simply priceless.

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Featured | Apartment Therapy Chicago

"As someone who works from home, I know the pluses and minuses of the situation and definitely think that the positives far outweigh the negatives, at least for me. That said, one of the challenges is creating a place in a home atmosphere that is functional yet doesn't clash with your design aesthetic - it's all about the balance. Well, we think Vana, the artist behind the silhouette shop Le Papier Studio, got it just right. She sent us in a link to her post all about her new studio and it's light, bright, cheerful and welcoming."


So excited!! My new studio was featured on Apartment Therapy Chicago this morning!
If you're visiting my blog for the first time, Hello and Welcome! It's nice to have you here!

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Inspiration : Road Trip! | Guest Post by Callie

Inspiration: Niagara Falls 

these photos are blissful and gorgeous! Thank you Vana for letting me share!!

I am getting really excited! I will be taking a much needed vacation. I am taking a road trip with my parents to Niagara Falls! First we will head south to Ohio, then on through Pennsylvania then to Buffalo New York.... North 17 more miles to Niagara Falls!! I am so darn excited.  I love road trips. and I love road trips with my parents. They are really fun and adventurous! We will finish through Canada! I am so excited to take lots of photos!!!!

I have instructions from my mother, "I am sending you a check for $125.00 for you to go purchase wine for our trip." mum,slight pause, then continues "They will let us take wine into Canada won't they? I mean, we need to have wine!"

She makes me laugh! I think she has forgotten that I do drive a mini cooper!! 

If you know any fun places to visit along this route, please comment and let me know. I can't wait to see Niagara Falls. It's immense and all that water!! I am totally amazed at these images. 

Are you planning any road trips this summer?
xx callie

All Images: flickr, Roaming the World

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Building to Last | Guest Post by Nathaniel

I've always had a fascination with stone buildings. Maybe it's the rugged beauty of the stones themselves, magically transformed from rough to smooth through the hands of a skilled stonemason. Maybe it's the sense of permanence and stability that the structures impart. In any case, I wanted to share a few images of beautiful stone houses from Quincy, Illinois, where I'm currently working on a new building in one an historic neighborhood. These are truly sustainable buildings - built to last and built to be loved!

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New Studio Tour!

Hi there! Come on in!

If you're following me on Facebook, you know I've teased you for over 2 weeks now with sneak peeks of my new studio. Well, here it is! I am all moved in and so far have enjoyed every minute spent in my new studio. I am loving all the light that comes in through the tall windows.

Everything has it's space which make the studio look fairly organized most of the time (something I've always struggled with working from home).  You might remember my original posts, here and here about my home office? Aaron custom built my work area - which I love - but as the business kept growing, so did the need for more space. I never thought I would enjoy so much working outside the home - but so far, this has proven to be the best decision I ever made. Not only am I super productive during the time I am in the studio, but I get to BE with my family when I am home.

This is the view from the entry.

It is my favorite view - as it reminds me the day I first stepped foot on this space (love at first sight!)

You can see the art wall here. I spent hours working on it and I am so pleased with the way it turned out. I like to think of this wall as my art collection display. The mix of art by other artists and mine own work makes is very meaningful to me. 

Love the art wall idea? Enter to win our art work giveaway HERE and start your own art wall.

Here is where all the printing happens. Everything is conveniently located within easy reach - literally. To make the desk top, we refurbished the closet door - it had the perfect dimensions for the space (I purchased the VIKA ARTUR legs from IKEA). The cutting station is located right next to the printing area. The second desk doubles as cutting - folding - packaging area.

The EXPEDIT bookcases are from IKEA. Aaron screwed the two bookcases one on top of the other taking advantage of the ceiling height. It works great!

I store the envelopes for my stationery and invitations, packaging materials, shipping boxes and crafting supplies inside the closet. I added a bookcase (found at a curbside and repainted) and additional shelving to accommodate everything.  Here is a sneak peek!

Another great thing about the studio is the wall space - there is so much of it - which makes for additional space to display my work - from calendars to art prints. I love it!

These little paper suitcases have been a signature of my workspaces. Don't they make for fun decoration? Not only that - they double as extra storage for my jewelry supplies.

There's still a lot to be done (you haven't even seen the other side of the studio). That would be another post. For now, I am enjoying the way it is.

Well, there you have it!
What do you think?

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Happy Weekend!

Hello hello!

The weekend is here! Wishing you all a very relaxing weekend! We'll be spending ours by the pool I'm sure. I will be back on Monday with a tour of the new studio and also some great news. I can not wait to share all that I have done with you all!! It's been a labor of love - that's for sure. Til than, I leave you with this stunning photograph by Leslie Shewling.

Have a great weekend everyone! See you back here on Monday!

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A Special Giveaway :: {Arkitektur}

The idea for today's giveaway came to me as I was working on making an art wall in my new studio.  This wall will serve as a display of all my art collection.

You all know of my other shop on Etsy {Arkitektur}? Today I am offering 4 sets of postcards to 4 lucky winners (each set featuring the following four of my hand renderings) - which can be framed as a grouping on your art wall. Don't have one yet? Well, this is a good way to start one. Stay tuned for a DIY post coming up soon.

Charles Bridge - Prague, Czech Republic

Berlinerdom - Berlin, Germany

Brandenburg Gate - Berlin, Germany

Frauenkirche -Dresden , Germany

All pencil renderings are hand drawn by me as part of a European tour series. To view more of my architectural representational drawings, visit my Etsy shop here.

Here is how you can enter:

Tell us the places you've visited or those you would like to visit in the future. 

Giveaway ends at 12pm CST on Thursday, July 15th. The winner will be randomly chosen from all the comments and announced Friday, July 16th.  Be sure to check back to see if you won - we no longer notify the winner via email. Winner has 7 days to claim their prizes or they will be forfeited.

Find us here:  facebook  | twitter

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