The Only Thing Missing Was The Paparazzi/ My Trip With Brian French

It's okay to be a little envious of me.

I recently made calls with Brian French in beautiful Traverse City.

Not only did I get to walk around downtown T.C., but I was with Brian French.

He's famous. People ask for his autograph. They really do. (They did the day I was with him).

For those of you not aware of who he is, Brian is 6th generation French. Son of Jerry, Grandson of Ed, of the French Paper Company fame.

Who doesn't love French Paper? Especially around here. After all they are located in Niles, Michigan. That makes them family owned, "local", Michigan based, and American made.

I experienced the "Brian phenomenon" with my own eyes.

Everyone wants to see him. It just so happens he is the fresh face of a 140 year old super cool company. An instant "in" around these parts. Funny thing is, he's just a regular guy. Brian's been known to answer the phone at French Paper Company when the receptionist is busy, he periodically has to clean out the basement at the mill, and when traveling for work he even sleeps on the floor at a friend's cottage to save money on hotel fees.

Told you he was just a regular guy.

Adding to his coolness factor, is the fact that he brought along French Swag on our trip, including the new French envelope promotion.

Have you seen it yet?

The New French Paper Envelope Promotion.

Although the info is not yet on their website:

French is now stocking  9 x 12 catalog

 envelopes in 8 different colors!

Yiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeee. Bring on the color choices, no more white only.

The 9 x 12's come in Kraft Speckletone and 7 PopTone colors, including (Berrylicious, Black Licorice, Gumdrop Green, Hot Fudge, Orange Fizz, Razzleberry, Sour Apple).

And, it gets even better!

They are also stocking 6 x 6 Square envelopes in all colors of Construction, Poptone and Speckletone.

Yes, you heard me right.

You can get envelopes in super small quantities off the French website or, in boxes of 500 (for the catalogs) and 250 (for the squares) from CMP. Keep in mind they are not on our warehouse floor so there may be a  1-2 day wait for them.

Since I hadn't quite grasped another little tidbit, until my trip wth Brian, I thought I'd pass it along in case you missed it, too.

French stocks 4-Bars (aka A-1's) /3.62 x 5.12 in all colors. That is the smallest size envelope mailable without extra postage required, and it fits quite nicely into an A-6 as a reply card.

Ask for your French Envelope Promo today! Because French is not able to sample their envelopes, it gives you a great working tool with examples of the real thing.

FUN FACT:  Brian calls legendary designer Charles Spencer Anderson, Uncle Chuck.

P.S. If I would have been on my game, I'd have taken a picture of him myself.

I'm A Paper Lover, Are you?

   Terri's thoughts on paper.

          

Photos were taken at a Play With Paper event at Gilda's Club earlier this year.

As a kid I spent many hours "practicing" my handwriting and making thank you notes for my mom and dad's friends. We had a cabin up north, on a river, in the woods. We spent almost every weekend of my growing up years there. It was remote and a bit isolated.  There were no "neighbors" to hang out with, most of the time I had my little sisters and my own creative mind to play with.

Crafting was a natural thing to do there. Playing with paper, especially the really special paper that came in a "pad" of colors, was part of the weekend entertainment. I made thank you notes for every cocktail party, dinner get together, or day at the beach my family was invited to.

The paper I used was so special to me that I kept it in the linen closet, tucked away under the sheets so no one else could find it. I was afraid that if I left it out, my little sisters would get their hands on it and "waste" it.

Imagine my excitement  nearly 15 years later when I got my first job in paper and walked into the sample department.

All that paper. All those colors and textures. I was definitely in paper heaven.

And truthfully, I still am.

I continue to love paper. I love the way it feels and the "thunk" it makes, the sound of scissors attacking it, the smell of markers decorating it. I love playing with paper and getting my hands on it. Typing on a keyboard, drawing on a monitor, reading on a screen just don't do it for me.

I have been lucky to have seen so many cool pieces designed on my papers over the years, to have been a part of the process of creating with paper.

As a kid I used to be afraid to put my pen to paper, for fear I would mess up and waste that beautiful paper. Working at a paper company, I've totally gotten over that. It helps me to know that using paper actually helps grow forests, which leads to more paper.

Paper is ... so many things to so many people. One thing I hope it never becomes, is extinct.

Help keep paper in the mix, via identities, notecards, folders, brochures, direct mail, in whatever way possible, "think paper" as a component of your next project.

And hey, if you need any crafting ideas....I've still got a few I can pull out and dust off from my younger days.