Paces Papers: Bellwether of Southern stationery style

Jackie and store manager Kathy Davidson have long been style setters on Atlanta’s social stationery scene. Jackie describes her own taste as traditional … which motivated her to seek out a new wave of design talent. Paces Papers has been “refreshed” by the creative energies of a foursome of designers under 40: Emmi Braselton, Sara Haskew, Michele Keeney and Ashley Stephenson.

In the pink: This spring display includes monogram cards from Papaya and gold birdcage wrap from Midori. The “Maureen New Orleans” invitation on the table is a Paces Papers custom design.

Jackie Garson Howard: Emmi and I are good at very different things to do with paper. I’ve always been “the paper expert” at Paces Papers, but when Emmi arrived, I learned that she knew a wealth of stuff I knew nothing about. I realized that, although I used to know all the paper lines and sources, I hadn’t kept up.

Emmi Braselton: I was familiar with online vendors, my primary resource. If I have seen something once, I tend to remember it, and I’m able to track it down.

Emmi, what’s your background?
EB: I was an illustration major at RISD. When I got married, I did everything for my own wedding, which led me into designing wedding invitations. I did flowers for a while … and now I’ve been at Paces Papers three years.

JGH: So Emmi has become our paper resource. And I have turned over all the buying to her.

EB: I know her taste, even if it is not mine.

The oversized card (left rack, top) is a Wiley Valentine letterpress creation that Emmi spotted — as did we — at last year’s Stationery Show.

How do you shop for cards?
EB: I’m not very methodical. We have four or five card reps that call on us throughout the year. And I might see something on a blog, and customers bring in cards they like. Generally speaking, we try not to buy any flat-printed cards unless they have something special going on — like glitter.

JGH: We definitely agree on glitter. A customer gave us these enormous pinecones which we glittered. We sell them during the holidays, but we display them in the store year-round.

All that glitters: A cluster of sparkly cards (top row, right)

EB: We carry far more cards that are greeted — meaning with a message inside — than non-greeted. Certain customers will only buy greeted cards. Cards with quotes are popular now. And we carry more and more cards with curse words on them, which could offend some people, so we display these in a separate area with a disclaimer sign [below]. Blue Barnhouse in Asheville, for example, does cards with vintage illustrations and engravings and hilarious captions. And Hard Cards are great.

Her blind side: Jackie has never looked at any of these cards but likes the sign.

Your website is so lively and evocative. I love your micro-bios — which, of course, I wish were longer.
EB: Thanks. Sara designed the site with Ashley and me, and Michele did a lot of the photography. Michele also likes to make seasonal outfits for our dress form.

Michele fashioned this frock from tissue papers Jackie bought in Thailand years ago.

EB: Lots of people come in needing a card for just one thing, but we also have a few customers who come in, look for half an hour and buy 15 or 20 cards to keep in their stash.

JGH: We carry cards with miniature origami flowers from Thailand — mostly because I have a cousin who loves them — and I like three-dimensional cards. Of course I want to see my taste reflected in the store — but I do not override Emmi!

Ashley’s birthday scroll (8.75 x 12.5 in.), designed by Michele and laser printed

How much custom design do you do?
EB: Our customers know that we can — and will — do pretty much anything. We’ll make a handful of custom greeting cards or birthday cards for specific clients, and take them completely over the top. We make cards for each other on our birthdays. People can bring in family photos, and we’ll make an accordion folder and tie it with ribbon. It takes a lot of time, but it’s a lot of fun.

Open stock in the “Design Library” makes it easy to mix and match cards and envelopes.

EB: We design invitations and stationery ourselves all the time, and for small runs [less than 50], we print in-house. We use a local printer for larger runs or if the customer wants thermography.

Owl in the family: Ashley, Michele and Sara collaborated on this one-of-a-kind customer commission. The tiny scrolls bear birthday messages.

Where do your hand-labor sessions take place?
EB: Right in the store. We just declare the big table the “craft table for the day”! When we use glitter, it gets everywhere.

The big table is also the spot for communal critiques with card reps. Emmi says, “We’re blunt!”

Do you send cards?
EB: I make custom cards for Christmas and Valentines Day. I usually letterpress them myself at Atlanta Printmakers Studio. For valentines, I go where I have all my art supplies and make something out of whatever I have … and, yes, glitter has been involved.

JGH: I send one over-the-top thing each year, to almost 400 people — primarily family and friends, and a few customers who speak to my heart.

Paces Papers is located in the courtyard at Cates Center, 110 East Andrews Drive, Atlanta. We love that “Appointments are not necessary but are encouraged.” Farther afield, they are on Facebook.