Paper Punk

Yesterday, we celebrated International Day of Happiness by asking you (and we did it ourselves) to Paper Punk It Forward and see for yourself – it was awesome. #PaperPunkItForward.

While we were reading some of your submissions, we couldn’t help but find ourselves really digging deep into what happiness is and when were we happiest.  So, we went out and asked a couple of people when they were most happy and here’s what they had to say:

“When I’m hanging out with friends. We get to talk and share stories about our life. Relax. And just spending time with people who you care about is a great experience.” – Kelly

“When I’m at home with my husband and puppy. They’re the love of my life.” – Vanita

“Marathoning Netflix shows and ordering takeout with my husband.” – Jill

“I’m happiest when I’m on an adventure. I love to experience new things and explore new opportunities. It’s really when I feel most alive.” - Amanda

We wanted to include a couple of submissions from our happiness campaign cause well, it made us pretty freaking happy:

I'm happiest helping people become their most creative self…especially making things with their hands!

What makes you happy?

Use our brand new Color+Build GRAFFITI Block kit to construct a positive message and pay your positive message forward for a chance to be featured in our virtual graffiti wall! By tagging us @PaperPunk and using the #PaperPunkItForward hashtag, you will have the chance to be part of our Paper Punk It Forward campaign.

They’re here!!!!!! Paper Punk’s new COLOR+BUILD My Life as a Fashion Designer and COLOR+BUILD Graffiti Happy Blocks Kits are now available for purchase at Target and here online! 

We are so psyched to share these two new products with you, your friends, and family. The Paper Punk play pattern just added a few new dimensions of coloring, story telling, and dream making with these COLOR+BUILD kits. We just know you will love making your mood and planning your fashion empire with us! In our tech driven lives, it’s too easy to get caught up in too much screen time. That’s why our kits are designed to feed your imagination and build your brain through hands-on play —all while spending quality time with loved ones. So… put down that iPad, turn off the TV, and allow your inner artist and dream of being a fashionista become reality.

In light of the launch, we’ve started a fun campaign around the Graffiti Block’s kit specifically and would encourage you to #PaperPunkItForward! All of the details are below! Enjoy :)

Today is Valentine’s Day, a day out of the year where society pressures us to make our loved ones feel as special as possible. But here at Paper Punk, we think it’s important to practice the art of making our loved ones feel special all of the time.

Everyone gives and receives love differently. Whether that be gift giving, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), or physical touch.

When it comes to showing someone you care, we tend to rely heavily on gift giving because it’s the easiest. But at Paper Punk we’re of the philosophy that sometimes it’s the smallest things that mean the most, so here are some fun and creative ways to show your loved one you’re thinking of them.

A cute note hung on the fridge or mirror:

A sweet, meaningful hand-made drawing:

Chef up a creative dish:

Like most people:

There’s something about the big city, bright light buzz of Times Square or even the pure bliss of riding your bike through Central Park that is convincing/motivating enough for anyone to consider a move to the Big Apple.

As we’ll be making my way to New York in a week, we can’t help but be excited to not only enjoy the sights (Street Style) of New York Fashion Week (NYFW), but also to debut our new Color + Build kits at New York Toy Fair.

Some of our favorite looks from last year’s NYFW street style edition include: 

It’s Inspire Your Heart with Art Day and we’re featuring a collection of Paper Punk creations that made our hearts flutter this month.

“There’s a variety of things you can build with Paper Punk. I love the retro punk look. He [Bot] looks like he’s a little rockstar.” - @origamitree

This month we were crazy about the Graffiti stickers, take a look!

Even though there were a lot of reasons to, we didn’t cry over spilled milk.

And despite our best intentions, not all of our resolutions have been kept.

Nonetheless, we’re looking forward to rocking February and yes, love is in the air! Can’t you tell? #PunkStruck

We would love to feature you in our next artist/fan appreciation blog in February. Don’t be a punk and make sure to tag us in your work. Use #MakeSomething #PaperPunk said so for your chance to be included. 

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, etc., are our communication channels that bring out positive and negative commentary and experiences. They are a way for people to connect to each other and with the world around us, and also serve as a medium to express our thoughts.

Two blogs ago, we discussed how art can be used as (and is for some)  a form of therapy for those who are feeling stressed or for the many people who want to discover more about themselves. We wanted to dive in a little further and not only talk about how art is used as a way to express oneself, but how art can be used as a tool for social activism. Craftivism, if you will.

Coined by poet Allen Ginsberg, the “Flower Power” movement became a popular form of nonviolent protesting in the late 60s and early 70s. This was a movement where demonstrators would insert a flower into a soldier’s gun as an act of peaceful protest against the Vietnamese war. The gesture would later be embraced by hippies and become the embodiment and staple of their movement.

What do you think of when you see the below image?

The gym? Most people associate the “We Can Do It” picture to the women’s rights movement even though it first surfaced in the 40s to promote female war production workers. However, the photo is best known for feminism as it became popular in the 80s to promote the movement and other political issues surrounding this period.

Art is a constant reminder of events and allows us to discuss social and political issues, even when we sometimes don’t know what to say. Take for example the work of James deCaires Taylor that features sculptures submerged 14 feet underwater off the coast of the Canary Islands. They depict the “Raft of Lampedusa” which references the current immigration crisis:  

For those unfortunate enough to live in a climate that has snow for majority of the year, we salute you! Blizzards, being snowed in, brown and/or yellow snow, shovelling?! …

Most people will say the only good thing about winter is how pretty the snow is. 

We are a little inclined to agree, but we want to be sure so we decided to go on a snow adventure and try all of the typical winter activities and bring our Paper Punk pals with us.

Tobogganing

First up on our winter adventure is tobogganing. 

Tobogganing, for those who may not know, consists of either a plastic or wooden long, flat bottomed sled where you sit on and plunge yourself down a hill.

It’s great with a large group of people. Trust us, time flies when you’re having fun.

Skating

Ice skating has proven to be the nemesis of many people: 

via GIPHY

But, winter isn’t so bad when you’re out and about so we’ve decided to give it a chance and we loved it!

But after a long day out in the snow, we decided to warm up with some hot chocolate.

In conclusion, not only is snow pretty, but tobogganing wouldn’t exist without it and for that we’re eternally grateful. #MakeSomething but also go out and do something cause Paper Punk says so!

What do you do when you’re stressed or anxious? Eat? Exercise? Listen to music? Doodle?

Art therapy offers individuals who struggle with communicating an avenue to express themselves using non-verbal communication. Typically, through painting, drawing, or modeling.

Art therapy can be helpful amongst those who are experiencing a lot of stress or pressure, learning disabilities or difficulties, PTSD, depression, etc. or anyone who is simply looking for a way to explore themselves more deeply.

What are the benefits of art therapy? Besides getting to create cool art and finding a safe place to be yourself, the biggest benefit of art therapy are the insights you get from self-exploration. Art therapists are able of provide insight into your creations and help you understand and/or find meaning in your work.

Art therapy can also be a group effort. Finding people who share the same desire to find ways to relieve stress and discover themselves can be a beautiful thing.

We, at Paper Punk, believe in art therapy or any way to positively and creatively express yourself as an outlet. Crafting is a form of art therapy. It’s a way to relieve stress and have fun. Paper Punk can be a form of art therapy by making your own art using our pieces and creating your own characters. Tell your story using Paper Punk.

The Paper Possibilities blog is all about you and we love to show you some of our favorite highlights from December.

“These are fabulous for on the go creativity, so if you have travel plans this holiday season, these are a great project if you are trying to limit screen time, or keep your kids busy in the car while traveling.” - @NatalMe

“This is the sweetest little paper craft I’ve seen in a while and its perfect for boys! PAPER PUNK My littlest boy is going to be an engineer because he can put my Ikea drawers together in 10 min flat!!! and he made this little puppy from in about a half and hour.  PAPER PUNK is a great quiet time activity and looks darling on his shelf.” - @glitzypear

And last but not least, we love this video/film of our kit by Lucky Penny Shop. 

While this season may have been stressful, we hope that you had a chance to relax, spend some time with the people who matter most and had some fun!

We're not big into new years resolutions, but we did cave and decide to make a couple. This year we will:

1. Spend more time doing the things we love. 
2. Spend more time being creative. 
3. Swim against the current. 

We would love to feature you in our next artist/fan appreciation blog on January 31^st. Don’t be a punk and make sure to tag us in your work. Use #MakeSomething #PaperPunk said so for your chance to be included. 

While the holiday season is in full swing – festive music on the radio, houses lit up on every street, finding it nearly impossible to find a parking spot at the mall, etc. we couldn’t help but find ourselves overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with the task of finding the perfect new ornament for the tree this year with the hopes of hearing awe-inducing ahhhhs from the family.

This year we wanted to do something different and decided to take it up notch by “punking” our Christmas tree, gifts, and space.

Christmas Tree

We took some of the extra pieces we had laying around and created our own ornaments for our tree. You can use a kit that suits the color of your tree or you can light it up with something that attracts the eye. Either way, there is an ornament waiting to be hung.

Gifts

Traditional wrapping paper can be so yawn.  This year, we took some time to punk our gifts by adding the stickers from our classic kits and graffiti sticker sets. Choose the stickers that say (y)our message for an added personal touch “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa.

Décor

We’ve all been to houses that have overdone their decorations, but there is no such thing with Paper Punk. We love this table top tree for the center of a dining table, or this Paper Punk wreath to welcome friends into your home. 

We have a lot of fun creating with the classic kits, and even more fun giving them a little holiday twist. It’s no surprise that Paper Punking our decorations is a match made in heaven.

If you’re tired of your typical decorations, punk it! #MakeSomething