I’m loving these gorgeous, laser-cut cupcake wrappers from Paper Orchid. They add a unique interest to any special occasion. Heck, I’d love to buy some just to use when I make cupcakes or muffins.

Paper Orchid also makes special laser-cut favor boxes (below), as well as matching invitations, envelope seals, and note cards.

images from Paper Orchid

Inkjet Designs creates wonderfully cute coasters (above), cards (below), gift tags, magnets, and mirrors. The fun and colorful designs and patterns will brighten up your home, your correspondence, your fridge, and anywhere else that you put Inkjet’s items. Sweet!

images from Inkjet Designs

The U.S. Postal Service recently announced their 2008 commemorative stamp collections, including a 16 stamp collection commemorating the works of designers Charles and Ray Eames. The collection will honor the Eames’ groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design, manufacturing, and photographic arts and is sure to bring modern designophiles all across the country to their local post offices to pick up some stamps.

image from U.S. Postal Service

Inspired by the recent resurgence of knitting, the U.S. Postal Service has commissioned illustrator Nancy Stahl to create four designs in the “Holiday Knits” stamp collection for the 2007 holiday season.

Stahl was inspired by traditional Norwegian sweaters and knitted Christmas stockings and used computer software to draw her original designs. She then converted them to stitches and rows and downloaded the information to an electronic knitting machine, which she used to actually knit the illustrations. How very crafty!

You can purchase the Holiday Knits stamps at your local post office or on the USPS website.

image from the U.S. Postal Service

I’m a huge fan of dynamic flourishes and decorative ornaments in design, and I just love what Yee Haw has done with the vintage scrolls and swirls in their Cakewalk series. The A10 cards would be perfect for anything from chic party invitations to thank you notes to wall art. The letterpress cards are printed with chocolate brown ink and highlighted with either pink, chartreuse, or light blue inks. Love those color combos. $16.00 for a box of 8 assorted designs at Yee Haw Industries.

The Cakewalk series also includes mini cards, note cards, and even die cut fans!

image from Yee Haw Industries

I’m a typography nut and a letterpress nut, so I was overcome with excitement when I saw these teal Type Collage letterpress coasters from Green Chair Press. I love the bold touches of color amongst the teal typography and think that these coasters would be the center of attention at any drinks-included gathering. Well, they would be if I were one of your guests. Plus, the ink is waterproof, so no worries about running. $12.00 for a set of 5.

image from Green Chair Press

These 100% linen checkbook covers by Lotta Jansdotter are stylin’. So soft, so pretty, such an improvement over the vinyl / plastic / pleather-y checkbook covers with the solar calculators that stopped working a decade ago … but I wouldn’t know anything about those. No, not a thing. $18 each at Peek Keep.

Actually, when I saw these check book covers, I realized that it would be completely awesome if designers like Lotta Jansdotter, Jonathan Adler, Tord Boontje, and many of the fantastic stationery designers and illustrators working today would create series of customizeable checks. I’d love to have those types of choices when I’m picking out new checks!

image from Peek Keep

I’m all about the sticky notes, and when I saw this pretty self-adhesive note set from russell+hazel it really brightened my day, which was otherwise filled with snow and cold and slush and general nastiness. Welcome to April in New England!

And how could these butterfly clips not put a smile on your face? So bright, happy, and colorful.

images from russell+hazel