The art of tangible correspondence may have gone by the wayside for some. But there's still something special about paper goods — and a physical place where you can find invitations, announcements, cards, and fancy pens. Or even just grab next year’s planner.
Good thing the Valley still has plenty of brick-and-mortar paper stores and stationery shops. Here are 11 to check out.
Changing Hands Bookstore
Multiple locations
Of course there are books here, lots and lots of books, but the Tempe and Phoenix locations of Changing Hands have racks of handmade, letterpress, pop-up, and boxed greeting cards. You can also find plenty of journals and notepads, and selections with acid-free paper. Pro tip: Grab a greeting card at the Phoenix location and hit First Draft Book bar, where you can draft your communiqué with a coffee or glass of wine.
Cards, decor, and notebooks galore at Design Lab by DDG in downtown Mesa.
Courtesy of Design Lab by DDG
66 West Main Street, #102, Mesa
480-321-8081
This lifestyle boutique in downtown Mesa has local and international brands of stationery sets, notebooks, planners, notepads, and calendars. Additionaly, the 2012-established Design Lab by DDG has plenty of writing implements like pencils, pens, rubber stamps, and other desk staples. You’ll find a pack of Christmas cards next to the thank-you notes next to your new favorite candle.
Frances Boutique
10 West Camelback Road
602-279-5467
This midtown Phoenix boutique has been around since 2006, and though it stocks plenty of irresistible items of apparel, jewelry, and home décor, there are some noteworthy paper goods, too. There are plenty of locally made and Arizona-specific greeting cards at Frances, as well as postcards, journals, and planners. Spot Field Notes notepads and pencils, and cards designed by Seriously Shannon and SagePizza (plus plenty of local stickers, patches, and other gifts to stick in there).
Hazel & Violet Letterpress
1301 Northwest Grand Avenue, #2B
480-544-2162
Established in 2008, Hazel & Violet Letterpress is a custom and public letterpress printing shop known for wedding invitations and announcements, stationery, greeting cards, business cards, and broadsides. They also print the work of local designers and artists, and offer little shop items like posters, tags, and coasters. Proprietors and printers Nancy Hill and Beverly Wolfe also offer letterpress workshops and tours of the studio. They print on a 1922 Chandler & Price, a 1935 Vandercook #01, and a 1969 Vandercook HS27, among others.
MADE Art Boutique
922 North Fifth Street
602-256-MADE
Found on Roosevelt Row, MADE Art Boutique has been known for selling items created by over 100 local artists since 1995. If you can get past the handmade jewelry, ceramics, and toys, MADE has a wide selection of adorably unique greeting cards, postcards, journals, sketch books, pencils, bookmarks, prints, and stickers from Unika Collections and Cristina Simona Marian Albin, among many others.
