paperwink stamps : 10% off

We've got the perfect personalized gift idea for you! Order a personalized Paperwink stamp and this week only, take 10% off your order.



You can browse our Paperwink selection online or stop in the shop to place your order.

holiday open house : 20% off

Join us this Saturday, November 12th from 10am until 5pm for our annual Holiday Open House. This is my favorite event of the year! We will have paper demonstrations, giveaways, festive food, and a photo booth courtesy of Shutterbox Photo Booth Milwaukee.
Oh and last but not least... during our Holiday Open House we are offering 20% off all holiday product!

gallery night : sylke vonk

Tonight is the Historic Third Ward's Gallery Night and we're so excited to welcome back photographer Sylke Vonk! Sylke was a Gallery Night guest last Spring in 2010, you can see a little bit more about her past exhibition here. Please join us this evening... we're open late until 9pm!

A little sneak peek... love how these photographs are hanging with our wrap behind them. So pretty!


Here is a little more information about Sylke's exhibit...

Please join us this evening from 5pm - 9pm and tomorrow 10am - 5pm!

cream city ribbon tour

I recently went on a tour of Milwaukee's very own Cream City Ribbon and I am more than anxious to share my experience!

Broadway Paper and Cream City Ribbon have a very intimate connection. The owner of Cream City Ribbon, Lorette Russenberger, bought her business in 1988 and was located at 181 N. Broadway, just a few doors down the street from Broadway Paper's current location.

Lorette decided to open Broadway Paper as an outlet to sell her ribbon in a retail environment. Her original intention was to open as a seasonal store during Christmas of 1988, but the response was so great, she kept it open year-round. It was only the second retail store located in the Third Ward and they developed a loyal following of customers.

In 1996, Linda sold the store and moved her production facility to a larger historic cream brick building close to Milwaukee's downtown. The rest is pretty much history... onto my tour!

Spools of cotton yarn are used to make Cream City ribbon. Each ½” wide ribbon is composed of approximately 52 strands of cotton yarn running parallel to one another.

The yarn is then put into the glue tank and the glue is used to bond the yarn together. This gives it it's curling and shredding capability.

The ribbon drying.

Cream City ribbon is produced from renewable, biodegradable cotton fiber, grown and processed responsibly in the USA with water based dyes and without chlorine bleaches. All of the inks that is used are soy based and non-toxic.


Cream City Ribbon is currently the only U.S. manufacturer of this unique product. Trademarked in 1995, Cream City Ribbon is the only environmentally friendly, American made ribbon on the market today.

Broadway Paper and Cream City Ribbon have lost touch a little bit over the recent years, but believe you me... the connection has been rekindled and I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing a lot more of their ribbon around here soon.

moveable type truck re-cap

What a day! We had such an amazing time hosting Kyle and her moveable type truck! The truck pulled up right outside the store on Broadway and a few of our local Milwaukee food trucks joined us. If you haven't tried Tigerbite Food Truck or the Chubby Cheese Food Truck... you're really missing out!

The afternoon went by too quickly... we hosted the truck over the lunch hour and the timing brought out students and professionals alike. So great to see so many people excited about letterpress! We had a great turn out and a great mix of people. Most importantly, everyone loved making their own print to take home for free!


Leader Paper Products graciously donated all of the paper that was used for our event. What a treat! I'm hoping we can lure Kyle to stop again in Milwaukee on her way back West! A girl can dream, right?

gallery night : jeff trendel

Tonight is Gallery Night and I am so proud to announce that we are featuring the fabulous work of Jeff Trendel. Jeff is a local ecoartist (and also a long-time family friend of mine). Jeff makes the most beautiful wood bowls and vessels that you'll ever see.


All of the wood used in Jeff's wood turnings is cut in urban areas under permit from the local municipalities of the Florida Keys. Do not fear, this is done with no damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Florida Keys. Jeff's eco-friendly bowls and vessels are made with beautiful rare tropical woods such as Cuban Mahogany, Red Mahoe, Jamaica Dogwood, Bustic, Mastic, Buttonwood and many others from South Florida.

Jeff's work is simply magnificent and truly amazing. If you are in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by. And if you weren't planning on being in the neighborhood, I'd adjust your plans! Jeff and I hope to see you tonight and tomorrow for the Historic Third Ward's Gallery Night.

thanks, mom

Mother's Day is right around the corner and we are super thrilled to have been featured in this month's Milwaukee Magazine! Our newest Tabletopics is featured.. it's a special one for mothers & daughters.

Inside this great game are questions such as:

When you brag about me what do you say?
What about me reminds you of yourself?
What are the special gifts we've given each other?

Stop in or visit our webstore to purchase your own mother's & daughter's Tabletopics. We're pretty sure your mom would love it!

third ward easter egg hunt

Please join us this Saturday for the Historic Third Ward Easter Egg Hunt. The Hunt will begin at the Milwaukee Public Market around noon. Hop around the neighborhood with "Ernie" - the Neighborhood Easter Bunny and end up at Catalano Square around 2:30 for photos with Front Room Photography of the Easter Bunny.


The hunt is for little kids and big kids alike. Each participating business will have candy filled eggs for the little ones and some sort of promotion or special for the big kids. Over twenty local businesses will be participating... we simply cannot wait!

macy's sip and scan

Join us this Sunday at 11am at Macy's at Mayfair Mall


Macy's Wedding & Gift Registry is throwing a grand event with fun beverages, hors d'oeuvres, and registry experts to help you create your dream registry. While sipping and scanning, you'll also be able to visit with a bunch of their preferred vendors, such as Broadway Paper.

new card line: kinaloon

Kinaloon is a new card line that we just started carrying a few weeks ago. And I am in love! Barbara who designs and prints all of her cards herself, came to me with a few samples and I instantly knew I had to carry her line. Another great attribute is these cards are designed and printed right in Chicago. Love it!


Barbara is a painter who fell in love with screen printing. The first designs were inspired by Barbara teasing her niece about going to camp and how she was going to write her lots of letters. She decided she would make letters to send to her niece, rather than buying cards. How sweet! Believe me, Kinaloon cards are just as sweet and beautiful as this story!


You can find a wide variety of Kinaloon cards in the store or on our webstore.

milwaukee's magnificent bride

Join us this Sunday for the wedding show of the year! Milwaukee's Magnificent Bride will be held at the Pfister Hotel this Sunday, February 27th from 11am until 4pm.

Video by Amy Johnson of One Fine Day Productions

The best of the best will be at Milwaukee's Magnificent Bride Show including Beauty, Blooming Quill, Blush, Dynamic Events, Front Room Photography, Shutterbox Entertainment.

In addition to wonderful vendors, there will be various collaborative tables, complimentary food samples as well as champagne, and you'll also get the chance to sit in on a few different wonderful workshops.


This year's theme is vintage travel... and with a few vintage props, our table will fit the theme perfectly! We will have lots of invitation samples on display for your viewing pleasure! Be sure to visit us in the Grand Ballroom this Sunday for Milwaukee's Magnificent Bride Show!

gallery night: this weekend

Join us tomorrow night for the Historic Third Ward's Gallery Night! We will be hosting an amazing photographer, J Gilbert Cerveli, a local Milwaukee photographer. We are very familiar and very fond of Gil since his wife, MaryElise, has worked at Broadway Paper for over a year. Through extensive travel both in the United States and abroad, along with a passion for photography, Gil has the ability to capture amazing moments in time.




Gil has been in the photography business from young on. In fact, he comes from a family of professional photographers. His grandfather founded his own photography studio in 1912. His father expanded the business in Chicago and today, 99 years later, Gil’s photographic art continues to evolve.

For two days, Friday evening and Saturday, the whole neighborhood will be displaying their own favorite art. This event happens four times a year, and I can assure you this Gallery Night at Broadway Paper is not to be missed!

If you're worried you'll freeze to death, hop on the free Friday Gallery Night Xpress! There are six convenient stops throughout the Third Ward and East Town. The stops are as follows:

- 212 N. Milwaukee St. (in front of parking structure)
- The Pfister Hotel
- Hotel Metro
- InterContinental Milwaukee
- 401 N. Water St. (across from the Market)
- 225 E. Chicago St. (in front of parking structure)

J. Gilbert, Broadway Paper, and the Historic Third Ward hope to see you out and about for Gallery Night! And remember to dress warm!

wedding show this weekend!

Come visit us today and tomorrow in booth 604 at The 43rd Annual Wonderful World of Weddings Show at the Wisconsin Expo Center at State Fair Park. This is Wisconsin's largest and oldest bridal expo. See over 175 exhibits, a unique selection of bridal-related products and services including wedding dresses, cakes, stationers, photographers, florists, reception facilities, live bands, DJs and more!


In booth 604, we'll be handing out a nice little coupon to the brides that visit our booth and even more exciting, we'll have a raffle. Every bride will have a chance to win $100 off their custom invitation order as well as a card rental box. In addition, over $50,000 in prizes and giveaways from the exhibitors of the show and everyone that attends the show has the chance to be entered to win a honeymoon vacation package to the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

More information on the The 43rd Annual Wonderful World of Weddings Show can be found on their Facebook page or their website. A handy list of what to bring to the bridal show can be found on their blog. And while you're researching, be sure to check out our bridal section of our website!

Visit us today and tomorrow in booth 604 at The 43rd Annual Wonderful World of Weddings Show. The show runs today from 10:00 am - 5:00pm and tomorrow, Sunday from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm. See you there!

pop-up store is now open!

Have you been to our new pop-up store yet? We've been open for a few weeks now and we're loving experiencing a whole new part of Milwaukee!

Here is a little peek into our pop-up store:



Isn't it great?

The store is downtown Milwaukee on Mason and Milwaukee Streets! Be sure to stop by to check it out... and as always, our main store in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward is still around! Not to mention our wonderful webstore. Now you have three ways to shop Broadway Paper!

christmas in the ward & santa

Tonight is the night! I've been waiting all year for this event!

Be part of an old fashioned Christmas tree lighting in the heart of Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward beginning at 5pm. Santa is already on his way to the neighborhood and he is bringing live reindeer and pretty fireworks too! There will also be horse carriage rides and a cookie sale. The whole Christmas In The Ward line-up can be found here.


And... Santa will be stopping by Broadway Paper tonight too! If you donate $25 to United Way, you will receive a complimentary photograph from Front Room Photography.


The 22nd Annual Christmas In The Ward and photos for The United Way are not to be missed!

pop-up store!

In case you haven't heard, we are opening a Holiday Pop-Up Store! I had been holding off officially announcing this news on the blog since we had encountered more than a few delays in the opening of the store. We've been working very hard to get the pop-up store all set and I am anticipating it to open later this week!

Broadway Paper was first contacted in August about this idea. Downtown Milwaukee was looking to revitalize downtown street front retail, so they offered select Milwaukee retailers huge incentives to open up a pop-up store downtown. Pop-up stores are are really popular and especially during the holidays, you'll see lots of these stores pop up mostly in major cities. More information about the pop-up concept can be found here and a write-up in Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel about the new pop-up stores in downtown Milwaukee can be found here.

photo courtesy of jacki mroczkowski

Broadway Paper took Downtown Milwaukee up on their great offer and here we are three months later, days away from opening Broadway Paper Pop-Up! The store will be located in the 134 year old Colby Abbott Building at Mason and Milwaukee Streets in the heart of restaurant row and right around the corner from all the nice fancy hotels downtown. It's a great spot!


We hope to see you at Broadway Paper Pop-Up later this week!

snow & graham calenders

Our 2011 Show & Graham calendars have arrived! In addition to their wall, desk, and mini desk calendar, we're happy to announce that they have two new formats!

The accordion and the write-on! The accordion folds down to just 3.5 x 2.5 inches, but when open is 30 inches long! The calendar allows you to see all of 2011 in one view and the 12 unique designs too. The new write-on calendar is not only beautiful, but very functional too. The calendar has a handy grid style monthly calendar and measures 12 x 18 inches.



And of course, we also have the beloved Snow & Graham wall calendar...



You can shop your Snow & Graham heart out right here.

sidewalk sale

Tomorrow is the annual Historic Third Ward Sidewalk Sale. This event is not to be missed! We will have a ton of imprintables, boxed stationery, gift bags, gift wrap, gift items, ribbon, and more out on our sidewalk. All 50% off!


And we won't be the only one in the neighborhood... many other retailers will also be participating in this! You can read all about the event here. Come join us tomorrow, August 14th from 10am until 5pm for lots of good deals for our sidewalk sale!

upcoming events

We have two very exciting events coming up at Broadway Paper! This Friday evening and Saturday we will be participating in Gallery Night. And the Neighborhood Social is right around the corner next Tuesday!

Gallery Night is the premier art event in Milwaukee and the whole Historic Third Ward neighborhood turns into a neighborhood of art and passion! Broadway Paper will be hosting two wonderful and amazing artists for Gallery Night.


Mary Sievert and Chelsea Atwell will be displaying their exhibit Flowers Personified. Both ladies are local and very familiar with the neighborhood since they are recent graduates from MIAD.

Mary was an illustration major pursuing freelance work and children's book illustration. She currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chelsea was a communication design major pursuing art direction and typography. Enjoys working with paper and found objects. She currently lives in Milwaukee.

We couldn't be more excited to host these two fabulous young + talented artists!

Next Tuesday is the next Neighborhood Social! You might remember the previous Social as the Merchant Social... we've recently changed the name, but everything else will be the same! This upcoming Social will be held at Water Buffalo. Fingers crossed for warm weather! You can read all about the Neighborhood Social here.


So remember, if you live, work, or just simply love the Third Ward... then this is a must-attend event for you! Come for giveaways, tasty food, and great people to chat with!

We hope to see you at Gallery Night this weekend and the Neighborhood Social next Tuesday!

design sponge

I am so proud to announce that we've made the list for Design Sponge's city guide of Milwaukee! It is such an honor to be mentioned in their city guide. I've been waiting months (maybe even years) for Design Sponge to put out a guide of Milwaukee. I've used their guides on many various trips to Amsterdam, Brussels, Montreal, and New York.


I guess I personally don't really need a guide to Milwaukee, but I always felt that their could be one on Design Sponge since Milwaukee has so many great things to offer! Now there is a guide for Milwaukee and I am so delighted that Broadway Paper made the cut! There are a lot of really great mentions and ideas in the city guide including a ton of really great local restaurants. Read all about it here!


images from designspongeonline.com