The Paper Zone

You know how sometimes something truly terrible occurs, and it is all your fault, but even though things look bad the kindness of a stranger or someone in a service industry makes it all better?
Well, don’t expect that here. Their name is very misleading.
I stupidly created a Christmas card on gloss cardstock that cracked when I folded it the way I imagined. That is where Paper Zone comes in– I assume they have scads of strange and unique paper and envelopes to fit my weird needs.
Not so! Largest envelope they have is a 10. I don’t see myself coming back to risk another visit like this.

Although I love PZ’s selection of papers and related goods, the service is absurdly horrible & lacking. I was in this store for at least an hour, if not longer, and not ONE of the three employees engaged me the entire time.
Noone greeted me, asked me if I needed help (luckily I know my way around a paper store, having worked in one for over a year) or even made eye contact with me the whole time I was in there. 2 of the employees hung out at the register almost the whole time, and both of them bagged my $ 65 purchase. WHAT A WASTE!
I am super disappointed in PZ, especially this location. Definitely will not be going back; I definitely don’t recommend going here either, especially if you need help with your projects or have any questions.

If you have even the most basic idea of a craft project and want a little extra creative help, go here! The gals I worked with ran all over the store with me pulling out colors here, ribbons there, and swapping ideas with me and one another. The end result: completely amazing programs for my wedding, that were way easy to make. yay!
There is a large selection at this paper zone, but probably not as much as the 1^st ave location, and not as much as there was at the Everett location (which is closed, but still listed on the paper zone’s website, big no no!)
Weird thing about this store, it’s colder than Whistler inside. The place seriously has to be about 55 degrees. Not sure why, but it’s like that every time I’m in there.
Side note: if you are looking for rubber stamps, they have a very lackluster selection here, better bet is Joann’s or Michael’s.

The nice ladies here have tremendous experience and helpful advice.

Paper, paper, paper everywhere! And all different kinds, colors, textures. This is a great source for you scrapbookers, stampers and clueless folks like me trying to figure out how to fashion a handmade invitations.
One thing I love about this location versus going to someplace like Michaels or other big chains is the personal service and expertise. I’ve been helped by several of the friendly, creative staff and I have always been offered great solutions for any paper idea. Stacey, in particular, is awesome!
It can get busy sometimes so just be patient or try to go at a different time of day. If you’re the person being helped, you really appreciate the extra time they take with you. If you’re waiting to be helped, it can be a drag. There are lots of examples of handmade invitations and all the paper, ribbon, stamp supplies are all right there.
Go have fun!

«Highway to the Danger Zone, I’ll take you, Right into the Danger Zone,»… paper zone… oops. Sorry flashback moment to Top Gun, man that movie was the bomb back in the day…
Here the paper is a plentiful as are the crafty art supplies, Veggie-​girl wants to work here when she’s older. She’d better be prepared for all them paper cuts, that’s all I have to say about that…
Plenty of parking, plenty of paper… bring on the band aids…

Lots of scrapbook and stamping supplies, but also a great resource for business papers and art supplies and pens! And they always have a great selection of gift wrap and boxes and stuff to make your gifts look pretty!
Downside to this Paper Zone is that the checkout counter tends to be annoying — no matter what side of the counter I’m standing on, the cashier takes someone on the other side. They need to revamp their checkout area. Another weirdness is that the store is always cold. Doesn’t matter if it’s mid-​summer or mid-​winter, but I always get a chill while in there. And I know they’re going for the pipe rack/​paper warehouse-​y feel, but the lighting in the place is really sterile and cold. They’ve made it a bit friendlier in that side room, but the rest of the store just has an antiseptic feel to it.

Every kind of paper product and then some you couldn’t possibly imagine! Invitations, decorations, business forms, resume paper, pens, pencils, scrapbooking… I could go on for days but I’ll spare you the details.
Just check out the store or the online site. It’ll have you ordering cases of berry colored copy paper for absolutely no reason at all.