Martha by Mail Tissue Paper

One benefit of my periodic purges of closets and storage spaces in my home is the occasional discovery I make: a card from a long-lost friend, a childhood drawing, unused stationery. Yesterday, the discovery yielded a Martha Moment, so I thought I'd share. What I found was several sheets of the Martha by Mail tissue paper that was used by her 'busy bees' to wrap the items purchased through the catalog or online. When MBM closed down in 2004, a friend of mine in Las Vegas purchased hundreds of dollars worth of Martha's merchandise before it was too late. An added bonus was the stack of Martha by Mail gift tissue he was left with. Generous at heart, and recognizing my interest in Martha ephemera, he sent me numerous sheets of the stuff, pressed neatly between firm cardboard and packaged in a padded envelope. The sheets are quite thick for tissue paper, tinted a light cream tone and decorated with the Martha by Mail bee logo. I've already secured one sheet into my scrapbook and I may use the rest as page liners for another project I'm working on. Reduce, reuse, reimagine! I think that's my new motto.

TIPS FOR STORING TISSUE PAPER:

Check your stationery store for a polyester-film folder with a sheet of alkaline-buffered paper as the backing.

Slip the unfolded tissue in the folder. Avoid using staples or paper clips as these may cause permanent markings on the paper, including holes, creases and tears.

Keep the folders in file holders and boxes constructed of high-quality, acid-free, alkaline-buffered materials.

Choose a cool and dry location such as a closet in an air-conditioned room as a storage place for the boxes.