Our Story

Hi, I'm Stefanie!

I’m a heart-following entrepreneur that is mildly (okay totally) obsessed with marketing, design & all things squish-in-your-face cute (also … cake).

Just a couple of years ago, you could find me comfortably tucked in a cushy office, wearing cardigans far too often (and drinking way too much caffeine) as a Marketing Director for one of the world’s leading commercial real estate firms. As part of my role there, I taught myself the art of graphic design & practiced my skills through a tiny side-business called Paper Hearts™, selling greeting cards on Sunday mornings at our local farmer’s market.

After 2.5 years of running Paper Hearts™ part-time, I had built some serious sales & marketing momentum. My little experiment was growing way faster than I had anticipated. Our story was featured in international media publications, and we were approaching 150 retail partnerships, with no signs of slowing down — but I was TIRED. I knew in my heart that something had to give. I decided it was time to leave the security of my corporate life behind, and took a leap of faith to become a full-time business owner.

Today I run a successful seaside stationery shop & design studio that makes whimsical treasures with love, care & salty air for over 300 retail boutiques across Canada. Our team also runs Paper Hearts Post Office, an artists' snail mail collective that licenses the work of local artists for the Sobeys family of stores across the country.

warning:  the purchase of our heart-made goodies may result in the sprinkling of magical fairy dust in the local community. Because, you see, as heart-followers we don’t just make pretty things - we make an impact. Learn more about the difference we make here.

I hope that you love giving our goodies as much as we love making them.

Love & hugs from the East Coast,

Our journey began on a trip to Calgary, Alberta in 2014 to celebrate the wedding of two women we love dearly. In recognition of their very special day, we wanted to give them a simple, quirky, contemporary note card. After visiting a few large department stores (we did not have time to hunt for lovely boutiques that afternoon), we were only able to find cards featuring champagne glasses, wedding cakes, and “bride & groom” illustrations on them.  

Our first design, “Let’s Grow Old Together” was inspired by this love story; a special card to celebrate the sacred experience of growing old together.