Has Janet got a severe case of spring fever? More importantly, just what exactly is she talking about? Fortunately, Janet's not ill. She's simply ecstatic. In fact, Janet hasn't been this rosy since she was up to her ears in Easter lilies last April. Janet's joyful discovery is Paper Flowers, the new flowering seed paper that blossoms with beauty.

Yes Janet: Paper Flowers are quick, easy and oh so environmental too!

Instead of tossing used paper into the trash or better yet, recycling it, you simply plant Paper Flowers. Add a little love, plenty of sunshine and water. Voilà: Flowers for you! If you have an upcoming design project that needs to flourish, forget-me-not and be sure to read the rest of PaperView for more flowery features on Paper Flowers.

Like flowers, more and more spring and summer festivals seem to be popping up all over the place. Many of these events usually have lots of vendor booths that sell everything from artwork to apparel. If you look carefully, you'll notice many of these beautiful, one-of-a-kind products are handmade.

Handmade stationery products from notecards to journals have been springing up more and more too. Like many other handcrafted merchandise, such paper goods generally offer an unforgettable look and feel that no machine can duplicate. Even in this era of laser compatibility, why do handmade paper products continue to captivate consumers' interest?

According to Joan Lichtenstein, founder of Resurgence Handmade Papers, the answer is simple: "There's a certain elegance and inherent goodness in some things from our collective past. Handmade paper is one of those things."

Resurgence Handmade Paper has been producing a number of elegant, good looking paper products since 1994. Using a diverse assortment of natural fibers ranging from recycled denim to Japanese fibers like Kozo, the Billings, Montana mill makes some of the most attractive paper you'll ever see. Resurgence's three primary product groups are text and cover papers, stationery, and hand-bound blank books. Sheet sizes as small as 4 x 6 to as large as 18 x 24 are available in a number of text, cover, and writing weights.

This month's edition of PaperView was laser printed on Resurgence Handmade Paper's Paper Flowers, a wonderful new paper containing actual flower seeds (in this case, marigold seeds.) Paper Flowers looks best silk screened, but can be laser printed if need be. Although similar papers have been around for several years, Resurgence is the first company to offer completely custom handmade seed paper. You choose what floral inclusions you want like leaves or petals. Then pick your favorite flower seeds, paper weight and color. Once you or your customer has used the paper, simply plant the paper in the ground like you would seeds, let Mother Nature take her course, and watch for flowers!

Paper Flowers

Weights: 24 lb. Writing, 70 lb. Text, 80 lb. Cover

Sheet Sizes: Text & Cover: 11 x 16, 12-1/2 x 15-1/2, 18 x 24; Stationery: 4 x 6, 8-1/2 x 10

Sheets/Carton: Variable

Colors: Custom Colors Available

Recycled: Variable Post-Consumer Waste

Other: Acid-Free, Floral Inclusions: Leaves, Petals, Seeds & Stems, Matching Envelopes, Process Chlorine-Free

Shown on 70 lb. Green Paper Flowers Text.

W hen it comes to specification representatives or "spec reps," old stereotypes die hard. From days past when suggestive selling usually meant a wink and a smile to today's technically trained paper professionals, spec reps have indeed come a long way. Karen Spicer, a specification rep for Wausau Papers, epitomizes the new image of the industry's perhaps most misunderstood position. Since mid-1998, the Barrington, Illinois native has combined her extensive graphic design background with solid paper knowledge. In an interview with PaperView from her office in suburban Chicago, Karen shared some of her insights into the specification world.

KS: My main job is to promote the Wausau name, the quality of paper, and value we offer.

PV: From your perspective, who is your primary client: the designer, the printer or the end customer?

KS: All three clients care about the end product, so they are all of great concern to me. You need to look at the complete picture, not just a part of it.

PV: For salespeople, success is fairly easy to measure, i.e. more sales. As a specification rep, how is your job evaluated?

KS: Wausau keeps a close look at sales in my region. I cover Chicago and Milwaukee.

PV: How closely do you work with other mill representatives like your sales staff?

KS: I'm backed up by an incredible customer service team. If I need information on specific papers, special order possibilities, ready dates or even strange requests from a client, I can call for quick answers.

PV: What's an example of a strange client request?

KS: Well, a pharmaceutical company and I were working on a packaging project. There was a concern about the existence of latex in the paper and the possibility of allergic reaction. From silk screening to sneezing, we try to stay on top of everything.

A look at the historical development of paper...

Great Britain 1496: Christopher Columbus had barely discovered America when Englishman John Tate finally began producing paper. Britain's first paper mill was started by Tate in 1493, but he struggled for several years setting up the mill before any product was actually produced. Sadly, lower priced imported paper quickly shut down his fledgling firm. Although of no benefit to Mr. Tate, Parliament belatedly enacted tariff protection. The tax helped subsequent British papermakers survive and eventually thrive in the European market.

Post It: Posters and other forms of printed advertising began in Germany in 1470.

Paper Horses: In 1897, a Chicago inventor introduced a short-lived version of paper horseshoes.

The Green Mile: Every year, U.S. businesses throw away enough copy paper to build a 12-foot-high wall that would stretch almost 3,000 miles or roughly the distance from Los Angeles to New York.