<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tyler-mccall-of-paper-pencil-and-chicago-stationery-fest/id1517156345?i=1000674852397"></iframe></p>



<p>As the economy flounders and the election cycle drags on, many makers and retailers in the stationery space are simply navigating their way through the best they can. But stationery success stories still happen! Tyler McCall and his husband and business partner Eric Campbell have been on an upward trajectory since opening their 400-square-foot shop in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, <a href="https://paperandpencilchicago.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYOZ9A4yvFRg0g4HUAUwvtf1hYIpTxWLTqiNk3iuhD-QTHfEu-GHKiIgMs_aem_ombKNLXguwrQS360c3_VIw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paper &; Pencil,</a> in May 2023.</p>



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<p>The two built the highly curated Paper &; Pencil on their own terms, and when attending the New York markets for the first time in Winter 2024, the first kernel of <a href="https://www.chicagostationeryfest.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Chicago Stationery Fest</a> was planted. Happening March 22 and 23, 2025, this consumer-facing event may just break down the &#8220;trade-only&#8221; wall to let paper nerds in the wild experience the magic that the stationery trade has privately enjoyed for decades.</p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-79801" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-79801 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="79801" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-10020719 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-favorites tag-design tag-papier tag-sarah-schwartz tag-soluna-collection tag-stationery tag-stationery-blog tag-stationery-design tag-stationery-designer" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/the-season-of-soluna/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=120%2C120&;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=275%2C275&;ssl=1 275w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=372%2C372&;ssl=1 372w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=567%2C567&;ssl=1 567w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=882%2C882&;ssl=1 882w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=300%2C300&;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?resize=50%2C50&;ssl=1 50w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1225_Papier_Jardin_HiRes_A5Hardback.jpg?zoom=2&;resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 200w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/favorites/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Favorites</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/the-season-of-soluna/">The Season of Soluna</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2026-03-05T19:45:29+00:00">March 5, 2026</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="10020719"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



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<p>While Chicago Stationery Fest is just one of several similar events popping up around the country, its springtime dates also lend themselves to the wholesale buying that for this category has always occurred during this specific window. It all begs the question, are we are on the verge of a stationery renaissance?</p>



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Tyler McCall of Paper & Pencil AND Chicago Stationery Fest
