felix doolittle
I’m back from my whirlwind trip Across The Pond for the National Stationery Show. What may seem a bit crazy to many of you (only 49 hours in the city?) actually was very efficient, as many of my friends from across the country were in town for the show. (I would be remiss at this point if I didn’t quickly say thank you to the lovely team at Paperless Post for hosting a fabulous party Monday night, which allowed me to catch up with some of my dearest paper friends without the guilt of pulling them away from order taking.)
To give you a taste of the show, I’ve broken down my visit into two posts. The first covers “friends”, and the second (coming up shortly) will feature my “finds”. Enjoy!
A stop at Felix Doolittle‘s booth (photo at top) never fails to bring a smile to my face. Loren and Felix could be two of the kindest people on the planet, and that spirit carries through to their designs and customer service. I’ve long admired Felix Fu’s gift for illustration and watercolor, and so I’m thrilled that they’re slowly adding larger prints of his work to frame and display. (And I must say, it was a special treat to spend time with them at the Paperless Post party: Loren knows how to work a party photo!)
sugar paper
Infectious enthusiasm permeated Sugar Paper‘s booth. This year, it was all about black and white with a splash of gold, meticulously edited, of course. I’m loving the new collaboration with Jennifer Vallez: her peppy illustrations are featured on a line of notecards and framable prints (shown above). And I’m coveting Sugar Paper’s brand-new line of luxe desk accessories, especially the snail letter opener — swoon. (New additions should be online soon!)
the social type
Another must-see booth was The Social Type. Not only for the brand’s bright + cheery line of greeting cards, but also to meet the newest member of The Social Type family: Allison’s daughter, Pia. (Allison, call me if you’re in London and need a babysitter!)
iron curtain press
There’s definitely a California theme running through this post: Iron Curtain Press does such brilliant minimal letterpress work (designer Rosanna Kvernmo remembered my obsession with this simple pretty thank you set). New this year is Shorthand, a soon-to-launch line of notebooks, notepads, and desk supplies (including “yay” washi tape! oh how I want that washi tape). A nice detail: the notebooks have rounded corners, which is an important feature to prevent visible wear-and-tear during use.
ink meets paper
New this year from Charleston, SC letterpress studio Ink Meets Paper was Gatherings, a line of boxed fill-in invitations that are ready to send whether your party is for 2 or 12. (Having letterpress printed envelope liners is a nice touch.) Keep a box of these in your stationery arsenal to lend last-minute get-togethers a bit of affordable style.
studio carta
Last stop on my “friends” tour was Angela Liguori’s Studio Carta. Angela always partners for the show with Albertine Press, and it was so civilized to take a few minutes to share an espresso-and-chat with Angela and Shelley at their booth And if you’re looking for the utmost in beautiful cotton ribbons, Studio Carta has you covered.
all photos by jane potrykus