Dear Everyone ~
I’m delighted to debut a beautiful 100% cotton rag paper handmade by Two Rivers in England. I could accurately say that I’m royally pleased to make this inaugural announcement, as you will read more about below.
The Two Rivers paperisti work their magic in a charming seaside town called Watchet in West Somerset. When I was in the U.K. in September, I slightly detoured to the mill and spent a lovely, sunny afternoon visiting their studio. At lunch with papermaker/proprietor Jim Patterson, I learned that he has been making paper since 1963, which I find auspicious, as I came into the world, and by extension the world of paper, in 1963.
Two Rivers papers are truly lovely for all manner of medium, especially watercolour and pen & ink. I would describe the feel and the surface as dreamy. The paper is acid-free, and two different spiral-bound pads are now in stock.
The 6 x 6 pad has T.R. copper stamped on the cover, protecting 10 sheets/20 pages of 300 lb cold press cover, alternating with 10 sheets/20 pages of 140 lb cover. The heavier weight has one deckled edge; the lighter weight does not.
The 8 x 10 pad has kraft hardcovers, with a charming East Quayillustration silkscreened by Sarah, one of the papermakers at Two Rivers, in her nearby studio. The 16 sheets/32 pages of 140 lb cover have three straight (meaning undeckled) edges.
One of the highlights of my visit was seeing the mould made for the Queen’s Jubilee paper. The watermark is, in a word, momentous. And I am now the proud possessor of a sheet of this paper, a gift from Jim. Coincident with my visit, Jim had begun making the mould bearing the watermark for King Charles’s upcoming coronation.
In other lovely & luscious papery news, Velke Losiny enclosure card & envelope sets are back in stock with a new look! The enclosure card now includes its subtle deckle along the long edge, which can become the top or bottom of your mini message.
Pads of handmade paper from Two Rivers
Velke Losiny enclosure sets
Yours in paper, Bari