Dear Everyone ~
The Velke Losiny paper mill in the Czech Republic has been making handmade paper since the 16th century. I discovered them a little over 30-ish years ago when I first began bookbinding, and I’ve been smitten ever since with every aspect of their quality. When I first opened the shop, I stocked their DL envelopes (the lovely European equivalent of a #10, measuring 4⅜ x 8¾, with a perfectly pleasing proportion of 1:2). The envelope had a deckle edge on all three sides of its flap. Swoonarama. And the accompanying thick flat card had a dreamy deckle on all four sides. But I am not enveloped with bittersweet nostalgia, because…
Velke Losiny’s petite enclosure set—a flat card and elegant envelope—is doubly swoonworthy. The card has a distinctive texture and measures 2 x 3½ with deckle edges on all four sides. The companion envelope is made from a single handmade sheet and thus sports a deckle edge on all four sides, including the throat (which is lovely enough to be a décolletage). It measures 2⅝ x 3⅞ and is also textured. The set is basically beguiling, taking all manner of writing implements smoothly & splendidly.
For this post, we have a guest encloser, photographer and hand-letterer Audrey Kuhn, the eldest niece of my postal muse. Audrey and Alyson not only share a love of paper, but also have the same initials (ARK). They have the same favorite letter (A) and similar sensibilities regarding wordplay. They have taken to texting each other their Wordle results every morning, with asides. Alyson acknowledges that Audrey’s “default striped lettering” (which she developed while working as a sign artist at Trader Joe’s) awes her. Audrey has graciously added assorted awesome annotations & addresses on these Velke Losiny “cuties.”
As you see, these enclosure cards and envelopes are multi-charmed. You can use an individual card for tying on a gift or a bag, or propping on a pillow. The envelopes are like a sweater set with their matching enclosure card, but they are also ideal for presenting one (or two) tiny Cambridge Imprint origami hearts (folded from a 3 x 3 piece, one-quarter of a 6 x 6 sheet).
We have made petite packets, tied with French embroidery thread: a set of five cards & matching envelopes, or a set of five cards, or a set of five envelopes.
Velke Losiny enclosure sets
Ensconced, Bari