Dear Everyone ~
Last September, Zak and I visited his family in the U.K. We also traveled around the countryside a bit, including Lyme Regis, on the Dorset coast. I mentioned Lyme Regis in my blog post about my papery pursuits of the trip, including a long-anticipated visit to Molesworth & Bird, the seaweed queens… While I was on my way to visit Melanie Molesworth (Yes, it’s her real name.), I popped into a lovely little shop called Ryder & Hope on the main road.
A delightful notecard caught my eye, bearing an image of a Rock Pipit (per the caption on the back), delicately drawn in graphite. The illustration reminded me of another bird I had just spotted, on the fly, while we were en route to Lyme Regis, called a Wagtail. I’m not a birder per se, but so love learning about them. Plus, the two textures of the notecard & envelope made for a dreamy combination. I bought the card and tucked it in my tote, planning to send it to my dear husband once we returned home…but then found myself not quite ready to part with it. So….
A few weeks after arriving home, I sent word to the artist, James Winrow, to see if he would ship his cards overseas. He responded promptly in the affirmative, and we Zoomed to confirm the particulars. And then we continued to chat about many things nature & paper.
I logically asked if he knew Melanie of Molesworth & Bird. He knew of them, and where the shop was located, but had not been. Later that week he ventured over to meet them, and it turned out that Melanie had bought one of James’s notecards as a Valentines Day card for her husband! I love this kismet!
This past week, I received my order from James, a totally tidy parcel. The cards were “nesting” in cotton wool, so much softer & sweeter than kraft paper—not to mention birdlike. The unexpected (but, I admit, hoped for) enclosures were every bit as delightful as the cards themselves. He included a handwritten note on what I would consider a “vintage postal artifact”, a fold-over Carte Postale. The tiny feather that James attached to the card is from a Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), and he explains that “this is what they create their ‘drumming’ noise with.” My heart pitter patters.
I am beyond delighted to formally herald the arrival of a quartet of James Winrow’s charming illustrated notecards; Dipper, Rock Pipit, Pigeon, and Quaking Grass. On the back of each card, James has written a beautiful little description for each drawing, including where and when he drew it, along with the Latin name.
They are available as a set of four, with envelopes that have a laid finish and a deep V-flap with rounded tip.
James Winrow notecards
Cooing, Bari