BuZzeS: At last, April arrivals, no foolin’!

Dear Everyone ~

Yesterday, our eagerly anticipated first delivery of cards from British publisher (and artist) James Ellis arrived. We’ve brought in a binder’s dozen of designs by several artists James represents—a global mix of talent. We are proud to be the first U.S. stockist of James’s Paintworks line. We hasten to say that everyone depicted in these lovely scenes—including birds of all feathers—seems extremely content to be there.

Although I’d never refer to my sister-in-law in the U.K. as a bird, I do want to tell you that it is thanks to Elaine that I discovered James several trips ago. Elaine is a prolific correspondent with an admirable knack for matching the card to the recipient. In the 30-some years I’ve known her, she has never missed my birthday, Zak’s birthday, or our anniversary. She often embellishes the envelope flap or illuminates an initial. Elaine also introduced me to the Pencil Shaving line of cards we’ve stocked continuously since opening ten years ago.

As you might imagine, when we’re together, we tend to motor about, on the lookout for likely places to search for cards. Elaine can often point out where she had found a particular card she’s sent me. I love having this visual sense of provenance. On our last visit, Elaine invited me to peek in her address book, which she refers to as a diary. Every page contains decades worth of handwritten names, addresses, birthdays & etc. What a treasure.

If you’re feeling arty: For those of you who enjoy illustrating your own cards, we’ve restocked Hahnemühle’s watercolour postcard pads in a lovely landscape format: 4⅛ x 8¼. (Perfectly proportioned for a DL envelope.) The luscious (250g!) stock has the same inviting linen-y texture as the smaller counterpart (4⅛ x 5¾) pad.

If you’re feeling chatty: We are now stocking Tschechisch 100% cotton papers from the Czech Republic. The A4 letter sheets (8¼ x 11¾) have deckled edges on all four sides, and the texture is a dream to write on with all manner of medium, especially a fountain pen. The C6 envelopes (4½ x 6⅜) have a square flap, with a deckle on the throat as well (très décolletage). The A4 sheet fits neatly inside by folding it in quarters, traditionally referred to as a French fold.

 What missive isn’t enhanced by a snip or swish or swash of washi?! We’ve just received an awesome octet of new patterns in a range of widths and motifs from four of our favourite washi wizards: Mina Perhon, Lisa Larson, Ottaipnu, and Hana R.