Yearly Archives: 2015

Postcards From Osaka

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On any given day, waking bleary eyed at 3 a.m to the sound of my alarm gently coaxing me to consciousness usually results in an uncoordinated fumble to hit the snooze button. On this day though, I dutifully got up and went through the motions of the morning routine, because 8 months prior, I excitedly purchased flights to Japan without realising the consequences of a 6 a.m international flight. The following few hours were a blur honestly, I admittedly binge watched the latest season of Girls, and when my eyeballs felt like they were about to fall out from dryness I just slept. I think being able to sleep on a plane without the aid of any melatonin is one of my greatest skills, I’ll be sure to put that down on my resume next time.

On The Paper Trail

There is no doubt that technology plays a huge part in our lives and has replaced a lot of physical objects like news stands, book shops and magazines. Fewer people use a good old pen and paper to jot down ideas and write down notes, but those who still do certainly have an appreciation for quality stationery that is functional and beautiful. I myself am of course one of those people, there is a real ease in scribbling down ideas on a blank page and being able to flick back to see your process that a tablet can’t give you.

I sometimes do question the relevance of starting a stationery business in a time dominated by tablets and smartphones, but then I come across beautiful brands and people that still share this ideology that nothing gets the brain juices flowing than having the time to sit with your own thoughts and write or draw them down.

For anyone who has been to Japan, you will be well aware that the place is stationery heaven! from the kitsch to the beautifully handcrafted. I am heading to Japan in a few months and I can not wait to see all the beautiful paper and stationery, and visit paper boutiques who clearly understand the relationship someone has with a pen to paper. My tools of choice are a blank sketchbook and a Palomino Blackwing pencil, what’s yours?

Oh Paper

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The current state of my desk has a whole bunch of paper swatch books and sample sheets of various weights, textures and colours. Who knew there were so many shades of white?? My desk resembles a recycling tip because I am very carefully selecting the right paper and card stock to have the Quarter Paper Co products printed on. I am selecting papers of the highest quality and from sustainable and ethical paper mills.  It is very important to me to have the right feeling when these products land in the hands of my customers and for them to feel the quality of paper. Paper is naturally a very tactile material, and I want the Quarter Paper Co products to have a lovely fine tooth texture to touch, and for ink to glide effortlessly when writing on them.

COS x Junpei Kato

COS-2015-Kato-Junpei-01 COS-2015-Kato-Junpei-02 COS-2015-Kato-Junpei-03 COS-2015-Kato-Junpei-07 COS-2015-Kato-Junpei-05I have a deep appreciation for the fine craftsmanship of all things Japanese and the timeless aesthetic of Scandinavian design, so this campaign for COS ’15 perfectly merges two of my favourite worlds. Yokahom-born fashion photographer Junpei Kato collaborated with Swedish fashion label COS to shoot their campaign in the streets of Tokyo.

I love that the products look like sculptures or fine works of art, perfectly placed amongst Tokyo’s street textures and Japanese signage – pure perfection.

Currently

polar-bear-confetti-cardThis month I have had meetings with my printer to discuss the production of the launch line for Quarter Paper Co and established the right paper choices to give the range a most tactile and premium feel. It is all very exciting, I just can’t wait to show you more! In the mean time, here is just a sneak peek of things to come for the launch of Quarter Paper Co!