A Beautiful Place to Store Your Stationery Wardrobe

I came across this wonderful piece of woodwork during this morning's keyword search.



The Correspondence Box is made by Clark Kellogg of Kellogg Furniture Design in Houston. In his description of the piece, he notes: "The sides are dovetailed by hand, and the lid is frame-and-panel. There are two asymmetrical drawers built in to the front of the box - a smaller one for pens, and a larger one for stamps. The interior of the box houses two removable trays, one slightly larger than the other. The smaller tray holds standard 4 1/4″ x 6 3/8″ cards (such as Crane’s or xxxxxxxxx), and the larger tray holds the corresponding envelopes. Each tray has a small brass tab you can use to pull the stationery out of the tray."



Dimensions: 11 1/2 by 8 by 4 inches
Materials: Kwila, Afzelia, Brass, Port Orford Cedar
Finish: Liberon Oil, Shellac, Wax

The Correspondence Box is currently for sale. Contact Clark at info@kellogfurniture.com for details.

Studio on Fire is Hot, Hot, Hot!

It's no secret that I love letterpress. There are so many wonderful pieces being created by incredibly talented people. And from what I gather, the art and process has been elevated by the introduction of Crane's Lettra papers.

Being a paper geek, the first time I got hold of a piece of Lettra, I knew this stuff was special. Beautifully textured and a "pillowy" structure that just plain invites the press to do its thing.

Back to the art and artisans. I ran across Studio on Fire recently, and this was my first exposure to their work.



They designed and letterpress printed this poster for the Sweet Hair poster show featuring 37 Minneapolis artists. All prints were hair-inspired, handmade and created just for this show. A portion of proceeds benefited Locks of Love.



The 18 x 26 poster is a single color printed on 220lb Crane Lettra Pearl White. The type intertwines with a .30 point stroke that flows throughout the poster, making a nice deep impression on the cotton stock. The quote is a Chinese proverb that reads “You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their making a nest in your hair.”

I now make regular pilgrimages to Studio on Fire and their blog Beast Pieces to get my fix of eye candy.

Here's another favorite:



You owe it to yourself to spend a little time with these folks.

Crane's Monkey Note Stars in The Ugly Truth

Remember this guy?



Well, our little friend is at it again. And some at Crane are becoming concerned. Not only did he take over as the #1-selling piece of boxed stationery in 2009, beating out the favorite of many generations: CN1116, but is now attempting to solidify his position by influencing the marketplace.

We are receiving e-mails daily about the performance of our little monkey friend on the Big Screen. Yes, he has a prominent cameo appearance in the hit movie: "The Ugly Truth," starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler.

No, I'm not going to give away his part in the flic; you'll just have to see the movie. It's playing everywhere. And when it comes Emmy time, I'm sure he will appreciate your support.

Now that I think of it, there should be a category for Best Stationery.....

Texting While.....Thumbs Cause Brain Damage

It seems as if almost daily there are reports of vehicular accidents caused by "texting while driving."

The New York Times today reports that truckers who text while trucking are 23 times more likely to have an accident. Well, duhhhhh. Perhaps the number 23 is important, but otherwise I don't get it.

The only thing I can think of is that cell phones and other such thumb-driven devices actually do cause brain damage. Now there's a study worth conducting. It shouldn't take long.....I mean, how much more evidence do you need!?

There are plenty of other activities during which texting most assuredly causes problems, if not death. Here are a few. Please add yours:

Texting while milking
Texting while hedge-clipping
Texting while log-rolling
Texting while booing the Yankees
Texting while sexting

And although there have been no incidents reported, Crane & Co. does not endorse writing a note to your mother on Crane's personalized stationery while driving, milking, hedge-clipping, log-rolling, booing the Yankees or sexting.

Just sit back, compose your thoughts and put them down on paper. No worries; you're safe.

Is it just me??????

You Say Tomato; I say Otamot

Some say I have an upside-down view of life. Perhaps they're not far off....

I Want to be a Holiday Card Designer!

But alas, I have no talent. So, I must live vicariously through the works of others. In this case, a New Year's card from Crane's kate spade holiday collection.

I love the cover.



The inside is bright and fun.



And it took me a while to understand that "Cheers" is constructed with little holes punched in the paper with a laser die-cutter. Such fun!

The Knot Live Features Eco-Friendly Invites

Just a quick heads-up to let you know that today's "The Knot Live" focused on environmentally friendly wedding options. Included in the show is a segment on eco-friendly invitations. Two invitations from Crane's Letterpress Weddings album are highlighted. Here's a link. If you wish, you can see the invitation segment at about 17:00, but I really enjoyed the entire show.

I hope you will too.

Is Pushing the Send Button Really Eco-Friendly?

Of course, I'm biased in favor of writing notes and letters on paper when the situation lends itself. And, of course, I'm biased in favor of invitations to significant events being printed on paper. Fairly often, I read that sending an e-invite is more environmentally friendly than sending an invitation on paper in the mail.

As I was winding my way home from vacation over the weekend, I encountered a very interesting story on CNN's website that provides some food for thought. Here is an exerpt:

"A number of studies have highlighted the growing energy demands of computers. A 2007 report from research firm Gartner, for example, estimates the manufacturing, use and disposal of information and communications technology generates about two percent of the world's greenhouse gases -- similar to the level produced by the entire aviation industry."

It's a good article; well worth reading in order to help put our personal activities in an environmental perspective.

Crane Seeks Artists for New Studio Collection

Apologies for this post disappearing for a few hours. Technology's grand......

Crane & Co., Inc., the premier maker of fine stationery since 1801, is seeking artists, illustrators and designers who can create sophisticated, cutting-edge art for our new STUDIO collection. Known as a leader in the stationery category, Crane is an iconic brand that delivers uncompromising quality and classic designs. For the new collection, we’re looking for a fresh, modern aesthetic targeted at consumers who are artistic, design-savvy and stylish.

A partnership with Crane & Co. offers designers:

• Crane’s unequaled brand recognition
• Crane’s uncompromising quality and craftsmanship
• Crane’s state of the art manufacturing and production
• Crane’s powerful distribution capabilities
• Crane's on-line and in-store electronic ordering system
• Crane’s influential marketing and collateral support

Each product category will feature several different designers. Selected designers may have products in one, or several product lines.

Crane’s STUDIO collection will showcase a group of designers, each with their own unique look. Independent creatives and small stationery studios have the opportunity to combine their design talents with the unparalleled strength of the Crane brand.

Crane’s STUDIO will include boxed and custom printed products in the following categories:

• Boxed Stationery
• Personal Correspondence
• Thank You Notes
• Holiday Cards
• Custom Printed Stationery
• Wedding Invitations
• Holiday Cards
• Social Invitations
• Personal Correspondence

Artists, illustrators, and graphic designers interested in being considered for STUDIO are invited to submit examples of their work using the guidelines provided. We are looking for each artist’s style as it applies to stationery. Ideally, we’d like to see three samples of your work for each product category you are interested in. The samples may have the same style, or showcase different design styles. They may be newly created or samples of your previous work.

Feel free to blog/tweet/share this opportunity with your friends and colleagues. We welcome submissions in a wide range of design aesthetics.

Deadline for submissions is August 1.

Click here for more information about Crane's STUDIO and the submission process.

Having a Great Time; Wish You Were Here!

Greetings from Glacier National Park!

30 Days to a Better Man

I'm getting ready to head out for a vacation out west, but wanted to make sure that all you guys who read The Crane Insider take a look at The Art of Manliness .

I follow it religiously for its unique approach to life in the 21st century and for its excellent writing. In June, The Art of Manliness published a series: 30 Days to a Better Man, covering such diverse topics as Write a Love Letter, to Shine Your Shoes to Get a Straight Razor Shave.

Sorry ladies, for being so gender-specific with this post, but this is important stuff!