Paper Blogger Bares His Soul

I recently had the opportunity to gab with the writers of Against The Grain, the blog for Neenah Paper. We had a blast - bunch of paper geeks - and the interview has just been posted.

 

Here's the link.

What Message Will You Send on Valentine's Day?

As you might guess, this is a loaded question, and it was prompted by a recent visit to the pharmacy. The aisle I usually travel was temporarily blocked, so I was shunted down the stationery aisle. It's not a place I usually frequent; as a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time. So, imagine my surprise when I looked at the price of the cards with Valentine's Day right around the corner.

They're not cheap! I do need to get out more to touch base with reality on occasion. In this case, I had no idea that Crane's 100% cotton, engraved or letterpressed greeting cards are not that much more than what you can buy at the drug store. At $4.79, I'll let you judge the value quotient. And it is Valentine's Day, after all......

 

 

Letterpress Illuminated by Vermont Lettra Light

It's beyond beautiful in Vermont today. We got a couple of inches of powder overnight, and the sun's out to create shadows on stark white.

To me, these are Lettra Light days; when the natural world can be replicated with letterpress impressions on a pillowy white paper. These are also days to have some fun with the camera as Lettra Light enhances the influence of press on paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Martha Stewart Morning: Repurposing Holiday Cards, and New Wedding Invitations Albums Arriving at Stores

Whilst checking on my stock portfolio in the Wall Street Journal this morning (not!) I came across an article entitled "What Would Martha Stewart Do With Holiday Cards Still Sitting Around?"

Here's a link to the article so you can check it out yourself. 

In the article I noted with interest and enthusiasm an option for those of us who are not crafty and who want to be able to make a contribution to a very valuable cause even when we don't have the funds to write a check.


Those used holiday cards can be turned into new cards as part of the St. Jude's Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program. Mail the fronts of your cards to 100 St. Jude's St., Boulder City, Nev., 89005 before Feb. 28. For more information, go here.

And while I'm on the subject of Martha Stewart and stationery, brand new albums displaying the Martha Stewart Weddings collection have arrived in stores, just in time for the busiest invitation-planning season.

 

To have a look at the collection from the comfort of your own computer, you can click here. To find a Crane stationer nearest you who carries the album, you can click here.

Penmanship and Letter Writing by a Papermaker

I was digging around the Crane archives the other day with Jane Bower from the Wenham (Mass.) Museum. The Museum is hosting an exhibition: Paper Capers: Adventures in Paper Art from Feb. 9 to May 5. I was happy to loan them some really fun items, so put it on your calendar as a must-see.

One of the items lent is a letter written by Zenas Marshall Crane to his future bride Caroline Laflin of nearby Lee, Mass., which was to become the nation's leading papermaking town later in the 19th century. The Laflins were a prominent family in Lee, first as gunpowder manufacturers, then the more reasonable papermaking.

I have long contested that "awkward" penmanship should not be an excuse to avoid putting pen to paper. And I've long advocated being responsible with the amount of paper we use, especially because we tend to print everything that appears on our computer screen.

So, with that as context, here is one of scores of letters from Zenas Marshall Crane to Caroline Laflin during their two-year courtship on paper.