Tuesday's Tonic
Do you want to feel better?
This week we are featuring our gorgeous new collection of Paperblanks notebooks.
- Joyous Springtime Dot Grid ~ Mila Marquis’s ethereal artwork combines sparkling emotion and unashamedly sweet depictions of fairies and flowers.
- Floralia Lined Softcover ~ The eternal appeal of a classic floral design is captured in the work of Irish illustrator William Kilburn (1745–1818).
- Dharma Dragon Lined Softcover ~ Ancient spiritual practices meet modern digital art in a kaleidoscopic reproduction of an original Android Jones artwork.
- Madame Butterfly Blank Softcover ~ French author and illustrator Benjamin Lacombe lends his unique spirit to our collection with this lively Madame Butterfly design.
- Violet Lined Hardcover ~ This captivating image comes from the first edition of Scottish poet and anthropologist Andrew Lang’s The Olive Fairy Book.
- Blue Velvet Blank Hardcover ~ Inspired by a piece of a 15th-century velvet dalmatic on blue velvet, decorated in brocaded gilt metal thread.
Do you want to learn how to use Japanese paper?
Have you noticed Japanese papers in the shop? Maybe you've thought they're beautiful, but felt a bit intimidated, uncertain about how to use them. Or maybe you're already as smitten as us and want to know some new things you can do with them. If this is the case, this week's topic is for you.
Iris folding is the method of folding strips of paper (usually coloured) to create an effect that looks like an iris - the diaphragm of a camera lens. These designs can be used to make greeting cards, album covers, or beautiful framed wall art.
Chigiri-e is a type of paper collage made with washi. 'Chigiri' means to tear or shred in Japanese, and 'e' means picture. You use a template to tear off a piece of paper in the shape you want and then glue it to a thicker paper used as the canvas.
- Chiyogami Mosaics ~ Six colour co-coordinated sheets of larger and smaller sizes plus over 20 pieces of Chiyogami paper in surprise patterns, colours, and sizes.
- Floral Collection ~ A package of Chiyogami papers measuring 8.5 x 11" (21.6 x 27.9 cm) each. Includes five sheets with Japanese floral patterns.
- Japanese Traditional ~ Includes five colour co-ordinated 8.5 x 11" (21.6 x 27.9 cm) sheets of Chiyogami paper with traditional Japanese motif patterns.
- Chiyogami Buffet ~ Package of 45 Chiyogami sheets in a "buffet" of assorted patterns and sizes.
- Emergency Pocket Pack ~ Mix of 3 x 3" (7.6 x 7.6 cm) Chiyogami sheets in 24 patterns. For art emergencies!
- Kimono Squares ~ 6 hand-printed squares of Japanese papers, each 8.5 x 8.5 " (21.6 x 21.6 cm).
Inspired? We hope so. Using Japanese paper is a great way to develop your creativity and learn a little bit about Japanese culture. There's a reason these papers and crafts have remained popular for hundreds of years.
If you try iris folding, chigiri-e, or find another use for your chiyogami sheets, let us know!
It's rainy and grey outside. What can you do?
On these rainy, grey days, it's easy to complain, but we're lucky. Most of us have such cozy shelters to nestle into with a myriad of modern day conveniences that would be the envy of our great, great grandparents.
We hope this week's featured products will inspire your creativity!
- Epsilon Premium Sketchbooks ~ Pens and markers glide on it beautifully.
- Blackwing Matte Black Pencil ~ Single pencil in soft graphite. Ideal for the artist.
- A Surprise Bundle of Ephemera ~ Assembled with love by Niagara's Harry & Ida.
It's easy to get lost in your creative pursuits and discover the afternoon whizzing by. Take a cue from your pet: stop and take in the moment and just gaze out the window. Through the comfort of the indoors, you can listen and watch the rain, which is soothing in itself. Just thinking about this makes us wonder... do you hear the music?
Grab your umbrella!
So, you wake up, get showered, dressed... you're out the door feeling put together and ready to face the day. Then, before you can say, "wet blanket", a car roars by through a large puddle and now you're the blanket. Familiar? We know that feeling of being soaked down to our wet socks a little too well.
No wedding or baby shower going on within your circle this rainy month? Consider curling up with a good book, a warm beverage, a movie or show.
We've got you covered with ideas on how to spend these rainy days indoors - more on that next week.
Touch her heart...
Last week we delved into letter writing. Who's one person you can bet would cherish a letter from you? Mum! You dads out there may want to step in for your little one here for the first time or new mother of your child.
This time of year also makes us muse: have you ever asked your mother about her childhood? Your mother's mother? How well do you really know your mom? So many people go through life without really knowing much about their background. Consider using Mother's Day as an opportunity to connect with your mom and learn more about her as a way of honouring the woman who, quite literally, ushered you into this world.
We wish you all a wonderful, healthy, loving Mother's Day!
And before those May flowers arrive, we'll discuss April showers... next week!
When was the last time you received a handwritten letter?
Have you ever checked your mailbox outside, fully expecting to find a fistful of flyers or bills, and instead, discovered a beautiful cotton envelope in a pretty colour with whimsical handwriting on it... addressed to you? Whether you've had a rough day or a great one, little surprises like this are one of life's treasures.
In this day of technology-dominated communication, correspondence that is personal, tactile, and thoughtful stands out like a bright star in the night sky. You might even say receiving it is appreciated more now than when it was the default form of communication.
Letter writing is a wonderful way to express gratitude, love, and good will to someone. Since no tech company is monitoring or scanning your communication, you may feel more free to express your feelings. Is there someone who's done a lot recently without thanks or said something specific that changed you in a positive way? Maybe there's someone you haven't talked to in a long time and explaining things feels too awkward over an email or text message. The act of handwriting is a great way to reflect on things and relieve stress.
A handwritten letter lets you customize your message. You can choose colourful stationery. You can decorate the letter and envelope with doodles, stickers and a sealing wax. You can enclose a personal item, such as a photograph, feather, bookmark, clipping, or recipe card. Even choosing a stamp is a detail that you can select with your recipient in mind.
Letters are creative expressions that evoke the senses. There's the feeling of the paper - smooth, textured, soft. (Some papers are truly exquisite. Next time you're at Figg Street Co., run your hand over some G. Lalo or Rhodia paper.) Colours and unusual shapes and designs that stand out in the post. Even scented inks fountain pen users can buy to add a special perfume. The sound of opening the mail, or maybe more moving, is the sound of the writer's voice that seems to come through a handwritten letter more clearly, don't you find?
Once it's sent and received, there are more creative possibilities. Have you ever gone through your keepsakes and found old letters? How did you feel? There's something thrilling about revisiting old letters. Whether they're love letters, correpondence with a pen pal, mail from a close friend or letters that expressed thanks, if they made you feel good once, they're bound to delight you again. Consider wrapping a stack of them with a pretty ribbon, piece of string or lace. Then, like a small child who buries a time capsule in the back garden, stash your lot in a shoebox or special container for future moments of discovery and joy!
Desk & Office Organization
Whether you are an employee, student, business owner, or use a desk for administrative or creative activities, there is something satisfying about a clean workspace. Some like a tabula rasa or blank canvas look to their desk, while others delight in seeing a jumble of pencils and pens in holders and an abundance of colourful office supplies at hand. Whatever your style, your workspace probably feels best when it reflects you.
Consider colours, textures, fragrance and items you like. It doesn't all need to be functional. Adding a vase of flowers to your area can give it some life. Keeping items that make you feel good close by will make your use of the space more enjoyable.
Some people also create habits or rituals around specific objects. For example, many authors light a candle on their desk as they prepare to write. Others set out a week-at-a-glance notepad on their desk and review it each morning before setting to work.
Consider making the ordinary extraordinary: rather than kraft paper brown file folders, add some whimsy with cheerful colours and uplifting patterns and designs. If you like metallics or sparkle, think of the objects you frequently use and whether you'd enjoy a more beautiful option. That funny mug or pretty vase might make an excellent pencil holder! By energizing your workspace with things that inspire you, you'll feel good as you work through your day.
Spring Cleaning
As we watch the little bulbs of early spring push their way up through the soil and see perennials return and unfurl, we, too, become a little more keen to move about. One way many of us peel back the feeling of winter and experience the fresh and new is by spring cleaning.
There is something uplifting about removing things that are unused, unnecessary or undesired. That feeling of spaciousness makes room for happier moments. Releasing the past and making space for the new.
Once unwanted items are removed, we may want to clean our storage spaces or our home overall. Washing windows, sealing stone countertops, cleaning cabinets, the inside of our refrigerator, microwave, and shower can reinvigorate our space with a sense of vitality.
After everything is sorted and clean, we organize our belongings and determine what and how we wish to display them. This is when we may discover some changes we'd like. Perhaps your vase needs an update. Or you may realize you find keeping your favourite pieces within eyesight is more uplifting than hiding them away. Other things that are necessary, but perhaps not as visually interesting may get moved into drawers rather than shelves. Maybe you enjoy the look of utilitarian items and prefer it the other way around.
Perhaps one of the best parts of spring cleaning is knowing it's a part of life that you can actually do something about. It's empowering. Whether your space is a condo, apartment, townhouse, one room, a whole house or even just half of a closet - it's up to you. It's yours to design.
Signs of Spring
Leaping. Jumping. Bounding. Emerging. Taking shape. Developing. Growing. Becoming. Signs of spring. Brown turns to green. Petals and blossoms emerge. Chirping rouses us from our sleep as birds return from their winter holiday. There is that wonderful damp and earthy scent of soil in the garden as it begins to wake up to activity.
For those of us who love stationery, we sometimes switch over to lighter and brighter colours of paper, pens and ink without even realizing it. It's our natural affinity for colour at this transitory time of year.
Anyone who's spent any time in Southern Ontario knows March is consistently inconsistent weather-wise. We watch our thermometers go up and down as spring starts. We accidentally step into puddles of melted snow and listen to the sound of icicles falling to the ground. The first few times we receive a truly beautiful spring day, there is a jubuliant feeling in our neighbourhood. You know what I'm talking about - the first few days when we can comfortably sit outside for a while and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Not needing to wear any winter accessories while taking a walk. Or the first day of the year when you can drive with the window down!
For gardeners, it might mean sowing snow peas outside or watching the snowdrops, crocuses and iris reticulata bloom. There's a joy in those first few garden chores that re-connects us with our plants and the soil. It is like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while. It feeds the soul.
As you step outside and breathe in the spring air, take in the birdsong and savour each moment. This is a particularly optimistic time of year. As we sweep away the remains of winter, we step into another popular annual activity: spring cleaning! More on that next week. Until then...
Spring Forward
In the middle of the night... 2am to be exact, our clocks are turned forward one hour to 3am on Sunday, March 14th. How many of you repeat the popular mantra, "spring - forward, fall-back" when trying to recall which way the clocks change for Daylight Savings Time? Now, be honest: do you also sing the alphabet song in your head to remember which letter comes before or after another? Us, too.
To-do lists let us see quickly what our expectations are, and then we can more easily work out what tasks need to get done and how to prioritize them.
For any assessment of our time, it also helps to consider what really matters to us. Sometimes we need to create blocks of time in our schedules for the things that are not urgent, but are important. This may be because they are a step toward a long term goal, or simply needed to make our lives enjoyable.
By making time for the things that nurture us and fill our cups, we are happier and live fuller lives. Creating boundaries around our time and ensuring we put ourselves on our to-do list gives us more energy to take a step (and hour) forward in stride. After all, spring is just around the corner!
Easter
Easter! It's just around the corner now - Sunday, April 4th. Between now and then we'll spring forward one hour and hop into the spring season. It's a time of year that's full of hope, renewal, and new life. Time to shed the heavy, old layers and prepare for fresh, new things coming our way!
Whether your Easter this year means an outdoor egg hunt in the garden or a feast with your household inside (or both!), we wish you a healthy, happy holiday!
Wherever you go, take a bouquet of grace with you.
Seedy Saturday & Sunday
Toward the end of February, weather permitting, it can sometimes feel like we are turning a corner in the year - or we are on the verge of doing so. Thoughts of spring start coming to mind more vividly and we give thought to upcoming spring bulbs and our gardens.
It is typically the last week of February that kicks off many Seedy Saturday and Seedy Sunday events across the country. Held at local botanical gardens and community centres, people gather together to swap seeds they've collected last season, donate to seed banks, purchase new seeds, and to learn from exhibitors about all manner of topics related to gardening, the environment and keeping our green spaces beautiful and healthy.
For some, this means graph paper and a ruler, drawing diagrams of their property layout, sun position and re-designing their hardscape and herbaceous borders. For many, it means writing out which seeds to purchase, spring to do lists, and a chart with a timeline of when to start sowing which seeds indoors.
Others play with coloured pencils and markers and draw their existing garden at set times of the year: what it looks like in early spring, late spring, midsummer, early fall, even winter. This might inspire changes and notes are jotted down about which plants to relocate to another area of the property, which new flower to try out, and which plants make good companions. One idea tends to lead to another and many times a list of tasks and projects emerge.
Although many of us long for greener days, when more and more bulbs burst through the soil each day, bringing colour and scent back into our lives, the act of planning our indoor or outdoor gardens can be a source of pleasure and joy in and of itself. It is time well-spent and is one of the more soothing indoor activities in our modern world.
