The Paper Fold

Snail mail clubs have lately become all the rage, but my poetess guest Kristie started hers — Verse & Sip — two years ago. Through this literary correspondence project, she sends letters, poetry and tea every month to hundreds of readers around the world, from which she has also carefully paired 100 pen pal sets (and counting). Meanwhile in the digital domain, Kristie shares age-old letterlock...

When it comes to product categories, sometimes two is better than one. Just ask my guest Amy Frazer of Keller Design Co . She is something of a renaissance woman: While embroidery seems her primary passion, as evidenced by the release of her gorgeous Birth Flower Embroidery book published by Quarto Group last year, stationery is not far behind! These days, Amy smartly transfers any design onto sev...

When it comes to product categories, sometimes two is better than one. Just ask my guest Amy Frazer of Keller Design Co. She is something of a renaissance woman: While embroidery seems her primary passion, as evidenced by the release of her gorgeous Birth Flower Embroidery book published by Quarto Group last year, stationery is not far behind! These days, Amy smartly transfers any design onto seve...

It's kind of chic to be niche famous — and that perfectly describes my guest, Nicole Couto of Couto & Co. She was one of the founders of 2021 Co. That New England brand enjoyed a stellar stationery rise in a few very short years, creating customized finds for Tommy Bahama, Anthropologie and most recently L.L.Bean — and even collaborating with Jennifer Love Hewitt to bring the Holiday Junkie ra...

It's kind of chic to be niche famous — and that perfectly describes my guest, Nicole Couto of Couto & Co. She was one of the founders of 2021 Co. That New England brand enjoyed a stellar stationery rise in a few very short years, creating customized finds for Tommy Bahama, Anthropologie and most recently L.L.Bean — and even collaborating with Jennifer Love Hewitt to bring the Holiday Junkie r...

You have doubtless seen Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood — well, my brilliant guest today has reconfigured the concept for greeting cards and postcards. For 30 years, Vanessa Harnik has worked alongside her dad Alan running Notes & Queries — which sources and brings fantastic European stationery to American shores. Earlier this year, I named Vanessa a Maker to Watch in 2026 at Statio...

You have doubtless seen Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood — well, my brilliant guest today has reconfigured the concept for greeting cards and postcards. For 30 years, Vanessa Harnik has worked alongside her dad Alan running Notes & Queries — which sources and brings fantastic European stationery to American shores. Earlier this year, I named Vanessa a Maker to Watch in 2026 at Stati...

My chat with Katelyn Woolley of The Noble Paperie is full of (wonderful) surprises! I  I named Kate as one of Stationery Trends' 10 Makers to Watch in 2026 due to her focus on what she refers to as “communities others forget.” The Noble Paperie is primarily known for Kate’s NICU, infertility and miscarriage cards — just try searching for one of these categories on Etsy to see what I mean. These to...

My chat with Katelyn Woolley of The Noble Paperie is full of (wonderful) surprises! I  I named Kate as one of Stationery Trends' 10 Makers to Watch in 2026 due to her focus on what she refers to as “communities others forget.” The Noble Paperie is primarily known for Kate’s NICU, infertility and miscarriage cards — just try searching for one of these categories on Etsy to see what I mean...

Every paper nerd needs a quality pen for their prized stationery — and Ferris Wheel Press aims to elevate the world of writing tools as it demands. Raymond Yu actually started out in stationery, creating one-of-a-kind, ultra-luxe invitations — but turned his talents to fountain pens and accessories, aiming to remove the intimidation factor and "make fancy fun." Ferris Wheel Press' ever-expanding a...

Every paper nerd needs a quality pen for their prized stationery — and Ferris Wheel Press aims to elevate the world of writing tools as it demands. Raymond Yu actually started out in stationery, creating one-of-a-kind, ultra-luxe invitations — but turned his talents to fountain pens and accessories, aiming to remove the intimidation factor and "make fancy fun." Ferris Wheel Press' ever-expanding a...

Typically I discover new stationery makers at markets, then I nerd out on them online, but with Erin Dayhaw , it’s been quite the opposite! I was laughing along with her TikTok adventures for quite some time (along with her 30K followers) before I actually met her IRL at NY NOW this past February. Because Erin seemed to understand the TikTok algorithm in a way other stationery makers do not, I ini...

Typically I discover new stationery makers at markets, then I nerd out on them online, but with Erin Dayhaw, it’s been quite the opposite! I was laughing along with her TikTok adventures for quite some time (along with her 30K followers) before I actually met her IRL at NY NOW this past February. Because Erin seemed to understand the TikTok algorithm in a way other stationery makers do not, I init...

Every year in the winter issue of Stationery Trends, I compile a department called 10 Makers to Watch . Throughout the year I will be highlighting my special 10 — including my very special guest today, Carissa Potter of People I've Loved. Much like that of my other guests, this brand offers stationery and gifts, but with a radically different, deceptively simple approach. Rather than seeing her wa...

Every year in the winter issue of Stationery Trends, I compile a department called 10 Makers to Watch. Throughout the year I will be highlighting my special 10 — including my very special guest today, Carissa Potter of People I've Loved. Much like that of my other guests, this brand offers stationery and gifts, but with a radically different, deceptively simple approach. Rather than seeing her war...

Stationery is this podcaster's favorite subject — but color comes in a close second! After all, color doesn't just shade our world, it elevates, deflates or defines a mood — and it can make or break any given design. If you have never heard an expert discuss how color trends are formed and evolve, get ready for a treat! I have had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Woodman of Mark Woodman Design +...

Stationery is this podcaster's favorite subject — but color comes in a close second! After all, color doesn't just shade our world, it elevates, deflates or defines a mood — and it can make or break any given design. If you have never heard an expert discuss how color trends are formed and evolve, get ready for a treat! I have had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Woodman of Mark Woodman Design +...

Recently I hosted Wolf & Wren Press' Lauren and Liz, who just won the Louie Award for the Card of the Year. But there are actually two divisions of Card of the Year, $5.50 and above and $5.50 and below. Wolf & Wren took the below slot, while UWP Luxe took the above $5.50 slot with their fabulous tea-themed birthday creation that must be experienced in life to be fully appreciated.* That's...

Recently I hosted Wolf & Wren Press' Lauren and Liz, who just won the Louie Award for the Card of the Year. But there are actually two divisions of Card of the Year, $5.50 and above and $5.50 and below. Wolf & Wren took the below slot, while UWP Luxe took the above $5.50 slot with their fabulous tea-themed birthday creation that must be experienced in life to be fully appreciated.* That's because...

In the Part 1 of our chat, Rachel took us behind the vibrant, woodblocked Heartell Press design curtain, now we delve into its ethos of sustainability, and the many challenges it poses to a stationery brand. For example, shoppers absolutely loves seeing cards printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper — but it drives up costs, and brings a bevy of creative limitations. For Rachel, action — not d...

In the Part 1 of our chat, Rachel took us behind the vibrant, woodblocked Heartell Press design curtain, now we delve into its ethos of sustainability, and the many challenges it poses to a stationery brand. For example, shoppers absolutely loves seeing cards printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper — but it drives up costs, and brings a bevy of creative limitations. For Rachel, action — not d...

Greeting cards have the nearly impossible task of connecting us with loved ones when we don't know what to say — so we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to makers like Rachel Kroh of Heartell Press , who have made it their life's work to help others give and get the emotional support they need. Today we travel behind the vibrant Heartell design curtain to learn what drives these irresistible, timel...

Greeting cards have the nearly impossible task of connecting us with loved ones when we don't know what to say — so we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to makers like Rachel Kroh of Heartell Press, who have made it their life's work to help others give and get the emotional support they need. Today we travel behind the vibrant Heartell design curtain to learn what drives these irresistible, timele...

What goes into a Louie Award-winning Card of the Year? In the case of Wolf & Wren Press , every design grows from the 30-year friendship of co-founders Liz Wolf and Lauren Stapleton. That precious connection, born in middle school, is the kind where one finishes the other's sentences ... and the other picks right up on the story! I's at the core of every design Wolf & Wren prints — includi...

What goes into a Louie Award-winning Card of the Year? In the case of Wolf & Wren Press, every design grows from the 30-year friendship of co-founders Liz Wolf and Lauren Stapleton. That precious connection, born in middle school, is the kind where one finishes the other's sentences ... and the other picks right up on the story! I's at the core of every design Wolf & Wren prints — including their...