I love stationery

I have friends for whom stationery is the most covet able and wondrous thing. I admit this way of thinking passed me by, that is, until this gorgeous book arrived.

Apart from the beautifully designed cover and end pages the colour of the book is a pretty and an unusual Salmon pink . Despite being in the digital age or maybe as an antidote to it, the stationary industry is thriving and is a medium that showcases some of the work of our best surface and graphic designers.

I love stationary is a collection of the best of these, from gift wrap to greetings cards, notebooks, journals, invitations and much more.

The book covers techniques such as hand-drawn illustrations, screen prints, letter press, wood block, digital illustration, calligraphy, spray paint, paper cut, relief print, and etchings.

Each chapter opens with an explanation and tutorial on the specific technique featured.

There are tips and interviews with stationary designers offering useful and practical advice on everything from paper choices to how to approach a manufacturer with your designs.

By Charlotte Rivers www.charlotterivers.blogspot.com

Published by Jacqui Small  in hardback  £16. 99

End papers

Some content

Child's craft apron

Sewing made simple is, as it says on the cover.

It is an inspiring and enlightening introduction to an incredibly useful and enjoyable skill. It manages to demystify the subject and provides a wealth of know-how that will give you the confidence to make and customize clothes and home furnishings.

The first half of the book introduces you to the tools, equipment and materials needed for sewing success. The second half of the book shows how it’s done with projects to make. The basic skills and techniques you need to sew are covered, such as sewing on buttons, appliqué, using piping, mitering corners, enclosing seams and adding darts.

Quilt

There are twenty projects to make including a baby quilt, child’s craft apron, bolster, customized tee shirt, table-mats and many others.

This is to sewing, what Delia Smith is to cooking, a basic fool-proof guide that you will go back to time and again for reference.

This time they had some lovely lace like lamps, that look Moroccan, above their counter as well as painted tin ware from Pakistan and Mexico.

Brightly coloured painted tin ware

In the basement were other treasures a glass bench with a newly upholstered seat very nineteen seventies, and a child’s oven made from recycled lids from tins and a large oil can.

70's wrought iron, perhaps telephone glass bench

When I went to the loo and saw this  cheeky 1940′s inspired line drawn

wall paper I had to take a photo of it.

They also sell exclusive Japanese fabrics

The next stop is the Belgium designer shop ::
Emery & Cie – Articles de décoration : carrelages, zelliges, peintures …
www.emeryetcie.com/
In the areae Bastille-Saint Antoine, métro Faidherbe Chaligny or ledru Rollin

This shop is full of such beautiful artifacts tiles, paints, papers, lamp shades, ironmongery. I took a few photo’s on my small camera but it is better to go to their web site.

Tiles

Wall paper

Window blind

The next stop was Hermès new shop in the old swimming pool : 17 rue de Sévres. Metro Sèvres Babylone I blogged about this on 28th January if you wish to look at images.

Next stop: Bon Marché département store with its famous food section : La Grande Epicerie
great food with its affordable café offering good value snacks and healthy food for lunch.

Salad

The fabric district :
iconic shop (5 floors) :
Dreyfus (Marché Saint Pierre)
2 Rue Charles Nodier

On the other side of the road is ‘Reine’ with a great section for bridal fabrics and its miniature  mannequins wearing costumes then : Moline /Au bonheur des Dames, Rue d’Orsel for exclusive prints and embroidered silks.

Exclusive Indian silks

Just across the street, at the foot of Montmartre :

Avoid the tourist cafés
A quiet retreat for a drink and to rest tired legs (and for art) :
Halle saint Pierre, old market turned Museum of naïve art (povera, folk…) nice quiet café and library

Currently is an exhibition of Ray Caesar digital art

www.raycaesar.com

Plus dozens of fabric shops around this area

Métro Anvers or Abbesses (one of the last Art Déco marquise metro entrances in Paris)

then

L’Ebauchoir, resto bistro gourmand

www.lebauchoir.com/
L’Ebauchoir 43, rue Citeaux – 75012 - Paris 01 43 42 49 31

In the same street there is a nice new boutique hotel :

http://www.colordesign-hotel-paris.com/

Lodish cushion

More cushions

I love this fun coat stand that looks like enormous knitting needles.

Olika

Day bed and Cushions from Lisa Corti

Hermes have purchased and restored a derelict Art Deco swimming pool and turned it into a splendid emporium, just don’t purchase a cup of tea there unless you are feeling very wealthy.

view down the stair rail