Blog

Guest Blog – Yoko Ishikawa, owner of Japanese boutique store Norr Kyoto In May 2023 we travelled to Japan for a 3 week adventure of a lifetime! We started in Tokyo, then travelled on the Shinkansen (aka. Bullet Train) to Kyoto, Osaka & Hiroshima. On our stop in Kyoto we met up with Yoko, a lovely lady that got in touch back in 2020 after we had just finished our trade show at Top Drawer to see if we would supply her with our stationery to her store called Norr Kyoto. It was such a pleasure to finally meet in...

In a world where emails, text messages, and digital communication dominate, there's something truly special about receiving something handwritten through your letterbox. So how can you take your letter, note or card to the next level? Yep you guessed it, envelope art! Turning a plain envelope into a work of art not only elevates the experience of sending and receiving mail but also provides a canvas for your creativity to flourish. Envelope art is a delightful fusion of creativity, personal expression, and functional design. It's a way to add a personal touch to your correspondence, whether you're sending a letter,...

Japan is the ultimate haven for stationery enthusiasts, offering a diverse and unique array of pens, notebooks, inks, and other writing tools that cater to both functional and aesthetic preferences. So when we visited last year I truly was in my ultimate happy place! Japan is well known for its emphasis on craftsmanship and attention to detail & this was reflected in its stationery stores. We didn’t get to visit everywhere mentioned here (yes I already am planning trip no.2 but safe to say it won’t be for a few years whilst we build up funds again!)   1.  Itoya...

What is National Handwriting Day? It was started in 1977 by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, an organisation that’s based in Washington, D.C., USA. Their aim for coming up with this day was to promote the use of pens, pencils and writing paper. It was decided that the 23rd of January would be the date of the holiday, as it’s the birthday of John Hancock, who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence; and although its roots may trace back to the United States, handwriting remains an essential skill for people worldwide. Despite the influence of technology,...