Who doesn’t love a good surprise? Indeed!! As you may have noticed, Brown Ink recently launched a new site with the addition of Paper Goods arriving this Fall. Nick and I have been enjoying the process of creating the new site and we’ve been fortunate to have a brilliant team of players around us. A big round of applause to Kate Arends from Wit & Delight who ran the Brand Developing, Eric Price from The Walker Art Center is the Graphic Designer, Scott Anderson at Room 34 is the Developer, and Louisa Podlich from Louisa Marion Photography who shot our images. Thanks to everyone for the talent, creative juices and energy surrounding Brown Ink!!

The Paper Goods store has been an idea swirling inside my brain for the past year. After last year’s National Stationery Show, many blogs featured stationery lines new to me. At the same time, I saw several small, one-man-band companies found only in a handful of boutiques or online. Which was when it dawned on me…Brown Ink needs to provide the opportunity for others to enjoy these lovely products too!! But alas, you must hold your excitement until the Fall when our e-commerce store will open.

We thought we’d give you a sneak preview of last week’s New York trip where I met dozens of charming paper lovers and suppliers!!

My dear friend Jean Glenn from Pomegranate Press and I about to inhale a sea of booths!!!

It was a treat to meet St. Paul gal, Catherine Polacek from Printerette Press. Check out her fabulous note pads which debuted at the show.

The stationery and prints at Banquet atelier & workshop were even more beautiful in person!!

Bright colors and Aztec were strong themes at the show seen here at Anemone Letterpress

The Yellow Owl Workshop booth was not to be missed with hand-painted, rainbows of color. I’m a bit crazy over their selection of stamps!

One of my favorite new lines was Sideshow Press which used outdoor camping as their inspiration.

If you’d like to experience even more from the Stationery Show, head to Oh So Beautiful Paper where Nole Garey and her team captured the event remarkably well (so much so, it was impossible to not use a few of her images!!). I promise to highlight a few more of my favorites from the show in the month ahead.

The day before the show I had the chance to meet two inspirational women creating paper treasures from their home studios in Brooklyn. Artist Jonna Twigg creates unbelievably gorgeous journals, both leather and fabric bound, for her Twigg’s Bindery line.

And the poised Emily Johnson from hartland brooklyn left her career in the fashion industry to design stationery full time.

I also had the chance to check out paper goods scattered throughout New York, one of my favorites being Greenwich Letterpress, where they sell their own line as well.

Lastly, a thanks to you, readers, for staying with us on this journey!! Here’s to a summer of writing, wonder, and expectations of good things to come from Brown Ink.