Harry and Sal's Design Blog

SAL: Since I've been working on my own, consulting and what not, stationery has started to play a more important role in my life. Let's be frank, Staples for my office supplies just now ain't cutting it, especially when I have notebooks like these to drool over! Studio Matador is a wonderful collaboration between artists and designers in Melbourne, Australia and they have developed an exquisite selection of limited edition notebooks. I've highlighted a couple of my personal favorites here. Above Kat McCleod, below Pandarosa and Mark Kayler-Thomson.

http://www.studiomatador.com/macleod.htm

Labels: Art, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 1/18/2008 0 Comments

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SAL: As Harry would say, this is just a quick one :) One of my New Year's resolutions is to try and filter my life through more of a green, rather than a rose-tinted lens. We've talked about this before, I'm not an evangelist, but I do know that I personally want to make the changes in my own life to be more environmentally responsible about the resources I use and the products I consume. Did that sound preachy? I hope not! We still want to keep it beautiful of course and with that in mind - take a moment to enjoy blossom creations from Australia - stationery with a conscience.

Labels: Green, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 12/18/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Today's post comes winging its way to you from the fabulousness of New York City. I'm staying at the Soho Grand Hotel, which, with its industrial chicness, is too wonderful for words. They even give you a goldfish at check in, which I find, being so far from home, a great comfort - is that odd? Hmm, perhaps, but true nonetheless. Anyway, along the lines of Harry's giving for good this season, I wanted to highlight these delightful Xmas cards available through Sub-Studio. Not only are they cute, but all the proceeds from each sale go to benefit the Shama Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing educational opportunities for children of Madagascar. Thanks to Bloesem for this great find.

Labels: Christmas, Gifts, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 12/12/2007 1 Comments

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SAL: More from the wonderful world of Binth! I bought this notepad yesterday at one of my favorite local stores here in Venice - Urbaninc - a treasure trove of stationery goodies on Abbot Kinney. Today I found the same notepad online at another of my faves A + R - who are now also opening up a bricks and mortar on Abbot Kinney here in Venice! What serendipity! Anyway - I love this notepad - it's large and square - and very pretty. Form and function working together. Nice.

Labels: Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/28/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: I'm not quite sure to start with Binth, but I think Harry may quite possibly lose her mind when she checks them out. Binth stands for "beautiful, intriguing, new, timeless and haunting" and I can't think of a better description for their work. From simple games for children, to gorgeous notepads and pillows, as well as limited edition prints; their designs are just really lovely. And of course, all the inks they use are water-based, mixed by hand and their paper stock is recycled.

Labels: Art, Gifts, Kids, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/19/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Wokits have a great selection of lovely composition books based on the art of Winsor McCay’s “Little Nemo in Slumberland" which is a wonderful book I got for my kids a year or so ago. There are a variety of styles of books, both spiral and cloth bound, perfect for a journal or for keeping notes. Another cool gift idea for the holidays.

Labels: Gifts, Kids, Sal, Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 11/14/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Just had a wander through Target to bring me down to earth after those gold cups. Found this lovely stationery (above). They are perfectly plain with a single word printed on the cover - like 'joy' or 'sorry'. Nice. I'm still using the notecards I bought from Target before we left Los Angleles. Unfortunaltely the Target in Australia is not up to scratch. It has a KMart feel to it and none of the cool design stuff you find in the American stores. Such a shame. Also found the lovely note cards below on etsy from Magnolia Moonlight (oh, the names!)

Labels: Harry, Stationery

posted by cerentha harris at 10/23/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: NASA launched another space shuttle on Wednesday...so where's the link to design? Well, the astronauts are using cool pens. (You're just going to have to bear with the geek in me every so often). I remember space pens as a kid and thinking how amazing they were. You could write lying on your back (whoever writes like that - other than astronauts?!) I hadn't thought much about them until the Endeavour launch got all that press this week. So I did a bit of research and they were designed by Paul Fisher who came up with the sealed and pressurised pen in 1967. It can write at -20 degrees F or 250 degrees F, underwater or at any angle (yes, even upside down). Plus it just looks good. South Willard sells them on West Third Street in Los Angeles (Sal, another reason to get down there). Or got straight to the source - you'll probably find out more about Paul Fisher than you would like, but the range of pens is huge. Perfect for all the personalised stationery!

Labels: Harry, Stationery, Style, Vintage

posted by cerentha harris at 8/10/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Personalized stationery is all the rage right now and there are some cute designs we've covered in the past. Rock, Scissor Paper has a wide range of styles to suit every taste, from the pretty, to the eclectic, to the whimsical and I love them all. Run by sisters Heidi and Susie, Rock Scissor Paper designs can be found on everything from aprons, to notecards, to scrapbooking kits, to coasters - all done in their uniquely funky, retro style.

Labels: Crafts, Sal, Stationery, Textiles

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 8/01/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: I'm back online. First, thanks to Sal for keeping the blog running while I was jetting back to Sydney (love the Dwell stuff). I'm writing this in an absolute jet lag haze. 14 hours on the plane with two young kids is not at all fun. But we're back in Sydney now and I'm going to spend the next few weeks immersing myself in the design scene here. It's going to be fun reporting on my finds. In the meantime I came across this classic Mrs John L. Strong stationery on the Barneys site. They've just released it in this rich blue. Love the idea of having cards for different cities. Although after that last plane trip I'm not flying anywhere for a while!

Labels: Harry, Stationery

posted by cerentha harris at 7/22/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Another great non-plastic bag. I came across this linen one, from Swedish designer Lotta Jansdotter, on Greener Grass Design. The simple leaf design reminds me of those beautiful round-leaf eucalyptus trees (does anyone know the name of these gems?) Jansdotter has repeated the same pattern on a runner, place mats, napkins, coasters and porcelain plates. She's also designed some lovely stationery. Check out the journals with their sweet pale green sprouts.

Labels: Art, Bags, Dining, Stationery, Style

posted by cerentha harris at 7/13/2007 2 Comments

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HARRY: Whimsy Press is such a great name for a stationery site. It took Sal and I a long time to come up with our name so I have a lot of respect for those sites who get it right. It's harder than you think! Whimsy is a collection of designers who also have an ad agency. They came up with a line of double-sided wrapping paper which they've morphed into a slew of cool products that includes these placemats. Besides looking good, they're also a bargain - you get a pack of 8 for $9. Also make sure you check out their wrapping tips for inspiration.

Labels: Art, Dining, Kitchen, Stationery

posted by cerentha harris at 7/10/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: There are a lot of beautiful stationers out there hawking their wares, but I really dig the folks over at Fabulous Stationery for originality. It's more funk than whimsy and they come with a great range of personalizable designs for all occasions. If you're looking for couples notes, cards for special occasions or even the super cool business/calling cards as pictured above - then be sure to check it out.

Labels: Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 7/04/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Blogging about what you like soon reveals your passions, as certain themes return again and again. One thing I'm drawn to, is how we record and save our memories, be it through photography, scrapbooking, or creating memory books. As our world goes increasingly digital, I find myself looking more and more towards the traditional. And so of course, I instantly fell in love with these notebooks highlighted in this month's Cookie Magazine - the classic Moleskine notebook - cut and paste - old school.

Labels: Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 6/25/2007 1 Comments

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HARRY Stationery. There’s something satisfying about the right weight paper, the perfect colour and a simple elegant font. Target, of all places, has some great paper products. I am constantly amazed by their stock (no pun intended). Above is a note card I found today – a pack of 12 was $3.99. I’ve no idea what I’ll use it for but I’m sure they will come in very handy at some point. Other cool paper places: Petite Prints stamp paper with your silhouette. Sounds uncool but somehow it’s not. $48 for 28 cards. Love the palm leaf design at iomoi - $65 for 20 flat cards with lined envelopes.

Labels: Stationery

posted by cerentha harris at 5/21/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: In this digital age we live in, saving and recording every bit of your family's history is something we all take for granted, but it can be an overwhelming amount of data. Take a step back to something a little more traditional and save your family's story in a Good Stock Book. Tell your family story to these good folks and they'll save it for posterity in a handcrafted, personalized book which includes a family tree, vignettes about family members, and vintage illustrations. Some other great alternatives include these beautiful wallpaper-covered handmade journals from Freshly Blended and the all-new Martha Stewart Crafts has some classy scrapbooking projects.

Labels: Stationery

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 5/18/2007

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