The National Stationery Show: Hartland Brooklyn By: Emma Tuccillo

While wandering around the National Stationery Show, the bright and beautiful display created by Hartland Brooklyn stopped me in my tracks. I was greeted by creator Emily Johnson, who started Hartland Brooklyn in 2012. The name Hartland comes from the town in upstate NY where Emily grew up on a flower farm. Her childhood setting seems to have made its way into her designs, which often incorporate floral motifs. When I met Emily a couple of weeks ago, she was gearing up for a move back upstate with her husband, where they will be turning an old general store into their home and studio.

Hartland Brooklyn’s designs, which are printed on high-quality felted paper, are bright and happy with subtle elements of humor and heart. One of my favorite pieces in her new collection is a calendar of floral arrangements made in partnership with floral designer Ariel Dearie. In this collaboration, Ariel designed and photographed arrangements that Emily then illustrated. The end result, which incorporated a lot of neon colors and simple lines, would make a great addition to any floral-lover’s home. The following images show some of my favorite designs from the collection, including amazing tattoos depicting NYC street food. Yeah… get excited! X, Emma

Photography by Emma Tuccillo

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The National Stationery Show: House Plants By: Emma Tuccillo

When living in the city, it can sometimes be hard to find enough nature in your life. Being cooped up in a studio apartment doesn’t allow for much space for houseplants, making it difficult to fill that wildlife void. If you are craving a bit of unruly nature in your space, these six designs from the National Stationery Show are perfect for you. From Screech Owl Design’s  plant motif wallpaper card, to Banquet’s houseplants print, to Our Heiday’s beautiful illustration of a fiddle leaf fig tree, these designs are great for the nature-deprived or the habitual plant-killer. Best thing is, they require no pruning or watering. X, Emma

Photography by Emma Tuccillo

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The National Stationery Show: Moglea By: Emma Tuccillo

It was Meg Gleason’s attention to detail that first attracted me to her company Moglea, a letterpress stationery studio based in rural Iowa. Her booth at the National Stationery Show perfectly illustrated her aesthetic, where bold colors and handmade elements are celebrated. When Meg first started her company in 2012, she searched for techniques she hadn’t seen before and quickly became excited by the idea of watercolor dip-dyed cards. Meg’s background in collage, watercolor, and fabric dying became integral to her designs and is now the forefront of her company, adding a very handmade element to a field that is often batch-processed. I was delighted to learn that the idea to use Kool-Aid as the dye came from her mother, a fiber artist, who would use Kool-Aid to dye angora wool as well as Meg’s hair ties growing up.

In this year’s collection, dip-dyed letterpressed cards are mixed with gold foil stamping, a process Meg waited to include in her designs until she could execute the process herself in her studio. The studio, set in rural Iowa, was built by Meg’s husband and partner, Chad. On the premises, they proudly do all of the design and finishing processes themselves, such as edge painting, binding, and padding. It is this focus on producing one-of-a-kind designs and having full control over every element that sets Moglea apart, making each piece something to be kept and treasured. The following six designs are some of my favorites from the NSS, showcasing dipped colors, collage elements, and bold typography. X, Emma

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National Stationary Show: Ferme À Papier By: Emma Tuccillo

There are many elements of my personal style that can be traced in a straight line back to my time spent in Paris. From stripes, to luxe linens, to crown moulding, these design details have sunk themselves deep into my life and ethos. My francophile affinity was well matched when I met Cat Seto of Ferme À Papier at the National Stationery Show this year, a San Francisco based design studio. It was her time in Paris two years ago that gave impetus to her company, whose literal translation is Farm to Paper. Days spent watching “parisian hipsters” and visiting biodynamic farms in the countryside carries through in all of her work today. Upon walking around her dark navy booth, I was taken with the mix of styles she uses — abstract landscapes blended with gold foil typography, gestural illustrations of sweet couples in love, and hand drawn marble patterns that she said took forever to make.

For this year’s collection, Cat drew inspiration from the golden ratio, hoping to create “harmony and balance” in her designs. Although very modern in aesthetic, this ratio can be seen in the work of countless artists from Leonardo Da Vinci to Salvador Dali. I found these golden elements to be beautiful and compelling, mixing mathematical lines with the fluid shapes of nature.

In the end, I found myself lingering at the Ferme À Papier booth for far too long, sharing stories about hot french baguettes and romantic side streets. The following 10 images capture the feeling I had after leaving Cat’s booth, a dreamy wanderlust for a time stood still in a classic french parlor, stripes and all. X, Emma

Photography by Emma Tuccillo

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Best of the National Stationery Show: Pizza By: Emma Tuccillo

Can we all just agree on something? Pizza is pretty great. As a New Yorker, I have a very strong connection to pizza and a sense of pride to go with it. For me, pizza elicits an immediate sense of joy — countless happy memories of greasy paper plates dripping with cheese and sauce. I was overjoyed to see the friendly face of pizza on tons of designs at this year’s National Stationery Show. Everyone had different interpretations, from The Seapink’s neon print to Wishbone Letter Press’ festive Christmas card. These seven designs are perfect for your fun-loving friend or to keep as a constant reminder for your love of the all and mighty — pizza. X, Emma

Photography by Emma Tuccillo 

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