My penchant for ink pens

Dear Everyone ~

I’ve stocked Japanese brush pens in the studio shop
since the very beginning, but I’ve never—until now—put
them in my online shop. They are perennially popular.
Their charms are several: they are a pleasure to look at
and to hold, they perform consistently beautifully,
and they give you a lively & lovely line.
Their tips are made of bristles (as opposed to felt),
so you feel like you’re drawing with a brush.

The ink in both the black and white brush pens
is truly, duly waterproof—and I speak from experience
(accidental as well as intentional). Once you’ve drawn
with the pen, you can wash over your work with
watercolour without even a smidge of smudge.
It’s marvelous and mysterious.

I’ve also stocked Kaweco fountain pens from
Germany since the opening of the studio shop.
I always have numerous colours of Kawecos in stock,
as well as a range of refill cartridges. Additionally,
you can use a teeny-tiny converter (which I stock)
to refill your pen with bottled ink.
All colours are possible!

Delightful detail:
Because a tiny bit of ink always remains right
above the nib (in the queue, so to speak), when you
change ink colours, your first few strokes have a
mesmerizing ombré effect—which, alas,
you cannot dependably duplicate.

The pens are plastic and beautifully engineered.
The nib is steel, with a medium point, which provides
beautiful ink flow. I have been known to leave my pen
sitting for weeks, and when I pick it up to use,
the ink resumes flowing beautifully and consistently.

The Kaweco pens are petite when closed.
They are 4⅛ long, and then when you uncap and
place the cap on the non-writing end, your total length
is 5¼ — which I find very pleasing in my hand.

The Japanese brush pens and the Kaweco fountain
pens are excellent for everyday use.
They are stylish and effortless to tote about.

Black-and White Brush Pens
Kaweco Fountain Pens
Kaweco Ink Refills

Flowing right along, Bari

Mail call: Delight is in the diversity

Dear Everyone ~

I’ve written a couple of posts recently about lovely
emails I’ve received from customers far and wide.
Today, I’d like to share with you some Real Mail
that has been delivered to my desk at the shop.
As you browse through these, note how many different
styles (of artistic technique, of handwriting, of stamp choice)
are represented! May you be a bit inspired!

Julie Wildman is a calligrapher, lettering artist,
and long-time Bari Zaki Studio instructor.
She painted with Sumi-e ink on a sheet of heavy
Japanese mulberry paper, and then cut it down to postcard size.
(That’s how she was able to swoosh right off the edges.)
Of course, I admire her stylized JW tchop.  On the message side,
Julie ultra-coordinated “bari zaki studio” with the lovely love stamp.
I [heart] that!

*  *  *  *  *

Barbara is a newish customer. She “discovered” me thanks
to a slightly-less-new-acquaintance who works at Paper Source.
When Barbara placed her first order, the shop was already in shutdown
mode, but it turns out that she lives quite close to me. So, I offered
to bring her items home with me … and Barbara was able to walk
over and retrieve them. After she placed a second order earlier this week,
we repeated our “stationery for the socially stationary” protocol!
Between her two orders, Barbara mailed me a petite envelope
bearing a hugely charmola card she’d made from a piece
of heavy handmade paper. The bird illustration is a vintage clipping.
Because Barbara has tiny, tidy handwriting, she managed to fit
several lovely sentences on her card, notably:

 “ Thank you so much for my beautiful package...
I slowly and carefully opened each dear little package and
have managed to save all the paper strips, stamps, and stickers
to be used again. Someone else will be able to enjoy your beautiful things. ”

*  *  *  *  *

Patricia is a customer I’ve never met.
She lives in Arizona and recently sent Greetings
in an envelope she’d franked with the perfect postage.
(Apparently, she has a source! Brava!) The cacti at
upper left are rubber-stamped and then hand-coloured.
Succulent!

*  *  *  *  *

Judi is a local long-time customer.
She loves to come in and buy, amongst other things, postcards.
She bought this one from me probably five years ago …
and recently decided to send me some love. Judi herself has
short red hair, so I just adore her personalization of the illustration.
Apropos of her hand-embellishment: Even if you don’t consider
yourself an artist, adding anything at all to an image adds
immeasurably to its charm. It can be a decorative postage stamp,
or a discreet rubber stamp, or simply an element that you hand colour.

*  *  *  *  *

Becky, also a local long-time customer,
recently mailed me her trio of très tasty beets.
She has taken calligraphy classes at Bari Zaki Studio
with both Julie W. & Becka B. I’m so besotted with her lettering.
She bought one pencil cup the moment we announced they were
online, and then proceeded to order three more, for a total of four
so far! Her fabulously flowing Copperplate hand makes my heart swell:

 “ Dear Bari, I love, love, love my new pencil cups!
They brighten the studio as well as my mood.
Thank you! Becky. ”

*  *  *  *  *

Brian is a local artist and book lover/collector.
We met last year via instagram and immediately connected.
I love receiving mail from Brian, who usually doodles
or draws on a vintage book page, which he inscribes
For Bari. I find this heartwarming.
I’m showing the back of Brian’s envelope in
admiration for his use & placement of washi tape.

Janet is another long-time customer.
She is also a student of bookbinding, drawing,
and envelope-making. I love that she drew so whimsically
on the outside of the envelope. And her enclosures had me
in full swoon two minutes after Will handed me the envelope,
which he did with great ceremony. I decanted with delight.
Janet’s bonanza included a little painting on a vintage book page,
a loose lily-of-the-valley sticker & a teeny collage.

*  *  *  *  *

 Emmy Kennett included me in a “30 letters to 30 friends challenge”,
and, as she writes, she expanded the rules to include postcards.
She also says:

“ ... that I’ve enclosed some “silly” things for you,
maybe silly is the wrong word. More like trifling.
Nothing great unfortunately – trying times, indeed. ”

Emmy's enclosures were neither silly nor trifling,
and I consider myself fortunate to have received them.
Emmy also mentions taking more walks along the beach
and seeing “a whole scoop of pelicans hanging on the beach
the other day.” I am jubilant about sending her an envelope
featuring the fabulous 8¢ pelican stamp!

*  *  *  *  *

I don’t think that it is better to give than to receive,
but I definitely pride myself on the energy I put into
preparing mail. Here is a glamour shot of a recent outgoing batch
that included pieces I had been working on sporadically for weeks.

P.S.
My most recent stamp purchase is a triumph of humour
over design. John Oliver, zany host of “Last Week Tonight,”
has designed a quartet of postage stamps in support of the USPS.
You can see and buy them here … until mid-June, if supplies last.
I can barely wait to send mail with a stamp that says:
And now … a stamp.

No need to queue to see these Kew cards

Dear Everyone ~

New in the shop are two collections of lovely & lively
notecards from the U.K. inspired by the Kew Archive
of Botanical Art. I’m stocking seven (rhymes with heaven)
large cards and four (rhymes with galore) petite cards.
They are printed on lightly-toothy heavy stock that is a
pure pleasure to write on, with all manner of
writing implements in your manor.

The large cards measure 4¼ x 6⅛ (see above).
I’m not certain what all of the blooms or stems are …
but I’d be delighted to have any one (or all) in a vase
or a pot or a bed in my garden. The colour combinations
are unexpected and eye-catchy. The petite cards measure
3⅝ x 4¾ (see below), and in their envelopes,
they are indeed big enough to mail.

For a flourish at the finish, the back of each card
bears the Royal Botanic Gardens seal stamped in rose gold.

NEW | Kew cards for notes

Than’Kew very much, Bari

A waterfall of Moriki

Dear Everyone ~

I have just completed a 32-signature buttonhole-stitch
book for the admirable & admiring Virginia from Utah.
I’ve written about Virginia’s bookish enthusiasms
previously—you may remember her as the student who
flew to Chicago in the heat of last summer for
a whirlwind workshop weekend.

This is the third of these books that I’ve made,
and the thrill is not diminishing one iota.
My original commission back in 2016 was from
a gentleman celebrating his first wedding anniversary,
which is “paper”. His wife is an artist, and he thought that
a book where paper is the star would be a perfect
gift for her. We decided on the buttonhole-stitch binding
so that all of the colours would be part of the spine.

I was slightly trepidacious about the orignal project,
for two reasons. It was the the first time I’d made a
buttonhole-stitch book larger than 4 x 5 x 1. And
the Moriki is much lighter than a text-weight paper.
It is strong but feels like gossamer.

Well, the book turned out so well, that I had to make
one for myself as well! I used to think of it as the shop mascot.
It felt so grand to hold in my hand, and all the
signatures lined up so beautifully. There was something
magnificent about its presence. Many customers were curious
about it, so I put up a little sign encouraging anyone
with very clean hands to pick it up and pet it.

I put the book in my online shop, where it rested
comfortably for quite  awhile … until a longtime customer
(and workshop student) bought it. Unbeknownst to me,
Virginia had been eyeing it, and although she was pleased
for me that the book had sold, she suffered a bit of
non-buyer’s remorse. Several weeks later,
she placed her commission. She told me:

“ I have no idea what I will actually use it for.
It is just something that called to me. I think
it was the sheer glory of all the different colours
with deckled edges bound into a big book.
I may use it for block printing with some
writing in it as well. ”

A full sheet of Moriki measures 25 x 38, with a
deckle on all four sides. I can fold the entire sheet
down into a single signature because the paper is so thin.
The signature comes out to be 32 pages, and there are
32 of them in the book, two each of 16 colours.
Virginia is a Japanophile:

“ If I didn't know that it was Japanese paper,
I would say that the  texture reminds me of raw silk. 
What the colours really evoke are memories of when
we lived in Japan—we were there in the mid-50s.
Most Japanese were still wearing kimonos.
I remember all the colourful festivals—and
many of the children’s songs that we learned. ”

The paper I used for the book’s cover is a wonderful
contrast to the delicacy of the Moriki. It’s made
from Belgian flax, and every sheet is dyed several times
to achieve overlapping fields of colour. It is incredibly strong,
the perfect protective “casing” for a book that
is 3½ inches thick. I asked Virginia if she has a specific
place in mind for her new book, and she replied:

“ I have a spot in our living room next to some
mementos from Japan. At first, I’ll just admire it
and handle it; it will take a little bit for me to move beyond
feeling it’s too precious for me to journal in. Actually—when
I really think about it—it is a little intimidating, but it’s kind
of a challenge and a growth hurdle that I want to step up to. ”

I am looking forward to wrapping Virginia’s book for her.
I have something quite special in mind, but can’t
show you today, because it will be a surprise for Virginia.

In deckled delirium, Bari

It’s a trio! It’s a stitch! It’s a kit!

Dear Everyone ~

This kit contains the papers and threads needed to make three
single-signature booklets, each bound with a delightfully
different stitch. I’ve taught the trio as a workshop in the past,
and am now making a virtual foray to offer it as a kit.

The kit includes the same highly detailed hand-out
I’d developed for workshop students. It is fifteen 8½ x 11 pages
with numerous helpful illustrations by Emmy Kennett.
As you might hope, the pages are held together with a teeny
butterfly clip covered in Japanese paper. As you might also hope,
the hand-out sheaflet comes protected in a large
glassine envelope with a handwritten label.

I’ve selected two different palettes of Saint-Armand
100% cotton rag covers, Cool Lagoon (at left above)
and Faded Villa (at right above). Interior pages are
creamy Stonehenge cover weight. Each palette
comes with a complementary quintet of
waxed linen thread colours.

The kit does not include tools.
These are offered as a set and as separate
items in the Threads & Tools department.

I’ve received many compliments on the thoroughness
(and attractiveness) of the hand-out. However:
Should you have any questions before starting to
make your booklets, or in the heat of the moment, you
are cordially invited to call or email for encouragement.

KIT | Trio of Stitched Single-signature Booklets
Threads & Tools

A stitch in time, Bari

Mum’s the word—and the pattern!

Dear Everyone ~

I always keep chrysanthemum papers on hand for my
bookbinding and boxmaking projects. It occurred to me that,
in honour of Mother’s Day, I could feature a gardenful of them.

Chrysanthemums are widely revered not only in Japan,
but also in Chicago, where they are apparently the city’s
“official flower.” Who knew?! Chrysanthemums are a wildly
popular decorative motif on porcelain and ceramics …
and paper! These patterns are among my favourites,
both in traditional prints and more contemporary
interpretations. I love that the colour combinations are so
harmonious and inventive (not to mention labor-intensive!).

I’ve also gotten a bee in my BZ bonnet to line envelopes
with chrysanthemum patterns to complement selected cards.
I’ve selected a bouquetful of floral- and love-themed
cards and postcards for this “spa treatment.”
You can see them in their very own shop listing,
but only until Friday, May 8.

If you’d like to give a BZS gift certificate,
I will be delighted to wrap it in a paper furoshiki
folded from the chrysanthemum pattern of your
choice, after writing the recipient’s name and
amount in a matching ink colour.

Gift Certificate
’smumderful lined envelopes with cards
Buttonhole-stitch: Plum & Lavender Mums
Coptic-stich: Japanese Crysanthemums
Drop-spine box: Teal with Fuschia Cyrsanthemums

May you have some merriment this May, Bari

Friends! Writers! Countrymen!

Dear Everyone ~

I love to send mail, and I love to receive mail.
What makes both of these passionate pastimes
possible is … the United States Postal Service.
The USPS does a brilliant job of moving the mail.
And now it is being held hostage in budget warfare in
Washington. I’ll skip the statistics & the politics
and say that several campaigns are afoot to support,
meaning to fully fund, the USPS. One involves sending letters
to your US Senators. I’ve just done it, and I’ll show you
my envelopes below. But, first, let me tell you
how I found out about this campaign.

The envelopes above are the handiwork of Linda Smith
in San Francisco. She shared the link to the campaign
with her friend Alyson Kuhn, who shared it with me.
Linda is a customer of long-standing, but we haven’t really
corresponded. When I asked about her letter-writing activities,
she e’d me in excellent detail:

“ As an inveterate letter writer since my girlhood days,
when my grandmother sent missives from her California
trips back to me in the Midwest, I have been a huge fan of mail,
postage stamps, and the United States Postal Service. Recently
I began receiving emails about the possible demise of the USPS
and promptly signed various petitions. So when the request came
to write handwritten letters to my Senators in D.C., I was more
than happy to pick up my LePens from you, write my letters,
and then stamp the letters with appropriate vintage postage,
also purchased from you. Two of the stamps on each envelope
celebrate 200 years of postal service!
And then I forwarded that email request for handwritten
letters to another mail maven, my friend Alyson Kuhn.
I’m so glad I did, because it turned out she hadn’t acted on it! ”

Alyson Kuhn, who also lives in California,
promptly sent letters to her Senators, and posted the photo
above on Instagram and Facebook. Michael Ball, a stamp dealer
pal of hers, commented that the P.S. Write Soon stamp
(from 1980) would also have been appropriate. Alyson
commented back that the From Me to You stamp
(designed by Michael Osborne, issued in 2015)
might have been the perfect single stamp for these missives.

Alyson is so fond of these that she keeps an entire
press sheet of them, six panes that haven’t been die-cut apart,
on her office door. She loves to peel a stamp off whenever
she is in the mood to part with one. She says it’s like a stamp bar!
And she adds that the stickers on the sheet (an enchanting
USPS innovation!) would have been ideal to illustrate
or punctuate the points in her letters.

To get my “postal passion” flowing,
I contemplated the stamps for my pair of envelopes.
I was delighted to have so many thematic options.

And I decided to write on Bari Zaki Studio letterhead,
as a purveyor of epistolary supplies. I hope the mail carriers
who deliver to the Hart Senate Office Building will have
sacks and stacks of USPS-fanmail for the Senators.
If you would like to add your two envelopes’
worth to the campaign, here’s the link … and the sooner the better!

Save The Post Office!

Lobbying from the studio, Bari

Jump for joy while you’re stationary

Dear Everyone ~

My Bundles of Stationery Joy have recently provoked more joy
than I could have imagined amongst the socially stationary.
Susan, a neighbor in Chicago, decanted her bundle a month ago
and promptly emailed me to say:

“ I’m going to challenge myself to send as many of the cards
and postcards as I can. It seems like there are a lot of people
who could use cheering up these days, so I’ll get to it! ”

Well, Susan has met her goal, and shared her good news
with me last week via mail, on the perfect postcard from
The Museum of Jurassic Technology! She wrote:

“ I finished my bundle of stationery joy challenge!
As of today I’ve officially sent out every single postcard
and piece of stationery in your lovely parcel.
Now I’m on a roll, so I don’t think I’ll stop. ”

Many other bundles have also gone to good homes,
such that two of the six wrapper options are now sold out
(Lacy Daisies and Tricolour), and two more are
close to exhausted—but my imagination is not!
Today is the debut of Deluxe Bundles of Stationery Joy.
They are vintage and a bit voluptuous.

The new series of wrappers has a script theme,
offering not so subliminal encouragement for correspondents.
I’ve selected these papers from my archives from the Last Century,
which I could refer to as the First Zaki Dynasty.
They are very limited-edition, each obi’d with Japanese flat cord.
The top edge is an excellent spot to tuck a little note, or a pressed leaf.

Contents have been calibrated to envelop you (and your correspondents)
in epistolary ecstasy: some smart Smythson’s, a tissue-lined envelope
or two, heavy hand-bordered notecards, assorted cards with letterpress
or engraved motifs, inevitably postcards …
and a small swoon of glassine enclosure envelopes.
(You’ll find glorious glassine details &
dimensions in the shop listing.)

Bob is making a delightful dent in his Bundle of Stationery Joy,
connecting via real mail with old friends from college.
He’s about halfway through his first bundle,
with one still in reserve. He reports:

“ I have, since mentioning my recruiting, sent twelve cards
and letters. Not all have volunteered to correspond back,
but that wasn't the point anyway. ”

Bob is also finding new joy at his mailbox.
He reflects:

“ Working from home full time during the COVID crisis
has turned me into a kid again in ways I hadn’t expected.
The trip to the mailbox is a treat every day to see what’s
been delivered. Informed Delivery builds some anticipation,
especially if there is a piece of personal correspondence out there.
I’m discovering that this is even more exciting than a package.
With a card or letter, the surprise awaits. ”

Deluxe Bundles of Stationery Joy

Bundlementally, Bari

A tribute book triumphs on a très special day

Dear Everyone ~

I’ve made more than a few tribute books over the years,
and I always enjoy being the assembler of the diverse
expressions of admiration and affection from friends, family,
or colleagues. While I’m putting a book together, I get to see
all the pages, and sometimes splendid ephemera. As I’m doing
my gluing and covering and binding, I like to think about the
recipient and how he or she will feel when seeing their book for
the first time … and realizing what it represents …
and then starting to look page-by-page.

I recently made a book of pages gathered by Kelly,
to celebrate her mother’s 70th birthday. I am in deepest bow
to Kelly for allowing me to share her inspiration with everyone.

Here’s how Kelly first described her idea to me:

“ I want to give my Mom something special for a
milestone birthday, in which her family and closest friends
from across the country can express to her how much she means
to them and how special she is. I’ve asked everyone ahead
of time whether they would like to participate.”

I prepared blank drilled pages for Kelly to mail participants,
and explained what she might want to let them know about how
the pages would be bound into the book. She did a perfect job of
sending out pages in a big envelope, protected with backing
cardboard, plus an envelope in which to return the finished pages to her.
When Kelly had started asking friends and family to create
a page for Wendy’s birthday book, the virus crisis was not yet
in full force. As it happened, Kelly’s invitation to participate
became even more meaningful:

“ I expressed to the participants how much I knew
she would love hearing from them and treasure
their expressions of love and art. ”

As you can see, Wendy’s friends and family responded
with love and creativity.

“ Participants wrote letters, painted, wrote calligraphy, sketched art,
and included pictures. My stepsister made an incredible illustration
featuring Hebrew words that resonated with her when thinking
of her relationship with my Mom. My Mom's best friend made a pocket,
decorated with gorgeous calligraphy, and tucked her private note inside.
Everyone's creativity and love blew me away. ”

Kelly selected bookcloth to cover a screw-post binder.
I added a spacer near the spine edge between certain pages,
so that the book wouldn’t start to “pooch.”

I had to know how Kelly was going to get the book to her mother,
given the shelter-in-place protocols. So I asked,
and here are the lovely details she shared with me:

“ For the drop off, I drove the gift over to her home,
left it on her doorstep (along with a special dinner and cake),
and wished her happy birthday from 10 feet away. ”

And then, of course, I had to know what happened next,
so I asked again. Kelly reported:

“ Hi there! My mom opened it that night, and was overjoyed.
She just LOVES it. It was so, so special to be able to give this to her.
Thank you so much for making it so beautiful! ”

And when I shared Kelly’s report with Tammy,
my nimble shop assistant, she said, “Oh, perfect!
The book was the party!” How much do I love that idea?!

Yours in bookbinding, Bari

‘squisite squares & s’more

Dear Everyone ~

The ’squisite squares are in two marvelous mediums:
vintage fabric from Japan and contemporary cards from the U.K.
And the s’more is subtly-scented sticks of glue,
likewise from Japan. Let’s take a bit of an armchair tour.

These lavender-filled pillows are petite but potent.
They are made for Bari Zaki Studio by my neighbor,
Maili Powell, the proprietress & creative seamstress-in-chief
of Soutache. Each pillow is reversible, to match your ensemble,
your desk decor, or your humour. You might put one under
or atop your pillow on your bed. You can tuck one in your pocket.
You can keep one in your car.

The cotton fabrics are from my Aiko’s archives.
Maili selects a button from her awesome reserves
to complement each fabric. Gently patting or squeezing
the pillow degages a refreshing and calming
whiff of lavender … for a very long time.

These British pencil shaving cards have delighted me,
and my in-shop customers, for years. I’m finally making
a point of putting them online. Could there ever be a more
captivating use of pencil shavings? A tiny (and tactile!)
flared triangle becomes a heart, a pennant, a bloom …
providing a perfect scallop of colour to a pen-and-ink
illustration. And, in a bit of self-referential wit:
a pencil shaving becomes ... a pen nib!

I am both thrilled & delighted to debut the
Gluesome Twosome, a pair of glue sticks from Japan
with a lovely clean scent. The glue maintains its smoothness
during application. Because of this consistency, the stick seems
to last longer than several others we’ve experienced.
The tube says some things we can’t read,
but the design is great. And it feels good in your hand.

Potent Lavender Pillows
Pencil Shaving Greeting Cards
Glueome Twosome

Fairly & squarely, Bari