Arty Heart Bunting Origami Kit

Dear Everyone ~

The newest kit in our shop from Cambridge Imprint is literally, figuratively & decoratively heartwarming. It’s officially called the Heart Bunting Origami Kit. The keepsake box, like its companions (a cloud of butterflies, a galaxy of stars, a delirium of bobbles/baubles), presents 36 assorted sheets of patterned papers (6 x 6) in a valentinian palette, ranging from Victorian mauve to ruby red, with perfect pink and springy magenta in the mix. You can fold 36 voluptuous hearts, or you can trim some of the sheets into quarters (3 x 3) and make 4 dainty hearts from each full-size sheet. The papers, as always, are accompanied by a charming booklet of helpful instructions. You do not need a bone folder to whip up a batch of hearts, but if you use one, your creases will be a whisper crisper.

Robb Morgan, our non-resident star of Cambridge Imprint folding, has arranged the hearts he folded into some charmola configurations, which would be LOVEly on a tray or a table, or, dare we say, on a pillow. Robb’s photos always give me ideas.

When the Cambridge shipment arrived, one of the first things I wanted to try was making an envelope to hold some origami hearts. First, I made a little booklet envelope measuring 2¾ x 4½, which can snugly enclose a trio (a mélange à trois!) of petite hearts. Then I made a backless envelope measuring 4¼ x 4¾. It can comfortably hold at least one large heart nestled with a couple of petite hearts. Both envelopes are made from a single 6 x 6 sheet, so you can envelop your origami hearts to your heart's content!

And, for excessorizing, I have stocked up on Cambridge Imprint small labels in a valentinian palette. Each label measures 1¾ x 1¼, and delightfully dresses up an envelope (especially with a fruit stamp) or a wrapped gift. Beautify a bottle, box, or bag! If you want to bunt or garlandize your hearts, you will need a needle and thread (or an awl and some slinky ribbon).

Announcing Fresh Fruits & Bunnies Stamp Sampler

Dear Everyone ~

Back in the summer of 2020, I debuted the Summer Stamp Sampler, a manila stock page whose 12 rows served up strips of four fab fruit stamps. Low denominations but delightful designs: 1¢ apples, 2¢ lemons, 3¢ strawberries, and 5¢ grapes. Artist John Burgoyne’s original illustrations made charming stamps, under the tasteful eye of U.S. Postal Service art director Derry Noyes.

But why was there no 4¢ stamp? We may never know, but the wait is over. Earlier this month, a luscious shipment of fresh 4¢ blueberries arrived. Artist John Burgoyne’s blueberries combine pen, ink & watercolour, and they have put a spring in our fruit sampler! And speaking of springing—or hopping—our refreshed fruit sampler also includes two rows (16 stamps in all) of the 20¢ brush rabbit by San Francisco Bay Area artist and designer Dugald Stermer. (Sadly, the artist passed away before his stamp was issued in 2021.) Alyson, my postal muse, and I consider the bunny the perfect companion to the fruits.

We've been chatting about combinations, denominations, mailing rates, etc., and here are the fruits of our philatelic musings.

Think of the fruit stamps as the postage with the mostage, as it takes many of them to make 58¢ (for a letter-size envelope, up to 6 x 9) or $1.16 (for an envelope larger than 6 x 9, even by a hair/hare). The fruits look quite delish on an envelope of almost any shade when you alternate two contrasting colourways, which you can arrange in a row or a checkerboard. Some of our favourite combos are blueberries & strawberries, and grapes & lemons. Singly, these stamps are handy (and extraordinarily inexpensive) for a multitude of embellishing missions, including gift wrapping, envelope sealing, and note affixing.

Another delightful arrangement is to create a frame by arraying the stamps along all four sides of the envelope. Here you see a Grand Carta Pura Envelope, which holds a folded notecard. Measuring 6¼ x 9, it is considered a large envelope, so requires a minimum of $1.16. If you include any enclosures, say a pair of Glimpses & Whimsies of Bari Zaki Studio postcards, then you’ll need to add 20¢ (1 bunny or several fruits) for that second ounce.

Frankly, we are big fans of overfranking, which is a real word meaning to put more postage on an envelope or parcel than it requires. (Alas, you cannot get credit for doing this, to apply against a future inadvertent instance of underfranking!) The large kraft envelope seen here measures 9 x 12, requiring $1.16 worth of postage for one ounce… but it’s delightfully likely that whatever you’re putting inside will tip the scales at more than an ounce, and it’s 1-bunny-worth (20¢) for each additional ounce.

The Fruits & Bunnies Sampler is available in two formats: either a manila stock page enveloped in a British glassine sleeve, secured with a pair of tiny Japanese-paper-covered butterfly clips, or in an origami box (2⅛ x 2⅛ x 1½) that I’ve fashioned from luscious Saint-Armand paper, with ten teeny Japanese-paper-covered butterfly clips clustered inside the orchard of stamps. If you are so inclined, you can decorate the sides of your box, as shown here!

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, we will include a slim glassine sleeve with a row of five 10¢ pairs of pears and one 46¢ kaleidoscopic flower (loves me…loves me not).

Fruits & Bunnies Stamp Sampler

Tutti frutti, Bari

Janet & Bari’s Year of Creative Synergy

Dear Everyone ~

Janet Bouldin is an artist whose name some of you will recognize. Last month, I debuted her most recent series of watercolour postcards, Daily Domesticity and Trio of Bouquets, which you can read about here. She also illustrated the Glimpses & Whimsies of Bari Zaki Studio postcard set, which you can read about here, and the sheaflet for the More Art of the Hand-folded Envelope kit, which debuted on Valentines Day 2021. You can read about that here. Today, I want to share with you Janet’s & my sketchbook exchange over the last 12 months: our year of creative synergy.

First a bit of background: In the summer of 2019, we sent each other a postcard (sometimes two) every day. It was invigorating to build a steady stream of sending & receiving mail on a daily basis! It kept both of our creative flows flowing, and our friendship blossoming. Janet has become one of my most prolific & prized correspondents.

We have always shared with each other what’s going on in our sketchbooks. (It’s become a ritual that we now refer to simply as show & tell.) In November of 2020, I decided to “formalize” our habit, and I began drawing in a sketchbook just as I normally do, taping a few inspirations to the inside front cover, then skipping the first page and starting to draw on the second…. I then presented it to Janet to fill the next page or two, along with a fresh sketchbook for her to begin to draw in. Then each time we met, we’d swap. Most times, we’d have each filled at least two or three pages. I hadn’t counted the number of pages in each book, nor given much thought to when we’d get to the last page. It was more about the process, the exchange, and the creative connection. We used a pair of vintage books I had unbound & rebound with warm white Hahnemühle pages: Best Plays by Chekhov and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There was something so utterly satisfying about seeing the books begin to pooch with the puckering of Janet’s watercolours and the layers of my painted paper collages.

Janet’s art practice has really taken flight since her retirement from teaching English. And she definitely hasn’t lost her knack for clear self-expression. Here are a handful of her thoughts about her drawing practice and our sketchbook exchange.

“ I have discovered that it’s easier than I expected to draw or make art every day. And that the more I draw every day, the deeper is my relaxation whilst I’m doing it, as well as more lingering effects (new ideas, more comfort), and the more I want to do it. ”

“ Thinking about the gentle nudge of the journals, remembering instead that I decided it was more of a welcome. If I didn’t know exactly which direction to turn in on a given day, the journal beckoned in a non-judgmental way and often became a stepping stone as well as a place to start or a place to end up. ”

“ As we were nearing the end of our first sketchbooks, and before we’d even decided on what the second round would contain, I realized that I can’t imagine being without this exchange. I would be bereft, I know. It’s become a wonderful, creative, supportive subtext to our deeply appreciated friendship. It’s a little magical, almost. May we fill shelves with them! ”

“ Seeing your work is inspiring, and it also inspires me to know that you’ll be seeing—without judgment, with appreciation—mine. The surprise and delight for me are never ending. ”

We’ve decided to have a theme for one of our next pair of sketchbooks: teacups. The other we will surrender to serendipity. I started the Serizawa (March) soft-cover Coptic stitch book, and Janet started the buttonhole-stitch book covered in Cambridge Imprint Starry Papers. Here is how they are shaping up. And we are mulling & musing about scanning some of our pages and making them into a set of postcards for the shop.

Extra, extra: Melanie’s exciting sketchbook exchange

Dear Everyone ~

At the beginning of December, Melanie O’Steen sent me a delightful email describing an idea she’d been percolating on for a couple of months. Our friendship has blossomed from her very first foray into bookbinding, when she took my Buttonhole-stitch workshop through Sonheim Creative. (Anyone taking this workshop could e me or call with any questions, and Melanie did.) Her intense curiosity & creativity regarding paper set us up to become great pals. Two years later, she is a Bookful five-timer who has also taken several private bookbinding workshops with me. Now, Melanie has invited me to help her with the technicalities of the two sketchbook exchanges she has conceived.

I have been over the moon delighted to help Melanie get her project underway, and naturally I’ve asked if I may share her creative process. She has provided lovely shots documenting her bookmaking process, and below are her inspiring descriptions of bookish details. Bear in mind that neither one of Melanie’s “paper penpals” lives near her. Melanie has made, as you can see, four sketchbooks, two that she will exchange with Debra in California, and two that she will exchange with Dorothy in North Carolina. So, Melanie and Debra will each start a sketchbook, and then “exchange” them, building off of the other’s previous panels. Ditto, Melanie and Dorothy.

“ Earlier this year, I came across an artist’s blog where she described her sketchbook exchange with a friend. I had never heard of such a project. Their exchange centered on responding artistically to each other’s page. Sometimes, it was responding to just a single stroke of color. I found this inviting and intriguing. (Unfortunately, I can’t recall the artist’s name or the name of her blog, but I am all the more grateful.) My friends, Dorothy and Debra, have played very important roles in my creative journey. Proposing this exchange is my way of honoring them and their creativity. Making books (Thank you, Bari!) has become one of the most life-giving things for me. ”

“ I truly love accordion books! There’s something about the unfolding of the pages, just like the unfolding of our stories and our art journeys. After learning several delightful accordion methods this past year in the Bookful workshops, I never considered another style of book for the exchange project. I can barely wait to see the accordions all stretched out, with my friends’ art intermingled with mine. ”

“ I knew I wanted the sketchbooks to be square, with bookcloth spines, and small enough for us not to feel intimidated by the blank page. I first encountered the Cambridge Imprint Special Starry Papers during the Bountiful Bookful workshop. They are so whimsical and cheerful, and I love how they can be mixed and matched. For the covers, I coordinated papers for Debra and me, and I chose a different coordinated pattern for Dorothy and me. One last-minute decision I made during construction was to line my friends’ sketchbooks with my coordinating paper and my sketchbooks with their coordinating paper. This aesthetic connection—in one accord, which is perfect for an accordion book— is so representative of my friendships with Debra and Dorothy. ”

“ For this exchange, I knew that if I applied too many constraints, such as a theme, it would feel like pressure. So, we don’t know what each other’s theme is, and we may not even know what our own themes are, until we begin drawing on that very first page. I do love surprises! It will be a conversation in a way, and I plan to include a note to each friend when I mail them their sketchbooks, suggesting some guidelines for the exchange, including: work at your own pace, date your work, feel no pressure to perform, don’t treat the art as precious, and enjoy! ”

“ Our original idea—and we discussed this a lot!— was to mail the sketchbooks back and forth to each other throughout the year. But when we realized how costly that would be, we went back to the drawing table :). Although we lose the aspect of working directly in each other’s sketchbooks, the following method simplified the logistics. We each make a first entry in our sketchbook, take a photo of it, and send it in a text to the appropriate friend. The recipient then responds artistically on a separate piece of paper and sends her response via text photo back to that friend. And thus the creative process continues. At the end of the project we will mail all our artistic responses to the rightful owner who will then glue (or otherwise affix) them into her sketchbook. ”

I love how Melanie, Dorothy & Debra have adapted a sketchbook exchange to work long distance. I particularly love this confluence of technology and tactility! And probably texture and tea! Not incidentally, I’m delighted that Melanie’s Cambridge Imprint fandom runs deep, from her large-label “bookplates” (under glassine!) to her bookbinding scraps.

Special Starry Papers
Sketchbooks
Multi-marvy Labels

Excitement will ensue, Bari

P.S.
Pencil Shaving cards from Britain have finally landed at the shop after a mysterious whirlwind tour around the Continent. The online shop is hereby fully stocked.

2021: It’s a wrap!

Dear Everyone ~

It’s high time to put a bow, or a wreath of bows, on 2021. I’d like to thank everyone, for the last time this year, for appreciating what Bari Zaki Studio represents and for expressing what it means to you. Herewith, some of my favourite mail of the year. But first, a deep bow to Robb Morgan, our non-resident star of Cambridge Imprint folding. (He folded this bevy of bowties from Special Starry Papers trimmed to U.S. currency size.)

This from Tammy D. might just win Email of the Year:

“My dear Bari ~ I can’t even believe how quickly I parted with my money upon reading your latest luscious email. I am enamored of these papers and washi. You have such a gift with words and phrases. Unlike, say, J Peterman, your descriptives are achievable! Perhaps not as handily or deftly as your own creations, but I know I can create something beautiful with the items I purchase from you.”

Of the mail I received this year from my Postal Muse, this envelope is my favourite. Alyson cut the address frame from the Mass Audubon diminutive desk calendar, the stamps were recent acquisitions from her dealer in Carmel, and, yes, my eyes almost bugged out at the ensemble.

Marcia Shortt is a friend of Alyson’s, and her envelope came as a total surprise, which was a gift unto itself. I love how she arranged the dual labels, giving my name its very own label. And above the label is an additional BZS which she applied with alphabet stickers in very pale celadon. The assorted papery bits within are cards and tags she’s made from vintage ephemera & postage stamps.

Brian Russo, artist and fellow booklover, spent a few weeks this past summer road-tripping around America, which is exactly what he wrote as his return address! He sent me a handful of ephemera from his travels, which I soon plan to use in my sketchbook.

I loved Carla Jacobs’ way of recycling the Saint-Armand multi-media pad wrap as a postcard, by slicing off the sides of the wrapper. She embellished their logo with colour pencil and notes, “Nothing of quality is tossed in the trash.” Cheers to that!

Every year I receive a lovely letterpress holiday card from my bookbinding fabric suppliers at Campbell Logan Bindery. The interior greeting is always a book themed quote. This year’s greeting is “Books are hindrances to persisting stupidity.”

Continuing that theme, this envelope from Susan M. warmed my mailbox and my heart! I love the multitude of embellishments, from hand-lettering to bookshelf washi tape, from the “By Snail, Par L’escargot” to the “Thank You” Forever postage stamp. The interior card is from an edition of 13, printed by Susan.

Receiving one of Becky Sherrod’s calligraphed envelopes is an exquisite epistolary treat. Both the envelope and notecard are works of calligraphic art. The interior card with its floral B is hand-drawn and watercoloured … I am beyond beatific!

Cat Bennett sent this big red bloom, one of her iconic shapes, made from a collage of painted paper. The row of stripes reminds me of a painting exercise she shared with us in Bountiful Bookful of Personal Patterns, a reminder to stay calm and paint stripes.

Emery Kennett borders on having a border fetish. She loves drawing them on envelopes, on notecards & in her sketchbook. She has sent me several envelopes over the months, always with a different border and colour combination. This border, she writes, “was inspired by an old game of Tiddlywinks”. The envelope is Rivoli Rose.

From the simple to the elaborate, missives brighten the day not only of the recipient but also of the sender. May we brighten each other’s days in 2022.

Scene above is the grand finale to my 2021 “catching up with correspondence”.

Wishing everyone a peaceful New Year & a beautifully creative 2022! ~ Bari

Post-Boxing Day post

Dear Everyone ~

Yesterday was Boxing Day, the British (and British Commonwealth) big shopping day after Christmas, presumably named to honour all the boxes shoppers would go home with. I’ve never been in the UK on Boxing Day, but love the idea of a holiday named for boxes.

My personal affinity for boxes bloomed after I saw the movie “Paper Moon” when I was ten. Addie Loggins’ character (Tatum O’Neal) always had her cigar box close at hand, containing her most worldly possessions, including chewing gum, cigarettes, and a small amount of cash. Having a box to carry around spoke to me. Soon thereafter, I started collecting cigar boxes, then stationery boxes, then I began organizing my stationery in cigar boxes.

Here are a few of my favourite boxes at home, relaxing.

The Betty’s biscuit tin is from my visit to York in 2019. When I saw the box on the counter at Betty’s café, it wasn’t the biscuits I was drooling for, it was the tin. The illustrations are charmola, and the tin is the perfect size to hold my various watercolour tubes. (I shared the biscuits before we left, so the tin would be empty for the trip back to Chicago.)

My friend Margo in Portola Valley sent me for Christmas this 1,000-piece puzzle from John Derian. This image of paint swatches on canvas happens to be one of my absolute favourites from his series of vintage illustrations. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have this box! I’ve already fashioned the wrapping paper the gift came in into the envelope for my thank-you note to Margo. I puzzled over whether it would be a liner or the actual envelope, but because the paper was so sturdy, I decided it could be a weather-worthy envelope.

Another sort of boxing day is when I receive a shipment from Carta Pura. They package all their pads of paper in these utilitarian extra-thick kraft boxes. I like to use them for organizing miscellany & then I hand-letter the “front” so that I know what’s inside.

Also this Christmas I received a gift from Jo Malone London, from my friends Debbie & Callan here in Chicago. The diffusers with their lovely bottle of scent (lime-basil-mandarin!) came in a deluxe mini-shoebox-size box, truly swoonworthy. (Hmmm, Jo Malone has the same number of letters as…Bari Zaki.) The branding is a paragon of understatedness.

From the humble to the luxurious, any box deserves a second life. My only word to the wise: label your box somehow, so you know what’s inside!

Vox box, Bari

'Twas the week before Christmas…

Dear Everyone ~

Yesterday morning, I bundled (myself) and trundled (10 parcels) to shipping points in the neighborhood, or I could say sleighborhood! Eight went to my Post Office on Montrose & Damen, one box to UPS, and one highly tissued box to FedEx, containing a many-months-in-the-making commission for a customer in Arizona. I'm thrilled it’s on its way! So for a few moments, I had shipped every everything!

A handful of orders are at the ready for curbside pick-up, and several orders continue to trickle in for shipping. They may well reach their recipients by this Friday! Myself & the postal elves will do our merry best!

This week, the shop will be open for appointments and masked serendipity today, Tuesday, Dec. 21, through Thursday, Dec. 23, from noon–5pm, and Friday, Dec. 24 from noon–3pm.

Next week the shop will open from Tuesday, Dec. 28 to Thursday, Dec. 30, from noon–5pm.

As of Friday, Dec. 31, I will take a two-week holiday from Bari Zaki Studio for rest & relaxation, which of course includes playing with paper. One of my favourite pastimes is painting papers for cut-paper collaging. It is a process that I first learned from Cat Bennett, and I find it endlessly soothing & satisfying. I also plan to walk along the lakefront and to catch up on my correspondence.

Speaking of correspondence leads me to stamps. Stay tuned to see the first new stamp of 2022! It is too-too exciting, at least to me.

Wishing everyone a lovely & delicious holiday, Bari

Every Cambridge Imprint product is a star

Dear Everyone ~

Our new Cambridge Imprint order came in with festive anticipation aplenty from me. And decanting the three parcels exceeded my expectations on the delight & delirium scale. I was momentarily surrounded by Cambridge Imprint papers! I elaborate below, for your shopping pleasure. Read on!

First, a quartet of notebooks with unruled pages, with four colourful cover choices: Ugizawa Blackberry, Cupboard Pink, Persephone Cornflower, and Selvedge Mustard. The notebooks are staple-bound, and the pages are very smooth ivory. Suitable for all manner of media in your manor or on the go or as a gift. And, yes, all four look fabulous as a set, should you be on an organizational binge.

And, should you wish to label your new Cambridge Imprint notebook(s), we have just the thing: new-to-us petite labels on a sheetlet. The labels measure 1⅜ x ⅜, so they are best suited for a single-line name or title. Charmola on a file folder, or a recipe-card index, or a gift tag. Yes, you could also array them with abandon on a wrapped gift.

Also new in the label department are medium address labels, measuring 1⅞ x 1⅛. Again, great on a notebook, tasty on a jar of preserves, &c ad delirium. These come on a big sheet, featuring seven lovely colours, each with three different borders.

Last but not less, we’ve replenished the ultimate seasonal staple: Special Starry Papers, in their wonderful box. If you had put yourself on the waiting list, I’ve already reached out to you. And, if you hadn’t reserved a box, may I suggest you place your order sooner than later—not only while supplies last, but also while sleighs are available to speed your parcel to you. Ah, and we’ve also replenished our stock of small Cambridge Imprint labels. To summarize: We currently have four (4) sizes of Cambridge Imprint labels on hand. You could be liable to go label crazy!

’Tis the season for holiday hours.
The shop will be open this Sunday, Dec. 19, from noon–5pm for appointments and masked serendipity. Next week, we will be open Tuesday to Thursday from noon–5pm, and on Friday, Dec. 24, we will close at 3pm. Feel free to call or e me if you have a last-ish minute gift-wrapping or stocking-stuffing caper.

Multi-marvy Labels
Notebooks
Special Starry Papers

In the wrapping whirlwind, Bari

New cards by Janet Bouldin: the cozy, the fresh, and the lovely

Dear Everyone ~

Janet Bouldin is, in a wonderful sense, our house illustrator. This past summer, her long-time appreciation of Bari Zaki Studio blossomed into her Glimpses & Whimsies of Bari Zaki Studio series of postcards. Earlier in the year, she illustrated the “chic sheaf” of instructions for our More Art of the Hand-folded Envelope Kit, which debuted on Valentine’s Day. Last year, on Christmas Eve to be exact, we presented Janet’s set of Tableaux postcards (alongside Cat Bennett’s letterpressed Botanical Silhouettes notecards).

A big believer that busy hands are happy hands, Janet has now created two freshly printed sets of postcards, which we’ve named Trio of Bouquets and Daily Domesticity. The A-6 cards are printed on Mohawk Superfine, paired with Rivoli vanilla envelopes with their beautiful deep pointed flap and rounded bottom tip. A truly tasty combination, in the mail, atop a package, at the table, or on the pillow.

For Glimpses & Whimsies, Janet illustrated some of her favourite items from our shop. We asked her about objets and scenes in her new series, and are delighted to share with you her responses.

For Trio of Bouquets: “I always draw from my own things, or from my surroundings. I don’t draw from my imagination or from photos, generally. The flowers are from my yard, and the vases are mine, though I do sometimes change their colour. The purple vase, for example, is actually blue and white.”


For Daily Domesticity: “The pens, the wellies, the coffee cup are all mine. I originally put the boots and the cup together to amuse my Swedish cousin. The stove is my friend Gene’s, out in Marblehead, Mass. I’ve sat in his kitchen many, many times. The kettle is his, and the towels are two that I’ve given him. I’m often most inspired by the small, homey stories in my sight line.”

* * * * *

I love knowing the backstory of these images. Somehow, it makes them feel more intimate. Even if you don’t have the pleasure of knowing Janet, I hope you enjoy her watercolour cards!

Trio of Bouquets
Daily Domesticity

Charmed, Bari

The joys of wrapping, unwrapping, and scrapping

Dear Everyone ~

Wrapping, as Everyone knows, is something I very much enjoy. Unwrapping is also something I very much enjoy. My Postal Muse and I refer to slowly unwrapping the contents of parcels as decanting. This season, I have photo-documented some noteworthy orders in “tree formation,” and am pleased to present the forest for your enjoyment and inspiration.

Susan in Nevada is a longtime Bari Zaki Studio enthusiast. As it happened, she was visiting Chicago the summer I opened, and we met in person one steamy afternoon. She has continued to visit once a year… until the arrival of the pandemic. She recently placed a luscious order, which I arranged into a tree formation, simply for the pleasure of doing so. I asked Susan for whom the items were destined, and was “gifted” with her reply:

“ I am happy to report that the Kaweco pens and ink will be going to my writer’s group in Northern Nevada. I started the writers group in 2010 - women who write; we call our group “Get Writing” which is also code for Goddess Writers. We meet weekly to help each other edit and workshop our writing projects. Some of us write fiction, some write poetry, and some memoir. One of the writers studied with Kurt Vonnegut, one was an editor and censor for CBS, one is a rancher, and most of us met while attending Ash Canyon Poets (a weekly poetry group that met every week for over 25 years in Carson City, NV). The fabulous washi tape will go to an assortment of friends who journal and embellish with washi. ” – Hugs from over here, Susan

Louise in Madison ordered eleven collapsible pencil cups the other morning, almost causing me to collapse! Here they are in all their natural beauty, and there they are wrapped in crisp white tissue. Again, I couldn’t resist sprucing. I asked Louise what she was planning on doing with her quantity of cups, and she replied:

“ I want to give our staff in the history department a special holiday present, to thank them for being so great during a difficult year. These seemed such a great choice. And I love your website and your energy! ” – Louise

Carla from Virginia is a Bookful five-timer. She recently mailed me a tree de force in an envelope that delighted me, designating me as “Paper Luminary.” Swoon. Here are her envelope and her tree. Carla had visited the shop this past summer when she was in town, which was lovely. (We also mentioned her in our Thanksgiving post.) Her tree is not only charming, it is also the acme, or maybe the zenith, of scrap-happiness, fashioned from Cambridge Imprint triangles left over from folding & trimming stars. O, you’re curious as to her note? It is a paragon of pithiness and warms my heart:

“ Thank you for all the creative inspiration this year! ” – Carla

* * * * *

It delights me to no end, and both ends, to receive emails and calls with special wrapping requests! Crisp white tissue and washi tape are at the ready, and I’m happy to pen a note bearing your greeting on a Glimpses & Whimsies of Bari Zaki Studio postcard.