Notecards and envelopes with handloom cotton textile covers and prints in vegetable dye. Available at stores.
Tag Archives: Handmadepaper
Drawing books
Make a statement with our pocket-sized sketchbooks covered in vintage newsprint and raw silk. The drawing sheets are handmade from white recycled cotton. Chlorine, acid and lignin free. Available in a variety of sizes at our stores in Mumbai and Delhi.
Handmade journals
For the love of writing. Fresh new colours in our banana fiber journals. Hand stitched using 100% recycled paper sourced from rural recycling units. The joy of writing on textured and uneven paper is an experience in itself, come try our papers at our store in Kala Ghoda and experience its versatility.
Don’t miss the little birdie in the corner of the picture!
Birds
While I was a child, I would observe sparrows from our veranda, their movements and chirping were naturally synchronised. Parrots in their bright plumage, screeching-by in riotous unison would fascinate me to no end. I would climb the Guava tree in our back yard and find numerous fruits half eaten by them. Then during schooling at Wynberg Allen, my brush with nature and the avian species left an indelible mark that has stayed with me till today.
Three years ago, I decided to create a range of products with “Birds” as a theme, this was also because of the urban landscape that I lived-in had no space for them. My team researched birds, their habitats, common name, scientific name, field characters, distribution, habits, food, nesting and calling signs. We commissioned an artist to create a limited edition of water colour paintings on birds, these were mounted on framable handmade cards. We then expanded our range with handmade journals, each with textile spines and printed covers. We then went on to create metal bookmarks in the shape of a few birds. Each product comes with a booklet explaining the detailed habitat and characteristics of each bird featured in the range.
Being self taught and having started as a designer with an untrained mind, I always chose subjects and ideas that were close to my heart. I was never one of those that followed trends and forecasts. The road that I chose was less travelled and thats made all the difference.
This range took three years to complete because I couldn’t devote enough time in designing the packaging and information that would go along with it. All said and done, it has now been released and is a must for stationery collectors and bird aficionados.
Batik paper
15 year waste project
For the last 15 years we collected our left-over and waste paper. Now these are sets of complimentary notecards and envelopes that we distribute with purchases from our stores. When you write on these note cards, do remember their journey across the years when they were a part of pathbreaking design and trend-setting paper products.
Paper bag
Lace or paper
Paper weaving
This is vintage Anand Prakash , Strips of paper woven on a handmade paper card. This looks easy but it isn’t because the paper is very delicate as compared to cane and it becomes difficult to push the strips in. The pattern requires some calculation as one has to know when to go over or below.
The story of this pattern is interesting, Santosh was the craftsman who came up with this idea as he came from a family of chair-weavers and it came naturally to him. Since inception, I have learnt a lot from a wide variety of people which includes children. The best ideas have come from the most unexpected of sources.