The smell of paper. The unexpected postcard from a long-lost friend that comes in the mail. Your name written on an envelope in beautiful calligraphy. To take a look up close and observe the magical interplay between the ink and the texture of a page. A material that can endure centuries. So simple yet elegant.

That’s what we mean by PAPER:

Certainly not just fancy wedding invitations. The note left on the kitchen counter, no matter if it is written with pencil, marker or fountain pen. Not sure what we mean? Take a look at this short film created by Toronto stationery store Take Note (go see it & then come back) — most certainly, “there’s love in notes”. Paper can be as simple or as fancy as you like. And for us, paper is something that creates community. It’s a social material. It invites community, creativity and connection. We at YW love pretty stationery supplies, but we are equally intrigued by the art and craftsmanship involved: the work of the calligrapher, the skill of the letterpress printer, the tradition of various printing techniques. Paper is also beautiful as a material for art. Think collage or intricate paper sculptures. You can even make your own paper. You can also bind your own books. All of this is not very efficient, that’s true — but it is reminiscent of a more offline life, of slowing down, of thinking before putting pen to paper, of carefully selecting materials before sending something out into the world.

We are building an arts & letters directory

We want to help you find a community of stationery lovers. We want you to discover new ways to get creative with paper. We want to showcase stationery boutiques and artists working with paper. We want to give you ideas for events, classes and workshops to attend. And we want to help you find beautiful stationery supplies which will bring joy to your everyday life.

While our directory is only just getting started, this is what we have planned for the theme of PAPER:

How to add your organization to the Young W directory

Are you a stationery boutique, calligrapher, letterpress printer, bookbinder or any other organization which fits into one of the categories above? Check out the Get Involved page for details about how to get your organization added to the directory.

 

We sell letter writing supplies and postcards, notebooks, greeting cards and furoshiki wraps – a sustainable textile alternative to wrapping paper.