Hands up, I’m a veritable stationery addict.

I’m that person who has a stash of cards for every occasion, a notebook for every conceivable written activity and I’ll admit to buying sheets of wrapping paper just because I think they look nice. Don’t even get me started on the number of prints I still need to get framed. Hell even the wooden crate I use to keep all my card sets in is overflowing so I think it’s safe to say that I might have a bit of a problem.

Do any of you suffer from the same affliction??

I thought it was only fair then to share some of my favourite paper-orientated brands this lovely Monday morning in the hopes of turning you lot onto some paper pretty. Let’s get started…

Cards

I have a card for literally every occasion.

I mean actually every occasion. This is due in part to my inability to visit any stationery shop without minesweeping the racks for beautifully printed or tongue in cheek cards and partly due to Ste’s last-minute requests for something to say ‘happy birthday to Mr X’ or ‘thanks to Mrs Y’. It’s become a kind of necessity to have something in the paper bank so to speak.

I also have a tendency to frame up beautiful cards too; they end up being cheaper than a one off print and it means that you have a pile of extra cards to use to send to your closest girls.

My besties have the same ‘dry/bordering on harsh’ sense of humour as I do and the ‘Dear…’ cards created by Sapling Press always make us laugh. My favourite has to be the ‘Dear girls’ version pictured in the slider above but ‘Dear Religion‘ and ‘Dear Noah‘ come pretty close too.

I mentioned in my ‘Gifts For Your Best Girls‘ post last week the amazing Love inspired cards designed by Imogen Owen and couldn’t not reference them again. The set includes six letterpress printed notecards featuring two designs; one brush lettering ‘love’ card and the other ‘xoxo’ motif. I’m down to my last three, they’re that good and I’m of a mind to frame one of each of the designs. Definitely worth every penny.

I’m beginning to sound a bit like a broken record with my love for Garance Dore’s illustrations but I just can’t help it. I actually invested in this set of cards of four fashion prints with the idea of framing them but haven’t quite got round to it yet. They complement this rather sophisticated man’s birthday card from Fox & Butler…For the girls who love coral then this simple but chic birthday card is top notch.

It seems that an adoration for stationery is something that runs in the family too. My sister Tom was responsible for designing all my wedding day paper pretty and as a result set up her own business specialising in big day stationery sets. I’m biased naturally but I think she is utterly talented. She’s recently branched out into children’s cards and prints too all with a birthday party feel using balloons, party hats and hand drawn animals. Cute!

Staying on the animal theme I actually found the Flamingo and Zebra letterpressed cards from Archivist Gallery on a recent trip to the park with Hector in their gift shop. The quality of the cards is particularly superb – beautiful off-white thick card and strong vibrant colour in the actual print. Having checked out the brand online they actually do amazing matches too and super long ones at that!

Notebooks & Planners

You can pretty much always guarantee that Paperchase will always have some beautiful notebook action going on. In fact their set of three ‘raindrops exercise books‘ has served me well this summer and features heavily in the slider above. Working out at only a fiver for the three I think they’re pretty good value and look super pretty too.

The minimalist in me (yes it does actually exist) has fallen in love with a recent find from Copenhagen – that of the brand Kartotek who are a fairly new addition to the paper market having launched their first collection last year. The girls behind the brand have made me swoon with their exquisitely designed fuss-free notebooks and this Breton T-shirt inspired card. It is so good that I’m tempted to buy it just so I can frame it.

But the products that really make me happy are their daily and weekly planners and this ‘To Do’ notepad complete with designated column to tick off when the task in question is complete. It doesn’t take much to make me giddy!

Whilst we’re on the topic of ‘To Do’ lists if you’re looking for something a little more girly then I highly recommend Garance Dore (again!) who creates beautiful fashion illustration inspired notelets for you to doodle away on. I particularly love this desk planner and these cocktail cards.

For those of you needing colour pop fun in your lives then I recommend the ‘Ludo Pink’ paintbrush spotty number at Papier. Or alternatively ‘Viola’ is perfect for those who love to integrate florals in every aspect of their lives. Both books are priced at £12.99 and can be personalised with names, initials or even a special saying on the front.

Stationery Specials

If like both me and Lauren you’re looking for something that little bit more special then I point you in the direction of Papier and their exquisite customisable stationery sets. With everything from stripes to palm prints, to ombre and animals you can guarantee that you can send snail mail with style. We love the flamingo notesets enormously but the golden carriage and green pineapple are surely stealing our hearts.

Have we managed to persuade you to invest in some paper pretty then? Have you got any brands that you need to share with us? What’s been your favourite piece of stationery? Are you a stationery addict like me? Why not share your thoughts in the comments box below…