Viridian Press @ Paper Source

We're excited to announce that Viridian Press cards are now available for purchase at Paper Source! From September 1, 2010, our line of handcrafted thank you cards will begin a national rollout at all Paper Source retail locations.

Using a unique combination of [non-toxic, water-based] lacquered papers and fabrics, each artist-signed card is produced by Italy's famed Fabriano mill (the same paper used by da Vinci!).

As always, a percentage of profits are donated to Heifer International, a charity committed to providing families across the world with sustainable, community-based solutions to hunger.

For the Paper Source location nearest you, please click here.

Vlieger Papier, Amsterdam

Our travels often provide ideal opportunities for procuring uniquely patterned design media. In lovely summertime Amsterdam, we stopped by historic Vlieger Papier and helped ourselves to several inspiring prints. Japanese origami papers, pressed flowery pastels and bright cottons will soon be making appearances on Viridian cards. We even managed to find an interesting wrinkled paper in the Netherlands' national color!

The next time you find yourself strolling leafy Amsterdam canals, be sure to say hello to our friends at Vlieger Papier!

(Dutch website)

Small Things

Viridian Press cards showcase tiny, unexpected things—bits of a pattern on printed cotton that tell a new story when cropped into a little square, or the texture of a paper that can only be appreciated on a miniature scale. We enjoy the work of Hillery Sproatt, fellow artist and promoter of compelling small things!

Hillery Sproatt

Paper Walls

We're intrigued by Vancouver-based Molo Design's stunning LED-lighted paper walls. We'd like a softseating pod for our studio and several softwalls for our next trade show!

molodesign.com

International Inspiration

We're always on the lookout for design inspiration. Take for example the enchanting Village Bar in Kuala Lumpur—a visual wonderland of stacked bottles and arabesque lanterns. We use every opportunity to collect regionally inspired textiles from around the world: in Bangkok we found cheerful printed cottons, in New Orleans, vintage brocade, and in Santa Barbara, CA we found a mass-produced watercolor map which will be used in our compositions.

Each one of our handmade cards tells a story which may cross many continents and many years. And every one melds these disparate influences into a unique piece of art.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - St. Augustine (We couldn't agree more!)

Color and Line

The online artist's community on Etsy is one of our favorite resources for handmade objects and inspiration. These Escher-esque embroidered necklaces by spinthread use color and line so beautifully. We'd like to think these same aesthetics are reflected in our own work. And we'd also like one of these necklaces in every design!

Spinthread's work can be purchased here.

Paper Sculpture

We love the unusual things artist Yvette Hawkins is doing with paper. There are so many beautiful and useful ways to repurpose textiles.

You can see all of Yvette's beautiful creations at her website: yvettehawkins.com