The Paper Fold

64:31

Susan January

The Paper Fold ·

2025/01/22

How better to kick off January 2025 — and the eighth season of this podcast — than with a visit from this bona fide industry legend? While Susan January has been at the helm of Leanin' Tree, a mid-sized Colorado house of stationery, for over a quarter century, she has also served as president of the Greeting Card Association, from 2011 to 2013. More recently, she spearheaded a team of women from across generations to debut Willow & Ivy, a boutique brand devised solely for our times — and the women

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32:51

Michele Ferron of Good Tuesday

The Paper Fold ·

2024/12/18

How does what began as a pandemic pastime become the UK's first stationery B Corp? For Michele Feron of Good Tuesday, her sustainable brand came to life in 2020 on Etsy as Once Upon a Tuesday. Her then-eight-year-old daughter Flora created the name, but as this color-driven Cornwall brand grew, Michele realized a big evolution was in order.However, the rebranding paled next to becoming a B Corp. Michele shares how the transition is far more than an icon to place on one's site — it represents a

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51:53

Michele from Meant to be Calligraphy & Amy from Penny...

The Paper Fold ·

2024/11/26

Since its premiere seven seasons ago, the Netflix reality show Love is Blind has only tightened its grasp on pop culture. According to Nielsen, Americans watcher over 1.1 billion million minutes of the most recent season of this will-they or won't-they get married show, set in Washington, D.C. — and that doesn't include infinite video discussions and gossip on social media. While those can get somewhat seamy, the season's fan favorite couple, Taylor and Garrett, put an enormous national spotlight on

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50:45

Tyler McCall of Paper & Pencil AND Chicago Stationery...

The Paper Fold ·

2024/10/29

As the economy flounders and the election cycle drags on, many makers and retailers in the stationery space are simply navigating their way through the best they can so that their businesses survive the downturn. But stationery success stories still happen! Tyler McCall and his husband and business partner Eric Campbell have been on an upward trajectory since opening their 400-square-foot shop in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, Paper & Pencil, in May 2023.The two built the highly curated

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37:23

Leatrice Eisman of the Pantone Color Institute

The Paper Fold ·

2024/09/30

For the past quarter century, the Pantone Color Institute has grabbed headlines each December with its Color of the Year (COTY) announcement. Each selection is carefully formulated to reflect our global culture, expressing the zeitgeist through the dynamic language of color. Peek behind the curtain as I host the incredible Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Lee generates each COTY, and also teaches color forecasting to burgeoning gurus at The Eiseman Center for

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35:50

Amanda and Susan of Golden Gems

The Paper Fold ·

2024/08/29

Golden Gems was brought to life in a St. Louis living room by sisters Susan Logsdon and Amanda Helman. Despite these humble beginnings, this brazen lifestyle brand distinguished itself right out of the wholesale gate, buoyed by its larger-than-life mission to inspire us all to live life unapologetically, on our own terms. Thus at trade shows, it was impossible to miss this colorful, pithy array of stationery and gifts emblazoned with empowering phrases like "Not Here For You" or "Take Up Space."

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27:11

Todd Kletter of Crane

The Paper Fold ·

2024/07/30

Crane came to life alongside America — and like America, it's had quite a challenging 2024. Actually, make that a few challenging years. This is actually the second episode of The Paper Fold covering Crane; my first dealt with its previous owner, Mohawk Fine Papers, having to move the entire Crane operation from its North Adams, Massachusetts, facility, opened in 1799, to Cohoes, New York, during lockdown in 2020. The Crane story reignited last February as Mohawk Fine Papers was being acquired by

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57:28

Sammy Rich of Sammy Gorin

The Paper Fold ·

2024/06/25

You've most likely already seen designs from Sammy Gorin, and just not known it. This young New York-based artist and musician has quickly made a name for herself in stationery and gifts by turning pop culture moments into fantastically fun and funny art prints, stickers, cards, and pens. But rather than satirizing the topical domain with, say, a spellbindingly clever Taylor Swift sticker, Sammy Rich recently found herself in the social media spotlight. Owed over $25,000 by the retailer Francesca's

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35:01

Talia Bromstad of Bromstad Printing Co.

The Paper Fold ·

2024/05/28

For this paper nerd, there are few pleasures in life akin to traveling to market and discovering a standout stationery brand fairly fresh out of the gate. Bromstad Printing Co. was just such a find last month at the *Noted Expo in San Francisco. That's the stationery community's annual wholesale meet-up put on by The Greeting Card Association. The fun kicks off the night before with the Louie Awards, AKA the Academy Awards for greeting cards.Bromstad Printing's distinctive risograph designs earned

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54:01

Alex Gagné of Chez Gagné

The Paper Fold ·

2024/04/24

No matter the brilliance of your offerings, hitting your brand stride takes time. For Alex Gagné of Chez Gagné, reaching her 10th anniversary is the ultimate validation — but that doesn't mean this fantastic founder is slowing down anytime soon.This LA house of design debuted a decade back with just letterpress cards, but has since evolved into a thriving indie lifestyle brand. Every last SKU, from Hand Job Hand Lotion to I Hate Everyone Rocks Glasses, unites beneath the Chez Gagné maxim, "If you

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49:26

Kristina Burkey of Calliope Paperie

The Paper Fold ·

2024/03/19

Record stores have a day (April 20), independent bookstores have a day (April 27), and even independent pet stores have a day (September 28). But what about the independent card and gift shop? Thanks to my incredible guest today, now they do!Kristina Burkey of Calliope Paperie in Natick, Massachusetts, is the founder of International Stationery Store Day, celebrated the first Saturday in August. This year's is August 3. As Kristina describes it, International Stationery Store Day has a simple

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55:19

Lauren Miele of KushKards

The Paper Fold ·

2024/02/13

What does it mean to be a disruptor? For Lauren Miele of KushKards, it means getting people to talk about you when you are not around. And that's precisely how *I* first heard about this cannabis-tinged brand at its National Stationery Show debut in early 2020. There, KushKards distinguished itself out of the gate by winning Best New Product for its Polka Pot Gift Bag — an enormous accomplishment not just as a newbie but also a sign of the quick inroads she made in our sometimes rather traditional

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61:03

Shannon Martin of Shannon Martin Design

The Paper Fold ·

2024/01/09

Every picture tells a story — unless you are Shannon Martin, of course: Her pictures tell your stories as well. Now celebrating 20 years in business, Shannon Martin Design's signature sepia creations have attained a definite ubiquity and immediate recognition. That's no easy task, and Shannon takes us behind the scenes to share how she consistently churns out distinctive designs by turns heartfelt and humorous — AKA, the Lay's potato chip of greeting cards.As an OG stationery maker, Shannon's

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72:40

Dominique Schurman of NIQUEA.D

The Paper Fold ·

2023/12/13

Like all my guests, Dominique Schurman is a paper nerd .... but one with a most distinguished stationery pedigree! In 1950, her father Marcel founded Schurman Fine Papers, which, informed by his global "treasure hunts," brought exquisite stationery artistry and bespoke paper traditions to American shelves. Meanwhile, her mother Margrit opened the first PAPYRUS store in Berkeley, California, in 1973. That one exclusive stationery shop would grow to over 450 stores throughout the US and Canada

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49:30

Christy Asper of Paper Baristas

The Paper Fold ·

2023/11/15

Can a maker make the world a better place, one gorgeous, handmade sheet of Fair Trade paper at a time? For Chisty Asper, the answer is a resounding yes — and her efforts involve so much more than simply donating a small percentage of her profits to charity. Instead, every last Paper Baristas offering is brewed to do good by careful, complicated design. This Iowa house of paper has a lofty mission: Leave this earth better than its current state — emotionally, culturally and spiritually. By deeply

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59:40

Holiday Junkie: Jennifer Love Hewitt x 2021 Co.

The Paper Fold ·

2023/10/13

It's officially the spooky season, so I've got a triple treat! The actress Jennifer Love Hewitt drops in The Paper Fold along with the power duo that is 2021 Co. — Nicole Couto and Emily King — to talk all things Holiday Junkie. This refers of course to the ever-growing collection the three have collaborated on to celebrate the joy and magic of various holidays — but it's also a certain state of mind. For Jennifer, Halloween is a way of life; for 2021 Co., it is a fresh category through which their

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56:38

Suzy Ultman

The Paper Fold ·

2023/09/27

I really like Suzy Ultman’s chutzpah … and you will too, nerds! Suzy is a lifelong and prolific illustrator, card and stationery designer, toy creator, and bookmaker. The simultaneously sophisticated and simple objects that she brings to offbeat life delight young and old alike. Really, every last one of her playful creations — and even her much-loved Instagram feed — are but a medium through which she spins many a tale to her super-engaged audience. Now, on the heels of her vibrant letterpress

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46:40

Elicia Castaldi of Girl w/Knife

The Paper Fold ·

2023/08/22

Where does stellar design begin and end? I used to think I knew the answer, but witnessing the ascension of Girl w/Knife, I've found myself rethinking that. Over the last several years, Elicia Castaldi has sliced not just a singular path through stationery, but home décor and even home design as well. Her stylish wake reveals that rewriting the rules to your own liking is simply a matter of confidence and vision — preferably accessorized with a pair of killer stilettos, of course. Extending as it

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37:35

THE Mary Engelbreit

The Paper Fold ·

2023/07/17

This month's dynamo guest is a trailblazer in countless senses of the word. Mary Engelbreit debuted at National Stationery Show in 1983 with just a dozen card designs and a decidedly under-decorated booth — but neither that quantity or the booth mattered. Mary paired her distinctive illustrations with clever messaging that transported viewers to an unexpected, charming place — and the world had never seen anything quite like it! Mary's cards caught the eye of a NY Magazine editor during that

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52:46

Behind the Graphic

The Paper Fold ·

2023/06/27

The sixth season of The Paper Fold kicks off on a new network — Evergreen — and a slightly different format, but just this once. Instead of focusing on stationery within commerce, I am examining instead stationery within activism, with an admittedly personal bent. When he was just 14, my nephew Sam Schwartz lost his first cousin, Alex Schachter, at the Parkland Massacre on February 14, 2018. In the ensuing years, both Alex’ dad Max Schachter, and Sam’s mom Gail Schwartz, my sister-in-law, have

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