From Dirt to Table: Papillon Linen Napkins

From Dirt to Table: Papillon Linen Napkins

April 06, 2022

Many of our projects start from nature. Both of us are big nature lovers, and nature is incredibly inspiring. Our linen napkins are no exception. 

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Lantinga/Pastoor Wedding Invitations

Lantinga/Pastoor Wedding Invitations

January 08, 2022

In 2021, we started doing wedding invitations! Our first client was a lovely family friend and her fiancé. Their wedding was a sweet outdoor affair at her family's farm, and our task was to make letterpress invitations to match. 

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How We Made: Fox and Chickadee Cards and Prints

How We Made: Fox and Chickadee Cards and Prints

November 02, 2021

Fall is fully underway, and when fall arrives, so do our Fox and Chickadee items. These started as linocut prints which Madeleine created in October of 2020.

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American Victorian, Claret and Sage

American Victorian, Claret and Sage

June 01, 2021

When one thinks of the Victorian Era (1837-1901), often those thoughts are of England, or maybe more broadly, Europe. However, the influence of the reign of Queen Victoria reached many English-speaking countries.

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Meet the Makers

Meet the Makers

March 11, 2021 6 Comments

Vernon is the one who had the dream of Papillon, and by that we mean he literally came up with the name after dreaming about the word. The dream of starting a stationery company had already been percolating and the name stuck...

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German Lancet: Art Nouveau and Lion Emblems

German Lancet: Art Nouveau and Lion Emblems

December 13, 2020

“We do not recognize any difference between great and minor art, between the art of the rich and that of the poor. Art belongs to all.”

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Japanese Camellia

Japanese Camellia

July 20, 2020

Most of our designs have historical roots, and many have European origins. This pattern is different; it is from Japan! The Japanese...

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Fleur et Coeur

Fleur et Coeur

July 10, 2020

We are calling the design that is the subject of this blog post “Fleur et Coeur,” or Flower and Heart, after the flower and...

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Oiseau et Rose: Ambrose Huquier, Hosier and Printmaker

Oiseau et Rose: Ambrose Huquier, Hosier and Printmaker

September 28, 2019 1 Comment

In 1781, a Frenchman named Ambrose Benoist Huquier sent a letter to Benjamin Franklin mentioning the fact that he had sent...

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Papillon Flora - History and Process

Papillon Flora: History and Process

April 09, 2019 1 Comment

Before paper was produced in rolls, paper was made as sheets, one at a time. The practice of covering walls with decorated paper...

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Italian Diamond Design

Italian Diamond Design

March 21, 2019

When we revive or reinterpret a design, we look to its origins. We want to know where it came from, how it was produced, and how it sits in the context of design trends of the time. The basis for our Italian Diamond design is a pattern that was printed from wooden blocks with a colored paste-like ink.

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Dutch Pearl Design

Dutch Pearl Design

March 11, 2019

If you take a look at photographs Dutch life in the early 1900s, probably your first thought isn’t “Wow, pretty modern!” Clothing looks heavy and uncomfortable, horses are still in use for everyday transportation, and daily activity looks very unlike our sterile digital lives.

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