From Dirt to Table: Papillon Linen Napkins
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.
Lantinga/Pastoor Wedding Invitations
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.
How We Made: Fox and Chickadee Cards and Prints
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.
American Victorian, Claret and Sage
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.
Meet the Makers
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...
German Lancet: Art Nouveau and Lion Emblems
“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.”
Japanese Camellia
Most of our designs have historical roots, and many have European origins. This pattern is different; it is from Japan! The Japanese...
Fleur et Coeur
We are calling the design that is the subject of this blog post “Fleur et Coeur,” or Flower and Heart, after the flower and...
Oiseau et Rose: Ambrose Huquier, Hosier and Printmaker
In 1781, a Frenchman named Ambrose Benoist Huquier sent a letter to Benjamin Franklin mentioning the fact that he had sent...
Papillon Flora: History and Process
Before paper was produced in rolls, paper was made as sheets, one at a time. The practice of covering walls with decorated paper...
Italian Diamond Design
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.
Dutch Pearl Design
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.