The Prettiest Stationery You'll Ever Meet

Sorry, email. But for a message, invitation, or a thank you that says “Yep, I Really Do Care” you don’t come close to good old-fashioned snail mail.

And – if one could actually find a working biro in the bottom of one’s drawer - how great is it to practice your penmanship? (Funny, we teach our kids how to write, and yet how often do we actually do it ourselves these days?)

So splash out on some stunning stationery, and shock the hell out of someone by writing them a proper note. It’s a real connection that will generate a genuine ‘like’. And, if kept, will be a tangible future memory.

Here’s a roundup of some of our favourite brands.

Papier

Papier has partnered with some of the industry’s leading artists, illustrators and designers (think Matthew Williamson, Disney and the V&A) to create cards, invitations and notebooks on premium quality paper (for those that know the difference between the sheets, Papier uses Mohawk paper that is 324gsm.) Their stationery is also made with non-polluting, wind-generated energy – hooray! They also custom-make storybooks for children - the child's name becomes the lead character – called “All The Things I Wish For You.” A dreamy present for any child. www.papier.com

HoneyTree

HoneyTree was co-founded by British artist and illustrator Lizbeth Holstein (with her husband, Sebastian) after she stumbled upon a box of letters and telegrams in her mother’s desk and was moved by the wonderfully chaotic account of her family’s life. So, although their gorgeous range of illustrated products covers the whole gamut from wedding stationery and greeting cards, to labels, tags and framed prints, the Holsteins believe that the blank space is the still the most important part. www.honeytreepublishing.com

EYILove

Jack and Lorna McGinnigal, the super friendly husband and wife team behind this luxury, bespoke wedding stationers, pour pure passion into their work. Their ideas are wildly inventive, produced with meticulous attention to detail and no corners are cut (unless they’re meant to be). For her wedding, Steph asked them to make vintage airline tickets as invitations and “passports” as keepsakes for each guest. Four years later, her friends are still talking about them. www.eyilove.com

This is Nessie

Nessie is an artist with such an enchanting and whimsical style, her work can’t fail to raise a smile and warm a heart. She creates off-the-shelf and personalized stationery and her colourful illustrations work beautifully as chopping boards and bags, coasters and cufflinks, even tableware and tea towels. You can also commission a piece and frame it as a stand-alone artwork. www.thisisnessie.com

Simply to Impress

Founder Heather Hasse has five children, so she’s had her fair share of invitation cards to send out and memories to capture. Although her company is known for creating a huge range of designs, their speciality is working with photographs as the centrepiece of the work. Their products - invitations, announcements and stationery - are always affordable without compromising on style and quality. www.simplytoimpress.co.uk