Natural Materials Inspiration

As I am in the final stages of gathering materials for my packaging, I am feeling rather inspired by all the amazing things I am seeing online that are made out of natural yet sustainable materials or waste products. I just wanted to share a few things that I am really loving right now!

LINEN

I was browsing around for linen material and came across this wonderful site called Linnet, based out of Japan. It seems as though Japan is one of the leading textile producers from everything from silks, bookbinding fabrics to burlap and that makes sense when you think historically about all those lovely kimonos covered in rich prints. Linnet is operated by Mayumi and her husband who are head over heels for linen. There are all kinds of linen here from the organic variety to ribbon and notions and the international shipping won’t break the bank.

Images from Linnet

CUSTOMIZED LINEN RIBBON

And while we are on a fabric trend right now, I came across some wonderful things on Etsy yesterday. I really, really enjoy Etsy and try to support the businesses on there whenever possible. I found this adorable customizable linen ribbon from The Lonely Heart. This sort of thing would be cute in any number of places.

Images from The Lonely Heart

LETTERPRESS

I am extremely excited that my new business cards and select stationary will be in letterpress! I have had a bit of an obsession with the artform for a few years now and am making the leap into it. Kristin of Twin Ravens Press based out of Eugene, Oregon is making my business cards on 220 lb Crane Lettra with a painted edge. So that means nice, thick textured paper with an embossed design. The great thing about letterpress is that not only is it beautiful in its simplicity, but also a lot of the papers used are made by Neenah, a company based out of the East Coast in the USA and uses waste cotton from the textile industry.

Left: www.soulellis.com Right: www.dolcepress.com

HANDMADE PAPER

Another thing I go a little gaga over is handmade paper. The deckled edges, the fibrous texture, and I also love the fact that it’s made from recycled fabrics or plant materials that are otherwise unusable. There is just something so raw and organic about it plus something nice to touch.

Images from Pinterest

I’m looking forward to making a posting to show my new eco-packaging! It will be a little while for it, but it’ll be so worth it!