Post by Katie Leamon – April 2016: Cocktails and Canapés

I’m a stickler for having a well-stocked stationery supply. It’s immensely reassuring to know that you have an arsenal of cards, pretty gifts and wrapping paper for any occasion that springs up without notice. What really grabs my attention is stationery lines with handmade and artisanal charm- letterpressed or hand printed items are such a pleasure to hold and admire, each one feeling bespoke and personal. The attention to detail and the tiny flourishes, whether gold foil or embossed lettering, distinguishes premium stationery. When each item could be framed and hanged on its own accord, you have hit the paper jackpot.

Katie Leamon has recently been extolled in many glossy magazines with good reason. They are a luxury stationery company based in a London studio working alongside a family-run production studio in the countryside. Proudly British and meticulously curated, the brand releases seriously beautiful ranges of cards, notebooks and other paper products. Items are hand finished and the skill and care taken is immediately apparent, even down to the quality of cardstock, the vivacity of colours and illustrations. The designs are eye-catching, unique and playful, making every piece a pleasure to behold.

The collections offered by the Katie Leamon shop offer a wealth of choice for their new venture: the Post by Katie Leamon subscription service. A curated selection of their range is collated around a seasonal theme each month, promising a miscellany of handsome paper products to enhance written correspondence. The aim of Post is to rekindle and spread the joy of handwriting and with written invitations, notes and cards.

April 2016’s Post box followed a Cocktails and Canapés theme, heralding the gradual arrival of long summer days and balmy evenings by equipping recipients with the fixings to throw an al fresco party. Packaged in a flat cardboard envelope sealed with a sticker, I wanted to tear into it immediately. The box is a clever design, opening like a letter with everything is slotted inside, wrapped in delicate tissue and snuggly bundled together with a paper sleeve. Sliding out of the envelope, the quality of every detail was palpable.

Post by Katie Leamon April 2016: Cocktails & Canapés unboxed:

• 10 hand printed invitations with polka dot envelopes
• Three screen printed cards for the Katie Leamon Calypso Collection
• One polka dot A4 luxury notebook
• One cocktail umbrella
• Subscriber letter

Thumbing through each item, the party invitations were the first thing to catch my eye. A pack of ten invitations comes with ten polka dot envelopes, all showing the hallmarks of high quality, the 300 gsm luxury paper is thick and riveted to the touch and each one is hand printed. Beautiful typography and clean design make them modern with a vintage edge- the text in the body of the invitation looks as if it has been written on a typewriter. Even the envelopes are superb quality, made from recycled paper and boasting an attractive, fun spotty pattern. These gorgeous examples will be hard to let go of, but will be equally as impressive to receive.

The screen printed cards share similar features: a neon pink and kraft brown paper colourway, gold foil detail, playful design and smart typography. One reads ‘Birthday Girl’, illustrated with a split neon pink/kraft paper background with swirling gold lettering. Another is printed with a cockatiel with ‘Cocktail time’ scrawled across the centre of the design. The final card reads ‘Party Time’ with a repeated pattern of vibrant flamingos. All three cards are printed on quality card and accompanied with a solid black envelope. Each one is equally as striking with the use of a popping colour against a grainy kraft paper base, then enhanced with refined gold lettering.

The notebook gratified my greedy side, as I was hoping for an item that I could covet and keep to myself. While the invitations and cards are ideal to distribute, a notebook is something to squander because they are always useful. This iteration does not disappoint, sporting a spotted design and sharing the luxury qualities mentioned above- high quality paper, hand printed design and a striking gold foil lettering detail. Large enough to take proper notes, but slender enough to slip into my handbag, I’m currently devising a significant role for this glamourous journal- this isn’t one for a grocery list and needs something more earnest. Life ambitions, perhaps?

The final fun embellishment is the inclusion of a novelty cocktail umbrella- I couldn’t help from playing with this, inspecting it to make sure it opened- and this triggered the conjuring of every tiki bar cocktail that I could think of, from pina coladas to mai tais. The most modest inclusion was perhaps the most evocative!

The Post stationery box is a thoroughly charming collection of paper products that are perfect for those with a penchant for old-fashioned letter writing, note taking or journaling. Each item is of outstanding quality and value, all demonstrating small touches that give them character. Contemporary designs play with printed images, colour block printing and foil embellishments; these are beautiful paper products that you want to send to your friends and be seen with. Not only will you be prepared with a handsome assortment of cards, but each one bursts with style, humour and panache.

Perfect for coveting, a monthly subscription to Post is £20 with shipping. There are other subscription options available, from three (£57), six (£108) and twelve months (£198) with International shipping also possible. This is also a stylish gift option for fellow stationery lovers in your life and will appease anyone with an eye for detail and an appreciation for gorgeous products. The value of each box is based on the price point of each item- in the Katie Leamon shop, cards are priced at £3.50 each, notebooks at £8.75 and a pack of invitations at £11.25- and all products are versatile enough to guarantee that you’ll never receive anything that will sit at the bottom of a drawer unused.

I love the visual appeal and the gorgeous detail of everything in April’s Post box and it’s not hard to see why so many subscribers are happy about life giving them Leamons.