PAPERIE: The Art of Writing and Wrapping with Paper (Hardcover)

~ X Kate's paperie (Author), (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In these days of PalmPilots, pagers, hastily typed e-mail messages, and cars equipped with fax machines, the art of hand-writing a letter has morphed into something rather quaint, if not downright Victorian. The folks at Kate's Paperie, a sumptuous, even decadent paper and writing-supply store with three Manhattan locations, seek to remedy this situation with Paperie: The Art of Writing and Wrapping with Paper. It's a reference for creative touches that no party planner, wedding coordinator, gracious businessperson, or love-letter writer ought to go without.

Paperie begins with an enthralling, lavishly illustrated tour through the histories of the written word; the art of papermaking (from China's first paper 2,000 years ago, through the Egyptian development of papyrus); to printmaking, including the background of the watermark, business card, social stationery, penny postcard, and letter-sealing wax; and developments of calligraphy, embossing, and engraving. This is a book that appeals to the Martha in all of us: the artful design and elegant prose, from the textured tangerine endpapers to step-by-step directions for artful gift-wrapping, will likely inspire you to excitedly order some custom-engraved Crane's stationery or marbelized Japanese sheets at the very least.

Etiquette enthusiasts will appreciate the explanations of the various stationery elements, from monarch notes to "at home" cards. The scores of full-color photos of Crane's stationery; vellum, origami, kraft, and tissue papers; raffia from Madagascar; and gorgeous silk ribbons (some of which are so wide that visitors to the store purchase by the yard to wear as scarves!) beg for creative projects and heartfelt letter-writing. The staff at Paperie honor the ceremonial aspects of paper, hint that other cultures could benefit from treating it as a sacred thing as Asians do, and suggest dozens of ways for turning an everyday memo, thank-you note, or gift into something truly artful and memorable. --Erica Jorgensen

Review

Chris Madden author of "A Room of her own: Women's personal spaces and Chris Madden's guide to personalizing your home" Because I am a paper aficionado, I'm drawn to Kate's Paperie like a moth to a flame. This book continues the journey with delightful nuggets of history and information.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (July 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684844230
• ISBN-13: 978-0684844237
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,716,998 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is simply the bible on paper and it's beauty, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

Unlike other how to books, this book gives alot of history about paper from Asia to America. It also accounts how important paper is in our everyday lives. How simply beautiful paper can be to touch and view, even smell. The book also shows you how to use paper; esp. as stationery and gift wrapping. I think its a great book for people just learning about paper, It is also a great tool for people who already know the basics and need more... I am one of those people!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Eye Candy, July 31, 2005

By	Joseph Biskup (Sunnyvale, ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very beautiful picture book, but the text comes up a little short. There is a random assortment of different fonts and layouts, used for no apparent reason than to excite the author's artistic urges. The book touches on all the relevant topics (making paper, different types, history, regional differences, etc.) but doesn't really cover any one topic completely, even for an amateur. At the end, I believe that strength of this book is a smorgasbord of different papers presented for pure artistic enjoyment. The pictures are beautiful and some of the text is enlightening.