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Category Archives: stationery
People and Planet Diary 2012
Around this time of year, appointments, meetings and social engagements start spilling over into next year. Do you scratch these appointments into the last page of your current diary as you wait to purchase the 2012 version? My hand is up – high. But that is all about to change, as a pile of the new People and Planet Diary full of amazing photography has just landed at State of Green – minus one copy.
Every year, People and Planet publish a diary featuring 54 stunning images taken around the world. For the first time, images featured in the 2012 diary are the result of the People and Planet International Photography Competition. An incredible 4,000 entries were received from 85 countries, and those shortlisted for the diary capture special moments that share a story about social and environmental challenges our planet is facing.
The People & Planet crew is a small, social enterprise that raises funds for and promotes the work of Australian environment and social justice organisations. Their commitment to environmental sustainability is evident in the making of these beautiful diaries – they are certified 100% Carbon Neutral and printed on recycled paper using over 90% soy based inks.
The People and Planet Diary 2012 is now available online at State of Green - $21.95
Posted in stationery
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Post consumer waste cards perfect for gift giving!
The Greeting Card industry is full of such a varied range of designs, it is often difficult to choose the right design to pen your special message or pair with a gift. So it was with much delight (and relief) that we came across the new range released from Adelaide based business Earth Greetings.
Earth Greetings was established in 2003 by Heide Hackworth, who admits she is a greenie at heart. Concerned about the environmental destruction caused by the paper making process, she set out to design a nature inspired eco friendly range, that is printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper with vegetable based inks.
Her latest collection is a result of a collaboration with some very talented local designers Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd of Inaluxe. Giving our Australian flora and fauna a colourful retro makeover we think these cards are perfect for any kind of gift giving, and would look great placed in a frame too!
To top it off, we are happy to share the Earth Greetings Inaluxe collection is now available atState of Green.
Posted in stationery
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GIVEAWAY: Wrapped By House Mouse
The award winning Melbourne based design studio House Mouse, have it all wrapped up when it comes to designing and printing eco friendly paper products. In addition to their design consultancy, directors and grahic designers Nancy Bugeja and Miguel Valenzuela design a funky range of eco friendly wrapping paper that will make you say WOW even before you open the present, and they are kindly giving away a set of their range to a State of Green reader!
Apart from the stand out design, the Wrapped by House Mouse range has a wonderful designer tactile feel – Printed with vegetable ink onto uncoated recycled paper it does not possess that glossy plastic look of many other wrapping papers. House Mouse go that extra step in earning environmental design points by using a printing company who use wind and hydro power, making this range attractive in SO many ways.
The Wrapped by House Mouse range is available in three colours: Orange typography “Wrapped in Type; Cyan Symbols and Magenta Symbols.
More than just a wrapping paper, we think Wrapped by House Mouse would look great as poster art (841mm x 594mm) on your wall, and if you’re brave enough a dress too! (see below)
++GIVEAWAY: SET OF WRAPPED BY HOUSE MOUSE WRAPPING PAPER++
To go in the running to win a set (3 pieces) of the Wrapped by House Mouse Range please pop on over to the Wrapped by House Mouse Facebook and “Like” their page, AND leave a comment on our blog below letting us know what you would do with the set!
Winner will be drawn at random on Monday 30 May 2011 after 7pm.
Posted in Competition/Giveaway, eco awards, eco brands, gifts, stationery
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Maximus Elephant Dung Paper – streaks ahead of the rest
Next time you wrap a present or put pen to paper, take a moment to consider where your paper came from – Is it fresh from a felled tree, recycled or bleached….or a mix of elephant dung mixed with post consumer waste paper? Kim Good of Import Ants brings to Australia the Maximus Elephant Paper range.
The facts behind the ins and outs (excuse the pun) of elephant dung paper is quite amazing. On average ONE elephants eats 180kg of vegetation per day, which in turn produces 100kg of dung per day! Times that figure by an elephant herd and you are talking about one mighty quantity of poo! This waste is collected by local Sri Lankan villagers, and put to good use – up to 75% of elephant dung is mixed with recycled office paper to make a 100% biodegradable and recycled paper product.
The paper making process takes approximately 13 days – 3 days for drying including sorting, boiling and disinfecting; and another 10 days to pulp, mix, press and dry the paper. The production of the paper contributes directly to the villager’s income and a percent of the profit goes to the conservation of elephants at the Millenium Elephant Foundation – a home for aged and disabled elephants.
The paper comes in 3 different weights and colour ranges (not just shades of brown!) – rainbow max, natura max, earth max, including the newly launched black and chocolate colours too. We especially like the new range of gift cards and journals printed with Australian flora designs by Australian botanical artist, Jo Lane. And if pending nuptials are on the way, be sure to surprise your guests with their wedding stationery to be released later this year.
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Posted in eco brands, eco design, stationery
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Need stunning stationery? Ask Alice
There are but a few occasions each year where you may be lucky enough to receive a deluge of cards, be it Christmas, your birthday or a special celebratory event. How often do you sit back and look at a card twice, rub your fingers over the rounded corners, and turn it over to see who made it? I had such an experience recently over Christmas, and was so impressed by the card, I jumped onto their website…
Sass Cocker is the creative spark behind Melbourne based stationery brand Ask Alice. Her quirky and playful designs adorn a great selection of cards, notebook, swing tags, stunningly simple envelope sets, sketchbooks & prints. To top it off, each piece is made from recycled paper printed with vegetable based inks!
The Ask Alice blog is also well worth a peek. You can keep up to date with market dates, new product releases and her wonderful market finds – she is one of those who finds great pieces!.
SUBSCRIBE to the State of Green blog for all our latest news, reviews and interviews! Just pop you email address into the box in the top right corner of this blog, and you will receive our blogs hot off the press !
Posted in eco design, stationery
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Interview – Kyrie Kohlhagen of Messagemark
Kyrie Kohlhagen has a determined spirit. It was whilst recovering from cancer in 2003, that she decided to step away from her corporate work lifestyle, and turn her part-time hobby into a successful fulltime stationery business, Messagemark.
The Messagemark collection includes cards for all occasions, gift tags, invitations & wall art - each are adorned with colourful retro inspired designs with a modern twist.
Kyrie is passionate about minimising waste and conserving resources. All Messagemark products are printed on 100% post consumer/recycled paper stock and printed with ECO EA Toner, paper offcuts are used for packaging, and seconds cards are donated to local primary schools for use in craft classes.
Messagemark’s office and windowfront (top) & Kyrie in design mode (bottom) Photo: John Kruger
Kyrie also runs the “Organic and Sustainable Market” in Henley Beach Adelaide every Saturday fortnight at the Fulham Gardens Primary School where organic produce is available direct from the growers, and local designers feature their upcycled and sustainable designs. And in her spare time, she breathes new life into second hand and hard rubbish finds!
Between running her stationery business and Adelaide’s organic market, Kyrie took the time to share a little more about herself:
1. What inspired you to start designing stationery? I originally started designing stationery in 2003 while living in New Zealand as a part-time hobby. Then not long after, my personal life took a dramatic turn for the worst – I was diagnosed with Cancer.As I went through the different stages of Cancer treatment, I made thank you cards to give to everyone that helped me along the way – doctors, nurses, specialists, volunteers, family, friends etc. It was my way of showing my appreciation and to say thank you.At the time being creative was healing, and gave me a future focus. Cancer really changed my perspective of life and opened up new opportunities. The overall experience has played a big part in the ongoing creation and development of Messagemark. I suppose you could say, the products I design, and the philosophy of my business are now a part of me and my own life journey.
My design aesthetic is characterised by a combination of current market trends in interiors, fabric designs, and fashion, and all things retro. I am a massive fan of the mid 20th Century, and the clean lines and simplicity of Scandinavian design. My “Retro Delights” Blog is a growing collection of all that inspires me.
2. What are the essential ingredients of your business?
Recipe for Messagemark
+ Creativity
+ Good Paper Design
+ Post Consumer Waste Paper
+ Love & Joy
+ Fun and happy paper products
+ Cure4CF Foundation
+ Feel good
+ Happy Earth
Mix the creativity with a dash of good paper design, and blend with 100% post consumer waste paper. Slowly add the love and joy and stir until you see fun and happy paper products form.
Serve to your friends, family and workmates, and support Cure4CF Foundation. After only one serving you will feel good inside, and our Earth will feel happy too!
3. Is there such a thing as a typical day at Messagemark? No everyday is quite different and my hours vary dramatically. Because I wear all the hats – marketing, finance, sales, production, design so my day can change somewhat. I do try to maintain some structure though i.e. A day for production, a day for marketing, a day to be creative etc etc – although it rarely works that way. I have the type of personality that jumps from one thing to another very quickly so I work to rather extensive lists to keep me on track! When I am at the studio I spend a lot of my time on the computer, filling orders etc, and when I go home at night I always take some stock home with me in case I feel like sorting, creasing or packaging while watching TV in the evening.
4. What are your major business challenges? To create a product from scratch, and have something that can be marketed is an exciting process, however my greatest personal challenge has been to build business confidence and confidence in my product. I have found it hard to go out and sell my own designs because of fear of them not being well received. I think this is because I am so emotionally close to my business and my cards.
Another challenge is staying disciplined to maintain work and personal life balance. Because I love what I do so much it doesn’t feel like work so there is danger in spending too much time on Messagemark. I really have to keep distinct lines between work and home life. To help with this, I ended up moving into a dedicated workspace earlier this year to help with that separation.
5. How does Messagemark endeavor to tread a little lighter on the planet? I would like to eventually use all recycled envelopes for my products when my business grows. I can’t buy ‘off the shelf’ envelopes in the sizes I need so they have to be custom made in massive quantities so becomes really expensive – and wasteful. I am also working towards all my packaging being biodegradable. I would like to work towards Messagemark achieving good environmental choice accreditation.
6. What are your dreams for Messagemark in the future? I am constantly thinking of new products or directions to take my business. You could say my business plan is quite organic. The main thing though is I want to ensure I continue to be self employed so I can maintain my creative freedom. I would love for my brand Messagemark to become synonymous with recycled (good) paper design and a part of everyday life. I also hope that my contribution to Cure4CF Foundation (the charity I support through my online shop) will help to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. A small Gene Therapy Research team based at Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital are making amazing progress towards a cure – they just require ongoing financial support to fund their incredible work.
7. Share with us your easy eco living tip! Before buying something new, truly ask yourself, do you really need it? Do you need that new cell phone when your existing one still does the job? Do you really need that brand new car? Reducing consumption will help save our Earth’s resources. And remember…the more ‘stuff’ you own the more it owns you!
Messagemark products are available direct through the Messagemark website, and select stockists in Australia, New Zealand & Denmark.
Posted in eco brands, eco design, gifts, Interviews, stationery
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