sincerely

This is one of those independent studios that I admire immensely and unabashedly covet. Secretleaves reclaims exquisitely unique bits of ephemera, pays homage to memories and lovingly creates paperworks for today. Careful craft and curious imagery are hallmarks of this line. The work speaks to the spirit of timeless fascination, of hunting and gathering beautiful things, of the need to make by hand and of the longevity of storytelling itself. Sharon and Ann share a space spilling over with love notes and tearful goodbyes, awkward poetry and receipts of feasts, stamped travels and novice scores and the very real, personal histories of the past. This collection of actual vintage papergoods is repurposed to live on. Card sets display the stranger side of nature, journals are stuffed with texture and type and albums await snapshots of our wanderlust days.

Two new highlights of the secretleaves collection are the 'write me a letter' kits and 'paint chip prints'. Again they put into practice creative recycling. They remind us of simple signs of civility when we took the time to correspond with pen and ink. And of times we took days to deliberate hues for that cozy kitchen or sweetest nursery. The 'paint chip prints' are adorned with images that make scraps off the floor into art on your wall. Their work reaches into the past but results in refined contemporary design. That they love what they do is obvious, that it connects us all is profound.

“...And here the last words your fingers wrote, Scrawled in broad characters across a page, In this brown book I gave you.” ~Edna St. Vincent Millay