Monday, January 26, 2009

I Love Hiromi Paper

For as long as I can remember, I have loved beautiful paper - the texture, the scent. So I went absolutely crazy at Hiromi Paper, a store in the Bergamot art center in Santa Monica. The store carries huge Japanese printed sheets of paper (above), all kinds of cards and envelopes including some made of veneer, exquisite sketchbooks and notebooks such as Japanese accordion notebooks and Italian journals, as well as Indian sketchbooks whose sheets are handmade with recycled cotton rags. Their stationery, such as these pop-up cards (right), is to die for.
Learn about the Japanese traditional way of making washi paper here.

This post is dedicated to my friend Nancy, whose birthday it is today...

33 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

This Hiromi paper is absolutely fabulous! I wish we had a local store. Or maybe not. I would spend way too much money there!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Oh, what fun, I hope you spoiled yourself deliciously...

Alicia The Snowflake said...

Oh how georgeous. I think I would have gone crazy in there, too!

Mary-Laure said...

WILLOW - my problem exactly... I left with too much stuff. It's affordable but it adds up!!!

High Desert Diva said...

I tend to go a little crazy in paper stores. The Hiromi paper is fab.

Laura in Paris said...

I discovered japanese paper while living in Asia and became an instant fan. Wherever I am, as I stroll or go places, my glance is magnetically attracted to this gracious paper and everything wrapped in it.

sølvi said...

I know what you mean by that. I love cards, paper and journals. My daughter and me must have about a hundred journals scattered all over the house.

Mjuka said...

wow, i adore beautiful paper. Thanks for your visit at my blog
Have a nice day
Love
Malin

Certain Creatures said...

I love this Hiromi paper! it's almost like fabric!! sooo precious!

yasu said...

thanks for the link of making washi paper. i didnt know how its been made..

Hey Harriet said...

I so wish I could visit that store. I LOVE nice paper but sadly not many places stock it where I am :(

Happy birthday to your friend Nancy :)

RoyalTLady said...

Thanks for leaving nice comment. Happy birthday to your friend Nancy.

I too love fancy and quality papers... I used to make my own birthday cards before.

Spangler Cummings said...

I did so want to show you this place...am so happy you (with your sensitivity) discovered it. Beautiful!

Solange said...

I loooove paper and paper stores are a real danger for me. I so know what you mean, don't you just want to buy all the things and feel them and try them.
Love your selection you show us, the hiromi paper is wonderful, well, enjoy this lovely shop ;-)

have a nice evening,

Solange

Angora said...

AHH!!!! quels jolis papiers... tout cela me rafraïchit les yeux, et de plonger dans ces mille petites choses me déroutent un instant d'un certain flottement éprouvé dans un bus "turc" n° 122 qui me ramenait de mon cours de conversation française à l'autre bout de la ville... la nuit tombante et cette foule grisem'ont achevée. heureusement AUREA , tu es là avec ce style qui t'es propre et je viens de refaire une belle promenade avec toi pour finir avec Benji sur la plage... un grand merci! Je vais donc plonger dans mes propres vieux papiers et en extraire de quoi habiller une déesse: MarieKVerbois.blogspot.com, petit blog 2009. Maintenant je suis "Angora" du nom de l'ancienne Ank et surtout pour le titre du même nom de mon cher Bashung.

Gabbi said...

beautiful paper!! i'd lose my mind if i was there... :)

Mary-Laure said...

SOLVI - it's so great that your daughter likes paper - it means she likes to draw, to write and that's so cool!

CERTAIN CREATURES - yes, EXACTLY! Some are s soft, so textured, it's really like gorgeous fabrics.

SPANGLER - we should go there together some time.

ANGORA - merci pour ton commentaire, je vais aller voir ton nouveau blog! Je t'envoie plein de soleil californien vers Ankara...

Candace said...

Remind me to stay away from that store.

I have no idea why, but I absolutely love stationery stores and the like. Notepads, greeting cards, wrapping paper, plus the assorted ribbons and bows that frequently accompany such stores. And stickers, did I mention stickers?

With the exception of purchasing a few cards here and there, I resign myself to window shopping; otherwise, my house would be overflowing with inventory, and I would be flat broke.

I once imagined that I would have a store of my own. Even then, I fear the store would be more of a museum, overflowing with inventory that might not be very saleable.

Thanks for introducing me to a new window shopping venue. :)

Jaimee McClellan said...

Gorgeous paper, I'd be in heaven in that shop!

limonana said...

my absolute weakness is paper shops! just adore them...the selection looks wonderful!

Laura said...

So beautiful M-L. I would have bought everything. :)

Mary-Laure said...

CANDACE - oh your shop would be so wonderful!

LAURA - believe me, I was tempted to buy everything...

annechovie said...

Sounds exactly like my kind of place. Gorgeous papers! Thanks for the nice comment today!

Anonymous said...

These papers are wonderful. I too love beautiful paper and we have a store here in Taos that carries stunning handmade papers and I spend a fortune whenever I go there.

Mary-Laure said...

ANNECHOVIE - I actually loved your blog, it's beautiful!

ANNIE - I'll check out that store if I go to Taos some time. Thanks for the tip!

Miss Cavendish said...

I love beautiful paper too. And your treasures are always so extra lovely when you get them home . . .

Rebekah said...

You are right, the paper is beautiful!

artycho said...

These papers are fabulous! I understand you went crazy! Japanese fabrics can also be fantastic!

Mary-Laure said...

ARTYCHO - oh yes, I just love Japanese fabrics and actually all Japanese crafts, as well as their amazing arts and literature.

lune_blanc said...

Beautiful!!
I always find it funny that, traditional Japanese materials are much more appreciated overseas than in Japan...there aren't many stores here that sell such beautiful washi papers.

inkWELL Press said...

I could go crazy in that store - I love beautiful paper (especially Japanese paper). Hope you have some fabulous projects planned!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, so glad I just found yours!

Addie said...

Je ne connaissais pas, c'est superbe!

A.

Mary-Laure said...

MICHIKO - I had no idea such TREASURES were not very popular in Japan! It's such a pity...

KOTORI - I have a couple of writing and drawing projects, but I'm very clumsy so I can't make do aside from writing.