<p class="p1">Welcome to TPC&#8217;s third installment of the <a href="http://www.nationalstationeryshow.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Stationery Show&#8217;</a>s Insider Guide. In the spotlight today: <a href="http://smudgeink.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Smudge Ink</a>! This Boston house of letterpress and stationery has a major announcement, co-founder Kate Saliba told me.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">&#8220;We&#8217;ve been in transition, </span><span class="s1">as Deb [Bastien] and I sold Smudge Ink. Yes, big news! After much consideration, we decided it was </span><span class="s1">time for us both to start new chapters. It&#8217;s bittersweet: We will miss our team and this industry but we are </span><span class="s1">excited for </span><span class="s1">the adventures to come. Deb will stay with the </span><span class="s1">business for a few months to help with the transition, and I began a new job in mid-March. </span><span class="s1">April May, our old studio manager, is the new owner. She&#8217;s been running her own stationery </span><span class="s1">business for a few years now, so she has plenty of industry experience. I know she will do well, and we are </span><span class="s1">excited for her.&#8221;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Congratulations, April! Here&#8217;s a sneak peek at some of the great design Smudge Ink will be showing next month in Booth 2635. I remember those letterpressed cocktail ladies from LOUIE judging, and they are so colorfully divine in person. And how fun is their illustrated masculine range? </span><br />
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14441" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smudge-ink-ladies-lounging-cards.jpg" alt="smudge-ink-ladies-lounging-cards" width="800" height="926" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14442" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smudge-ink-modern-gentleman-notes.jpg" alt="smudge-ink-modern-gentleman-notes" width="800" height="926" />April has shared her booth pics, and first up is <a href="http://www.richiedesigns.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Richie Designs + Letterpress</a> in Booth 2170. &#8220;<span class="s1">I learned about Richele&#8217;s work after a former Smudge Ink employee moved to the West Coast and started working there! Last year was their first year exhibiting, and the booth was wonderfully happy and a perfect reflection of her quirky cards. I can&#8217;t wait to see what&#8217;s new this time around.&#8221; </span></p>
<p class="p1">I can see why — that Chill Pill design needs to be a print (on my wall)!<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14445" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PC.CHILLPILL.jpg" alt="PC.CHILLPILL" width="800" height="883" /> <img class="aligncenter wp-image-14449" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PC.SASS_.jpeg" alt="PC.SASS" width="800" height="433" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14444" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/COFFEE.STYLED.retouched.low_.web_.jpg" alt="COFFEE.STYLED.retouched.low.web" width="800" height="809" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14447" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PC.grocerylist.jpg" alt="PC.grocerylist" width="800" height="748" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14448" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/pc.PAD_.COFFEEPAD.jpg" alt="pc.PAD.COFFEEPAD" width="800" height="1078" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14450" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SNUGGLE.WEB_.jpg" alt="SNUGGLE.WEB" width="800" height="857" />Next up: <a href="http://www.efrancespaper.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E. Frances Paper</a> in Booth 1758. &#8220;I met the E. Francis team when they exhibited for their first time in 2014,&#8221; April recalled. &#8220;They&#8217;re fellow New Englanders, and it&#8217;s been fun keeping in touch via Instagram and watching them grow. I love their enthusiasm and their beautiful work.&#8221;</p>
<p class="p1">Debuting at NSS are gift tags,<span class="s1"> printed on a luxurious, thick paper, die-cut with some foil-stamped. I like the alternating ribbon and baker&#8217;s twine. E. Frances also recently debuted new sizes of notepads: a giant 11&#8243;x11&#8243; square plus a sweet new 4&#8243;x5&#8243; mini notepad. So pretty and chunky! </span><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14455" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-2.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 2" width="800" height="1084" /><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14454" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EFP_Notepads_Web.png" alt="EFP_Notepads_Web" width="800" height="1200" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14452" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EFP_Holiday_Web.png" alt="EFP_Holiday_Web" width="800" height="1200" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14453" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EFP_LittleNotes_Web.png" alt="EFP_LittleNotes_Web" width="800" height="1200" />Next up: <a href="http://yellowowlworkshop.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yellow Owl Workshop</a> in Booth 1756. &#8220;<span class="s1">I always look forward to seeing what Yellow Owl Workshop does with their booth because it really stands out in a great way and highlights fun new products,&#8221; April told me. &#8220;Of course, I love seeing the new stamps, too!&#8221;</span></p>
<p class="p1">Their booth design — which is always stellar — will remain a surprise until show doors open May 15, but here&#8217;s a peek at their new stamps (love the emojis!) plus lots of risograph printing. Talk about touchable texture, I can&#8217;t wait to see those vibrant colors in person.<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14456" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-2-1.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 2" width="800" height="1203" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14459" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-5.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 5" width="800" height="1083" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14457" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-3.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 3" width="800" height="800" /><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14458" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-4.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 4" width="800" height="800" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14460" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-6.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 6" width="800" height="800" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14461" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Untitled-2-copy-7.jpg" alt="Untitled 2 copy 7" width="800" height="800" />Next up we have a familiar pick: <a href="http://saplingpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sapling Press</a>. &#8220;Lisa’s cards always make me laugh and feel like someone understands my inner thoughts and daily tribulations,&#8221; April observed. &#8220;It’s a real treat in the middle of a long trade show day!&#8221; I can&#8217;t think of a better way to mentally unwind than a quick visit to Booth 2353. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14462" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Sapling_Press_020.jpg" alt="Sapling_Press_#020" width="800" height="908" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14463" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Sapling_Press_918.jpg" alt="Sapling_Press_#918" width="800" height="908" /> <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14464" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Sapling_Press_Mug.jpg" alt="Sapling_Press_Mug" width="800" height="799" />Stay tuned for more picks in this series from <a href="https://riflepaperco.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rifle Paper Co.</a>, <a href="http://sugarpaper.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sugar Paper</a>, <a href="http://www.hellolucky.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hello!Lucky</a> and <a href="http://www.twigandfig.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twig &; Fig</a>. And, thank you so much April for sharing all this with us! I can&#8217;t close without one more peek at the design that awaits in Smudge Ink&#8217;s Booth 2635. To me these fabulous florals really capture the fresh spring vibe so ubiquitous at NSS.</p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-15105" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-15105 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="15105" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-10004085 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-behind-the-booth category-sponsored-post tag-nss2020 tag-e-frances-paper tag-greeting-cards tag-iron-curtain-press tag-letterpress tag-national-stationery-show tag-notebooks tag-nss tag-rosanna-kvernmo tag-sarah-schwartz tag-shorthand tag-stationery tag-stationery-blog tag-stationery-design tag-stationery-designer tag-stationery-show tag-task-pads tag-thank-you-cards tag-the-paper-chronicles tag-tie-dye-letterpress" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/behind-the-booth-iron-curtain-press/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?w=800&;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=770%2C770&;ssl=1 770w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=200%2C200&;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=350%2C350&;ssl=1 350w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=460%2C460&;ssl=1 460w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=570%2C570&;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favorite_CS331_MakeitThroughThisTogether_Sunshine-BG.jpg?resize=300%2C300&;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/behind-the-booth/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Behind the Booth</a><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/sponsored-post/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Sponsored</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/behind-the-booth-iron-curtain-press/">Behind the Booth: Iron Curtain Press</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2020-03-31T13:54:22+00:00">March 31, 2020</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="10004085"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>
<p class="p1">Speaking of which, if you haven’t made your NSS plans yet, the time is now. Register to attend here and apply to exhibit <a href="https://nynow.com/why-exhibit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>!</p>
<p class="p1"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14440" src="http://thepaperchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/smudge-ink-boxed-notes.jpg" alt="smudge-ink-boxed-notes" width="800" height="533" /></p>