The Paper Nerd
Podcast
Sarah is a magazine editor, writer, podcaster, and consultant. She first started covering stationery as a market editor for the trade publication Gifts & Decorative Accessories in 1997, and in 2008, she became the founding editor of Stationery Trends, an award-winning trade quarterly magazine devoted to all things paper.
She also maintains this site, podcasts at The Paper Fold, and unveiled the second podcast in conjunction with NY NOW, The Paper Plane Cocktail Hour. Sarah is a frequent industry speaker who is occasionally quoted in the media. Aside from family, what makes her happiest is working with makers, boutique owners, and stationery lovers — and becoming part of their stories. Source
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| Scope | Consumer |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesA Cozy, Midwestern Stationery Fest
Some of you sharp nerds reading this will think a Midwestern Stationery Fest MUST be in Chicago — but you would be incorrect. Some of you sharp nerds reading this will also recognize Debra Skinner’s name. She is already an official and esteemed Paper Nerd at Large, with an impressive expertise in stationery fests (just witness her existing trifecta of TPN contributions here, here and here).
A Wolf in Chic Clothing
It’s never not interesting to discover a super-fresh brand, then sit back and watch it evolve over a few years. That was definitely the case with SHEWOLF DESIGNS, which I stumbled across in the NY NOW incubator in Winter 2024. It was a treat to get acquainted with its go-getter founder, Brittany Wolf.
Nicole Couto of Couto & Co.
It’s kind of chic to be niche famous — and that perfectly describes my guest, Nicole Couto of Couto & Co. She was one of the founders of 2021 Co. That New England brand enjoyed a stellar stationery rise in a few very short years, creating customized finds for Tommy Bahama, Anthropologie and most recently L.L.Bean — and even collaborating with Jennifer Love Hewitt to bring the Holiday Junkie range to life.
All Patched Up
Stickers have become stationery stars these past few years, and watching makers play with the form — and maybe even use them to put themselves on the design map (hello Erin Dayhaw!) — has been a really fun ride. As much as I want to buy a million stickers to either hoard or cautiously place on something after extended internal debate, there is just something irresistible about patches.
The Elevated Envelope
Centuries before the words ‘password protected’ were paired, wax seals provided security. While their usage dates back to the ancients, they came into their own in the Middle Ages. Family crests were engraved onto seals, which were then pressed into wax so the letter’s authorship was immediately clear; meanwhile any envelope shut with a seal could not be opened without leaving evidence, so missives reached recipients completely confidentially.
J.Falkner’s Latest Evolution
Howdy folks and happy Friday! I am currently in my new digs, still unpacking boxes and still unburying myself from last week’s incredible jaunt to NY NOW and Shoppe Object. I still have approximately 200 emails gathering digital dust, to say nothing of a shoe collection to organize, so I as I get back up to speed I have a special treat for you. Today’s guest post comes from my fabulous friend, the utterly inimitable Jason of J.
Vanessa Harnik of Notes & Queries
You have doubtless seen Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood — well, my brilliant guest today has reconfigured the concept for greeting cards and postcards. For 30 years, Vanessa Harnik has worked alongside her dad Alan running Notes & Queries — which sources and brings fantastic European stationery to American shores. Earlier this year, I named Vanessa a Maker to Watch in 2026 at Stationery Trends — and felt even better about that choice once I learned she had invented The Note Nest.
2021 Co. x L.L. Bean
In 1911, Leon Leonwood Bean returned from a hunting trip with freezing feet — and the kernel of an idea that would become the enduring symbol of an American brand. Bean juxtaposed leather uppers with rubber bottoms, and the mighty Maine Hunting Shoe was born. By the time I came of age in the 1980s, The Preppy Handbook was required to socially succeed at my school, the Hathaway Brown School for girls.
Stationery (re)Design
Hey nerds, it is my pleasure to introduce you to a dear invitation retailer friend of mine, Hannah Rodewald. Hannah is officially retired, but her store — The Pleasure of Your Company in Lutherville, Maryland — is still open for reorders. Why her customers will never leave her should be clear after reading this post.
Katelyn Woolley of The Noble Paperie
My chat with Katelyn Woolley of The Noble Paperie is full of (wonderful) surprises! I I named Kate as one of Stationery Trends’ 10 Makers to Watch in 2026 due to her focus on what she refers to as “communities others forget.” The Noble Paperie is primarily known for Kate’s NICU, infertility and miscarriage cards — just try searching for one of these categories on Etsy to see what I mean.