More loveliness from design Valhalla Scandinavia, handmade ceramic jewelry, imported to The Netherlands by Yvonne and Coco.

Can you tell us more about yourselves?

Yvonne: ”I am an entrepreneur, a mother and a blogger. After my eldest son was born I quit my job at De Bijenkorf (a famous Dutch department store) to take my chances in the world of entrepreneurs. I started with a shop selling baby clothes and gifts in The Hague, later on I started Moose Agency. On my trips to Denmark I came across so much beautiful porcelain jewelry, I really wanted to import those pieces to The Netherlands.”

Coco: “I’m an independent, interim communication advisor, mother of two girls, living together in The Hague. When Yvonne invited me to brainstorm about her new enterprise I got so excited seeing all those wonderful, porcelain pieces that I suggested I would join her.”

Why is there so much china jewelry in Denmark?

“Denmark is known for its china. The Danish School of Design even has a ceramics department. It’s a real trade. That age old tradition has been adapted by current designers.”

Why did you decide on a web shop instead of a ‘proper’ shop?

“We only just started our web shop, it seemed the easiest and quickest way to get started. The early response has been great, so who knows!”

What special or exciting things have happened to you so far?

“The power of the Internet is simply amazing. Four weeks after our launch we run into complete strangers who’ve already heard of our shop and have even visited the site several times already!”

What are your plans?

“Getting much more Danish design to The Netherlands!”

www.deensekroon.nl

 

She effortlessly comes up with one super cute, creative little DIY-book after another, but she also has a website. Recently Keri Smith added a funny opening tool: you draw whatever is right in front of you and add it to a gallery. A fun way to refresh your mind every now and again while working.

www.kerismith.com

Posted by: Astrid

Once more please? Can we shamelessly promote our fat Holiday Writing Book one last time? We have a good reason this time, as our summer special will only be on the shelves for two more weeks and officially it’ll be over after that. (Even though we expect you will still come across the occasional copy.) Luckily, it will still be available online, but anyone who wants to have one quickly: get yourself down to the shop! For instance for these lovely pages by illustrator Deborah van der Schaaf, with lots of inspiration on all the things you can paste into your scrapbook.

And the great story De 5 van Aaf, (‘Aaf’s 5’) featuring writer Aaf Brandt Cortius’ top five tips on how to survive your holidays. One of my favorite stories.

And all this beautifully packaged by Annelinde and Joyce, our designers. And if you prefer the easy way you can still order via the Flow shop button at the top of this page.

 Posted by: Astrid

Finding beautiful quotes, poems and texts for the tabs in Flow is always fun. The best are those we come across by coincidence (without having to go look for them). This tab in the current Flow came from regular freelancer Dorine Verheul. It’s part of a letter that writer C.S. Lewis (who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia) wrote to a young fan called Sarah back in 1949. You can picture him behind his desk, determined to save a young person from a life filled with nonsense. For years, Sarah kept the letter in a special place, this lesson from her favorite writer, to reread over and over again. Perhaps it helped her make different choices; maybe she was able to tell sense from nonsense. Anyway, I do tend to get carried away… Let’s go find some more tabs. Posted by: Jocelyn

 

Jacqueline and Hennie used to work for the same company, found they meshed well together and started their own web shop and ‘real’ shop together, choc-a-bloc with things they love.

Tell us about you?

“Jacqueline used to work as a window-dresser, Hennie attended art academy. We share the same view on certain things, we don’t like rules and we want to do things in our own, easygoing, way. That’s how we buy for the shop as well, we go with our gut.”

You opened both a web shop and a ‘real’ shop, why both?

“It wasn’t the plan. The web shop was, but while we were working on it, we came across the building in Wolvega. The North could do with something hip, and we liked the idea that people could come and see our products and us in the flesh. People make a day of it to shop with us and that’s what we dreamed of when we first got started.”

Which product really excited you and why?

“At the moment our favorite product is the kitchen line by La Cocotte, a new brand for the Dutch market, that features tea towels, aprons, potholders, all made from 100% cotton with pretty fluorescent prints. To see them is to want them. Our best seller is the envelope mold. You use it to easily make your own envelopes, from pretty paper, for instance pages from Flow magazine. The great thing is you are both recycling and giving free reign to your creativity at the same time. Our motto: you can do anything if you’re a chameleon!”

http://www.buitendelijntjesshop.com/

 

We feel like making people happy today. We are having a clear-out and we’ve found lots of great stuff, including a wonderful stack of Holiday Books from 2010 and 2011. We want to give away a few stacks of 50 copies. So who do you think deserves a stack? All the teachers in your local primary school? A hospital department? Members of a drawing workshop? Or perhaps the loyal customers of your web shop? Convince us! Send us an email with your motivation and the correct address we can send the stack to: redactie-flow@sanomamedia.nl Posted by: Astrid

 

 ‘A heart danced whenever I turned on a page.’ Ooooh, wow, that’s pretty! How we love getting email from Japan, because it sounds like poetry. That’ll see us through the day. It remains one of the best bits of our job: mailing and phoning people from all over the world and creating beautiful things together. Like with Papakaori from Japan. The great thing is: we’ve never met. And odds are slim that we ever will. But we are still putting together a wonderful little book for Flow. And in a little while I will walk out the door to go to a Dutch supermarket and she will do her shopping in Tokyo mall. Posted by: Astrid

 

Yet another paper goods store we simply couldn’t resist, as Nina from Amsterdam has beautiful things that are just that little bit different.

Who are you and what else do you do?

“I’m Nina, I live in Amsterdam, with René and we have a three year-old son. I studied photography at the Rietveld academy (the art academy of Amsterdam), then I focused on graphic design and since 2003 I’ve been working as a freelance designer. Next to work and family I don’t get much time off. I have started photographing a lot lately and as of a year ago I have my own garden that I love to potter around in. Apart from that I enjoy spending time with friends and family, I only wish I had more time!”

What part does paper play in your life?

“In these digital times paper is used less and less. Letters aren’t being written anymore, appointments are kept online or on your phone, it’s much quicker to send a text than a postcard, etc. I hate to see that happen. I much prefer something tangible to something on a screen. I still have a paper datebook and I write my to-do-lists in a little notepad. I must admit it’s been a while since I wrote a letter, but I do go through a lot of notebooks.”

How did you come up with the idea for this web shop?

“My work as a designer is often fun, but I didn’t get the satisfaction I used to from it. Making a client happy is one thing, but I kinda overlooked what I need to make me happy, what I think is pretty. Last year I told myself I needed to find out exactly that: what makes me happy? My love of paper is part of that. And scouring the web for pretty things. Put together I came up with a web shop.”

What’s so special about paper?

“All its uses are what makes paper so special. A booklet that just demands to be written in. Or a card with an illustration so beautiful you’d rather keep it than send it to someone.”

www.paperstories.nl