Spotlight: Studio Carta
When our shop opened in 2015, it looked a lot different than it does today. For starters, it was only half its current size. We carried only a handful of types of pens and papers and gifts, and we hadn’t yet found many of the brands we love today. But from our very first day we’ve stocked items from Studio Carta, a local studio that designs and imports gorgeous ribbons and desk tools from its founder’s native Italy. Since day one, we knew the level of beauty and quality they produce was exactly what we wanted in our shop.
Today we wanted to put the spotlight on Studio Carta and their wonderful ribbons, scissors, desk accessories and sewing tools!
Studio Carta is also local to the Boston area—in fact, their studio is less than five miles from our shop! But their roots are thousands of miles away in Italy, where founder Angela Liguori was born. Angela grew up surrounded by art and design, both in her home where she learned creativity and craftsmanship from her mother, a dressmaker, and in the city of Rome where her family lived. Angela developed her sense of design from the rich art history surrounding her and went on to study art history in Bologna, where she also learned traditional bookbinding techniques.
In the 1990s Angela moved to the US, where she continued making books and paper. In her early thirties she was living in Michigan, selling stationery and handmade books that often incorporated cotton ribbon she got from home in Italy, and her customers noticed the beauty and quality of the ribbon she used in her work. Seeing what an impression the ribbon made, Angela decided to import it—and that became the foundation for Studio Carta, which she started with her husband Mohamed in 2004.
Today, that ribbon business is still going strong. Angela collaborates with Italian manufacturers to design Studio Carta’s beautiful cotton ribbons, which her team packages in their Chestnut Hill studio. Their colors and designs are made exclusively for Studio Carta, marrying the quality and history of traditional Italian craft with Angela’s lovely sense of design and color. In addition to their ribbon, Studio Carta also sources Italian accessories with that same level of artisanship, including desk tools like scissors and letter openers and sewing tools like thread, pins, and thimbles.
We’ve always loved the jewel-bright colors and luxurious textures of their ribbons, which seem to elevate the simplest package or project into something precious. And their desk tools are just the same, turning daily objects into opportunities for beauty and appreciation. The tools are also useful; their scissors are delightfully sharp and well-made, not just pretty to look at! We highly recommend having a pair or three around your home, and they make wonderful gifts.
Check out our Studio Carta collection to see their ribbons and tools! Do you have a favorite ribbon color?
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