If you read our vlogging post earlier this week then you’ll already know that I’m an interior infatuated, art loving, frustrated florist. You’ll also be aware that I’m obsessed with all things paper. Be it a gorgeous print, exquisite handwritten type or the sweetest suite of personalised stationery you can guarantee that I’ll be hooked or it will be pinned to within an inch of its life on my Pinterest boards. (Incidentally you can follow me here if you’re interested in seeing what’s caught my eye this week.)
Ever since I first entered the wedding world (some time ago now folks) I’ve adored, lusted after and admired in equal parts the work of Abigail Warner.
To say she’s a perfect paper genius would be an understatement.
Abbey is the woman (actual guru!) behind the luxury paper goods company Abigail Warner creating beautiful designs for weddings, businesses and paper obssessed folk such as myself.
From designing and selling greetings cards in illustrious boutiques such as Selfridges and Paperchase the world over, to her latest venture – an interiors project with fashion and textile designer, Pearl Lowe – Abbey continues to push the boundaries of the stationery world.
And so today lovelies, we have a real treat for you; we’ve managed to persuade the lovely Abbey to down tools for a few wee hours to answer all of your stationery conundrums and perhaps suggest some solutions to your paper related woes.
Perhaps you’re having difficulty with a certain turn of phrase within your invites or you need some guidance about how to start the process of commissioning a bespoke stationery suite. Are you in a paper pickle over your table plan? Why not let this superwoman work her magic and help you on your way.
But wait. That’s not all. You see Abbey has recently launched her brand new website and some glorious new designs to boot. And folks, they are absolutely exquisite.
Don’t believe me…why not check them out for yourself.
Take it away Ms Warner.
Abbey: Hello…
I’ll be totally honest with you. As I am typing this, I have a glass of wine in one hand, phone in the other, I’m occasionally scribbling notes, checking emails and wondering if I sent the right documents to print – all whilst having an ear out for the dog wanting to be let out for pee, and planning tomorrow’s outfit in my head but that’s life for us hardworking girls, right? Right! So take a seat and pour yourself some wine {or tea/ coffee/ diet coke depending on what time of the day you are joining me}.
And Hello! I am Abigail Warner or Abbey {unless you are reading this Mum} I have a little design studio in Derby {that’s near Nottingham} but I also spend a lot of time in the smoke as that’s where most of my lovely customers seem to hail from, and as I love shopping, eating out and train travel {good job really} – I don’t mind one little bit.
About the Business
I design luxury paper goods for weddings, businesses and people who just love design, paper and illustration. I also design and sell greetings cards for gorgeous boutiques and shops with my designs being stocked in London’s Selfridges and Paperchase as well as in beautiful boutiques in and across the UK, Europe and Australia.
I absolutely love to combine great design with traditional print-making techniques and most of my wedding commissions involve a combination of processes such as letterpress {creating a design that is pressed into the paper}, foiling {using a hot transfer process to create a gorgeous finish} or thermography {using heat to create a raised design}. I love working with brides so that I can help celebrate great love stories, and that is exactly what I do. Each one of my designs are bespoke and, just like my couples, a one off.
I limit the number of clients I work with when it comes to wedding design which helps keep my brand exclusive. I’m neither a trendsetter nor do I follow trends, I just love the creative process and I seem to attract clients that like what I like, which is always nice, that old law of attraction at work.
I also find that because I am not known just as a wedding stationery designer I get some really interesting projects that cross weddings, designs, fashion, beauty and interiors, which also helps keep designs fresh.
I’ve been lucky to be involved in lots of exciting creative projects, from designing retail space at Harrods {in the good ol’ days – until last summer – when Harrods had their own gorgeous stationery department before they sold out to WHSmith – I sold their most expensive card. If bling was your thing I had your back}.
More recently I’ve been involved in an exciting interiors project with fashion and textile designer, Pearl Lowe and her book ‘Vintage Craft’ for Harper Collins (launching May 2013) which saw me creating gorgeous craft projects and working on the design and illustrations; I am also Editor at Large of Pearl Lowe’s Vintage Home.
My client list includes lots of gorgeous folk including some lovely celebrities and also royalty {ooh I say, the girl from Derby done good hey?}.
My Inspirations
My designs are greatly inspired by fashion and interiors, I spend far too much time pondering love, life and the universe at the V&A, Harvey Nichols and Liberty, and my ultimate brand inspirations are Orla Kiely and Kate Spade.
I adore to travel and my favourite place in the whole wide world {except for my freshly made bed} is the Amalfi coast in Italy and {predictably} Paris. In terms of business I find incredibly successful business women who appear to have life ‘sorted’ beyond inspirational. These include Natalie Massenet who founded Net-A-Porter, India Knight (journalist) and Sophie Dahl (model turned cooking guru) and since attending the Vogue Festival at the weekend – Tamara Mellon, founder of Jimmy Choo {sold last year for over 500,000,000 people, thats A-LOT-OF-SHOES}.
I keep myself motivated by booking myself on workshops and classes to broaden my skills in design {and non design subjects – unless cakes counts as design?} I also spend lots of time hanging out with very inspirational people in the oh-so-many collaborations that I involve myself and the business in and I also like to have personal projects.
I’m inspired daily; I have a gorgeous house, rather wonderful boyfriend {I’m not being smug – believe me I kissed my fair share of frogs} lovely naughty dog and I get so much support and love from my gorgeous friends and my rather special mum, who handles everything life throws at her with a knowing nod, a wink and chink of a {large} wine glass.
About Me
I am a keen fashion and textile lover, total typography, print-and-paper-making-geek. I am a Diet Coke-hooked, Mojito {and chavtastic Rosé wine spritzer} drinking, Mulberry loving {I have a 1978 from the Saul collection that I would save first in a fire} and Vogue-obsessed workaholic with a naughty sense of humour, the mouth of a sailor and and an eye for style always with my trademark perfectly-painted-nails and trademark never-perfect-blonde-bed-head and I always have a splash of leopard print about my person.
I like to take pictures of my feet, food, flowers and daily antics.
I tell it how it is, not always what you want to hear and I wear my heart on my sleeve.
I love to smile, dance, drink cocktails and eat gorgeous food and although I have a prized handbag collection I believe it is the simple things in life that really make you happy.
There are three little pieces of advice that I live by…”kill them with kindness” ”be the best that you can be at what you do” and “pay as much as you can afford.” hardly original – but seem to work for me.
So then lovelies have you got any questions for the beautiful Abbey?
Just use the comments box below to ping your queries, stationery trials and tribulations or general paper trivia Abbey’s way and she’ll be more than happy to answer them for you.
All my love Lolly xxx
