To me there’s nothing more inherently American than stationery — after all, what other design enterprise can be started at a kitchen table with the aid of a printer? small cloud shop is just such a endeavor, begun by illustrator Theresa Hutch in Minneapolis, and printed with the help of a studio a few miles away.
It all started on a cold January morning in 2012, when Theresa painted a cup of water with a straw that looked like it was bending. Since it was the beginning of a new year, she challenged herself to make a new painting every week for the year. Once she crossed the five-year mark, Theresa (also a yoga teacher) transformed these paintings into travel journals and greeting cards she calls Yoga Sutra Cards.
small cloud shop’s main objective is to not put any more junk out into the world — and limits its carbon footprint via a local professional printer and using bio-plastic sleeves made from plants for its cards.
Theresa’s newest range of enchanting journals and cards are inspired by the year she spent in the mystical land of Yokohama, Japan. Every card and every journal tells a little story of her experience there — and she would love to make her stories part of yours! I think you’ll agree that her colorful still lifes are anything but stagnant — they have such a colorful energy and dynamicism to them.
You can shop all of Theresa’s greeting cards, journals, art prints and home goods here.
And in the spirit of all things American, please vote if you haven’t already! I cast mine Saturday in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. The line snaked outside and around the building and took me about 30 minutes to get through — and while I’m a pretty impatient person generally speaking, it was well worth the wait!
All photos courtesy of Lisa Venticinque
