Lotus Blu is moving to Ellergreen in the English Lake District.
A peek at my new bindery + a special offer before we move.
Remember when I mentioned the winds of change blowing our way in my January letter from the bindery and beyond? Well, things have unfolded at lightning speed since then, and I can't wait to share some exciting news with you!
In a plot twist that feels straight out of a film, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity knocked on our door, and Brian and I are embarking on a new adventure after 8 years in Yorkshire.
We’re relocating to the English Lake District to live on the grounds of a handmade paper mill and above a centre for paper arts! What? I’ve been daydreaming and yearning to live in a place with a creative community near lakes and not too far from the coast, seems like the universe delivered above and beyond.
Packing up my tools and materials and moving to a new home and creative space, even though I’m excited, feels bittersweet, I have so many thoughts about it all which I will share in another letter soon, but here’s a glimpse for now.
Before our big move in 2 weeks, I need to downsize my stock as much as possible, so there is a flash sale on most things in my shop.
Get 20% off everything in stock [except Bundled Curios].
Orders will continue to ship until 7th March, after which I will be taking a two-week break to settle into my bindery and home.
PAPER FOUNDATION - ELLERGREEN MANSION, LAKE DISTRICT.
Paper Foundation is nestled in the heart of the Lake District.
Picture this – a 200 year old family mansion which has been turned into a centre for Paper Arts, with ground floor workshops, a paper museum, a library and further plans for a printmaking room and a BINDERY! But wait, there's more —While chatting with some of the paper makers during the open day of the mill and pop shop recently, curiosity got the better of me and I asked what was upstairs, when one of them told us that the upper floors were converted into apartments, that’s when I jokingly asked if there was a vacant one for a bookbinder, they surprised me with a resounding "yes, actually there is!"
Next, Brian and I found ourselves viewing a spacious apartment with all the character of a period home, two weeks later we were signing a long term rental contract. I still think I am dreaming!
I took a photo of my new bindery to share with you before we go over next week armed with paint! The apartment is quite dated and needs a lot redecorating, I mean those curtains have got to go, or do they? I know curtains like those would cost a small fortune nowadays! I’m not sure what colour to paint the walls yet, but I am thinking since it has some original panelling I might go with a different colour on the bottom half. If you have any interior design skills, I’d love some tips! I’m looking forward to giving this space a face lift, I’ll aiming for a modern vintage look, but I’m so bored of white and beige!
I was pinching myself when we discovered the Lake District is shockingly cheaper than the cost of living in West Yorkshire. I can’t believe our luck. Imagine a bindery just a short stroll away from the Paper Foundation. The synergy is surreal. I've been working with their exquisite handmade paper for a few years, and now it's practically in my backyard.
Creativity and daydreaming have always been my guiding lights. I hope my good news inspires you to keep dreaming because dreams can come true, we just have to open to change. Exciting times are ahead, and I can't wait to share the beauty of the Lake District with you through my bookbinding and hopefully more courses and workshops in the near future.
Here's to allowing our creativity to lead us to good things.
Until next time,
Stay curiously creative.
Looks beautiful! An exciting move! You could wallpaper the bottom half and paint the top? A muted light/mid green could look nice? You could paint the ceiling too, could make it's unusual shape look more purposeful? But anything is better than beige!
Such exciting and serendipitous news Moneeza! What are the odds of finding a place to live with a bindery space and close to where you source your paper? Meant to be. And I love that there is space for workshops! I'll be moving back to Europe at the end of the year and would love to come to the Lakes District to do a face-to-face bookbinding workshop with you. I hooe that is something that will also become a wonderful reality.
Wishing you much luck and good energy for the move and bindery setup. A new chapter awaits🌸
Gin x