Made in Scotland: Paper Street Dolls
When we interviewed the lovely folks at Woolkind they recommended Claire and Julie from Paper Street Dolls as our next Made in Scotland business. We were intrigued and got in touch with these talented sisters to find out more about their contemporary home and party decor with a traditional twist! We love a colourful character filled product and were thrilled to find their range of garlands, banners, confetti and wall hangings that are all designed, handmade, hand painted or marbled in their studio in Glasgow’s East End. Read on to find out more and catch more glimpses of beautiful pieces that can be personalised for your occasion or house!
Julie and Claire from Paper Street Dolls
Can you tell us how your business got started?
We are sisters and ever since we were both little we’ve enjoyed making decorations for Christmas, parties and just general fun things to hang up and look at around the house! We both went to Glasgow School of Art and in the years after Claire graduated textiles and Julie Visual Communications, we were looking for a way to work together on something creative. Creating handmade decorations seemed a natural choice and as we both have a love of the materiality of paper we decided that would be the perfect medium for us to collaborate in a way that no-on else was doing at the time.
Ragnar multi-strand garland
Where do you look for inspiration when you are designing new products?
We’re driven to create decorations that celebrate every season and as we have a lot of shared passions and sensibilities our sources of inspiration can be quite eclectic. As with many other artists we look to nature as a huge inspiration in terms of colour palette and combinations from flora and fauna to the sea and sky. Being from Glasgow’s East End though we extend nature to include the more urban environment and different textures of stone, metal and wood and different layers of materials, paints, graffiti and oil. The way you can see time and degradation are the types of things we endlessly enjoy observing. We love engaging with other artforms, pop-culture, history, mythology and so in our work we try to create something that is distinctly our style but which blends many reference points and inspirations. We’ve always had a really organic approach to the new products we’ve created through the years (which is probably not always the best business strategy!) and we’re always just looking to create the kinds of things we want to see in the world.
Solar System Wall hanging
Can you tell us a bit more about how you make your products?
Everything is designed, handmade, hand painted or marbled by us in our studio. We’re currently working on some new products we plan to create with risograph printing through Hot Pink Press studio – after attending an induction at the end of last year we’re really excited to be able to expand our collection and add a more figurative/illustrative dimension to our work. After lots of experimenting and developing, our artisanal décor is created with high quality papers, cards, paints and inks, with thoughtful consideration and attention to detail at every stage of creation. Alongside quality and longevity, sustainability is at the forefront of our ethos and so all our décor is environmentally conscious using long lasting but eventually biodegradable or recyclable materials, sourced with the lowest carbon footprint possible.
A DIY Star Garland Kit
What are your most popular products and which are your own favourites?
Our most popular product is something we introduced during lockdown – DIY star garland kits. As the nature of celebrations changed and more people had the desire to do something creative, we used our experience in community arts to create a kit that would hopefully give people a sense of accomplishment and an opportunity for mindfulness while learning a new skill. We wanted something simple and accessible for as wide a range of people possible that would reliably give a great finished product, and these kits have continued to be popular across the board.
Moon Phases Wall hanging
Personal favourites? We both really enjoy creating our cosmically inspired decorations, from the absolute labour of love that is the many processes of our solar system wall hanging, to our watercolour and painted moon phases garlands inspired by the full moons throughout the year. Our original black moon phases wall hanging holds a special place for us as it was the first of those kinds of decorations. Designed with the added functionality of using it to mark the current phase like an abstract calendar, it’s really lovely to know some people engage with it like this in their home.
St Andrews
If you had to pick one place in Scotland to recommend that people visit, where would it be?
It’s far from a unknown treasure, but we absolutely love St. Andrews. Growing up we went on many family holidays to Fife, and St. Andrews has a fascinating patchwork of attributes that make it a great place to visit. A rich history across many different areas, plenty of shops and activities to keep you occupied, a variety of beaches, and absolutely beautiful scenery (in any weather!)
Which other Scottish Makers do you love to recommend?
Hooper Hart and Ceri White Studios – talented artists and lovely people!
Thanks so much to Julie and Claire for taking the time to chat with us and make sure you check them out on their Website, Facebook or Instagram! Paper Street Dolls will have the perfect decor for your holidays and interior design!