Meet Salt & Paper: The Story Behind the Collection
Meet Salt & Paper: The Story Behind the Collection
The Salt & Paper x Simply Stamps collection is a set of sixteen illustrated return address stamps designed by Monika, the artist behind the Salt & Paper studio, and manufactured by us here in Jacksonville. The designs are exclusive to Simply Stamps and are not sold anywhere else. Here is how the collection came together, what is included, and how to pick the right version for the way you stamp.
How the Collaboration Started
Monika has been carving stamps by hand for about a decade, and her studio is built around that process. A hand carved block has a character that a machine cannot copy, with slight variation in every cut and a softness to the impression that people seek her work out for. It is also a process suited to designs with a certain amount of room to breathe, since every line has to be cut with a tool held in your hand.
Laser engraving works differently. It cuts to a much finer tolerance, which makes it well suited to small illustration detail and raised type at return address size. That combination is where this collection came from.
When we reached out about a collaboration, that difference in process was what made the idea click for her.
"That's when I realized this actually could be a really great partnership, because you could do something that I can't, which is much, much smaller stamps and being able to do raised letters."
That meant Monika could draw at a scale she does not usually work at, and let our equipment handle the fine detail. From there, every design went through our design and production teams, who reviewed and print tested each one to make sure it held a crisp, clean impression coming off our laser machines at actual stamp size.
Where the Designs Came From
The collection was not drawn in one sitting or in one place. Monika sketched some of it on a tablet during camping trips over the summer, which she says never really felt like working, and the rest came together in her office and in the hammock in her backyard.
"And while I don't usually try to work while I'm on holiday, this didn't really feel so much like work."
She also spends time on Pinterest and Instagram watching for themes that keep resurfacing, and this year one of them shaped a good portion of the collection.
"So this summer, a lot of it was Italian summer. We've got sardines and tomatoes and all those sorts of things, and I really wanted to bring that out in a lot of the designs."
That influence runs through the sardine tin, wine bottle, cheese wedge, stick of butter, pizza slice, citrus grove, and croissant designs, which work well together if you like the idea of a set that feels like a summer table.
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What Is in the Collection
Fourteen of the sixteen designs are rectangular and two are round. Each one is personalized with your own name and address, which is set into Monika's artwork before the stamp is made, so the illustration stays exactly as she drew it while the text is yours.
Rectangle designs: Stick of Butter, Cheese Wedge, Chocolate Bar, Citrus Grove, Croissant, Coastal Fish, Grapevine, House Key, Matchbox, Ornament Garland, Pizza Slice, Sardine Tin, Tomato Vine, Wine Bottle
Round designs: The Moth, Farmhouse Rooster
Choosing Between Self-Inking and Wood Handle
Every design in the collection is available in two builds, and which one suits you depends mostly on how much stamping you plan to do at once.
Self-inking stamps have the ink pad built into the housing, so the impression re-inks itself each time the stamp returns to its resting position. That makes them the practical choice if you are working through a wedding invitation list or a stack of holiday cards, since you never have to stop and re-ink. The rectangular designs print at approximately 1-1/2" x 3", and you can choose from black, purple, green, red, blue, pink, and orange.
Wood handle stamps are the traditional option, with the die mounted to a wood block and pressed into a separate ink pad between impressions. They are slower to use, but they give you more control over pressure and let you change ink colors with the same stamp, which is worth considering if you like switching colors seasonally. The rectangular designs print at approximately 1-3/8" x 3" and the round designs at approximately 1.5" - 2" across. Ink pads are sold separately in black, purple, green, red, and blue.
Where These Stamps Work Best
These were designed with envelope backs in mind, so return address is the most obvious use, but they hold up well anywhere you want a repeatable illustration. Wedding invitations, save the dates, and RSVP envelopes are a natural fit, as are thank you notes and holiday cards. Small business owners often use address and logo stamps on packaging, mailers, and shipping labels, and these work the same way
Paper choice matters more than most people expect. Uncoated stocks like kraft, cotton, and linen absorb ink well and give you the sharpest impression. Glossy and coated papers take longer to dry and are more prone to smudging, so it is worth running a test impression before you work through a full stack.
About the Partnership
Monika designed the artwork for this collection and continues to own it. We handle the manufacturing, and every stamp is assembled at our facility in Jacksonville, the same way we have made stamps for more than seven decades. The designs are exclusive to Simply Stamps and are not available anywhere else.