Pretty Pretty - Witty Workshop

It is an unfortunate fact that with the advent of email and texting people have lost the ability to write a simple, heartfelt note. Gone are the days when calligraphy was a common skill and every woman worth her weight in white gloves and suede pumps kept monogrammed notepaper as a matter of course.

Alas, these days you're lucky if you get a thank-you note after a job interview, so what's an old-fashioned gal to do when she wants to say something heartfelt without the aid of a keyboard?

As often happens in those situations where life feels increasingly hasty, shallow, and filled with honking horns, a gentle arbiter of taste and style has come to the rescue: Witty Workshop!



Montreal's Valerie Parizeault has created Witty Workshop, a line of beautifully illustrated notecards, stationery, drawings, prints, and even sticker sets that feature the kind of idyllic scenes - tea parties, carousel rides, and introspective moments- that make me long for an endless vacation in the Jardin du Luxembourg, or at least a sunny Saturday at the Cloisters.

A connoisseur of all things indie, Valerie draws on nature, children, and unabashed whimsy to create her pieces, transmits it all to the canvas of her Mac, and then shares it with us.

She has the unique ability to capture private moments and infuse them with a quiet sense of magic, or to capture truly magical moments and make them outstanding. An artist and graphic designer by trade, Valerie will work with you to create custom images - personalied stationery anyone? What about your own logo?
As for her line of preprinted cards, even if your idea of a perfect childhood doesn't involve wearing white pinafores and giant hairbows, you'll be inspired to send one of Witty Workshop's glamorous ladies or soothing, gorgeous collages (check out "I Was Meant To Love You") to remind your friends, lovers, and others that the best way to reach out and touch someone is to simply say "Thinking of You". Check out the world of Witty Workshop on Etsy and you'll soon learn to appreciate the pleasures of the written word.