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Brown Parcel Press is a mother & daughter team that makes letterpress paper goods inspired by the natural world. We print each piece with love and patience in our rural Georgia studio. 

 
 
 
 
JUST RELEASED!  Inside Outside: a new print collection on handmade paper

JUST RELEASED! Inside Outside: a new print collection on handmade paper

 
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Satsumas in a Row
Garden themed stationery... now on SALE!

Garden themed stationery... now on SALE!

2018 Backyard Garden Calendar
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2018 Backyard Garden Calendar
 
Want a behind the scenes look at our newest collaboration, Rainbow Soup? Explore here .

Want a behind the scenes look at our newest collaboration, Rainbow Soup? Explore here.

 
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- INSTAGRAM -

June reflections: ~ What is it about a break in routine that helps us see ourselves a little bit clearer? I spent the better part of the week away with family and during the trip I had an interaction that illuminated a part of my character and daily mannerisms that was not something I really wanted to see in myself. ~ One evening when my mom was in the kitchen prepping dinner, and was busy chopping something, I noticed that her sauce on the stove was boiling vigorously and might burn on the bottom in the next minute or so. I instinctively walked over and turned off the pot on the stove without asking her whether or not she wanted me to do that. The light bulb realization I had was that even though in my head my gesture was coming from a good place (trying to help someone out who seemed to be busy tending to something else) the way I went about it was micromanaging, and I was doing it on autopilot. I apologized and said I was sorry for stepping in unasked, and it opened up a space for my mom and I to have an honest conversation about how I do micromanage sometimes. ~ Because my mom and I spend a lot of time together, working together at Brown Parcel in addition to being family, it's extremely important to me that we are able to be honest with each other always. Even when it's uncomfortable. Unfortunately my immediate internal dialogue to the conversation was to feel guilty for not being better- a better daughter & a better co-worker. But when I was able to quiet that voice, I took the time to work through why I have a tendency to want to control the environment around me and why I can have a hard time leaving others to do things in their own way without my intervention. I do think part of it is collateral damage from trying to be a mother to 2 small children and running a small business out of my home studio which means REALLY staying on top of my time management, but part of it is just my nature. ~ Trusting others, trusting myself and trusting life to surprise me or turn out in unexpected ways outside of my control is hard for me. I imagine I won't be able to turn a 180 on this overnight, but I am really happy for the realization. (See comments)
When beauty lands in your lap follow this magnolias lead- reach out and share it.
My favorite time of year for driving down the back roads around our house. Queen Anne's Lace popping up everywhere- it's the perfect combination of whimsy & wild. ~ #letterpress #bppstudio #perennialprints #nothingisordinary
One week into summer vacation, and I hardly recognize my kids anymore. 😉 Anyone found their Summer rhythm yet, cause I sure haven't 🙋, but at least we're having fun in the meantime.
Hellebores... and they're B-I-G 🌸😱! We've been wanting to do more floral work for a long time, and we're making it happen this Summer! I've had my lovely friend @lesleykerr scheming with me behind the scenes this Spring thinking through arrangements and now it's time to turn those flower play days into prints. Still trying to decide if these will be the final colors for the edition 🤔. Color decisions are my favorite kind! #letterpress #bppstudio #hellebores #perennialprints
Letterpress is so darn labor intensive, but then I print something new and remember why I love it so much. These pretty little notecards are headed your way @wildcraftflowers. We created a new logo for them last year, and flower farmers may just be our favorite sort of people 👩🏻‍🌾👨‍🌾🌱🌸 #letterpress #bppstudio
A brown parcel, watercolor bookmarks, and sister's toes on your present... it must be Kindergarten graduation day! 👶👩‍🎓✨And y'all I was doing so good- I didn't cry once... that is until I read her the little poem I wrote for her on the inside of her book, and then I totally lost it. That's the thing with life- days pile on top of days and suddenly you're not in Kindergarten giving your parents a hug, you're the parent giving your kid a hug on their graduation day. Whew, the cyclical nature of life is pretty amazing and overwhelming at times isn't it?!
Anybody had any success with natural dyes?! This weekend I decided to finally try my hand at naturally dying some 100% cotton for bandanas (because who needs jewelry when you have bandanas), but my cloth turned out WAY more subtle than I was anticipating. Don't get me wrong, I love some subtle blush tones (especially when they match your favorite handmade paper), but I was hoping for more color than this. ~ I did two dye baths: one with avocado and one with beets. For the avocado bath I used about 20 pits (granted I had been saving them up for 3 months so maybe they were just old 🤔) and for the beets I used two large beets with greens from our garden. I boiled the natural ingredients for about 30 minutes, strained them out, added 2 tbsp of vinegar, and then simmered the baths (with the cloth added, stirring occasionally) for about 30 minutes. I even did the beet bath for an additional hour because there was almost no change in the color of the natural cotton. ~ I'd appreciate any tips, troubleshooting, or book recommendations! 🙏✨And, I'm definitely humbled after this initial letdown... apparently I'm not so crafty outside of the world of paper 🤦🏽‍♀️, but I'm not giving up! (The avocado fabric is in the picture, if you're curious...) ~ #letterpress #bppstudio #naturaldye #insideoutsideseries #hygge
Wonder and intensity and love without boundaries. Motherhood has made me a braver person than I ever thought possible. Sending love to all those who mothered before me, who are mothering now, who will mother one day, and who want to mother but aren't able. We are all connected.
Stripes and chickens?!?! No wonder this may just be my favorite illustration from the past year. 🐔🐥 #letterpress #2018backyardgarden
I have had so many things in my head lately. A normal human would probably just have a journal to write it all out in, but in this season of my life, most of my journaling is done here— in this space, in captions that are accompanied with an image. It is a strange thing to share intimate thoughts in a public space, but I do believe there is good in that, just as there is good in opening yourself up to really and truly be “seen” by someone in your inner circle. I feel like there are some fundamental life questions I’ve been chewing on since Gillian was born, and all of a sudden, I am beginning to see glimpses of answers, or even shifts in my own beliefs. When I was graduating from college, a decade ago this month, I felt so much pressure (from my inner voice) to be certain about everything: my direction, my likes and dislikes, my understanding of how I fit into the world. What I feel now is so different from that. I still feel an agency to really appreciate each day I am taking part in, but I have so much more acceptance and approval for doubt, or simply “not knowing”. It surprises me that I have found more comfort in being able to say, “I don’t know how I feel about that yet”. I guess because I’m not responding out of an urge to assuage others or be socially appropriate. It feels like somehow I’m honoring myself and those I love more to take my time chewing, really chewing, on questions, inspirations, and beliefs while I make my way through each day. I think I might be sharing more of these ruminations on here from time to time because to me, big life questions (both the simplicities and complexities life drops in our laps) are just as important to me as the beauty that I aim to share with the wonderful group of people that has come to support me here. And, if any of you experience your own doubts or sensations of “not knowing” today, I hope you can embrace that uncertainty… maybe it’s not an affirmation of your inadequacies, but it’s simply an invitation to roll up your sleeves and do some exploring. ✨ And don't worry there will still be lots of letterpress, illustrations, chickens, and children because you know I LOVE all of that.
Smiling and looking at the calendar and remembering that the peas were a little further along at this time last year than they are this April, but maybe this cool Spring will make them even sweeter. I had practically zero experience growing my own food and very little knowledge about how to keep plants alive before we moved to the farm. What I have learned is that even with 8 years of growing experience under my belt, during some of which we had a 30 person vegetable & meat CSA, I would still consider myself a beginner. Each season feels different than the previous years and each seed is an individual. Somehow it gives me comfort to know that when I have a crop failure or triumph part of it is bad luck or good luck and that thankfully there's always next year to apply whatever nuggets of garden wisdom I may have gleaned. Thank you Earth for continuing to let me make mistakes and try again. #happyearthday #bppstudio #2018backyardgarden #letterpress