Karte Design Fabrik Blog

5 New Card Ranges for Summer!

2013-05-23T11:15:00.003+02:00

A selection of designs from the new ranges which all feature strong bold graphics and striking colours ready-made for summer!

www.kartedesignfabrik.com

Night + Day

2013-05-16T18:39:00.000+02:00

Big fans of the XX's latest-newish cover art.

They have a really strong logo and know how to use it - a great use of white space focuses your attention on the graphics which in-turn capture your interest with color and movement.

Can't wait to see them play at the Night & Day Festival they are headlining this weekend at Berlins own creepy and abandoned Spree Park.

We've added some photo's below from a previous adventure we took there so you can feel the full creepiness.

Scandinavian Cottage Industries

2013-05-08T10:01:00.000+02:00

I'm a big fan of the playful and simple designs coming out of Scandinavia and the virtuous cottage industry it has created.

The small and bespoke design houses such as Miscellaneous Amsterdam, Nionio Design Sweden/Germany, Fine Little Day Sweden (and ourselves!) create and stock lovely bespoke products full of character and depth.

Their works are often minimal and informed by geometric patterns which lend their products a contemporary appeal yet what also stands out is their attention to craftsmanship and how profit doesn't come across as the key motivator though quality and well made products do.

As in the case of Nionio Design where her chopping boards and trays are made of wood from managed Scandinavian forests and produced by hand in a family owned company in Sweden - i can't imagine this would be cheap.

Yet what it does show is a willingness to support their local community and craftsmanship and hopefully the paying public will support and appreciate this as well.

All photos Nionio Design Sweden/Germany,

DE Solid Brass Paperweights

2013-05-01T09:48:00.000+02:00

I'm usually not a big fan of paperweights - seeing them as superfluous, overindulgent and just plain fussy.

Yet i have come across these little gems by Australian design duo Daniel To and Emma Aiston, who have have changed my mind with their stylish set of polished solid brass paperweights.

The set consists of a block, hexagon bar and plank and i imagine they would sit very nice next to my Kaweco pen as i write cheques to myself.

http://www.daniel-emma.com/

Lights in Chicago

2013-04-25T11:16:00.000+02:00

Taking photo after photo of greeting cards in the middle of a dark and dank Berlin winter we've really come to appreciate lighting and what it does for your camera work ( and outlook on life) !

A little bit of lighting can make all the difference with your product shots and so we've really come to appreciate camera lighting and its uses in all shapes and forms.

On that note we've come by Chicago-based photographer Satoki Nagata who has produced a series of knock-out black and white street portraits.

Nagata says that he lights his figures from behind with a flash using a slow shutter speed - If only our cards could walk across the streets of Chicago... the results are amazing.

http://www.satoki.com

The Times, They Are a Changin'

2013-04-18T18:17:00.000+02:00

I've been digging Neukölln lately, aside from the gentrification debate, at the moment (at least) Neukölln has a great mixture of people.

From the well-heeled to the poor creative types and everything in between there is a real vibrant atmosphere, a suburb full of character and electricity.

Hopefully that buzz and interaction will hang around for a while longer.

Easy Rider

2013-04-11T17:46:00.000+02:00

Berlin contains some beautiful and enchanting parks and if you're like me and take pride in avoiding exercise at all costs then bike riding in Berlin will make exercise palatable - there is only one hill in Berlin ( which i always manage to find).

Tempelhof Park

2013-04-04T17:31:00.000+02:00

Tempelhof park in the city is not really a park, its more of a field.

Set among the suburbs of Kreuzberg and Neukölln in the heart of Berlin Tempelhof use to be Berlin's international airport from 1920's to 1990's and preeminent airport of Europe.

Over 10 decades the airfield entertained history with the likes of Oliver Wright, Adolf Hitler and the Berlin Airlift flying by as Berlin was growing and encroaching upon its grandeur Eventually rendering Tempelhof a little-used domestic airport from 1996 and and then closure in 2008.

Yet before you can say 'low density housing' the local council in all its wisdom turned it into a park where you can go roller-blading on airstrips, fly kites and practice your hang gliding, all of which you, like us have an avid interest in.

And for this reason it's an interesting piece of land, what other council would turn down the potential to reap millions of dollars in rates from the development of 230 hectares of land in the heart of the city?

It's something to be commended, for all the talk and bluster about community areas and office parks we all know an overshadowed and cold Hyde Park in Sydney and Central Park in NYC doesn't cut it and for this reason we take our hates off to Berlin City Council.

..its also a great place to take creepy afternoon photo's of the sun setting....very mad max.

'If Only' New in store!

2013-03-30T11:10:00.000+01:00

'If Only' New in store!

If Only, greeting cards with matching thick flecked brown envelope and wrap are now available in two styles.

The warm colours and abstract geometry of the "If Only" design conveys simplicity and beauty and we are very happy to add this design to our growing range of cards and wrap.

Designed & Made in Berlin, Germany, from 300GSM card stock and 80GSM wrap, 100% Recycled Paper and Carbon Neutral Printing, both card and wrap is not only made from top of the range paper stock though will also keep up your environmental cred.

Trekking to Treptow Markets

2013-03-28T17:13:00.000+01:00

Containing everything from GDR medals to sexy lamps and long lost postcards from Aunt Gertred, you'll find everything you want here to deck out your flat in bohemian chic.

But beware! unlike other blogs I've read not everything here is silly cheap, the roughly chiseled marketeers have wizened up to the fashionable wares so if you want that sexy 1970's telephone in bright orange you'll be paying for that sexy 1970's telephone in bright orange.

Yet don't let that put you off, the markets are a treat just to visit and walk around. We've found the Treptow Park markets traverse the right amount of fashionable items such as old style chemical jars, radio's and cutlery to the more practical and worn items, such as crummy old shoes, sega master systems and all those Fresh Prince of Bel air series you watched on VHS.

'Handsome Devil' New in store!

2013-03-23T10:43:00.000+01:00

'Handsome Devil' New in store!

Handsome Devil, greeting cards with matching thick flecked brown envelope and protective plastic slip are now available in two styles.

'Handsome Devil' uses repetition and iteration to create an intriguing mix of color and dimension and we are very happy to add this design to our growing range.

Designed & Made in Berlin, Germany, from 300GSM 100% Recycled Paper and Carbon Neutral Printing this card is not only made from top of the range card stock though will also keep up your environmental cred!

A Visit to the Bauhaus Archives

2013-03-21T16:59:00.000+01:00

Surrounded by a moat of gardens and concrete mezzanines the Bauhaus Archives are a little hidden away and worn by time yet the building houses some beautiful, functional and well crafted pieces.

It's a refreshing experience, museums are usually such business-like sanitized excursions yet in the Bauhaus case things are different.

The items are set among their peers, accessible and.... within reach - one could only reach out and before you know it have a Theo van Doesburg adorning your 12-to-a-dorm hostel wall!

Notebooks!!

2013-03-13T15:17:00.000+01:00

Fiiinnnnaaaalllyyy...a Notebook Range!

Happy to say we've released our notebook range!

After a lot of research and head scratching we've settled on a pared back and refined design which is reminiscent of a 50s office aesthetic with a muted grey palette and industrial finish of copper plated saddle stitching.

Designed with quality and utility in mind our Quiet Achiever range of A5 & A6 Notebooks are made from 300 gsm recycled card stock and are inset with 90 gsm off-white recycled paper. They provide an excellent surface for writing on whether you are using a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, pencil or marker.

Designed and made in Berlin, Germany the 'Quiet Achiever' range is both well-made and durable with each notebook being individually controlled and finished by hand.

house plants 2

2013-02-06T14:14:00.000+01:00

Some more greenery from 1. miss moss 2. mr kitly (Anna Varendorff) and 3. contrast. We have four, (yes four!) mini cactuses here which appear to be really quite happy despite phases of neglect/ sporadic overwatering and a complete lack of sun (Berlin…winter). I have newfound confidence in our plant-rearing abilities.

Plastic sneeuwstormbeschermer / Face protection from snowstorms

2013-01-26T14:43:00.001+01:00

Nationaal Archief via flickr

Karte in Vogue girl Korea

2013-01-09T20:36:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year to everyone! Our Can't Buy Me Love and Herringbone cards have just been featured in this beautiful spread in Vogue girl Korea.

Woot! Woot!

If you're in Korea, you can buy them in the wonderful Hpix

Karte in visualMAG

2012-12-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

Online cultural magazine visualMAG from Spain has featured Karte in a round up of Christmas cards for this year, have a look here >

Karte products are available at:

Grey Street

Calle Peu de la Creu, 25

08001 Barcelona, Spain

greystreetbarcelona@gmail.com

Miscellaneous store

2012-12-19T09:00:00.000+01:00

Some nice pictures of our cards over in the Miscellanous Store. Miscellaneous has one of the best ranges of stationery and desk products I've seen - Midori, Kaweco, Roberu, P.A.P. - so many beautiful things!

for those with grey skies

2012-12-18T08:00:00.000+01:00

Daniele Bueti via ladylake

And some music? here >

Hosun Ching, 'Walk in Closet'

2012-12-17T09:00:00.000+01:00

'Walk in Closet' by Hosun Ching via Bloesem. I especially like the handles.

for those who still haven't bought any presents - boys

2012-12-15T18:00:00.000+01:00

1. Kurt Vonnegut: Letters

2. Soapstone ice-cubes for Whiskey. Keep whiskey cold without diluting it.

3. The Bike-owner's Handbook.

4. Gestalten fonts.

5. Kaweco Sport fountain pens

Karte in Couch Magazine

2012-12-12T13:57:00.000+01:00

A big thanks to COUCH magazine for including us in their December issue!

Last chance to enter our christmas competiton

2012-12-07T16:38:00.000+01:00

Our Christmas competition ends tomorrow so now is your last chance if you haven't entered already.

Leave a comment on the competition post here or on our facebook page to enter.

Wishing you a cosy weekend from snowy Berlin!

win a christmas card & wrap pack

2012-11-24T17:26:00.000+01:00

To celebrate our 1st Birthday and the release of our super dooper Christmas range, we're having a little competition!
Three lucky people will each win one of our Christmas card & wrap packs: Snowing in Vesterbro, Just like Christmas & A Scandinavian Christmas. The packs include 8 beautiful greeting cards with flecked brown envelopes and three sheets of matching wrapping wrapping paper.

To enter just leave a comment below or on our facebook page. The competition closes Saturday 10th December at 12pm Central European Time. Winners will be chosen at random Sunday 11th December.

Good Luck!

UPDATE our three lucky winners:

Judy Park (Facebook entry) - wins a Snowing in Vesterbro Pack

Juliana Smirnova (Facebook entry) - wins a Just like Christmas Pack and

Roser Miquel Ortuño (Facebook entry) - wins a Scandinavian Christmas Pack

maybe we could have a christmas tree after all

2012-11-21T07:00:00.001+01:00

Image: teip via kickcanandconkers