Yee-Haw Industries get things done the old-fashioned way. This is characterized not only by their antique letterpress prints and stationary, but also by their online store, which is (for lack of better words) kind of ghetto. That’s OK, though, because nothing can keep me away from good-looking paper products, and the set of cards I just got from Yee-Haw make up for a lot more than an iffy web page. Kevin Bradley and Julie Belcher founded the Knoxville-based company in 1996, and ever since then they have been spreading their heavy-stock, expertly letterpressed products around the nation. Famous for their promotional posters, invitations, and their nearly constant appearance in the pages of PRINT Magazine’s Regional Design Annual, Yee-Haw have also done fine illustration and design for things like The Wall Street Journal, MTV2, and Cartoon Network.

So, yeah, you’d think that with such a thick portfolio their online store would be up for some awards, too… but it’s not, and that’s fine, and you should check it out anyway; getting mail (the real kind) is nice, and especially nice when it’s a card from Yee-Haw.

Remarkable, a UK-based recycled product company, makes fun stuff out of old CDs, tires, and juice boxes. Oh, and about anything else they can get their hands on — because the creative crew at Remarkable will stop at nothing when it comes to reusing products.

Essentially started as a experiment in turning a plastic cup into a pen, the now decade-old company follows the goal of “creating recycled items that are well-designed, great quality and a joy to own.” By “a joy to own,” I assume they’re referring to the type of products they lean towards creating — namely, brightly colored school supplies. Remarkable’s notebooks, pencil cases, mouse pads and rulers all refer to their original state with playful statements doodled across their fronts; a friendly reminder of their humble beginnings and optimistic rebirths. Aside from the personal satisfaction I’d get from supporting a company like this, I have a hunch that a ruler inscribed with “I used to be polystyrene packaging” could really help steer the conversation away from my deteriorating math skills — so next time I need some earth-friendly office accessories, I’ll be heading here to score some car-part pens, juice-box notebooks, and video-cassette pencils.

This is why I love Capitalism. (1) See a niche, (2) fill that niche, (3) sell the thing that fills the niche on the internet. It really couldn’t be simpler.

The people at Genius Pad have mastered that formula. They have a product that’s so obvious it will make you smack yourself for not thinking of it first, and having a Genius Pad around the house is worth at least the $12 they’re charging for one. Basically, a Genius Pad is a very large post-it note (12 inches/30cm square). It’s the same yellow color as a post-it, and it’s got the same adhesive back thing going on. The difference is just the size and, more importantly, what all the extra space allows for. With a Genius Pad, ‘be back at 8′ becomes ‘I’ll be back at eight. I just ran out to buy batteries and get a haircut. When I get back you’d better have your shit packed and out of my house.’ Or maybe you could just write ‘GET OUT’ in really big letters. Either way, you know it’s going to be more fun to have a bigger piece of paper. Cop your own Genius Pad at Arash and Kelly in the UK, and Megasticky in the US.

–Dan Steckenberg

In January of 2006, after eight years as an art director and stylist, Maria Vettese was finally ready to chase down her dream of the hands-on creative pursuit for which she was truly passionate. After transitioning from city life to a quieter one in Portland, Maine, Maria turned to her background in small book publishing and typography and began Port 2 Port Press, a small letterpress studio specializing in small-batch, one time only prints. Maria’s unique artistic interpretations of the beauty in everyday life provide the inspiration for the charming stationary that she prints by hand, and her focus on keeping the company small allows her time to work on custom orders for her dedicated fans. Port 2 Port’s latest development is the photographs & prints project, a pairing of one idea, five photographs, and one letterpress print into monthly offerings of limited edition sets that Maria sells via her Etsy boutique. You can grab a set of three of her cards for $12 — a great price for letterpress stationary — and if you find yourself wanting more, you can even join The Card Society, a two-a-month subscription club that will keep you in pretty correspondence for up to a year.

Via design*sponge