About
Meticulous Ink is a small, women led team of lovely, diverse, creative folk that really care a lot about creating beautiful, unusual, tactile stationery. If you want to talk about the thickness and texture of paper, you've come to the right place.
Our 1960s presses are what we use to print all our greeting cards, stationery box sets and printed matter that we sell in the tiny shop area of our studio. We also use them to produce bespoke print projects - from business cards and wedding invites to packaging and bookmarks. Behind the counter you can see our printworks, where the machines whirr and breathe. We proudly create bespoke design, and stationery printed the old fashioned way - using beautiful papers, time, patience, and a deep rooted passion for being meticulous. At the very back of the studio we teach our lettering and calligraphy workshops. The space is calm and friendly, full of creative inspiration and tactile, analogue trinkets.
You can find us at the northern end of Walcot Street in the beautiful city of Bath. You are most welcome to visit, where you’ll receive a warm welcome from a stationery enthusiast and may be lucky enough to see our printing presses in action.
Athena
Raised in Norf Landan by a single mum, Athena was always a relaxed, creative soul, and making was a huge part of her childhood. This definitely spills out into Meticulous Ink. Outside of the shop Athena loves to be creative in craft projects - crochet, knitting, painting and upcycling furniture. She is an enthusiastic Lindy Hop Swing dancer and has a black belt in karate.
Meet the Team
Claire
Originally from France and having grown up across Europe and the Middle East, Claire studied Graphic Arts & Design in Leeds before working and studying in Brussels, Prague, Paris and New York and now Bath as an independent lettering artist, typographer and graphic designer. With a long term dream of working in a letterpress print shop, Claire initially joined Meticulous Ink in 2018 as print finisher and is now thrilled to run the printing presses, alongside client artwork, lettering and teaching the brush lettering workshops.
Outside of Meticulous Ink, Claire pursues her freelance lettering and branding projects, loves to doodle letters and occasionally tinkers with her desktop presses. She has trained her 7 year old son as 'printer's devil' and has high hopes her toddler will follow in the same footsteps.
Sammy
Sammy has always loved being creative. After studying Art & Design at college, she gained a BA Hons in Creative Arts with Qualified Teacher Status at Brunel University. Enjoying a career as an Early Years Teacher, working in London, Malaysia and Bath, Sammy was passionate about developing the creative skills of little people! Sammy is now on a new journey studying for a qualification in upholstery at Bristol Upholstery Collective. She was delighted to be able to join Meticulous Ink, having attended one of Athena’s first ever calligraphy workshops. She loves working in a creative environment and believes her work and study complement each other beautifully.
In her spare time you may find Sammy on a ‘piste’! She enjoys playing pétanque, has played at regional level and with her partner organises pétanque events.
Bea
Bea works at front of house serving our lovely customers. She is a traditional artist with an interest in exploring as many art forms as she can get her hands on. Because of her creative career goals she has always been drawn to well crafted and beautiful stationery. Bea also loves Bullet Journaling and customising her notebook with washi tape, stickers, and pretty pen colours! Her favourite product in store is the Ferris Wheel Press ink bottles as they look just like potions.
Once Upon a Time…
Athena had always wanted a business of her own. Though there was a very happy and joy filled childhood it wasn’t exactly wealthy by any means. There was no running hot water at home growing up for example, which at the time just seemed normal and in hindsight seems totally bonkers.
There was a specific memory that impacted me into that desire for my own business. During my early years of secondary school there was a moment where we had no money whatsoever and bailiffs knocking at the door. My father was late with the child support and there was literally no food in the house. I was embarrassed to ask for help and remember feeling hungry and a sense of shame all day. I knew then that I didn’t want to rely on someone else for money. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny and have my own haven of creativity, somewhere I could earn my own wage from. That was the seed of Meticulous Ink.
Skip forward a few years and working many jobs since I was 14, I finished university completing an Arts & Media degree, specialising in Fine Art Print. This got me a job in a private stationer in London, where I was Print Finisher and Consultant. After a year or two I was headhunted by another stationer and realised I must be alright at this! After some negotiation I moved to the new place and they taught me the design programmes and I learned even more about what works and doesn’t in the world of bespoke print.
An initial business selling screen printed t-shirts at Camden market wilted and died while I was working full time at the stationery company. It taught me a lot, not only about running a business but about the time, energy and effort required to make something successful.
It came time to leave London and from some fortuitous life opportunities I had managed to save up a tiny little bit of money. Having always been interested in self improvements books I went deep into thinking about what I wanted for my life, where I’d go and what would come next. It seemed like the right moment to begin something of my own and go all in 100%. I thought logically about the worst thing that could happen if it all went wrong: I’d get a job and pay off my debts. And what the best thing would be if it went right: I’d create a wonderful, creative business that would earn money, make me happy in my soul and I’d be able to make things all day. Sweet!
I began Meticulous Ink with a Business Loan, my life savings and three credit cards (not recommended!). The doors opened on 23rd October 2010.
