FROM LEFT : The Newport-based headquarters ; examples of Little Notes and notepads ; sisters Ali Flippin and Jenni Laundon with their cousin Emily Roberts look over some colorful designs .
Paper Dreams
E . Frances Paper , a local boutique paper company , sells greeting cards that mix fine art painting with adorable characters . By Carmen Russo
Inside a chicly renovated car garage with a twenty-foot skylight painted to match the color of the Newport bridge sits the Newport-based headquarters of E . Frances Paper . The business is spearheaded by three working moms who break up the work day with impromptu dance parties . They also might be found roller skating through the inventory aisles . Their greeting cards and paper goods are just as fun as they are .
Founded in 2013 by sisters Ali Flippin and Jenni Laundon , along with their cousin , Emily Roberts , E . Frances Paper is a line of greeting cards , notepads and assorted paper goods that use whimsical characters and splashy watercolors to spread positive messages with a clever voice . Their best-selling Little Notes come in a box of eighty-five and are meant to be used “ unsparingly ” for everything from lunch box notes to to-do lists . Cards for all occasions are illustrated with fun designs like coffee cups hugging , a polar bear doing ballet and even an elephant on roller skates . In a new line released for Mother ’ s Day , one card is emblazoned with a “ mommy clock ” that is split in half by coffee time and wine time .
As the creative director , Flippin is inspired by her family , children ’ s books , color palettes and fashion . Using watercolors to give the cards a unique look , she strives to express
special sentiments and feelings using charming illustrations . After developing a love for art throughout her childhood , Flippin received a degree in fine art and fashion design from Massachusetts College of Art , where she also taught fashion illustration . When she began designing wedding invitations for family members , she was inspired to create greeting cards and make a career out of her longtime passion for design .
“ We grew up with little pieces of paper taped everywhere with [ Ali ’ s ] designs ,” says Laundon , director of sales at E . Frances . “ This is all her talent and we just get to revel in her artwork .”
Laundon lovingly describes her sister ’ s illustrations as “ prute ,” a mix between pretty and cute . While Flippin executes the design work , the creative process is shared by all three women . They often find inspiration for cards during their everyday conversations and collaborate to bring their ideas to life . Roberts likes to say that the company has three brains .
During the pandemic , E . Frances Paper released a “ socially distant ” line of postcards to be shared among faraway family and friends . Flippin , Laundon and Roberts say they hope to bring people together with messages that can be cherished and saved forever , unlike an email that gets deleted or a text that is never looked at again . Greeting card sales spiked during COVID and the women of E . Frances say they ’ re happy to think about the joy that is spread when someone receives a beautifully made greeting card in the mail .
“ We ’ re on track for selling over a million cards a year . That ’ s over a million recipients a year ,” says Roberts . “ When you think about it like that , it ’ s the best feeling ever .” efrances paper . com �
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF E . FRANCES PAPER .
24 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY 2021