Sleepy Bee Studio
Imagine a world where the art of letter writing is flourishing, where cards boast ethereal watercolours and resplendent gold foil, stationery is packaged in luxurious tissue paper and envelopes bear majestic wax seals.
This mecca for stationery-lovers does exist – in the form of Sleepy Bee Studio – nestled in a gorgeous glass-fronted office in a leafy Cambridge garden. The brainchild of Charlie Allen and husband Gavin, Sleepy Bee launched in 2019 to channel the couple’s mutual love of thoughtfully-designed products and promote the creative ritual of writing. Both had previously specialised in design, product development and buying.
Naming their indie business Sleepy Bee, because Charlie is both a ‘busy bee’ and loves naps, they launched with four Cambridge-inspired stationery sets, including Darwin and Stargazer, selling via Etsy and All Saints Craft Market. Within months they had scooped the Best Stationery Design Award at their first trade show at Olympia, as well as amassing orders with indie shops. When Covid hit, the selling focus turned to online – and with locked-down folk suddenly wanting to write letters – Sleepy Bee was inundated with orders. Business has remained buoyant ever since, with a burgeoning range of brilliant products, bespoke stationery and additional luxury collections including Art Deco, Botanical and Abstract Ink.
What makes Sleepy Bee so unique is the brand’s incredible attention to detail, from Charlie’s hand-painted original designs to the personal notes added to each exquisitely-packaged order. To spread the Sleepy Bee love, Charlie runs workshops, including wax seal making, ceramic bauble painting and modern calligraphy, enjoying witnessing the joy that creativity sparks in others.
If you’ve caught the Sleepy Bee bug (we know we have!), you can buy via the brand’s website, locally at indie stores including Freda & Bert at Burwash, and internationally in Kyoto and America!