Celebrating One Year of Paperly with Gower Vintage

A Milestone Worth Marking

Paperly began as a small idea: to share the beauty of handmade and specialty papers with people who love creating. In just twelve months, that seed has grown into a community of artists, crafters, and designers who use our papers in the most imaginative ways. As we celebrate our first birthday, we are also delighted to launch Paperly.uk, a website dedicated to bringing you our growing collection of handmade mulberry sheets, marbled designs, and digital downloads.

This anniversary is more than a business milestone. It is about creativity, transformation, and the people who bring our papers to life. To mark the occasion, we want to shine a light on one of those people: Ruth Humphreys, the maker behind Gower Vintage, whose work with Paperly paper captured exactly what we stand for.

Meet Ruth

Ruth lives on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales with her husband, three daughters, and much-loved dog, Sadie. Her career began in Fashion and Footwear before moving into Graphic Design, but her real love has always been vintage. From an early age she spent weekends with her dad rummaging through car boot sales and charity shops, discovering treasures that others had overlooked.

That passion for second-hand finds grew into Gower Vintage, the business she founded more than six years ago. Ruth now specialises in rescuing old furniture that might otherwise be thrown away and turning it into something worth cherishing. Every piece she works on tells a story of revival and reinvention.

Follow Ruth’s work here:

• Instagram: @GowerVintage

• Facebook: Gower Vintage

• Etsy Shop: Gower Vintage on Etsy

A Winning Transformation

To celebrate Paperly’s first birthday we invited makers to share their projects using our papers. Ruth’s entry stood out immediately. She had been commissioned to update a simple white chest of drawers, with a brief from her client to make it “gold, green and glamorous.”

Her approach was thoughtful and meticulous. The piece was cleaned and sanded before the top and sides were painted in deep black Frenchic paint. For the drawer fronts, Ruth turned to Paperly’s hand-marbled mulberry paper in teal, turquoise, and gold. A design she first discovered in our Etsy shop. Using spray glue, she secured the paper smoothly across each drawer front, then edged them with touches of gold leaf. Crystal handles were added to complete the look.

The finished chest was elegant, dramatic, and full of character. The once-ordinary drawers had been completely transformed into something luxurious and personal. Her client was thrilled, and we couldn’t have been more proud that Paperly paper played a role in the transformation.

Why Handmade Papers Make the Difference

Ruth’s project shows what handmade paper brings to a piece. Mulberry fibres make the sheets strong but flexible, allowing them to sit smoothly on furniture without tearing. Marbled designs introduce movement and colour that simply can’t be replicated with mass-produced papers. And because no two sheets are identical, every project has its own character and depth.

For Ruth, and for so many makers, handmade paper is more than a decorative finish, it is a way to add personality, authenticity, and a touch of craftsmanship to everyday objects.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

The past year has been full of learning, growth, and connection. From our early days on Etsy to now having our own dedicated website, Paperly has been shaped by the makers who choose our papers. We have seen them used for lampshades, sculptures, collages, and of course, furniture restorations like Ruth’s. Each project reminds us why we do this: because every sheet of paper holds the possibility of transformation.

The launch of Paperly.uk feels like the beginning of a new chapter. It will make it easier to explore our collections, order papers directly, and discover new designs. But above all, it will continue to be a space where creativity comes first.

The Joy of Transformation

As we celebrate our first year, we want to thank everyone who has supported Paperly, whether by following along, ordering papers, or sharing your own creations. Ruth’s project with Gower Vintage is the perfect example of what is possible: a piece saved from landfill, transformed into something extraordinary, and made even more special through the use of handmade paper.

We are excited to see what the next year holds.

Shop Paper today and explore our collection of handmade, hand marbled and specialty papers, and let them inspire your next creative project.

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Credit: Ruth Humpfreys