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Making our VISTA Paper Notebooks from sustainable Lokta bark in the Himalayas

  

Our VISTA notebooks are handmade from Nepalese lokta paper, which is made from the fibrous inner bark of the Lokta bushes, evergreen wild shrubs found at high elevation instead: altitudes in the Himalayan region between 1600-4000m high.

   

Paper Making in Bhaktapur

The lokta paper has been used for centuries in Nepal, known for its durability and resistance to tearing, with the earliest surviving document being the ‘Karanya Buha Sutra’ Buddhist text, estimated at between 1000-1900 years old! So it has been the preferred choice for official government records and sacred religious books for centuries in Nepal.  
This is a sustainable material as the lokta bush regenerates after the bark is harvested for paper use- in protected areas, to maintain the Himalayan eco systems.  The harvesting of the bark and the production of the pulp provides jobs for Nepali people in rural hill communities. The product is then supplied to small ‘cottage industry’ producers mainly in Kathmandu, like our producer Bharat and his team.

Bharat (above) is a whizz at producing our notebooks –  When I was last in Nepal, I had a go at making one, which caused a few laughs in the workshop!  It was all agreed I should stick to the designing and leave the makers to making! The paper is printed with our Himalayan vista design and covered on cardboard to make A5 and A6 sizes.   Have a look at the beautifully finished VISTA notebooks on our website here.

Laura Queening
Designer
AURA QUE

 

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