Spring Newsletter

Subscription boxes, studio update, and summer plans!

Manuscript Quarterly Spring Edition

At the beginning of March we released the 2026 Spring Edition of our stationery subscription box, Manuscript Quarterly. You can still order the Spring box, or put in a pre-order for the Summer Edition which releases June 1. Remember, purchasing an annual subscription gets you a discount! Simply send us an email (manuscriptstudio.va@gmail.com) or give us a call (757-387-9956) and tell us which subscription you’d like to order. We will ship or you can pick up locally.

It’s been over a year since we launched MQ and we are grateful that so many of you have tried out a subscription or gifted one to a friend. We enjoy curating new boxes each quarter for you to experience, from choosing the writing paper and notecards to dreaming up the next “surprise item” to adding the finishing touches of twine and wax seals on each bundle.

Letter writing is not a relic of the past. It is an important and enduring form of communication that brings much more joy and depth to relationships than social media and texting can offer. A handwritten note of encouragement, a personal thank-you for a kindness shown, pouring out your concerns to an understanding friend, even short “Remember to smile today!” lunch box notes for your kids, small things mean the most to others when done intentionally. Plus, your heart shines through your handwriting!

Studio Update

^{Historic Onancock School, 6 College Avenue}

For those who have not heard the news, Manuscript Studio is temporarily being operated out of our home because there was a fire in the Historic Onancock School on January 31. We are extremely grateful that there were no injuries and that the building is still standing! Our studio did not suffer any damage, however, two tenants’ rooms at the other end of the building from us were completely lost to the fire, smoke and soot. Since we all moved out in mid-February, a restoration crew has been on-site 12 hours a day, seven days a week to clean, repair and restore. Check out the HOS website and sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on the progress. We’re all hopeful for a grand reopening sometime mid-summer!

Meanwhile, we are keeping busy in the makeshift home studio. In bookbinding, we’ve added guest books, vow books, and two new binding styles: sewn boards and Bradel. We’re also continuing our services for transcribing handwritten documents and even taking on a few book & paper repair projects! All this while making plans for reopening the retail stationery shop in just a few short months.

Summer Planning

Are you planning any summer excursions? Why not visit Onancock this June for Sail250! Onancock will be hosting the tall ship Lady Maryland the weekend of June 12–14, 2026, as part of the national SAIL250 celebration honoring the United States of America’s 250th Anniversary. It will be a full weekend of things to see and do, highlighting our nation’s founding and the part our local community played in its history. One part of the festivities will be an artisan fair on the town green where many artists and makers, including us, will have booths set up. In addition to handbound books, we’ll have special commemorative 250th anniversary wax seal kits and other colonial-inspired stationery items for sale. We’d love to see you there!