Our Story

Hi, my name is Jen. I am a working registered nurse of over 19 years and founder of LAPIS PAPEL. Since as long as I can remember, I have always used notebooks and paper planners to organize my professional career as well as my personal life. My love for jotting down started way back when I was just a kid doing my homework. My dad – a stickler for neat, clean pages and handwriting because of his time in the US Navy – would tell my brother and I to do our homework first on “scratch paper” and then transfer it neatly to a fresh sheet of paper. In my dad’s mind, this is a way to be neat without showing any evidence of erasing or crossing out mistakes.

The Scratch Paper Lesson

I always thought this was overkill as a child, but today looking back I realize that it taught me a big lesson: Your notebook is you. Your notebook can be messy and imperfect because it’s for you – not for anyone else. You can make mistakes, erase things, cross things out – you don’t have to be perfect. Your notebook should help your life stay organized and non-chaotic, but it’s not going to be perfect because life isn't perfect.

Mastering the Art

For years I have tried and tested various styles of notebooks and planners from a wide range of brands. Among them, I’ve had my favorites, but ultimately, I’ve always felt that none of them offered the exact features I was searching for to fit my specific wants and needs. There always seemed to be something missing or just not quite right.

The experience gained throughout my long journey of trial and error as an analog enthusiast inspired me to finally design my own product, starting with an all-in-one A6 notebook. To get the functionality and versatility I envisioned, it would require the use of multiple notebooks at a time – and for someone like me who also appreciates the value of minimalism and a clutter-free life, this was not an option.

Birth of "The Scratch Notebook"

So that's how the idea for my first design, “The Scratch Notebook” was born. I’ve always wanted a notebook that offers the functionality of multiple notebooks in one. The Scratch Notebook offers exactly that. With its namesake inspired by my dad’s lesson on “scratch paper,” it offers a 3-in-1 design that includes a dot, dot grid, and lined page layout. I thought, finally, this was the notebook that has it all! And what I came to realize is that I’m not alone in my quest to find a product like this.

As nurses, or any type of working professional who needs functional organization, a quality notebook and a pen are essential. LAPIS PAPEL focuses on high-quality, minimalist paper products for the busy life. Our goal is to create designs that provide functionality over flare with a bit of style and class. As my dad always told me as a child: “All you need is your lapis and papel” (pencil and paper in Tagalog).