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Pressing Issues at the 63rd Annual National Stationery Show - Part I Cheaper by the dozen? Not that I noticed at this year's National Stationery Show (May 17-20, 2009). Even in this economy, the cost of cards and other stationery products seems to be on a par with last year's prices. The same can be said for the appeal of "green" collections. "Green" is no longer a trend: it's a way of production demanded by retailers. And it's not just about recycled paper: it's tree-free paper, soy-based inks and recyclable packaging. You can practically eat the stuff. As for work environments, much of the literature I was handed described work places with a strong commitment to keeping the company's footprint as small as possible. The use of a letterpress to create a luxurious surface continues to be important. I suppose the thinking is if you can't afford an expensive gift, at least the card should have substantial heft. As for color and design, stylized nature themes are strong, as are vintage patterns of the 1950s and 1960s that lean toward sweet flowers, figures etc. Envelopes that contrast with the card or are lined with a contrasting print make the presentation polished. Less important are the boomerang shapes and mod designs seen in earlier shows.
SHOWER INVITATIONS AND THANK YOU NOTES: BONNIE MARCUS COLLECTION Homebase: Westport, CT DESIGNER: Bonnie Marcus Wholesale price points: Minimum opening order: $200; shower invitations and thank you notes: $6.50 for box of 8 cards and envelopes, $8.50 with handpainted sparkles. You loved her watercolor illustrations of chic urbanites when you spotted them on the Daily Candy website and fancy department store bags. Now designer Bonnie Marcus brings her formidable talent to her signature stationery collection. Fans include Cindy Crawford, Angie Harmon, and Marcia Cross, among many others.
Outstanding product: She's got everything from grocery list note pads to multi-cultural cards. Her shower invites and thank you cards are sweet without losing their sophistication - a reflection of the cool mom-to-be. Tel: 203-341-0701 E-mail: Info@bonniemarcus.com
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS: LEMON TREE PAPER Homebase: Memphis, TN DESIGNER: Lindsey Cross Wholesale prices: Boxed sets of 10, $7.50-$8.50; Bulk 100 $65-$75 Somewhere between preppy and funky lies the Lemon Tree Paper style. Cross likes pastel tones with some oomph, familiar imagery such as scrolls, polka dots and stripes, and her own unique illustrations of patterned animals offer plenty of whimsy.
Outstanding product: The 5" x 7" Yellow Baby Bird announcement packs a wallop of color and pattern into the design. Tel: 901-337-3916 E-mail: Sales@lemontreepaper.com
LOVE & LUCK Homebase: Henderson, NV DESIGNERS/FOUNDERS: Alana and Javier Marmanillo Wholesale prices: Minimum opening order: $125; $3 a card Love & Luck designs satisfy the urge for heavy weight, elegantly embossed cards with sophisticated line work and classic colorations.
Outstanding products: The birth announcements for girls and boys depict a charming mother and baby giraffe tableaux in the still and ever popular pink and brown, and blue and brown combinations. Tel: 310-528-4412 E-mail: Landlgreetings@aol.com
PARTY INVITATIONS: FUSION DESIGNS Homebase: Brooklyn, NY DESIGNER: Lee Dillon Wholesale prices: Sour Cherries cards are $9 for 6, $18 for a dozen 5" x 7" cards The fun-loving, totally wonky creatures in Dillion's Sour Cherries collection blend a subtle color palette and love for shaking up stereotypes: pirates, cheerleaders, and even an octopus balanced on (several) skateboards.
Outstanding products: "Open 'em, dude," says the Pushy Cowboy.
The curious feline in Kitty Kraze gets caught in the act. Tel: 718-522-2037 E-mail: Greg@fusiondesignsny.com
MAGINATING Homebase: Los Angeles, CA DESIGNER: Brad Woods "Maginating" is the word owner/designer Brad Woods invented as a child to describe imaginative play. Woods, who's been "maginating" for directors like Steven Speilberg and Tim Burton, now tries his hand at cards to great effect. The clean, simple illustrations have a cinematic mood, as if he captured a single cell of a rollicking kid's cartoon. Each card is tree-free, and all the envelopes contain at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper.
Outstanding product: Birthday Cake Man is ready to dance a happy jig for the lucky birthday girl. Tel: 310-470-3680 E-mail: Maginating@hotmail.com
PEACEABLE HILL PAPERIE Homebase: Ridgefield, CT DESIGNER: Sarah Strader Wholesale prices: $50 minimum order, $5.75 for a box of 8 fill-in invitations The obvious affection Strader feels for her subjects is evident in her charming, delicately rendered illustrations of pull-toys, animals, fairies and any number of animate and inanimate objects.
Outstanding product: Her shower and party invitations, illustrated with storks, gaily wrapped gifts, a dragonfly, etc. Tel: 203-438-1863 E-mail: Paperie@peaceablehill.com
SMOCK LETTERPRESS Homebase: Syracuse, NY DESIGNER: Amy Graham Stigler Wholesale prices: $100 opening order; $7 for box of 6, $2 for single card Each Smock card is sustainably letterpressed on heavy-weight bamboo paper so there's opulence to their look and feel. She works in a two-tone palette with a playful image on the front of the card, and a delicate continuation of the theme on the card's back. The envelopes are lined with a rich contrasting pattern so opening the card is an engaging experience.
Outstanding products: The Bebe and Ducky cards are two elegant ways to announce the arrival of an infant. Tel: 315-703-1669 E-mail: Hello@smockpaper.com
CONGRATULATIONS: HARD CARDS Homebase: Valley Village, CA DESIGNERS/FOUNDERS: Randi Picarelli and Stacey Rifkin Wholesale pricing: Minimum opening order: $150, $1.65-$1.80 per piece depending on amount The owners of Hard Cards believe that life is tough and it won't improve by sending a sappy, insincere message. Their baby cards will appeal to people who see the downside to new parenthood.
Outstanding products: The stationery has a classic ladies calling card appeal. Open the cards and you're hit with messages such as "Congrats on the new baby!" Open it to find: "I look forward to corrupting it." Tel: 323-377-1112 E-mail: Hardcards@gmail.com
BLANKS: PRODUCT SUPERIOR LTD. Homebase: Brooklyn, NY DESIGNERS/FOUNDERS: Jennifer Blanco and John Earles Wholesale prices: Minimum order is $100, price for box of 8 cards and envelopes approximately $9 Nostalgic American design and a subversive wit meld in this line of bold, ecologically friendly cards, notebooks and posters.
Outstanding product: Teenage boys will flip for the Busted Muscle Cars Sets. A set of eight muscle cars - two each of a Chevelle, Mustang, Pantera and a Charger - are shown either front or rear-ended or bursting into flames. The richly colored illustrations are printed on recycled paper using vegetable dyes. Tel: 347-743-7621 E-mail: Jennifer@productsuperior.com
GIFT WRAP: DENISE LYNN STUDIOS Homebase: Edgewater, NY DESIGNER: Denise Lynn Wholesale prices: contact manufacturer; 27" x 19" sheet, two sheets per roll If you love the wonderful swirling prints of the 1950s and 1960s, you'll adore Lynn's designs. They capture the mood of that era without the kitsch, meaning the patterns are more sophisticated and the colors not as jarring.
Outstanding product: There's two: Kids will admire the playful elephant print and the sophisticated palette of red, gold, khaki and light blue.
Ice cream is pale pink, and white and light cocoa, right? Not Lynn's Ice Cream. Here the coral and gold cones line up for a dip in hot fudge. Yum. Tel: 201-889-4860 E-mail: Spirito@deniselynnstudios.com
Originally published June 21, 2009
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