Card Shopping

By Jenna Allen

Thanksgiving is this week and soon it will be December. December, for most, is marked by a flurry of parties and feelings of excitement and anticipation for the holidays. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is selecting cards, which I send and give to my friends and family. There are so many unique and attractive options available that it is a difficult and tremendously fun decision to make.

Photo courtesy of crane.com

These are the cards I sent last year. Exotic animals sport antlers on the cover and inside it reads, “This Christmas, play reindeer games.” They are part of kate spade for Crane & Co. Mrs. Spade’s stationery line is whimsical and smart, not to mention downright charming. For instance, she has a card that features, in big colorful block letters the words, “Hope, Peace, Cookies.” She uses atypical color palettes in her holiday stationery (pink, red, blue, gold and green) to create cards and party invitations that are slightly contemporary, slightly mod, and never too fussy or formal.

Photo courtesy of Paper Source

Another favorite place to look for holiday card inspiration is Paper Source. They stock a variety of cards, including everything from moss colored cards embossed with pinecones to red and white cards printed with vivid images of peppermint candy canes. These mitten shaped cards appealed to me because of the unusual color combination and graphic snowflake design on the envelopes. Most of Paper Source’s paper is recycled with 30% post-consumer waste, so you can send cards and still feel good about being eco-friendly.

Photo courtesy of shopinviting

Etsy has a vast number of options, including plenty of handmade and letterpress cards. Some of the stationery sellers that have shops are very creative and are true artists. You can pick up cards that are both affordable and, in some cases, unlike anything you can find in your local stationery store (think embellishments and unusual cutting techniques). Or, if you choose to go a more traditional route, like these simple and elegant letterpress pink snowflake cards, they have plenty of options that fall into that category too.

Photo courtesy of zazzle

Although the USPS is issuing season-appropriate stamps, one of my favorite sites is Zazzle, where you can find a greater array of postage options (literally thousands of holiday-themed stamps) to choose from. Select from postage that has already been designed or customize your own set of stamps. We recently had a client who made custom stamps to coordinate with her wedding invitations. She was so happy with how they turned out and they made for a polished overall look.

Sending hand-written holiday cards is a fun tradition that has not gone out of fashion, despite an internet-dependent society. Cards are a lovely way to remind people that you are thinking about them during one of the busiest times of the year.