I’ve gone to a lot of trade shows over the years, but the National Stationery Show (NSS) is my favorite. What makes this show special are the stationery artists themselves. It is a kick to experience their creativity, and as a group, stationery folk are the nicest people you will ever meet. And… you can’t beat the location in NYC! Great food, Central Park, and half-price Broadway shows like American Idiot and In the Heights. Ah, that’s the way to travel.
What were the Show Highlights for me this year?
First, the mood at the show was noticeably more upbeat. Although the show floor seems smaller than in years past, it held strong at 900 exhibitors and 11,000 attendees. Most artists said sales to retailers were going very well.
Second, letterpress artists continue to impress with their compelling alternatives to mass-market greeting cards. There are 100s of amazing artists, with my favorite new greeting card lines coming from Hammerpress, Hello!Lucky, and Delphine Press, (check out the blog reviews and photos of these new lines at PoppyTalk and Oh So Beautiful Paper)
Third, it is refreshing to see modern humor cards that are witty yet not mean-spirited. Every year it seems more “shock-value” cards hit the market, nevertheless, it is awesome to see design and sweet humor still expertly played. My favorite in this genre is Old Tom Foolery, and their new Headlines Collection of newspaper-style greeting cards
Old Tom Foolery - Winner of Stationery "Trendies" and Louie Awards
There are many comprehensive blog reviews of the Stationery Show, complete with stunning pictures. Check them out!
Design*Sponge
Oh So Beautiful Paper
Papercrave
Poppytalk
simple+pretty
A Baby’s Eye View of the Stationery Show by Albertine Press – cutest show recap ever!
Old Tom Foolery image courtesy of the artist and Stationery Trends Magazine annual awards, The Trendys.
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The Cardstore.com team just returned from a whirlwind week at the 2010 National Stationery Show, where we visited our many artists exhibiting at the show, scoured the aisles for the newest card trends and trendsetters, and threw a pretty hoppin’ dinner party if we do say so ourselves.
The scene: the Javits Convention Center in NYC
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Matthew and Elizabeth of Sweet Letter Press, with Katy from Cardstore (middle)
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The 2010 National Stationery Show (image courteousy of Miss ‘N Nick)
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Pam and Betsy of February13 Creative
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Tami of TamTam Design
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Alan of Great Arrow Graphics & myself
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Laurie and Carrie of Two Trick Pony
Stay tuned to the Cardstyle blog for more 2010 Stationery Show updates to come!
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Today the Cardstore.com team had fun looking at the photos from our National Stationery Show Card-licious Cupcake and Champagne reception. The reception was a big success, with over 100 attendees. At the party, Cardstore introduced new Wedding Invitations by Delphine, Personal Cards by february 13 creative, and a sneak peek at our 2009 Winter Holiday Cards featuring over 30 artists.
After a long day at the show, it was fun to indulge in delicious cupcakes and champagne with friends old and new. All the Cardstore folks loved catching up with the artists behind our favorite card designs. We also enjoyed watching the artists mix and mingle with each other — seeing creative minds interact is always incredible and I could almost feel a happy cloud of creativity hovering over the party.
After lots of laughing, eating and drinking, everyone went home with not only a sugar rush from all the treats, but also with gift bags of goodies ranging from gourmet cupcake mix to personalized thank you cards. Thanks to everyone who attended the party, we hope you had as much fun as we did!
Marina, Matt and Katy from Cardstore!
Katy Borden and Pipo Press
The ladies behind february 13 creative
The Coveted Gift Bags
9SpotMonk and O+D
Ron Kanfi of Nobleworks and Patti Stracher of GLM
Robin, Matt of Cardstore; Erika Firm of Delphine
CEO Marty Reed Speaking To A Captive Audience
Matt, Tiffany and Robin
Card-licious Cupcakes!
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After a high energy week at the National Stationery Show, many of us are enjoying reconnecting with our families this weekend. Our CEO Marty went to Tahoe and chased his kids around the beach. Our Creative Director Katy headed off to Scotland to visit her mom. I, however, decided to be a total homebody and catch up on my garden. Here is one of my favorite flowers now blooming – the Alstroemeria, or Peruvian Lily.
Occasionally, I’ll take my favorite floral shots and turn them into photo cards at Cardstore. I also like to stock up on these all-occasion floral notecards from Kate Spain.
Photography Floral Notecards from Kate Spain
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I came across the cutest personalized lunch totes at the National Stationery Show. They’re part of the Lady Jayne collection and can be customized with your initial. There’s even a pouch for silverware! What a stylish and eco-friendly alternative to a plain brown paper bag.
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