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Posts tagged ‘national stationery show’

May 25

My NYC indulgence on Broadway: American Idiot and In the Heights

Stationery Show Highlights

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.

photo 225x300; Stationery Show Highlights

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
    • GreetingCards OldTomFoolery 1 473; Stationery Show Highlights

    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.

    May 20

    The 2010 National Stationery Show (image courteousy of Miss 'N Nick)

    National Stationery Show 2010

    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

    Stay tuned to the Cardstyle blog for more 2010 Stationery Show updates to come!

    Jun 1

    Matt, Tiffany and Robin
    5 Comments

    Card-licious Party Wrap-Up

    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!

    matt marina and katy 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    Marina, Matt and Katy from Cardstore!

    katy pipo and girl 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    Katy Borden and Pipo Press

    f13 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    The ladies behind february 13 creative

    gift bags 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    The Coveted Gift Bags

    9 spot monk od1 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    9SpotMonk and O+D

    patty and ron 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    Ron Kanfi of Nobleworks and Patti Stracher of GLM

    robin matt and erika 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    Robin, Matt of Cardstore; Erika Firm of Delphine

    marty speech 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    CEO Marty Reed Speaking To A Captive Audience

    matt robin tiffany 300x199; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    Matt, Tiffany and Robin

    cupcakes 199x300; Card licious Party Wrap Up

    Card-licious Cupcakes!

    May 24

    Photography Floral Notecards from Kate Spain

    Garden Flowers and Notecards

    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.

    yellow stigma peony; Garden Flowers and Notecards

    Photography Floral Notecards from Kate Spain

    May 20

    Personalized Lady Jayne Lunch Tote

    Eat Lunch in Style

    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.

    May 20

    Hooray for the Underdog's LOUIE nominated card

    The LOUIEs

    The Cardstore.com team attended the Greeting Card Association’s annual LOUIE awards on Monday.  We were very excited to see that two of our artists, Great Arrow Graphics and Hooray for the Underdog were honored with nominations.  And a HUGE congratulations to Great Arrow Graphics for taking home a LOUIE in the Romance above $3 category!

    picture 0051 300x225; The LOUIEs

    The Cardstore Team with President of Great Arrow Design Alan Friedman at the LOUIEs

    picture 0011 300x225; The LOUIEs

    Great Arrow Graphics- LOUIE nominated Card

    picture 0021 225x300; The LOUIEs
    Hooray for the Underdog’s LOUIE nominated card.

    May 18

    Lilla Rogers and her Amazing Group of Artists

    National Stationery Show Sightings-Day 2

    As our team continued to walk the floor of the National Stationery Show today, we were excited to come across the following Cardstore.com artist booths:

    picture 001 225x300; National Stationery Show Sightings Day 2
    Erika Firm, the creative genius behind Delphine
    picture 002 225x300; National Stationery Show Sightings Day 2
    The Lovely Kate Spain
    picture 003 300x225; National Stationery Show Sightings Day 2
    Lilla Rogers Studio and her Amazing Group of Artists

    May 18

    gray-yellow

    The Colors of 2009

    At the National Stationery Show’s ‘Top Trends for 2009′ seminar given by Sarah Schwartz, the editor-in-chief of Stationery Trends, Sarah went over her ‘colors to covet’ for 2009.  Purple shades, particularly eggplant and lilac shades, are hot.  And since the violet hue, has already been deemed the color of 2010, it looks like purple’s here to stay for the immediate future.  Tish & Tica feature this crowd-pleasing color in their personalized wedding announcements:

    purple 2 300x210; The Colors of 2009

    According to Sarah, orange has a ‘proven track record’, as it has been seen in the market for the past 5-6 years.  Hues of this color range from vibrant citrus similar to the colors used in Anvil’s thank you cards designs, to pale apricot and brown-toned terracotta.  orange 300x210; The Colors of 2009

    Yellow also is a crisp color to watch, and trends are showing it being ‘brought down to earth’ when paired with a neutral gray, as shown in Delphine’s personalized stationery:

    gray yellow 300x210; The Colors of 2009

    And according to Sarah, gray is a neutral to keep your eye on, as it is shaping up to be an ‘aspirational color’, and one that people seem to identify with for its calming characteristics.  Stay tuned for more tips from the Stationery Show!

    May 18

    placemat

    Scribbles and Nibbles

    I came across the cutest personalized placemats at the lipstick shades National Stationery Show booth today.  They have a huge selection of children’s placemats that offer adorable designs that can be personalized with names and initials.  And if you flip over the mats, they contain  games and coloring areas to keep hungry kids busy while they’re waiting for dinner.  The colors are bright and fun, and the mats use washable crayons and are dishwasher safe.  You can even pair the placemats with matching personalized plates.  What a great gift idea for kids!

    May 18

    School Agenda

    Perfect Gift for the Mom-in-Chief

    With a mother of young children in the White House, it seems like moms are getting a little extra love and attention for all the things they do.  And that’s been evident at the National Stationery Show as well.  I came across the handiest planners perfect for the organized mom.These ‘Momagendas‘ have calendars with space for mom’s schedule and lines for up to 4 separate kids on the same page.  What a handy way to manage multiple schedules!  They come in weekly daily formats, as well as annual and school year versions.   They come in super stylish colors like cherry, tangerine, and trendy purple.  What a great back-to-school gift for the active moms in your life!

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