Card and Gift Blog

Blog of the Week: Best Years' Blog ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

This week's blog recommendation for my card and gift related 'Blog of the Week' is the fabulous blog by Best Years.

For those who have not come across Best Years, the company is 'Europe's leading wholesaler of knitted and fair trade crochet toys'. I've featured their fabulous toys on the blog before (they have such an adorable collection) but I thought it was about time that I pointed out the Best Years' blog. I've visited the blog again and again over the last few months; I always find it to be an interesting read and very informative. The Best Years' blog covers a wide variety of topics; from product updates and news, to advice and inspiration for fellow sellers, retailers and consumers. I love that unexpected, but always interesting selection of posts. It's nice to see not just the sneak peeks at the new ranges, but also behind the scenes. A lot of hard work and globe trotting goes into sourcing every single one of the toys and I love that Best Years is incredibly vigilant; ensuring the people and factories producing the toys are working to the highest standards and taking good care of their employees.

Click here to take a look at the Best Years' blog. I look forward to hearing what you think!

Artistic Gift Ideas from Eggnogg ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Today is dedicated to a collection of fun products for kids, direct from Eggnogg. Inspired by the requests of her own young children, asking for her to draw images they could colour-in, Eggnogg chief Kate Edmunds has created a diverse collection of colour-in gifts including: tablecloths, place mats, bunting, wall posters, pocket books and postcard books. Each product is crammed with Kate's quirky illustrations; with themes such as seaside, teatime and puzzle. I love the modern twist of these products; Eggnogg has developed a range of gifts that offer more interest and interactivity than the classic colouring-in book. As a gift idea, the colouring-in products are perfect for encouraging an artistic streak through creative play. I also think they would work well at a party, brightening up the table, keeping the kids entertained and filling the party bags too!

Eggnogg products are available to buy online from their NOTHS store. The colouring-in collection contains designs for boys and girls, with prices starting from just £4.99. To find out more about Eggnogg you can also visit their website.

Love London - Greeting Cards from Five Dollar Shake ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

At the start of the year, I published a brief blog post looking at the trends emerging in the world of greeting cards and gifts (click here if you missed it); attempting to figure out what 2012 may bring. One of the big trends I mentioned at the time focused on British themes and particularly the great city of London. This was demonstrated with a beautiful greeting card from Five Dollar Shake. Well, a few weeks have passed and I think it is about time that we took a proper look at the range. The collection is called 'Love London' and comprises a wide selection of cards for all occasions, covering everything from new babies to anniversaries and birthdays. Each design is peppered with the iconic skylines and landmarks; celebrating our capital city with a touch of luxury and heap of glitter ...

As with every Five Dollar Shake greeting card, the Love London collection is created with huge amounts of care and attention to detail. The last image is a close up from one of the designs, which shows the high-quality, patterned board and lashings of glitter that make the London landmarks shimmer and sparkle.

Five Dollar Shake greeting cards are available from stockists nationwide, with the Love London range retailing at about £3.20 per design (prices will vary between retailers). To find out more about this collection and other Five Dollar Shake products visit their website.

Laura Sherratt Designs - Chirpy Chums ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Last Tuesday I headed down to London, for the first trade show of the year, Top Drawer Spring. It's been a few years since I last exhibited at, or visited Top Drawer and it was nice to be back in the familiar surroundings of Earls Court with a great gathering of the UK's best designers. There were hundreds of exhibitors showing thousands of new products; I had a great day browsing and over the next few weeks I intend to show you a lot of the amazing designs I saw.

I'm starting the process today with a new greeting card range launched at Top Drawer by Laura Sherratt Designs. Laura has many beautiful ranges of greeting card designs and the stand look so pretty with the whole collection on show. The new addition for 2012 is called 'Chirpy Chums; a set of delightful designs for birthdays, featuring the cutest patterned owls and embellished with shiny gems.

Laura's greeting cards are handmade in the UK and are available to view and purchase online at the Laura Sherratt Designs website. Chirpy Chums is a collection of 20 designs, retailing at £3.50 each. If you like what you've seen today, visit the website to find out more.

Owls are a favourite theme in the world of greeting cards and gifts - must be the big eyes and wisdom! If you want to see more examples check out my 'Owls, Owls, Owls' Flickr album.

Blog of the Week: Sage & Time Designs Blog ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Sage & Time Designs is a custom-stationery business run by Designer Shannon Hernandez, creating a wide variety of vibrant stationery designs bursting with colour and pattern. I met Shannon in the modern, virtual way via Twitter; from the tweetosphere I was directed first to her website and subsequently to her blog. Shannon's blog celebrates 'crafty happenings from Brooklyn' and gives insight and inspiration into the production of bespoke stationery products. For me, an interest in all things craft-related goes 'hand in hand' with an interest in greeting cards and gifts. The art of creating something cool, interesting or pretty is at the heart of both crafts and designing greeting cards and gifts. The blog appears to be quite new but there is already a handful of posts from January and so I look forward to seeing how the blog develops in the next few months. My last little 'thumbs up' for this week's blog choice is for the giveaway currently running, who doesn't like a giveaway! Comprising vouchers and stationery gifts direct from Sage & Time Designs, the giveaway ends on February 1st, 2012, so get your skates on and head over to the Sage & Time Designs blog to find out more.

Fun, Humourous Greeting Cards From Frank ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Today's blog post is a collection of fun, humorous greeting cards all the way from Lafayette, Indiana. From Frank is created by Kate Smith, with a little help from, you guessed it, her fab French Bulldog, Frank. The collection was inspired by Frank's humorous, human-like behaviour; when combined with Kate's talent for vocalising his thoughts, a collection of quirky greeting cards was born. Frank's main goal in life is to make people smile, and it's this simple idea that is at the forefront of each of the card designs. Frank's ambitions are becoming a reality as the cards spread through retailers across the USA and I think it's only a matter of time before Frank goes global. Alongside the cute, funny phrases; I love the collage style of the cards, using photos, sticky tape and dymo-like label text - take a look ...

The full From Frank collection can be seen online and comprises 50 designs that cover a wide variety of occasions, from traditional birthdays and engagements to special designs intended simply to cheer people up on a bad day. Currently From Frank greetings cards and available to trade customers; more information can be found on the From Frank website. For consumers the cards retail at $3.25, and a full list of stockists can be seen on the From Frank website.

Ten Top Stationery Designs from Cow & the Moon Paper Co ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Today's blog post is ten stylish and sleek stationery designs direct from Canada's Cow & the Moon Paper Co (named after a fateful encounter with the nursery rhyme). Behind the designs is Kelly Linhares, a former Graphic Designer and Retail Marketing professional that launched Cow & the Moon Paper Co back in 2009. Carefully balancing a newborn and a sketchpad, Kelly developed a flexible collection of stationery including: notecards, thank you cards, invitations, greeting cards and 'itty bitties'. A Cow & the Moon Paper Co speciality, itty bitties are mini cards for topping flowers and gifts - a sweet way to top a special present. With a particular interest in paper products, Kelly ensures all the designs are made with papers that feel as good as they look; as well as being 100% recycled to help protect the environment. I love the modern simplicity of the designs and the rich colours that are utilised throughout the collection, take a look and see what you think ...

Individual cards are priced at $2.99 each; packs of ten cards, such as thank you cards and invitations are $10.99 and the cute itty bitties are $0.99 each (prices are in American Dollars). To see more from Cow & the Moon Paper Co please take a wander over to their website, complete with online shop.

Luxury Greeting Cards from Valerie Valerie ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

When I was thinking about what to blog about today, the idea came that it would be nice to start the week with a touch of luxury. So let's cast aside any Monday morning blues and the cold, frosty UK weather ... this afternoon is dedicated to a beautiful collection of cards from independent publisher Valerie Valerie. Approaching their first anniversary as a limited company, Valerie Valerie specialise in luxurious, hand-finished and handmade greeting cards. Today's images are from the exquisite 'Topiary' collection; a set of eight birthday cards with intricate topiary patterns. Printed in delicate shades, on a high-quality, textured board; the designs feature bright spots of colour in the form of hearts, birds and apples hidden among the foliage. As a final extra special touch, each card is embellished with a one of a kind, hand-painted Valerie Valerie heart.

Valerie Valerie currently supply directly to the trade, and can be found in retailers across the UK, as well as in Australia and Hong Kong. The 'Topiary' range featured in today's blog post retails at £2.99. Trade folks can see all the cards shown today, and many more at Spring Fair - Stand 4FF61. If you can't wait, or won't be visiting the UK next month, why not check out the Valerie Valerie website to see more.

Blog of the Week: Blue Eyed Sun Blog ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

This week's pick for 'Blog of the Week' is the Blue Eyed Sun Blog. Along with a sparkling new website, Blue Eyed Sun has added the cool new blog to their growing online presence. I've chosen to point you towards this particular blog today because I think we can firmly place it in the 'one to watch' category. Currently exhibiting at the Top Drawer trade show in London, Blue Eyed Sun is this year celebrating their tenth anniversary in the industry. Those ten years translate to a wealth of expertise and insider knowledge that I am sure will come out time and time again in the new blog. Initial posts show a mix of product news, company updates and trade industry information; the posts contain huge bright pictures (sure to pull in card fans) and balanced, informative text. To take a look for yourself, click here. I hope you enjoy today's blog choice, please let me know what you think in the comments.

If you would like to nominate a card or gift related blog for 'Blog of the Week', email me the details at mail@cardandgiftblog.com

Made with Love Designs -

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

As I mentioned in last week's blog post previewing 2012 trends (click here if you missed it) all of the high-profile events such as the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee are putting a huge focus on London and British themes; this is translating to lots of fabulous 'British-inspired' design and a celebration of iconic British themes on card and gift products. Today's post is a look at how UK-based, Made with Love Designs is using the union jack as the central theme within their online shop - first in a range of handmade greeting cards, and secondly in a collection of fabulous French Furniture.

The first images are from the 'God Save the Queen' birthday card collection. The classic union jack, recreated in a delightful selection of colours, hand-tied with a co-ordinated satin ribbon and printed with a punk-inspired typeface. Each design is printed to order in the colourway of your choice and can be fully personalised to include the name of the birthday boy or girl.

New to the Made with Love Designs online store is a boudoir section of fabulous French furniture including the unique and funky 'Union Jack' range. These statement furniture pieces are high quality and cool British style, which would make an extra special homeware gift for a loved one. Already a favourite of Vogue, each item is made with a luxurious Union Jack material, studding and a solid frame with antique paint finish.

Featured Items: 'God Save the Queen' cards are £4.50 or alternatively can be purchased as a boxed birthday card for £6 each. From the 'Union Jack' collection: Queen Anne chair, £295; Child's Chair, £160; Dining Chair, £250 and Footstool, £95.

To find out more about any of the items shown today please check out the Made with Love Designs website, you can click here to take a shortcut straight there.

Fabulous Cards & Stationery by boygirlparty ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Born and raised in Chicago, Susie Ghahremani is the designer behind the fabulous boygirlparty. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Susie's artwork combines her love of animals, nature, music and patterns. The boygirlparty online store has a vast array of brilliant card and gift products. Today's post is a small selection of greeting cards and stationery. In each of the designs, high quality production is combined with Eco-friendly materials and processes; products use recycled cardstock whenever possible and there is even soy ink printing amongst the collection. I love the care, attention and detail that has gone into each of the boygirlparty products; demonstrated in greeting cards with specially rounded edges (to add a retro touch) and journals that have illustrations continued to the inside pages.

Featured Items: Musical Card Set, (a deluxe set of 18 cards for a variety of occasions) $15; Sweet Note cards (set of 10), $12; Birthday Sandwich Card, $2.95; Cat Piano Birthday Card, $2.95; Bow Tie Cat To-Do List, and Reading Octopus To-Do List, (50 sheets printed on recycled parer) $8 each; Clear Skies Eco Journal (224 pages, full colour) $11 and Treetops Journal, (192 pages, full colour), $10. The last image is an example of the inside pages of one of the full colour journals.

To see or purchase any of these items, and find out more about boygirlparty check out the fabulous website.

p.s. Today's photos were taken by Renée Chartier for boygirlparty

Illustrated Cards & Stationery ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Kid with Camera was set up by Illustrator Matt Greenwood in Grimsby, England, as an outlet for expressing a passion for creating products that other people could enjoy. The result is a collection of affordable stationery, greetings cards and photographic prints with a unique style and spirit that is sure to make people smile. In today's post I have selected to show a few of the quirky birthday cards on offer, as well as my personal favourite from the Kid with Camera online shop - some charming hand-illustrated notebooks. See what you think ...

Featured items: Individual greeting cards, priced at £1.45 each; also available as a multipack of five cards for £6.00. The hand-drawn notebooks are £3.99 each or take advantage of the bargain price of £5.50 for a set including both designs. To see more from Kid with Camera take a look at the online shop.

Blog of the Week: Jane Foster Blog ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Time to dedicate the first 'Sunday Blog Spot' of the New Year. For readers new to the blog, every Sunday I point the way to a blog that I love. The only real qualifier (apart from being brilliant, in my humble opinion) is that the blog should be in someway connected to the world of cards & gifts.

Today's choice is the Jane Foster Blog, perfect viewing for a Sunday afternoon. There's tonnes of amazing, bright pictures including previews of Jane's work; a fabulous collection of toys and screenprints, which are sold through Jane's Etsy shop. The blog also showcases a heap of Jane's fabric prints and vintage fabric finds. I'd love to be good at finding beautiful vintage items but I've never quite got the hang of it - I think it must take amazing patience, which I just don't seem to possess! The Jane Foster Blog allows me to live vicariously in a vintage world full of bright patterns and super style; as well as keep an eye on the amazing new products Jane creates. To take a peek for yourself click here.

Card & Gift Trends for 2012 ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

As promised, we're ending the working week at Card & Gift Blog with a quick look at one of two of the trends expected in 2012. I'll be elaborating on each of these trends, and many more, as they develop throughout the year but hopefully today will get us excited and on the lookout for trends as they hit the shops, websites and fairs.

Back in September last year the lovely Sara Prebble at Squashed Rainbows was kind enough to interview me for her blog, and asked me about trends that I had seen emerging for the gift industry in 2012. You can read the whole interview here if you wish, and below is the extract that relates specifically to trends.

There are a number of trends that have been predicted for 2012, covering everything from 'clouds', to 'technology', to 'voyages', to 'futurism' to 'cinematic'. I have been starting to see gift items that relate to all of these but the biggest trends that I'm starting to see more and more of revolve around 'British' and 'Nostalgic' trends. With events such as the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee due in 2012 there is a lot of focus on 'British' inspired gifts. The union jack trend that has been around for a few years is being carried forward with new variations and iconic 'British' designs of stamps, taxis, bulldogs and telephone boxes are all being incorporated into designs. The focus on London that these events will bring has also brought all things London into the mix. The 'Nostalgic' trend is fairly adaptable, mixing with the 'British' trend it can incorporate sentimental tones, using vintage inspired artwork, designs and quotes. With 'cinematic' trends the nostalgia comes from the glamour of the fifties and the continuing love for the Mad Men style. The handmade market is also using nostalgia with 'upcycling', utilising the trend as products are created mixing 'old and new'.

A few months on as new products are being unleashed these trends are starting to surface and hit the shops more and more. Here in the UK, London in particular is at the forefront of the British-inspired trends. As the primary location for major events including the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee; as well as home to iconic British design on every street. Let's take a look at some pictures of London and British themed cards and gifts ...

If you're in the UK, you will have no doubt seen the official Olympic mascots in the shops and supermarkets. I took the snap above a few months ago. I'd seen the standard mascot but this was something new, an Olympic mascot with historical British twist.

Words of Art in conjunction with the Sandringham Estate have created an exquisite collection of greetings cards to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Designs are based on items from the Queen's personal jewel collection; above is a close up of the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara. (I'll be showing more from this collection in the coming weeks).

Nancy & Betty's 2012 collection has some cool cards that add a modern twist on nostalgic British themes. Above is a sample of the collection with British design and a little bit of monarchy inspired card goodness.

Pango Productions has added their own brand of cute to the iconic British doubledecker with this adorable desk calendar.

Five Dollar Shake has created a sumptuous 'Love London' collection of greetings cards. Glittery and sparkly they make the London skyline look gorgeous.

Made with Love Designs has added a handmade touch to the Union Jack, with colour schemes for men and women, you can personalise the flag to suit your style or mood.

As you can probably tell the London and British trends are the big thing that I am seeing everywhere at the moment, but I do quickly want to mention the 'cinematic' trend, which is all about celebrating Americana. I first saw this trend last year in the retro greetings cards of Pennychoo, that featured classic American cars, and then just yesterday this month's Vogue was delivered to my door and I saw the Prada Handbag shown below (sorry about the slightly dodgy photo, there's no light here at all today). I think this is a sure sign that we'll be seeing more and more Americana.

Ahead of the pack with the Americana trend Pennychoo's 2011 collection also had a range called ~~Vintage Ink~~ Fairground (see below). I'm not sure if this fits in with the cinematic /Americana trend (I'm sure retro fans can advise on this) but the reason I bring it up now is that in the last couple of weeks I keep hearing the word 'tattoo' being used with new ranges of cards; this is something I'm going to investigate and report back on, but please do get in touch if you have any insights ... Is this cinematic? Are tattoo-inspired cards and gifts going to be their own micro-trend?

Throughout the year I'll be looking at the trends mentioned today and the ones that I've had to temporarily overlook for fear of this blog post was approaching war and peace length. I'll also be looking at the trends in textures, patterns and colour palettes that pop up in the card and gift market. I am particularly interested to see how the fashion industry's focus on pastel translates to the card and gift industry; a press release I received earlier from AK-LH showed me that they've added these fab new pastel cushions to their collection. On a similar note will we be seeing Pantone's colour of the year Tangerine Tango making an appearance?

If you have products that fit in with any of the trends above, or want to add your trend to the mix please get in touch by emailing me.

Card & Gift Blog's New Year Resolutions ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I mentioned earlier in the week that I was going to put together some New Year Resolutions for the blog, and so in a departure from the normal gallery posts (look at the pretty & cool cards and gifts) today is a quick focus on how I'm hoping to improve Card & Gift Blog in 2012.

Finish the Makeover (at last). I started my 'spring clean' of the blog a few months ago with a new header, new buttons and a fresh new colour scheme etc. I was loving all the little changes but then, as is always the way, work interfered and the pace of progress slowed, before grinding to a halt completely. It was my intention to finish up the last bits: rejig pages, tidy sidebar, add links to new gift galleries (see #2) etc. over the Christmas holidays but then I came across a little problem. When I started to fetch together all the images I had used in the last 2+ years I realised that this amounted to somewhere between 3000 and 4000 images. For inspiration & showcasing this is great, lots of great products and talented designers to show off; on the downside making sure all those files are a manageable size is quite time consuming. I'm getting there but there's still a tonne to do so that's filed as 'coming soon'.
Create easy to view card and gift 'galleries' - you may have seen this one coming after resolution #1. The galleries will hopefully act as a one-stop inspiration shop for our buyer and consumer friends. The blog has built up such a fabulous archive of designers, but who wants to be in a virtual, dusty archive? Time to get those goodies out there, with a series of helpful card and gift galleries and shopping guides!
Features - I've been thinking for a while about mixing up the blog posts and adding more features. This one is already a 'work in progress' for example talks are underway to get more retailers involved in the blog (if you're a retailer and want to know more feel free to use the contact page to say hello or email me directly). For a few months now Sunday's have been dedicated to taking a quick peek at the best card & gift related blogs on the web and this will be continuing for a little while longer, while people still like it. I'll also be adding in more 'trend features', starting tomorrow, with a quick look at a few of the already emerging trends for 2012. Other features will be a bit more random so keep an eye out.
Add a bit more blokey-ness (is that a word?), let's change that, add more balance to the blog. I'm well aware that my girly tendencies can take over, and so I will be making more effort to add a huge dose of cards and gifts for the male market into the mix. If you have a product that's suitable get in touch, I'm not averse to a little help!
Go to more shows, fairs and exhibitions. Last year, the day job really got in the way with this one. I'd be all geared up to go somewhere and then work would crop up. Well, this year I'm going to do better; I've already booked my train ticket for Top Drawer (give me a shout if you want me to say hello) and with Spring Fair only an hour away I'm ready for that one too. I'm also not going to be put off by the 'intimidation factor'; despite working stands at many of the UK's biggest and best shows over the years, I find that without a stand trade shows can be a tad scary. With no shop to stock I'm not really the target market, but hopefully I can be helpful in a different way, stand-folk can think of me as a helper determined to get their products seen by tens of thousands of lovely card and gift fans all over the world.
Add more worldwide cards and gifts. Since starting the blog in 2009 I've featured tonnes of lovely UK-based products and designers. Alongside these guys I've also posted on cards and gifts from America, Canada, France, The Netherlands and Australia to name a few. For 2012 I really want to expand this and bring in more designers from outside the UK (without neglecting those local to me of course). I love seeing what's going on all over the world and I hope this will be a bigger part of the blog in the coming year. If you have cards or gifts to show off, no matter where you are, get in touch!

I think six resolutions is good enough to be getting on with so I will leave it there for now. If you have any ideas for the blog, or think you can help with any of the resolutions above PLEASE get in touch ... leave a comment below, email me or use the contact page.

Thank you for all your support. I look forward to another great year of cards and gifts!

Charlotte

Top Ten Gifts of 2011 ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

As promised yesterday, today is a quick look back at my Top Ten Gifts from 2011. This is my personal choice but I hope you like them too. Take a look ...

1. Pegasus Locket by Bonbi Forest - I love this collection of fab & funky lockets, so unique & special.

2. A gorgeous squashy leather bag by Cha Cha from their ever-evolving, wonderful collection.

3. Cuffs by Chambers & Beau - edgy and pretty at the same time, these cuffs can be customised to create a personal piece of jewellery to treasure.

4. Mole Shoes by Daisy Roots - so cute!! The collection has a whole heap of bright, fun shoes for kids but the mole design is my favourite.

5. With nature-loving friends this high-tech bird feeder by Flock Follies really stood out - high tech design for feathery friends.

6. freckleface create cards and gifts to make you happy; well, I loved this collection of mugs so mission accomplished.

7. The toy collection at Little Bird Told Me is just brilliant and I loved this Caterpillar Pull-A-Long Toy, which is high-fun and high-quality.

8. Rachael Taylor Designs is home to the most gorgeous patterns, and in 2011 I loved this box of floral notelets - so pretty.

9. Reiko Kaneko designs fine bone china homeware products, and there are so many amazing items in the collection but my favourite was the Breakfast Express set - technically it's 3 separate items, but you'd have to treat yourself to the whole set.

10. Finishing up today is the Chalk and Cheese Twinset by Twisted Twee - creating unique, cool, clothes and accessories; I love the whole collection but in the end I chose this fab set.

I hope you enjoyed looking through the list, it was hard to pick just ten but hopefully I managed the 'harsh but fair' thing. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Top Ten Greeting Cards of 2011 ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Happy New Year Everyone!! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year.

Here in the UK January is a very busy time for the card and gift industry; designers and publishers are gearing up for two major trade shows: first Top Drawer in London (I'm so excited I've booked my train ticket already), and the huge Spring Fair in Birmingham, which will see the whole world jetting in to see the best of British card and gift design. On the retail front all the big stores and independents are juggling the January sales with new orders flooding in with heaps of new products for 2012. With this is mind, I thought this week I'd ease us all back into the blog in a gentle way. This week we'll be reviewing 2011, having a sneak peek at a few of the trends expected in 2012, and finishing up the week with a review of what the blog will be up to in the coming year. I hope that all sounds like a pleasant way to kick start the year, let's get started with 'My Top Ten Greeting Cards of 2011'.

1. Funky badge card by Think Bubble - maths, spots and a badge!

2. Handmade petal card by fold - so pretty and delicate this was a gorgeous design for the spring season.

3. Typographic card by Pennychoo - I love typography and this was part of a very cool, retro set.

4. Hand-finished card by Rebecca Lancaster Designs - a gorgeous, delicate design with diamante highlights.

5. Gorgeous hand-finished design by Cornelius Potts and Uncle Monty - from a fabulous wedding collection.

6. Cute Ice cream design by Laura Cartwright - I love the pop art style of Laura's designs!

7. Map & sci-fi-inspired card by C&W heArt Graphics - this was a very popular design on the blog; I loved the unique idea behind the range.

8. Retro card by Big Jon - as a fan of Cluedo and vintage books this had to be in the top ten!

9. Kraft heart card by Sophia Victoria Joy - I love the simplicity mixed with the details of each patterned heart.

10. Last but not least a very cool critter living wild by Holy Mackerel - I loved this range, it was very hard to pick just one design.

I hope you liked my Top Ten Cards pick, please feel free to leave me a comment below with your ideas; is your favourite here or is there a card I missed that you want to give a mention? Tomorrow, my Top Ten Gifts!

Sunday Blog Spot: Upon a Fold Blog ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:45:00 +0000

From tomorrow Card & Gift Blog will be on a little mini Christmas break (back January ~~2nd~~ 3rd*) so today is the last blog post, and last 'Sunday Blog Spot' of the year. Rest assured I won't be putting my feet up for the whole break, behind the blog scenes I'll be doing some general tidying and polishing; cleaning up the sidebars, sorting out the pages and adding new gallery goodies to the Facebook page. Hopefully any mince pie fuelled changes will make sure the blog's is looking nice, tidy and organised for the New Year. I'll also be swinging by Twitter if you fancy a chat!

Before all that however, there's time to choose one more blog of the week from the world of cards and gifts. For today's 'Sunday Blog Spot' choice we're jetting all the way over to Sydney, Australia, to the blog of 'Upon a Fold'. This is a blog I found recently and was captivated. Upon a Fold is an online emporium of paper goods: cards, stationery and wrap - there are tonnes of gorgeous paper products that I'm sure all card & gift fans will adore. The shop's collection is curated by Justine & Matt; a husband and wife team, both are Graphic Designers so bring a tonne of expertise and passion to the site. The blog is all about paper and paper artistry, it has a great selection of products and artists from all over the world. I found the blog really enjoyable and inspiring so I hope you like it too. Click here to take a look at the Upon a Fold blog.

Thank you to everyone who has visited, supported and spread the word about the blog in 2011. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a fabulous 2012. Charlotte.

*I always forget Bank Holidays!!

50 Top Designers & 50 Top Gifts: Part Two ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Following on from yesterday's post, today is the final part of my '50 Top Designers & 50 Top Gifts' Gallery; I hope you like some of the chosen designs and find some last minute inspiration for this year's festivities ...

26. Vevian Handmade Children's Shoes, £85; click here to see more.

27. Coulson Macleod, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, from £49.00; click here to see more.

28. Haskell Natural Candles' Classic Cube Candles from £12.99; click here to see more.

29. Vintage Playing Cards Home Letter Frame, £39.00; click here to see more.

30. Zaum Eco Mina Bag, $90.00; click here to see more.

31. Brennan & Burch Handamde Casette Cushion, £125; click here to see more.

32. Chambers and Beau Luxe Leather Friendship Bracelets, from £40.00; click here to see more.

33. Lovehart Live Life Coin Purse, £7.50; click here to see more.

34. Aurora World Meerkat & Pup, $16.00; click here to see more.

35. Bonbi Forest Goodnight Locket - Gold, £18.50; click here to see more.

36. Reiko Kaneko Breakfast Express Eggcup, Toast Rack and Salt & Pepper Cellar, £19.95 each; click here to see more.

37. DRPD Urban Oyster, £3.00; click here to see more.

38. Twisted Twee Chalk and Cheese Double Act T-Shirts, £25.00; click here to see more.

39. Black Rose Love Gold Rose Ring, £150.00; click here to see more.

40. Judith Glover China Blue Notecard Wallet, £3.99; click here to see more.

41. AK-LH Freaks 2 in 1 Cushion, €39; click here to see more.

42. Daisy Roots Tractor Gift Set, £39.95; click here to see more.

43. Mudpuppy Under the Sea 12 Piece Puzzle, $10.00; click here to see more.

44. Ottoman Scent Co's The Sultan's Favourites, £19.75; click here to see more.

45. Wear Chemistry Vintage Denim Titanium T-Shirt, £25.00; click here to see more.

46. White Rabbit England Dog Cushion, £25.00 and Dog Lamp, £59.00; click here to see more.

47. Night Owl Paper Goods Chartreuse Box Set, $29.00; click here to see more.

48. Crowded Teeth Panda Friends Tote, $65.00; click here to see more.

49. Pango Productions Storage Boxes, £23.00; click here to see more.

50. Little Green Radicals Wide Eyed Owl Playsuit, £19.00; click here to see more.

50 Top Designers & 50 Top Gifts: Part One ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Today & tomorrow the blog will be showcasing gifts; hopefully this will provide some last minute festive inspiration and as a nice gallery-based reminder of some of the great designers that have taken part in the blog over the last year ...

1. QWERTY Wallet by Wild & Wolf, £34.95; click here to find out more.

2. Birdsong Cushion by Clare Nicolson, £50; click here to find out more.

3. Funky Mutant Doll by Hot Munkey, £9.95; click here to find out more.

4. Selina Campbell Rings. Jewellery designs available from £35.00; click here to see the current collection.

5. THABTO (Two Heads Are Better Than One) Knuckle Duster Mug, £10.95, click here to see more.

6. Rob Ryan Washbag, £22.95; click here to see more items in the collection.

7. Cha Cha Leather Handbag, prices start from $55.00; click here to see more.

8. Cynthia Vardhan Bud Vases, Prices vary from £33.00; click here to see more.

9. Finny & Zook Alphabet Print, £7.93; click here to find out more.

10. WrecordsByMonkey Cityscape Cuff, $25.00; click here to see more.

11. Bird in a Barn Pewter Hearts, from £7.50; click here to see the full collection.

12. Chrsitine Dominac Take Flight Bird Wing, $28.00; click here to see more.

13. Maap Studio Porcelain Ring, £36.00; click here to see the full collection.

14. Matthew Tyas Ceramics; available designs vary with prices starting from £55. Click here to see the current collection.

15. Rogue Theory Wristlet Bag; fabrics, sizes and prices vary; click here to see the current collection.

16. BedCrumb Retro Sunglasses Holder, £12.50; click here to see more.

17. Crywolf Ninja Bynny T-Shirt; $28.00; click here to see the full collection.

18. freckleface Milkmaid Cushion, £25.00; click here to see more designs from the collection.

19. Geordie Mugs, £6.99 ; click here to see more.

20. Flock Follies Bird Feeder, £35.00; click here to see more.

21. Little Bird Told Me Curious Caterpillar Pull-ALong, £18.00; click here to see more.

22. Candy Stripe Cloud Garden Stakes, $19.95; click here to see more.

23. JHill Design England Map Print, prices start from $15.00; click here to see more.

24. Oryx + Crake Wooden Clock, $65; click here to see more.

25. Uncommonly Beautiful Baroque Bracelet, £25.00; click here to see the current collection.

Please come back tomorrow to check out Part Two!

Have a Handmade Christmas ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:15:00 +0000

You may remember at the start of the week I said that we'd had the last Christmas cards on the blog, and that for the rest of the week we would concentrate on gifts? Well, (ahem) apologies, it seems there's been a slight change of plan; there is one set of gorgeous handmade cards that got overlooked (new years resolution - invent new organisational system), and rather than miss out a chance to show you them I thought I would squeeze them in today.

Fresh from Designer Laura Cartwright these cards are retro-inspired designs, perfect for those special folks in your life. Each card is handmade with vintage papers and 3D detailing, and the bright colour palette gives the designs an appealing 'modern yet retro' feel. The Christmas collection has five designs available, which are selling fast so be quick if you want to grab one for your loved ones.

Individual cards retail at £3.00 each and are sealed in a plastic bag with natural string and tag detail to make them extra special. To take a closer look at these Christmas cards and more goodies from Laura Cartwright visit her online store. You can also find out more about Laura by visiting her blog, click here for a shortcut.

Gift Ideas for Creative Folks ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Today's post is dedicated to Stitch Designworks, and their fabulous Doodle collection; a set of fun and innovative homeware gifts that are perfect for occasions, events and every day. Combining a love of textiles and stationery, Stitch Designworks' Chrissie Probert Jones created the Doodle Duvet; a duvet that could be doodled on and washed clean, ready for more doodles. The duvet was was a huge hit and won the coveted Best New Gift award at the Top Drawer trade show. This Christmas the Doodle range has expanded to include pillowcases, tablecloths, and wall stickers. The doodles are created using water soluble inks that easily wash out or wipe off, making each product endlessly customisable; and the textiles use luxuriously soft cotton that is durable enough for even the most eager doodlers. For the upcoming festivities the tablecloths would be a particularly cool stocking-filler ... why not create your own bespoke place mats or play games while you wait for the Christmas pud!

Featured Gifts from the Doodle collection includes: Doodle Duvet - single £39.95, and double £65.00; Doodle Pillowcase, £19.95; Doodle Tablecloth, £35.00; Doodle Giant Sticker Notepad Wall Sticker, £19.95, and Doodle Memo Stickers Set of Three, £19.95. All of the gifts showcased today are available to view and purchase from the Stitch Designworks website.

Give the Gift of Stationery ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

As I write almost daily about cards and gifts here on the blog, it will probably come as no surprise that I'm also a fan of good stationery design. A great gift at anytime, and a particularly good stocking filler at this time of year, today's blog post is dedicated to the gift of stationery ...

First up, from the UK is Go Stationery, a creative publisher that has a large portfolio of stationery collections for kids and grown-ups. Each collection has a range of matching items, including: diaries, notebooks, writing sets and ring binders. Today's featured items are from the new collections at Go Stationery: the on-trend Flag Fever, cute critters of Wild Thing and sophistication of Black Rose. All of which are available to purchase online from the Go Stationery website. As a bonus there's also a few shots from the eye-catching Banksy range, which has been a big hit at museums and galleries across the country.

Next up is Night Owl Paper Goods from the USA. Since starting Card & Gift Blog two years ago, Night Owl Paper Goods has been one of my favourite finds. Their cards and gifts really epitomise the things I look for on the blog: unique, innovative products; good design and high quality production. The 'modern yet folksy' style is a world-wide hit with stockists all over the globe, and the Night Owl Paper Goods website always has a fabulous selection of cards, stationery and gifts for all occasions.

Go Stationery featured items: Flag Fever Collection: diaries £5.00 - £9.50; notebooks £3.50 - £4.50; ring binder £3.50 and address book £6.00. Wild Thing Collection: notebooks, £3.50 - £5.00 and ring binder, £3.50 (shown). Also available: diaries, £5.00 - £9.50. Black Rose Collection: letter writing set, £6.00 and address book, £6.00 (shown). Also available: notebooks, £3.50 - £4.50 and diaries, £5.00 - £9.50. Banksy Collections: A4 notebook, £7.50; A5 case bound notebook, £7.50; A5 polyprop project pad, £7.50 and A4+ pob ring binder, £5.00.

Night Owl Paper Goods featured items: 2012 Flower Owl Wall Calendar, $18.00; Chartreuse Box Set (10 handmade cards and envelopes), $29.00; Hazel Hedgehog Journal, $18.00; Beep, Beep, Bug Journal, $18.00; Mr Water Otter Jotter, $8.00; Baxter Beaver Jotter, $8.00; Proud Parents Gift Set (letterpressed cards, wood picture frame and jotter), $43.00; and Orange Dahlias Wood Recipe Book with letterpress inserts, $26.00.

Today's gallery of stationery gifts is just a small taste of the selection available at both publishers, to see and purchase from the full collections visit their websites:

Go Stationery website

Night Owl Paper Good website

Have a Merry Contemporary Christmas ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Today's post is the last showcase of Christmas greeting cards for 2011, as the rest of the week will be dedicated to lots of fab gift inspiration; with this in mind I wanted to take a look at some contemporary artists and designers that have used traditional festive motifs and themes, fine art, retro style, and contemporary design for their Christmas collections.

The first set of greeting card designs are from Tilia Press. Based in New Jersey, Designer Anne has created four Christmas designs that use a retro-inspired palette and traditional Christmas themes to create a collection of bright, bold designs. Tilia Press work hard to ensure their cards are Eco-friendly, each one is printed on 100% post consumer waste board that is FSC certified, and uses soy based inks and wind-power in the printing process. The cards are sold in packs of ten for $14.00 (about £9.23) at the Tilia Press online store.

Next designs are from Cerys Turner, a super cute range called 'Happy Stitchmas'. I love that the cards combine the look of retro knitted jumpers with a contemporary graphic feel. Each design also doubles up as a cross-stitch pattern ... perfect for crafters who can use the design to create their own Christmas treats next year. Designs are printed on a heavy weight card with a smooth finish. Available in a variety of colours; individual cards are £3.00 or a multipack of four designs can be purchased for £10.00 from the Cerys Turner online shop.

Lorna Siviter is a freelance Illustrator based in Somerset, England, below are some examples of the fine art greeting cards she has created in collaboration with Hayletts Contemporary Fine Art. There are six designs to choose from, which use traditional festive themes, re-imagined with Lorna's unique, contemporary style. I love the soft, warm feel of the designs, which will match with the cosy feel of Christmas trees and fairy lights. Individual cards retail at £2.75 and are available to purchase at the Hayletts Contemporary Fine Art online shop.

To find out more about the Designers showcased today please visit their websites:

Tilia Press website

Cerys Turner website

Lorna Siviter website

Sunday Blog Post: Pennychoo Blog ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlotte) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I love that there are so many greetings card designers out there blogging away sharing their lives and inspiration. The Pennychoo blog is a great example of this idea, with Pennychoo Designer / Creator / Main Lady, Sue Lee, sharing a variety of musings and galleries on everyday inspirations. The blog posts have a whole heap of themes, with everything from vintage ties and retro furniture, to design issues and inspiration. For me the Pennychoo blog pushes the boundaries and introduces me to a wonderful retro world that I'm sure I wouldn't normally come across. The last post was in October (not surprising considering how busy everyone gets at this time of year) and so rather than visiting daily or weekly I like to periodically check back and have a bit of a retro binge! I hope you find the Pennychoo blog inspiring; click here to take a look and don't forget to report back and let me know what you think via the comments below or by finding me on Twitter - @cardandgiftblog - Have a lovely Sunday, Charlotte.