Greeting cards, thank you cards, invitations. You stand in front of the rows of cards at the drug store and you can't even find one you like sometimes. But Janelle Wang discovered some cards that are fun, unique and one-of-a-kind and they're all Bay Area-based companies!
All of these companies feature a wide selection, but she's picked out her favorites:
February 13 Creative
Website: www.february13creative.com
February 13 Creative's colorful, contemporary designs are available as greeting cards, announcements, invitations and stationery through Cardstore.com. Printed on gorgeously thick, luxuriously matte, sustainably produced cardstock-all February 13 Creative products can be easily customized with your own personal information (including photos on many designs). Simply select a design and personalize it with your details. It takes just minutes with the site's easy-to-use tools, and your order is printed and shipped within 24 hours. It's faster, easier and far more affordable than ordering customized designs through a conventional stationery store and February 13 Creative's huge range of designs for nearly every occasion gives you plenty of options. We're particularly excited about our newest product: Calling Cards. Think of them as business cards for your personal life... it's old-school social networking! We have over 100 different calling card designs to choose from, including beautiful monogram styles, designs to highlight personal hobbies (from home gardeners to wine enthusiasts), playdate cards for moms & kids... even calling cards for your dog!
Right now, February 13 Creative has arranged a special discount on calling card designs (15% off from September 10-October 30th). Just enter the promo code "view15" during check-out on www.february13creative.com.
WHAT JANELLE LIKES ABOUT FEBRUARY 13 CREATIVE: The calling cards are so fun and unique. It's perfect for mommies and mommyprenuers.
Hello!Lucky
Website: www.hellolucky.com
Hello!Lucky is a specialty letterpress printer and design studio and have been creating wedding invitations, greeting cards and personalized stationery since 2003. We have offices in San Francisco's SOMA district and in London. Clients worldwide include Anthropologie, Kate's Paperie, and Liberty of London. Our products include Letterpress wedding invitations, Letterpress greeting cards, Letterpress personalized stationery, Letterpress baby announcements, Handmade Hellos - a card-crafting book featuring leading stationery artists, published by and available through www.chroniclebooks.com.
Hello!Lucky collaborates with leading stylists and event designers around the world. Our designs have appeared in publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Daily Candy, InStyle, Lucky, Real Simple, Marie Claire, and InStyle Weddings. We've even been featured on the Today Show.
WHAT JANELLE LIKES ABOUT HELLO LUCKY: I really like the fun card kits, especially the "Sock Monkey Too" and "Cheeky & Cheerful" designs. I also love their creative and funny greeting cards.
Jack Cards
Website: www.jackcards.com
No more last-minute dashes to the store, tedious card-aisle cruising or post office hassles, Jack Cards is the new must-see site that lets you order all of your paper greeting cards online, in advance of upcoming dates, not only for the holidays, but for the year ahead (birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day....) You simply upload your contact information and important dates, and then choose from thousands of fabulous greeting cards (they're not your typical drugstore card.) Best of all, Jack Cards remembers important dates for you, addresses and stamps your envelopes and delivers each card to your home or office, just in time for you to personalize and send.
In just three simple steps, greeting card givers can become Jack Cards members (membership is free) and they can rest easy, knowing that they'll never miss another holiday, anniversary, graduation or friend's birthday again. First you sign-up as a Jack Cards member and add your friends and family.
Then, you browse the online store and pick the perfect cards - everything from modern designs to hilarious observations, beautiful creations and kid-friendly styles. Finally, you select your address and stamp options and then - Jack Cards will take care of everything else. When your important event approaches, Jack Cards will ensure that your selected card arrives in the mail to you - ready to go.
With free membership, cards are as low as $2.45 and shipping is only $0.49 per card, Jack Cards is an affordable greeting card solution for everyone ... including forgetful husbands and sons.
WHAT JANELLE LIKES ABOUT JACK CARDS: Definitely the convenience. With our busy lives, it's sometimes hard to rush to the store and buy a greeting card. JackCards makes it easy to remember every birthday and special occasion.
PosePrints
Website: www.poseprints.com
PosePrints is an online website where you can create a lookalike caricature (or "pose) of yourself to appear on high-quality stationery, notepads and magnets. Customers select from over 40 background designs, then choose from a variety of facial features and accessories -- including skin color, eye color, hair style, clothing and much more -- to create a caricature who looks like them.
PosePrints can be used for Personalized Stationery, Save-the-Date Cards, Graduation Announcements, Baby Shower Invitations, Bridal Shower Invitations, Recipe Cards, Moving Announcements, Thank You Notes, Birthday Party Invitations, Holiday Cards and so much more!
PosePrints is offering viewers 15% off their order. Just type in "viewfromthebay" at checkout and receive your discount.
WHAT JANELLE LIKES ABOUT POSE PRINTS: It's so much fun to create your own caricature with your own hairstyle, facial features, outfits and accessories. I've used them to create my own personalized thank you cards and I always get a great response. Plus, I look good as a cartoon.
TinyPrints
Website: www.tinyprints.com
TinyPrints.com is a leading online retailer for premium personalized stationery that offers exclusive stationery designs from some of the best designers in the industry. Customers can select from thousands of card formats, sizes and styles for everything from everyday occasions, such as party invitations and thank you notes, to special milestones, including birth announcements, holiday greetings and weddings. Additionally, Tiny Prints offers the convenience of shopping online without sacrificing the personal touch. Tiny Prints offers boutique-style service on every order, which means that every order placed on Tiny Prints is reviewed, proofread and retouched by a team of stationery and design specialists. Best of all, prices are affordable, starting as low as fifty-nine cents per card.
WHAT JANELLE LIKES ABOUT TINY PRINTS: I love photo cards and the ones from TinyPrints are so unique and special. You could do multiple photos, instead of just one generic photo. I also like their invitation cards. So fun.
Yellow Owl Workshop
Website: www.yellowowlworkshop.com
Yellow Owl Workshop creates handmade art for the everyday with its eco-loving line of paper goods, wedding invitations and gifts. Employing a fine art stencil technique called serigraphy, each card is printed by human mitts on locally-sourced 100% PCW recycled paper with water-based inks. Their stamp sets, made of reclaimed wood blocks and natural rubber and assembled by hand, bring the art studio into the home by providing sophisticated and whimsical stamp designs that can be used to create an array of beautiful stationery, wrapping paper, stamped tea towels, and more. Yellow Owl Workshop, perched high atop blustery Bernal Hill in San Francisco, is the cottage industry of fine artist Christine Schmidt and her husband/gal Friday, Evan Gross.
WHAT JANELLE LIKES ABOUT YELLOW OWL WORKSHOP: Sometimes I just want to create and design my own card, that's very personalized and one-of-a-kind, but I worry it will look homemade. YellowOwl gives me the props to make it look professional and impressive!
