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Industry News
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Mighty Bright Showcases Brilliant Line of LED Lights at 2012 NSSSanta Barbara, CA – May 15, 2012 – Mighty Bright, designer and manufacturer of innovative LED lights, will showcase new additions to their line of eco-friendly LED lights at the National Stationery Show, May 20-23, 2012. Mighty Bright will exhibit its newest products in booth #1105 at the Javits Center in New York City. 05/15/2012
Kata Golda Launches New Product Line, Returns to National Stationery ShowFollowing a five-year respite from trade and gift shows, Kata Golda returns to the National Stationery Show in 2012 with a new product line and expanded offerings. Kata Golda founder Alison Kaplan will be on hand at the New York event May 20-23 to display the iconic dolls and photograph albums she has been known for in the last decade, in addition to freshly launched DIY kits, letterpress-printed cards, interactive play mats and a line of accessories geared toward design-minded adults. 05/15/2012
Green Banana Greetings Debuts Unique New Pop-Up Card ProductsGreen Banana Greetings, a new, innovative company full of outrageously clever and colorful pop-up greeting cards, gift card holders, announcements, invitations and more, will showcase its product lines at the National Stationery Show in New York City from May 20-24, 2012 in booth 1934. This is the company's first time exhibiting at the National Stationery Show. The show has not even begun, yet they’ve been recognized and were named finalists for Product Innovation under $5.00 in the 2012 LOUIE awards, which are called the Academy Awards of the greeting card industry. They are awarded once a year by a panel of industry experts, including retailers, manufacturers, and the media. They are also finalists in the National Stationery Show’s Best New Products Competition in the Paper Style category. Both are significant achievements for a company who’s exhibiting for the first time. 05/14/2012
Entrepreneur Designs Seez-it® Labels to Organize Handbags
and Diaper BagsNEW YORK, NY – Entrepreneur introduces all new handbag organizer system that is the first of its kind. Addicks Enterprises LLC is bringing its Seez-it Labels that are designed to help women find a particular item in their purse in a small amount of time. The labels are sold in a kit that helps keep handbags and diaper bags organized. 05/14/2012
Sky of Blue Cards Adds 30 New Seasonal Cards to LineMENLO PARK, CA – Current LOUIE Awards finalist, Sky of Blue Cards, proudly announces the release of 30 new seasonal cards in the categories of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day. All of these spring & winter holiday cards are letterpress or conventional printed on 100% cotton paper. They come with colorful matching envelopes and are sold as single cards in cellophane sleeves. These new cards will be launched into the market at the National Stationery Show at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, May 20-23. 05/13/2012
TalkingTag.com Announces Commercial Availability of Unique Voice Recordable Printed Greeting CardsRESTON, VA — May 11, 2012 —TalkingTag.com announces the commercial availability of voice recordable greeting card - Branded as Hear it is … Cards. These greeting cards have an embedded TalkingTag™ Message Label, whereby users simply scan the tag and record a voice message using the TalkingTag™ App on a smartphone device. The recipients can hear the message just by scanning the Tag with their Smartphone. The voice recording is stored for the life of the greeting cards, using state of the art content management servers hosted on a worldwide network. 05/11/2012
The Pampered Pixel Brings Photo Books from the Web to Retailers at NSSCharlotte, NC – The Pampered Pixel, a custom photo book design firm, today announced that with its debut at The National Stationery Show (NSS), it will be taking photo books from the Web, to bricks and mortar stationery retailers beyond its North Carolina footprint. 05/10/2012
SKY OF BLUE CARDS ADDS 16 NEW EVERYDAY CARDS TO ITS LINE! MENLO PARK, CA - Current LOUIE Awards finalist, Sky of Blue Cards, proudly announces the release of 16 new everyday cards in the categories of Birthday, Encouragement, Sympathy, Friendship, Congratulations, Wedding, and Anniversary. These cards will be part of a large launch of new cards at the National Stationery Show at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, May 20-23. 05/08/2012
SKY OF BLUE CARDS’ DESIGNER COLLABORATES WITH 11-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO CREATE NEW CONCRETE POEM NOTE CARD COLLECTIONMENLO PARK, CA, Current LOUIE Awards finalist, Sky of Blue Cards, is thrilled to announce the release of a new collection of note cards, the result of a beautiful collaboration between Company Principal and Designer, Karla Ebrahimi and her 11-year old daughter Nathalie Camens. These cards will debut at the National Stationery Show at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, May 20-23. 05/08/2012
Page Stationary Launches New Digitally Printed CollectionRichmond, VA. – Page Stationery is set to release a new Indigo printed (digital), custom line to retailers at the National Stationery Show in May. The line, called “Duet”, is made up of seven custom collections, a total of 185 designs that are digitally, duplex printed on a high quality stock. 05/01/2012
National Stationery Show Exhibitor Amy Ruth Designs Launches 2012 CollectionNew Canaan, CT – Amy Ruth Designs will launch the 2012 collection of 29 fresh patterns at the 2012 National Stationery Show (NSS) in New York City. Expanding beyond the collections’ core business of stationery suites, Amy Ruth Designs incorporated the new designs into custom invitations and imprintable paper goods, as well as a range of accessories such as iPhone and Blackberry cases, bookmarks and placemats. 04/24/2012
Greeting Cards are By Far the Most Common Purchase for Mother's Day, According to NRF 2012 Mother's Day Consumer Spending SurveyWashington, April 24, 2012 – Riding the coattails of a spring where they spent freely on everything from garden supplies and home décor to colorful fashions, consumers will stretch their dollars a little further this Mother’s Day to make sure mom has the perfect day. According to NRF’s 2012 Mother’s Day consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight, the average person celebrating the holiday is expected to spend $152.52 on gifts, up from $140.73 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $18.6 billion.* 04/24/2012
JAKE & META Men’s Line Letterpress Flats Launching at the 2012 National Stationery ShowCARRBORO, NC – JAKE & META, LLC, an artist-run stationery and paper notions business, today announced that it will launch its first letterpress line of stationery flats at the National Stationery Show (Booth 2146) taking place at the Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY, May 20-23, 2012. 04/22/2012
JAKE & META Imprintable Invitations Launching at the 2012 National Stationery ShowCARRBORO, NC – JAKE & META, LLC, an artist-run stationery and paper notions business, today announced that it will launch its first line of imprintable invitations at the National Stationery Show (Booth 2146) taking place at the Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY, May 20-23, 2012. 04/22/2012
Post Offices Face Hurdles in Efforts to DiversifyBy Ron Nixon
The New York Times
WASHINGTON — Well before online bill paying was popular, the Postal Service in 2000 began operating a secure system that would have allowed it to remain the primary conduit for most Americans’ monthly payments. But the Internet industry objected, and Congress successfully pressured the Postal Service to abandon it.
04/21/2012
3rd Annual Trendys Award Winners AnnouncedStationery Trends magazine is pleased to announce the winners of the 3rd Annual Stationery Trends Awards, “The Trendys.” There were more than 200 entries submitted in the six categories, and more than 80 companies that participated. Industry professionals were invited to vote in the two rounds of voting — Round One narrowed down the entrants to the top 10 finalists in each category, and Round Two voting was to select a winner in each of the six categories. The categories were: Baby, Bridal, Green, Greeting Card, Holiday and Office. 04/13/2012
Artist Daryl Slaton Turns “Whimsies” into a Digital AppAsheville, NC artist Daryl Slaton has brought his Wispenwood Whimsies to Interactive Touch Books, a new app for iPhone and iPad. Kids 4-12 who intuitively “get” the technology can download the FREE Interactive Touch Books app that brings books to life. Parents who buy these low-cost book apps (Wispenwood Whimsies is only $2.99) provide kids a narrated story or let them read (and learn) the story along with their kids. Parents and grandparents can also record their voices to the story. 03/26/2012
Brooklyn Wholesaler Starts from Scratch After Losing it All in FireBROOKLYN, NY — Sandra Dalmazio will never forget the morning of March 7, 2012. She lost everything-records, merchandise, samples, orders and more-inside her Brooklyn, NY shop, Dalmazio Gifts. First opened in 1980 by her parents, the gift wholesaler offered up everything from wall décor, book cases and lighting to paper goods, glassware, linens, apparel, crystal and house wares and more for weddings and other special events. All of this disappeared following a four-alarm fire, believed to have started by outlets around the store's main work station. 03/26/2012
Industries Fear the Ripple Effects of Proposed Postal Service CutsBy Ron Nixon
The New York Times
WASHINGTON — Wine wholesalers and amateur beer makers want Congress to repeal a law that makes it illegal to ship alcohol by mail. Giant insurers like Aegon of the Netherlands want to make sure that the United States Postal Service stays out of the insurance business. And medical supply companies like Medco oppose the post office’s plans to cut Saturday delivery, saying the move would delay medicines and could add to the cost of mail-order drugs.
03/25/2012
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NSS News
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National Stationery Show Announces Seminar LineupWHITE PLAINS, NY, March 12, 2012...From wedding market insights, multicultural marketing advice, and design and color trends, to social media tips and retail strategies for success, the 2012 National Stationery Show® (NSS) seminar program will serve as the industry’s foremost opportunity of the year to stay ahead of trends and marketing tactics driving the social stationery business forward. This professional development opportunity coincides with North America’s most comprehensive exhibition of social stationery and related lifestyle product manufacturers, May 20-23, 2012, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 03/12/2012
National Stationery Show Partners with School and Office Products NetworkWHITE PLAINS, NY, November 9, 2011…A valuable new relationship between the National Stationery Show® (NSS) and School and Office Products Network (the Network) has been established, the goal of which is to promote growth and opportunity across all business sectors. The partnership aims to build the presence of national brands in the commercial/specialty office and back to school markets in the 2012 NSS, and draw attendance from major retailers in this important business sector, thereby further diversifying the audience to create new business opportunities for both exhibitors and retailers. 11/09/2011
GLM to be Acquired by Providence Equity PartnersWhite Plains, NY and Providence, RI – August 23, 2011 – George Little Management (“GLM”) and Providence Equity Partners (“Providence”) today announced that GLM and affiliates of Providence have signed a definitive merger agreement under which affiliates of Providence will acquire GLM from Daily Mail and General Trust plc (LSE: DMGT.L) for approximately $173 million in cash. 08/23/2011
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GCA News
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USPS Launches Mother’s Day PostmarksThe Greeting Card Association (GCA) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will be processing all First-Class Mail in the next two weeks with special Mother’s Day postmarks – two of which specifically call out greeting cards. This series of special postmarks, also known as stamp "cancellations," will feature four different designs that will be randomly alternated through Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13. 05/02/2012
24th Annual LOUIE Awards Finalists AnnouncedNew York, NY – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) has announced the finalists of the 24th Annual LOUIE Awards. Among the thousands of cards and invitations published each year, 3 cards from each of the 54 categories reached the final round of the 2011 Awards. The competition drew approximately 900 entries from 180 companies worldwide, and all entries were marketed and sold in the United States during the 2011 calendar year. 03/21/2012
Valentine's Day Card Sales Hold Steady for 2012January 24, 2012 – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) estimates that approximately 150 million greeting cards will be purchased for Valentine's Day this year in the U.S. This figure is based on member company sales and does not include children's packaged valentines for classroom exchanges. Valentine's Day is the second-largest holiday for giving greeting cards, behind Christmas. 01/24/2012
24th Annual LOUIE Awards Judges AnnouncedNew York, NY – The 24th Annual LOUIE Awards committee is pleased to announce the judges for this year's LOUIE Awards. The panel of judges consists of 16 well-respected retailers, sales representatives, editors and members of the industry who will evaluate this year’s LOUIE entries to determine the finalists and winners in each category. The LOUIEs welcome a high caliber of new and returning judges to this year’s Awards, including influential retailers such as Paper Source, Kate’s Paperie and Barnes & Noble; industry professionals from Hallmark, American Greetings and Mohawk Paper; and editors from Oh So Beautiful Paper, HOW Magazine and Stationery Trends. 01/05/2012
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Smartphone Apps Send Holiday Greetings
Does the idea of buying holiday cards, gathering the mailing addresses for friends and family, writing personal notes by hand, buying stamps, addressing envelopes and carting them to the post office just make you hate the holidays?
You’re not alone.
More people are skipping paper holiday cards — or at least the part where you mail them yourself — in favor of cellphone apps that create cards and send them by text message, e-mail or snail mail.
Though Web sites like Shutterfly and Paperless Post have already simplified the process by letting people upload photos and order or send cards online, the new apps make it even faster by doing away with the need to transfer a photo from your phone to the computer and write notes and addresses by hand.
Before you disavow the tradition altogether, here are some apps that can bring back the joy of sending holiday cards — and give you more time to sleep off the tryptophan and mulled wine.
RED STAMP
This greeting card company has been around since 2005 with a Web site to create and order old-fashioned print cards. But this fall, Erin Newkirk, its co-founder and chief executive, closed that business to concentrate on Red Stamp’s app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to send cards virtually.
“Last year was a huge tipping point in terms of people sending things electronically and by mobile,” Ms. Newkirk said. “A lot of our clients didn’t have snail mail addresses anymore and wanted to send texts and e-mails and feel good about it.”
The United States Postal Service numbers back that up. This holiday season, the post office expects to deliver 2.7 billion letters and process 801 million pieces of mail on Dec. 20, the busiest mailing day of the year. That is down from 3.4 billion holiday letters and 960 million pieces of mail on the busiest day in 2008.
This will be Red Stamp’s first holiday season offering the app, but already its users have been sending holiday party invitations, Thanksgiving cards, baby announcements and thank-you notes. The cards are simple and modern, with photos and without.
It is intuitive to use. Choose a card; snap a photo or choose one from your phone’s library, Facebook or Instagram; customize the color and text; and choose recipients from your phone’s address book. The cards can be sent by e-mail, text message, Facebook or Twitter; texting is particularly popular.
And for those who cannot let go of paper cards — or who need to send one to Great-Aunt Ethel who doesn’t have a cellphone or computer — Red Stamp will also print and mail postcards. The app, most of the designs and digital delivery are free; postcards start at $1.99, including postage.
SINCERELY INK
Matt Brezina, co-founder and chief executive of Sincerely, a start-up, believes it is not just Great-Aunt Ethel who wants printed cards. He introduced an app, Postagram, to turn photos stuck on Instagram, Facebook and cellphones into printed postcards.
The company’s newest app, Sincerely Ink, applies that idea to holiday cards. The designs are fairly traditional (think snowflakes and Christmas trees), and when the season ends, the app will be updated with cards for coming holidays.
“I think physical is and always will be meaningful,” Mr. Brezina said. “It’s always going to be a less noisy channel to reach people than an e-mail or writing on someone’s Facebook wall, and nothing replaces that feeling when you get something in the mail from somebody.”
As traditional as that sounds, a Sincerely card is a far cry from the Christmas cards that Hallmark started printing in 1915. Like Red Stamp, the app lets you customize cards with photos and messages and choose recipients on your phone. In three to seven days, within the United States, recipients get heavyweight postcards in the mail.
The app is free and cards range from $1.69 for bulk orders to $2.99 for international deliveries, including postage. It is available on Android, iPhone and iPad.
The app will come in handy when you receive a holiday card from your boss and realize you didn’t send her one, Mr. Brezina said.
“People will use this for last-minute cards,” he said. “You can do it on your iPad when you’re sitting on your couch reading your Christmas cards.”
CARTOLINA
Cartolina sells high-end paper cards wholesale, but last year, when it introduced its iPhone and iPod Touch app, the company discovered that people also wanted to send cards by text message and e-mail.
Even the Emily Post Institute, the champion of traditional etiquette, has deemed it acceptable to e-mail holiday greetings instead of mailing them, saying that electronic cards are “definitely greener and less expensive.”
Cartolina’s digital cards are nostalgic, with vintage images of yellowed paper and postage stamps.
“The least digital ones are the ones that are most popular,” said Fiona Richards, Cartolina’s founder and designer. “The idea of combining that nostalgia with modern high technology really appeals to people.”
This year, Cartolina will add holiday designs to the app, which costs $1.99. But card writers must be brief, because they are limited to fewer than 80 characters for their messages.
“For some people, you don’t actually want to write a big, long story,” Ms. Richards said. “You want to say, ‘Hey, happy holidays, remember me?’”
For the more verbose — or more old-fashioned — the company this week joined with Sincerely to introduce a second app, Cartolina Postale, for creating and sending postcards. People can write longer messages and upload photos. Cards cost $1.99, though the app is free.
APPLE CARDS
For techies who still love stationery, Apple has gone a step further than the other postcard companies by introducing an iPhone and iPod Touch app, Cards, that lets people create artsy letterpress cards that Apple mails in heavy cotton paper envelopes.
In typical Apple fashion, the cards are elegantly designed and addressed in cursive. Users choose from 21 templates, add a photo, write a message and choose addresses from their phones’ address books. For $2.99 in the United States, Apple mails the card and sends a notification to the sender’s phone when the card is scheduled to arrive.
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