Saturday, February 27, 2010

Finally, an iPhone app for paper greeting cards

I don't own an iPhone, but this kind of technology makes me wish I did.

CardRaven allows you to send greeting cards from your phone. No big deal, right? Anyone can send an e-card (there's are free, BTW, and not really worth your time). But this app allows you to send print greeting cards from you phone. Printed greeting cards where you can take a picture with your phone (or, with your camera and upload it to your phone) and ADD it to the card. Paper greeting cards that cost only $2.99 to send, anywhere in the world, postage included. So the next time you need to send something airmail, this service is definitely a no-brainer.

And it's green with a twist: "Our greeting cards are printed with vibrant and durable inks, similar to postcards. The cards are folded, sealed, stamped and mailed – without an envelope. Without an envelope, your card will be noticed and opened immediately."

Not sure what kind of research went into the last statement, but it's an interesting sales tactic (though, who doesn't open a card they get in the mail?)

Major drawback: the art & designs need A LOT of work. But since everyone is a semi-pro photog these days, that doesn't matter as much. Customizable mobile greetings are the wave of the future. You heard it here first.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Is it IMproper to think these cards aren't saucy enough?

If you're going to promise me something irreverent, naughty & sassy, you'd better deliver. Seek Publishing has launched IMproper Greetings - combining images from the 1920s with such "modern" sayings as "WTF." The result ... maybe I'm missing something. WTF?

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Greeting cards + wine = awesome

Wine bags. My home-bar area is cluttered with them. A great thing to reuse, but often ugly and easily ripped.

Wine gifts. I get a lot of them. Always graciously accepted and readily shared.

Cards. I can never get enough greeting cards.

Toast-its addresses all of these life issues with nice art and some fun sayings. The greeting cards that wrap around wine bottles are $3.99 each, shipping included, and when combined with a $10 bottle, makes for a nice, personal and unique host/ess gift for your next night out. Plus, the brand sounds like Cheeze-its, which are a good snack addition to any (casual) party. And who doesn't love cheese & crackers?

No word on if they fit around bottles of bubbly -- the toast-its, not the Cheeze-its. Maybe toast-its 2.0.

Friday, February 19, 2010

The best VTD card that I didn't get, but wish I had given

The boys at Bald Guy Greetings have done it again. I heart them so much.

I hope all of you got what you wanted from the (fabricated-but-still-important) holiday. There's a lot of pressure to give a good card to a card writer. Luckily, the best one I got was in Spanish, had dogs on it and made me laugh out loud for both of those reasons. And that's one of the best gifts you can give anyone.

What kinds of cards did you give this Valentine's Day. And did it work? Did you get laid?

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Cards for the great beyond

Normally, I try to avoid linking to stories that could make me cry, but this is a unique one. Eternally Yours offers "laminated, weather proof cards" intended "to celebrate holidays, birthdays and special family remembrances with those who are no longer with us." Not an easy task, so I'm glad a company is trying to tackle it. PEP will be sure to follow with something a little lighter than "You left too soon." Which is kind of making me cry right now.

Regardless of what you think about life after death, after I've left this world, please send me cards addressed to wherever you think I've gone. I figure Heaven & Hell both have forwarding programs.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

When you care enough to say I love you more than video games...


I'm hoping I get one of these this weekend.

Really, really hoping.

But at $6.25 a pop, maybe I should just go for the cuff links and call it a Valentine's Day.

P.S. -- Seriously? An entire blog about Xbox? Really?

Monday, February 08, 2010

Could I be more jealous of Taylor Swift?

It isn't enough that my boyfriend is enamored with her AND she made me tear up when she very genuinely overwhelmed after winning Album of the Year at the Grammy's -- Taylor Swift now has her own greeting card line with American Greetings too. Swift wrote the content for the cards -- ranging from birthday to love notes -- and those items, as well as gift packaging and stationery, are set to be on shelves mid-month.
My idea of a great song is a song that says how I feel, better than I could ... I feel the same way about cards.
So, she's beautiful, has long legs, used to date Jacob from Twilight and is 20 years old ... really?

Really.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

The Spam awards

I love that Hormel sponsors a card contest, but I really wanted the prize to be a lifetime supply of meat products instead of a $500 art scholarship.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Thinking about thank you

The PEP team is working on wording for a thank you card. We've had the (awesome) design in place for a while -- I just need to get the words together. The designer-in-chief has been a WEE bit busy with her gorgeous, new baby girl Avery, so any lack of production is COMPLETELY on my side.

Seeking inspiration, I came across this piece on the importance of thank yous. You'd think after writing about 3 dozen of them after the holidays and my birthday, I wouldn't need the extra boost, but it's always good to have a reminder to "be genuine."