I promise I won't quote Robert FrostI have a complicated relationship with Christmas. Not complicated like it got drunk and cheated on me on my birthday, but that as much as I love the spirit, the flurrying snow, the decorations and hot chocolate; it is expensive and time consuming.
When you’re a art student, as much as you remind people you don’t draw for a living (we’re seriously not all painters and photographers, you know), people want everything to be personalized. I made a collage card once for my neighbor and she basically rejected it because she preferred a card I spent an hour and a half drawing when I was 12. Dude, I am an adult, I have real shit to do these days and don’t have that luxury or energy.
Since people fall somewhere between creative scrutiny and indifferent about cards (because who wants an ugly, boring card?), I either buy vintage cards or more often independent cool cards. As a lover of clever design with a quick cheap joke, or just a cute picture of food with a quickie bad pun, I am selective with my cards and had to stop going to Renegade Craft Fair because I’d come back with a huge stack of cards. As Barney Stinson once said “Why can’t I do something just a little?”
Here are some of my seasoned favorites for your holidays to do the work and not be boring:
A Chicago favorite of adorable cards, she also has an adorable set based on pictures and drawings of her pet hedgehog. If you haven't seen instant bad classic The Room, you need to get on it. It's not online unfortunately but it's not too obscure to find.
And the little croissant card in the corner of my picture is one of hers!
Fomato’s Regifting card, $10
Not exactly cheap or independent cool status, but their cards are really well designed from front to back and are the kind of cards I would keep if given to me. I got a ton of them on sale back when they sold at Renegade Craft Fair.
I normally am not a fan of typeprint cards especially without pictures but Shop Sapling Press does adorably quick witted one-liner cards.
Paper Michelle rocks the cute puns that make a person go "aww". It explains why she's big on the etsy market.
For people who want gifts more than one day a month:
Smakovkin’s Happy Challah Days card, $5Aren't you surprised you didn't come up with this yourself? Common sense is elusive.
This card does not illustrate Betty Turbo's full on awesome, pop culture sinful delights and cute talking food. I mean that's all we really want from life, fellow tiny Japanese tweens. She's got it all from the new delightful Ron Swanson card and the old WWF (wrestling not Pandas) wrestling card for the moments I awkwardly ask myself "Do you know what The Rock is cooking?" when making chicken soup.
Card companies I am also a huge proprietor of:
Poppytalk Handmade - Poppytalk has a great selection of designers
Pearl & Marmalade
Product Superior
Argyle Whale
Dude and Chick
Fat Bunny Press
Navy Blue Notes
Hawk Gerber
