Freebie Friday: Five Skylines For The Holidays

I just received printed samples of Crane's Skyline Collection for the holidays. I love writing about the holidays when it's 90 degrees outside. So, it's a good time to share with you the five skyline designs for the 2010 holiday season and here they come:

Since this is Freebie Friday, I will challenge you to identify all five skylines, in order from top to bottom. Normally, I would have you leave a comment below, but by doing so, you might tip off your competitors. So, send me an e-mail with your list to craneinsider at gmail dot com.

I know you personally have don't need this volume, but you probably know someone who does. I will give one winner a copy of:

I look forward to hearing from you.

And, to close, the winner of the Food For Thought Freebie Friday from July 16, according to Dr. Random, is commenter Evacuee. Please send me your contact information to the e-mail above. Congratulations!

Anticipating Summer Vacation Via Stationery

I'll be heading out in a few days for the annual summer vacation on Cape Cod. The closer I get the greater the anticipation. Here's how I'm visualizing my week:

The Beach Read

Lots of sun

A little sailing (Hurry, they're on sale!)

Maybe a little golf

Wetting a line

Some fresh seafood

Definitely going to need these, because there will be

Always Let Your Guests Know How To Dress

When sending an invitation to an event, you always want to make sure that your guests are comfortable from entrance to exit. One way to ensure their comfort is to provide clear information about proper attire.

From my friends at Icanhascheezburger,  Etiquette Kitteh urges you to avoid the following awkward situation:

The Return of Freebie Friday: Food for Thought

It's been a while since we've had a Freebie Friday, but today provided some inspiration to get back at it. Here's the story:

I tend a couple of big gardens and deliver fresh fruit and vegetables every day to a local early childhood education center for the kids' lunch. So far, they've had all kinds of lettuce, radishes, spring onions, snap peas and just the other day, the season's first green beans. I was bringing the next day's supply, which this time included a couple of quarts of red raspberries, and this little pixie poked her head around the corner and said: "Thanks for the bean, Peter. I never had one before." She allowed as how she didn't really care for the peas....

And today, while making a delivery of the season's first baby carrots, the kids swarmed around my knees and proudly handed me a gift:

Mmmmmmm... Jam!

Mmmmmm....Bumbleberry Jam!

So, in recognition of little kids who really like green beans, who might not care for peas, but who love beets because nobody's told them they taste like dirt yet, and who make Bumbleberry Jam, here's today's Freebie Friday collection:

Engraved Pineapple Ecruwhite Notes

Hand-engraved Pear Notes

Martha Stewart Seaside Printable Invitations

Cheers & Clink! Coasters by Peggy Wong

To enter this week's Freebie Friday, simply leave a comment below. The comment must include your favorite vegetable recipe so we all can share in the seasonal bounty. And I'll pass them along to the kids.

MIT: What We Touch Influences What We Think

I wish I could remember how many times I have found myself saying: "I wish they would do a study on that!" Wishes do come true and the Genie for this particular request is Joshua Ackerman, an assistant professor of marketing at MIT's Sloan School of Management.

According to MIT, Ackerman tested how three dimensions of touch — that of weight, texture and hardness — can unconsciously influence judgments and decisions about unrelated events, situations, and objects. The results hold implications for marketers and negotiators to job seekers and employers to everyday people who simply want to make more informed decisions.

“What we touch unconsciously influences how we think,” says Ackerman. “In situations where evaluations and decisions really matter, we need to pay attention to our physical surroundings and, in particular, how we engage these surroundings through our sense of touch.” 


The study concludes that the heavier of two of the same objects is seen to have greater importance and demands greater attention.


The study also found that "shoppers more readily understood and formed confident impressions about products with which they physically interacted."


There are several lessons to be learned from this study. Among them:

• Stationers should encourage customers to touch and hold their papers.

• Consumers should understand that a weightier paper, with a soft airy surface (Hmmmm, I wonder where I can get some of that?) will carry your message with much more gravity than lighter paper.

• Job-seekers should always print their resumes on 32-pound 100% cotton paper. Regular 20-pound paper is for the copier. Twenty-four pound is good, but 32-pound commands respect and attention.

There's another element to this story that I hadn't thought about in quite a few years. And that is how Crane's envelopes are made. You may be familiar with the way Crane stationery envelopes look and feel. They are like no other and that is on purpose. It's called Crane's Puff. Rather than pressing and compressing the envelope into shape like ordinary, skinny, unsubstantial envelopes, Crane folds its envelopes, leaving lots of air and plenty of room for your weighty messages.

It's another mark of distinction for those in the know.

Christmas In July: A Sneak Peek

I just got my Crane holiday albums, which means they are now in stores. But before you head out to get an early start on ordering your personalized holiday cards, here are some visual teasers:

The Crane Watermark All Over The Map

In the index to part of the Crane archives, there's a card that says "Map Paper." There are several requests from map-makers and printers about whether Crane papers would be appropriate for maps. But I've never seen a map on Crane paper. Until just a few days ago.

A reader sent along a map of the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad, which was proposed to connect the big city to the small town. It was chartered in 1868, but never completed. Here's part of the map:

And here's the watermark, showing the map was printed on Crane's Bond on or after 1881:

But wait, there's more. Here's a first mortgage bond from 1888:

I'm not sure about a watermark on this document, but because it was printed by the American Banknote Company in New York, it's almost certain to be Crane's paper.

But wait, there's more. My kind reader, who has quite a collection of Baltimore and Drum Point documents sent this interesting photo:

This is definitely a Crane watermark, one I hadn't seen before. It undoubtedly is a paper made in celebration of the Centennial. A gorgeous sheet!

You all know I'm a great fan of history, and I have a habit of drilling down to the details with Google. There's a lot more to this Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad. Here's a starting point of interest:

So, to learn more on this fascinating subject, just Google Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad! You never know what you'll find.