Graduation's a Great Time to Build Your Baby's Brand

This post is for all the Moms out there. Graduation is approaching quickly and you're going to be sending your babies out into the world of college or the world of work. Either way, your babies are going to be very small fish swimming around in a very big pond.

What's a Mom to do? Your babies need to create their own personal brand. They're well on their way, with all your years of nurturing, but there's even more you can do right at this juncture in their lives:

Give them stationery!

What? Yes, you heard correctly, even in this age of e-mail and cell phones and texting. (Here's a thought to ponder. All texting requires is a tool and two opposable thumbs. My, haven't we come a long way in our development?!)

It wasn't that long ago that those who first had a computer, who used e-mail, who bought a cell phone, a PDA or any other piece of technology were the ones who stood out from the crowd. They were admired and respected. They were out in front of the pack. They were the big fish in a small pond.

But the pendulum is swinging. Not backwards, but ahead toward a more civil, respectful and courteous society. Ask yourself this: who will stand out from the crowd; be admired and respected; be remembered most favorably:

The person who sends you a garbled tweet thanking you for that delicious dinner, or the person who sent you a hand-written thank-you note?

The applicant who follows up the job interview with an e-mail, or the applicant who follows up with a hand-written note acknowledging the generosity of time and consideration for the future.

The friend who catches up with you with a "wassup?" text or the friend who writes a note just because "I was thinking about you today."

The young networker who hands you his number on a wet cocktail napkin or the young networker who hands  you her card?

These are the people who will be remembered for their courtesy, respect and civility.

That can be your baby!

Here's a great start to building an esteemed personal brand. Send your little fish into the big pond with personal cards. They say "I have arrived. Here I am!"

Little Papers You Can Put Your Name On

Today is Freebie Friday here at The Crane Insider. The first order of business is to announce last week's winner, and that is - Lisa T! She left this comment:

I am brand new to gardening, so I'm sorry to say I do not have any tips. This will be my first spring with a patch of land to cultivate! I would love to win this pad and journal as I am sure that I'll be need to jot notes and such as I go along.

Wish me luck!


Congratulations Lisa. Send me your address at peter(dot)hopkins@comcast.net.


Here's what we've got on tap for today. (It's maple sugaring season here in Vermont!) Little papers you can put your name on. Place cards are such a simple way to dress up any dinner party, whether it's a full table of eight, or an intimate table for two. These place cards are so elegant. Their edges have been rounded, beveled and gilded with silver or gold. (You can see how it's done here).


Along with them, you will see one of my very favorite papers from the recent past: A boxed set of calling cards:

You know me; I love calling cards, and they have become quite the stationery phenomenon as you can see here. 


So, in order to win these little papers you can put you name on, I would like your opinion on boxed calling cards - cards on which you write your own name and contact information. Are they a good and safe means of exchanging contact information for young people? Are they too much trouble and you'd rather just have your information already printed on them? Would they provide an inexpensive entry for personal branding? 


What do you think?

The Delicacy and Intensity of My Calling Cards

By Sarah Schwartz
Editor
Stationery Trends Magazine

One of the things I love about stationery is that it is intimate yet relatively inexpensive. What is more personal, after all, than what stationery conveys: our thoughts and sentiments, the details of our milestone events and the parties with which we celebrate them, not to mention our very handwriting? Printed and hand-written missives — the physical kind, not e-mails or IMs or texts — travel from hand to hand to be cherished and admired, usually across space and often, across time. What else is out there you can say that about?

I’ve had the pleasure of covering the stationery market as a trade editor for over a decade now, and I’ve always greatly enjoyed the perks of the job. Practically speaking, that means my office is crammed with journals, notecards, photo albums, greeting cards, notepads and what have you. I keep what I can’t live without, and share the rest with friends, family, charities and my daughter’s pre-school.

Topping my list of “what I can’t live without” are my calling cards from Crane’s. They are a Kate Spade design, edged in first a thick, then a thin pink line, with my name, e-mail, and cell letterpressed in brown at center. Made of thick cotton paper, they are much tougher than their delicacy suggests: I have carefully smoothed out wrinkled ones left in an evening bag on more than one occasion.

I love everything about them: their diminutive dimensions, the way they look stacked in my card holder and, most of all, that they represent me in paper form. A calling card is really a little piece of the owner’s identity, shared with a select few. They travel with me, to be bestowed upon acquaintances and friends — very favored acquaintances and friends, I might add.

Because, crazy as it sounds, there are actually four types of cards tucked in my card case: my business cards, declaring me editor of Stationery Trends; my mommy cards, meaning they have my daughter’s first and last names, with my first name and contact info beneath, to be given to the parents of her friends for potential playdates; and enclosure cards, which just have my name printed on one side with plenty of space for whatever I want to write on back.

All are meaningful and quite precious to me in their own ways, and the last two always garner a rather surprised compliment, but it is the Crane’s I like to give out most. I might add, too, that I love stumbling across situations they fit into, when I find just that right person to whom I really want to give one. And I must admit, there is always a long pause while the lucky recipient takes it in; for though they’re small, they’re also rather intense.

So while in some ways the ever-diminishing pile of cards in the sturdy, leaf-green box they came in makes me sad, I like to think about where the others went, if they were pocketed, then tucked in an address book perhaps, or saved in a box with other people’s cards. Even if they never call or e-mail me, I do hope they save them.

Countdown to Father's Day: Idea #3

The hottest trend in personalized stationery. Perfect for Dad, who you've been telling for years to "Get a life!"



Simply stated. These taupe cards are a perfectly stylish way for Dad to leave contact information or e-mail address with a friend or new acquaintance. Thermographed in your choice of ink colors. 50 cards for $78. Don't put the street address on there. He'll think you want to move back in.....




Dad will make a lasting impression with these trendy square calling cards. Silver square motif is complemented by Dad's information thermographed in kona, Newport blue, moss green or black. 100 cards for $187. The perfect card for your "square" Dad.




Very cool calling cards for the person on the go. A sketch of a convertible is engraved along with Dad's personalized text in your choice of ink color on these taupe cards. 50 engraved cards for $150. Just tell Dad to keep the Dodge Dart in the garage.




These rich espresso brown calling cards will surely be remembered. Dad's information is hand engraved - along with a decorative motif - using your selection from a variety of ink colors. 50 engraved cards for $151. Costs way less than a case of halfway decent wine.

To purchase or to find a retailer nearest you, please visit Crane's website.

Coasters from Crane's New Letterpress Weddings Album: A Transformational Design Challenge

I love letterpress. I love its three-dimensionality. I love the images sculpted in fluffy, bulky cotton paper.

Crane has just launched its new Letterpress Wedding Invitations album, which I will write more about shortly. It's beautiful stuff, and I hope all you nearlyweds out there will include this album in your deliberations.

When I received my samples from the album I noticed something new; items not found in other Crane wedding albums - coasters. Coasters personalized with letterpress. Here they are:

Now, I have been known to use a coaster on occasion for its intended purpose, but seeing these I began to wonder what else they might become. How else might they be used in a wedding celebration? How might they arise from beneath a wine glass?

All you Martha Stewart fans - and I count myself among them - have seen such transformations as she employs her creativity, imagination and vision. Now it's your turn.

Here's the challenge: Create something to personalize a wedding using these coasters as your starting point. I can't send you all actual coasters to work with, so here's a link to my Photobucket page where you will find images. In real life, they measure 4 inches across.

There are two ways to send in your entries: via e-mail (jpegs or pdfs under 5 megs please) or if you prefer, you may mail your entry to me at:

Peter Hopkins

Crane Museum of Papermaking

Crane & Co., Inc.

30 South St.

Dalton, MA 01226

Entries will be accepted until midnight on December 8. That gives you a month to play around. The winner will be announced just before Christmas, and the present will be 50 engraved social cards as well as the fame that accompanies the announcement of your victory here at The Crane Insider, of course.

If you have questions, and I'm sure you will, please leave a comment below and I will respond so that everyone will have the benefit of the answer.

Lipstick Calling Card Winner

Congratulations to Jennifer Buck, our lucky winner of 50 personalized Lipstick Calling Cards. Jennifer is a fellow blogger, who operates her own calligraphy business - Graceful Expressions - near Grand Rapids, Mich. You can see her lovely work here.


Thanks to all who participated. I'll start thinking about the next giveaway.


Oops, almost forgot. Ms. Bliss is all married up and beginning her new life in the north country of Vermont. Congratulations and best wishes from all of us here at The Crane Insider.

You Can Put Lipstick on a Calling Card

And it's still a calling card.

The card to the right has been in one of Crane's personalized stationery albums and has been available online for several years. I figured with all the recent blather about cosmetics in the political arena, I should trot it out for your consideration.

The calling card craze continues to mushroom in the blogosphere. At the bottom of this entry are links to recent posts.

But right now, I'd like to give away 50 personalized Lipstick Calling Cards.

To become eligible for this incredible offer, just leave a comment below. Comments will be moderated. There will be a random drawing from among those who comment.

You've got until Friday the 19th. Good luck!

Here are those links I promised you earlier.

Art of Manliness (they started this latest round)

Lifehacker

First Million Dollar Home Page

Red Shoe Girl

Productivity 501

Geeks are Sexy

Creation Robot

Sophoblog

Life Clerks

Leisure Guy

Methodicjon

Mastertwisted

BestTechNow

Chic and Charming

Presurfer

A Good Husband

The Amazing Calling Card Phenomenon

I'm a big fan of little papers - folded notes, correspondence cards, place cards - you name it. And there's one little paper that is taking the market by storm: Calling Cards.

Calling cards, or social cards, have been around for a long time. They were a staple of Victorian society, with very strict rules for their use. Here are some beauties from that era.

Calling cards hung around in the 20th century in certain spots around the country, and Crane always had a few samples in their stationery albums. That was until about seven or eight years ago, when we began seeing somewhat of a resugence as more and more of these little pieces of paper made their way though Crane's engraving facility.

Long story short: Crane started displaying more samples, more orders came in, more samples, more orders. Today, calling cards represent the fastest-growing sector of personalized stationery at Crane, accounting for fully half of the top 20 top-selling items.

So who's buying these pretty little pieces of paper? Although demand seems to be broadening all the time, here are some notable sectors.

Twenty-somethings. Think about it. These youngsters are mobile. Many move from place to place, job to job. They don't have a land line. You can't find them in a phone book. They have cell phones and e-mail addresses. They print all their appropriate contact information on calling cards and hand them out when "social networking," aka seeking interesting members of the opposite sex, or business networking when it's not appropriate to hand out your current business card. Calling cards are also a symbol of a certain adult status. They announce: "Here I am. I have arrived!"

Young couples with kids. Calling cards are perfect to hand out for play dates, car pooling for soccer games and for babysitters.

Retirees. These folks have worked all their lives, and have had business cards all their lives. Now they have a social life and have the same need to hand over their contact information for tennis games, golf matches, cocktails on the deck; whatever those lucky folks do with all their free time......

Here is a link to Crane's large and growing collection of these powerful little pieces of paper.

Friday Eye Candy

Whew, it's been a big day. This happens to me every year, the first really nice day here in Pownal, Vermont, and I've got to get everthing done, in addition to the day job.

Let's see, I bought seeds for my plot in the Community Garden. I started raking a spot of lawn. I bought a new lawnmower. I filled up my propane tank. And Sunday will be my first round of golf after a long winter layoff.

Anyway, I'm feeling very springy, and thought I would share with you some springy stationery for this week's Friday Eye Candy.

Enjoy your weekend!




Top row, from left, Spring Garden Thank-You Notes, Engraved Hummingbird Notes and Letterpress Woodcut Floral Wedding Invitations. Bottom row, from left, Wasabi Personalized Calling Card, Adirondack Chair Bar Harbor Notes, and kate spade butterfly place cards.