Solid Gold Motifs - Stationery Show at T-Minus 10

You reach a certain point, when you've got to be out of town for a few days, where decisions must be made:

Do I plant my tomatoes before or after the show?
What if it rains and I can't mow the lawn before I go?
What it it doesn't rain? Will my lettuce die?

All that sort of stuff as well as scheduling laundry, shopping for new clothes and on and on. You can probably tell I don't do this very often. But I'm looking forward to my annual trip to the Big City, and if you're a Crane retailer, I'll look forward to seeing you there.

Today's sneak peek at new stationery designs making their debut at the show centers around gold - engraved gold motifs that adorn new cards and notes:







And my personal favorite:

Is Crane's Best-Seller Among These Creatures?

Remember when we met this guy?



To refresh, our little friend here was the best-selling boxed stationery item in 2008, part of Crane's Paper Collage Animals Collection.

Well, move over, little fella, there's some new contenders on their way to the National Stationery Show in just 11 more days. So, for today's exclusive look at Crane designs making their debut in New York:













And my personal favorite:

Bold Engraved Images Grace Crane Holiday Cards

Only 12 days to go until the National Stationery Show. For today's exclusive sneak peek at designs making their debut at the show, I've started to narrow down my favorites for engraved holiday cards. And by favorites, I mean not only personal favorites, but those that will appear on the most mantles during the holiday season. I've got money riding on this....

I'll show you four gorgeous designs today, all enhanced with the unique properties imparted by the engraving press. Sometime before the show, I'll announce my winner for this year, and we'll see how it fares later on.

kate spade Holiday at the National Stationery Show

Thirteen days to go until the opening of the National Stationery Show. Here's another sneak peek at some of the items making their grand entrance May 17. Today, the wit and whimsy of kate spade.

Mount Vernon and Crane Present Stationery Collection

Insider's Note: I'm officially in countdown mode to the National Stationery Show. Every day until May 17, I will bring Crane Insider readers your own exclusive advance look at stationery collections Crane will debut at the show. I am very pleased to lead off with The Mount Vernon Collection.

Mount Vernon commemorates George and Martha Washington’s 250^th wedding anniversary with a new collection of fine stationery by Crane & Co. The collection celebrates the enduring value of the written word with designs drawn from The General and Lady Washington’s own correspondence as well as Washington’s crest, Martha Washington’s French writing desk, and architectural details from Mount Vernon.

“Crane is the perfect partner for Mount Vernon,” said James C. Rees, Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “The company stands for the highest quality, has an incredible rich history, and for decades, has created the paper used for the iconic portrait of George Washington on the dollar bill.”

“Partnering with Mount Vernon brings us both back to our historic roots,” said Anita Brady, vice president and general manager for Crane’s social and business stationery. “George Washington and Stephen Crane, the Crane family’s first papermaker, were contemporaries during the American Revolution – one a general, one a private,” she said. “And now, more than two centuries later, these two great American icons are once again brought together.”

The Mount Vernon collection features boxed notes with historic images including cherries and peaches grown by Washington at Mount Vernon, a set of notes with quotations from George and Martha Washington’s letters, boxed gift sets with folded notes and hand-engraved correspondence cards featuring motifs inspired by Martha Washington’s French writing desk or Washington’s crest. The collection also includes blind-embossed notes inspired by the ornate ceiling in the Mount Vernon Front Parlor.

The Mount Vernon collection is available at both Mount Vernon and their online shop (www.mountvernon.org). The collection will also be available soon through many of Crane’s 2,000 independent stationers.

About Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens

Since 1860, over 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America. Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.

In October 2006, Mount Vernon added two new facilities: The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center and the Ford Orientation Center. These $65 million dollar facilities include 25 new theaters and galleries that tell the detailed story of George Washington’s life. More than 500 original artifacts, 11 History Channel videos, and immersion theater experiences illuminate the remarkable story of the first American hero.

Mount Vernon is open 365 days a year, and visitors can arrive at the estate by car, bus or boat. The Association does not accept grants from federal, state or local governments, and no tax dollars are expended to support its purposes.

Proceeds from the sales of all Mount Vernon/Crane & Co. product helps to support Mount Vernon’s preservation and educational efforts. Visit www.mountvernon.org to plan your next trip.