Happy New Year!

All of us here would like to wish you and your families a very Happy New Year.

- The National Stationery Show Bloggers

It's a Wrap!

So there I was last night, December 23rd, standing at my ironing board* wrapping the gifts I will be giving to my family and friends on Christmas Day. You can only imagine my frustration as gift after gift poked through the cheap wrapping.

Q. Why the %$#@ do I have this cheap, thin, gift wrap? (Don’t I know better?)
A. The design was cute, it came in a coordinating pack of 3, and was inexpensive – and purchased last year at one of the more design-forward “big box” stores. And yes, I do know better.

Luckily for me, I have a nice inventory of much thicker, higher quality gift wrap. Some of what I found in my stash was from Turnowsky. Oh, such a difference. The thickness of this high quality paper was truly a wonder to me last night, in comparison to what I’d tried to use. And the design, you must know, is just gorgeous – layered, with foiling, rich colors - sumptuous! The feel of folding this paper is just so much more enjoyable. Seriously. With the thin paper, it’s like a fight – this stuff folds in on itself, and of course there’s that ripping thing. With thick gift wrap like this, wrapping does become a joy. Instead of feeling like Mr. Scrooge – “bah humbug!” - I feel the spirit of the season, and know I can proudly present my gifts to each recipient.

To top off any present, ribbon or other decoration is a must. I am not a stick-on ribbon kind of gal. I have skeins of double-faced satin ribbon from Berwick Offray, in practically every color. I also have some absolutely gorgeous velvet ribbon from Midori, and one of the gifts I am giving my mother got this special treatment! (I may try to take it back so I can re-use it next year!!) And wire-ribbon is also a must. If I decide to get really crafty, I will tie on a pinecone, or sticks of cinnamon – or something else clever like that.

In order to keep things straight, there’s the gift tag. Often, I do not have tags specifically coordinated with the wrap. Instead, I try to find tags that are in the same color family as the wrap. I have some wonderful gift tags from Pikme. Designer/Owner Kirsten Reynolds is truly prolific. From this line, I have tags of Christmas (pine) trees, holiday florals, mermaids, flamingos – and so much more. One of my niece’s presents has the mermaid tag on it. I also recently bought some cute letterpress gift tags from Delphine – they feature a polar bear and the paper is shimmery! (I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – I love a little glitz., shimmer & sparkle!)

Finally, there’s the * above to be addressed. Do any of you wrap like me – on the ironing board? I am nearly 5’ 11” and I find that the ironing board is the perfect height for me – ergonomically. Instead of sitting (and likely slouching) amidst all the wrap, ribbons and tags, I like to stand so that I am able to move about. (To retrieve each gift, back and forth to the kitchen for just a little more bubbly…)

I should have taken a few photos of all of this, but instead, visit each company’s website to get a taste of their wonderful offerings.

Happy Holidays to you!!! Enjoy the season, and remember – if you have been thinking of exhibiting in the National Stationery Show, give me a call 914-421-3228. And if you are in retail and would like to attend, please remember to register for your badge on our website!

Until next time –

Kelly

Humor IS the best medicine!

Please don’t tell my husband, but I have a secret passion. I love greeting cards.

Nothing enchants me as much as finding an unexpected greeting card in my mailbox. As much as I delight in the designs—each card a miniature masterpiece of artwork – it is the messages that each card delivers that really wins my heart. No matter how many greeting cards I receive, I never fail to tear up at heartfelt sentiments of connection and support, friendship and encouragement contained in one small piece of card stock.

But of all the cards I’ve collected over the years, it’s the funny ones I love the most. Everyone needs a little humor these days, and greeting cards – filled with wit, “I can’t believe they thought of that” surprise, and clever charm, can pack lots of laughs in a challenging time. Writers often struggle with finding “just the right words” to convey a message; greeting card writers have to deliver huge amounts of humor in just a sentence or two. Two of my favorite birthday cards still have me smiling: “Be Yourself…Everyone Else is Taken…” proclaimed a delightful, vintage-looking Madison Park Greetings design. In another Recycled Paper card design, sent to me by my best friend, two well-dressed matrons are discussing health routines: “To stay young, the doctor said to exercise and eat the right foods…” “What?!” exclaims the other, “I thought he said ‘accessorize and buy nice shoes!” It was worth getting a year older to receive such warm gifts of laughter from people I love.

I’m looking forward to the National Stationery Show—it’s my favorite time to catch up on all the hilarious cards I haven’t received. You’ll recognize me—I’ll be the tall brunette, standing in the Design Design, Mikwright, Avanti, and Noble Works booths, opening greeting cards, and laughing out loud!

Debra

Social Media: Are You on the Bandwagon?

So here I am, plugging away at my job as Marketing Manager for the National Stationery Show, when the following Twitter message stops me in my tracks as I attempt to Tweet:

Twitter is over capacity.
Too many tweets! Please wait a moment and try again.

But I have something to post that our 524 followers need to hear now!

We are addicted to social media, this much is true. Approximately 25 million U.S. adults are utilizing Twitter with more than 2 million tweets sent daily. Likewise for Facebook, which touts more than 350 million active users and 55 million status updates daily.

What does this mean to us? Lots of opportunity to communicate with those who matter most to us, and with those who want to hear from us.

So why am I pushing this social media craze in our NSS blog? We’ve jumped on the bandwagon as a means of communicating with our customers year-round, in a way that works for you. Gone are the days of having time to read long, detailed emails or casually peruse websites for information. We need information quickly and we need it concise. For all things 2010 National Stationery Show – from the latest Show news and event information, to newly-signed exhibitors and special features – check us out at:


If you have news that you want us to share with our fans and followers, send it to me at mgray@glmshows.com.

Happy Tweeting,
Melissa

Stats courtesy of Pew Internet.

A Visit to the West Coast

Last week, I took a trip out to Santa Monica, CA to spend Thanksgiving with a good friend, who also has her birthday around that holiday. It was a great trip.

If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know that no matter where I am, I usually find myself visiting a stationery store or two! This trip was no different.

On my first full day in town, my friend and I went to the J. Paul Getty Museum, and I was thrilled to spend the day there. Of course a visit to a museum also includes a nip into the gift shop. Inside of course, were a great number of products from companies that exhibit in the National Stationery Show. There was a great display of journals by Paperblanks, lots of beautiful product from Mudlark (they are doing something really right – I see Mudlark everywhere these days!), lots of calendars, and of course a great display of holiday cards, including boxed cards from Galison and Great Arrow Graphics.

This sign was posted in the Getty’s store, just above all the holiday cards for sale.
Way to go, Getty! The greeting card industry salutes you, and your great message encouraging holiday card sending!


My friend lives very near to Fred Segal Santa Monica. Despite having visited her many times, I had never been in the store (in Santa Monica, it’s two buildings on opposite sides of Broadway). This time, we went in both stores (hurray!) I love the sign on the building’s exterior.

I never knew that Fred Segal has a bunch of boutique shops inside (different stores, different buyers). We went into several, including the cool ZeroMinusPlus store.

Inside there was puzzles, jewelry, wallets from Alicia Klein, cool gadgets, and of course, lots of cards – and from so many different companies, I took notes. Here are just some: Amy Smyth Made It, Constance Kay, Frantic Meerkat, La Familia Green, Quotable Cards, Random Thoughts, and Shannon Martin. I knew all of these companies from having exhibited in the NSS – it almost felt like I was on the Show floor at Javits.

Here’s a quick pic I snapped of one of the displays:

Note to ZeroMinusPlus buyer, Darrylynn: it’s not too early to plan your visit to the NSS this May! Many of these companies, and hundreds more, will be at the Show waiting to see you. We’d love to see you back.

On my last full day in CA, my friend and I went to Pasadena. I had never been there, either. I’m embarrassed to tell you this, but I will anyway – I was “totally psyched” to see the painted pink line up Colorado Boulevard – part of the New Year’s Day Rose Bowl Parade trail. I’ve watched that parade every New Year’s Day for as long as I can remember.

We visited the Huntington Library (finally saw Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy"). Plenty of great products in that store, too, including a number of items from Pomegranate (books, calendars), and cards from Caspari. If you've never been to the Huntington Library - I recommend it - their gardens are varied, and tremendous!

Another great thing about Pasadena: Leigh Jackson of Bella Adorna! When I told Leigh I was coming to her home town, she suggested we meet. It was great to have a “no agenda” get together over a little glass of vino. (Hey! I said I was on vacation!)

Here I am with Leigh. She did tell me she’s got some new designs coming that will be ready for the May 2010 NSS.


After visiting with Leigh, I made tracks for the stationery store Carmody & Company on Union Street. I had read lots of great reviews about this store’s customer service online, and couldn’t wait to get inside and chat with the store’s owner, Terry Clougherty.

Terry shared with me her own tips and tricks for keeping loyal customers coming through her store’s door (sorry – can’t tell you!). She sells a lot of invitations – some through albums – she carries William Arthur, Crane & Co., and Chatsworth, to name a few; and she has a great number of imprintables for customer to buy and finish at home. Terry also has a graphic designer on-staff so that invitations can be custom made for her clients. Quite the business!

When I visited, a set of holiday cards was being assembled for one her clients.


And finally, here I am with Terry, (below).


Hope you enjoyed the recounting of my trip out to the “left coast!” Keep the holiday spirit going this season!

Until next time - Kelly

Happy Thanksgiving!

All of us here would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.

- The National Stationery Show Bloggers

My Husband’s Savior (Well, mine really)

His name is Jack. Jack Cards™, to be more specific.

Ladies, listen up. How many of you became responsible for finding, signing and sending all the birthday, anniversary, get well and holiday cards for your husband’s family the moment you said “I do”? After 2+ years, I recently relinquished the duty to my husband’s new friend, Jack, after one too many “Babe, my sister’s birthday is tomorrow.”

We in the social stationery biz know that handwritten greetings are still – and always will be – the most personal and thoughtful way to send a greeting. E-cards can be fun and interactive, but nothing beats a handwritten note with a personal sentiment that lands in your mailbox.

Jack Cards allows you to do just that, without needing to memorize 25 birthdays and anniversaries or rush to buy and send a card for an occasion you remembered just the day before. In one short visit to their website, you can plug in dates of important occasions for the entire year, select cards for each, and receive them in the mail (ready to mail!) to personalize and send.

Worried about the quality of the cards? Worry not. Such designers as Kate and Birdie, Bald Guy Greetings, Bob’s Your Uncle, Night Owl Paper Goods, Peaceable Kingdom Press, Wooster & Prince Papers and other top companies are among the choices.

The men in our lives will never stop doing this to us, so sign up ladies! No regrets from this Jack Cards member.

Melissa

A ramble

We’re almost done with booth changes for returning exhibitors to the National Stationery Show! Hurray!! Here, back in our glamorous offices at 1133 Westchester Avenue, we have been toiling away on behalf of companies looking for new spaces in the Show. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish and takes up most of mid-October right up until Thanksgiving. It is like this every year, without fail. If you are attending the Show this May, I hope you notice some of your favorite companies in their new locations. Hundreds of exhibitors have moved. (This is typical, too!) Sometimes exhibitors tell us they want to be near each other – to create a neighborhood. Again, this can be a challenge, but it is so very rewarding to be able to accomplish something like this. In fact, (am I letting the cat out of the bag?) you should look for Egg Press, Hello Lucky, Hammerpress and eieio at the Show. They’re all in new booths, and they’ve each staked their claim on a corner spot facing each other. I can’t wait to visit this area of the Show myself, because I know these companies are all friends, and they’re cooking up some collective fun for May. Hint: find them on the 1500 aisle.

I truly enjoy working on the change process because it gives me the excellent opportunity to chat with exhibitors. As we map out new booth spaces together, I get to hear how their year has been (October was great – lots of re-orders and new orders, too), the new products they will be introducing in May (everyone will), and about their sleepless nights putting the finishing touches on their products and packing and shipping them. Hello Anthropologie – you were busy buyers this year! So many of the NSS exhibitors I’ve spoken with got some nice big orders from you, and they all seem to be shipping RIGHT NOW!

We’re also welcoming tons of new companies to the 2010 Show, and have been busy getting them situated into booth spaces for May. I love speaking with the folks at new companies. These talented individuals are on the brink of success! They have great designs, and just need to do the Show to get their products in the hands of customers. It’s fun to talk with folks at this stage – before they’ve “made it.” It’s also great to catch up with them a few years later to hear how much they’ve grown! I have tons of stories, and one that comes to mind is Night Owl Paper Goods. The name of the company came from the fact that our good friend Mr. Stuart Alan Henderson started this company at night – while working a “day job.” Well, the years of hard work have paid off, and now Night Owl is actually run by day!

I applaud and admire each and every one of you who took the brave step to put your designs out there and start your own companies.

It’s not too early to decide to exhibit in the National Stationery Show. If you are on the brink of success, give me a call so I can learn about your company and the kind of stores you hope to “be in.”

If you are a retailer – it’s also not too early to register for your badge for the Show. Our hotel block has been set for a while now, and you can start planning your visit.

Sorry no pics today – I’ve been too busy staring at this floorplan getting things done. You should see my bloodshot eyes. Really!

Until next time - Kelly

A Halloween Scrapbooking Journey

Ever since I’ve been working on the Show where there is so much fantastic scrapbooking and papercrafting product, and in particular this last year, I’ve considered getting into scrapbooking. But, to be honest, I find it intimidating! I give you scrapbookers a lot of credit; it’s time-intensive, requires a lot of creativity and from my experience, is really overwhelming to start. Time and time again I go to art supply and craft stores to visit the scrapbooking aisles only to leave empty handed and discouraged.

So here is my question for you readers who are true scrapbookers – do you scrapbook specific holidays? I was recently in Michael’s and A.I. Friedman. to explore the product options. Then, I spent time looking around the internet and discovered that Halloween actually has its own scrapbooking items. This really piqued my curiosity. Here are a few things I found that would definitely make it into my scrapbook (if I ever start one):

This scrapbook paper from Masterpiece Studios is so cute! I love how it incorporates fall leaves with traditional Halloween symbols.

I’m not a fan of anything scary so these embellishments from K & Company make Halloween seem more like a holiday I wouldn’t mind being a part of. Look at the smiles on these fun characters!

If you’re anything like me, the only reason you participate in anything Halloween-related is for the yummy candy; so my scrapbook would not be complete without these stickers from SandyLion.

And just because Halloween is supposed to be a little creepy, I would add a few spider web stamps to my photo filled pages. Inkadinkado makes a lot of fun Halloween themed stamps.


What are your favorite scrapbooking items? Are you creating a Halloween page? We’d love to hear your scrapbooking ideas and stories!

Have a safe Halloween,
Jess

Out and About

I’m on the road for work or vacation just about every month of the year. I don’t know about you, “dear reader”, but I just can’t help myself when it comes to paper. No matter where I am and no matter if it is for work or pleasure, I am known to stop in my tracks to step into a stationery store! I also like to visit customers whenever possible.

At the beginning of September, I logged in a visit to Envelopments, and got to see the cool work environment that Mark and Deborah Smith have created for themselves and their employees. The vibe is collaborative and California cool. Employees can wear jeans every day (boy did I feel out of place in my dress!) Their warehouse area was organized and clean – so pleasant for all the workers in that area who were doing their thing when I stopped in. The outdoor space at Envelopments even includes a little Zen meditation area! Everyone I met was a happy employee. Impressive!

Here’s a pic of Mark and Deborah at the office.










I was in Italy at the end of September through the beginning of this month, and while in Rome I went to visit NSS exhibitor Luca Natalizia, of Natalizia. Luca’s family also owns Cartoleria Pantheon, a wonderful little store located off to one side of the Pantheon.

Here’s a glimpse of the storefront, as well as a shot of the giftwrap on display on the sidewalk just in front of the store.






I also stopped in the large chain La Feltrinelli – there are a few in Rome – this one was in Largo Argentina. I would liken La Feltrinelli to a Barnes & Noble here – they have everything from books, to music, to journals to greeting cards. Here are a couple of covert shots from inside the store.











Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Greeting Card Association’s annual Convention in Scottsdale, AZ. The Convention is just one of many highlights of the year for me, as it is always inspiring, enlightening, and honestly – it’s just plain fun to hang with leaders in the greeting card industry. One of the discussion panels during the convention was called “The Realities of Retailing” and four local retailers discussed their businesses. They were so very generous to share their information and insights, and as you might imagine, they had a rapt audience – we were all attentive and taking notes! Afterwards, I had the happy opportunity to visit 2 of the 4 stores represented on the panel. The Paper Place (this store is family owned and operated, and has been in business for 31 years) and Celebrations in Paper, which owner Rene Showalter opened in 1997.

Here’s a photo of the many invitation albums at The Paper Place.



And check out just a slice of their greeting card offerings. This store is fab – and I spent some $$ there on holiday cards and general greeting cards (could not resist several gorgeous cards from J&M Martinez). I loved visiting with store owner Nancy Silver – and fully expect to see Nancy in May at the NSS. Her sister Betsy (also co-owner of the store) was on the discussion panel earlier in the day. Thank you, ladies for your time!

Down the street and around the corner is Celebrations in Paper. Rene has an interesting set-up as she shares her space with a florist. This is advantageous to both businesses, as they work so often with wedding and party planners. You can bet I happily plunked down a few dollars here, too. (Hello to Brent and Charmaine of Yellow Bird Paper Greetings –I picked up a birthday card and a thank you card of yours here). While I was visiting Celebrations in Paper, I met up with a few other industry folks!

Here’s a picture showing those who stopped by. From left to right:


George White, Up With Paper; Nicky Burton, Calypso Cards; Rene Showalter, store owner; and manufacturers’ representative Chuck Nelson, who works with the stores in Scottsdale and the region.

Visiting retail stores and the talented people behind the products we all love to buy, use and mail is certainly a passion for me. The people in this industry are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet – including yourselves, without a doubt! If I’m ever in your neighborhood, I’d love to come and visit!! (o:

- Until next time, Kelly