Beautiful, Subtle, Handmade Note Cards and Stationery Have Made a Comeback

My mom, who lives in Baltimore, is a heart 84 years old. She doesn't own a computer; she doesn't know how to operate one, and has very little, if any, interest in learning how to do so. She lives and dies by the written word. I don't know of anyone who values a handwritten thank you or greeting card more than she.

From the time that I could actually write, she'd pounded into my sensibility that a well-written and well-timed thank you note was a necessity after receiving a gift, no matter how grand or how small. It was, to her, a badge of honor that her children display their good manners in this way.

I don't think my mother is alone in this regard for the value of a hand-written card or note. And I don't think it's limited only to those of her generation - many of whom are certainly computer literate but also appreciative of the effort put forth in writing.

It's not just writing the darned note or card. It's how you do it, and what you say. It's how creative and sincere you are, whether you're expressing appreciation for a truly lovely (or truly weird) gift, extending sympathy on the loss of a loved one, wishing one well in their new home or apartment, or sending happy wishes for a great birthday. Yes, there are WORDS in those store-bought card, but it's what you say as well that truly count.

I've often wondered if her insistence on good manners (a trait which I am ashamed to admit I did not stress enough to my own children) led to my fondness for the written word, a fondness that extended into a lifelong love of writing for writing's sake.

I know that many people find it difficult to put their thoughts or feelings into words. I'm guessing that the vast majority of people struggle with it. Perhaps it only comes truly easily if you've been (forced to) doing it most of your life.

Take heart! There are some relatively new lines of stationery that will make what seems like an onerous task one that's not quite so bad after all.

One of my favorite lines of stationery is that of Papyrus. The beauty, simplicity and stylishness of their cards never ceases to amaze me. Their color selection, graphics and little embellishments - perhaps a lace border at the top of a note card, a fabric ribbon that is delicately placed on the card, even a kind of kooky row of pink and white beads - are amazingly well done. Their note cards make me smile just to look at them. Another wonderful thing: their blank note cards aren't huge! They're a very neat 3" x 5" in size for the most part, which means that you have the option of writing a long note by using the blank top and bottom, or just writing a shorter version on the bottom half of the card. Chances are that the recipient will be so impressed by the Papyrus line's overall beauty and innovation that they'll be thrilled no matter how long or short your sentiments are.

The next time that you're in a stationery store, or a boutique gift store, take a few moments to check out some of the latest in greeting and note cards. They are just amazing! You have your political spoofs, your cultural references, of course (the Beatles, the Three Stooges, the 50's, 60's, 70's, etc.) and of course, tons of baby and animal cards. Some of these are quite cute; some are just clever photography. But there's bound to be something special there for a someone special. You'll also find lines of handmade cards that cost upwards of $4.00 plus each. These are the ones that are wrapped in plastic, individually. They are done by hand by the artist, with whimsical original drawings on higher-grade stock paper, and many of these are just miniature pieces of art themselves. While the idea of sending a $4.00 birthday card to someone other than your blood relatives may strike you as exorbitant, think about it this way: you're not sending 'just a card', you're actually sending a gift in the form of artwork.

I've purchased, after careful selection, some truly amazingly beautiful and appropriate hand-drawn cards that I frankly could hardly wait to fill in and send. The fine art of hand-writing a thank you note or greeting has become so much easier because of some amazing lines of artist-driven stationery. Like any gift, it's the thought behind your note - as well as the note itself - that counts.