News

Yes, suddenly it's that time to decide ... drumroll ...

— what is your holiday vibe going to be?

Of course, we're just having some merry fun with you: last thing anyone needs as the new season advances is to feel stressed!

But if you enjoy anticipating what's ahead ... Whether you be a Christmas Classicist or a Holiday Maximalist, we've got the design for you. Read on to see what your vibe might be ...

Maxi Decor.

Why just one bauble, where there could be two or three or many more? For you, 'tis the season to overdo it (but tastefully, of course!).

Clean Classic.

You like to mark the season, but take a Coco Chanel approach to decoration: best to edit in order to elevate.

Color Rich.

You like traditional red & green, but you aren't afraid to add more colors to make it modern: deep burgundy, hot pink, and apple green.

Tropical Punch.

If you're trading pine trees for palm trees this year, there's still every reason to celebrate. And maybe even more so (lucky you in the sunshine!).

Woodland Warmth.

Or maybe you prefer to get into hibernation mode over the holidays: put on the fire, surround yourself with friends, and share hugs all around.

Festive Folklore.

You know your mushrooms — and use cute, elvish accessories to create a fairy tale Christmas.

Now is also a wonderful time to show your local store some holiday love.

Shop small this season: the stores will be all dressed in their merry finery and ready to welcome you.

Welcome to our summer edition of the J*F Quarterly, a wrap up of trends that impressed our eyes as we visited exhibitions, absorbed forecast reports, and scrolled through instagram.

"Sad biege" is out — pretty colors and maximalism is in!  And we couldn't be happier.  Isn't life a lot more fun with color in it?

We have a selection of cards for graduates (browse them here), which, like all our cards, are blank inside for your own message.  Having trouble finding the right words to congratulate grads?

Why not leave it to the "experts": here are ten of our fave quotes to inspire that new generation about to embark on the world.

Maya Angelou is always a fave (see above), and here are nine more.

"What lives behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." — Albert Einstein

"Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work.  The second is only part of the first." — Anna Quindlen

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." — Confucius

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be." — Shakespeare

"Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." — Nora Ephron

"The only thing you can do in this life is pursue your passions, celebrate your bloopers, and never stop following your fear." — Grace Helbig

And, for the maverick, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." — Mark Twain

Finally, to conclude with a personal favorite:

"Kid, you'll move mountains." — Dr. Seuss

We'd love to hear some of your favorite quotes!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!  The first issue of our new minimag is here!  Especially for our wholesale partners, but also for any paper lover who likes to know the latest market trends and tidbits.

As a regular at the tradeshows in the US and Europe, I see a lot of trends firsthand, so I thought it'd be fun to share them!  We hope you enjoy what you read — we really want this to be news you can use.  So let us know what you think!

It's one of my favorite holiday traditions: sitting down with a nice big coffee, my favorite pens, and trusty ole Christmas card list.  For me, this is a chance to pause, and remember the people who I may not have had the chance to see (especially in this year of tiny friendship bubbles!), but whose company I always treasure.  Here's hoping for many friendly reunions in 2021!

This year, I thought I'd have fun and take a bit more time addressing the envelopes.  After all, aren't envelopes like a card's giftwrap?

My calligraphy skills are, ahem ... always on my list of resolutions to develop ... but no matter, there are some very easy ways to up your envelope game.

First, play with your pens.  Put the ballpoint aside, and pick up a big green sharpie (but remember to address the envelope first, and then put in the card, as the sharpie can bleed through), or — my favorite — a gel ink pen.  I love the Uni-Ball Signo pens, which you can find at most stationery stores.  White ink is great against a colored envelope; what's more Christmassy than white and red?

Then, add a few flourishes.  This season, I did little scrolls around the sides to frame the address, or sometimes a few stars stars in each corner.  Nothing needs to be perfect, just have fun. (Tip: add your stamp first, so your art can flow around it.)

Lastly, I love to seal my envelopes with a foil sticker.  These are now easily available online, in so many sizes and colors.  Red foil is great for Christmas, and gold seals feel luxe all year long.

Happy writing!  See you in 2021!

(And p.s. In case you're wondering about Daisy Fay (top left).  Daisy (who became Daisy Buchanan) was Jay Gatsby's great love in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", and some say he would have first fallen for her when, as a young woman, she lived at this address in Louisville, KY .... but as with so much about Daisy, the truth is difficult to pin down.)

Yes, that's right - this winter it's all about mys.  Pronounced "mees", the home trend hails from Sweden, and if there's one thing the Swedes know how to deal with, it's a long dark winter season. 

Wait, you ask, what about hygge (pronounced "HOO-gah"), that Danish trend of crackling fireplaces and the warming comforts of friends and good food?  Apparently, that's so last year.  Now it's all about mys.

To a non-Scandinavian (like me!), the differences may seem slight ... but the essence of mys is warmth and coziness, and especially candle light as the days darken.  The more twinkling, the better your spirits.  And that's one philosophy we can happily subscribe to for the holiday season.

Since we started designing matchboxes, in conjunction with our UK partner Archivist, we discovered the joy of a long match that strikes nicely, and looks just as festive on your mantelpiece (see some of our designs above).

We feature a selection of matchboxes at our online store here, and if you're overseas in the UK, shop Archivist for an even wider range of designs.

May your holidays ahead be full of warmth — and mys!

Yes, it's that ho ho ho time of year again.  Procrastinators among us (ok, me!) might be wondering when is the last day they can mail their holiday cards, and still have them arrive by that magic day of 25th December.

The US Postal Office tells us we should circle Tuesday, December 15th this year as our deadline for mailing Christmas cards, and gifts.  You can still squeeze out another few days for priority mail, for which the deadline is December 19th.

For your fabulous friends across the Atlantic in Europe, or just up North in Canada ... here you'll want to get over the post office by December 7th.

But here's the silver lining of this crazy year — you can be sure whenever your loved ones ultimately receive their cards, any dose of holiday cheer will be extra welcome this season!

And, stationery addicts, if you're ordering from our website, remember we include a stamp and a lovely gold seal with every purchase so you can get mailing right away (above, left).

(Need more stamps?  Order stamps online from the USPS, click here.  They have all sorts of wonderful limited edition stamps, too, just for the holidays!)