Category Archives: Stationery

You Write, We Post, Together We Celebrate!

I was thinking about making a TT Patton postage stamp for a program in February.  I found a few websites where you can upload any image and create your own personal postage.  I did it for Christmas and loved it.  But with this new stamp released today, there’s no need to make our own, just yet.

In February, I will participate in The Month of Letters Challenge.  The challenge runs the entire month of February and requires you to mail at least one item through the post every day it runs.  You can write a postcard, a letter, send a picture, a cutting from a newspaper, or a fabric swatch. You can also write back to everyone who writes to you, and that counts as a letter.  That’s it!

You can also participate in the challenge with me and TT Patton is here to help you!  The entire month of February, bring in your handwritten notes and we will add postage and mail them in our cute little mailbox.  (Our mail carrier LOVES that mailbox!)  Yes, we’ll pay your first class postage for each personal note; no bills!  As I mentioned, we contemplated making our own stamp, but instead we’ll dress your letters with the latest postage stamp released by the USPS recognizing publisher and entrepreneur, John H. Johnson.

Through the Black Heritage series, the Postal Service recognizes prominent African-Americans whose contributions have helped shape American culture. Learn more about the 2012 release in this video featuring an interview with Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman of Johnson Publishing Company and daughter of stamp honoree, John H. Johnson.

Johnson Stamp from Journey Group on Vimeo.

So for the month of February, YOU WRITE letters, WE POST them, TOGETHER WE CELEBRATE The Month of Letters and American history all during Black History Month.  I love it when things just fall into place.  Now I’m headed over to buy my new John H. Johnson stamps at the Barrington Post Office before they run out!

Again, what’s the The Month of Letters Challenge?
In the month of February, mail at least one item through the post every day it runs.  Write a postcard, a letter, send a picture, a cutting from a newspaper, or a fabric swatch. Write back to everyone who writes to you. This can count as one of your mailed items. That’s it!

Is your dye or color out of style?

I’ve never really liked the color of my hair.  So, I dyed my hair when I was younger.  Bad idea!  So now, I just live with what I have, gray and all.

But you don’t have to settle for one color when it comes to stationery.  Like magic, you can use the same die and create multiple colors.  That’s because engraved stationery uses a die which has a design or name carved into a copper or steel plate. Sometimes dies are called plates…I know…confusing.

To create beautiful engraved stationery, dies are placed into an engraving press, colored ink is loaded, the ink is “rolled” across the plates, and then the plates are pressed into the paper; BY HAND, ONE AT A TIME.  So now you know the secret that goes into creating this beautiful little Dempsey & Carroll holiday card.  It’s two colors…so it went through the process twice. Continue reading

What’s your client worth?

I like this little news magazine called Open Forum by American Express because it’s written just for small businesses.  A recent article titled Shopping Local Can Save Us All focused on how local businesses can help communities.  In the latter part of the article the author challenges Charles Matthews, a professor for Entrepreneurship at the University of Cincinnati, on the value of customer service that small businesses claim.  And specifically is customer service a reason to pay more.

“Matthews is quick to answer. “It’s never a question of why spend more, it’s a matter of why you are spending at all”.

During the holidays, many businesses send greeting cards to their clients.  So when they ask how much they should spend, I now reply, what’s your client worth?  Really.  Why are you spending at all?  What impression do you want to make?

Custom greeting cards can range from $200 to more than $1000 for 100.  But that’s about $2 to $10 per card.  Do you think your client is worth $10?