April 28, 2021 (Denver, CO) – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) is excited to announce the finalists in the second annual Noted @ *Noted Products Awards Competition. The competition is held in conjunction with the industry’s annual greeting card focused tradeshow, *Noted: The Greeting Card Expo, which will be held virtually May 20 & 21, 2021.
In the spirit of community, the competition was open to any greeting card maker who wholesales. To keep everything fresh, all entries needed to be introduced on or after January 1, 2021. This year’s competition received 194 entries, a 42% increase over last year’s inaugural competition.
A small but esteemed group of judges reviewed the entries: Audrey Woollen, founder and creative director of Urbanic Paper Boutique; Chandra Greer, owner of GREER Chicago; Chelsea Shukov, co-founder of Sugar Paper; Daniel Collier, danielrichards; and Sarah Schwartz, editor of Stationery Trends and The Paper Nerd.
“This year’s group of 194 entries is very special,” enthused Schwartz. “I was impressed to see makers across the board truly pushing the envelope in terms of visual artistry and carefully considered copy, all with an eye toward comforting and connecting us in these crazy times. During judging, my eyes teared up more than once, and I gave out a lot of perfect scores. I was impressed to realize that every design shared a heartfelt quality, articulated in the maker’s true voice, that I can’t recall seeing so consistently before. Every maker should be very proud to put these into the world.”
Makers and retailers competed in 10 categories, including one just for retailers. The top three finalists are listed below in every category except Tear Jerker — that was a four-way tie!
Best Color Combo Card
2021 Co.
Girl w/Knife
Seedlings
Best New Product Line
E. Frances Paper
Freshcut Paper
Lykkefund Paper
Best Greeting Card Wall
Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store, Brooklyn, New York
Belle & Union Co., San Antonio, Texas
Paper Epiphanies, Portland, Oregon
Best Tear-Jerker Card
Belle & Union Co.
Paper Baristas
UWP Luxe
Wolf & Wren Press
Best Use of Profanity Card
Girl w/Knife
Ümlaut Brooklyn
Ümlaut Brooklyn
Most Beautiful Card
Girl w/Knife
Seedlings
UWP Luxe
Best CoronaCard
Next Chapter Studio
Spacepig Press
Quick Brown Fox Letterpress
Snarkiest Card
Girl w/Knife
NobleWorks
Spacepig Press
Best “No Occasion”/”Just Because Card”
Inklings Paperie
Seedlings
UWP Luxe
Best Card from a Rookie
Fine Moments
Lake Erie Design
Manor Paper
Congratulations to all the finalists! The first round was reviewed virtually; for the round to select winners, judges will review the physical cards in person. Winners will be announced Wednesday, May 19, at 5 pm ET to kick off the *Noted virtual events taking place the following two days, May 20 & 21.
Those who wish to exhibit, sponsor, or attend *Noted can do so by visiting the GCA website at www.greetingcard.org. Registration is free for retailers and buyers who will have the opportunity to shop over 70 maker booths.
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About the Greeting Card Association:
Founded in 1941, The Greeting Card Association (GCA) is the non-profit U.S. trade association serving the greeting card and social expressions industry. GCA represents nearly 200 American and international publishers and industry partners by promoting the tradition of sending greeting cards, helping members grow their businesses, recognizing creativity, and serving the industry and citizen mailer as a voice for media, leadership, and advocacy on industry issues. www.greetingcard.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nora Weiser
Executive Director
nweiser@greetingcard.org
202.216.9627