DENVER, Colo. – March 25, 2022 – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) is excited to announce the finalists in the third 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 April 28 and 29, 2022, co-located with SF NOW at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco.

The competition was open to any greeting card maker who is exhibiting at *Noted or wholesales on GCA Marketplace. To keep everything fresh, all entries needed to be introduced on or after January 1, 2022. This year’s competition received 145 entries.

A small but incredibly 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 30 finalists is so special to me,” enthused Schwartz. “As the world grapples with pandemic and war, we need to connect with each other more than ever. I was so impressed to see makers really pushing themselves and rising to the occasion — as a result, I really had a difficult time judging. Best of all, we will have the opportunity to announce and celebrate the winners in real life very soon, making *Noted even more of a can’t-miss event!”

Makers and retailers competed in 10 categories and the finalists can be viewed below:

Best Color Combo Card
Calypso Cards
Girl w/ Knife
Seedlings

Best New Product Line
Honeyberry Studios
Paper Epiphanies
Seedlings

Funniest Card
2021 Co.
Redback Cards
A Smyth Co

Best Tear-Jerker Card
Paper Baristas
Seedlings
Darling Lemon

Best Use of Profanity Card
Twentysome Design
Redback Cards
Ümlaut Brooklyn

Most Beautiful Card
2021 Co.
Seedlings
Lake Erie Design Co.

Best Card for Nutty Times
2021 Co.
NIQUEA.D
Girl w/Knife

Snarkiest Card
Girl w/Knife
417 Press
Heavenly Debbie

Best No Occasion/Just Because Card
Mirthos Paper
Keller Design Co.
Girl w/Knife

Best Card from a Rookie/Newbie
Twentysome Design
Lykkefund Paper
Age-Friendly Vibes

Congratulations to all the finalists! To see all 30 finalists, as well as the maker’s notes about their approach to each submission, visit ThePaperNerd.com.

The first round was reviewed virtually; to select winners, judges will review the physical cards in person. Winners will be announced throughout April 28 and 29 at *Noted.

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 150 exhibiting companies.

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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. The GCA provides its members and others with opportunities for dialogue, education and advancement of the greeting card industry, as well as represent the industry before legislative and regulatory policy and rule makers. GCA has some 200 member companies, both domestic and international, representing publishers and industry suppliers. In 2022, retailers and sales representatives are invited to join the association’s expanded vertical which will bring together the broader stationery and greeting card community. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nora Weiser
Executive Director
nweiser@greetingcard.org
202.216.9627