Online - August 30, 2004

MailyCandy

Stationery Round-Up

Remember when phones had cords, TVs had VCRs (whatever that means), and webs were for spiders? Then 1998 rolled around, and you never picked up a pen again.

Time to visit the ghost of correspondence past. All it takes is the right notecard (look it up in a dictionary) to rediscover the joy of snail mail.

Letterpress cards from Moon Tree Arts are inspired by the four seasons. Hand-transferred images (the old-fashioned version of laser printing) depict simple leaves, flowers, and fauna. They also make a lovely line of vintage sport-themed cards.

Stationers Jelly and Anchovy honor the greatest hits of the fifties (dude, that was a long time ago), such as “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” and “Build Me Up, Buttercup” with their Gretchen collection. Another sweet retro touch: Every folding card is decorated with a cheerful satin ribbon.

Laboratory5’s layered felt cutouts and bold-colored numbers are perfect for celebrating both the run-of-the-mill (birthday, anniversary, Easter) and the extraordinary (Tooth Fairy visits, the week’s gossip).

Darby does thank-yous and howdys in high style, using fashion-inspired prints (Gucci, LV, Burberry). The Flitter and Pash travel lines come with stickers.

Once the hand cramps set in, you’ll never take e-mail for granted again.

Unless, of course, you’re moved to ditch it for good.