"Calling" upon a more genteel time

One of my (many) favorite things is a well-done business or calling card - the tiny size, the endless layout possibilities, and the simplicity of condensed information.  I do love looking at well-executed business cards, but I really love the individuality that only a social calling card can express.  Why hand out your business card when you're out at parties with friends?  Let your hair down and get some personalized calling cards.  I decided that I should do some research on the validity of the calling card today, and whether it still has relevance and practical use.  I found some fun information on the history of the calling card, interestingly enough, on a site called "The Art of Manliness".  According to The Art of Manliness...

In the 19^th and early 20^th century, social interaction was a richly cultivated, well-mannered affair. The tool that facilitated these interactions was the calling card...The calling card...served as a way to brand your social identity. The way your card looked and felt or the way you handed it to someone communicated your standing and relationship with the receiver. While the calling card had gone the way of top hats and knickers, they’re starting to make a comeback...men today can resurrect this tradition to create some stylish panache in their social interactions.

Read more: http://artofmanliness.com/2008/09/07/the-gentlemans-guide-to-the-calling-card/#ixzz14nP0vGg0

To paraphrase the history of the calling card, there were all sorts of distinct social nuances involved with the art of "calling" upon a family or person.  How and when the card was presented, with what information on the card, the size of the card and whether the card was engraved, beautifully hand-written or simply printed all gave off information about the purpose of a gentleman's visit and his social stature.  Using a business card for a social call was considered impolite, so there was a necessity for the social calling card if you were to be considered a gentleman.  It is actually really interesting to read about if you want to go to the link above to read more.

Moving forward to the present, wouldn't it be so much more personal and civil if people still used social graces like the calling card, rather than some guy "poking" or "friending" a girl on Facebook to make his interest known?  Well, that's probably not going to change, but here are some traditional and some more fun options for the calling card that can be used in today's world - for men and women:

This is a fun contemporary take on the traditional calling card, while still maintaining the overall simplicity.  If you want to correspond with someone socially, why hand them a business card with only your business contact info?  This is the perfect alternative to awkwardly entering your cell information into someone's phone, or trying to remember someone's email address or blog from a conversation.

This is very much how the traditional calling cards are laid out, and I love this.  I am all for keeping the tradition.  The only modern nuance here is actual email addresses and phone numbers, rather than just a name and address.

I love this for a lady.  It has a vintage feel, and is more of a correspondence card than a calling card.  Correspondence cards are still widely used today with gifts, so are probably more useful than an actual calling card if you have to choose between one or the other.  If you could do the lace detailing and name in letterpress, it would really stand out.

Here is another example of what we now refer to more as a correspondence card, made for a couple.  This is a very standard traditional style, with dark grey or black ink engraved on an ecru card.

This is a fun example of a two-sided card for a woman to use as a personal calling card, or for use while in between jobs.

Here's another fun take on the calling card.  This is one way to make the calling card personal.  I think this card would be fun if you were a writer, school teacher or student and wanted to have a calling card that reflected that.  My personal recommendation is to try not to get too cooky with your calling cards, but definitely express yourself.  These are for sale on Etsy.

This is an example of a family calling card.  This can be useful to hand out at school, among parents, etc.

And last, but certainly not least, is the funny calling card.  I witnessed this card being handed to a lovely but chatty girl by my hilarious Uncle Joe, and it was truly amazing!  There is a time and place for this, but when the time is right, it is quite a card to play.

Let me know if I've convinced you that you must now create your own calling card.  I'd love to help you establish yourself as the true gentleman or woman that you are on a tiny little card.  Or alternatively, I'd be more than happy to help you come up with something funny and creative, like the STOP TALKING card.  Correspondence cards are always good to keep in stock with just your name (or you and your spouses name).  And the calling card might just make a comeback, so get ready!

Image Credits: Image 1 - The Art of Manliness, Image 2 - The Stationery Studio, Image 3 - The Mandate Press, Image 4 - The Art of Manliness, Image 5 - Dempsey & Carroll, Image 6 - Red Stamp, Image 7 - Crane, Image 8 - Etsy, Image 9 - Set Editions (Stop Talking)

Making Note-Writing Fun for Kids

There is nothing more personal to me than a sincere handwritten note.  It is so easy to send emails and texts and make a quick call to say thanks, which are all fine in certain situations.  But there is nothing as meaningful as a thoughtful note on personal stationery.  This is something I hope to instill in my own children from an early age.  I love beautiful stationery.  I love engraving.  I love letterpress.  I love blind embossing.  I love a thick textured card.  A beautiful folded note.  A delicate envelope liner.  Basically anything personalized with beautiful craftsmanship.  I could write a whole post on engraving and letterpress and another entire post on the importance of paper choice, and its thickness and texture.  I love when people recognize the importance of beautiful stationery, and how it can reflect your own character.  People are given stationery as gifts, and often don't even pick it out themselves.  It is a shame, because stationery can be so personal, and it makes the whole process even more fun when it is something you have picked out.  Ok, so I am getting off track a bit here, but this leads into one of my first points in the process of teaching your children about the beauty of hand-written correspondence:

LET YOUR CHILD CHOOSE THEIR OWN STATIONERY.
If you are purchasing stationery for a child old enough to participate in the selection process, allow them to have a say in the appearance of their stationery.  Children's stationery is allowed to be fun and have character.  Involving your child in the selection process makes note-writing all the more fun for them.  If you are purchasing stationery for a baby or toddler, think of toys or colors that they are drawn to, and think of what reminds you of them when picking out their stationery.

EXPLAIN WHY, AND MAKE IT FUN.
When your child receives a gift, you want them to think immediately of thanking the person who gave the gift.  This must be taught, just as you must teach your children that a thank you note is a necessary and important part of the gift giving and receiving process.  You can teach your children that a thank you note is important AND fun by talking about the gift and thinking of how you have used it and enjoyed.  Then you can put that on paper!  Another way to make it fun is to have your child draw a picture of themselves using the gift.

THE POST OFFICE IS AN ADVENTURE!
Kids love taking part in grown up tasks (well, some of them anyway).  And if you make it fun, they will look forward to it.  So, a trip to the Post Office should be a fun activity for you and your child to do together.  When he or she has written a note, let them put the note in the mailbox, or buy the stamps.  Then they can learn how mail works and learn to enjoy the process.

Hopefully these three quick tips will help you as you work with your children to instill the importance of the hand-written note.  Hand-written correspondence can help to develop your child's writing skills, their ability to articulate and also simply teaches the importance of appreciating the things they are given.  Here are some more tips offered on the Emily Post website for teaching your children about writing thank-you notes.

Children's stationery does not need to be engraved, but if you can afford to spend the money on it, engraving can make for a beautiful note.  Printing or letterpress are equally good options for children's stationery.  Here are some more fun samples of printed children's stationery I have designed.  Let me know if you have a need for any.  I would love to work with you and your little one.

CREDITS: I hate that I did not hold on to the free clip art info to give credit for some of the images and motifs used in a few of these samples.  Next time I will definitely pay attention to the site so I can give proper credit where it is due.