This week we are excited to debut our brand new Thank You Cards!! These cards were made specifically for all of you. After last year’s high demand for our Hand Embossed Thank You Cards at The Hank & Jojo Shop at The Dekalb Market we decided to look into what is now our latest obsession in printing techniques: THERMOGRAPHY!
Before we knew thermography existed, we had plans to invent it. As much as we enjoy hand embossing, it is extremely time consuming. We had visions of buying one of those super-toasters (the kind they have at the bagel shop) and creating our own conveyer belt complete with a fan at the end to blow off any excess powder. Lucky for us, someone else had already perfected this concept. Thermographic printing produces a similar outcome as hand embossing because it is essentially the most efficient method of heating powder and ink. A powder is applied to the card. The non-hardening ink is then stamped and the excess powder is removed. Finally, the card is heated causing the ink to rise and become glossy. The result is exquisite.
For our first run of Thank You Packs, we designed 4 different cards for you. There is the whimsical dress form in magenta, the charming bicycle in kelly green, the stylish pregnant lady in yellow, and our favorite… the Brooklyn Bridge skyline in silver.
We thought we’d give you a little peak into our creative process for the Brooklyn Bridge skyline card because it means so much to us. I hand drew each building and water tower with a sharpie (actually – several sharpies) while listening to Sara Bareillies and drinking lots of iced coffee. This card means a lot to us because we currently call Brooklyn our home and used to live in Manhattan. Brooklyn is known for its water towers. Just looking out our window now, I can count 8. We love that each one is unique in its own way.
The Brooklyn Bridge itself is spectacular. It was built in 1883 and is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Our favorite fact: The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge was finished by Emily Roeblings, the first woman field engineer who supervised the project after her father-in-law died and then her husband became too ill to finish it. Because she played such a vital roll in the completion of the bridge, Emily was the first to cross the bridge in a carriage. She carried a rooster as a sign of victory. Walking across the bridge is the perfect way to enjoy a beautiful day. The pedestrian walkway is one level higher than traffic, which makes it very peaceful.
The three main building on the Manhattan side, all have great meaning to us. My first apartment in NYC was in the financial district and almost perfectly framed by the window from the view while lying in my bed was the Woolworth Building. Seeing it every night before I went to sleep and every morning as I woke up, I developed a great love for this building. It was built in 1913 by Frank Woolworth who for it paid in cash. It was the tallest building in the world for 17 years. It was nicknamed the Cathedral of Commerce and the lobby has been referred to as one of the most spectacular of the 20th century in New York City. Covered in marble, mosaics, stained glass, and murals, we have not seen it because since 9/11 it is no longer open to the public.
The second larger building is the Empire State Building, which is a must for any NYC skyline. The Empire State Building was build in 1931 and is 102 stories tall, which currently makes it the tallest building in New York City. Many people tour this building when visiting New York, but we prefer The Top of The Rock because it has one of the best views of The Empire State Building. We once heard a story that if you owned a room in The Empire State Building you got to choose the color of it’s lights one day a year. Turns out that’s a lie, but it did make for a cool story. Here’s a link to what the colors actually mean.
The last main building on this card is The Chrysler Building. We had to include this one because at my last job I would walk through it on my way to work every day. There is an exit from the subway that dumps you out in what is essential the basement. Not a bad basement either…there is a drug store, a shoe shiner, a dry cleaner, a deli, and a barbershop…and that was just what I passed on my walk. We love New York! If our card had a soundtrack it would be Jay-Z & Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” – so here’s the YouTube Video for you to enjoy!
At Love Jac we take Thank You Cards very seriously. It’s important to show someone your appreciation and taking the time to thank them might just make you a better person for it. It forces you to slow down in the chaotic world and do just what the card says…give thanks. That being said, we have forgotten to send a thank you card in the past. We aren’t proud of this. Sometimes it was because we didn’t have a card on hand when we thought about sending it. Sometimes we wanted to make a really awesome thank you card because the gift was so great that it took us about a month to finally send it out. Sometimes it just slipped our mind. For some reason it always seemed to be the one person we forgot to send a card to that notices and sends an email to our parents. With the creation of this new line of cards, we hope to not only eliminate our own bad habit, but help you out as well.
We’ve developed a list of guidelines or “facts” that apply to thank you cards. We hope it will help you remember to write them and enjoy the process at the same time.
LOVE JAC THANK YOU CARD FACTS!!
- You will always need them – be proactive and have them on hand.
- Leading up to your birthday is a great time to stock up!
- Pay it forward: they make great birthday or baby shower gifts!
- Keep a list (either in a notebook or your email) of thank you notes you need to write and ones you’ve sent. This way if you can’t remember, you can always consult the list.
- It never hurts to send a late card. People understand life is busy and they’d rather be thanked eventually than not at all. This exact reason inspired us to create one of our most popular cards.
- It’s important to show appreciation for someone’s generosity.
- It shouldn’t stress you out or make you feel obligated. If you have multiple Thank You notes to write we suggest you take an afternoon or an evening, pour yourself a glass of something you love, find yourself a comfortable spot to sit, and really enjoy the time to reflect on what awesome people you have in your life.
Our Thank You Packs are on sale now at The Hank & Jojo Shop and of course right here on our website. They come in packs of 6 for $15. Don’t forget we offer free shipping, so order yours today!