Designer Profiles Features

VICKY BARONE
Barone & Co. | @baroneandco

Aesthetic of the Line? Barone & Co. blends modern wit with warmhearted charm. The line pairs bold color, clean design and painterly texture with clever, feel-good writing to celebrate everyday moments — from big milestones to the tiny wins that make life joyful. The result is a collection that feels fresh, relatable and retail-ready — a playful mix of humor, heart and modern sophistication.

Current Bestseller? Like Old Old Birthday Card.

Personal Favorite? You Are Fierce Friendship Card.

Surprise Hit? Swearing Usually Helps Friendship Card.

Iconic Selection? Feel Loved Today Birthday Card.

Favorite Color? Cobalt Blue.

Current Design Obsession? I’m obsessed with blending art and emotion: layering bold color, painterly texture and clean typography to create designs that feel expressive yet refined. It’s that mix of playful energy and modern polish that makes each card feel fresh, tactile and full of heart.

Favorite Flower? Peony.

Favorite Indulgence? Any food I don’t have to make myself or clean up after. Oh, and vanilla lattes.

MATT BUTLER
Pretty Alright Goods | @prettyalrightgoods

Aesthetic of the Line? Pretty Alright Goods makes greeting cards and gifts that are simple, modern and put clever writing first.

Current Bestseller? 1900s Bday Card. It took our copywriter born in 2000 to write such an effective — and strong-selling — burn.

Personal Favorite? Dead People. It’s an old one that I wrote in the early days of making cards. I still love to see the reactions it gets at trade shows.

Surprise Hit? Birdwatching. Who knew a birdwatching-means-you’re-old joke would resonate so strongly?

Iconic Selection? Bottomless Mimosas. It’s from my first release of cards. It was kind of a joke. Now, I’m recognized for it.

Favorite Color? Right now it’s lavender. Not long ago it was teal. Luckily they work well together.

Current Design Obsession? The typeface of this logo. I want to recreate it but it’s breaking my brain.

Favorite Flower? I love a red poppy.

Favorite Indulgence? A really good pour-over coffee followed by a bop around a good shopping neighborhood to look for a statement piece.

THOMASIN FOSHAY
Toute-Petite | @toutepetitedesigns

Aesthetic of the Line? Toute-Petite (pronounced toot puh-teet and meaning “very tiny” in French) was my childhood nickname. It’s perfectly fitting for my range as I focus on the little details — whimsical worlds of flora, fauna, interiors, insects and animals. I call it “simplified realism” — imperfect enough to feel human, yet full of joyful, everyday observations and surprises. Every piece combines watercolor, pen and ink, and the resulting painterly quality really resonates with people, elevating every last offering into instant keepsakes or palm-sized collectibles.

Current Bestseller? My Dream Wallpaper. I enjoy imagining fanciful scenes like this — coral red and blue gray dreamscape flowers in the dining room.

Personal Favorite? Echinacea and Bee BT. The bee seems so content here, moving from bloom to bloom (and many more to go on the card back)!

Surprise Hit? Lady Bug Mixer. This concept sprang from memories of those awkward middle school dances, remember those? We’d all like to forget them, but somehow things eventually work out.

Iconic Selection? A Stork Sitting in a Pram. This humorous and tender nod to new beginnings has been pretty popular. I imagine those prams are impossible to maneuver, but they sure are elegant!

Favorite Color? A blue-gray denim.

Current Design Obsession? This resonates most with my interior design background: textures, my love of Venetian Plaster and encaustic paint. I would love to create something textured for paper. Hmmmmm…

Favorite Flower? The Magnolia. It blooms for such a short time — so fragile, easily bruised and utterly beautiful.

Favorite Indulgence? You mean other than shoes? That’s easy: sneaking some icing from a sheet cake!

BECCA GORE
Drawn Goods | @drawngoods

Aesthetic of the Line? I began Drawn Goods by handpainting everything in gouache and ink. Over the years it has slowly become fully digital, but the aesthetic is still very much naive, colorful and playful, still being hand-drawn.

Current Bestseller? My top-selling card is still my first-ever design: Birthday Bagel.

Personal Favorite? This changes a lot. Within cards, it’s something that mixes snarky and sweet, but of the items as a whole, I LOVE my butter enamel keychain (though all the shaking fidgets come in close second).

Surprise Hit? All my pill designs — I didn’t realize so many people would join me in the joke.

Iconic Selection? You Are My Everything gift bag. It’s colorful, playful, hand-drawn — and of course features a bagel.

Current Design Obsession? I’m OBSESSED with making fidgets. Things that shake, spin, glitter, bounce. It really takes the design process to a whole new level.

Favorite Color? Sky Blue, my grandmother’s eye color.

Favorite Flower? Hosta Halcyon, African Violets and Orchids because they remind me of my mother.

Favorite Indulgence? Hot chocolate right before bed.

VANESSA HARNIK
Notes & Queries | @notesandqueries

Aesthetic of the Line? Any publisher partnering with Notes & Queries must grab my attention instantly. They must create exceptional, high-quality cards that balance color and creativity. Each should be fresh and special, full of heart, passion and enthusiasm.

Current Bestseller? This Bug Art design sells as strongly today as it did when first introduced over 25 years ago. Can you spot the hidden bug?

Personal Favorite? I collect pop-up books, so these 3D pop-up tea cup cards and this 3D pop-up French Armoire have utterly captured my imagination!

Surprise Hit? Everyday and seasonal postcard designs from Acetetre (Edition Tausendschön). I once swore we’d never offer postcards. After all, why sell one when you can sell a greeting card? But these have hit the mark with specialty flitter finish, deckle edge and nostalgic yet contemporary designs — and been a runaway success!

Iconic Selection? Notes & Queries stands apart thanks to our design-focused, diverse range, all curated to complement one another. So the combination of these looks is iconic. For example, witness our approaches to the humble birthday balloon.

Favorite Color? Tomato red, with a strong turquoise contrast.

Current Design Obsession? The Sardine Summer Girl Trend and the entire Sardine Summer Girl color palette. I’m also fully on board with the tinned fish craze!

Favorite Flower? Hard to choose! For years, my favorite was the elegant iris. But lately, I’ve been adoring alliums — they’re actually huge, magical giant puff balls!

Favorite Indulgence? Perfume! I’ve always been enchanted by scents and antique perfume bottles. A few years ago, my aunt surprised me with a private perfume-making class at Bloom Perfumery in London, an amazing, intense experience. I’ve since realized that perfume isn’t just about fragrance: It paints pictures, tells stories and evokes memories!

CARISSA POTTER
People I’ve Loved | @peopleiveloved

Aesthetic of the Line? Quietly intimate and beautifully honest. My handprinted cards and journals are born in a sun-washed Oakland, [California], studio, where nostalgia meets the bittersweetness of humanity. The palette is soft but clear, warm off-whites, muted pastels, ink-black lines; the drawings, unfussy and childlike but with a fullness of feeling. Each is a conversation we long to have, a feeling we are hoping for, an object to do the impossible.

Current Bestseller? Only Good Things Calendar.

Personal Favorite? Our finance journal with Lev Mendal. I loved exploring our complicated relationship with money, and creating something that can help us make choices that feel aligned with our values.

Surprise Hit? People love our decks, and I love creating them! A real “pinch me” moment was when renowned poker player and decision science expert Annie Duke agreed to turn her work into a deck! It was a joy to collaborate on something I believe in with a personal hero.

Iconic Selection? Probably this [see right]. I made it when I was young and naive, believing all things were possible. Now, I’m not even sure what things actually working out looks like. I’ve tried to redefine this as “things will work out as I want them to,” but even that feels strange. So, I mostly hope for ease for the people I love, and peace for the earth.

Current Design Obsession? I’m into kids’ books because, surprise, I have a kid! I adore Sheila Heti’s Garden of Creatures and Invisible Things by Andy J Pizza. I’m also really into butterfly migration patterns. It takes three generations to complete a single cycle. That built-in intelligence, how their bodies know what to do, is incredible. There’s something in that about trusting our own instincts. We know much more than we’ll ever understand.

Favorite Color? I’m a total relativist, and terrible with color. Singly I love mint or bright pink. But I love combinations; colors come alive with each other, just like humans. In “Braiding Sweetgrass,” Robin Wall Kimmerer hypothesizes that two flowers look beautiful side by side because they grow together, as part of each other, to attract more pollinators. Maybe that’s it. Or maybe I’m just indecisive.

Favorite Flower? Passion fruit, ranunculus, tulips, iris, I don’t think there’s one I don’t like? I wasn’t fond of daisies until my daughter fell in love with them. Then I did, too. Simple and so cute.

Favorite Indulgence? Comfortable shoes. AG1. Nuuly.

CHANAMON RATANALERT
Maison Chanamon | @maisonchanamon

Aesthetic of the Line? Charming and silly, in a graphic art style and bursting with bright pastels. Our designs are minimalistic but packed with personality, whimsy and heart.

Current Bestseller? All aboard the Struggle Bus sticker! Everyone relates to this. We all have hard times unfortunately, but it helps knowing we’re not the only ones. This lets people know that it’s normal to be struggling, and its cheeky joke lifts your spirits. The struggle is real!

Personal Favorite? The Nuts About You card, because I had so much fun drawing the cute nibbly squirrels. I also can’t help but be proud of myself for the subtle layers in the text, with the nut pun and referencing how squirrels hide their food. It’s just a fun card to express your feelings, and who doesn’t love little furry creatures?

Surprise Hit? The I Deserve Rest Pigeon sticker is definitely a message people need to hear, but I was surprised that the pigeon illustration worked. I have a love-hate relationship with birds (love drawing them, hate being near them), so I can’t judge how others feel about them. I guess everyone can relate to a cozy, tired pigeon that just wants to relax.

Iconic Selection? My ghost character! What started out as a simple doodle for my first sticker design has bloomed into an entire collection of products and what I’m best known for. I love it so because the character’s versatility lends itself to a variety of situations and forms that people find instantly relatable.

Current Design Obsession? I love the recent resurrection of the ’90s/early 2000s era. Give me bright colors, cool textures and retro maximalism that brings me back to my childhood, when things were simpler, and products were silly and fun.

Favorite Color? My everlasting favorite is the cerulean blue that became the color of my logo and main brand color. Lately, I’ve also been loving anything mint, and yellows that make you feel bright and warm.

Favorite Flower? Tulips! These big bursts of color are guaranteed to make my day better.

Favorite Indulgence? Nothing hits the spot like bubble tea! I love having a beverage while I’m going about my day, like a hot tea in the morning or an ice- cold lemonade in the summer. I’m a tea person with a big sweet tooth, so a smooth black milk tea with sugary, chewy boba is my favorite treat.

KAREN SAWYER-MEEHAN
Pier Six Press | @piersixpress

Aesthetic of the Line? At Pier Six Press, we make bright, bold and beautiful things the old-fashioned way — by hand, one color at a time (usually with a healthy dose of neon). Using risograph and letterpress printing, our products are made to stand out and make you smile. When designing, I’m thinking about how color and design can connect people. That’s the heart of what we do: bringing people together, making them feel seen.

Current Bestseller? Silly Goose — I can’t keep it in stock!

Personal Favorite? Awesome Possum, I just love this feisty little guy.

Surprise Hit? Juicy Tomato. I didn’t think people would find it as funny as I do, but they do!

Iconic Selection? Party Cat. If Pier Six Press had only one card, this would be it.

Favorite Color? Neons! But I really love an orangey tomato red.

Current Design Obsession? Making zines! I love the possibilities that can happen with paper!

Favorite Flower? Dahlias — love those colors!

Favorite Indulgence? Thrifting. I get a lot of inspiration and relaxation with a good trip to the thrift store!

EMILY TAYLOR
Biely & Shoaf | @emily_illustrates | @bielyshoaf

Aesthetic of the Line? In short, Happy Mail! Cheerful colors and lighthearted
imagery bring a little joy to the day of the recipient! I aim for a sweet mix of modern nostalgia, with playful colors depicting nature, storybook-esqe creatures and a toss of nostalgic subjects that resonate multigenerationally.

Current Bestseller? Happy Birthday You Silly Goose! This design captures both a familiar childhood endearment, and the current daydreamy trend towards farm/country living.

Personal Favorite? That’s tough! Perhaps the charm bracelet — I wish I owned half those charms! — mostly because of Biely & Shoaf’s amazing gold-foil application onto the illustration, capturing every last tiny detail. It’s so shiny and perfect!

Surprise Hit? It’s the Silly Goose card again! You never quite know what will resonate the best, I thought perhaps it would be our beribboned Chipmunk Birthday Wishes card, which I’m sharing in this spot as it’s a top seller, too. However, for the moment, Goose has the edge!

Iconic Selection? The Sweet Treats Hedgehogs birthday card. Cavorting sweet-toothed hedgehogs, brightly colored little cakes, playful details and gold accents. Yum!

Favorite Color? Oh goodness, this changes weekly! In recent months, I have continuously returned to Bonnie Blue (Pantone 16-4134 TCX). It has a wonderful fresh-yet-vintage quality to it.

Current Design Obsession? Difficult. I try not to follow trends too closely, to be honest! It always feels like once a trend is mainstream, the market is already or is about to be oversaturated with that particular imagery. I draw what I am, and have always been, interested in: a bit of nature, a mix of pattern on pattern with joyful color, and some unrealistic creatures for a dash of enchantment.

Favorite Flower? Wild roses or Chamelaucium (wax flowers) likely tie for first place.

Favorite Indulgence? Butter … with sea salt!

KATELYN WOOLLEY
The Noble Paperie | @thenoblepaperie

Aesthetic of the Line? The Noble Paperie is a stationery brand for the bereaved — and everyone in between — supporting those navigating loss, infertility and NICU journeys, while celebrating and affirming the LGBTQIA+ community, with a special focus on trans joy.

Current Bestseller? Calm Amidst the Chaos. It feels strange to have a holiday card be a bestseller, but this card has consistently been in almost every wholesale order for the past six months.

Personal Favorite? No Good Words holds a special place in my heart. I designed it after a dear friend suffered a miscarriage, and having experienced two myself, these were the words I would have wanted to hear.

Surprise Hit? My Dear NICU Mama card. It’s an older cards in my line, but has consistently been a bestseller for years and years. It’s one of the only NICU-specific cards on the market.

Iconic Selection? My fairy tale series celebrates love in all its beautiful forms. I especially adore those featuring same- sex couples, which reimagine what a “happily ever after” can look like and challenge the idea of a fairy tale romance.

Favorite Color? Chartreuse FOREVER! A cross between sour apple and neon green. I adore it so much, it’s one of my brand colors. The first car I bought was an “electric lime” Ford Fiesta! Dad was mortified.

Current Design Obsession? I’ll always be obsessed with patterns, the way they bring rhythm, joy and movement to even the simplest designs. It’s so satisfying to see shapes and colors repeat, connect and tell a story without words.

Favorite Flower? My response changes with every season. Right now, it’s a toss- up between a lime green hydrangea and a variegated peony.

Favorite Indulgence? Omakase at a sushi restaurant. This translates to “I Leave The Details Up to You,” and I love the trust in that, the surprise of each course and the care in every bite. The experience feels both intentional and effortless. Since I have a dairy allergy, it’s one of the few cuisines where I don’t need substitutions — and can enjoy the same plate as my partner!