News

The Greeting Card Association (GCA) named the finalists in the fourth annual Noted @ *Noted Products Awards Competition.

The competition is held in conjunction with the industry’s annual greeting card-focused trade show, *Noted: The Greeting Card Expo, which will be held April 27-28, 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. All entries needed to be introduced on or after Jan. 1, 2023. This year’s competition received 238 entries from 78 different exhibiting companies.

A small group of judges reviewed the entries: Chandra Greer, owner of GREER Chicago; Pei Sim of the Paper + Craft Pantry in Austin, Texas; Kate Strzok of Broadway Paper in Milwaukee; Daniel Collier, danielrichards; and Sarah Schwartz, editor of Stationery Trends and The Paper Nerd.

“We all know the Louies are the Academy Awards of the greeting card industry. Noted@*Noted is more like the funky, edgy Grammys — and as such, categories examine elements like ‘Most Fantastic Floral’ or ‘Punniest,’” explained Schwartz. “These concepts are challenging to bring to life and equally hard to judge, so I am so proud and in awe of every last one of these 30 finalists — they truly represent cutting-edge currents in card design and messaging.”

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

Best color combo

Lucy Loves Paper
Pier Six Press
Quick Brown Fox Letterpress

Best new product line

Maginating
Seedlings
Up With Paper

Best pattern

de Almeida Illustrations
Keller Design Co
Seedlings

Freshest vibe

2021 Co.
Inklings Paperie
Two Pooch Paperie

Funniest

New Modern Disaster
Paper Bunny Press
Spacepig Press

Most fantastic floral

Odd Daughter Paper Co
Paper Baristas
Spaghetti & Meatballs

Most marvelous creature

Pier Six Press
Seedlings
Sketchy Notions

Punniest

Inklings Paperie
Sketchy Notions
Up With Paper

Snarkiest

CARDIDEOLOGY
Kwohtations
UWP Luxe

Wisest

Calypso Cards
Fine Moments
Redback Cards

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 on April 27 at 10 a.m. on the *Noted show floor. Qualified buyers and retailers can attend for free — registration can be found here.