Card Designer Spotlight x Calypso Cards
The Card Designer Spotlight is a series featuring independent makers whose greeting cards you can find in Paper Source stores. Meet and be inspired by a new designer every month on our blog!
This month, we're excited to spotlight our featured card designer, Calypso Cards. Learn how owner Nicky Burton license, publishes and distributes greeting cards from artists all over the world - bringing unique voices and styles to life and helping everyone find the perfect way to connect!
How did you begin your card-making career?
"Calypso Cards was founded in 2004 by Nicky Burton. For the past twenty years, Calypso has published and distributed a wide variety of premium greeting cards, with a focus on contemporary art and humor, while keeping value and the environment in mind."
Where do you draw inspiration from and how do you find your artists?
"A great greeting card starts with great artwork! We search through artists' online profiles from all over the world, as well as our submission page to find designs that coincide with our mission to give voice and style to everyone's desire to connect. Aside from publishing our own line of greeting cards (CARTE), we are also the US distributor from several prestigious UK brands-Lagom, Rosie Made a Thing, Louise Tiler, Heyyy and Lola. Additionally, we publish cards from Curly Girl Design, Little Branch and J&M Martinez."
What does your creative process look like choosing artists for Calypso Cards?
"After the preliminary selections have been made, we reach out to the artists and agents to license the art for contracts in North America. Greetings are then added to agents to license the art for contracts in North America. Greetings are then added to the art, as well as special finishes of foil or glitter. Files are then sent to our printer. Once everything looks good on screen-the printing begins! We keep the environment in mind by using recycled paper, biodegradable glitter and a wind-powered printing facility. Cards are then assembled with a color-coordinated envelope and jacket and then they are ready to be put on display in stores across North America!"
What does your day look like as a card publisher and designer?
"Honestly our favorite part is making the decks of new cards ready to send them out to our reps! That is when we see the result of all our work curating the collection. That, and seeing reorders come in from loyal customers year after year, and hearing consumers comment on the cards when we happen to be in a store and overhear them shopping."
Check out how the Calypso catalog decks have changed over the years here: 20 years of Calypso Cards
Find cards from Calypso Cards such as Dogs Conga Line Birthday Card, Guinea Pig Party Birthday Card, Beary Lovely Birthday Card, or Watercolor Roses Anniversary Card at your local store or online at papersource.com. For more inspiration and behind the scenes content follow @calypsocards and @papersource on Instagram!