A Card Says More Than the Words Inside

Some people are drawn to artistic note cards like moths to a flame.

They might be shopping for produce at the farmers market, but, once spotted, they can’t resist that beautiful image luring them to the cards booth. It could be a sunrise, beach scene, boys flying kites, a flock of seagulls, a puppy. Whatever it is, that card speaks to them, and they want to share it with someone special — or keep it for themselves.

There are as many reactions to cards as there are types of art. People buy cards knowing exactly who to send it to, to add to their stash for “someday,” to make themselves happy, or to place in a matted frame for just the right spot in their own home.

Cards sold by local artists run the gamut of design from moody black-and-white photographs to whimsical plants dispensing wisdom. No matter the image, each card conveys a valuable asset — time. Whether it’s time spent admiring flowers, painting, baking, on the water, with family and friends, or picking a new pet, the precious commodity is captured in an image.

Whatever the buyer is hoping to say, taking the time to find a meaningful card and sending it adds value to the act of communicating. With the isolation many people have felt during the pandemic lockdown, reaching out with a card that can be read over and over might be just the right gesture.

“Handwritten notes and cards have for a long time been common practice as a vehicle of appreciation and kindness toward others,” says Dr. Noell Rowan, professor and associate director at the University of North Carolina Wilmington School of Social Work. “As a professional social worker and gerontologist (the study of aging and older adults) for many years, I still see the benefit of both writing and receiving cards and letters of appreciation and encouragement.”

In a world where email is quick and easy, going to a store and browsing cards and looking for just the right image is part of showing that you care.

Janet Munn of the stationery store Occasions…Just Write says visitors always ask to see cards that feature Wilmington scenery.

“They want to see Wilmington. The Riverwalk is the star attraction here; and the name, they want to know what there is to be afraid of in ‘Cape Fear,’” she says.

Munn says Wilmington scenes are nice to send to someone who has moved away. Local artists capture downtown architecture, the Riverwalk, area beaches, and wildlife in their paintings and many offer note card reproductions of their original work.

Galleries, farmers markets, gift stores, events at places like the Brooklyn Arts Center, and online stores such as Etsy are great places to shop for specialty cards.

“I find if people are going to go to the trouble of sending a card, they want something handmade, something personal, or from an original piece of art, something that is not mass produced,” Sandra Peruzzi of Blue Moon gift shops says.