Brits are clearly doing a great job in helping the American public to say thank you as it was UK publishers, Laura Sherratt Designs and Lagom Design who won both the Thank You categories in the Louie Awards, the US greeting card awards which were unveiled yesterday evening (May 19) in Brooklyn, New York.
Other UK publishers feted with a Louie trophy in this year’s awards were Ohh Deer (winning the Christmas Humorous $4 and below category) and Sally Scaffardi (distributed by Calypso, won the Romantic Occasions category $4 and below for a ‘deer’ wedding card). Additionally, Think of Me, owned by Brits Dan and Freya Kane who still run their business in the UK, but now live in California won the Christmas, Seasonal General $4 and below.
“It is lovely to be able to help fly the flag for British design,” commented Freya. “We are enjoying our life living in California, but our business is still very much based in the UK. We have the best of both worlds!”
UK artists’ agency, The Bright Group also landed a Louie with a Valentine’s design by British artist Holly Hatam for Calypso Cards, which won a total of nine Louie awards for this prominent distributor of UK publishers, including a prestigious Card of the Year award (4$ and below).
3D card company, Up With Paper (which is distributed in the UK by Noel Tatt and Northlight Design) won an impressive ten Louie awards, including the Card of Year Award (Above 4$).
Designer Greetings, which recently acquired Palm Press (https://www.pgbuzz.net/designer-greetings-acquires-palm-press/) won four Louie awards while Quilling Card (distributed in the UK by East West) was awarded a special Judges’ Award for Excellence.
Organised by the US Greeting Card Association, as this was the 30th anniversary of the Louie Awards, the event went back to the 30s, with a great ‘speak easy soirée’ theme.
The Louie awards took place during the first ever Noted: Greeting Card Expo, a greeting card trade show organised and owned by the US Greeting Card Association.
Commenting on the new show, Rick Ruffner, president of Avanti and a US GCA committee member said: “Noted is a breath of fresh air. This show was very much inspired by PG Live in the UK in that it has a sense of community and friendliness.”
The plan is that Noted will be staged in a different city each year. Next year it will take place in San Francisco, co-located with the surface pattern show Blue Print at the start of May and in 2021 it is possibly moving to Chicago before returning to New York in 2022.
Top: Dan and Freya Kane, co-owners of Think of Me Designs with their Louie award at the Speak Easy Soirée.
