#Justacard - The Avant Card Co
As part of the #justacard campaign, I will be featuring cool and interesting designers, who happen to make greeting cards. So you have no excuses not supporting them. So read all about The Avant Card Co
You can see all our products at www.theavant-cardcompany.com
The Avant-Card Company was created in West Norwood SE London July 2013. We are a husband and wife team. The illustrations are my own, but my wife plays an important role behind the scenes with, in her own words “the more mundane” part of running a business. However, she is also a really helpful source of ideas and a great sounding board for me for my design ideas, and has a fantastic eye for colour.
The name for the brand was taken from the phase ‘avant-garde’ because I like to think our greeting cards are a little different or innovative to most, particularly the illustrations. Each of our greeting cards begins with the illustration, which I like to do by hand with as little technology involved as possible.
When it’s time to turn the illustration into a greeting card we like to keep things simple and local and eco friendly. The card stock is sourced from an amazing paper factory just down the road in Brixton (John Purcell Paper), an Aladdin’s cave for paper and card stock. The card stock we use is unique to John Purcell Paper which is a nice thought – that we are using something original to SE London. Then it’s on to the printing and making stage. Again not far from us, up the road in Crystal Palace, is the printers, Words & Pictures. So as to ensure that the quality and look of the original illustration remains true to my original artwork, I work closely with the guys at the print and design company through the printing process, - cutting and creasing the cards myself, on occasions.
The appreciation for handmade and craft products in the UK has improved in recent years which is great to see and to be a (very) small part of this is exciting.
SE London is brilliant for independent gift shops and boutiques that really appreciate the independent makers, and show this by regularly stocking our greeting cards.
We were surprised to have The National Trust also take interest in our greeting cards and stock them in numerous shops thoughout the UK only six months from starting out The Avant-Card Co. Along with my wife and local support we plan to keep creating unique illustrated greeting cards and expanding to illustrated gifts, which we have just started to do with a small range of handmade acrylic pin badges.
You can see all our products at www.theavant-cardcompany.com