The Stationers Guild

As a stationer, I am privileged to meet with many creative designers, fine printing companies and, most importantly, fellow stationers who share my passion for fine papers and beautiful designs.    For me, paper has never lost its relevancy and I still get goose-pimples when I visit the Morgan Library in NYC to see the stunning illustrated manuscripts from the Medieval age or royal crests engraved on handmade cotton paper.    While some will argue that digital media has made fine paper printing largely obsolete, I suspect that the tangible and unique quality of a paper wedding invitation is far more personally relevant than a template invitation from Facebook.   

Owner and Creative Director Sugandha Rosenhaft of Arabella Papers continues to raise the bar in the invitation industry for her dazzling colors and rich designs since her debut in 2007.   If you haven’t had a chance to see Arabella Papers, schedule your appointment now with a stationer in your neighborhood.

Who is Arabella Papers?

Atlanta based Arabella Papers made its debut in the American stationery industry in the winter of 2007.   Their custom holiday line quickly made its mark as a source for top-quality, sophisticated cards and invitations.  With elaborate patterning, vibrant imported papers and their trademark Bellpress™ print process, stationers nationwide begged the question, “When can you do wedding?” Six fine custom stationery albums later, Arabella Papers continues to push boundaries with exciting, new concepts for wedding and bar/bat mitzvah.

Arabella’s signature Bellpress™ printing, is a hand-printed process that uses soft, synthetic dies to layer inks for a raised affect, without bruising the paper. Unlike other raised print processes on the market, this trademarked printing method allows for greater design flexibility by allowing two-sided printing, ink layering, multiple colors, and has proven to be a favorite among fine stationers. Their signature “tessuto” (tone on tone) fabric-like patterning, burnished golds and metallic inks, elaborate folders and elegant but bold global designs are unlike any other product on the market.  The invitations themselves are all hand-cut and hand-assembled, the envelopes hand-converted and the papers hand-dyed. Each order is meticulously created to be the perfect introduction for the client’s event and the same detail and craftsmanship that goes into creating a custom couture gown is the approach that Arabella Papers takes for every invitation. Arabella’s turn-around time is only 2-4 weeks from proof approval, which is astonishing considering the precision and care that goes into every hand-made custom creation.

 In the Fall of 2010, Arabella launched into the mid-range stationery market with their first offering in the affordable luxury collection, Bella Weddings. “We had to get creative and change with the economy.” Owner and Creative Director Sugandha Rosenhaft explains, “There was an incredible demand from clients who loved the look of our sophisticated luxury invitations but couldn’t necessarily afford the lavish pieces. Every bride deserves luxury, and we set out to do just that.” Bella Weddings offers the same quality and craftsmanship that sets Arabella apart, but showcases more exclusively layered cards and simple folders. Also, Arabella established base pricing to let brides go as simple or as custom as they like, allowing clients to customize according to their need and save on cost.

 Arabella Papers is featured regularly in top bridal magazines and has an impressive portfolio of well-known clientele such as Trump Towers in New York City, actress Julie Andrews, makeup superstore Sephora, and the Prime Minister of Belize, to name a few. But regardless of whomever the client might be, customer service and complete client satisfaction continues to be of top priority at Arabella. Sugandha sums up the Arabella Papers approach to customer satisfaction like this: “I never want someone to feel that they are talking to just an answering service or they are another number in the day. Our environment is that of a family and all of us strive to deliver the same for our clients.”

Arabella’s newest launch is Custom Wedding: Volume II, the second album in their sophisticated luxury wedding collection.  It showcases 13 complete design suites with each displaying a full range of wedding stationery: save the date sets, invitation sets with inserts and response cards, as well as full reception accessories such as menus, programs, place cards, and table numbers.  Arabella is also launching the second album in its affordable luxury collection, Bella Classic Weddings, in April of 2011.  A new Bar/Bat Mitzvah album is also planned for late 2011, a relief to the diligent retailers who have been on the waiting list for that album for nearly a year and a half.  With all of the exciting changes and growth happening for Arabella Papers and its dedicated group of employees and clients, Sugandha says, “Sometimes, juggling being a business owner, a designer, mother of a 13 month old and a wife can become overwhelming, but I can truly say that I am where I dreamed I would be in life.”

 Arabella’s custom lines are available in fine stationery stores all over the US, such as Thérèse Saint Clair in Greenwich, Hyegraph in San Francisco, Francis-Orr in Corona Del Mar, Tabula Rasa in Salt Lake City, and Arabesque in Naples to name a few. Please visit www.arabellapapers.com for a complete list of retailers and be sure to visit them at booth 1237 at NSS in May!

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild

A question we are frequently asked as stationers is whether it is appropriate to use the monogram of the bridal couple on their wedding invitation.  The simple and correct answer is “No!”   I realize that there are many wedding invitations that now use monograms, but it is not proper etiquette and, if you will bear with me, doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Simply stated, “It is not appropriate to use your ‘married name’ monogram, because the couple is not actually married at the time the wedding invitation is sent.”  Some self-appointed “do your own thing” wedding consultants may disagree, but common sense dictates otherwise.   Others feel that it is bad “Juju” and that one may jinx the wedding by anticipating the ceremony that has not yet been officially recognized by either civil or religious authorities.

To most experienced stationers, it is pretty straight-forward, so imagine our surprise when we saw a beautifully engraved monogram on a Crane wedding invitation in their recently released new Wedding Invitations Album.  We assumed that there was a “boo-boo” since the monogram initials did not seem to have anything in common with the names of the wedding couple.

After some forensic science, namely reading the fine print,  we discovered that the beautiful engraged monogram was the monogram of the mother of the bride!  In a note citing Crane’s Blue Book (the reference source of choice for wedding invitation wording and etiquette), Crane states that “As the social hostess for the family, the bride’s mother’s monogram is traditionally printed on the invitation.”  Now, this is news to me, but I will conduct further research to determine the origins of this custom.

In all fairness, I think that the mother’s beautiful monogram overshadows the importance of her daughter’s wedding.  Common sense suggests that it might be more appropriate to let the attention fall on the bridal couple.  Found below is some beautiful engraved stationery for the bride:

Regardless of the wedding etiquette in play here, I think we can all agree that Crane surpasses itself with the quality of its engraved stationery and invitations.  That being said, I would recommend that bridal couples avoid using the monogram of the bride’s mother despite some precedent for this tradition. 

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

In yet another sign of the times, Borders filed for bankruptcy protection and will close some 200 of their 632  stores according to articles published today.  I am sorry that this is taking place, but others may think that this is only fair since the Big Box stores were responsible for putting so many small retailers out of business.   So creatively documented by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan  in You’ve Got Mail,  I suppose it is now somewhat ironic that Borders was itself brought to its knees by the Internet, which fueled Tom and Meg’s email romance.

While most business pundits seem to think that Borders will not survive the restructuring, it is interesting to note that most of its store closures are “super stores” and that Borders Express and the old Walden bookstores will continue to operate.   “Thinking small” seems to be the operative word these days and I suspect that the consumer is beginning to find the comfort and intimacy of smaller stores to be less intimidating than the Big Box experience with floor-to-ceiling products and cheap prices.

There are many parallels between what is taking place in the publishing industry to the greeting cards and  stationery industry.   It seems evident to me that the industry as a whole is simply digging themselves a deeper grave by throwing increasingly more product of cheap designs and low-quality paper into a market that is  already over-saturated and at prices that reflect the “real” value of the merchandise  (i.e. practically nothing).

Furthermore,we are aggressively marketing this compromised product to consumers that have already embraced alternative forms of communication.   This is not a good situation, but very few companies seem to have taken the lead and stated that  “I am not planning to run my brand into the ground and will, instead, create  a quality product that consumers, distributors, craftspeople and designers and my employees can be proud of.”

These are difficult times, but patience and clear vision will reward those who focus on excellence rather than growth or simply running with the herd.

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild

As I have reported many times, internet search results are often manipulated by very smart people to the detriment of the consumer and visitors who are looking for information rather than a sales pitch.   As most of you are no doubt aware, Google and most other major search engines segregate their page listings into two areas:  paid search and organic search.  For instance, if you are searching for ”wedding invitations” using the Google search bar, the results page will look something like this:

The search for “wedding invitations” returns more than 14 million pages which Google has found which contains information relevant to wedding invitations.  The three lead paid search results bracketed in RED are paid ads where companies bid for the top placement.  In this particular case, Wedding Paper Divas, bid more than Normans Printery (whoever that is) and Google places them in the top position because of that fact.  Immediately below the top three paid listings are the ORGANIC listings.  These listings are derived from a proprietary algorithm  developed by Google to determine the most relevant websites for that search term, independent of any paid advertising.    They use over 100 factors in determining that ORGANIC relevancy, include key word density, title bars, backlinks from other websites and many other factors.

While the companies on the first page of Google for paid and organic search results can often be radically different, in this particular case Wedding Paper Divas also occupies the Number 1 position in ORGANIC search as highlighted in GREEN.   Why is this important?  Simply stated, the first listing in ORGANIC search will attract somewhere between 36% to 45% of clicks, almost twice the percentage of the next organic listing.   In other words, it pays to the be the number one organic listing for key search terms.   For that reason, many businesses will do most anything to obtain that coveted ranking:  It is big dollars!

In a fascinating article that appeared in the New York Times on Sunday entitled The Dirty Little Secrets of Search, NYT’s investigative reporters discovered that J.C. Penney’s had used “black hat” SEO (search engine optimization) tactics to grab the number one organic listing for key product search terms.  When the information was reported to Google, who conducted their own investigation, J.C. Penney was manually stripped of its number one listing and its search relevancy signficantly altered (in some cases falling to as low as 77 (seventh page of search results).   All this for a company that was listed number 16 of the most influential 500 internet retailers.

While J.C. Penney’s has now fired the SEO firm that was responsible for these questionable marketing strategies, I suspect that its reputation will be permanently damaged by this revelation.  Nevertheless, it raises a number of question for firms that are practicing similar strategies.   The wedding industry in particular is ripe for “black hat” marketing.   For local retailers, it is absolutely imperative that you do everything legitimately possible to boost your online presence.  Google and other search engines try to list “local” providers if they believe that qualified local suppliers exist.  There are a number of simple and inexpensive ways to do so.  Don’t let online marketing companies destroy the stationery industry.

Consumers are waking up to the fact of the deceitful practices of many internet marketing companies.  Congratulations to Google for taking the high road and acting promptly to safeguard the integrity of their search algorithm.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

Crane & Co., one of the oldest and most prestigious designers of fine stationery and custom invitations, has just released their new wedding invitation album entitled:  Volume I, Invitations and Announcements.  Now available at Crane dealers in fine stationery stores across the United States, Crane’s new wedding invitation samples, wedding stationery and save the date cards combine the traditional Crane design excellence with some new contemporary wrinkles for those looking for something cutting edge.

While Crane’s superb engraving distinguishes them  from most other wedding invitation printers, their new wedding album also features sample invitations and announcements in letterpress, blind embossing and digital printing in a comprehensive new array of design options at different price points that are sure to appeal to a broad cross-section of bridal couples.

Some of the more distinguishing features of their new release are the number of new digital options.  For instance there is an attractive new save the date card which features a photograph of Venice (looks like a destination wedding) or can also feature a photograph of  the bridal couple. 

Also, digital photography is used most effectively in applying a monogram to pocket folders.  While I am not pleased that some of the sample invitations have monograms featuring the wedding initials of the wedding couple (should only be used after they are officially married), the craftspeople at Crane haven’t lost their edge when producing some stunning wedding invitations.

Crane & Co.sells online but I encourage you to visit a qualified stationery store in your neighborhood to receive expert advice and see and feel ”real” invitations samples in colors that are not distorted by low resolution Internet images.  Trust me, it makes a huge difference and you might save some money by discussing options with an experienced stationer.

Sheila P. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

I realize it has been a long winter, but the cold and snowy months of January and February are months for reflection and catching up on correspondence.  This thought came to me while Sheila and I were relaxing and catching a few “rays” between snow storms.

While most of our neighbors spend the winter in Florida, a few hearty (read “foolish”) souls grit it out in the northeast.  We are often so worn out by the holiday season, that we don’t get a chance to read Christmas cards and holiday greetings until early January.   For me, there are few things better than sitting down in front of a roaring fire and leisurely work through a mountain of cards from friends and family. 

“Catching up with the Jones family” may seem rather banal in today’s digital society, but I have found that reading a short note or the occasional letter to be a comfortable and reassuring form of communication.  Other than using exclamation points and the occasional hashtag or asterick, I have found it difficult to express feelings or context in a 140 character text message.  

As I read through the letters, I am often prompted to pick up my pen and dash off a short note congratulating new grandparents on the birth of their first granddaughter or offering sympathy to a friend who had lost a loved one during the previous year.   Frankly, there is something intimate and civil about using a handwritten note for those occasions.

Fortunately, many fine paper companies offer stationery promotions during January and February.  I still believe that Crane’s free die promotion is one of the best sales events of the season.  Simply order 100 personalized notes and cards and receive  free name and address dies (a $96 value).  Similary, William Arthur and Vera Wang will provide you with 25 free pieces of stationery with any order or 75 or more.  Writing those handwritten notes has never been easier or less expensive.  So don’t let the winter get you down and “cut yourself some rope” by getting personal with personalized stationery.

So hang in there and get busy writing. It can be infectious.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

I was reflecting recently on events in Egypt and how Twitter and Facebook seem to be organizing tools for Egyptian citizens seeking greater political, social and economic  freedoms.    While one certainly is stirred by the events in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt, I am skeptical that Twitter is the ultimate “democracy tool” that many in the media seem so happy to embrace.  I mean, how many people can afford a smart phone in Egypt with average wages of $2 a day?   Also, while I would love to believe that people are tweeting about such as topics as “democracy,” “individual rights,” “health care reform,” or “the environment,” Twitter trends suggest something radically different.  Found below are the top ten Twitter trends for February 7th, 2011:

The top 10 most talked about topics on Twitter on February 7 at 7:30 AM GMT are:

1. #superbowl (promoted)

2. #idontunderstandwhy (new)

3. #aristegui (new)

4. Gary Moore (new)

5. FEMME FATALE (unchanged)

6. Green & Yellow (unchanged)

7. MVS (new)

8. Puppy Bowl (new)

9. Robert Kubica (new)

10. National Anthem (new)

While these are no doubt important topics for many Americans, it is unlikely going to cause politicians or big business to alter the way they do business or even break into a sweat.   I mean, who is going to fault Christina Aguilera for not getting the words to the National Anthem correct at the Super Bowl?  Fergie (whoever that is) certainly isn’t.   To paraphrase a tongue-in-cheek British organizational manual,  “think small and the big things will take care of themselves.”  Let’s face it, Twitter is more about entertainment than education or communication, so let’s stop pretending that it reflects the will of the people.

When I think back to the passionate discussions of “life,” “love,” “peace,” and “war” during the Viet Nam era, I can’t help but be reminded that these discussions often took place in bars and cafes that somewhat resembled the scene in ABC Cafe in Les Miserables.  In ABC Cafe students were gathering to man the barricades in Paris in a call to social action while Marius was professing his love for Closette (Red and Black).   In contrast to Les Miserables, see the young woman below describe the benefits of WiFi at Starbucks:

I would like to think that those in Starbucks sipping their lattes and logged in to their social media accounts are engaged in worthwhile communication. However, I suspect downloading a popular tune or tweeting about your impressions of the Superbowl are perhaps more important than talking to your neighbor. When the world is seen through the optics of social media, it is a pretty dreary place indeed.

Richard W. May
Stationers Guild

Last weekend, a woman walked into Thérèse Saint Clair looking for ecru sheets that matched the engraved, double hand-bordered sheets of her personalized stationery.   It isn’t often that you see engraved stationery of this quality and I commented on its elegance.  She explained that her husband had bought the stationery for her some years ago in London and that sadly all she had left were a few envelopes.

Her husband arrived shortly thereafter after parking the car in snow-challenged Greenwich and brought with him the matching envelope.  As I suspected, it was engraved stationery from Smythson of Bond Street.   In recent years, Smythson has been a playtoy for investment bankers, but was acquired last year by the Italian group Tivoli.    I tend to think of Smythson more for their leather products than their stationery, but Smythson craftsmanship and paper quality remains high.

Unfortunately, we were not able to match Smythson’s paper (color and size were a bit off), but I did suggest that Crane had some beautiful hand-bordered papers and could certainly match the color palatte of her existing stationery.  For those not familiar with hand-bordering, the video clip below shows Crane’s experienced and talented artisans demonstrating how card stock is hand-bordered.  This demo took place at the 2010 National Stationery Show:

In a world of flat-printed Photoshop cards, it is a breath of fresh air to see skilled artisans practice their trade and produced hand-bordered stationery of exquisite beauty. To see examples of Crane’s elegant stationery, visit a stationery store located in your neighborhood.

Richard W. May
Thérèse Saint Clair