Cardtorial Feature & GIVEAWAY!

For today's Shop Small Saturday Showcase feature, I have a wonderful shop to feature today: Cardtorial!  These are some of the most unique "paper" goods I have seen.  They are beautiful, sturdy works of art, that have a sense of humor and are absolutely gorgeous!  And if you want something other than a card, there are beautiful journals, prints for your home, and more!  Also, if you want something a bit different Yvonne does custom work, but I am sure you will fall in love with the creations in her store.  Check it out below!

Read all about how Yvonne started Cardtorial and see all of the fun "wooden paper goods" she makes.  I just adore the key card below.  :)  Also, make sure to enter to win your choice of a Mother's Day card or fox print in the giveaway below.  Enjoy!

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Tell me a little bit about yourself!

My name is Yvonne.  I'm a UCLA grad.  I love sports, food, and a good time.  I wouldn't necessarily categorize myself as the craftiest of people, but now that I run Cardtorial, I'm definitely more in touch with my creative side than I used to be.  Prior to Cardtorial, I had a corporate job in a completely unrelated field (finance & clean tech).


Where did the name of your store come from?

I originally wanted to name the store "Happy Cards" but that domain name was taken.  After some deep brainstorming sessions, Cardtorial came out on top -- it sounded like a fun name to rally around.

Why did you start making goods for Cardtorial?

I've always loved business and thought being an entrepreneur would be pretty exciting. I was always on the lookout for interesting products to create or business ideas to pursue. When I had the idea to make the wood cards, it was as if the stars were aligned.  The process was relatively straightforward, I had a friend who could teach me how to make them, and the prototypes were cute! It grew pretty organically from there.

What is your favorite item?

Haha. The fox card was my very first card.  It's from The Little Prince, one of my favorite books and I find that passage very sweet.  I also like the "fish in the sea" card. I had made it a couple years back as an apology for my boyfriend after a big argument.

What is your most popular item?

One of the following three cards: Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Penguin Love, i carry your heart. People love the "love" cards!  It's really sweet when people are excited to share these with their loved ones.


Where do you get the inspiration for your work?

Friends and everyday life /experiences.  I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and am pretty open to customer suggestions as well.

What makes your store unique?

Our products!  Our wood cards are pretty and unique and charming -- I haven't really seen other cards quite like these. :)


What is the toughest part about making your goods/your artistic process?

It's an interesting balance between running the business you currently have while trying to grow (and often times I do struggle with work and personal life -- it's hard to draw boundaries when things get busy and there's always a long to do list). We make everything in-house.  There's always a lot going on between designing, making, and figuring out the next big thing.  I'm really excited for some of the new products we'll be coming out with in the Spring / Summer but it's always a struggle finding time to pursue all our ideas!

Do you take custom orders?

Yes! All cards can be customized for an additional $7.50 -- you can have a sweet little message engraved on the back of your card.

We are also coming out with additional semi-customizable pieces.  Currently we have a housewarming card that says "home sweet home" and the name of the family / year they moved in can be customized.  We also have our semi-customizable dog prints which are a fun addition to our dog line.  We have set silhouettes and you can customize both your dog's name and a funny "tag line" below.

Coming soon, we'll be releasing semi-customizable wedding & baby cards.

Where can I see more of your work and buy a gift?

On our website: www.cardtorial.com !  We're also in stores across the nation (and globe!) and you can find them on our retailers page here (http://www.cardtorial.com/pages/retailers).  The list is always growing and we'd love to hear suggestions if there's a store near you that you'd like to see us in.

Website & Store:  cardtorial.com
Etsy:  etsy.com/cardtorial
Blog:  cardtorial.wordpress.com
Facebook:  facebook.com/cardtorial
Twitter:  twitter.com/cardtorial
Pinterest:  pinterest.com/cardtorial
Instagram:  instagram.com/cardtorial


Are you going to be at any shows soon, so I can see your work in person and say hello?

We will be at the L.A. Renegade Craft Fair in July, but also check out our Upcoming Events page for updates!

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I love these little works of art!  So pretty and unique!  There are different cards for each holiday, so make sure to check back frequently!

Now, for the giveaway!  Enter to win your choice of Mother's Day card or Yvonne's favorite fox print.  It is open to U.S. residents, and there are a few daily entries so make sure to come back and enter every day for your chance to win!

Good luck!

Cardtorial