A couple of Fridays ago, Mrs. E. and I hosted two very sophisticated couples, which is always a pleasure. (Mrs. PvE, that night’s menu included sesame toasts with raclette and ham, bagel chips and smoked bluefish paté, potato chips with sour cream and “caviar”, salad and a coq au vin.) As a hostess gift, one of the couples brought a very nice Pinot Noir around the neck of which was tied (with a bit of raffia) a multi-striped tag printed with a poem.
What a great idea, I thought. And then I looked at the photo wall in the bar room where a black and white of Mrs. E.’s and my engagement party hangs. It’s a good shot reminiscent of the poster above. Only we are sipping from an etched martini glass which had just been given to us. (It was a “Stock the Bar” engagement party… you’re not that surprised, are you? ) Printed on matte (linen?) paper, I think it will make a stylish gift tag to hang about a bottle of bubble.
What about you? Do you use a calling card? A gift tag? Or will you coöpt this idea?
Trademark touches truly elevate any bottle or gift.
We have some labels that say “Chateau de pve”
One year I illustrated a wine bottle for my husband as a surprise invite.
I am all for making things personalized. Monograms, wax stamps for the lore.
Our wedding invitation was a card that opened with the info inside. On the front were our last names connected with a big ampersand. As artists we designed them ourselves and dealt with the printer etc. Anyhow, we had to print way more than we needed because we had to buy the whole carton of paper. I told the printer, to just print the first 100 with the info inside, and do the rest blank inside. So we’ve used our invitation as a blank card to tie onto presents for the last 20 years!
Calling cards are wonderful and underused. Although my husband’s is definitely professional in appearance and in his use, mine is personal and printed on Crane stock. I chose a motif that appeals to me and reflects an interest of mine–a personal signature, so to speak. It is also slightly oversized (but not an exaggerated or unusual shape/size, as these look too ostentatious for purely personal use), so as to be useful as a gift enclosure card. I find calling cards very useful for travel on those occasions when I need to provide my contact information to someone or make an acquaintance. The card is printed with my full name and one phone number. If I want to provide my address, I simply write in on the back of the card. I am curious to know which phone number most people provide (especially women)–their home or cell (assuming there is not an office number)?
Forgot to mention, e-mail address is also printed on the card. When our children have traveled abroad on school or Scout trips, we had them make up their own calling cards (home computer projects) not only for personal i.d. in bags and on their person, but also to exchange with new friends, students, and hosting families.
Hello Paula,
My calling card simply has my name and city engraved on it. If necessary, I give the email address at easy and elegant life and a home phone. Like you, I write all that on the back.
Linda, what a unique card!