
<p>Typically, a holiday finds me as far as humanly possible from work. But not this July Fourth; these days my head is in a far different place. I&#8217;m still reeling and disbelieving that my rights — as well as those of all Americans who can bear or play a part in a child&#8217;s conception — could be taken away with the figurative swipe of a pen. Surely, my daughter is no less an autonomous person as she was a few weeks ago, but so much has changed for her and all of us. True independence requires personal autonomy; if we don&#8217;t have that, what are we celebrating exactly?</p>



<p>On a more positive note, hopefully by now much of our community and audience has seen the below message from the <a href="https://www.greetingcard.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Greeting Card Association (GCA)">Greeting Card Association (GCA)</a>. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/gca-957x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010892"/></figure>



<p>As the statement notes, the GCA is not a political organization. However, it <strong>is</strong> the only non-corporate entity lobbying in Washington on behalf of you and I, the citizen mailer. When our constitution was ratified in 1789, the Postal Clause in Article I, Section 8 gave Congress the power &#8220;To establish Post Offices and post Roads&#8221; and “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper” for executing this task.</p>



<p>Fast forward two centuries or so, and the GCA is the heart of the US greeting card community, as we saw during the summer of 2020 when the association quickly put together <a href="https://thepapernerd.com/portfolio/6-paper-found-me/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="a scholarship-funded pitch program for makers of colo">a scholarship-funded pitch program for makers of colo</a><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/portfolio/6-paper-found-me/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="r">r</a> to acknowledge the immediate need to diversify the industry. Following the Dobbs ruling, our members were again feeling frustrated, angry and lost, along with <strong>their</strong> own communities. Leading the charge for an official GCA statement was Victoria Venturi of <a href="https://piphpaper.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paper Epiphanies</a>. This is a letterpress brand — ;but you can see for yourself below that its Portland flagship, with its tagline &#8220;cards.gifts.girl power&#8221; has already established itself as a very hot bed of resistance in every sense of the word. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/paper-epiphanies-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010893"/><figcaption><a href="https://piphpaper.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Paper Epiphanies">Paper Epiphanies</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>For a little exposition, I&#8217;ve had Victoria on <a href="https://thepapernerd.com/portfolio/s3-7-victoria-venturi-of-paper-epiphanies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="The Paper Fold">The Paper Fold</a>, she was just on <a href="https://nynow.com/podcast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="The Paper Planes Cocktail Hour">The Paper Planes Cocktail Hour</a> with Amy and I (the episode is called &#8220;Banish the Bunny&#8221; and you&#8217;ll have to listen to hear specifically which bunny she&#8217;s banishing), and she literally just became chair of the GCA PR Communications Committee in June. </p>



<p>Her industry celebrity didn&#8217;t just happen serendipitously. Anyone who has been in her presence longer than a minute or two quickly learns that Victoria is a force of nature best appeased and addressed quickly. Anyway, I&#8217;ve sat on this committee at least a year or two, and it&#8217;s usually pretty quiet. The most rollicking debate so far concerned how to make a series of social media infographics promoting snail mail sharper and stronger. </p>



<p>Obviously, that all changed with Dobbs. In Victoria&#8217;s mind, the GCA was going to issue a statement supporting women — ;80% of all greeting card senders — ;and prayers to anyone standing in her way. I joined her charge upon her invitation, collecting posts and statements from members to strengthen her case to the board, and by last week&#8217;s end, the GCA statement was out. </p>



<p>True to her fighting spirit that is always reaching for better, Victoria is not thrilled with the final wording — ;&#8220;relates to women&#8217;s rights&#8221; particularly sticks in her craw — but personally, I don&#8217;t want Victoria to be thrilled for a while yet. We have a lot of work yet left to do. </p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-86911" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-86911 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="86911" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-10011329 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-favorites tag-design tag-family-business tag-greeting-cards tag-labor-day tag-note-sets tag-sarah-schwartz tag-shades-of-expression-designs tag-stationery tag-stationery-blog tag-stationery-design tag-stationery-designer tag-thank-you-stationery tag-woman-owned-business" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/the-endless-summer/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=120%2C120&;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=275%2C275&;ssl=1 275w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=372%2C372&;ssl=1 372w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=567%2C567&;ssl=1 567w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=882%2C882&;ssl=1 882w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=300%2C300&;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?resize=50%2C50&;ssl=1 50w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/birthday-0391.jpg?zoom=2&;resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 200w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/favorites/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Favorites</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/the-endless-summer/">The Endless Summer</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2022-09-05T17:22:39+00:00">September 5, 2022</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="10011329"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



<p>Meanwhile, in gathering everything last week, it was nearly impossible not to be inspired by the pluck and fire of our community, so I&#8217;m sharing a taste of what I found below. You can see everyone&#8217;s IG addresses in the images; I&#8217;m also linking their sites right below each image. </p>



<p>Please follow, like and purchase from these amazing brands as you see fit. (Note: not everyone is a GCA member, although its ranks are constantly growing.) Some of those have already held or are already organizing events; if you are lucky enough to go, I&#8217;m officially jealous.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/brittany-paige.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010894"/><figcaption><a href="https://brittanypaige.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Brittany Paige Designs">Brittany Paige Designs</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dahlia-press.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010895"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.dahliapress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Dahlia Press">Dahlia Press</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/design-with-heart-studio.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010896" width="770" height="546"/><figcaption><a href="https://designwithheart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Design With Heart Studio">Design With Heart Studio</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/hustle-hope.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010897"/><figcaption><a href="https://hustleandhopecards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Hustle &; Hope Cards">Hustle &; Hope Cards</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/just-my-type-letterpress.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010898"/><figcaption><a href="https://justmytypeletterpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Just My Type Letterpress">Just My Type Letterpress</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ladyfingers-letterpress.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010899"/><figcaption><a href="https://ladyfingersletterpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Ladyfingers Letterpress">Ladyfingers Letterpress</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/letterpress-jess.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010900"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.letterpressjess.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Letterpress Jess">Letterpress Jess</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/mirthos.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010901"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/mirthos-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010902"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/mirthos-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010903"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.mirthos.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Mirthos Paper">Mirthos Paper</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/modern-disaster.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010904"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.nearmoderndisaster.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Near Modern Disaster">Near Modern Disaster</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/oplusd.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010905"/><figcaption><a href="https://offensivedelightful.myshopify.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="OffensiveDelightful">OffensiveDelightful</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/sky-of-blue-use-this-one.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010907"/><figcaption><a href="https://skyofbluecards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Sky of Blue Cards">Sky of Blue Cards</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/space-pig-use-this-one.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010908"/><figcaption><a href="https://spacepigpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Spacepig Press">Spacepig Press</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/stationery-hq.png" alt="" class="wp-image-10010909"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.stationeryhq.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Stationery HQ">Stationery HQ</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-card-bureau.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010910"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.thecardbureau.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="The Card Bureau">The Card Bureau</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/the-found.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010926"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.thefound.com/stationery.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="The Found">The Found</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/twentysome.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010911"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.instagram.com/twentysome.design/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Twentysome Design">Twentysome Design</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/umlaut-brooklyn.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010912"/><figcaption><a href="https://umlautbrooklyn.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Ümlaut Brooklyn">Ümlaut Brooklyn</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/wooly-bear-travels.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010913"/><figcaption><a href="https://woollybeartravels.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Woolly Bear Travels">Woolly Bear Travels</a></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/yardia.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10010915"/><figcaption><a href="https://yardia.co/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="Yardia">Yardia</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s hard for me to see all that and not feel a bit empowered — ;hopefully others feel that way. Meanwhile, I&#8217;ve found some new causes to follow and donate to — ;along with the knowledge that the above only captures a fraction of what is out there. The American quest for independence endures! If you want to share yours here, please give me a shout at sarah@thepapernerd.com.</p>


Independence Day, Every Day
