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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Every once in a while, a card maker comes along who strikes a cultural chord at exactly the moment it needs to be struck. If I&#8217;m lucky enough to spot the range early on, sitting back and watching the world fall in love with it is truly a wonder to behold. I saw this when <a href="https://emilymcdowell.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Emily McDowell</a> and her magnificent empathy cards came on the scene several years back. And now, although 2020 has completely sucked, it&#8217;s not a complete wash for me as I&#8217;ve stumbled across Janine Kwoh of <a href="https://kwohtations.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kwohtations</a>.</p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Janine&#8217;s Welcome to the Grief Club is to the sympathy category what Emily McDowell &; Friends is to the thinking of you category. The Brooklyn letterpresser &#8220;makes cards as she needs them,&#8221; and her range has strong themes of inclusion, representation and honesty running through it. Janine&#8217;s creations help get difficult but necessary conversations started, and in the age of COVID-19, they are more relevant and prescient than ever. Who would have guessed that a card, a sticker, an art print or a care package could help us authentically connect, comfort and validate each other when we are needing it most — ;but that&#8217;s the emotion behind every last Kwohtations sale. ;</p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Janine made her trade show debut this past February in the Emerging Designer section at National Stationery Show/<a href="https://nynow.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://nynow.com/">NY NOW</a>, and I could barely introduce myself to her through the ever-present crowd. </p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Now Janine is compiling the world&#8217;s first illustrated book on grief for adults, with a working title of Welcome to the Grief Club, to be released by <a href="https://www.workman.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Workman Publishing</a> in Fall 2021. Janine sits down with me to share more about her background, her work and how stationery can help us feel a bit more seen, a bit more connected, and a bit less alone.</p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-26942" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-26942 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="26942" 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-10001209 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-favorites tag-austin tag-custom-invitations tag-design tag-greeting-cards tag-hand-illustrated tag-hand-lettered tag-invitations tag-sarah-schwartz tag-stationery tag-stationery-blog tag-stationery-design tag-stationery-designer tag-texas tag-the-paper-chronicles tag-victoria-corbett tag-victrola-design tag-wedding-invitations" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/austins-own-victrola-design/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/victrolawedding2.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/2019/04/victrolawedding2.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/victrolawedding2.jpg?resize=200%2C200&;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/victrolawedding2.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/victrolawedding2.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/victrolawedding2.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/victrolawedding2.jpg?zoom=3&;resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 300w" 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/austins-own-victrola-design/">Austin&#8217;s Own Victrola Design!</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="2019-04-04T12:53:54+00:00">April 4, 2019</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="10001209"><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">2</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Music Credits: “Your Treasure is Your Self”; written and performed by Sharon Glassman; Courtesy of Sharon Glassman/Smile Songs. <a href="http://smilesongs.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">smilesongs.com</a></p>

Janine Kwoh of Kwohtations
