You never know what you will do with an old business card you keep around for years. If you’re an entrepreneurial gal with a pressing task at-hand, you call that person up and propose a business plan. Well, that’s kind of how our story goes. Last year I was, let’s say, a bit desperate to find someone who could design a unique holiday card for my family. I didn’t want generic store-bought cards and time was of the essence (it was October!).

What I wanted was something from an artist’s hand that also included my own personal touch. I contacted Holly Hollon, an illustrator and calligrapher I met at an event years earlier. October is much too late notice and she can’t help. Everyone else I can find is booked and Internet options leave me feeling less than inspired. After sorting through what I’ll call The Great Holiday Card Crisis of 2014, I went back to Holly with the idea of creating an online company that partners with designers to offer easily customizable, unique, art-driven cards that incorporate elements of calligraphy, illustration and hand-lettering. Holly, who is now our Creative Director, loved the idea and cultivated an incredibly talented troop of calligraphers and designers to create our first batch of Dogwood Hill cards for the 2015 holiday season. There will be no Holiday Card Crisis this year. We don’t do exorbitant wait times (your cards will be on your doorstep within two weeks of ordering) and there are no hefty costs or design fees.

Holly has been practicing her craft for many years, and though my professional background started in Accounting, I’ve been involved with the art community for almost a decade. Enjoying beautiful works of art on paper is one of my favorite things, and it’s my hope that I can help you feel a little more inspired and moved by every piece of Dogwood Hill stationary you send to family and friends.