8 cards bringing warmth on dull winter days

February 13, 2024

When I received the cards in my most recent card subscription box from the CardBoys I thought they were from a spring box and I’d missed a box somewhere along the way, as I was pretty sure the last set had arrived in autumn. And they had, but actually it’s no bad thing that the February box has a spring-like feel as I think it’s something we all need after what seems a long, wet and windy winter, which I’m sure isn’t over just yet however nice it is to see the days starting to extend slowly but surely again.

As ever I have mixed feelings about these cards, as I can’t wait to use them but also don’t want to use them either as I want to keep them all too! Keeping them all isn’t an option though, and having a stash of cards in the house is really handy, especially now that we’re a lot more rural than we were in London.

The cards in this box evoke warmth with their colours and decor, and that’s much needed on those dull days. Even though the sun has been out, and it’s oh so good to feel its warmth, it’s still pretty chilly isn’t it? Earlier this week I finally took down my winter wreath and while I’d timed it well avoiding the rain, I still needed a sweatshirt on as I stood at the bins pulling as much of the greenery out as I could, recycling it in our brown/garden bin.

I don’t think there’s a card which didn’t make me smile in this box, though I think I’ll have to choose the recipient of the card above carefully - as a thank you card it works, perhaps not so much as a birthday card or note.

And don’t you just want to climb those stairs in the card below, hopefully a thirst quenching drink would be waiting for us at the top.

There’s a few artists in this collection that have a couple of cards, and it’s easy to spot these through their style and the colours they’ve used isn’t it?

It’s amazing how a piece of art - as let’s face it, these are mini works of art - can influence your feelings, from the calming coffee scene above to the tumbling rainbow person below.

My favourite card this month probably isn’t a surprise - but it’s the daisies below, it just something that speaks to me, so this is one that I’ll probably be hanging onto for a while, until the perfect opportunity to share arises.

This box really was a box of warmth, which arrived in the post box. I can’t wait for spring-proper to arrive!

Eight colourful cards for autumn

November 16, 2023

My card deliveries seem to come around more quickly, but that’s ok as I’m still enjoying receiving them - and using them. And even more so now that we don’t have a shop around the corner it’s handy to have a selection of cards to choose from. The Card Boys also do a Christmas selection, but once again I’ve decided against that hoping that I will make most of ours, and supplement those that I don’t with charity cards.

Once again though for my homemade cards I’ve gone for Christmas trees - it’s definitely a theme of mine, which also seems to have slipped into the charity cards I’ve bought unintentionally. It’s not something I’m sad about though!

As before the eight cards in the quarterly subscription box are all blank inside, and usually only a couple of the cards in each box have determined use, in this box two are for birthdays, but in previous boxes there has also been a thank you card.

This month I’ve photographed them on a colourful, tropical background which works well for many of the cards which also have vibrant colours, but also works with the more muted colours in the mountain and valley scene above.

The three cheeky monkey cards is one of my favourites in this box and may just have influenced the background - if you look in the top left corner you can just spot part of another monkey! I’m not sure if this was an intentional plan of mine or not.

A simple white figure wearing a pink swimming costume on a blue background with white squiggly waves — ARTIST: MARTHA DUNCAN

I like the simplicity of this swimmer shot, and the squiggly ripples that they’re making. It has a calm about it and I can see this card having many uses. The asterisks with faces card below is cheery and it’s clear what its intended purpose is from a single glance.

multi-coloured asterisks with faces around the colourful text 'happy birthday!' — ARTIST: ABBIE INGLEBY

The cards in these boxes often feature flora and fauna, and these two are no different but their approach in entirely different. Above you have the punchy oranges design, and below a more delicate line drawing of flowers.

Cheery blue, orange and pink flowers on stems with leaves, with the happy birthday banner across them — ARTIST: MELISSA DONNE

The final two cards are by the same artist, and you can see that they’re related both with (and I mean this is a good way) splodgy flowers, which have an almost folklore feel to them.

A pink and white dove with a floral pattern carrying an olive branch on a pale blue background — ARTIST: MELISSA DONNE

My other favourite in this box is the dove card above, it just has a special feel about it and I think could be used for many occasions and correspondence. It also symbolises peace, which I’m sure we all agree the world could do with a lot more of right now.

Eight cards making me smile

August 31, 2023

I’m continuing my quarterly The Card Boys subscription and I’ve even managed to update my address so that the cards come directly to me. We have a post redirection set, and that’s now working as it should - there was a bit of a hiccup getting it set up, so it’s likely that we lost some of our post for three weeks after our move.

And when I say a bit of a hiccup I mean our local delivery office didn’t put the redirection in place, so that wasn’t great! It’s all working now though, and we’ve an additional three weeks tacked onto the end of our paid time period, but we’ll never know exactly what we missed - we know we probably missed some bills, and a car tax reminder - but as we knew to expect these we were able to make arrangements.

What we don’t know, is as always, what we don’t know. And it’s likely we never will. Our former neighbour did pop in to see if there was any abandoned post in our old house and forwarded a letter or two manually, which was good of him, but I’m guessing there can’t have been anything hugely important, or else we’d know by now.

We’ve actually been pretty good at changing our addresses in the many, many places that you discover you need to when you move. I’d written a list (no surprise there!) ahead of our move, and it’s been quite satisfying ticking things off it. Though it wasn’t helped in that some organisations didn’t have the up to date postcode file, so didn’t have our address listed. Even the Royal Mail redirection to start with - that was a bit of a face-plant moment I can tell you!

I’m sharing these summer cards on a drizzly end of August day, a day which feels far from summer - but hopefully it isn’t the end of summer yet, and September will come good with its warm sunny days.

As usual there’s eight cards in the box, and the cards celebrate talented artists. The first for this month definitely has a ‘back to school’ feel doesn’t it? Though it’d also be good for friends who like a spot of mindful colouring.

The second impressionist-like image is growing on me. The more I look at the floral border and tree branches, the clearer it becomes and the more I see - it’s definitely one to lose yourself in, and would carry a thoughtful message well.

The cheery elephants on this next card can’t fail to make me smile. I can feel the warmth radiating from the image, and the coolness of the water as it’s splashed around - how a picture can conjure up those feelings always amazes me.

Cheerful elephants at a watering hole surrounded by palm trees, one elephant is hosing water over its head, the other has its trunk in a pool of water - all on a cheery pastel pink background — ARTIST: LAURA BARNES

A repeating design of orange and blue flowers on green stems as if they're blowing in the wind — ARTIST: ARIANA MARTIN

The next two are both colourful - a flower covered ditsy image and a cheery musical note wishing a happy birthday. I know I’ll use these, but in the meantime they’ll join my card stash waiting their turn.

A black musical note with arms and legs on a green background with a speech bubble for 'happy birthday' above the illustration is the text Just a note to say written in orange, pink and blue on a pea green background — ARTIST: GRACE CHILTON

I like both of the flower in vases designs - and it’s quite a mainstay of these boxes, which is good for me. I find the cards can be used for many occasions, and are really quite flexible - as well as beautiful. It’s hard to let them go at times.

This month this birthday cake card is my favourite. I’m imagining it’s pink blancmange, wibble-wobbling on the plate! Again it’s another one that’s evoking feelings and making me smile. I’m not even sure blancmange is still a thing, it’s probably now called posset or mousse or something, who knows?

So another box of great cards. I saw on The Card Boys Instagram page that they’re hosting a giveaway for a box of cards, which is open until 4 September, so if you want to be in with a chance pop over there and enter - good luck!