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GCA Names LOUIE Award Winners

First-time entrants take home Card of the Year Honors

By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 5/19/2009 12:22:00 AM

Tam Tam Design Studio

Compendium Inc.

New York — The 21st annual International Greeting Card Awards, the LOUIEs, were presented by the Greeting Card Association on Monday evening, May 18, in New York City during the National Stationery Show. Taking top honors, Card of the Year, were two greeting card publishers who were first-time entrants, a first in the history of the Awards. Compendium Inc., Seattle, won Card of the Year in the Under $3 category for its Thank You card, which also won in the Thank You, Under $3 category; Rising Star winner Tam Tam Design Studio, Arlington Heights, IL, was honored with Card of the Year in the Over $3 category.

A total of 58 awards were handed out in addition to the Cards of the Year. In addition to Compendium and Tam Tam Design Studio, other first-time winner/entrants included Charu Overseas (India), J-Dig Cards, Paper Belle, PostMark Press for Leanin’ Tree, Shirley Bell Designs, some of me, Specialty Cards 4U, Spilled Ink Press, Sun Day Greetings and UNICEF.

The Award ceremony was capped with the presentation of a special award, The LOUIE Award MVP, to Mila Albertson, the GCA membership service director and LOUIE Awards Coordinator. Albertson received a standing ovation of recognition for her contributions to the awards and the industry.

The LOUIEs, the greeting card industry’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, honor cards marketed and sold in the United States. This year’s competition drew more than 800 entries from 140 international publishing companies, including those from Canada, England, India, and the U.S.

Other companies taking home honors were:
à la cards: Blank, above $3
American Greetings: Birthday – Children, above $3; Mother’s Day; New Baby/Pregnancy; Sympathy
Anna Griffin: Imprintable – Everyday, above $1.75
Annabelle’s Creations, Honorable Mention
Any Horrible Occasion: Friendship/Encouragement –
Humorous, $3 and under
Artists To Watch: Special Occasion – Everyday, $3 and under
Avanti Press: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter – Humorous, $3 and under; Easter, $3 and under; Friendship/Encouragement – Humorous, above $3; Halloween/Thanksgiving, $3 and under; Mother's Day, $3 and under; Valentine's Day, $3 and under
Charu Overseas (India): Handmade, above $3
Compendium Inc.: Thank You, $3 and under
DaySpring Cards: Birthday – General; Friendship/Encouragement –
General; Get Well/Feel Better; Superbly Stated, all $3 and under
Design Design: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter – Humorous, above $3;
Designer Greetings: Father's Day; Packaged Fill-In Invitation/Announcement; Sympathy, all $3 and under
Great Arrow Graphics: Romance, above $3
J-Dig Cards: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal – Boxed/Catalogue – Humorous, above $1.25
Jumping Cracker Beans: Superbly Stated, over $3
Masterpiece Studios: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal – Boxed/Catalogue – General, above $1.25;
max & lucy, distributed by Sunrise Greetings: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal – Boxed/Catalogue – Humorous, $1.25 and under
Meri Meri: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter – General, above $3; Friendship/Encouragement – General, above $3; Imprintable – Seasonal, above $1.75; Valentine's Day, above $3
Palm Press: New Baby/Pregnancy, $3 and under
Paper Belle: Imprintable – Everyday, $1.75 and under
Paper Magic Group: Birthday – Children, $3 and under; Blank, $3 and under; Creatively Finished, above $3; Handmade, $3 and under; Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary, $3 and under
Pictura: Get Well/Feel Better, above $3
PostMark Press for Leanin’ Tree: Everyday Assorted – Boxed/Catalogue above $7.50
Shannon Martin/Girl Designer, in partnership with Madison Park Greetings: Birthday – Humorous, $3 and under
Second Nature Ltd. (England): Special Occasion – Everyday, above $3
Shirley Bell Designs: Rising Star, $3 and under
Someday Designs: Personalized Invitation/Announcement, above $5
some of me: Easter, above $3
Specialty Cards 4U: Thank You, over $3
Spilled Ink Press: Personalized Invitation/Announcement, $5 and under Sunrise Greetings: Halloween/Thanksgiving, above $3
Sun Day Greetings: Romance, $3 and under
Tam Tam Design Studio: Rising Star, above $3
The Museum of Modern Art: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal Counter – General; Creatively Finished, both $3 and under
The Three Maries, distributed by Collage Greetings: Birthday – General, above $3; Birthday – Humorous, above $3; Friendship/Encouragement – General, $3 and under
UNICEF: Christmas/Holiday/Seasonal – Boxed/Catalogue – General, $1.25 and under; Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary, above $3

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