Category: Best-selling Pop Up Cards, Decor, & More

Best-selling Pop Up Cards, Decor, & More

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Is Theft Legal in United States? You may be surprised. Yes It is.

According to the supreme court teft is legal in the us

Thanks to the US Supreme Court’s 2006 eBay decision, big corporations can take a product developed by you and copy it without your consent or compensation. (It’s supposed to be good for “society”-Apparently good for the society of thieves)

To serve their “Vacation Donors,” the Supreme Court wiggled out a way to transfer your wealth to the BIG cheese. Also, in direct defiance of the US Constitution’s Patent and Copyright Clause, they invented a clever way to introduce a ban on patents in the form of so-called “Judicial exceptions,” proclaiming certain technological patents as “ineligible” for the US Patent. Why do they do that? Do I need to elaborate on its connection to the area of interest of Big Tech? 

You can patent certain technologies anywhere in the world, but not in the US. That’s why China is ahead of the US in technological development.

Where inventors file the most patent applications top 10 from 1985 2021(2)

  • The United States is witnessing a troubling decline in individual property rights due to a series of Supreme Court decisions and legislative actions heavily influenced by corporate interests, particularly from the tech industry.
  • The landmark 2006 eBay ruling permits corporations to copy patented products without the inventor’s consent or compensation, essentially legalizing theft by Big Corporations.
  • Additionally, civil forfeiture laws enacted in the late 1970s allow law enforcement to confiscate personal property—such as cars, cash, or homes—without requiring evidence or formal charges against individuals.
  • Legislation like PERA and PREVAIL further threatens these rights by dismantling protections for property owners. Citizens must recognize these developments and advocate for the preservation of their property rights, fundamental to societal integrity.

You may read more about PERA & PREVAIL at https://usinventor.org/

ACT NOW. Sign the petition below to protect your interests.

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The Paper Flower – Shopping for flowers to send to your Valentine

 

Shopping for flowers to send to your valentine, you may find a well-received and frankly less expensive option than the traditional full-fledged floral bouquet. Colorful, easy to mail in a flat envelope, for a few cents.  The Pop-up Flower.

There are a few designers ready to deliver a nice Colorful Paper flower.  Of course, writing this and looking at the scene from my point of view, I have some bias and also a designer’s experience.

Watch out for:

  1. Size. Being involved previously in the design of Glass Christmas Ornaments, one thing will remain forever in my mind. The surprised remarks of clients looking for the first time:” THEY ARE SO BIG”.  Our manufacturer, located in Poland, kept sending big samples because there was a legend about US customers preferring BIG. While quality Glass ornaments tend to be quite expensive, the size still matters.
  2. Very few people have the space to store them throughout the year. Big Pop-up bouquets can be quite welcome at first, but due to the space they take up to display, they are withering in the eyes of the recipient and are being disposed of rather quickly. Practicality matters.
  3. In my eyes, the focus should be on staying power. The Detail, finish, and overall quality always help. People appreciate the craftsmanship and remember the sender. Of course, the kind of aesthetics you are going to choose from is only yours, and there is plenty to choose from. Not only the Flowers. For example,  our  Amelia Earhart’s pop-up paper airplane found its use as a boy’s Party Invitation.
  4. Be Prepared. Probably every man on Earth was reprimanded and enjoyed a couple of Silent Days because he forgot some anniversary date. My idea to prevent such a disaster is to have a Gift stashed for emergency measures. Pop-ups are perfect. Always Fresh, Easy to hide in a fold of a book. During one of our shows, we displayed a sign: How many birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentines are you facing this year? Arm yourself. It helped, since many people bought multiple pop-ups from us. 
  5. Pop-ups are more than a flat postcard; not easy to forget or ignore. 
  6. To help you out, below is a list of a few makers I prefer. Not necessarily focusing on Flowers.

  7. GRAPHICS3inc.com, Probably OLDEST in the US. They make pop-up cards powered up with rubber bands. Selling mostly to business Customers. Repeat business, since any business that has tried, enjoys double-digit response rates.

    (They do not have many flower-related designs, but the originality and quality are the TOP)

    		 https://graphics3inc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20032_PickUpTruck_Bkgrd_Front-e1596734808412-600x600.jpg

    SANTORO

    https://www.santoro-london.com/

    An extensive selection of various types of Pop-up Cards that you are not going to find anywhere else.

     

    Me&McQ 3D Cards & Pop Up Cards


    		 Me&McQ 3D Card Alice's Teapot Pop Up Card

    PaperBee.net

    Or you can use SmartPaperCuts.com

    To reach us.

    We focus on Flowers, adding currently some Victorian-style Christmas Paper Ornaments.  Ornaments because we enjoy Christmas. Paper is not breakable like glass, and delivers a similar experience when properly done.

     

    There is much, much more, as you probably already discovered. 

    Like the Love popups, Fresh Cut paper, Pop-life, etc. 

    The reason I am not listing them here is that I am looking for the Top quality, not the Vietnam, China-originated mass production stuff, which is sometimes quite nicely made but not very original. With designs based on 99.9% of the so-called Parallel Fold, or Trellis construction. Like it is shown on the right side.  

    When it comes to quality design, you may notice that, for example, all FreshCut pop-ups are photographed from the very front, to maintain the illusion of the 3-dimensional shape. The side view reveals the flats. They are exactly the issues I, as a designer, must pay attention to maintain a certain quality. Of course, if you like the look, go for it. I prefer to be “picky”

     

    If you think I should list all, regardless of the overall quality, please let me know.

    Jacek @ alfac.us

     

     

    		 The popularity of paper flowers, no doubt, is growing, since recently I saw in Rome a few Paper pop-up bouquets made by an Italian company, claiming that they were the first to come up with such an idea. Good for them.
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The practical aspects of paper notebooks

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  • Regardless of the number of electronic devices we use, paper is inescapable.
  • For example, a bunch of documents generated by a real estate agent is not going to be handed to you with an iPod or a flash/USB drive.
  • Same with many other industries. Banks, Insurance companies, loans, etc.
  • There is, of course, a DocuSign, and competition, but every professional is going to tell you to keep the printed paper documents since the hard drives, etc., may not survive a long period.
  • Probably you already regret that you did not print some family photos, lost already in the junk space of disposed of and dead memory discs.
  • That’s why we offer the latest, modern rendition of the Grandpa Ring binder – RINGLESS BINDER. Using paper, you are not going to lose much; you can always scan and OCR your notes.

Our song, a light-hearted reminder, explores the practical aspects of paper notebooks.

Some people will recommend a Compendium notebook. Why do you need a paper notebook?

Here is the answer.


Our everyday pursuit of new electronic devices is not changing the fundamental facts about real physical interaction with writing materials and the obvious benefits it offers. 

No tired eyesight, no screen glare, no compatibility issues, and no battery running out.

If you spend your working life in front of a computer, you may reach a point where it is simply no longer possible to continue. In my experience, Pinhole lenses provide relief by reducing reflections and the amount of light. 

 

 

Pinhole glasses
Pinhole glasses

And this is the point at which we require a digital detox.

It is more pressing and real than most of us would think.

 

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Popups undying love. Pop-up lovers at bestpopupbooks.com

https://heritageetal.blogspot.com/2019/02/vojtech-kubasta-pop-up-book-creator.html



As long as they exist, popups enjoy undying love. New generations of fans confess to it all the time. From time to time, I discover a new one. But like in real life, you have to approach the object of your desires with caution. Otherwise, you risk rejection.
This is what happened to one of the enthusiasts around 10 years ago. I still remember his enthusiastic advertising campaign. Listings of his pop-ups are to be attached to the top of gift packages and the pop-up book development. Then, after a year or so, he disappeared.
I learned my lesson at the same time as my designs enjoyed quite a warm welcome during the “National stationery show.” 2010 Still, even though I collected a few orders when shipping time came, nobody accepted the orders. In 2010, the industry was still in turmoil, with more than 50% of small retailers going out of business.
I switched to more appropriate time ventures and spent some time developing new document binding technology. (Ring-less binder eliminating metal rings and other metals from the ring binders. It works well, and now I am looking for a licensee. Still dealing with paper. During the last few years, I have seen a resurgence of interest in pop-ups. A good example is the bestpopupbooks.com doing a great job introducing paper engineering enthusiasts to the world of paper engineering enthusiasts.

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Ring binder in the world of paper: My notebook.

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A ring binder has no place among notebooks. My notebook is quite unusual.

  • It is not a notebook per se.
  • It is a binder, but without the rings.
  • The designer replaced rings with ties.
  • In addition, since the ties are flat and really unobtrusive, he managed to add a second set of ties to the front page. With this unique arrangement, I can divide the paperwork into sections.
Ring-less Multi-binder with two sets of paperwork inside
Ring-less Multi-binder with two sets of paperwork inside

Since there are no rings, the designer calls it a “Ringless Binder.”

One of the ringless binder fans. Mrs. Page likes it so much that she dedicated a song. She doesn’t care about Tablets, since, as she says:

  • No Tablet shall last as long as Papyrus or Leonardo’s drawing done on paper.
  • Paper shall outlast anything. No fumbling with switches, no battery or software problems.
  • No energy expended. 
  • No difficulties with eyesight after prolonged use.
  • Green.

You may try it yourself.          Ringless Binder. 

 

 

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St Nick singing about Tariffs girls and boys will pay for their toys

Angel backround with santas

Depicted in one of our pop-up cards, St. Nick decided to show his skills in the pop-up songs. As of today, his message is quite relevant. Especially when the Grinch is trying to expand his powers. Only 1-2 dolls per girl are OK for Grinch? Even if you will decide not to see our St. Nick in person, still you can send a link to this short video to your friends to pop up a smile during this rather dark times.

 

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Kisses from the Sky – song by Angel-pop-up card

The pop-up angel. Design by Jacek

Our Angel-pop-up card decided to sing.

  • No one could stop her, so here she is.
  • In this world of morbid events we experience lately, we hope it will bring a smile to your face.
  • You may E-Mail the link to your VALENTINE.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWfsDpliw5w]

Kisses from the Sky    (Song by pop up card: Angel)

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What is better notebook or binder?

Ringless Binder with single spine and 150 pages capacity
No Ring Binder with single spine and 150 pages capacity

Notebook or binder.

Are there binders without rings?

Students in US schools forced to deal with the pain of using and carrying around brick-like ring binders are asking endless questions. You can easily see that on the top of their wishes is a quite legendary “Binder notebook.” This nowhere to find mythical beast combines the utility of the ring binder with a simple, easy-to-use notebook.

Three-ring binder was born at the same time as the First Steam engine

Students shopping for basic school supplies meet the stark market reality where the only choice is a 133-year-old Ring-binder.

A not exactly modern solution, the Ring binder was invented when the first Steam Engines came to life.

A few manufacturers are producing a variety of widgets that are supposed to replace the Ring Binder, but none of them is up to the task.

The problem is spines exceed the thickness of the paper they contain. The need to deal with metal prongs (Prong Folder) that easily hurt fingers with sharp metal edges, or the fancy Punchless binders in various shapes, frankly missing the tooth to grab and keep the leaflets effectively. 

There is a solution that comes closest to fulfilling the dreams. The Flex hybrid note binder has collapsible rings made from steel wire, but the heavy-duty beast takes up so much space in the backpack and, quite frankly, quite often feels like an overkill. Pounds of steel to carry ounces of paper?

Notebook Binder
Notebook / Binder for school

So among the unsatisfied, a designer came up with a simpler solution.

The ringless binder is made from a sheet of tear-resistant paper.

Ringless binder with its 2 oz (56grams) average weight is ECO friendly. The designer Eliminatined 80% of the material usually involved in the CONSTRUCTION of the OLD Ring-binder.

Try it out! Visit our Shop at SmartPaperCuts.com 

Binder Notebook opened
Binder Notebook opened

 

 

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I am missing.. The insects. Are we Next?

The bee

Do you remember the time not so long ago when you seriously considered installing a “bug shield” on your car since every drive ended with a windshield smeared with insects you met on the highway? Right now, the sky is clear, and even on the most extended trip, multiple hours spent on the road do not produce the same result. The long-time effort of Monsanto to pollute our environment has final effects. I am missing the bugs, Their night swirl around my headlights, The heart-stopping sound when the big one meets the windshield. Oh, I wish I drove slower. Now they are gone. Hardly anything is swimming in the air along my long trip on the highway. Even the mosquitos are missing from the morning scroll among the trees of a nearby forest preserve. What next? Who is next? As the remainder, I created a Bee as a paper pop-up in honor of our gone but not recognized insects/friends. What should I do next? Long lost, from my view, a Grasshopper? Pop-up paper monument? In a Coffin? Are we next?

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Printed Matter Art Book Fair

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Over a year ago (2019) Prompted by my family’s desire to see the newest indie-independent art we went to Chicago’s “Printed Matter Book Fair”. After finding parking on Wabash Ave short stroll brought us to the Michigan location of this glorious event. Old buildings on Michigan Ave destinations by themselves showing to the visitor quite an interesting 19-century approach to architectural design. There is a certain charm preserved in the old interior decoration. A crowd of mostly young people filled the stairs and walkways on 3floors of the building.
Crowded Floors filled with exhibitors and viewers with little space in between on the first sight offered plenty of interesting things to see. But after a while searching for the new, beautiful, and unexpected there was a sort of disappointment. Clearly, we expected more. The first thing which struck my practical mind was a discovery that no independent bookseller present on these 3 floors was offering something I would purchase, read and cherish for at least for a while.

Books exist not only in their physical form but at least to me as the frame for an interesting message. The message was the ingredients missing. The main message emerging from seeing the fair was a message of the author’s loss and confusion. Focusing on form, printed pages without a clear intellectual path produced nothing memorable. Even a few pop-ups I saw, did not bring to me this kind of satisfaction or curiosity to prompt me to purchase one since they are bound to sit on the shelves forgotten because of the sin of not carrying a message.
Message It is the ingredient missing from contemporary US American art. That’s why Manga Books and similar foreign inventions dominate the U.S. market. They bring the message – excitement.
In a culture focused on the financial aspect, simple seeds of imagination and creativity have no chance to flourish. The young generation of makers is trying but since there were born and raised in this environment there are trying, but falling short.
Coming back to my family we came to the conclusion that our time could be better spent.
Unfortunately.
But I think we should keep watching. true art comes unexpectedly and in small portions.
This February 2021 Printed Matter will launch its first Virtual Art Book Fair (PMVABF)
https://pmvabf.org/

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Amazon Amazing steal

Genuine

The story of US-based small and not so small business put out of business by Amazon copying their product itself or pushing made in China Fakes is not universally known.
An article published by “The Wall Street Journal” describes one aspect of the well known Giant. As the article states: “Amazon Has Ceded Control of Its Site. The Result: Thousands of Banned, Unsafe or Mislabeled Products”
The most Amazon-Amazing fact is that such a giant can exist despite our antitrust (another Paperweight) laws.
To ensure its market dominance not only engaged in direct theft of intellectual property of others but also joined its resources with other Big Tech companies to successfully push the 2011 Legislation “Reforming” our patent laws. The first Success of the “2011 Leahy–Smith America Invents Act” was a 50% average drop in US patents’ value. Now 10 years later, we deal with several problems. There is no problem with IP (Intelectual Property) theft because patent issued by USPTO has no value, and it may be freely taken by competition from startup or individual inventor without any consequences thanks to the “Efficient Infringement” doctrine telling them that it is cheaper to steal than to pay licensing fees to the inventor. The cost of any patent-related lawsuit in the US is in millions what rarely any inventor or startup can afford. Plus, if the inventor misbehaves, the new USPTO arm PTAB, known as “Patent Death Squad,” will invalidate His/her Patent. ( 84% chance). It leads to a situation where the Patent owner is often forced to pay ransom to an entity applying to invalidate his/her patent. Entities hunting for patents with juicy infringement awards. Also, several Supreme Court decisions subsequently weakened the position of the Patent owner.
Thanks to such an arrangement, Big Tech has guaranteed no competition Market.
Shame on us.

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The quality of your Greeting card goes long way

The Face By Jacek Alfac.us

Have you ever thought about how your greeting card is received?
Is it quickly put away?
You bought run-of-the-mill cards and they are recognized as such by recipients?
Lost opportunity since a better, memorable piece of paper art may keep your name longer on display and bring you either some love or some new business.
It will not cost you a dime more, just some attention to where to spend your hard-earned money and get a better product. There are some significant differences in how cards are received.
3-dimensional cards stay on display While flat greeting cards?
Usually, they disappear quite quickly. Some remain on display for a few days. Especially during the holiday season. After that? Most of us discover flat cards during big cleaning projects; years later tucked away.
3D pop-up cards hold more staying power with some differences.
1) The one in the “book” form requires two hands to open and face a similar fate. They are exposed to the viewer just for the moment. Not a big difference compared with the flat one.
All of them are Almost or let’s say simply IDENTICAL.

Sold, for example, by Lovepop, Hallmark, Americangreetings, Chinese companies on E-bay, and a number of other sellers under different names.
2) and then really original Free-standing cards remaining open on their own, at the TOP of the Pack.
Like Santoro, Paper D’Art, Graphics3inc, or us, Paperbee.net



They stay displayed by the recipients for DAYS., and months to come.
Take it into account when you decide which of the little ambassadors you will employ.

The quality of your card goes long way.

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Santoro – British pop-up cards.

santoro card

Santoro is one of the most innovative publishers of pop-up greeting cards. Engineered, designed, and printed in the UK.

First, they searched for their soul, trying a few different design types before settling on a few proven ones.
Since they ventured outside of the pop-cards realm, I would not expect major changes in their offer.
Their energy is now applied in other directions. (Among other Real estate development)
But their selection is first class.
One of my observations is that their cards are divided into two parts.
!) Self-assembly (by the recipient – of course)
2) More complicated and elaborate Buildups.
All of them containing something movable, free-hanging elements.
I am a big fan of their (simple) “Swing Cards,” but when it comes to their “Pirouettes” and “Poprocks” and “Pendulum” cards, I think that they may be too complicated and too big to enjoy on everyday displays of their recipients. I think small is more beautiful than BIG. More intimate and better equipped to reach the hearts. But their popularity is telling me that I am wrong. One of the lessons I learned in the past is: do not underestimate your lesser achievements because they may be the top ones in public eyes. I still remember Chicago Art Institute Buyer, who chose, to my surprise, not the best-designed Glass Flowers, when to enlarge my offering. I included some (In my eyes) lesser designs in a bunch of my samples they requested.
Going back to the Santoro. They are an excellent destination for your gift offerings.

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Up with Paper. Pop-up simplicity.

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When I first saw “Up with Paper” greeting cards I was impressed with their small square cards. Their traditional book format was something new in the right size, and they were a success story with virtually no competition. Graphic3D existed much longer but was and still is invisible, focusing on a steady business market. Far away from the hustle and bustle of retail. I think “Up with Paper” initial success was not justified for a period of time because their made in China cards did not stand out exactly with their quality. Their rough-cut pieces glued together did not make an impression when inspected close up. It changed, and now you can enjoy well made and designed cards with nice simple artwork. I do not see any new concepts, but as with every established business, they focus on their proved holdings. A nice choice for occasional mailings to your friends and family. They also try their hands on a small collection of pop-up books. I am less impressed with it, but they addressed it to kids, and apparently, some kids enjoy their work.

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With Me&McQ pop up card you will not dare loose Christmas Cheer.

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Me&McQ is in its 30th year publishing groundbreaking greetings cards. What I admire are the illustrations. Painstakingly rendered details with a big dose of imagination.
I do not favor that the cards are overflowing with too many details, and their technical construction is based on the basic trellis construction. Of course, my personal taste or distaste should not stop you from loving the cards. They are charming. Exactly the type of item to bring Christmas cheer to any household. Highly recommended. Designed in Great Britain produced in China. Their designs are 90% original. However, I saw a couple of identical cards sold by others. The reason behind this is that some Chinese manufacturers sell overruns of some designs produced for a particular company and also like for example bird cages are produced independently for several customers at once.

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Graphics3inc.com, Florida and it’s original pop-ups

Santa by Graphics3ink
Santa Space-Xmas Rocketship’
Santa Space-Xmas Rocketship by Graphics3inc

Years ago, during my annual vacation in Florida, when my family enjoyed the beach, usually I drove around finding interesting things.

One of my trips ended in Jupiter FL. As I discovered at the time, there was a company, Graphics3, producing original (rubber band-powered) pop-up greeting cards.

When I entered the building, there were pallets of huge paper sheets printed with images and ready to cut.

The pleasant crew quickly showed me around. Unfortunately, regardless of my fascination, they were not impressed by my idea to allow me to sell their product.

They specialize in selling Christmas cards to businesses, as you can see on their website. I was so impressed by the quality of their ART. Looking for a product able to replace those lost in the carnage of 2008, my Luna Moth Christmas Ornaments company.

  • Their cards became my inspiration. It was my starting point to try to develop my own pop-up card designs.
  • First, I was only trying to avoid the deteriorating after a year or two rubber bands powering their pop-ups. After some attempts, I was able to come out with an original card not glued but assembled from interconnecting, free moving parts opening itself under pure gravitation force, under the weight of paper the card is made from.
  • Pressed by other activities, first I kept this project on the slow burner, promising myself to go back to this project. Since the gravitation cards are quite interesting and their development aligns with my other invention, I think now is the time to add some more to this pop-up collection.
  • I urge the reader not to settle on the popular “trellis” construction made in China/Vietnam cards but strive to find something higher quality like the Graphics3inc.com cards I here recommend.

You may enjoy our automatic self-opening popups on the paperbee.net pages.