Oh. My. Gosh. We’re super excited about the shiny new range of greeting cards designed especially for you fabulous and modern ladies. This stunning must-have collection from the bustling Icon studios will look great in your shopping basket and on any fashion conscious home-owner’s mantelpiece.

We got a bit arty and, inspired by the iconic work of 1960s pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and the shock / gasp reactions of his leading ladies. So we created some greetings cards that will appeal to all the gin-swilling, handbag-swinging girls to totter around in killer heels since Cyndi Lauper first sung that song about girls just wanting to have fun – what was that called again?

You’ll find cards about everything a girl needs to keep her looking fabulous, like designer shoes and wealthy men, as well as the little secrets that we use to enhance, disguise, plump-up and flatten-down us natural beauties, because, oh my gosh, we are so worth it!

Anyway, there’s a Gosh greeting card for any occasion and to suit all tastes and they look divine too with their pretty colours and a gorgeous little pink envelope which is just to die for. So, treat yourself to a giggle and check out these adorable little delights, you’ve just gotta have ‘em!

Shop the full collection of  Gosh Greeting Cards at the Icon shop now.

As you can see, the stand looked great and as a result we tempted lots of lovely greeting card buyers on to take a look at our ranges. Heading the charts was, unsurprisingly, our new friendship range,  Life Is Sweet, which is selling like hot cakes, (….mmm hot cakes!). The new additions to our rudest range Blush went down very well, and of course the other ranges like  Exposure,  Bloom,  Muhammad Ali,  Lyric,  Buddies and  Wild Things were all very well recieved. But the two stars of the show were our ballsy new illustration range  Mean Cards, and the soon to be released Gosh.

So, whilst the sales team await their million pound bonuses, (which they will fashionably decline), we would like to say a big “thank you” to all those who dared to be different and ventured onto our stand and hope that you were pleasantly surprised and rewarded with the unique and refreshing collection of Icon greeting cards. Good to have you on board!

Of late we have felt the need to redress the balance of decency emanating from our recent product releases of funny greeting cards.

Last year we spoilt you with  Bloom, the decadent and beauteous range of floral cards and then we created the outstanding and very successful friendship range,  Life Is Sweet. Soooo, what we thought we’d do is add more greeting cards to the filthy end of the scale, and create 20 new titles for our guilty pleasure, Blush, the photographic humour range that’s designed to make you snigger like a schoolkid.

Check out the full release of  Blush Greeting Cards at the Icon shop now.

It’s that time of year again when we get the chance to show off our wares to the greeting card trade buyers of the world, at the International Spring Fair, at the NEC in Birmingham. For those of you that have visited the ISF in the past, you will know that Icon always have a strikingly handsome exhibition stand and this year is no exception. We’ve applied our love of clean lines and contemporary design to create another eye-catching stand in vibrant yellow and black.

We’ll be displaying the cream of the crop this year, amongst which, we’ll be showcasing our newest ranges of greeting cards, Life Is Sweet, Mean Cards and Gosh. All the other Icon favorites will be on show including our flagship photographic range Exposure, the stylish, typographic range, Lyric, the gorgeous floral range, Bloom, our acclaimed range featuring the “Greatest” Ali, and not forgetting our guilty pleasure, Blush.

So don’t be shy, come to stand J07 and say hello to our friendly, sharp-suited sales team in the greetings and stationery hall (aka Hall 4).

Go on…treat yourself to a bit of a giggle!

Have we got a treat for you…well yes we have as it happens. We are proud as punch to introduce Mean Cards, our feisty new range of greeting cards from the hand of Philadelphian artist Julianna Crisman.

When Julianna ‘found’ herself homeless, jobless and studioless all within the same week, she spent her last few dollars on art materials and transposed her bitterness into the most hilariously wicked collection of greeting cards and Mean Cards were born.

Timed to perfection with the recent renaissance of the trend for child-like illustrations, and featuring the simplest of cut-throat one-liners, Mean Cards provide the antidote to the sugar-coated greeting cards that we’re used to. And what a refreshing change it is too!

The captions are unapologetically harsh, but what they lack in tact and diplomacy is more than made up in the brilliantly witty observational humour, and let’s face it, we’re all very grumpy these days!

So, screw political correctness and social acceptability, get mean instead.

To view the full collection of  mean cards, visit the icon online shop.

Like all diligent researchers, I’ve been delving deep into the www looking for design gems to inspire the next range of Icon greeting cards, and whilst whiling away a pleasant evening blog-hopping, I came across an old favourite.

It’s impossible to do any sort of research on 1950s comics without considering the work of Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), the most influential and recognised of all the pop artists to emerge at that time. On revisiting his work, I’m still struck by not only the freshness and impact of the reduced colour palette and Ben-Day dot graphic style, but in the irony and gentle humour of the captions in his comic derived artistry.

As ever, seeing the real thing is way more impressive than the reproductions, although I do have a gorgeous copy of ‘Hey You’, the sheer dimensions alone of ‘Whaam!’ are awesome, and the tragic resolve of ‘Drowning Girl’, is so desperate, one could quite easily become all breathy and dramatic! Lichtenstein has inspired countless artists and designers, even giant super-brand Coca-Cola doffed it’s cap and produced a collector’s edition vintage can.

So sometimes it’s worth surrendering to the swirling vortex of blogging for the seeds of a new Icon greeting card range had been sown, and now we’re busily hard at work creating GOSH, which will be coming to the Icon on-line shop soon.

Leo the lion (July 24th – August 23rd) – A true star of the zodiac. Whilst some might use words like pretentious, melodramatic and domineering for friends born under the sign of Leo, that unbelievably would hurt their enormous pride, because under the outward appearance of confidence and arrogance lurks a real softie.

We know that Leos like to be the centre of attention and crave adoration, but they are also the most loyal, encouraging and generous friends to have, so give them a treat and pander to their wishes on their birthday, by giving them an Icon birthday card which will really show you’ve made an effort to please them, and let’s not forget, make them roar with laughter.

And to prove we’re on their side and really do think they’re the king of the jungle, we’ve put together a little selection of  Leo birthday cards for friends and families to choose from.

Now this, is a smashing little bunch of greeting cards.

We have put together a new range of greeting cards which are designed to conjure up nostalgic feelings of the carefree days of childhood. Life is Sweet is basically a collection of photographs paired with fitting quotes – so what’s smashing about that?!

Well, the magic starts with the images which have been carefully selected from a source of the highest quality photographs. These incredible images of cape-clad, be-goggled super-heroes and tiara-topped, wand-waving fairies have intrinsically captured the spirit and innocence of the humble kid.

We then carefully match the photos up with a partner from our precious collection of inspirational, humorous and friendship quotes thus creating the ultimate ‘feel good’ range of greeting cards.

The additional beauty of Life is Sweet, is that it’s a multi-faceted range, in that on one level, the cards are cute and very funny, with pictures of quirky kids and a humorous, witty quote. But on the other, more grown-up hand, these cards convey a positivity and lust for life which spans the ages and sends a message that we should remember a more simple, straight-forward time when life wasn’t complicated and the most important thing was how many penny sweets you could afford and if your super-powers were better than your best friend’s.

View the full range of  Life is Sweet greeting cards at the Icon shop.

Gemini May 22nd-June 21st:  You can’t help but love the split personality of a Gemini. On the one hand they can be adorably child-like, on the other they can be sulky and infantile.

You can’t however, love them more than they love themselves, so whichever way you look at it, choosing a Gemini birthday card couldn’t be easier – you just have to accept that it wouldn’t be what they’d choose themselves, but they’ll have forgotten about it in a nano-second anyway, so everyone’s a winner.

They are said to have the attention span of a gnat and flit from project to project like an annoyingly lively and social butterfly. Once settled, however, you will find it hard to get a firm decision from a Gemini, as they prefer to see both sides of an argument and will sit firmly on the fence…until they get bored and disappear that is!

So, to try and please your fickle friend, we’ve put together a selection of  Gemini birthday cards for you to look at in the Icon shop. Some will definitely appeal to their silly and immature nature, others will suit their witty and intellectual side, because that’s what Icon does best – silly and witty. And who needs more than that from a birthday card?!

Summer season’s almost here which can only mean the start of one thing…beer festivals? Beach parties? No, weddings!! Hooray! Every Saturday for the next few months, thousands of couples are due to declare their love and devotion to each other in churches, registry offices and officially licensed venues all over the world.

So, the preparations have begun, and as a guest of the happy-couple-to-be, you’ll have a list of things to get sorted too. There’s the outfit, the shoes, the accessories, the hotel, the present, but most importantly of all…the card! Well, we’ve done all the hard work for you when it comes to shopping for that perfect wedding card.

We have funny wedding cards, cute wedding cards, rude wedding cards and a whole host of unusual wedding cards to choose from. If you had your heart set on finding a card with two cats dressed up as a bride and groom….well guess what?! We’ve got one! We’ve also got a couple of titles that you could send for a same sex wedding card, how terribly modern of us.

So take a look at our  wedding cards available from the Icon online shop, and get at least one thing ticked off the list. Phew!

Bloom is a stunning collection of 15 sumptuous and elegant floral greeting cards. Superbly photographed flowers such as dahlias, orchids, roses and tulips all themed together by a richness of deep colours and smooth textures to produce a decadent and evocative collection of floral greeting cards. If these cards were a food, they’d be dark rum truffles.

So you get the picture, our new Bloom cards are a sophisticated, boutique range of blank cards suitable for any occasion and simply oozing with class.

As always, these cards are produced to our demanding standards on a gorgeous silky board with a silver envelope befitting the style of the range. We very much hope you’ll enjoy this fresh approach of luxury greeting cards, we’ve really enjoyed creating them… maybe we’re getting a bit sophisticated in our old age!

Visit the Icon online shop to view the full range of  Bloom greeting cards.

April 20^th – May 20^th It’s time to celebrate Taurus, the best sign of the zodiac!

Gentle, artistic and practical, you couldn’t ask for a more generous, reliable and loyal friend than a Taurean. Being lovers of the finer things in life, you’ll certainly gain their approval if you give them an Icon birthday card from the choice we’ve put together for you. They are very careful when they choose their friends and rarely socialise outside of their comfort zone of close buddies, but if you’re in the inner circle, you’ve got a mate for life. They are said to be fairly conservative and reserved, but if crossed or provoked, the red mist will descend, and you should beware of the ensuing wrath – think bull in a china shop.

On the calmer side, they are renowned for their handiness around the home, and are at their happiest when pottering around perfecting their elegant and cultural surroundings. We’ve all heard about how stubborn Taureans can be, and it’s true, they can be fiercely obstinate and self-righteous with delicate egos, so do the sensible thing, buy them a funny birthday card from Icon and tell them they’re wonderful.

Visit the Icon shop to view all our Taurus birthday cards.

The Fight of The Century 40th Anniversary
Joe Frazier vs Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Gardens March 8 1971

The Fight of The Century was the first of a trilogy of epic encounters between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Both fighters were undefeated before this encounter, Ali 31-0 Frazier 26-0. Frazier was the official World Heavy Weight Champion after stopping Jimmy Ellis in five rounds to win the vacant WBC and WBA titles on February 16 1970. Ali had been stripped of his title 3 1/2 years previous in 1967 and many people still considered him as the true Heavyweight Champion of the World. The hype for the fight was unprecedented – never before had the world witnessed a bout between two undefeated champions in their prime and both with a legitimate claim to being Champion.

The pre-fight tension reached a frenzy – millions of white Americans still despised Ali for converting to Islam and refusing to be inducted into the US Army and were desperate to see him humiliated in the ring by the patriotic Frazier. Ali poured petrol on the fire by taunting and insulting Frazier in the build-up, who, by fight night was burning with resentment and hatred of Ali. The scene was set for an epic grudge match with weighty political over-tones.

So electrifying was the sense of anticipation that the most famous celebrities of the day were packed ringside at Madison Square Gardens. Tickets were like gold dust so much so that Frank Sinatra, unable to secure a ticket, had to persuade Life magazine to assign him as ringside photographer for the fight.

When the fight began, Ali took the fight to Frazier dazzling him with his phenominal hand speed. It was as if he had never been away, dancing around the advancing Frazier and unleashing powerful combinations. Frazier rode the early storm and just kept on coming, taking Ali’s best shots and working Ali’s body with viscious hooks.

Slowly as the fight progressed, Frazier’s unrelenting barrage of body blows and Ali’s 31/2 year lay off started to take effect. By the eleventh round Ali was struggling to keep the swarming Frazier away and had to dig deep. By the end of round 14 Frazier was ahead on all 3 judges score cards and in the final round a crushing left hook caught Ali flush on the jaw and floored him for only the third time in his career. Ali beat the count, but as the final bell rang out he had lost for the first time and Frazier had retained the title.

So brutal was the fight that both Ali and Frazier had hospital treatment following the fight. Many considered ‘The Fight of The Century’ to be the greatest heavyweight title fight of all time, but little did the world realise that this was just the beginning….

To read more about Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) view Icon’s  Muhammad Ali biography. Also visit the Icon shop to view Icon’s range of  Muhammad Ali Cards which includes a Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier greeting card and photos of Ali in training for the Frazier fights. Icon’s Muhammad Ali cards are officially licensed merchandise by Muhammad Ali Enterprises LLC.

21st March – 20th April means it’s birthday time for all those Ariens…. Feisty, competitive, reckless, these are all traits of the Aries leaders amongst us.

While some might say they can be like a bull in china shop, others might describe them as highly motivated and impulsive, but they’re nothing if not enthusiastic… just don’t enter into a battle with them unless you’re prepared to be pulverised! So, no pressure then, in choosing the right birthday card for your Aries pal! Well, luckily for you, we’ve put together a little selection of  Aries birthday cards that will suit their astrological side and still make them laugh. And if it doesn’t? Run away very quickly!

A collector’s editon of 14 Muhammad Ali cards have been released by Icon and are available online from the Icon shop for the first time.

Photographs of  ‘The Greatest’ are combined with humorous and inspirational quotes from  Muhammad Ali to capture some of the great moments in Ali’s life, from his early years as Olympic gold medallist through to his epic encounters with Joe Frazier and George Foreman.

The images have been carefully selected to include iconic and historical sporting moments and also to reveal Ali in his more private moments as he prepared for some of his greatest challenges. Inspirational, iconic and humorous, this collection of greeting cards truly captures the spirit of  Muhammad Ali.

Inspirational, funny and often profound the Icon range of  Muhammad Ali cards are perfect for everybody. View the full collection of  Muhammad Ali Cards at the Icon shop. You can also read a full  Muhammad Ali biography and view photos of  ‘The Greatest of All Time’.

Icon’s Muhammad Ali cards are officially licensed merchandise by Muhammad Ali Enterprises LLC.