Here at Calluna we are always looking for new ways to highlight and honor our amazing creative partners. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some truly talented vendors in the industry, and we’re always thrilled to shine a spotlight on our beloved Colorado wedding community.
Since COVID-19 hit the wedding industry (and the world) with a sledgehammer and subsequently shaking up life as we know it, these small businesses had to pivot and adjust – quickly. With every new challenge a new opportunity is born. We’re elated to continue this our vendor spotlight series but with an intentional focus on the creative vendors who have so beautifully shown up in this new normal with inspiring new business ventures.
Today we’re chatting with our dear friends at Lana’s Shop. Lana and her team quickly and seamlessly launched COVID Cards, a new service curated specifically for sharing kind words and love with family and friends. We’re so excited to learn more about it and catch up with this incredible team.
Tell us about yourself and describe what you do! I’m a native New Yorker (woot woot)—turned-Coloradoan. My design career has taken me from Vogue Magazine in NYC to Gap, Inc. in San Francisco, and finally to Denver, where Lana’s Shop was born in 2012—when I packed up my paintbrushes and settled here to be with the man (and mountains!) of my dreams. Lana’s Shop, produces a happy bunch of textiles, gift wrap, wallpaper, and other cool and colorful paper goods. Everything I create is hand-painted and printed right here in the Rocky Mountains. Spreading happiness around is my number one business (and life!) goal.
We know COVID-19 has impacted the wedding industry in 2020 significantly. Tell us about how Lana’s Shop is pivoting in light of COVID-19? I’ve put my painting energy into my growing stationery line. There’s such a genuine need to send words of care. I had 3 baby showers canceled, half a dozen weddings postponed, a mom bestie with her hands full, and my 93-year old aunt alone in her NY apartment. I wanted to be sure I had a design for all the important people in our lives. At the core of everything we make is the idea that sending something handwritten, kind, and full of love can make the biggest difference in someone’s day. And that is more important than ever right now, to keep connected.
Tell us about your new venture COVID Cards! It’s so clear that the world needed more gratitude, more kindness, and more love and people genuinely want to be that bright light right now however they can. While the extra zoom calls have been fabulous, seeing that someone sent you a card and took that time is a whole other level of kind. A card you can keep out on your kitchen counter and feel loved every time you walk past it. Here’s the new collection, and if you don’t see the right words or image, please DM me, I’m here to create for you.
What challenges have you had to overcome since COVID-19 changed the way your business operates? Oof. Well, the vast majority of Lana’s Shop revenue comes through selling our hand-painted designs to brick and mortar stores around the country, and sadly most accounts had to close their doors including our biggest partners. Orders that had already been printed, assembled, and about to leave the studio were abruptly canceled (understandably!), and we were left with A LOT of greeting cards wanting to find a home. Help 🙂 And then there is that whole balance act of being a mom without child-care while full-time biz owner. Yikes. High five mamas!
What makes you most excited about launching COVID Cards? We’ve been able to donate hundreds of dollars to local COVID-19 relief organizations through our Toilet Paper card sales.
What advice or words of encouragement would you give to couples during this time? The biggest congrats on finding your person! You deserve all the celebration. See what feels right to you in terms of postponing or adjusting, and have no doubt your vendors just want to make it perfect for you. As our card says, your family and friends “Can’t wait to celebrate” cause when it’s your time you have tonssss of love behind you now and always.
What advice or words of encouragement would you give to fellow vendors during this time? You have a unique gift and the world still needs it! Find in what way you can share it with everyone at this moment.
What companies (in the wedding industry or beyond!) are inspiring you right now? Why? 18million thanks campaign! There are 18+ million healthcare workers in the US. Stationery companies teamed up to encourage mailing 18 million handwritten thank you notes to them to show gratitude. You can track how many cards have been sent on their website. They’re already at 13,646!!!! Join in and send a card from their list and read some of the healthcare worker’s heart-filled words of thanks, it will make your day.
What are you most excited about in 2020? I just launched a top-secret (until now) alphabet flash cards for young adventurers. Our first edition is all about camping with sweet learning words, from axe to zipper. Perfect for storytelling, and just plain daydreaming, during these stay-at-home days and beyond. I’d been working on this projecct for over 10 months so it’s been a joy to share it this week.
What are you most excited about in 2021? That hopefully by then I can give EVERY person I walk by a great, giant hug!
Want in on this new service? Us too. To learn more about COVID Cards, please reach out to Lana’s Shop where they will customize the cards specifically to your needs. Happy sending!
Photos by Callie Hobbs Photography & Sarah Box Photography
