Friday, November 21, 2008

Holiday greeting cards for cyclists

It's that time of year to send greeting cards to your friends, and I recommend the bicycle themed cards from Skeese Greets. They have a number of new designs for Christmas, Hanukah, and the New Year that feature bike parts in the artwork.



I first noticed Skeese Greets Bicycle Christmas cards a couple of years ago and it's good to see the cards are still selling. Skeese Greets is Stacy Keese (S + Keese = Skeese) of Austin, Texas. As a child she wanted to be a fashion designer and grew up creating things: clothing, ceramics, and even greeting cards for family members. "In fifth grade I told one of my teachers that I wanted to be a fashion designer when I grew up," Stacy says. "He kind of laughed at me and I think that threw me off the art / design path until after college. Now I wish I could find that teacher and tell him not to dash the hopes and dreams of students; we really can be what we want in life."


Stacy got into creating sports greetings cards because they're so hard to find. Her dad was a football coach, and her mom "searched endlessly for football themed Christmas cards each year."



"When I got into cycling and triathlon, I quickly realized that there were few choices for bike themed gifts and cards. So after I helped my husband open a bike shop in Austin, TX in 2004, I started creating some designs for cyclists. I felt there was a need for it and that I was in the right environment to make it happen."

When she's not helping at Jack and Adams Bicycles or designing and selling greeting cards, Stacy runs the Skeese Greets Women's Triathlon and supports other events through the year including duathlons, triathlons, cyclo-cross, charity rides, and other fundraisers. " I think these events are really important for communities and for health, so I support them however I can."

"The Skeese Greets Women’s Tri is an event that I started in 2007," Stacy says. "I produce and direct the triathlon and have a lot of help from race day volunteers. Although directing a triathlon is highly stressful and time consuming, I enjoy it because it’s like throwing a party for 500 friends. It’s fun."

Although Stacy is a tri-geek, Stacy rides a cruiser bike to get around "because I have very short commutes, plus it feels care-free and fun."



Skeese Greets cards are sold in several online stores including Skeese.com. They can also be found in bike shops across the US and Australia. "If you want to see the cards in your favorite bike shop, tell them that you discovered the coolest bike cards ever."

3 comments:

  1. these are awesome!! I came across them not 2long ago via RatTrapPress, and it's always cool to support indie shops like these. I wish all my friends had an etsy-wish list. That would make it so much easier ;)
    Nice post. Cant believe the end of the year is here :\

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  2. I like the one with the chain on it...the last picture. Is it sad that I think chains are beautiful?

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  3. Thanks for the heads-up on these. I haven't sent Christmas cards in years, but these are too perfect.

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