Wooden Business Cards

Tree Machine

Hey Tara, are you out there? Click, click...

I'm ready to order again. Thank you so much for the custom order of last time, and the relatively small run of 300. I ordered different species, some laminated on one side, some on both sides, others not laminated at all and all with the species printed on the back. The order was perfect.

Here's a couple pics
from the last order:
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Tree Machine

This time I have another special request.

Sycamore is a nice, light-colored wood. When it is milled off the log where the orientation of the annual rings are in the same direction, parallel, to the surface of the cut you get a rather simple, non-patterned grain.

However, if that board (or sheet of veneer) is taken off the log where the annual rings are oriented 90 degrees to the plane of the surface, this is called vertical-grain lumber. It's what we're going for when we quarter-saw a log.

Some woods show little difference when quarter-sawn, like walnut. But others, like oak or sycamore, these come out patterned with a sort of pearlescent radiance. Below is a view of the surface of vertical-grain sycamore.

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Tree Machine

Compare that to the surface of the sycamore card a couple posts up.

I have seen this beautiful wood in hardwood stores where they call it African lacewood. Maybe it IS African lacewood, but I'm thinking they quarter-saw the common and abundant American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, give it a sexy, exotic status and charge a mint for it.

I could be wrong about this, but if they sell African lacewood, you're not likely to find vertical-grain sycamore in the same store. Coincidence??? I think not.


OK, back to Tara,


Tara, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to rifle through your stock of sycamore and see if you can come up with some of the stuff I so desire .

Cards of Wood

Hi! It's great to hear from you! Regarding the cut of the veneers, when my grandfather started the business over 40 years ago, we only sliced the veneer from small blocks of wood. This way we were able to get the quarter-sawn grain which is just like the Sycamore picture you have shown. However, over the years we have gone to cutting the veneer off of the log, so we can get larger sheets for other applications and larger yields, etc. I will have to ask the owner if he would be willing to slice some Sycamore for that beautiful grain (which was one of my favorite veneers when we sliced). I will check with him, but it may take some time if we do not have a fresh green Sycamore log in stock.

I will put your order together!

Thank you,
Tara

Tree Machine

Ask the owner, heh, heh. I mean,....


"Hey, Dad... I've got a question"


OK, Tara, roll with me on this.... pose this question....


"Dad, I've got this thing I want to show you on the computer."

Tree Machine

Tree Machine

Tara would like to put together an expose' on your company.

It would be sharing some inside scoop into what goes on inside Cards of Wood.




Mr Lenderlink, your Dad, (Tara, Gramps) had a brilliant idea, one that we find utterly amazing. See, we're treeguys and we have this passionate and deeply personal connection to trees and all they give us. We are about as captive and eager an audience as you would find anywhere, and we are your customers.


So let that talented daughter of yours flex her creativity and encourage her to put together a world class expression of your fine, proud company. Give her the world stage and let her create a media piece that would make her Grandpa proud.

Drouin Tree Service

They DO look great!!

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Drouin Tree Services | Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland | Landclearing Melbourne

kiwi_tree_steve

out of interest could you ship to NZ? if so how much would it be for 200.
if you can't how much would 200 weigh( ballpark)

thanks, steve

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"You have to feel and touch a tree" Shigo

Tree Machine

I didn't put you on the spot, did I, Tara?

Cards of Wood

Hi! Yes, we can ship to New Zealand. If we ship by mail, the cost for shipping will be around $40.00. 200 cards can run from $70.00-$90.00-$110.00 depending what type of wood you choose and the printing on the card.

Hi Jim! We just cut up a log of Sycamore a couple weeks ago, so we do not have any logs left to "slice". When we get another log in, we can cut some blocks off to slice for you! It will be weeks to months before we get another log in.... sorry. I'll let you know!

Jeff Darby

lol, When you slice up the wood to the size needed to do cards with, I could imagine one log lasting a long time.
Your cutting equipment must be very expensive, however I have noticed it does not reflect in final investment price for your cards.
Keep up the good work

JayD

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Member: Australian Tree Association

Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard !

Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others

© Jeffrey J Darby 2011

Tree Machine

In months. Well that begs the question, "Should Tree Machine send you a log?"

This would not be an unreasonable thing to do, send you a log. Postal limits the weight to 70 pounds. What is a reasonable size for you to microveneer?

Tree Machine

In the meantime, I am out of cards again and need new ones most urgently.



Let's do this order (in bold) here and now.


First question to Tara, which wood is the absolute whitest in color? Aspen, birch? I want the whitest of the bunch.

50 Birch (or aspen), unlaminated
25 birch (or aspen), laminated

Those are very white and pick up light print very well.
They are the 'hand out to whomever' cards

100 laminated birdseye maple

These are the most stunning ones out there, hands-down.
These are for special folks or for an impactful first statement.

The Paulownia I've used since the last order (both the laminated and unlaminated) were nice, but not 'special'. Not going to reorder those. Instead, I would like

50 Koa 25 laminated, 25 not. I would like you to select sheets that have both light sapwood and darker heartwood running through. Then print on the more highly figured sides of the chosen sheets.
(and it's spelled Hawaiian)




And 100 quarter-sawn (vertical -grain) sycamore when you can custom-slice a log for us and have some of this important grain in stock, special for treeguys who find Cards of Wood dot com via this thread.

That's 325 cards, 225 of which I will get soon and the 100 sycamore later.

And all with the species name printed on the back. People almost always look at the card, make a positive remark, and turn it over to see if there's anything on the back. I like that we can give them something.

This should get me through the next few months. Thank you, Tara.

Cards of Wood

Hi! Ok, great! I will get started right away on your order with the species you mentioned. I will wait for the 100 quarter sawn Sycamore. One place that we get many of our logs from will hold a Sycamore log when they get one in, so we will check with them to see the status. When they get a Sycamore log, we will grab it and slice some up for you!

Thanks,
Tara

Eric Frei

Tara, check your emails ... I have a double sided new order underway with changes to the old card and something new for the back.

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Cards of Wood

Hi! Ok! I'm on it! I'll e-mail you a proof soon!

Thank you,
Tara

Eric Frei

Thanks, I'm off to work now with a huge day ahead, probably get home in the dark but that's never where I leave my customers.

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Cards of Wood

Hi Jim! Your cards were shipped! You should have them any day! I did not send the Koa uncoated cards, because I noticed the tree image was really, really light on them. I did not actually print the cards, so when I saw how those turned out I pulled them from the order. I think I would have to adjust the artwork to make the tree a bit darker for printing on the darker woods. However, funny as it may seem, the coated Koa showed up ok. When the coating is put on, it makes all the print a bit darker.... probably because it is put through another heat process.

Still waiting for new Sycamore logs!

Have a great day!

Tara
Cards of Wood

Tree Machine

Thanks Tara! I really appreciate you making that sort of quality control decision. You're the best.

Yes, the Koa problem I can see. Such is the reason I don't order on walnut anymore, the print just sort of disappears into the grain. When we did the original art I wanted a lighter print, more subdued, calm, reserved. That's worked, except for printing on dark stock.

I will post pictures of the cards as soon as I get em.

Hey Ekka, we want to see your new cards!

arborjockey

Big Island Hardwoods has koa buisness cards and the writing is in black. Looks pritty sweet. Thats stuffs getting $. 3yars ago 2 guys got cought after cutting down over 2.5 million in Koa trees in South point .

Cards of Wood

We are always looking for new suppliers for Koa wood. It is hard to get and is so, so expensive. That is why we have to charge a premium price for the Koa cards. But, it is beautiful!

Tara
Cards of Wood

Tree Machine

I'll say. I would say, delicious!

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Tree Machine

You did send the uncoated ones. Here they are, the Koa cards side-by-side, coated on top, uncoated below:

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Eric Frei

2 sided

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Tree Machine

Awesome with a capital 'awe'.

I don't know whether to compliment you, or Cards of Wood. Bravo!


Tara, step up and take a bow!

jim1nz

Wow those cards are too good to give away! Jim and Ekka your ones are excellent. I never care about how much i spend on climbing gear - these cards look well worth the investment.

So, i know what i want but i havent got the final print on paper, im not much of an artist... But my cousin is may be ill talk to her. Or Tara are you able to design the cards? Sorry if this has been covered already, i havent been around for a while!

Thanks

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SPEED ALWAYS FOLLOWS TECHNIQUE

Tree Machine

Here you go, Hemi. I hope this coupon helps. It says on the card that you have to 'mention coupon when ordering'

And for the record, I happen to know that Tara is an artist of creative genius and technical impeccability. She's legendary in her industry of graphic design and to her there is literally nothing that can't be printed on wood. If you have a rough idea of an idea she can bring it to life. It's less expensive to just e-mail tara@cardsofwood.com your finished art.

Good luck, and Tara, is it OK that I passed around this holiday coupon to my mates all over the world?

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Tree Machine

I hand mine out very sparingly. They last a long time out there, people would never throw this card away.
That's powerful marketing, believe it or not.

Cards of Wood

Hi! I will be happy to work on any card set up or with any artwork you have. My colleague, Dayna, who is a graduate from an art school here in Grand Rapids called Kendall College of Art and Design, and/or myself will work with whatever you can come up with. Feel free to e-mail me at tara@cardsofwood.com with any ideas. This will give us a place to start a set up..... Or, if you have artwork, you can e-mail the full set up to us also.

We just sliced some Apple Wood! This is a hard one to come by because the trees normally do not get big enough. Someone cut down an old Apple tree near us and dropped off the fresh green logs. Very cool!

Hope everyone has a great day!.... or as my mom says.... Make It A Great Day!

Tara
Cards of Wood