Minneapolis Couple Makes 'Unsappy, Uncrappy' Greeting Cards
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- "Unsappy and uncrappy." That's what a Minnesota couple says about their greeting card company.
A husband and wife team make edgy greeting cards from out of their south Minneapolis basement that are found in 600 boutiques across the country, and now in stores like Urban Outfitters, Papyrus and Target.
"Your Kindness oozes forth like hot liquid cheese," reads one card from the hundreds captured by local greeting card company Old Tom Foolery.
"We really try to make everything high quality, humorous, and gender-neutral," said company co-founder Joel Gryniewski, who with his wife Lauren Gryniewski creates funny, edgy and downright clever greeting cards.
With a background in advertising and a knack for razor-sharp writing and concise design, they started making creating cards in 2006 after buying a letterpress on Craig's List.
"We felt like there wasn't a lot of nice stationary that wasn't really feminine," said Lauren. "When we were buying cards for each other when we were dating, and he said everything was flowery and he was embarrassed to be buying it."
Lauren and Joel's "unsappy and uncrappy" cards are now winning awards.
"This is a Louie Award we won last year for most humorous greeting card about a candy filled donkey. We stock that at Paper Source. There's one in Edina and one in Uptown," said Lauren.
That card, a nod to piñatas, reads "Candy-Filled Donkey Savagely Beaten At Child's Birthday Party. Suspects Considered Sugared-Up and Dangerous."
The Gryniewskis' cards can also be found at their website. They range in price from $3.75 to $4.50.
