Gale Astley writes…..It’s going to be a different but incredibly special Mother’s Day this weekend on 14th March as mums across the UK are celebrated during lockdown, but Gale Astley, with over 17 years in the greetings industry, and a promo filmmaker, believes the power of positivity and affirmation on Mother’s Day card designs will soften the blow until we can hug our mums again.
Last year, Mother’s Day 2020 was the day before the whole of the UK fortified itself for its first lockdown. But, nearly one year later, who would have thought we would be celebrating and appreciating our mums on this dedicated day in ‘lockdown 3.0’?
Pictured top right, an uplifting rainbow and the beautiful world icon, a Mother’s Day card from Belly Button Designs and left, Looking forward to mama bear hugs when safely possible, a design from Megan Claire.
There’s no denying, the last 12 months have been challenging, with many Covid 19 vulnerable parents and grandparents having to shield at home or care homes against the coronavirus for an incredibly anxious year, and, very sadly, the passing away of many souls, but one positive consequence that has emerged from the Covid 19 situation is that we’ve been reminded just how important our loved ones are, and to value, cherish and treasure them, especially our mums.
Pictured right, a sad and poignant message recently ordered by a customer for a personalised card from Tracey Russell.
With a serious lack of mama bear hugs and with feelings of isolation and loneliness during the pandemic, the realisation that we can’t just pop around Mum’s for a hot brew and a natter, or just for a comforting cuddle, has really hit home, and this has been reflected in the beautiful Mother’s Day greeting card designs this year, which are full of appreciation, affirmation and hope for hugs as soon as is safely possible.
“Over the last 12 months so many people have simply not been able to see their mums anywhere near as often as they would have liked, and even when they are together it may have been socially distanced. People were hopeful that the government rules would allow meet-ups for Mother’s Day,” says Jo Wilson, director of Dandelion Stationery.
Pictured left – When we can’t be with our mum because of social distancing, a Thinking of You Mother’s Day design from Dandelion Stationery.
Well, there’s some good news. From 8 March, the UK government permitted one-to-one meet-ups to socialise outdoors in public places for a coffee or even a picnic, while care home residents are now able to have one regular visitor, providing they wear protective equipment and have a negative Covid 19 test; and, they’ll be able to hold hands, a long-awaited but simple act of love.
This small but welcome change allows some kith and kin to meet their mums outdoors if they live locally, although traveling afar remains restricted. And for those who can’t meet up with their mums this year, there are Mother’s Day Zoom and phone calls, pamper gift boxes, flowers and, of course, that vital connection with a hand-written beautiful greeting card.
“A thoughtful message in a card letting mums know how special they are and how much they are missed on Mother’s Day card will help bridge the gap until people can meet up again,” adds Jo.
It’s been discerned that receiving a greeting card can lift your spirits, and since mental health awareness has snowballed, and with it a huge trend for mindfulness and supportive social expression in a softly encouraging and accepting expression rather than motivational, the design trend of positive and caring words has been spotted on a myriad of everyday greeting cards, and never have those words been so necessary as during the Covid 19 pandemic.
Pictured below – For a special bond, a beautifully illustrated Ginger Betty Mother’s Day design and Type & Story’s Niccy Iseman’s design, which conveys emotion, “aiming to capture the mood of how we feel about our mums at the core”.
And, amongst the swell of positive prose, are Mother’s Day designs showing love and gratitude, appreciating Mum as her kids’ patient and persevering home-school teacher, as a favourite ‘essential service’ or for bearing her kids’ moods and providing entertainment during lockdown and Covid restrictions.
This big gorgeous bouquet of heartfelt declarations presented on Mother’s Day card designs express just how much we are currently missing our mums, with Miss You, You’re My World, Thinking Of You, Best Friend and Hugs captions demonstrating Mum’s value and importance, and ‘Home and Mum’ titles signifying safe spaces, especially during times of turmoil.
“We always want to tell our mothers how much we love them but this year it feels more important than ever,” says Freya Kane, co-founder of Think of Me Designs. “One of our most popular cards this year is ‘Home is where my Mum is’. It perfectly encapsulates the safety and security we feel when we are with our mums. When we’re with our mum everything is going to be ok. This is something that has been sorely missed in the last year so it’s only natural that this is a popular card for us.”
With sunny warm wit, it’s all about human connections, humour and heart at Em & Friends. In addition to its gorgeous cards and gifts that resonate with affirmation and kindness, Em & Friends’ Fill in the Love® book, ‘Things I Love About Mom’ is a journal to write, record and present all the things you love about your mum.
“In this strange, hard time when many of us can’t be physically present with our mums, it’s even more critical to find other ways to connect and support one another,” believes founder, Emily McDowell. “Our Fill in the Love® book makes it simple to create a meaningful, one-of-a-kind gift that will be treasured by the receiver, and a heartfelt card feels especially important in this tender year.”
In the Gallery: Home and Mum signify a safe place, featured on a lovely Mother’s Day card Think Of Me Designs; as well as heartfelt greeting cards, the Fill in the Love® book for Mum from Em & Friends is a gift to treasure (distributed in the UK by Abrams & Chronicle Books); Bright, positive colours feature on a Stop The Clock Design card; The affirmation trend features on everyday designs too – A Memelou design from ArtEco; Both of Hotchpotch’s (CBG) Butterscotch and Frida collections feature rainbows, aiming to spread positive messages, and its ‘big hugs’ rainbow card can be sent for so many reasons.
But it’s not all about affirmation captions on Mother’s Day cards, the illustrations are positive too. Peppered among the dazzling floral bouquets, pampering treats and sweet messengers of motherly love, rainbows – and a fun, elevating and optimistic rainbow colour palette – have become the amazing life-affirming technicolour symbol of hope and love on card designs. With their naturally bright colours, these kaleidoscopic arcs epitomise positivity and are perfect to convey uplifting messages. They act as a visual reminder to stay in touch with what and who really matters and evoke vibes of happiness and storm-weathering.
Rainbows are a perfect metaphor for greeting cards and especially for Mother’s Day designs for mums, who make our days brighter.
“Rainbow and heart icons on card designs have been incredibly popular during the current Covid 19 situation. Rainbows add the hope of brighter days ahead and hearts are obviously the love we all feel for missing people close to us. We have used a rainbow on a lot of our cards, especially our MINI’S range, in neon colours or part of the illustration. But they are symbols that are very poignant this Mother’s Day as we start to see the light at the end of the pandemic’s tunnel and move slowly out of lockdown,” reveals Dominic Early, co-founder of Earlybird Designs.
Pictured left, uplifting rainbows and rainbow colours for Mum on an Earlybird MINI design.
With Mother’s Day designs bursting with rainbows and rainbow hues, Freya Kane, co-founder of Think Of Me Designs, agrees: “Rainbow imagery was trending before the pandemic but now it has become even more significant as it represents hope and positivity for so many, and we could all do with a bit of that right now!”
And that’s undeniably an affirmative! Wishing all mums a wonderful Mother’s Day this weekend!
