As our readers know, we’re pretty into bees, and, we’re not the only ones. Landis Gifts and Stationery owner Edie Frére is always on the lookout for cool bee items that cross her desk (computer) when she’s shopping for her Larchmont store.
This week, Frére shared an award-winning bee-themed card that features the handmade art of quilling. Quilling – or paper filigree – is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The name is thought to come from the use of bird quills to wrap the paper.  The card won a Louie Award from the Greeting Card Association. Yes, this is a thing. According to the Greeting Card Association, Louies are the prize of the International Greeting Card Awards Competition, and they are named after Louis Prang, the German-born Boston lithographer credited with the birth of the U.S. Christmas card in the 1870s. Who knew that, right?
On closer inspection, however, we see the card actually depicts fireflies, an equally cool, beloved insect. Fireflies are actually soft-bodied beetles that use bioluminescence during twilight to attract mates or prey. As a child, I used to visit my grandparents in Pennsylvania every summer. Catching fireflies in the evening, or at least trying to catch them in my grandmother’s mason jars, is a fond memory of those summertime visits. Â Fireflies thrive in forests, fields and marshes near lakes, rivers, ponds, streams and vernal pools. Sadly, we don’t see them in the west because they need a warm, moist environment to survive.
Now back to bees. Not surprisingly, the award-winning company also features a honey bee card. Whew!
Thanks to Edie Frére for introducing us to the fine art of quilling and reminding us of fireflies and for always thinking of bees!
