I have joined Gransnet for one reason only...

Couldn't you buy a card with no writing on it and not 'directed' at grans? If no-one buys 'grannist' cards they'll become extinct. #directthemarket

Or couldn't you help your three year old to make a card?

Lots of wildlife cards around, including of safari-type animals.

A lovely messy handmade card from a grandchild or a soppy versed commercial card? I know which I'd prefer to receive.

I do what I call 'wild knitting' which means that I never know how it's going to turn out. Freestyle knitting is me. Knitting = being creative, so what's wrong with knitting!?

Agreed, knot. DD does freestyle crochet and it's gloriously creative .

Tea can be fascinating too if you find out something about it.

Okay, never mind then. If there's no interest, there's no interest.

BTW he does make her a card but she likes smatlzy pre-printed ones.

Perhaps you guys are all the tea drinking knitting sort, then.

tee2072

That's harsh! Goodness, you have only just posted with a request. Tea drinkers and knitting sorts are among my finest friends. Give us a chance.

tee2072 only 3 gransnet members have answered your query so far and of course represent a tiny proportion of our members, there might well be many that agree with you so give them a chance to reply please before you make such a sweeping judgement. We really are a very diverse and friendly group if you give us a go........

Woa! slow down tee2072

Your first post was about 30 minutes ago.

Maybe the old grans are not yet back from work!

I have sympathy in broad terms with tee2072.

Far too many cards these day are personalised and yucky. At Christmas I wanted to buy one or two really nice individual cards as well as those that came in packs, but it was impossible, all the single cards were addressed to specific relatives or friends, and all with gruesomely sugary, candy flossed illustrations and text.

The same applies to Wedding Anniversary cards and even Get Well cards verge on the winsome.

We used to have an excellent Hallmark Cards shop in my town but the franchise owner has changed and the shop has gone way down market in goods and presentation. I now buy blank cards when ever I see something that appeals and stash them ready to send. Most of them come from Museums and Art Galleries, bought on chance visits.

Lets start a campaign for grown-up cards for grown-up people who do not want sickly sentimentality or gross humour.

Gransnetters like to talk about things in a leisurely way, tee2072 as much as to join energetic campaigns. We are not all online 100% of the time, we dip in and out through the day, and then not always every day. Give us time to draw breath and you may well get a lot of support! Chase us with the big stick and we may slope off to other threads . . .

Anyway, if his gran likes the smaltzy ones, what's the problem? Just because you don't....

tee2072, Rude!

I agree that far too many cards are yucky too. There's a simple solution: Don't. Buy. Them. #consumerpower

But you are right, if a little sharp with us, Tee2072I!

I really hate the stereotyping of older people - grandpas as well as Grans. The little, plump, white haired old lady, sitting in her comfy little chair knitting away while the kettle boils is, as we all know, far from the truth. (Well, maybe the odd adjective applies...) the Shreddies advertisement is a prime example.

It's not just the images though, it's the implied lack of any intellectual function that bugs me. You have only to read some of the debates on GN to realise what a diverse and intelligent group of women we are.

But, of course, the stereotyping isn't just confined to us; the whole "kinder, kirche und kuche" image still prevails for women in general, unless a sexual bias is needed.

Having waved the feminist flag in my early life, I wonder if I have the inclination to do more than rant.

I may just sit in my rocking chair and bang my walking stick up and down. When I'm not too busy with my work in Africa, that is.

I never by specific cards (e.g. for grans/brothers etc.). The answer is just not to buy the things!

Yukky cards abound, but so do really good ones - just buy them!

By the way, not knitting is not a virtue - it is simply one of many activity choices. It may be that there are knitters who also go to the Galapagos Islands!

"buy" of course!

Agreed about knitting, Mishap - I had meant to say something because I have seen the most incredible knitted artefacts. And I once knitted Aran sweaters for the whole family! Just once.

Not sure whether this suggestion is about stereotyping generally, or about birthday cards. OP not really clear.
Look out for the wall to wall PINK mother's day cards though folks. Particularly in supermarkets.

Well, I took it as stereotyping, probably because that is how I saw it, with the idea of a campaign to promote what we see as real Grans.

But yes, pink, Mother's Day etc etc. Oh dear.

I knitted a lot more when I was 'just a mum' than I have done since I became a granny! But I confess that I still drink various kinds of tea and oh dear, I have silver hair! Maybe my DiY days are over but I think I can still, with much swearing, put together an Ikea object! My nearest and dearest wouldn't dare to send me one of those stereotyped cards - unless in the spirit of irony with a cheeky comment thrown in. Grrrrr

I can't knit! I hate tea and I do just sit in my comfy chair.
That's when I'm not preparing for or sitting on tribunals or going on cruises as far apart as the Panama Canal and Iceland.
Which means of course that I'm a typical complacecent white haired gran!
Well the white hair is right!

Anyway, what a strange reason (one only!) to join Gransnet...

I went into Waterstones a couple of days ago. It was full of merchandise for Mothers' Day – most of it to do with baking, mainly cupcakes, and almost all of it pink.

tee2072 While I can't speak for other grannies, my daughter played football and won athletics medals and also played with dolls and liked pretty clothes. My grandson dresses up as a fairy (not in pink, I have to say) and my granddaughter dresses up as a figure with superpowers (not exactly sure who).

It isn't clear from your OP what you want from Gransnetters. Could you please be more explicit and generally more coherent. "Yeah, it needs work" doesn't really cut the mustard. We mostly have sons and daughters who are your contemporaries, plus grandchildren, so we are not exactly out of touch.