Best source for cards the recipient will want to frame

When one cares enough to send the very best, those in the know forgo franchise-card stores for a trip to the Shop at the Union. Opened in 1877 to help women support their families by selling their handiwork, the shop is a one-stop source for birthday, wedding, sympathy, and other cards created by women artists and women-owned companies. Typically priced from $3 to $15, the unique cards feature handmade paper, sterling-silver pins and brooches, vintage clippings, ribbon and tulle trim, antique-letterpress typography, linoleum-block and silk-screen printing, and other original art. Better yet, the proceeds support the service and advocacy work of the Women's Union, which works to expand educational and economic opportunities, as well as achieve social justice, for all women.

The Shop at the Union, 356 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 536-5651, ext. 175; www.weiu.org/index.php?page=86.