Libertyville business marks 20 years of creating a personal touch in a digital age
Starting at her dining room table to a celebration last week of 20 years in a Libertyville storefront, Kristine Knudson has persevered and kept the art of personal correspondence alive in a digital age.
How Impressive!, her independent stationery, invitation and gift boutique at 326 N. Milwaukee Ave., is in an exclusive group as one of Crane Stationery’s 100 retailers worldwide.
With roots predating the Declaration of Independence, the company opened in the U.S. as a small paper mill in Dalton, Massachusetts, in 1801, producing premium quality paper from linen rags.
Crane paper was awarded the U.S. Treasury contract for currency in 1879 and has been a constant in iconic moments since. Invitations to the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, for example, were on Crane paper.
Knutson said the one-on-one guidance she can offer clients to create an invitation or piece of correspondence that feels like their own is something increasingly uncommon in a digital world.
“After 20 years, I still believe there is something incredibly special about receiving a beautiful invitation or handwritten note in the mail,” said Knutson, who has lived in Libertyville for 30 years.
“You can feel the difference in Crane paper the moment you hold it,” she added. “There is history, craftsmanship and tradition behind it and yet we can create something that feels completely personal and current for each customer.”
Knutson grew up in Lake Forest where, she said, monograms are a part of everyday life. After attending a benefit, Knutson said she saw a woman letterpressing napkins and note cards and mused that would be something she'd love to do in her next lifetime.
Someone asked, “Why wait?” she recalled. So, she bought her own letterpress and made her daughter’s First Communion note cards and napkins by hand and about 65% of the class ordered them. She did the same for her son the following year, she added.
“Before long, I was letterpressing for other people, starting out of my dining room at home,” she said. “I can just remember people sitting at my dining room table and it beginning to snow and ordering their Christmas cards.”
She started a website and on Oct. 1, 2006, opened the brick-and-mortar location that has become a mainstay in the community. A gathering last Thursday to mark the 20th year included a visit from Mayor Donna Johnson.
While some businesses have found it hard to make a go of it during times like these, Knutson has carried on, she said.
“It's quite impressive what they’ve done the last 20 years,” Johnson noted. “People still like the formality of making an investment in a milestone, people want to see the paper, the announcement and the details.”
The family has a history of working in and supporting the community, Johnson added.
How Impressive! specializes in invitations, stationery and personalized gifts. The business has weathered COVID and Knutson two bouts of cancer, including a recent one the past two years.
“I’m deeply grateful to this community and everyone who stepped up to help me keep the store open,” she said. “I can’t say enough about the kindness and support Libertyville has shown me and How Impressive.”
mzawislak@dailyherald.com