Central & Gus
Violet Mortimer Fox Squirrel Note Card
Violet Mortimer Fox Squirrel Note Card
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On the coldest, darkest, most blustery of nights, tucked into bed as a young kit, Violet Mortimer Fox Squirrel was never afraid. Wind could be howling, thunder could be booming, trees creaking, and icy snow pellets tamping on the windows; Violet was enthralled. As she fell asleep, her father would tell her tales of storms from days past, and how the community came together...to weather the weather, so to speak.
As Violet grew, she remained fascinated by the power of nature and inspired by the bedtime stories of her kithood. They lit a spark in her to lend aid to those left cold and hungry both during and after such beastly storms.
Ready to carry her dream through to fruition, Violet called three friends to help: Murray Maynooth Moose, seasoned forager; Scruffles Wigglebottom Skunk, gardener extraordinaire; and Charlotte Livingston Eastern Chipmunk, quilter of the dreamiest coverlets. With produce from the fellas, Violet would make all sorts of preserves; with blankets from Charlotte, and a supply of all the other emergency essentials one could possibly need, she would be able to support the community through any rain, wind, and snow storms that Mother Nature could muster.
Violet's new company, a 501c4, of course, would help her community prepare for, hunker through, and recover from weather-based emergencies. As Violet drafted up her business plans and filed her registrations, she envisioned a rainbow-hued wall of pickles and jams and chutneys and jellies and smiled. She just relished knowing that if anyone was stuck in a pickle, freezing and half starved, she would most certainly have one to help them out of it, too.
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Note Card, A6 (4.5” x 6.25”) with envelope in protective cello.
On the reverse of each card is a whimsical tale of the animal featured. Entirely collectible, the stories intertwine, creating a much-loved community of characters.
We print on a luxurious 318 gsm, 100% cotton paper. Soft and durable, this paper showcases crisp detail and vibrant colour. We fell in love with our beautiful goldenrod shade, 90# envelope. According to the ‘World’s Favourite Colour’ study, people associate the feeling of joy with this colour. Also, this is the very shade that enrobes our trusty #2. As all of our images are hand drawn in pencil, we thought it appropriate to give a nod of appreciation.
We donate a portion of gross sales to animal welfare.
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Delightful cards!
Sweet cards! Can't wait to see how our customers respond.
These cards are AMAZING. We and our community are die-hard fans! :)
Another great set of cards. Super fast shipping. Thanks 😊
Sell themselves. Clever art with stories for each character included. And donations? Will always be back for more
Frequently Asked Questions
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They are — and that's one of the things that makes Central & Gus so unique. Every character lives in the same universe. They know each other, reference each other, cross paths at the switchboard, in the woods, at the patisserie, on the road. Collecting them is a little like reading a novel one chapter at a time — except each chapter fits on your wall or popped in the post for a stamp to someone you love.
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We spent a long time on this. Every Central & Gus illustration is hand-drawn in pencil — and so we are eternally inspired by the classic #2, enrobed in that particular shade of yellow. For that, we call it Ticonderoga Harvest. Studies on colour and emotion find that people associate this shade with joy — which felt exactly right. It also nods, quietly, to our farm roots, everything that grows out of the land, and also to a less tangible but just as important creative harvest. The envelope is not an afterthought. It is part of the story.
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They are extraordinary gifts — and we say that not as a boast but as something we hear constantly from our retail partners and customers. A Central & Gus card is not a card you send and forget. It is a card the recipient reads, re-reads, frames, or keeps in a drawer to return to. The story on the back transforms it from a greeting into a small, meaningful object. We have heard from one customer who had special date-day trips with his young daughter, each time choosing one special card for her coveted collection. The goldenrod envelope alone tends to stop people in their tracks. Another, a fiance purchased the entire set for his partner, a reminder of a day they spotted them in a shop and giggled while reading the stories aloud. These are not cards. They are moments, saved.
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Wholeheartedly yes — and the characters seem to know instinctively which age they are speaking to. Children are drawn to the illustrations, the names, the animals. Adults read the stories and find themselves unexpectedly moved. We regularly hear from customers who frame them in nurseries and living rooms alike, who give them to grandparents and grandchildren in the same gesture. The world of Central & Gus does not have an age. It has a sensibility — and that sensibility tends to recognise itself across generations.
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Yes — and we love that you asked. We offer curated collections and themed bundles. Our Open Water & Coastal set, our Woodland & Hedgerow set, our Wetland & Waterway, or our Start Your Collection bundle are all wonderful entry points. And for those that just wantall of themat once, The Whole Gang brings every character home together at a saving. Bundles make particularly wonderful gifts — there is something about receiving a community of characters at once that feels genuinely special.
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We do — and this is at the heart of everything we do. A portion of every gross sale goes directly to animal welfare. The characters you collect are not just whimsical illustrations — they are advocates. Every purchase is a small act of care for the natural world and the creatures in it. We are deeply grateful for every order that makes this possible.