Central & Gus
Whitby Valentine European Hedgehog Note Card
Whitby Valentine European Hedgehog Note Card
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As Whitby Valentine Hedgehog ambles along the overgrown trail, he starts thinking about how many times he’s made this trip into town and back: every day, year after year, since he could walk. He doesn’t scurry along as he did when he was just a hoglet; he doesn’t even move along briskly. No, these days, it is definitely a meander, and he is just fine with that. As he heads into his twilight years, Whitby may have less might and dexterity but at least the universe gifts him with a growing reserve of wisdom and patience to offset. His eyesight is fading, too - a more difficult adjustment - but Whitby figures it is simply an opportunity to see with the heart rather than the eyes alone. True, he now listens better and speaks more thoughtfully, and even though he had a beautiful spirit before, he now connects with others more deeply and wholly.
As Whitby rounds the final curve of the brae, gingerly treading up four low, wide stairs before reaching his house, he steps squarely on a fire ant hill. Totally unintentional, of course; his eyes being dim, he couldn’t see. But those ants, protecting their formicary, alert Whitby of his misstep by nipping at his legs straight up to the knees. Unbeknownst to him, James Willoughby Red Squirrel, a stained-glass artist by trade, had been perched in a nearby tree and saw the entire debacle. As Whitby bumbled home to soak the sting away in an herbal bath, James returned to his studio, inspired to help. Being ever resourceful, he found some old pop bottles and, from their bases, was able to chisel two thick magnifying lenses just the right size. He fitted them into makeshift wire frames, and they fit perfectly. Whitby Valentine loves his new spectacles and wears them proudly; he is eternally grateful. So are the fire ants. But, from time to time, he’ll leave them on his console table as he heads out just to remember what it means to really see.
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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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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.