joey notes is the brainchild of Staunton, Virginia designer Marsha Vayvada, who first conceived the card idea in 1998. Vayvada, a fine arts graduate from the College of William and Mary was inspired by a childhood memory. She recalls browsing an old Childcraft Encyclopedia series and being disappointed by a jack-o-lantern card. “When you pulled on the stem a black card pulled out and I remember thinking, ‘That doesn’t work. That’s not fun or clever enough.’” That thought stayed with her and almost a decade ago Marsha developed an invitation designed to look like a place setting with the fork and napkin insert pulling out to reveal the invite. The idea was so well received, friends and colleagues encouraged her to try marketing it but a thriving design business kept the concept on the back burner for ten years.

Marsha confesses browsing card shops expecting someone else to have introduced her playful concept first. But a decade ago she decided to invest in her idea and joey notes was born. She and her creative team, led by graphic artist and illustrator Nancy Houseknecht, began exploring variations for the innovative format. joey notes garnered Louie nominations and press coverage in trade publications.

Then unexpectedly, Houseknecht, joey notes graphic artist and illustrator, died and the company came to a halt. At the end of 2021, Marsha Vayvada launched a restart of joey notes.