There's nothing like a business card to make you feel "official." I remember how exciting it was to get that box of cards in the mail with my website and email address on it.
This is not to say I didn't have any doubts about ordering them. There is so much talk of social media and being online, there was a part of me that wondered if people still used business cards any more. But I did a little looking around online (ironically!) and found that business cards are alive and well, at least in the handmade jewelry market.
Amber Nash, for example, wrote about how she posts her business cards at local hardware stores so that men have her card handy when they need a gift for their wives. Jessie McCann uses her business cards as part of her packaging, punching holes in them so that they can hold earrings. Sharon Fiorini keeps her jewelry-wearing friends stocked with business cards so they can hand them out when they get compliments on what they're wearing. (And just for fun, look at the tiny buildings one artist built with business cards and other bits of paper.)
I looked at MOO, Vista Print, and Zazzle for cards. (The sample cards pictured here are from MOO.) I ultimately went with Vista Print, since I'd heard good things from friends. I didn't create a custom card, but chose one of the "crafty" designs that felt like me. (If you're overwhelmed, like I was, you might choose a few "finalist" cards and solicit opinions from friends—sometimes it's easier for other people to hone in on the card that best matches your personality or style.)
Do you still use business cards? Why or why not? Any creative suggestions on how to use them?