The Company
queenie’s cards started as a stationery and gifts company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded by Queenie Best in 2008, the cute, cartoony designs that make you smile and say “awww!” are inspired by everyday life, puns and inside jokes. The illustrations start off as greeting cards before they are redesigned into products such as enamel pins and plushies. Each cartoon has its own punny story to tell 🙂
queenie’s cards debuted at the 2014 National Stationery Show in New York City (now known as NY NOW) which kickstarted the wholesale side of the business.
From 2015 to 2017, Queenie exhibited in several events including multiple One of a Kind Shows and many Etsy markets to gain more recognition. She was highlighted by several notable press features such as BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, The Food Network Magazine, The Toronto Star, and Reader’s Digest.
In the spring of 2017, queenie’s cards opened a brick and mortar shop at Danforth/Coxwell! The new storefront drew thousands of visitors and became an authorized retailer of popular licensed brands including Pusheen, tokidoki, Dr. Seuss, Sesame Street, and Sanrio.
In 2019, the business outgrew their space and moved to a much bigger location down the street and carried even more licensed products such as Squishmallows and Nintendo! They hired additional staff and were able to host lots of in-store pop ups and organize their own local events. Wholesale also expanded worldwide, and queenie’s cards products could be found in over 200 stores from Canada, US, Asia, and Europe!
Nearing the end of 2021 after lockdown, the team realized they missed the creative process and collaborating with brands, so Queenie decided to shift gears. By refocusing on exciting opportunities that keep coming their way without the need to maintain and manage a storefront, closing the storefront will allow the flexibility to take on new endeavors at their own pace. queenie’s cards moved into a private studio and pivoted the company back to online-only with more projects than they’ve ever had! On top of her graphic design collaborations and small business consultation services, Queenie is now an established event director for the Toronto Stationery Show, Toronto Pin + Patch Show, Plush Toy Show and happy cute mart – all with free entry! Keep following all of the adventures on Instagram!
The Creative
Queenie Best, Owner & Designer
It all began when Queenie received her first Valentine in kindergarten. This sparked her love of snail mail and passion for paper goods. She continued to explore her creativity throughout her school years, experimented with several different mediums, was enrolled in art classes both in and outside of school, and her work was exhibited in numerous Toronto galleries. After graduating university, she was in the hustle and bustle at an office job as a graphic designer and photographer. She kept practicing her artistic skills and decided to bring it to the forefront of a new career path with her now acquired knowledge and experience.
queenie’s cards was founded in 2008, but only as a side hobby. One day on maternity leave, she was rocking her baby daughter to sleep and realized her calling went back to when she received that heart-shaped Valentine. Queenie left her 9-5 to focus on her business full time in 2014, and she has been busy creating punny cartoons ever since! With the business fully online today, you can only find queenie’s cards products at select retailers. Queenie is now also an accomplished event director of the Toronto Stationery Show, Toronto’s Pin + Patch Show, Plush Toy Show and happy cute mart.
queenie's cards 