Send Your Love This Xmas With A New Kind Of Card

At some point, most of us have to come to the realization that we are not the Kardashians and will not have Christmas card photos that look like they came from the pages of Vogue. But don't lose all hope just yet. If you want to send out a truly unique and memorable Christmas card this year, you need not look any further than the cards that LovePop sells. Don't believe me? Well, just watch Friday night's episode of Shark Tank , and you'll soon be clamoring to send these out to all of your loved ones this holiday season.

The adorable name of this company probably tipped you off to the fact that there's a lot of wonder served up in each LovePop card. However, will it be enough to win over the Sharks, a group of famously cold-blooded millionaire and billionaire investors? I have a feeling that they're going to find this company too tough to scale to invest in, but I know they're going to be dazzled by these paper creations regardless.

But you don't necessarily need to listen to those Sharks when making your own personal purchasing decisions. What say you about LovePop's products? Read on to determine whether or not you want LovePop to pop up during your holiday celebrations this year.

These Cards Will Make You Feel Like A Kid Again

On the outside, LovePop's products may look like regular, old greeting cards, but open them up, and you'll be greeted by something totally unexpected: a 3D object or scene intricately cut out of paper, just like one of those pop-up books you used to read as a kid. LovePop sells whimsical cards like this for every occasion, from the holidays to birthdays to weddings. You can even design your own custom cards. If you can think of it, LovePop can probably make it.

They Were Inspired By An Old Art Form

LovePop's founders Wombi Rose and John Wise were inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of folding and cutting paper into objects. They stumbled upon pop-up cards using this technique while in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as part of their Harvard Business School MBA program. "We realized we could engineer anything into a pop-up card," Rose said in an interview published on Harvard Business School's website. "So having seen a few of these, it was just, what can we make?" Well, they've definitely come up with a few ideas since then.

The Founders Aren't Artists

Not only are the entrepreneurs behind LovePop business savvy, but their background is about even less art and more science. Rose and Wise originally met while the two were attending the Webb Institute to become naval architects and marine engineers. They reunited when they both enrolled in Harvard Business School and traveled to Vietnam for that class assignment that would change their professional lives forever.

They've Taken The Typical Startup Path

If there was a picture next to the word "startup" in the dictionary, it would be of LovePop. That's because the company has many of the characteristics you see from startups these days. The founders began the company while they were still in school. It had its own Kickstarter campaign. It also participated in the Techstars startup accelerator program. Now we just have to hope the Sharks are big fans of the startup culture, too.

They're Paying It Forward

With the word "love" in this company's name, you better believe it's trying to spread as much of it as possible. Last month, LovePop announced a new partnership with The Possible Project, a center located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that teaches high school students how to start and run their own businesses. Students received training on how to design pop-up cards using 3D modeling software, and now LovePop is selling a special line of cards created by high school seniors participating in The Possible Project. The company will donate $1 from the sale of each "lovepossible" pop-up card directly to The Possible Project. Is anyone else feeling the love right now?

You Can Start Sending The Love Now

What the world needs now is love, sweet love, and you can send it by buying a LovePop card through the company's website now. The cards retail for a variety of prices based on their design, but they're all pricier than what you would find at your local convenience store. Clearly, love does cost a thing.

Images: Michael Desmond/ABC (2)