A SMALL Scottish business that specialises in art and design has adapted to the coronavirus lockdown by creating a range of greetings cards suitable for the pandemic.

Als Couzens Artwork, which is based in Edinburgh, is a small team made up of Alasdair and Louise. The pair said after seeing the work Louise’s anaesthetist sister does made them “realise that we all have a role to play in the current crisis”, leading them to come up with their Cards not Corona collection.

All of the cards are available as free downloadable pdfs which can be printed at home – though for those without a printer Als Couzens sells physical cards on their online shop with 50% of the profits donated to NHS charities.

The National:

The collection includes birthday cards which acknowledge social distancing rules as well as illustrations suitable for getting in touch with a loved one who may be feeling lonely due to the crisis.

The pair said: “We wanted to use our skills to create something fun and free, which will help people spread a positive message and stay in touch with their loved ones.

“Important to say, that we fully understand the seriousness of the current crisis and for many this can be a lonely and anxious time, so we thought it’d be the perfect time to share a positive message – stay in, keep safe and look after each other.”

However, the pair wanted to reiterate the official guidance on social distancing.

They said: “We would like to encourage everyone to send your home printed cards using second class mail (Royal Mail UK) as it has been estimated that the coronavirus can survive on cardboard/paper for around 24 hours.

“You can then post your cards if you are out for a walk and pass a post box. Again, we would like to reiterate that the most important thing is for people to follow the UK Government guidelines – stay in and say safe. And remember to wash your hands!”

The collection can be found here: www.alscouzens.com/collections/spread-cards-not-corona

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