Camie Dunbar of Lift Me Up Cards Is Putting A Fun Spin On Plastic Surgery

So your BFF just got new boobs. What do you do? You send her a congratulatory card, of course! Camie Dunbar, creator of Lift Me Up Cards, has gone where Hallmark has dared not tread…into the world of plastic surgery cards. Here’s Camie’s story:

How did you come up with the idea for Lift Me Up Cards?

My girlfriend had gotten her breasts done, and then another family member had a procedure done. I wanted to buy them congratulatory cards, but I couldn’t find any. So I made cards for them. I drew the figures freehand, and my sister-in-law and my girlfriend thought that they were hilarious. They said, “You should take it to market.” And I did!Matthew Santamarina, one of the employees from the radio station I had worked at, did graphics. He could certainly draw better than I could, so he took my ideas and drew the figures for me. From there, I turned it into a card line.

I love the “congratulations on the twins” card. It’s hilarious.

That’s the one I’m most known for. These cards are meant for someone you know. They’re supposed to be fun; they are not meant to be mean-spirited at all.

Do you have any competitors?

Other card companies might have one or two cards that are geared towards plastic surgery, but all of mine are. This is definitely a niche market.

How long was the process to start your line?

It was probably about 6-7 months. The marketing person in me wanted to test them on people right away! In the beginning, I drew the figures and wrote the messages inside the cards. The line officially launched at the Stationery Show in NYC in 2006.

What has the response been to the line?

It’s been great. Plastic surgeons love the cards, too. They send cards to their clients after their surgeries!

Let’s talk about other products in your line.

We also offer blank note cards and we also have t-shirts.

What are your plans moving forward?

I want to continue to grow the line. The reason why I named the company Lift Me Up Cards was, of course, because it fits perfectly with the theme of plastic surgery. Down the road, though, I would like to expand the line to include Happy Birthday cards as well as Get Well cards. I may want to take the characters and make them more generic so they can be appropriate for other occasions.

Now, as the creator of a plastic surgery-themed card line, I have to ask: Have you had work done?

[laughs] Of course! Don’t I look good for 70?