what's with the name “shokat”?
shokat was the name of my Iranian grandma - passed along and sandwiched between my first and last names: sarah shokat parsa as a child, I swore my middle name to secrecy - embarrassed by its unconventional sounds - no tickle fight or double dare could squeeze it out of me. then i grew up to learn that different is good. so, shokat cards, a company named in honor of my grandma and her magnanimous personality, creates cards that will brighten your day and. . . make your heart smile.

how did you get started?
the idea of this greeting card copy was born around mother's day of 2003, when the s.h.a.w.l. house, a wonderful non-profit organization helping battered women, commissioned me to design mother's day cards. because of the success and support I received from that assignment, I pursued cards and creativity in my spare time. one year later, i left my job to put all of my energies into the business - and am loving every day of it.

why cards?
why not cards? actually, greeting cards became the ideal means of communicating the zillions of ideas that lay previously cluttered in my head. and it becomes easy to determine which designs work. . . and which are a little too. . .weird (or "artsy" as my friends kind-heartedly say). in the future, we hope to grow the business beyond greeting cards. . . shokat shirt anybody?

who are you and where do you come from?
with a business background in international education and advertising, and an educational background in Sociology and Spanish (UCSB 1999), i am a travel freak who loves people and cultures. i grew up in an amazing family in southern california and they continue to inspire me to be my best self. shokat cards symbolizes a transition into a world of entrepreneurship and is 100% fueled by the energy and love of my family and friends.

do you have any art training?
nothing official. i once took an illustration class at the palos verdes art center. for the most part, I try to get free photography and art tips from my brother and friends. All of the art and writing is my own and a result of my life experiences.

can you send a package direct to my friend for her birthday?
what a fabulous idea! time is valuable, we know. no matter what the occasion, let us custom pick a set of shokat cards based on your suggestions and create the perfect handmade care package to her doorstep. all this complete with a handwritten card at no additional charge. click here if you're interested.

why are some cards more expensive than others?
we use our two human hands to apply the appropriate amount of glitter onto each and every card priced at $3.50 and up. invitations priced at $28 and up also feature hand-applied glitter.

can you personalize the inside of the card?
yip! you don't like the line I came up with? prefer the card blank? talk to us, email or phone is just fine. if you have a better line, send it on over! (we'll at least look at it and laugh. we can also help you formulate something that works perfectly for you.)

can I mix and match for a custom package?
Yip dee doo! Please email or call to discuss.

can we tweak an already existing illustration without paying for a completely new custom illustration?
Well, I guess. No, seriously, we want to make you happy! So depending on the extent of the changes, I will have to charge you appropriately (though the price would be less than an entirely new illustration. Duh.)

did you design your website?
actually, I did. . . but I most certainly didn't program it! my loyal partner in creative crime, Ronald Figueroa, (www.friedbeings.com), programmed the entire site – he is awesome!

can we find your cards in stores?
yes and no. the cards were selling at in brentwood, santa monica, redondo beach, santa Barbara, and new york. we are currently reconsidering distribution decisions and will let you know when we are back in stores. suggestions or leads to stores are always welcome.

what happened to your photo cards?
for those of you who don't know, shokat cards used to contain both illustrations and photography greeting cards. the new shokat cards is now illustration- driven, as it works best for both greeting cards and invitations. if you think I should bring them back, let me know - I love feedback! If youre looking for photography, however, check out my brother's site – he's got the photo genes: www.farhadparsa.com.

where the heck do you get your ideas?
you. that weirdo in the corner. my baby cousin. the ideas are endless and they are everywhere. many of the (sometimes disjointed) ideas are products of my international adventures and relationships. I also take periodic (frighteningly long) walks – times I use to process and ideate.

put us up to the challenge!
if you don't see any cards that match the emotion you're feeling, drop us an email and we'll see if we secretly have something in stock. If we don't have it and the idea could fit into our collection, we may be able to create it for you at no additional charge.

do you accept international orders?
Claro!  Si! Oi! Baleh! Thate means.  . .Yes!  Contact us if you have troubles placing an international order through paypal and we will take care of it immediately.