Stay in touch with country and city dwelling friends by writing them a note inside these rural-themed greeting cards by New England illustrator extraordinaire, Mary Azarian.

A handwritten note, on good paper and contained in a classy envelope, says something about the sender and is more welcomed, absorbed, and remembered than an e-mail.

Each box contains twelve cards and matching envelopes. The outside of each card features one of six farm scenes from Mary Azarian’s collection of prints, A Farmer’s Alphabet (each image is repeated twice). There are apples being picked from a tree, a dog asleep in a cozy armchair, kids jumping into a hay mound, neighbors chatting over a picket fence, long underwear worn in front of an old wood stove, and the scenic view of a farm amongst the hills.

The inside of each card is blank and ready for your message.

Mary Azarian created the prints for A Farmer’s Alphabet while a teacher in one of Vermont’s last one-room schoolhouses. In the late 1970s, the state board of education commissioned her to create a rural alphabet, a series of bold red-and-black woodcut prints featuring the letters, A to Z, and depicting scenes from Vermont life. Published as a book by Godine, Smithsonian Magazine said, “No matter where children live – on a farm, in the suburbs or the city – they will love this handsome book.” The Boston Globe said, “A beautiful gift; a treasure to own.”