FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Christine Linson, who owns the Christine Linson Art Gallery on Fairhope Avenue, has started to sell cards that cannot be found at your everyday Hallmark store. They are called crisis cards, and they address some special needs.

“Crisis cards are for people who are experiencing traumatic events in their life,” Linson said. “This can be for many things, such as somebody who has experienced a death in the family or has a terminal illness.”

According to Linson, the idea for the cards came when Jim Scherer, the husband of her best friend of more than 40 years, Katy Scherer, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. The Scherers lived in Cleveland, and Linson and her husband, Bob, visited there numerous times up until Jim’s death in May.

While they were there, Linson became frustrated that she could not find an appropriate card for Jim, so she thought of the idea for the cards. She did all of the art work on the cards, and Katy and Jim helped her write the verses. Linson and Katy both said it was sometimes tough to think of verses.

“We worked really hard on the verses, but we had to think of things that were uplifting and encouraging to a family tragedy,” Scherer said. “Also, we couldn’t get too specific, or the card might not be able to relate to a family’s particular situation.”

Linson added, “You can’t say ‘Get well soon’ to somebody who is dying of cancer.”

Because of Jim's death, Linson said that all of the profits will be donated pancreatic cancer research. She says the Pancreatic Cancer Association has endorsed the idea.

“These cards are to honor Jim,” she said. “I want to increase money to research cancer.”

Scherer says she has already been marketing her cards in Cleveland. Part of her marketing included contacting the Cleveland newspapers, asking them to do stories about the project.

“I have sent the idea out to people in my church and my friends via e-mail,” she said. “If people know about them, people will buy them.”

Linson met Scherer when they were both in college. While Linson was teaching art, Scherer was teaching at an elementary school. Linson says they are guardians of each other’s children, and that her move to Fairhope has not lessened their friendship.

“The first day we met, we knew we would be good friends,” Linson said. “The miles separating us has not changed our friendship.”

“Christine has been the epitamy of a friend you can count on.,” Scherer added. “Her support was very important for getting me through this tragedy.”

Linson also said that her friendship with Jim became very strong as well. He was a stained glass artist, and she sells some of his art in her gallery.

“Katy and Jim were very religious people,” Linson said. “They gave a lot to their community and to underprivelaged people.”

Linson’s art gallery opened in 2004. However, she said she moved to Fairhope 12 years ago with the goal of opening a gallery after working as a art consultant for for corporations and as an art teacher.

“I was in life’s transition, and this was a real scary thing,” she said. “Fairhope offered a climate where I could make my gallery work.”

When she first moved here, Linson started her gallery in a cottage on Fairhope Avenue and Summit Street. There she lived in the back as a painter and sold her art in the front. She spent two years there, and then she moved to a location on Fairhope near Church Street. She was there for five years before settling in her current shop.

Linson runs her art gallery with her friend, Joyce Jones, whom she met at her first location.