Greetings Today May/June 2023

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Editor Naomi MacKay naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk

Publisher Mark Horsnell markh@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289940

Advertising Manager Marian McNamara marian@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289940

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Managing Director Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Design Rick Vickers rick@lemapublishing.co.uk Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

As I write this, we’re two bank holidays and one Coronation down in May, with still one more bank holiday to go.

According to retail expert MRI Springboard, the effect on footfall in the High Street was mixed, with an increase of 3% on 2022 levels, but a massive drop of 20% in retail destinations on the Coronation Day itself (unless of course you were a retail outlet in London).

Diane Wehrle, insights director at MRI Springboard, commented: “It was an exceptional week in that it was bookended by bank holidays, which meant that footfall across UK retail destinations remained virtually flat from the week before. There were very marginal rises in footfall in high streets and retail parks, but these were offset by a larger dropin shopping centres.

“Footfall rose from the previous week on each day between Sunday and Thursday in all three key destination types, but it dipped on Thursday in shopping centres.

‘’On Saturday, the day of the Coronation, footfall declined from the previous Saturday. A dip was forecast as the day of the Coronation was being compared with the Bank Holiday weekend in the

previous week. However, the dip was much larger than forecast, possibly in part due to the continual rain that will have deterred consumers from making trips.

“In Knightsbridge – a location with an iconic British brand [Harrods] but more distant from Westminster Abbey and therefore easier to access – footfall over the day as a whole was 9.7% higher than on the previous Saturday, and a staggering 57.7% higher than the week before over the five hours from 10am to 3pm. There were also uplifts in footfall in other towns and cities across the UK, as big screens were erected in some high streets to enable shoppers to watch the proceedings.’’

On the back of the rise in interest in all things British following the Coronation, we take a look in this issue at ‘the Best of British’, whether it’s cards and products made in the UK or based around the best that Britain has to offer in the shape of much-loved characters, places and landmarks.

Caroline Chatwin, buyer toys & recreation at Dobbies Garden Centres, who is the subject of our retail interview, says that card sales have been really positive. “Gardening season is well under way, which drives footfall to our card and gift departments. Mother’s Day and Easter Cards have shown particularly strong sales this year,’’ she notes. And in more good news, she says that customers do not appear to be dropping their spend on cards despite the cost-of-living crisis: “I was expecting a shift into lower price point cards, but customers are still shopping in that £2-£2.99 core price point for the perfect card.’’

If you want to up your basket spend, we hope that our suggestions for impulse buys - those little pick-up extras that you can pop by the till - may encourage your customers to spend that little bit more with you.

Meanwhile, our cover star Danilo is embracing the return of retro, with popular brands from the past such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie and Super Mario - all with new movies releasing this year.

Sandra Jervis, owner of Creative Cove in Lampeter, Wales, and our diarist for this issue, is also looking back, but only as far as spring’s big card events, so she can plan her orders as she heads to London to attend the

greeting cards exhibition PG Live for the first time.

We’re also delighted to focus on some of the companies making their debut at this show, including Lovely Paper Stuff and Duggoons, as well as industry stalwarts, like Alan and Debbie Williams, who view themselves as custodians of the iconic brand Museums & Galleries, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Whether you’re a newbie to the industry, or have been around a long time, we are always happy to hear from readers who would like to take part in our features, interviews, and new pages. You can email me at naomi@lemapublishing.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn.

And do stop and say hello if you see the Greetings Today team at PG Live - we’re always keen to chat!

Editor Naomi MacKay

Cherry Orchard partners with sub postmasters

Cherry Orchard Publishing has been working with the National Federation of Sub Postmasters (NFSP) to support Post Offices to re-evaluate their greeting card offering to bring them high return and increased sales.

After discussions between Robert Clack, commercial director of the NFSP and Jackie Collins, MD of Cherry Orchard, the Cherry Orchard Team are very excited at the prospect of working with the NFSP after agreeing their collaboration as a retail partners.

Jackie Collins, MD (pictured) welcomed the collaboration:

“We’re not just here to be a basic, faceless supplier to Post Offices, we’re here to partner with them and work together in showing them a bright new direction for their greeting card offering”

‘’We believe strongly that we can make a difference to Post Offices across the country this coming year and beyond. Not only are we confident we’ll work with Sub Postmasters to increase their sales through our product ranges but also giving them back their precious time when they are already working such long hours. We’re not just here to be a basic, faceless supplier to Post Offices, we’re here to partner with them and work together in showing them a bright new direction for their greeting card offering. By the time they’ve had their first order delivered they’ll know the team by name and know that they can pick up the phone any time and that we’ll be there for them.’’

Cherry Orchard showcased its new ranges at the National Federation of Sub Postmasters Annual Conference in Stratford in May.

Louise Mulgrew bags host of wins at Louie Awards

Congratulations to Louise Mulgrew, who bagged the title of Artist of the Year in the US Louies Awards.

Louise also came out top in the Father’s Day, Valentine’s and Congratulations/Special Occasions categories of the awards, which are held by the US Greeting Card Association.

She told Greetings Today: “I can’t believe it! It was a complete shock to have received all our nominations in the first place but to then win four - truly an honour and an evening I’ll never forget. We’ve been so welcomed by other publishers and cardie people this side of the world already while setting up for our trade show yesterday and at the awards evening and it’s honestly just a very happy moment.’’

You can find out more about Louise in the Artist Focus feature on p19.

“I can’t believe it! It was a complete shock to have received all our nominations in the first place but to then win four - truly an honour and an evening I’ll never forget’’

John Charlton appointed non exec chair of Cardzone Group

John Charlton has joined the Board of Cardzone Group and has been appointed as its non exec chair.

At the end of last year, John stepped down as chair of Festive Productions Ltd and chair of The Vintage Garden Room Ltd. Furthermore, following the sale of South Africa Greetings (SAG) to Card Factory, which had just been announced, John resigned as chairman of SAG, a position that he has held since 1998.

John was previously non exec chair of International Greetings and before that senior VP of American Greetings, together with being CEO of UK Greetings.

Pens prove to be judges’ choice

The Fabulously Flat Paper Pens from IF won the coveted Judges Choice Award as well as the Cards, Wraps & Stationery category at the Gift of the Year Awards held in May.

The Gift of the Year Awards, now in its 43rd year, recognise the gifting industry’s most sensational new products each year. The Award categories encompass all aspects in the world of gifting from beauty, bath and spa to food and drink, ethical and sustainable to novelty, tech and gadgets, and this diverse selection is reflected by the judging panel of passionate industry leaders and experts including retailers, buyers, industry press, bloggers, vloggers and influencers. The competition gives a unique platform to all entrants, elevating businesses through exposure at trade shows, including Spring Fair, which hosted the 2023 judging, website, brochures, and social channels. In addition, being crowned a category winner grants industry-wide recognition and previous entrants have seen a huge boost to their sales and revenue, often going on to become bestsellers, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas.

Pen Pals 4 Pupils to prove #WritingMatters

Maped Helix took National Stationery Week’s #WritingMatters hashtag to heart with its new Pen Pals 4 Pupils initiative, which aimed to get the UK’s children putting pen to paper.

The writing equipment giant set up the free project to link youngsters in Years 3 to 5 with their peers in other parts of the country, offering them a safe way to swap handwritten letters and build lifelong friendships.

“It’s perfect that Pen Pals 4 Pupils is starting off the 2023 National Stationery Week campaign,” said NSW coordinator Sarah Laker, “it will help children’s social, communication and handwriting skills and also let them experience the joy of both sending and receiving letters and cards – the true spirit of National Stationery Week.”

Schools taking part in the Pen Pals 4 Pupils project also had the chance to attend a free virtual creative writing masterclass with bestselling children’s author Chris Smith .

Five of the schools were selected at random to win a fabulous Maped Helix stationery bundle as well as signed copies of former BBC Newsbeat presenter Chris’s new book, Clarity Jones And The Magical Detective Agency.

Scotland show kicks off autumn

Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn has re-positioned itself as the first show of the autumn buying season. Taking place at the SEC, Glasgow from Aug 20-21, the Show gives buyers better timing for Christmas buying, allows them to top up for autumn and gives them an early snapshot at 2024 ranges, said organisers.

Over a third of exhibitors at the Show are new, offering greater variety and a wider selection of gifts. Ones to look out for are Enesco, Swole Panda, Shu Da Living, Kate Trouw, Academie and Cairn Candle Company.

Scotland’s Trade Fair also supports new young companies with its specially created Launch Gallery. This area is already almost fully booked, with companies such as MUKA Jewellery, The Ink Balm, Victoria Gordon Art, Designed by Islay, and Rosana Exposito. Mark Saunders, Springboard director, said: “This date change came after serious consultation with exhibitors and retailers and now fits in better with the buying season. Offering retailers an earlier chance to get their hands on new products, and Christmas stock is both beneficial to them and their customers. In addition, it aligns the two Scottish shows better with a six-month gap between them.’’

Roshah Designs is named creative startup of the year

Huddersfield-based Roshah Designs has been named as the Creative StartUp of the Year 2023 at the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber finals of the StartUp Awards 2023.

Roshah Designs is a publisher of cultural greetings cards and gift wrap for all special occasions.

The North East, Yorkshire and the Humber final was held at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle and saw 33 different awards given out to new businesses in categories such as Consumer Services StartUp, Rebel StartUp of the Year and Social Enterprise StartUp of the Year.

Company owner and designer Robina Shah (pictured) told Greetings Today: “Winning was such a surprise as I was just happy being nominated. This means so much to me and confirms that I should keep going even though I feel like quitting sometimes. This has boosted my confidence and given me the boost I needed.”

eXtra addedDay to Insights-X

The eighth Insights-X event is being strengthened with the expansion of evening events and the introduction of the eXtra-Day.

The trade fair for ‘Stationery, office, bags and more’, which runs from October 11 to 14 features an additional day, as Christian Ulrich, spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG, explained: “Saturday turned out in our survey to be the most important trading day in the German-speaking DACH region, which is why we have introduced the eXtra-Day at this year’s Insights-X.’’

During the week from Wednesday to Friday, buyers chiefly from larger chain stores across Europe are expected, while the additional opening on the Saturday focuses on specialist retailers, with highly regarded suppliers and promotional activities in Halls 11.0 and 10.0. The multi-category arrangement across the three halls at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre is designed to ensure efficient networking and short distances. It means that the six product groups – Writing Utensils & Equipment, Paper & Filing, Artistic & Creative, Desktop & Office, Bags & Accessories and Stationery & Gift Articles – can be explored in a relaxed business atmosphere on each day of the fair. Insights-X also has a strong focus on networking. The popular AfterHour is held on the first evening of the fair, then on Friday October 13, the duo schreib & spiel association holds its Autumn Conference at the exhibition centre itself. In the evening, the organisers, together with the exhibitors, invite attendees to the get-together.

More on the show at www.insights-x.com.

Stationery Matters awards

Congratulations to the winners of the Stationery Matters Awards, presented at the London Stationery Show on May 16. They are:

• Arts & Crafts Product of the Year – Stamptitude

• Children’s Stationery Product of the Year – Maped Helix

• Diary/Organiser/Calendar of the Year – Perfect Planner Company

• Filing & Storage Product of the Year – Exacompta

Clairefontaine (Exaclair Limited)

• Gift Packaging & Wrap of the Year – Genealityart

• Licensed Stationery Product of the Year – Exacompta

Clairefontaine (Exaclair Limited)

• Notebook/Journal of the Year – This Week’s Little Tweaks

• Novelty Stationery Product of the Year – Stone Marketing

• Social Stationery Product of the Year – From You To Me

• Sustainable Stationery Product of the Year – edding

• Working from home Product of the Year – Once Upon a Tuesday

• Writing Instrument of the Year – Andhand

• Independent Retail of the Year – Lead Tin

Eco extendsrange

Following the success of Nature’s Diary birth month range, Cherry Orchard Publishing has extended the range with 28 new open designs. This new launch focuses on individual animals such as squirrels, badgers, foxes, puffins and looks at a range of animals in their habitat such as farmland, woodland and the shoreline. Continuing with the range’s eco credentials, the cards are printed on FSC board using a carbon neutral press and come with an eco kraft envelope. Cherry Orchard is celebrating the launch of the new range with an exciting point of sale kit, which is free with every presell order placed.

info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Paperlink protects forests

Through a partnership with the World Land Trust, Paperlink is working to save endangered forests around the globe. So far this year, the company has supported the World Land Trust to protect 6,318 sqm of critically threatened tropical forests.

Every card Paperlink creates is 100% recyclable, ethically sourced, sustainably produced and FSC accredited. Over 99% of Paperlink’s designs are now available clasped, offering an eco-friendly alternative to cello-wrapping. Paperlink’s use of Carbon Balanced Paper, has balanced the equivalent of over 33,000kg of carbon dioxide this year alone.

“The card industry is here to help people celebrate, and it’s our responsibility to make sure they can do that guilt free and with a clear conscience,” said MD Emma Young.

Quilling Card plays fair

Qulling Card places great importance on ensuring the highest quality work environment in its workshops across Vietnam while providing employees with ample benefits and wages, says co-founder and CEO Huong Nguyen Wolf: ‘’Currently, we pay a salary 25% above the national average and provide a benefits package that includes six months of paid maternity leave. Being a Fair-Trade Federation Member helps to reassure our consumers that they are buying a handmade product free from any negative stigmas commonly associated with products made overseas. We are proud to say that we are the only quilling manufacturer who prioritises conducting an annual third-party audit for social compliance.’’

The company also ensures that all its paper is FSC certified and is actively in the process of transitioning to be completely plastic free using compostable/biodegradable alternatives for packaging and displays.

Find out more about Quilling Card on p43.

Keeping shows green

Environmental stewardship lies at the heart of Rachel Hudson Illustration, known for its eyecatching and evocative art cards for nature lovers. For its debut at Springboard PG Live this June (stand 744), all exhibition materials will showcase sustainable materials. Each display board will be crafted from eco-responsible paper-based hexacomb board, printed by an award-winning sustainable print centre, local to the business in Hampshire.

While all greetings cards on display are made in the UK using FSC certified board, on the reverse of each card, buyers can discover fascinating facts about the wildlife or wild place illustrated on the front. Whether Coastal & Seaward, Wayside & Woodland, Winterscapes, Oddities & Rarities or 3D Birdshapes, these greeting cards aim to delight, inspire and inform.

Rachel Hudson Illustration hopes to show how it’s possible to celebrate and champion our natural environment while also treading lightly on our planet.

www.rachelhudsonillustration.com

Show Preview

Be inspired at Autumn Fair

, divisional managing director at Hyve Group plc, to discover everything you need to know about the next Autumn Fair on September 3-6 at the NEC Birmingham

Greetings Today speaks to Nicola Meadows

There have been some big changes for Autumn and Spring Fair recently, can you tell us more?

Yes, we’ll be bringing you a show like never before with the launch of Connect @ Autumn Fair, retail’s largest meetings programme ever. Offering a new way to shop the show, it will help buyers find the brands their customers will love, and help Autumn Fair exhibitors to create leads, orders and opportunities in an incredibly efficient and effective way by fuelling thousands of pre-arranged buying meetings and valuable networking opportunities before the show even opens.

It’s never been easier for buyers to find what they are looking for. They will have access to detailed information on all exhibitors before the show opens, with the ability to search and filter them by criteria that are most important to their business. This includes searching by product type, sustainability accreditation, minimum order value, carriage paid, and much more. For example, searching by exhibitors offering LGBTQ+ cards that are FCS certified with a minimum order value of £50 or less.

All meetings take place during the show on the exhibitor’s stand, so buyers can view, touch, and ask them questions about their products in person, providing the perfect opportunity to launch new products. With valuable time saved by managing their time efficiently and prioritising important meetings, buyers have more time to shop the show for unexpected new product finds, trends, and inspiration.

Plus, the new programme is completely free for buyers to use and there is no minimum meeting requirement.

What was the reasoning for introducing Connect @ Autumn Fair?

The most common questions and feedback we get from our exhibitors before they exhibit, at the show and once they leave the show is; What buyers are coming? Who attended and from what companies? and What were they there to buy?

Connect @ Autumn Fair gives exhibitors access, pre-show, to thousands of buyer profiles so they can see for themselves. This inevitably will help them to generate leads, opportunities, and orders in an incredibly efficient and effective way.

Added to that, it offers retailers the best of both worlds – the opportunity to plan ahead and secure meetings with exhibitors in advance of the show as well as the joy of simply discovering and shopping the show in the traditional way.

‘‘We look forward to welcoming you to Autumn Fair in September and helping you discover your stores’ next bestsellers’’

By offering exhibitors the opportunity to book meetings and plan ahead they will be able to manage their teams more effectively at the show and ensure the most important meetings are prioritised.

And what changes will visitors see?

There won’t be any changes to the show floor. Autumn Fair continues to showcase the most sought-after products and suppliers under one roof and we’re proud to be the UK’s leading wholesale marketplace for home, gift and fashion. Autumn Fair is an experience the internet can’t provide - giving you the opportunity to make valuable connections and to touch, feel and see the latest products.

What can visitors expect from the Greetings & Stationery sector?

It’s going to be packed full of the most vibrant collections of every kind of greetings and stationery products. We are welcoming back a host of favourites

including new designs from The Art File, Emotional Rescue, Paper Salad, The Little Dog Laughed, Five Dollar Shake, Emma Ball, Cardology, Penguin Ink, The Seed Card Company, as well as our popular GCA Debut area, which showcases up-and-coming new designers including Hazel Bee, Fox Under the Moon, Angie’s Folk Art, Dixons Doodles, and Nicole Elders, with more to be announced soon.

Joining the Autumn Fair line-up for the first time is Manuscript, which distributes its own-brand calligraphy and pen products across the world as well as an extensive collection of pens and craft products from leading brands.

What else should visitors plan?

Autumn Fair will have an exciting new line-up of live content available across three stages – the Inspiring Retail Stage, Moda Catwalk, and Source Home & Gift. The Inspiring Retail Stage and Moda Stage return with insightful discussions covering the latest trends, sustainability, wellbeing, and the future of retail. The Moda Catwalk will kick off the new season in style bringing the latest clothing, footwear, accessories and jewellery trends to life. The schedules and updates on our speakers will be announced in the coming months.

Visitors can also make a beeline for the New Products Showcase for a curated edit of this season’s must-have bestsellers.

What’s one piece of advice would you give to a newbie visitor?

Register for Connect @ Autumn Fair as soon as possible to make the most of the pre-show features.

What: Autumn Fair

When: September 3-6

Where: NEC Birmingham Web: https://af23-registration.personatech.com

Comedy connections

Duggoons is debuting three new ranges at PG Live. The delightfully funny yoga range, called Juxtapositions, mixes hand-drawn yoga poses with found captions in hilarious ways. You’ll never stand on a yoga mat again without giggling.

The essence of comedy is unexpected connections. A whimsical purchase of some books at a charity shop, a pair of scissors and a desire to amuse led to Snippets, a range filled with unexpected combinations of images and captions, which will make you laugh out loud. The cards have a printed linen background, reminiscent of the covers of old books.

And after all the parodies, was it even remotely possible to do something exciting and genuinely funny with Keep Calm And Carry On? Duggoons took up the challenge. The decision was made that mere wordplay was not enough, there had to be a visual twist as well. Come judge for yourself whether the Keep On Cluckin range succeeded - Stand 18, Springboard.

Duggoons

0774 5601453

Duggoons@yahoo.com

www.duggoons.com

spotlight

Floral inspiration

Clairefontaine has recently introduced the Inkebana collection to its ranges

Inspired by Ikebana (the centuries-old Japanese art of arranging flowers) which roughly translates as making flowers come alive, the new range features the floral designs of French artist Sophie Griotto.

In this collection, Sophie has brought flowers to life using shades of blue ink, and many of the products integrate yellow highlights, including bookmarks, elasticated closures and interiors of the desktop items.

The collection incorporates a wide selection of stylish notebooks, as well as handy memo pads.

For the more creative users, there are artists’ notebooks, an art folder, and a calligraphy set that includes a Jacques Herbin glass pen.

Exaclair www.exaclairlimited.com

Looking hot!

At the Comedy Card Company they have been busy melting down Great Aunt Mary’s family gold and silver, along with some domestic (plumbing grade) copper pipes to create some luxurious new hot foiled cards! They picked some of the favourite bestselling captions and created a bit of luxury, using thick 350g card and hot foiling them in gold, silver and copper. Owner Alan Auld said: “We look forward to presenting them at PG Live (on a velvet cushion because they’re so posh!).’’

The Comedy Card Company

info@comedycard.co.uk | www.comedycardtrade.co.uk

A rainbow of colour

For Summer 2023, Globe Enterprise has launched a variety of new gift wraps. The colour palette varies from vibrant turquoise orange and bright blue combinations, to the softer hues of pale blue and pink. Globe has a tantalising feast of papers, which are bound to please all of your customers.

Globe Enterprise produces handmade wrapping papers, and the company says it has noticed a marked increase in buyers’ desire to find ethically and sustainably produced wrapping papers. It is proud to confirm that it has always sourced environmentally friendly wrapping papers and paper products, as it takes left-over cotton - a by-product of India’s huge garment industry - and recycles it into something beautiful.

Globe Enterprise

www.globeenterprise.co.uk

Fine fragrance gifts

Lesser and Pavey’s Madelaine range boasts new additions for spring 2023. Originally launched in 2022, inspired by Heart Designs, it has grown in popularity. The initial four designs have grown into a gift for her and wedding gift range. The new additions bring six new fragrances candles and diffusers in stylish glass jars and bottles with attention to fine detail with crystal bows, lid tops and cane gold baubles, packed in premium gift boxes and cylinder packaging.

Each item of the range comes in a multi-coloured glass container with quality fragrance, tassel, reeds, all beautifully shiny foiled gift boxed featuring windows to show off the pearlescent bottles and candle jars.

An added attraction to diffusers comes in the Lesser and Pavey range of floral displays combined with fragrance. The floral diffusers offer the fragrances of Hydrangea and Hyacinth; Lily and Black Orchid; Eucalyptus and Pomegranate; Poppy and Dark Amber; Daffodil and Jasmine, and Daffodils. Each diffuser comes in a premium colour gift box with window to show off the bottle and flowers to enhance the range for display and as a gift.

Lesser and Pavey

01322 279 225

sales@leonardo.co.uk | www.leonardo.co.uk

Beautiful borders

Botanical greetings card company

Umbellifer launches six new designs celebrating beautiful garden borders. Each colourful card shows a Chelsea-style border in a particular month and the range is launching with May, June, July, August, September and October. The reverse of each card has a list of the plants depicted so customers can ‘get the look’ themselves.

Stephen Lennon, Umbellifer’s owner, designer, said: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge of showing how a border can also look great in December, January and February. Watch this space!”

Umbellifer

07510 874363 | stephen@umbellifer.co.uk

Cultural captions

Wedding season is a huge part of any culture and needs to be celebrated with style - and weddings is the most requested caption for Roshah Designs. The card publisher offers designs inspired by the traditions of all cultural weddings. Cards and gift wrap are designed by Robina and manufactured in the UK. They cover all the occasions during a wedding from the sangeet ceremony, mehndi, Nikah, valeema and anniversaries.

Roshah Designs

07375106666

robina@roshahdesigns.co.uk

www.roshahdesigns.co.uk

Western Sketch has a growing collection of matching cards and gift wraps covering Birthdays, New Baby and Christmas, with a new Wedding Collection launching this month. Cards and wraps are printed in the UK on FSC certified GF Smith boards and papers and are fully recyclable. Designs feature Cakes, Cocktails, Animals and the signature Leopard - all created from hand-painted illustrations. Illustrator and founder Melissa Western said: “I wanted to create a premium collection of cards and wraps that complimented each other and that were suitable for all ages, aside from the boozy themed ones obviously!’’

Western Sketch

Melissa@westernsketch.co.uk

www.westernsketch.co.uk

Grace brings romance

Cherry Orchard has just launched its Grace and Grayson Wedding and Anniversary and Baby package and has been blown away by the fantastic feedback from customers. The Grace and Grayson range has proved incredibly popular for the publisher and the repeat orders have been coming in thick and fast. Jackie Collins, MD, said: “Due to the success of Grace and Grayson we made the decision to create the Wedding and Anniversary and Baby package around the ranges. There is stunning new artwork which, teamed with the coloured backgrounds, has really suited these romantic and cute titles. The requests we are receiving from stockists wanting to hold this range has been astounding!’’

Cherry Orchard Publishing 01684 295500

info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

The return of retro for PG Live

Danilo brings some blasts from the past and rockets them into the 21st century…

This year, Danilo is seeing the return of retro, as popular brands from the past such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie and Super Mario all have new movies releasing in 2023. To celebrate, Danilo will not only be launching new official ranges for these brands at PG Live, but they will also be bringing along special guests - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Leo and Donnie - to meet and greet people on Tuesday June 6.

Danilo is looking forward to showcasing all of its exciting greeting card and gift wrap ranges at the show, including a variety of popular designs, from children’s brands such as Gabby’s Dollhouse and Monster High and those celebrating up-andcoming anniversaries including Paw Patrol, Doctor Who and Peppa Pig. Plus, there will be new looks across Danilo’s offering on anime and football club designs. So pop along to the Danilo team (as well as their extra special guests) on stand 513 to see all this - plus they may have a few other sweet surprises to see…

01992 702 900 | sales@danilo.com | www.danilo.com

Kids

Preschool and young kids still remain strong categories for greeting cards, and Danilo is delighted to welcome new brands such as Gabby’s Dollhouse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Squishmallows, Dinosaur Roar, Super Mario and more. Monster High will also be returning to the Danilo portfolio, with the new movie coming to screens in October this year. Aimed at kids aged six to 10, these new card and gift wrap designs will be based on the classic animated look. Following the huge success of the Brightside range, Danilo is excited to add ‘The World of Rachel Bright & Jim Field’ to the juvenile greetings card domain. These internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning stories, aimed at ages two to seven, help kids grow, laugh and learn together. Danilo will be adapting the book series including beloved titles such as The Lion Inside and The Koala Who Could into sweet and colourful greetings cards. Plus you will see updated designs for popular brands such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol, Minions, L.O.L. Surprise! Hey Duggee, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, Paddington and many more.

Football

2023 is another big year for football as the Women’s World Cup takes place over the summer. As women’s football and sport continue to grow in popularity, Danilo is proud to publish again for this year the official card and calendar range for the England Lionesses. Fingers crossed they can build on their amazing success from the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2022. As well as national teams, Danilo also publishes the official greetings card, calendar and diary ranges for all the Premier League teams with new refreshed designs being launched for key clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Tottenham Hotspur and more.

Adults

Anime

Danilo will be introducing further new designs within its Anime offering this year. With the anime genre rapidly growing over the past few years, there is an increasing demand from fans for products featuring their favourite brands and characters. All of these new card ranges will reflect the striking and individual imagery from each series, incorporating the most renowned characters into the designs.

There is a great selection at the show for adult-based ranges too, including the likes of Bridgerton, with the spin-off show Queen Charlotte just released, as well as popular staples from the likes of Stranger Things, Peaky Blinders, Mr Men & Little Miss, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Dad’s Army and Wallace and Gromit. Peanuts is a new addition for this year, focusing on the central loveable character of Snoopy, as a colourful new greetings card range aimed at both kids and adults.

Museums & Galleries

A growing awareness of global ecological issues has inspired a cultural resurgence in oceanic imagery, and this is fully evidenced across M&G’s diverse fine art and design collections, given both heritage and contemporary expression in a variety of both bold and unusual ways. M&G’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year range of cards features prize-winning photography of our most iconic and endangered sealife - from beautiful turtles to surfing dolphins and majestic whales. Colourful Clownfish are a distinctly modern cultural reference to ‘Finding Nemo’.

01373 462165 | sales@mgml.co.uk | www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Under the sea Trends:

Bewilderbeest

What goes on underwater is anyone’s guess. Cod taking their pollocks for a ‘walk’ is surely not unusual. Bewilderbeest has several similarly offbeat fishy cards in its ranges. Guaranteed daft and 100% not available in fish and chip shops (yet). Henries winners for 2022.

07742895283

info@bewilderbeest.co.uk

Cherry Orchard

Alljoy Design

These pop-up cards depict a stunning scene of an underwater world, complete with playful dolphins (there’s also one with mighty sharks). Perfect for any occasion, whether it be a birthday, anniversary, or just to say ‘thinking of you’. It’s a unique and thoughtful way to express your love for the ocean and its magnificent creatures. So go ahead, dive into the deep blue sea with a pop-up design!

info@alljoydesign.com | www.alljoydesign.com

Wonderful, watery designs are really making a splash this season. Here’s a selection of marineled masterpieces

Kali Stileman

Paper Shed Design

0118 9744283

info@papersheddesign.com

Kali Stileman Publishing introduces its latest wrapping paper: underwater! This cool and quirky design takes inspiration from the ‘under the sea’ trend, and features shoals of colourful fish, a friendly shark and jellyfish. Perfect for children as a gift wrap, or just as fab as a bedroom poster. The underwater wrap is printed on lovely thick paper with FSC accreditation, and comes with a fun birthday card and mini card to match.

01305 848899 | info@kalistileman.co.uk

ww.kalistileman.co.uk

Lola Design

Cherry Orchard Publishing’s new Kaleidescope range has just been launched! This great value range is a package of 50 designs, which include lots of hilarious animal fish designs all at code 35 and is available as a package price of £162.

01684 295500

info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Lola Design’s Under the Sea card theme is a perfect example of how a passion for conservation and creativity can come together to create something beautiful. Amanda, the creative mind behind Lola Design, has spent time diving and volunteering on various conservation projects around the world. One of her favourite experiences was in the Seychelles, where she monitored the effects of coral bleaching, tagged turtles, and monitored whale sharks in the area. Amanda’s passion for the ocean and its inhabitants shines through in her Under the Sea card theme, which features intricate illustrations of marine life such as octopus, the green turtle and the majestic whale.

01904 900141 | sales@loladesignltd.com

Launching at this year’s PG Live, ‘by the Seashore’ by Paper Shed Design is a charming collection of illustrations celebrating the diversity of wildlife on our shores.

From bunny

to bestseller

We talk to Louise Mulgrew about her cards, her inspiration - and the first card that she designed, which is still a bestseller today…

Louise is founder of her animal-loving card publishing business, Louise Mulgrew, based in the seaside town of Brighton.

Tell us a little about the story behind you becoming an artist.

I’ve always been into art; since I was very young I’d be doing extra art projects at school and spending long evenings in the art department in high school, before doing my illustration degree at Loughborough University. I had never considered a career designing cards, but knew for sure I wanted to work for myself (perhaps due to my distinct lack of employable skills!). After uni I was creating artwork to sell at local markets when a shop owner asked to sell some of my cards in her shop. And selling cards to shops has been my thing ever since!

What inspires you?

I of course take a lot of inspiration from animals and nature - most of my card designs feature florals, animals and outdoor scenes - but I’m also inspired by less tangible concepts such as relationships and feelings. It’s taken a lot of practise over the years to curate my inspiration in a productive way to inspire artwork that feels like my own original, fresh take.

Do you have any artist ‘heroes’ that inspire your work?

I have always loved children’s picture books and have quite an eclectic collection at home. I adore all the classics: Quentin Blake, Beatrix Potter, E.H Shepard, Judith Kerr.

What was your very first card design?

It was a little bunny and some flowers that a friend asked me to make for her sister’s birthday. This became the first card in my Furry Friends collection and is still one of our bestselling designs, eight years later.

Talk us through how the process works when you design a card.

A card always starts out as a little tiny pencil drawing that becomes a little tiny gouache painting. My paintings are so small they usually need blowing up on Photoshop to fit my cards. I add handwritten captions and foil details on Procreate.

“I could paint only elephants for the rest of my life! I love their form, their personalities and also how perfectly they can represent human relationships’’

What’s your favourite subject to draw?

I could paint only elephants for the rest of my life! I love their form, their personalities and also how perfectly they can represent human relationships. This makes them amazing for card designs.

What do you consider your greatest achievement and why?

I’m not sure I can pick one. I’m proud of lots of little day-to-day things, like getting to work alongside both my parents or designing Christmas cards to raise money for my favourite charity The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, or having my dream studio with a view of the sea. Winning four Louie awards recently was also a bit of a highlight!

How did you feel when your cards first made it into one of the big retailers?

It was a wonderful feeling. 12-year-old Louise working so hard on her art homework would be so

happy and proud to see her cards sold in shops, be it a big retailer or an indie on the high street.

What do you do in your spare time?

I LOVE spare time. I’m the biggest morning person and can shoehorn seven different hobbies into a morning before work. Some favourites include yoga, reading, running, longboarding, eating and gardening.

Is there a famous person or celebrity who you would love to design a card for?

I’d send a card to David Attenborough, a hero and advocate for our planet.

01273 783833 hello@louisemulgrew.com

Louise’s very first design is still a bestseller eight years on

Live and kicking!

With PG Live, the show dedicated to the greeting card industry, around the corner, we round up what you can expect to see from some of the exhibitors

We asked exhibitors…

What do you love about PG Live?

Tracey Colliston, Ginger Betty (Stand 424): We love to exhibit at PG Live, it’s by far our favourite show! The atmosphere is amazing, and the people are so friendly; our cardy friend group grows each time we go. It’s great to share news and tips and help each other out. For us it’s a chance to catch up with our friends in the trade and link up with customers old and new at the show that’s purely greeting cards, where everyone is on the same page.

Jo O’Brien, Paper Shed Design (Stand 180): It’s a really friendly and welcoming environment where publishers and buyers can all network exchanging ideas and advice. I’ve made some great friends.

Anna Nelson, Rosanna Rossi (Stand 520): We love catching up with our international distributors. We see them more as friends than work associates, and could chat with them all day! On a business note, it’s also great to see the reactions of our new collections and discuss future projects/ranges etc. There’s so much value with face-to-face meetings and a trade show gives us that opportunity to really connect with our customers, and PG Live is a lovely, friendly environment to do this. For any newbies, I’d say to speak to as many people as possible… it’s a chance to soak up as much knowledge as you can and connect with new customers.

Claire Bates, Danilo (Stand 513): It’s such a lovely opportunity to get together and meet up with customers and other publishers in person. Plus it’s always a pleasure to see the huge amount of effort that goes into everyone’s stand designs as well as their official card and wrap ranges.

Any tips for newbie visitors?

Jo O’Brien, Paper Shed Design: Allow yourself plenty of time. There’s lots to see. And make sure you don’t miss the fabulous free lunch!

Anna Nelson, Rosanna Rossi: I’m not quite sure as we’re so focused on our own stand that we never get to experience the aisles. Comfy shoes are a must and a little stool or somewhere they can sit on the stand always comes in handy. As it’s such a well laid out show, visitors can easily find suppliers and the food is always a winner!

What one product or range should greeting card shops check out at the show?

Tracey Colliston, Ginger Betty: We’re excited to show our new collection - Baby Betty - at PG Live, a range of delicate cards covering several captions, featuring baby animal illustrations and beautiful debossing, and we’ll also be adding new Owl’s Nest designs, too.

Jo O’Brien, Paper Shed Design: We’ve got lots of lovely new designs launching, including two new waterside ranges; By the Sea Shore, and Down by the River.

Anna Nelson, Rosanna Rossi: All 50 new designs are a ‘must-see’ as there are lots of styles to suit all tastes. We’ve kept the trade price competitive too, which is something of value during these times.

Claire Bates, Danilo: It’s hard to say as there are so many to choose from. We are really proud of all our new ranges that we bring to the show, as the creative team and the sales team work so hard to create and showcase the best possible designs.

What’s your most memorable story/experience from previous shows?

Jo O’Brien, Paper Shed Design: I had visited the show many times before but the first time I exhibited I was really nervous. It felt like the first day at school. But I had a really great show, winning a number of golden tickets on the very first day! It was so exciting and a great introduction to exhibiting.

Claire Bates, Danilo: Our costume activity always seems to make a real impact when we have them at the show. Previous special guests have included the Minions, the Paw Patrol team and Bluey and Bingo. This year we are delighted to welcome Leo and Donnie from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to our stand.

Any show offers we can tell our readers about?

Jo O’Brien, Paper Shed: I offer a 10% discount to all first-time customers who place an order at the show

Rosanna Rossi

Ginger Betty

Paper Shed Design

Ask the retailer

We asked…

Why do you like PG Live?

It’s great to see new designs and innovation on cards. It helps me to understand what opportunities there are for our ranges. I like that it is compact and focused on cards.

Any tips for newbies?

Lunch is a great way to network at the show and the food is pretty good too!

Caroline Chatwin, buyer toys & recreation, Dobbies

What do you like about PG Live?

We love the fact that there are always lots of new companies to discover as well as our longstanding ones.

Any tips for newbies?

My tip would be to keep an open mind as you never know what amazing cards you will find. We always have a scout around, briefly scanning all of the stands to see what grabs our attention. We also like to take advice from other shop

Retro fantastic!

Stand 307

Cath Tate Cards has a whole host of new product for PG Live, including the launch of retro fantastic new range, Lost Plots!

Hand-drawn typography and illustrations from artist Lisa Robson, whose love of 70s, 80s and 90s nostalgia is clear from looking at her work. A self-professed retro film, book and music fanatic, the retro colour palette and hand-drawn type inspired by the 70s feature in each design. The range covers a wide range of occasions from birthdays, new baby, new home, and good luck.

Along with the new Lost Plots range, Cath Tate has added designs in the new and increasingly popular Pina Colada range, HotFoils and long-standing bestselling ranges, Life is Rosie and the Photocaptions.

Cath Tate Cards

0208 671 2166 www.cathtatecards.com

owners and see what they have found interesting to look at. Last year at PG we found Raspberry Blossom and love how colourful, quirky and unique their designs are. The show is a great opportunity to network and my advice to other businesses is attend PG Live every year, it’s worth it (and you get a free lunch!)

Emma Thurgood, manager

Sincerely Yours Shenfield and Hornchurch, Essex

What: PG Live 2023

When: June 6-7

Where: Business Design Centre, Islington, London Web: www.progressivegreetingslive.com

Caroline Chatwin, Emma Thurgood

Art display Stand

200

The Art File is once again absolutely delighted to be exhibiting at the upcoming PG Live, at its usual spot of Stand 200. Acting as a perfect launch pad for a mid-year launch, The Art File will be showcasing several new, unmissable greeting card ranges, as well as a number of range extensions from current popular and highperforming collections.

Alongside these exciting new collections launching at the show, The Art File also has a new and exciting licence range that will catch the eye of shoppers all over the country! Alongside these new ranges, The Art File will have range extensions for the popular Snowtap, Kate Heiss, Soulmates, and Bear collections. Make sure you’re the first to see them at the show!

Also on show will be its comprehensive award-winning Christmas 2023 collection, packed with must-haves for the upcoming festive season, such as back-to-back award-winning luxury boxes in new designs and completely recyclable packaging; the hugely commercially successful charity pack collection, which raised more than £55,000 for charities in 2022, and the show-stopping gift packaging collection, all designed to make Christmas 2023 more magical than ever before.

The Art File

0115 850 7490 | sales @theartfile.com | www.theartfile.com

Watery wonders!

Stand 180

Paper Shed Design is so excited to be back at the Business Design Centre in Islington for PG Live 2023. This show has become a firm favourite for the company after its debut show received such a warm welcome back in 2021.

Paper Shed will be launching two new waterside rangesfresh, summery designs in a mix of birthdays and blanks - By the Seashore and Down by the River. Fun illustrations of waterside creatures including Puffins, Seagulls, Otters, Ducks and more all feature in this charming new collection of greeting cards.

Also new for 2023 are notecard packs. These handy little packs feature 20 of its bestselling super cute designs. Each pack contains five small cards (125 x 125mm) printed on quality FSC credited board with recycled brown envelopes, wrapped in biodegradable cello.

Paper Shed will also be exhibiting its popular new ranges Wonderfully Wild and Christmas 2023. Both ranges were extremely well received when launched earlier this year at Spring Fair at the NEC. The Christmas range is available in a wide selection of open and family captions, and for the first time small Christmas card packs are also on offer.

Paper Shed Design launched in 2020 with its cute dog range Absolutely Barking, and made it all the way to the finals of the Henries awards last year in the Best Cute Category with The Bear, the Hare & the Mouse range. The heartwarming collections of illustrations celebrate nature and the great outdoors, available in blank, open, everyday, occasion, relation, and seasonal captions..

Giftware featuring these designs is also available from Joe Davies.

Paper Shed Design

0118 9744283 | info@papersheddesign.com | www.papersheddesign.com

Fabulous fungi and more!

Stand 231

Cinnamon Aitch is excited to show you lots of lovely new launches at PG Live in June. There will be an abundance of on-trend mushrooms blooming from cards, wrap, gift bags, eco soap, soy wax candles and lip balms sitting alongside other gorgeous colour-popping additions to the popular Bloom range of cards and gifts. With so much newness there’s not going to be mush-room for anything else…!

Popular and graphic, the bespectacled ranges He and She have seen some fabulous new designs added. Bright and bang on trend, Cinnamon Aitch is staying one step ahead of the game with fantastic illustrations combined with words of positivity that are sure to fly off the shelves. In response to customer demand, these ranges now include birthday titles - and look out for fantastic men’s soap and lip balms that now complement the He range.

There are also 20 new designs to the sensitive, pretty, Primrose Hill range, each design beautifully painted and carefully finished by hand, all proudly made in the UK. This brings the range to 38, printed on FSC luxury board and each card supplied with a bespoke envelope. Following the success of the newly launched Skylark, 22 new designs have also been added here, extending the birthday and occasion offering but also spilling into adult ages from 18 to 100 so now no one needs to feel left out! Another range supplied with bespoke envelopes and printed on gorgeous heavyweight board.

The bestselling men’s range Cobalt will also see some new additions with a fresh extension into cool new textures and colours. All Cinnamon Aitch cards, wrap and gifts continue to be beautifully designed, environmentally kind, and proudly made entirely in the UK with love.

Cinnamon Aitch 0121 773 6833

hello@cinnamonaitch.co.uk

Glow up!

Stand 317

Belly Button Designs is proud to be a leader in design. With a unique hand drawn aesthetic, a love of colour and nature, on-trend design that beautifully coordinates across its wide range of luxury greeting cards, stationery, wrapping and expanding giftware collections. Putting a heart into its art, creating planet-friendly, cutting-edge quality products, with sustainability being a key driver for Belly Button for almost 30 years...There’s a big anniversary coming up next year!

This is a great time of year for the publisher, with lots of exciting things happening behind the scenes at the Manchester-based studio. Exhibiting at PG Live this June, it’s a show the whole team all love to get involved in! They will be showcasing their new range Glow, which radiates smiles with its joyful power of colour, inspired by the heritage signature range Hearts & Flowers. Glow boasts a fresh vibrant range of greeting cards for everyday, celebrating special occasions and family relations.

Designed and sustainably made in the UK. Adorned with lots of tactile emboss and trimmed with a playful wavy scalloped edge...sure to deliver a dose of sunshine!

The Belly Button team can’t wait to see you all at PG Live, visit them on Stand 317 and discover the range for yourselves.

Belly Button Designs

0161 902 0200 enquiries@bellybuttondesigns.com www.bellybutton.cards | www.bellybutton.gifts

The new range Glow radiates smiles with its joyful power of colour, inspired by the heritage signature range Hearts & Flower

Lovely show debut

Stand 753

Jo Denning is the face (and brains!) behind Lovely Paper Stuff; a new publisher whose cards contain humorous puns, beautiful textures, luxurious finishes and a lovely pop of colour - inside and out! Each card is paired with a contrasting envelope to complement the colours and comes with or without a card clasp. All cards are sustainably sourced, printed and designed here in the UK on quality FSC board.

Using a range of special print and design techniques, Lovely Paper Stuff has, it believes, something different and appealing that will grab everyone’s attention. The bird cards are a hoot –you can actually give a duck on someone’s birthday, buy a card for an old cock, or whether you just like Great Tits… Lovely Paper Stuff has something for you.

Each card is initially hand drawn and coloured – which we

think is rather nice.

Jo and the team are so excited to be showcasing their cards for the very first time at PG Live. They will be in the Springboard area, stand 753. Any orders placed at the show will receive a 10% discount. Jo says: “Do come and see us, we are sure you won’t be disappointed!’’

Lovely Paper Stuff

07786 886223

jo@lovelypaperstuff.com

www.lovelypaperstuff.com

Pop on over!

Stand 321

Alljoy Design is thrilled to exhibit at PG live again this year at stand 321.

The team will launch its latest collection at this year’s event and will be showcasing many new designs, featuring the award-winning Message in a Bottle pop-up card range and Miniature world pop-up card, including winter and autumn scenes, under the sea animals, special occasions, and much more. Each one carefully crafted to evoke the joy and wonder of the season.

The Alljoy team is excited to share its latest collection with you and can’t wait for you to see the stunning new designs in person.

Alljoy Design

The number of new designs Rosanna Rossi will be launching exclusively at PG Live. There are three new ranges and a festive Christmas collection to feast your eyes on at the show.

Driftwood is a set of patterned designs featuring celebratory birthday illustrations with a sweet, soft palette, cards measuring 120x170mm and presented with complementing emerald and lilac envelopes.

In contrast, Floral Pop offers a burst of bright, illustrative floral birthday and relation cards, which measure 120x170mm, and finally Into the Wild is a collection of 27 contemporary birthday and occasion titles measuring 125x125mm with matching soft white envelopes. All designs are finished with shimmering raised gold foil detail.

Natural inspiration

Rosanna Rossi co-owner and designer Anna Nelson explains how she gets inspiration for her designsand why visitors will see more than 50 new designs at PG LIve!

Stand 520

Rosanna Rossi was established in 2009 and has grown organically within both the UK and around the world. Anna Nelson is the creative designer and her husband Troy works behind-the-scenes to make the business flow as smoothly as possible.

You’ll mostly find Anna in her studio either painting or outside walking the Cotswold hills. Troy enjoys the business aspects and loves creating endless graphs and spreadsheets!

However, the team that holds the business together goes far beyond a husband and wife duo, as Anna explains: “Our warehouse staff, our fantastic printers, the supportive agents and international distributors all work so hard; we have a great relationship with them and it makes a huge difference.’’

So how does Anna gain inspiration for her designs? “Design inspiration is at its best when we’re on our travels, taking time outside of the studio and away from the computer,’’ she says. “We try to book a trip away as much as possible to clear our heads and explore the great outdoors. This is also true during a design block. Getting outside of your head and into nature makes a world of difference. I have to be in the right mood to create a cohesive collection, which means the more time away from the screen and technology the better!’’

Rosanna Rossi is launching more than 50 new designs at PG Live in June - “it’s our only trade show of the year so we’re really making the most of launching lots of new designs!’’ adds Anna.

There are three new ranges and a festive Christmas collection, together with new additions to existing best-selling collections.

Alongside new ranges Driftwood, Into The Wild, and Floral Pop, there are beautiful new additions to the sophisticated Novella range with New Home and Happy Birthday titles. This collection complements Rosanna Rossi’s other ranges with its sophisticated illustrations and ‘Japanese’ style. Anna adds: “We aim to cater for lots of different tastes and price brackets. We look forward to showcasing our latest ranges at PG Live and welcome you on to our stand!’’

Rosanna Rossi

07900 698522 | info@rosanna-rossi.co.uk | www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk

Lots and lots of lovely new designs!

Make a Note

Stand 417

New for 2023, Laura Darrington Design will be showcasing new designs at PG Live. Featuring new everyday captions, the Typography inspired range - The Noted Collection - includes new Birthday, Congratulations, Thinking of You and Sympathy designs.

Get along to stand 417 to see these and many more.

Laura Darrington Design

0116 2 849660

info@lauradarrington.com

www.lauradarrington.com

Signature style

Stand 502

Jonny Javelin’s new wedding collection is featured this year at PG Live. Part of the multi-style Signature range, these 20 bright and modern wedding cards and money-wallets will appeal to the more contemporary market. The subtle colour schemes are absolutely on trend and are enhanced by embossing and lovely, fluted foil and flitter finishes. With a range of sizes and price codes, as well as same gender couple captions, there is a card to suit every wedding guest. It’s not too late to order some to brighten your wedding season display.

As ever, Jonny Javelin will also be showing the new Christmas collection with five ranges and lots of styles. They take orders right up to Christmas so come along and take a peep.

You will find Jonny Javelin on Stand 502 (a new spot for them this year).

The Jonny Javelin Card Company

01423 563740

www.jonnyjavelin.co.uk

Going for bold

Stand 201

Paperlink is gearing up to showcase an exciting array of new ranges; drawing on the talents of its skilled illustrators, the company is bringing to life a host of innovative designs that will catch the eye.

Among the new collections is the eagerly anticipated Orelia Collection. This beautiful new range features bold, cutting-edge designs that have been brought to life by the talented team at their London studio. Visitors can expect to see the finest finishes, including textured foils and standout embossing.

Alongside the Orelia Collection, the publisher will also be showcasing several other new ranges that are sure to appeal to a wide variety of customers.

Paperlink

020 7582 8244 | info@paperlink.co.uk

www.paperlink.uk

Colourful creations

Stand 206-207

Lots of colourful newness is heading to PG Live this year from Raspberry Blossom!

The team is set to release 30 new colour-infused everyday greeting cards from wedding to new baby and everything in between, as well as 25 new stationery lines, including retro floral notebooks and rainbow heart daily planners, created to clear busy minds and put pen to paper. There will be a sprinkling of festive cheer at stand 206 as Raspberry Blossom Christmas cards will be making their first debut of the year, alongside a super special collaboration at the stand opposite with Widdop for Christmas homeware and gifting.

Raspberry Blossom

01926 257757 | www.raspberryblossom.com

Show first

Stand 113

Anna, founder of West Country Designs, is looking forward to exhibiting at PG Live in June, which will be her first tradeshow! You can see Anna’s charmingly hand-painted watercolour illustrations on stand 113, in Village Green.

West Country Designs

info@westcountrydesigns.com

www.westcountrycountrydesigns.com

Street style

Stand 774

Happy Street is launching with eight bold and fabulous ranges: aiming to offer a broad mix of designs to reflect the current trends.

Button Park is a small square range with craft envelopes, the simple button has a massive appeal across all ages, especially with the current interest in all things crafty.

Mazel Tov are square Jewish celebration cards, the perfect range for those special occasions.

Paper Trail is a vibrant collage inspired, square range; Strawberry Hill, a deliciously smart gold foiled everyday range, and finally Apple Tree Lane, which offers the cutest, mini friendship cards, in contemporary shades with quirky messages. Just the thing for the cat, plant or tea lover.

07956680935

natalie@happystreetcards.co.uk

www.happystreet.co.uk

owners

Home of art and he ritage

As Museums & Galleries celebrates its 40th anniversary, we chat to owners Debbie and Alan Williams about being the custodians of an ‘iconic company’

Tell us a little about M&G and how it started. Museums & Galleries was started in 1983 by Caroline Humby Teck to provide bespoke products for museum and gallery shops. Over time the business developed to sell its own licensed ranges wholesale as well. We bought it in July 2013 and, after steadying the ship, it has grown steadily ever since.

What are you most proud of having achieved over the years?

We’re proud to be custodians of such an iconic company within the greeting card and gifts industry. When we first took over the business, we were aware that M&G had a strong and loyal customer base, but we didn’t fully appreciate the level of goodwill and passion for the company, its products and licensed brands.

M&G sits in its own unique space in the marketplace, thanks to its heritage, unique licences and longstanding collaborations with brands and retailers. Since 2013 we’ve built on a vision of ‘The Home of the Finest Arts Brands’ – a destination for retailers to find great art and heritage brands, and a place for those brands to grow and reach their audience through quality products. We feel genuinely privileged to work with such great people, customers and brands – and to help them grow too.

What has been your biggest challenge over that time?

The purchase and initial period after that, when we were learning about a whole new business while trying to get faith back into the brand. Turning M&G into a profitable company was not an overnight success story and it required continued investment. We were sustained by loyal customers and the support of our licensed brands, who could see the investment we were making in the product, and that we were in it for the long-haul. Even though M&G has grown

significantly from when we took it over, it’s rewarding to be still working with so many of the brands, artists and people that started the journey with us 10 years ago.

You work with some big names - major museums/designers…

We’re very proud to be able to work with the brands and represent them. They are household names and places, artists or much-loved characters that people are very passionate about. We work with the licensing teams or managers for each brand and build a licensing program around the specifics of each one; although we have a core set of products, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution as each brand has different strengths and appeal.

Tell us about your artists.

We have so many individual artists within the M&G collection – some as major ‘designer’ licences and

others as small collections or great one-off designs in our house ranges. The aim is to offer artworks inspired by fashion, textiles, design and literature, from contemporary illustration to great ‘Past Masters’. Some of our biggest ‘names’ are long-gone legends like William Morris or Charles Voysey, whose work is in the V&A – but their work and ethos are still compelling today. Whether a picture is 500 years old or five minutes old, it doesn’t matter – so long as it has a timeless feel and quality to it. Even though we deal with some big names and institutions, there is no barrier to entry at M&G – except ‘quality’. It’s great that an emerging or part-time artist can sit side-by-side with a Monet or Van Gogh in the same card range.

M&G is always coming up with new ideas/ products - how do you do that?

New ideas and products come as a combination of our

''Whether a picture is 500 years old or five minutes old, it doesn’t matter – so long as it has a timeless feel and quality to it''

Debbie and Alan Williams, M&G

internal ‘R&D’ and working with our agents and retailers. We’re always developing new products and ideas within the M&G studio. In recent years our range has expanded to include fabric products like Tote Bags, metal and eco drinking items, napkins and gifts like Jigsaws.

With the development of the ecoBand, removal of glue and plastic from so many products, the studio – and company as a whole – has a positive ‘can-do’ mindset. Despite having our roots in heritage art, we are an innovative company at heart. It feels like we could go in any direction, provided we have the support of our licensors and can find the right products.

Where do you hope you and the company will be in another 10 years?

To still be leading in our field and to still be working with iconic brands!

“It’s rewarding to be still working with so many of the brands, artists and people that started the journey with us 10 years ago’’

How do you look after your retailers?

We feel we have excellent customer service and – as an independent business with many independent customers – understanding of how to support retailers. M&G customers are passionate people who love our products and brands, so we want them to get the same feeling of quality when they deal with us. From our agent team to our office staff and warehouse, there’s pride in representing the brands we sell. The prompt and fast turnaround times from our new warehouse have also given customers huge confidence; when they have a hit, they know we can generally keep supplying it.

Are there any ranges you would like to highlight?

In January this year we launched our first step into ‘Tabletop’ products with a range of Paper Napkins, which has proved an instant hit. We’re already building on that with an eye to the festive season approaching we are pleased to be launching 16 Christmas paper napkins at PG Live!

Anything else you’d like to add?

We feel very fortunate to have such a strong team and such great licensors. We are a family business, of course, but many members of our team – and many of our licensors – have been with us for years, or even from the very start. That long term commitment, knowledge and trust has helped us build something really special. It does feel like an extended ‘M&G family’ of staff, agents, brands and customers. We wouldn’t be anywhere without them – and we hope to be with them in another 10 years!

Museums

01373

The team on Christmas Jumper Day

Sophie Bylina, administration and relationship manager and Tom Williams, general manager

Sweet as candy

From cuddly plush to the sweetest animal and cute character cards, this selection couldn’t be more adorable

Goodies not baddies!

Expanding its juvenile offering, Laura Darrington Design is excited to launch its newest children’s line: The Goodies Collection.

Featuring general birthday, age, Mothers and Fathers Day captions - the collection features rounded edges, a bespoke envelope and is perfect for all your little baddies.

Laura Darrington Design

0116 2 849660 | info@lauradarrington.com

www.lauradarrington.com

Go on an adventure

Meet the Animal Adventure range at Rainbow Designs - a carefully curated range of Everyday Softs for Baby and the cutest and most adorable line up of animal soft toys for kids of all ages.

The Safe and Soft range of infant soft toys has been crafted with care, to create the perfect first cuddly friends for babies. The adorable Elephant, Puppy and Bunny characters have been created with patented, soft antibacterial and hypoallergenic fabrics, so parents can have peace of mind knowing the products their little ones hold are safe and clean. The Safe and Soft toys resist both odours and stains, and are tested against the common bacteria strains; Staphylococcus Aureus and Klebsiella Pneumoniae, with its durable antimicrobial material, proven to destroy 99% of bacteria, mould and fungi, to ensure they are as safe as possible against baby’s skin.

The Animal Adventure Cuddles Collection for Kids is an extensive range of soft toys in a wide variety of themes and formats, including the Little Luxuries Plush, Dangle Bears, and Puppy Pals, featuring an adorable Husky and Corgi! In addition, there is also the vibrant Dinoriffics collection as well as the Barnyard Buddies and Puddle Jumpers ranges that includes the super cute Booplesnoots Highland Cow! Perfectly positioned for card store gifting is Rainbow’s iconic and contemporary Peanuts collection, which showcases the coolest Beagle on the planet, Snoopy. The Everybody Loves Snoopy range features Charles Schulz’s much-loved iconic characters in a range of cuddly soft toys that make a perfect gift for any Snoopy fan.

For Q4, don’t forget The Snowman and Snowdog range; Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without Raymond Brigg’s timeless characters! Fans of the festive period, both young and old, can join in the magical, festive fun with Rainbow’s super soft and cuddly Snowman and Snowdog soft toys including the Musical Snowman toy that plays the iconic ‘We’re Walking in the Air’ lullaby.

Too cute!

You can’t get much cuter than Paperlink’s Honeysuckle Lane collection with its endearing illustrations of baby animals. Each card features a realistic portrayal of a cute animal including hedgehogs, pigs, cows, owls, squirrels, and other woodland creatures, set against a backdrop of beautiful flowers and foliage. The tasteful use of colour makes these cards both subtle and charming, perfect for a variety of occasions. With a focus around nature, these cards capture the beauty of the natural world and will be a hit with both animal lovers and nature enthusiasts alike.

Paperlink

020 7582 8244 | info@paperlink.co.uk

www.paperlink.uk

Hop to it!

Rachel Ellen Designs’ Hip Hop cards are fun and playful for kids. With Rachel’s bright, handpainted designs, they fold with a reverse fold and feature a playful die-cut and cut-out shape that complements and interacts with the design. Hot gold foil finish on textured board with vibrant inks. The cards measure 150 x 150 and are supplied with a coordinating coloured envelope.

Rachel Ellen Designs

0115 9700 321 | www.rachelellen.co.uk

Pawfect combination

Pink and Mint Design loves to celebrate two things; tiny dogs and cake! The perfect combination for any cute greetings card, hopefully accompanied by the real thing. These cards are perfect for your puppy-loving friend, or why not treat your pooch on their birthday? The perfect excuse to throw a puppy party. Don’t forget the actual cake or you may hear lots of whining. May cause serious hunger pains, so be prepared and armed with baked goods.

Pink and Mint Design

07841666101

suzanne@pinkandmintdesign.co.uk

www.pinkandmintdesign.co.uk

Happy birthday Boofle!

2023 marks the 15th anniversary of everyone’s favourite snugglesome pup… Boofle. To celebrate, UK Greetings is launching 15 new designs, featuring hand-drawn illustrations by Boofle creator David Blake. Taking inspiration from bestsellers over the past 15 years, David has recreated these special poses in a beautiful new style that brings Boofle to life in a soft, gentle and really appealing way.The designs are fresh and stylish and have been finished in a contemporary palette, featuring a gorgeous new floral pattern.

UK Greetings

salesandservice@ukgreetings.co.uk

Cushions and candlesticks

Raspberry Blossom’s popular Pawsome collection has been brought to life by a collaboration with Widdop, creating super cute cat and dog festive cushions and candlesticks to sit lovingly alongside the existing Christmas cards.

The sweet cushioned animals have tufted features and intricate embroidery to bring their personalities to life and, much like the Pawsome collection, the dog and cat candlesticks emulate the 3D touch and feel of the greeting cards to create a wonderfully luxe and tactile feel.

Raspberry Blossom

01926 257757

www.raspberryblossom.com

An ancient art

Huong Nguyen Wolf, co-founder and CEO of Quilling Card, introduces the company

Tell us the background of Quilling Card - how did it come about?

I was inspired to start Quilling Card because of my desire to preserve and share the lost, ancient art of quilling. I grew up in Vietnam and began my career in marketing, but after dedicating years to advancing the dreams of others, I decided to leave the industry and pursue my own. I would go on to use the valuable entrepreneurial experience I had gained over the years to build a foundation to share my love of quilling with others. In late November of 2011 while at our apartment in Saigon, my husband Raphael and I created Quilling Card, which would come to be a flourishing greeting card company.

What did you do before you started the company?

Prior to starting Quilling Card, I worked in marketing throughout Southeast Asia and the US for large corporations such as Unilever and L’Oréal. I have to say that Unilever seasoned me as a marketer and L’Oreal trained me as an entrepreneur. I was able to leverage these experiences to shape Quilling Card to what it is today.

How do you produce so many cards when they are all handmade?

In the beginning, we were a one-woman show. We quickly multiplied to 10, then 100 and now 1,000 quillers. Today we are very fortunate to have such a remarkable team of talented artisans across five factories in Vietnam, my native country, with 90% of our quillers being female.

And what is the aim of the company?

Quilling is still a long-lost art in many places around the globe and we are proud that Quilling Card has become the premier source of preserving and sharing this beautiful art form as it is our mission to keep it alive and flourishing.

Tell us about your artists/designs.

We are proud to have given jobs to hundreds of locals, most being young women from rural areas surrounding Ho Chi Minh City who have little education due to a lack of resources. We have a complete training programme that provides all the tools necessary for those interested to become experts in quilling. Each artisan comes to truly enjoy the craft and meditative state that quilling provides, spending approximately one hour to complete each design.

What about new ranges?

‘‘The biggest accomplishment of Quilling Card is most certainly our Guinness World Record titles for Most People Quilling Simultaneously and The Largest Quilling Paper Mosaic Image’’

We are always thinking of new ways to push quilling to its limits. Most recently, we have developed our Quilled Artist Series, which uses the art of quilling to translate the paint strokes of famous works of art into quilled masterpieces of their own. The collection currently includes 12 designs depicting works by Klimt, Van Gogh, Seurat, Monet, Renoir and Hokusai.

What do you offer other than cards?

Although we started as primarily a greeting card company, our passion for this art has led us to explore quilling for all kinds of gifts - we have launched specialty gifts such as journals, sticky note covers, jewellery, hair accessories, decorative wall art, DIY quilling kits, ornaments, and custom designs. Our goal is to make quilling a staple piece in homes across the world!

Anything in particular you are especially proud of?

We have so much to be proud of; we have won multiple Louie awards for our greeting card designs in various categories over the past 10 years. We also have received the People’s Choice Award for Global Goodness at the Las Vegas Market in 2017. We were awarded second place for the Best Local Company by Ho Chi Minh City authorities in 2019; and in 2020, our Quilled Braille Greeting Card was awarded the MSA Buyer’s Choice Award for Paper Products.

The biggest accomplishment of Quilling Card is most certainly our Guinness World Record titles for Most People Quilling Simultaneously and The Largest Quilling Paper Mosaic Image. We set these records in honor of our 10 year anniversary in spring 2022. The 15ft tall and 19ft wide mosaic depicts Van Gogh’s Starry Night. The piece took more than 300 artisans nearly 3,400 hours of quilling to complete. Our hope is for the mosaic to become a travelling art piece. orders@quillingcard.com

It’s the thought that counts

Sometimes, we send a card ‘just because’. To help cheer up a friend, tell someone we’re proud of them - or just to remind them that we’re thinking about them. Here’s a selection that do just that.

Usually we send a greeting card so the recipient knows that we are thinking of them on their special day - whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or sadder occasion such as a bereavement. But recentlyand especially since the pandemic when we were unable to meet our loved ones in person - the trend for sending cards just to let someone know you care, has risen in popularity.

The Greeting Card Association’s Thinking of You Week also taps into the trendencouraging the public to ‘send a card, deliver a smile’. This year’s event runs from September 18-24, so this is a perfect time to start putting in your orders.

Dr Emma Lawrence, illustrator and owner of Emma Lawrence Designs, explains some of the benefits of sending cards on mental health, on the GCA blog.

She says: “Every stage of selecting, sending and receiving cards has a psychological element. There are many reasons for sending a card but whatever the occasion, alongside the picture on the front, you are expressing an emotion and communicating a feeling to the recipient. This isn’t just in the words written in the card but the card itself and the whole process of sending a card.

“When a card is received, an emotional response is elicited. The limbic system plays a part in this stage, with its role in behaviour, emotion and emotional memory. Studies have found that the emotional response to a greetings card is greater than to a digital message or email. A card is often easily recognised amongst the dull, typed envelopes containing bills or bank statements. This creates an immediate feeling of excitement, anticipation and surprise. Even if you are expecting cards on a birthday, you never know until you tear open the envelope what the card will look like or what is written inside. Some cards are so beautiful or significant that they can feel like receiving a gift.’’

You can find out more about Thinking of You Week on the website at www.thinkingofyouweek.cards, where you can also download a free toolkit with posters and online posts to encourage customers to take part.

Our cards have a wide offering of thoughtful, thinking of you captions, and we’ve added many more over the past year or so. It’s a time when people need more emotional support, and a card is the perfect way to tell someone you’re thinking of them; it’s tactile and a visual reminder that lasts much longer than a text message, it’s a paper hug. I’d expect there to be more demand for thoughtful cards in the future. They act as a little bit of reassurance in times of uncertainty

Tracey Colliston, Ginger Betty

Thinking of you captions have always been a popular part of our Sympathy collections and do really well for us. During the Covid pandemic these captions were very popular for obvious reasons. Special friend cards with thoughtful words have always been incredibly popular, too. Our cute Fudge & Friends Sending You a Hug is a favourite, for sure. We plan to continually expand in this category, responding to a need to express emotional and heartfelt good wishes to friends and families

Jonny Spears, The Jonny Javelin Card Company

Rainbow Designs

Rainbow Designs has a host of adorable toys and gifts in its best-selling collection that make the perfect gift or accompaniment to show friends and loved ones just how much you care. Make their day with Rainbow’s Guess How Much I Love You collection of high-quality soft toys of the much-loved Nutbrown Hares from the heart-felt children’s storybook. The super soft and cuddly Large Nutbrown Hare Soft Toy, with ‘I Love You’ embroidered on his paw, makes a wonderful gift for all ages, and is perfect to let them know just how much you love them.

01329 227300 www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Danilo

During the pandemic, and especially in lockdowns, it was a key time for reaching out to one another and offering support. This positive sentiment has continued and Danilo has grown its Thinking of you and Friendship’categories in line with this. For example, its official Bright Side range now features a range of positive caption cards including Thank You Muchly and Completely, Totally Proud of You.

01992 702 900

sales@danilo.com | www.danilo.com

Laura Darrington Design

Treat your loved one to a beautiful, design-led greetings card, to remind them just how much you have them in your thoughts.

Laura Darrington’s Noted Collection features new Deepest Sympathy, Sending a Hug and Thinking of You designs that are perfect for lending your support to a loved one or relative.

0116 2 849660 | info@lauradarrington.com

www.lauradarrington.com

Focus on...

LeTTerbox Love

Meraki’s Little Acts of Kindness range is bold and beautiful. Bright colours combine with inspirational messages to create a fun feel to these cards. They are a fantastic way for senders to show someone they care, and send positive vibes their way.

020 7840 2662

info@merakigreetingcards.co.uk

www.merakigreetingcards.co.uk

Kindness and positivity

Kerry Bilson talks to Greetings Today about the concept behind Letterbox Love

Tell us a little about Letterbox Love.

Letterbox Love is a jewellery gifting business, well known for our sentimental bracelets, which are designed to bring comfort, positivity and kindness. We are a husband and wife-run business that started in the chaotic year that was 2020. Letterbox Love has gone from strength to strength, from winning Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur awards to taking on corporate gifting projects for the likes of Team England at the 2022 Commonwealth games. That year saw significant growth for Letterbox Love as we moved into our second premises and proudly featured in national publications such as the Daily Mail, House & Garden magazine to name a few! We supplied bracelets for the VIPs at the Capital Summertime Ball 2022, were stocked in shops worldwide, and there is much, much more to come.

You began during the pandemic? Tell us more…

I’ve never been one to sit still and although still working full time in recruitment, I was overcome with ambition. I wanted to make the most of this spare time I now had, so overwhelmed by the news and in awe of the incredible people that were working hard to keep us safe and keep the country going, I knew I wanted to find a way to spread a little positivity in the post. I found writing the poems really calming and before I knew it I had a little collection of bracelets that were selling quickly on Etsy! Liam saw the potential for the business; he quit his operations management role and spent his days building the website, optimising sales platforms and gearing the business up ready for me to quit my job to do Letterbox Love full time alongside him!

Explain what ranges you have.

We are constantly working on new ranges and are currently working with a talented illustrator for our recent Fairytale Friends Collection. Others include Congratulations; Birthdays; Pick me up; Wedding; Seeded Card

& Wish Bracelet; Friendship; Family; Mens; Birthstones. Plus, Cities and Regionsthis is a bit of a unique selling point for us; if any of our stockists are in a tourist spot and would like a specific bracelet about the area, we can design this with them free of charge - we just ask that a minimum order is met. I have had a lot of fun with this range and already produced some beautiful bracelets for the Lakes, London, Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Cornwall to name a few.

If retailers could only choose one range or a small selection to stock - what would you recommend?

As we approach summer you can’t go wrong with a loaded Seeded Card & Wish Bracelet stand, they are absolutely a customer favourite and the perfect time to get planting! To trial Letterbox Love our go-to 12 unit wish bracelet stand is a huge hit; this contains 12 best selling designs and 60 bracelets, a real little space saving display and looks absolutely beautiful! 07908025060

‘More than just a card’

Ginger Betty began about five years ago and now sends product all across the UK and as far afield as Australia and the US. Owner Tracey Colliston talks to us about her journey

PG Live Stand 424

Ginger Betty started around five years ago, when my husband Pete and I decided to combine our creative skills and begin our own greeting card company. I’d been illustrating for various greeting card companies for many years and Pete’s background is in design, advertising and marketing. The time was right to begin working together and doing what we’re best at!

At the same time that we were trying to think of a name for our new venture, our daughter Amy was leaving home for university. As a young girl, Amy loved to watch me sketching and illustrating cute animals, birds and imaginary little worlds, while she held her small rag doll with ginger hair, which she named ‘Ginger Betty’. She used to take Betty everywhere with her, so this name seemed like a perfect fit, and Ginger Betty was born.

We began with a small range of Owl’s Nest cards, which customers found endearing straight away. The range has grown and the offering has expanded into a much larger card collection, keepsake cards, plaques and gift wrap. Owl’s Nest won the best cute range at The Henries in 2021, and the License This competition, gaining recognition throughout the greeting card and licensing industries.

Across the world

Ginger Betty now supplies more than 500 independent retailers in the UK, distributes in Europe and Australia, licenses in the US and has recently begun to supply The National Trust. Recently we have moved to fulfilment, which allows us to be more creative and do what we love.

I paint the designs in watercolour and find using paints physically really helps to capture feelings and expression in the illustrations. The board we print on is very similar to the watercolour paper used, so it feels authentic.

Our style is distinctive in that it’s cute with a modern edge, bridging a gap that appeals to both the traditional and the more contemporary retailer, and both young and old, making it really versatile. We aim to convey feelings in a gentle manner; not too ‘gushy’ but just the right level to create an emotion that connects with people. The delicate illustrations and thoughtful words make a lovely combination; it’s more than just a card, you’re buying into a feeling.

Our keepsake cards feature more words and are a lovely little card to keep in a purse or wallet as a reminder. The captions are relevant, and offer a bit of support, encouragement, or a virtual hug!

We are adding to this range in the coming weeks, with various caption requests from customers.

Words and More

With the success of the keepsake cards, we moved on to adding more words to our standard cards, and launched the Words and More range. These have proved popular and again will be added to, to increase the offering.

In contrast, our Little Windows collection is a blank contemporary range, which allows the customer to choose their own emotion. These have four different coloured envelopes and add a point of difference to our ranges. We also have ‘Sunshine on Leaf’, a photographic, felted range of 12 designs.

Our bestselling range continues to be Owl’s Nest, which we are constantly adding to! The more open captions in the range feature our signature debossed leaf, and the relations captions have a wooden leaf attached to add a point of value. Our current baby designs do particularly well, which has led us on to design a new concept - Baby Betty - a new collection that we’re so excited to launch at PG Live this year. The range will feature baby Owl’s Nest images, have delicate debossing and will cover various formats and captions.

Please come and take a look, we will be exhibiting at PG Live, London on June 6-7, stand 424, and at Harrogate Home and Gift, July 16 -19, stand D68, DP1.

“The delicate illustrations and thoughtful words make a lovely combination; it’s more than just a card, you’re buying into a feeling’’

British by design

Whether they are made in the UK or depict much-loved British characters and landmarks, these suppliers and retailers want to support great British design…

Cherry Orchard

For nearly 30 years, Cherry Orchard has had long-standing relationships with its British printers and suppliers. Supporting local businesses has such a knock-on effect and impact not only within the local communities but the wider economy too. Cherry Orchard is proud to produce its product in the UK and not only are the cards of an extremely high quality, the company is also significantly reducing the miles that the products have travelled while lowering their carbon footprint.

While Cherry Orchard has found that its customers are not definitely demanding that products are made in the UK they really do feel a responsibility and have found that retailers are more conscious and aware of where the product is being shipped from than ever before. As a company Cherry Orchard are proud supporters to be championing Great British suppliers.

While keeping it British, Cherry Orchard has also made a conscious decision to support high street customers and once again held back any price increases, which Jackie Collins, MD, says she will continue to do for as long as is possible.

Cherry Orchard continues to offer a great British product with no compromises at a great British price!

01684 295500 | info@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

Paddington in the toys section has definitely had an increase this year, plus customers do like to see made-in-the-UK products Caroline Chatwin, buyer toys & recreation at Dobbies

Laura Darrington Design

Laura Darrington Design is proud to design, print, warehouse and publish every one of its designs exclusively in the UK. Laura says: “Cut us in half and we bleed red, white and blue!’’

To celebrate this coronation year Laura decided to honour the true British icon that is ‘London at Christmas’, as featured on one of the newest Christmas designs in the Spectrum Collection. A mixture of seasonal cheerfulness, the smell of mulled wine and last-minute panic.

0116 2 849660

info@lauradarrington.com | www.lauradarrington.com

The Art File is proud to print its entire greeting cards collection right here in the UK. It’s important to produce as many of our products in the UK as we can.

The benefits of dealing with UKbased suppliers are that we are able to support long-standing family-owned businesses that have been operating for longer than many of us have been in the industry, now run by people that grew up in and around printing factories. Ultimately, UK suppliers are among some of the most passionate, reliable and talented in the industry.

Beyond that, The Art File is committed to reducing their environmental impact as much as possible therefore dealing with UK suppliers eliminates the requirement for international shipping

James

Mace, The Art File

Rainbow Designs

The Best of British theme is one synonymous with the Rainbow Designs family. Its stable of British brand collections of high-quality soft and wooden toys includes the nation’s most-loved characters, including the nostalgic Paddington Bear from Peru via London, Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit set in the beautiful Lake District and Winnie the Pooh from 100 Acre Wood

This year, Paddington marks his 65th anniversary, and this bear has never been more loved and celebrated than he is today. Rainbow has a Paddington range for every age, including the best-selling Classic collection of Paddington Bears, alongside a playfully refreshed Paddington for Baby collection.

Rainbow’s beautiful Peter Rabbit collection of infant soft toys and gifts features the mischievous Peter Rabbit and his fun-loving sister, Flopsy Bunny. Born from the charming stories written by Beatrix Potter, set in the heart of the English countryside, the Lake District, Rainbow’s Signature and Once Upon a Time collections are a very popular choice for parents, grandparents and gift givers.

The best-selling Winnie the Pooh Hundred Acre Wood Collection brings to life Disney’s much-loved and iconic characters in a whimsical collection of high-quality baby soft toys. The range includes super soft plush toys, comforters and rattles, and pays homage to the classic heritage of A.A. Milne’s beloved stories and E.H. Shepard’s illustrations.

01329 227300

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Creating our products in the UK is important to us for various reasons; supporting fellow UK businesses, reducing carbon footprint with deliveries within the UK, faster delivery times for us means we can move quickly from design to products on the shelves, and I feel it makes our brand more authentic and genuine. I believe there is a more increased demand for UK-made products, especially with environmental issues becoming more prevalent

Tracey Colliston, Ginger Betty

Jonny Javelin has always used UK (mainly Yorkshire) producers for our printing, envelopes, cello-bags and despatching. We do this to support local businesses, and we get great service and fast turnaround from all of them. Plus we are able to easily monitor and check the quality and progress of our products during the process

Jonny Spears, Jonny Javelin

Pink and Mint Design

Pink and Mint design was founded in London, a city providing endless inspirational ideas for design. This range of cards sees the city through a vibrant and colourful lens, something to brighten even the greyest of rainy days, with many in the company’s signature colours. The cards are intended to be framed after use, doubling as a greetings card and an A5 print. All Pink and Mint’s cards are designed in London and printed in Kent with envelopes sourced from Yorkshire. Matching prints are available in various sizes.

07841666101

suzanne@pinkandmintdesign.co.uk

www.pinkandmintdesign.co.uk

We do love stockists whose products are designed and made in Britain. For example, we have recently acquired a few new gift ranges by Toasted Crumpet and we have been blown away by the designs and quality of the products

Emma Thurgood, manager, Sincerely Yours, Essex

Royal Mail campaign

As we went to press, the GCA was urging members to have their say in its survey on Royal Mail and the issues affecting the greetings industry.

David Falkner, director at Cardology GCA Council member and lead on the GCA’s Royal Mail sub-committee told members: ‘’To my mind, there is no bigger single issue affecting our industry than our end customers’ ability to send the cards they’ve purchased. If last Christmas taught us anything, it was that we shouldn’t take this ability for granted.

‘’Your responses give Amanda [Fergusson, GCA CEO] and the team a massive mandate for the lobbying they undertake in the background every single day, and it’s working! We have learned that messages we’ve recently championed made it onto the Labour Party’s policy priorities. And Amanda discussed the same directly with the Government Minister responsible for post; Kevin Hollinrake, and Ofcom announced a further investigation into Royal Mail’s Letter’s performance over 2022-23.’’

Duggoons Greeting Cards is making its debut in Springboard Intro at PG Live this June. Based in S.E. London, Duggoons is (currently) a oneman band consisting of Peter Duggan (“That’s me!” shouts the sweaty guy lugging the amps and drum kit onto the stage). Positive sales and feedback with both Etsy and Greenwich Market has finally convinced him, ok me, that it is high time I stopped selling directly to the customer and let the experts have a go. How it started: Having long been in the habit of both painting and making short funny films, some close friends strongly suggested that I should consider becoming a cartoonist. They reasoned it would combine my love of hand-drawn imagery with comedy. This seemed outlandish – I had never drawn cartoons before – but in giving it a go I realised it took far less time than making a film, and for much the same comic payoff. I also stumbled upon the fact that the history of art was an untouched goldmine of comic potential. I drew five, sent them out into the world and to my delight and dawning terror I was offered a weekly strip in The Guardian online (Peter Duggan’s Artoons). During this threeand-a-half-year period of publicly honing

GCA highlights importance of cards to NFSP

GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson spoke about the importance of greeting cards at the National Federation of Sub-postmasters (NFSP) annual conference in Stratford-upon-Avon in May.

Amanda gave an insight into the greeting card industry, and spoke about how sub postmasters could make their store a destination for greeting cards, as well as sharing top tips from GCA publishers already supplying sub-postmasters, including a card Emotional Rescue (pictured) had designed especially for the occasion!

Amanda also shared tips from Asma and Andrew Hart, who took over a failing Post Office in suburban Harrogate. They completely over-hauled their card selection, focusing on quality cards from a wide range of suppliers, and in 2022 sold more than 50,000 cards, a target they are set to beat in 2023 with the opening of their second store.

GCA Conference

There will be updates on the Royal Mail campaign at the GCA conference. Last chance deadline to book earlybird tickets for the event in Leeds on Thursday September 28 at the Royal Armouries Museum is June 19. See the GCA website at www.gca.cards for details.

previously non-existent cartooning skills, one of my cartoons, on the subject of contrapposto, went viral. “What if I earned 1p every time this was shared?” That thought was my entry into the business of greeting cards. This was another welcome shift in mindset. I started thinking seriously about what makes a great greeting card. My Birthday and Christmas ranges are very popular and now sell a lot more than my Artoons. All of us here at Duggoons are looking forward to presenting three new ranges at PG Live.

GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson met with Kevin Hollinrake at the NFSP annual conference

Made to order

Greetings Today finds out more about award-winning Alljoy Design, which is a specialist in detailed, pop-up cards, and offers a bespoke service to a number of attractions and landmarks, including Chester Zoo and Blenheim Palace

Tell us a little about Alljoy

Alljoy Design Ltd is a company that specialises in creating innovative and unique pop-up greeting cards and paper art designs and more. Founded in 2012, it is based in Ireland.

Our products are known for attention to detail, and the use of intricate paper engineering techniques and various illustration styles. The team is dedicated to creating beautiful and innovative paper art products that bring joy and wonder to people’s lives.

How did the idea for the the bespoke cards come about?

Our bespoke pop-up and 3D cards were developed over a period of time; it is a combination of customer demand, market research, creative inspiration and

collaboration with customers. We actively engage with our customers and involve them in the design process. This approach has inspired us to create bespoke pop-up cards that reflect the individuality and creativity of our customers and to develop unique and personalised pop-up card designs that meet the needs and preferences of our customers.

What are the benefits of the bespoke products?

The key benefit is in the creation of a greeting card specific to the request of the individual retailer. They work with us to help design the final version, bringing their local knowledge and understanding to the product. It is a unique product exclusive to that retailer.

How does the process for bespoke cards work?

The process is very simple. Through simple conversation with retailers, we will deliver a final bespoke pop-up card and a unique and personalised experience. The retailer works with our team of agents and head office.

Have you been surprised by the response to the bespoke offering?

We will always feel thrilled and filled with joy when we hear that our customers appreciate our designs. And it also gives us an opportunity to experience and to know local people and history better.

Who has taken part so far?

The range of customers is amazing; we supply bespoke designs to Liverpool Cathedral, Chester Zoo, Blenheim Palace, and The Fitzwilliam Museum, along with some independent retailers.

If someone is interested in bespoke cards

how can they start the process with you? Contact us via email or through our team of agents. We will respond very quickly, usually the agent will be in touch to discuss the ideas.

Rainbow Designs

The new Animal Adventure range now available from Rainbow Designs offers super cute impulse buys at great pick-up prices. The ultra-soft and squishy Squeeze with Love Little Dumplings are totally squeezable plush toys made with the most pillowy-soft stuffing and are available in a variety of adorable, colourful characters including a dog, a cat, a hedgehog and a turtle. At just £9.99, they make a wonderful snuggly gift!

01329 227300

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

Pick-up lines

Afropop Socks

Afropop Socks is a new line of socks that celebrates African culture. Designed to reflect the richness and diversity of African art and heritage, the range comprises designs inspired by all 54 countries on the continent. Each sock is made with premium quality materials to ensure comfort, durability, and style.

Afropop Socks founder Isaac Prempeh says: “Our socks are not just a fashion statement, but a way to connect with African culture. We want to share our love for Africa with the world, one sock at a time.

sales@afropopsocks.com

www.afropopsocks.com

Alexander Thurlow

With summer on the horizon, Alexander Thurlow wants to hold onto this new season as long as possible. Allow them to capture these memories with Primroses that embellish a perfect summer’s day. New pieces include a smaller primrose pendant as well as these gorgeous drop earrings that are sure to complete any outfit.

These adorable accessories add to a collection of favourites including the much-loved bluebell and lily of the valley lines that prove popular all year round. What’s more, they have you covered with summer scarves too, and the vibrant floral designs are the perfect eye catcher.

020 8766 6466 | sales@alexanderthurlow.com

www.alexanderthurlow.com

Add to your customer basket spend with these impulse buys - perfect to pop by the till area…

Our keepsake cards and plaques are a good impulse buy. Quite often the CDUs are placed close to the till area, where they always do best. With the small price points they’re a great pick up, and often customers will buy several. We expanded into this area to increase our offering and make the range interesting and add variety. Also, it’s a small investment in our product, which often leads to bigger sales

Tracey Colliston, Ginger Betty

Laura Darrington Design

As part of its ever-expanding catalogue of products, Laura Darrington Design dipped a very tentative toe into the exciting world of boxed cards last year with the introduction of its Card Packs. Featuring five cards/five envelopes, they include Christmas, Thank You, Juvenile Birthday and Easter designs all lovingly presented in a nifty little craft box.

0116 2849660

info@lauradarrington.com

Joe Davies

Phone bags are this summer’s hottest trend for holding your essentials. The Equilibrium Fashion Accessories Collection from Joe Davies has a whole range of phone bags to offer, including pastel and naturalcoloured options which are the perfect way to accessorise your summer look. These useful crossbody bags fit your phone, a credit card and little else.

All Joe Davies products are available in its trademark ‘little and often’ quantities with a minimum order value of just £100 and free nationwide delivery.

0161 975 6300 | sales@joedavies.co.uk | www.joedavies.co.uk

Best Kept Secrets

Choosing a candle for a mum, friend, sister, or daughter - it’s a lovely gift to give. It gives the person buying it the chance to really think about the recipient. You can choose a fragrance that captures their personality perfectly, the item looks good in their home and it can be used for self-care.

01670 512222 | sales@bestkeptsecrets.co.uk www.bestkeptsecrets.co.uk

Rachel Ellen Designs

Rachel Ellen Designs has several fantastic products that fit the impulse buy brief perfectly. From its wide range of pens, gel pens seem to be hard to resist! With 36 pens across two designs supplied in a compact display tub, the pens are unmistakably Rachel Ellen. They have vibrant, colourful and fun designs jumping out of the clear barrel. With either a heart- of star-shaped lid topper, the pens are irresistible to customers of any age, and are obviously perfect to write greeting cards!

0115 970 0321

sales@rachelellen.co.uk www.rachelellen.co.uk

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Keeping it fresh

Greetings Today chats to Emma Thurgood, manager of Sincerely Yours, which has two shops in the Essex towns of Shenfield and Hornchurch

Can you tell us a little about your background before you owned the shop?

I studied art & design and photography before moving into the family business with my mum, who has owned the shops for 14 years.

I’ve always been interested in design, and I have full control over all aspects of presentation and marketing. We share responsibility for the buying and I think we make a really good team, as we have complementary skills.

And can you tell us a little about the shops. We have two medium-sized shops in Essex, both located on the busy high streets of the towns of Shenfield and Hornchurch. We are in areas that are rich in independent businesses, surrounded by schools - both of which generate good footfall.

I like to think we offer more than just cards and gifts: we pride ourselves on being known as a destination shop. Customer service is a big thing for us, and we always try to be as helpful as possible. I do a lot of bespoke gift wrapping for some customers at peak times such as Mother’s Day and especially Christmas.

What have been the best moments for you since you opened the shops?

One of the standout moments has to be when we won ‘Best Independent Greetings Card Retailer East Anglia’ back in 2019 [also just named as a 2023 finalist!]. We also feel a huge sense of achievement when we have record card sales for any season, which we did for Valentines and Mother’s Day this year.

And the worst?

Our worst moments were undoubtedly during the prolonged lockdowns. It was soul-destroying that we were unable to open for so many months, and I was extremely demoralised. However, I used the time wisely and created our website during the first lockdown,

and was then able to offer postal and click-and-collect during the subsequent periods.

How do you source products?

I find a lot of inspiration on social media but, most importantly, from our customers. I listen to what customers want and then try to find products to best suit everyone’s needs. Mum and I really enjoy attending Spring Fair, as we find it’s the best way to source new products and see everything the industry has to offer under one roof.

What is your selection criteria?

When selecting cards, we tend to look for fresh new designs that our customers may not have seen before. We sell through cards very quickly, which allows us to keep the racks nice and fresh. Our customers are always looking for new designs when shopping with us. We have a very loyal client base in both shops and we understand what each shop needs to satisfy everybody.

Selecting gifts is very different to cards, as we try

‘‘

Card sales have, and always will be, our bread-and-butter’’

to offer something a bit different to most high street shops. Taking into account the area and surrounding shops, we curate gift displays based on a few key groups. These include gifts for kids, for her, and for him, plus homeware. Jellycat is a huge seller for us, along with Katie Loxton and Joma Jewellery. And Wrendale is a particular firm favourite in our Hornchurch shop.

How is trading for you at the moment?

This year, we’ve noticed a marked trend towards highend card product. Customers are happy to pay for quality and we are regularly selling out and restocking the top-end luxury cards.

What’s your demographic like?

Our demographic varies massively. We try to cater for everyone - from children popping in to buy cards for their parents or school friends, right up to the very elderly buying for all the generations below them.

We tend to have whole families shop with us, as most either live locally, or know what we have and love our selection.

How do you get word out there - do you use social media, local advertising, word of mouth?

I started to promote our business via social media properly a few years ago. In the beginning, it was very daunting but I soon found my stride. I find this to be one of the most effective ways to advertise as I’m able to upload lots of content, varying from cards to our gifting displays. I also post ‘behind-the-scenes’ content of my day and what I get up to when managing the shops. Being a creative person, I enjoy photographing our products and curating shop window displays.

We’re aware that a lot of customers spread the word about our shops, which draws people in from further afield. Customers often tell me they’ve seen me on social media, particularly Instagram, and that they were desperate to come and see what we have in person. I aim to be myself when posting stories; I chat to our followers as we have a lot of fun and I like to show that we offer a welcoming environment.

Do you sell both in the shop and online? If so, what is the split?

We sell both in the shops and online. I’m currently in the process of revamping our website. Now, three years on, I feel it’s time to update it and I’m making changes to add more products. Being completely self-taught, I’m very proud that I’ve been able to build and solely maintain our website.

As for selling cards online, of course we cannot mirror what we have in the stores as we stock

hundreds of lines! Although, I will be adding a few select lines from certain companies including Five Dollar Shake, Belly Button Designs, UK Greetings and Ling Designs, to name a few.

Card sales have, and always will be, our bread-andbutter. Customers love coming in-store to browse and read our vast selection. I believe that unless a person is after something completely bespoke, they’re not looking for greetings cards online.

Have you seen the average cost of your products go up - and if so, how have you dealt with it?

The average cost has gone up gradually for some products, and more drastically for others. We’ve found that because customers want what we have, they are willing to pay the increased prices, as they are unable to easily find such products locally elsewhere.

For some items such as helium balloons, we have ceased sales, as the cost of helium has risen drastically. To make sales viable, we would have to increase our prices by a lot - and I know our customers wouldn’t be happy to pay it.

Do customers ask for eco-friendly product? Is this something you try to stock?

All our handbags and accessories are made from vegan leather, making them a great offering for our eco-friendly customers. For ladies, we offer a large selection of Katie Loxton bags as well as a variety by Alice Wheeler. We stock a range of male bags and accessories too - also made from vegan leather - by Paul Oliver.

When it comes to cards, we aim to have almost all of them unwrapped when delivered, as I feel it’s extremely important to cut down on plastic waste where possible. Some companies are now using recycled/recyclable coverings on their cards. I personally think the small stickers securing the envelope inside the card is enough, as it stays neat and does the job.

What brands have been particularly popular with your customers?

Without a doubt, one of our most popular brands is

‘‘We tend to look for fresh new designs that our customers may not have seen before’’

Jellycat (for obvious reasons), closely followed by Katie Loxton, which is becoming more widely recognised in our window displays and on social media.

Peppermint Grove candles and diffusers have been extremely popular for us over the years and continue to be so as they release new fragrances. We have proudly converted a lot of our customers to these gorgeous home fragrance products from other higher-priced designer brands.

In terms of the most popular card companies, it really depends on who the recipient is. Quite often customers ask for help finding the perfect card, and we always ask a bit about the recipient to best advise which collections to look at.

“I like to think we offer more than just cards and gifts: we pride ourselves on being known as a destination shop”

For example, we find that extra special cards by UK Greetings are particularly popular for men to send to the women in their lives - whether their wife or mumspecifically the larger, more elaborate designs. Our male customers feel confident in buying the perfect card from us, as we stock such a range of stunning cards from a variety of companies.

Is there anything you haven’t been able to source that you would like to find?

I would love to find some unusual toys for kids, not just babies. When visiting the Spring Fair this year, I struggled to see anything that jumped out at me. Of course we have Jellycats and lots of lovely kids’ stationery by Rachel Ellen Designs, but I feel we could do really well with toys that aren’t necessarily available in mainstream shops. A lot of our customers buy for kids, and I’d like to add to our offering in this department.

Are there any plans for the near future?

Currently my plan is to grow our audience on social media by following the trends, and by showing and selling our products on TikTok. I can see this is the way

to go, and I have lots planned contentwise, so watch this space! It will hopefully extend our reach and gain more online customers - and hopefully encourage people from further away to come and visit us. It may take a little while to get set up, as it’s just me who runs our social media and website, but I do really enjoy it.

If you could choose the cards people sent you - which would you choose to receive for Christmas or birthday or other special occasion?

I must say the people in my life know me very well, as the cards I receive are always spot on. In particular, my other half always chooses the perfect card for me. He usually chooses a Five Dollar Shake or Belly Button card for Christmas and, for my birthday, usually a UK Greetings card as they also have some really lovely words. My family and friends will always choose between Five Dollar Shake and Belly Button, as they are very much my style.

‘Something extra special’

Caroline Chatwin, buyer toys & recreation at Dobbies, explains how the garden centres cater for all cards buyers, from families visiting soft play to keen gardeners and design-savvy gift seekers

Can you tell us a little about your career background?

I have been with Dobbies for 12 years, starting in the gardening buying team.

Originally, I came from a woven textile design background. After having my two children, I moved into the lifestyle side of Dobbies, buying cards, stationery, wrap, books, and toys, which is a really exciting range mix, while still indulging my passion for design.

How do you decide where to display your card selection?

We always try to locate cards near (or en route to) the restaurant, as this is the highest footfall area. Seasonal cards are given another location near the entrance and mixed with inspirational gifts. Cards are always located with wrap and near gifts for that additional basket top-up!

How do you source products?

Trade fairs like PG Live are the best inspiration for

“I was expecting a shift into lower price point cards, but our customers are still shopping in that £2-£2.99 core price point for the perfect card’’

About Dobbies garden centres

We have 76 stores across the UK. The most recent additions are little dobbies Cheltenham and another large-format store due to open in Antrim, Northern Ireland, later in the year.

There is variation in store size from extra large, like our new store in Tewkesbury, with a whole card department, to a little dobbies, with two bays of cards.

Little dobbies is our urban store format and specialises in houseplants, home décor and gifts, with hot drinks to take away. These stores have a curated range of beautiful design-led cards.

sourcing new cards. We work with UK Greetings as our card broker to ensure we have the perfect mix for our customers. Publishers can submit product directly to our brokers for submission into new plans.

What is your selection criteria? Are there specific criteria you have to consider as a garden centre?

Our customers like something extra special. Whether that be an insert, embossing or foiling, it all adds to that quality special card that they are looking for. Humour is extremely important for the garden centre customer, while design-led cards are more important for little dobbies. We have to be mindful of the wide variety of customers we have, from families visiting soft play to keen gardeners and design-savvy gift seekers.

How is trading for you at the moment?

Really positive. Gardening season is well under way, which drives the footfall to our card and gift departments. Mother’s Day and Easter Cards have shown particularly strong sales this year.

How do you get word out there for your greeting cards?

Social posts are key for us, reminding customers to pick up their cards for key seasonal events. Marketing footfall drivers for plants and gardening will drive traffic to cards and stationery, too.

Do you sell both in the shop and online?

We have a small selection of cards online currently, however we are looking at a direct-tocustomer model going forward. The vast majority of our sales are in-store as we are a full day out experience.

Have you seen the average cost of your products go up - and if so how have you dealt with it?

We work with our suppliers to ensure the range mix still provides a good, better and best price offering to suit all budgets and we can adjust the mix offered in cards to suit the performance of the range.

Have you noticed a change in how the public shop for cards?

I was expecting a shift into lower price point cards, but our customers are still shopping in that £2-£2.99 core price point for the perfect card.

“Cards are always located with wrap and near gifts for that additional basket top-up!’’

Toasted Crumpet has had great success in little dobbies, with its lovely horticultural designs and smaller card formats.

UK Greetings Boofle cards are an unstoppable favourite across all occasions and with a new colour palette they look even more contemporary this year.

Bestsellers in female cards are also led by UK Greetings with its intricate laser-cut designs a firm favourite from both the Gibson and Carlton ranges.

Is there anything you haven’t been able to source that you would like to find?

UK Greetings

Do customers ask for eco-friendly product?

Customers don’t ask, rather I think they expect that retailers are considering their effect on the environment. Eco-friendly products are crucial to Dobbies. Where possible, our cards are supplied unwrapped or have recyclable wraps for any delicate cards needing protection. We have moved away from glitter on cards and use foiling to give that extra special touch instead.

What brands have been particularly popular with your customers?

Lucilla Lavender Birdiculous are firm favourites. Really cute and simple humour cards, which are fab ageless and unisex send.

I’m always looking for something extra special, something innovative! Made in the UK is important.

If you could choose the cards people sent youwhich would you choose to receive for Christmas or birthday or other special occasion?

I do love a funny card for a birthday or special occasion. I’d like to think that the person choosing has spent time a long time finding something that they know I’d find hilarious!

Boofle from

Matching cards and wrap Looking For...

So many of our retailers tell us they are always looking for matching cards and wrap - so we went on a mission to find some they will love…

Museums & Galleries

It seems to make good sense to translate a strong selling card into a gift wrap. And for M&G, which works a great deal with repeat pattern from both contemporary and heritage sources, this is largely a natural progression, as demonstrated by Arts & Crafts designer Walter Crane’s Fig and Peacock from the V&A archives and Sarah Campbell’s strikingly bold Coffee Break - a modern classic. This season M&G has released star artist’s Josephine Simon’s Wild Garden as a gift wrap along with Hokusai’s iconic Great Wave print.

01373 462165 | sales@mgml.co.uk

www.museumsgalleries.co.uk

Kali Stileman

Cinnamon Aitch

Cinnamon Aitch launches four more stunning gift wrap designs, all with beautiful coordinating greetings cards this June. Building on the success of the recyclable wrap launched last year, more designs have been added to the range, which sits beautifully next to the colour-popping, floral card range ‘Bloom’. The company feels a stronger impact is made if customers can see a coordinating wrap to echo the card and some gorgeous displays have been made demonstrating this in shops. And if a customer has taken the time to find the perfect card, then what’s not to love about a wrap that complements this! Cinnamon Aitch continues the story from cards and wrap into gorgeous eco soaps, soy wax candles and lip balms.

0121 773 6833

www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk

The Art File

The Art File supplies matching gift wrap and bags for several of its most popular card ranges including Soleil, Maestro and Sakura Heights. Soleil is an eye-catching and vibrant collection new to The Art File’s Spring/Summer Everyday Collection. Each design was hand-drawn by the award-winning in-house design team. The illustrations were then adapted for gift wrap and gift bag formats. Maestro is another in-house design, which is themed around music and classic musical instruments, and Sakura Heights is a beautiful range that celebrates the popular Japanism trend, which has been sweeping through our industry for a number of years.

0115 850 7490 | sales@theartfile.com

Kali Stileman Publishing specialises in design-led luxury greeting cards and wrapping papers for children and the young at heart. Wrapping papers are printed on heavyweight high-quality paper; and with more than 100 designs to choose from, there’s a wrapping paper to suit every style and occasion. Many of their wraps have a mini card to match.

Printed on linen textured board for a luxurious finish, the best-selling ‘tiddly widdlies’ are super alone, but also make gorgeous upmarket gift cards.

01305 848899

info@kalistileman.co.uk

Danilo

Danilo is delighted to introduce new brands such as Gabby’s Dollhouse, the animated TV show filled with mini-worlds, irresistible kitty characters and super fun adventures. Danilo’s new greetings card and gift wrap range will target the core audience of ages three to seven.

01992 702 900 sales@danilo.com www.danilo.com

Rachel Ellen Designs

0115 9700 321 www.rachelellen.co.uk

Susannah Bleasby Fine Art

Canadian artist Susannah Bleasby’s abstract art cards are little bursts of colour that bring a smile. Smaller than a standard greeting card but larger than a gift enclosure, these 125mm square cards are like mini paintings with their joyful brushstrokes and lively compositions. They are the perfect size for a little hello and can be beautifully complemented with matching abstract gift wrap to make any gift even more personal. Each sheet of wrap is created from a single abstract painting so that it always looks different depending on how you wrap it, which turns every present into a little piece of art! Designed and printed in the UK using sustainable processes and materials.

07538 857 639 | studio@susannahbee.com www.shop.susannahbee.com

Gift wrap from Rachel Ellen Designs isn’t just for kids. This fresh floral wrap goes perfectly with the stylish Mika card range. Printed on a high-quality textured board, the classy look is further enhanced with complementary gold foil and deep embossing.

Diary of a card shop

Sandra Jervis, owner of Creative Cove in Lampeter, Wales, looks back on how spring’s big card events have gone…and looks forward to Father’s Day and summer trade shows

With shows on the horizon, it’s useful to look back at what has been doing really well for us at Creative Cove, so that I can plan my orders accordingly…

Valentine’s Day remains a big event. These days though, my customers have moved away from the sickly sweet to something a little more sentimental, meaningful and often arty. Sarah Cemmick’s linocut cards, especially the hares, have been a real hit in Lampeter. No words, just a moody blue with a moon keeping watch in the background.

On February 15, it’s bye bye love, and hello Mum (for Mother’s Day)! Here in Wales, we have double the work getting the right cards in as we cater to both languages. Most of my ordering for the spring seasons is done in the lead-up to Christmas, but I absolutely guarantee that as soon as they’re on the shelf, the panic sets in and I’m convinced there’s not enough! This year I definitely under-ordered on the Welsh cards as they’ve been selling stronger than ever. So a few emergency orders went to Claire Giles, Paintbox Designs and CeFfi cards.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! That’s Happy St David’s Day, which is on March 1. We sell lots of cards, mostly the Welsh language ones, for this. Daffodils and leeks everywhere! The lovely thing about these cards is hearing where in the world they’re going to. Customers love to send to family members abroad to remind them of their Welsh roots and heritage. New Zealand and America get a fair few and it’s lovely to think that cards from my shop are travelling all that way with a little bit of love in them.

On February 24 I was asked if my Easter cards were in... I hadn’t planned on putting them out until March, but why not?!

On March 1 spring is here - but someone forgot to tell the weather! I always remove my more wintry cards on the first day of March and find all the tulips and lambs. Penguin Ink has been my new favourite this year, a Top Drawer find, with its stunning letterpress designs. They have fitted in nicely alongside Art Angels and Tatty Co.

Easter cards sold strongly this year and despite the MASSIVE orders with The Art File and Museums & Galleries, there was not enough. Pasg Hapus (Welsh for Happy Easter) cards are also strong, selling mainly from Paintbox Designs, Max Rocks and Claire Giles.

By March 10 my Mother’s Day selection had been absolutely decimated, so my weekend was spent doing a few midnight orders! I do wonder what my suppliers think when they come in on a Monday morning and see these random late-night panic buys.

It’s always interesting to see that at the beginning of the week before Mother’s Day it’s the mums coming in buying the cards - for their children’s grandmothers, their partners’ mums etc. We might see the dads later in the week!

And so Saturday morning, the day before Mother’s Day and the dads were in, some had even brought their children with them to buy a card and a gift. The previous night’s call to arms on Facebook clearly worked!

On Mother’s Day my three children had, with the help of Daddy of course, bought me flowers, books and cards - homemade, and of course, one from a certain shop in Lampeter! The evening was spent in the shop putting Mother’s Day away for another year.

As we headed into April, Easter was the strongest I have ever seen it. In previous years, I’ve considered

Finally some time off! Easter Sunday and my dad was visiting from Ramsgate. The shop was closed Sunday/Monday to enjoy family time.

Okay - I couldn’t stay away. Easter Monday and the kids were asleep, so Easter was packed away and Father’s Day put out. Yes, I know it’s early, but I know the supermarket behind me will be straight on it! Draenog to the rescue for the Welsh Father’s Day, very low on those. I made a note that I need to get onto my other Welsh suppliers to get more in.

Oh Deer is a new supplier this year and I might have had lots of fun buying their Father’s Day cards... How many is too many? I’m excited to see how they go. The Art File has some beautiful ones, too.

Around April 15 I started stocking up on the end of term, exam and graduation cards. Everyone is looking forward to the end of the school year and what that means for their futures. Exciting times!

Notes for the next few months:

* Don’t let Father’s Day get too low

* May 1 is the day to get out the summer cards... Helen Elliott, very popular artist with locals and tourists. Green Pebble, ReliefPrint Press, Art Angels. Once Father’s Day is finished with, it’s all about blank cards and wedding cards.

* Look at the Christmas orders that were placed in January - yes, January! Have I ordered enough?

* Book tickets to PG Live and make sure my hotel is sorted! I’ve not been before... I am so excited about this one. Cards, glorious cards!