the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
Gypsy Chic
magazine Issue 7 - 2016
KING
HENRY VIII VIII Y PA ER
P CLICK
TREND SHOUT OUT!
Trend spotting in London
é, Lucy Levenson n g a G e li é m A h it ws w Inside!!! Intervie BIVO Design and A S f o a in b a S s, n Desig of Lucy Levenson arrison Marie Jonsson-H
6 TIPS FOR M A PPC Y NAGING OURS ELF
BOOK NOOK
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CONTENTS 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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INTERVIEW WITH... AMÉLIE GAGNÉ
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BRAND ENGAGEMENT
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6 TIPS FOR MANAGING PPC YOURSELF
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10 INTERVIEW WITH... INTERVIEW_MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON 14 KING HENRY VIII
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16 INTERVIEW WITH... SABIVO DESIGNS 18 BOOK NOOK 19 INSTAGRAM
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20 PRETTY IN PINK 22 MY EZINE RAISON D’ÊTRE
24 INTERVIEW WITH... LUCY LEVENSON DESIGNS 26 TREND SPOTTING
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L E fT T E R
rom the Editor
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Issue 7! Hi folks, I’m delighted to bring another Issue to life and what a bumper edition it is. I’ve got 4 interviews for you with a veritable pot pourri of creatives – artists who have developed their product lines from their canvas, sketch pad, and work table into jewellery, prints, lampshades, mosaics and cushions to name a few – Enjoy reading the stories of Marie Jonsson-Harrison, Amelie Gagné, Sabina Kovacheva, and Lucy Levenson. To help you with the digital marketing of all your glorious designs, Niamh Taylor has shared some of her tips and tricks around Pay Per click advertising and how to manage that yourself. I’ve drafted a piece on brand engagement – with a link to a free e-book on brand attraction to increase your knowledge further. Thanks to Jeff Goins for making this publically available online. The past few weeks since Issue 6 have been a real personal challenge. As a mumpreneur, I’m totally time poor and have had the challenge of fitting a tradefair in London in, (something I stressed endlessly about, followed the next day with a stand at an Agricultural fair in N.Ireland – Balmoral Show: the Ibiza for all Irish farmers. I
had such a fun time there stroking rare and expensive breeds of sheep, goats, and cattle. I had quite a few good conversations with them too J, topping that off by sampling craft cider, and scoffing organic meatball wraps. Knowing me though, I’m never there just for a jolly, and picked up lots of good leads for prospecting my card designs to. As Jim Duffy would say, I’m always entrepreneuring. Which reminds me about the fun I’ve had this week at a laser centre, laser cutting some top secret designs into acrylic sheets. The amount of designs I had crammed into one sheet meant the laser took a lot longer than anticipated. Of course I’m planning on presenting these to a leading light in the business world whom I hope, will appreciate them. Another initiative involved hand painting 7 original cards for the finalists at a London conference. I should have more info on that for you in terms of a magazine feature, whose editor I met about a year ago at the Holiday Inn, Westfield Shopping Centre. Network, network, network as they say. Enough waffle from me. Wishing you a great few weeks ahead, and happy reading.
Lorraine www.lorrainestylianou.com
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Interview with .....
Amélie Gagné
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YOUR ALREADY EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIO OF PRODUCTS. l l l I would love to successfully break into the world of art licensing... I haven’t put a lot of effort into it yet but I think my work could work well on such a big variety of products, I’d love to see it on bed covers for children for example, or design a range of summery tableware.
1. WE MET IN DUBLIN IN JANUARY 16, AND YOU KNOW I ADORE YOUR BEAUTIFUL ART CARDS. TELL US ABOUT YOUR ART JOURNEY FROM CANADA TO IRELAND lll I have always been into artsy and crafty things, as far as I can remember... My last job in Canada was in a workshop that made the floats for a big winter carnival we have in Québec city. After a couple of years in Ireland I eventually secured a job in a beautiful art gallery, and this is what rekindled my love for painting, and so I got back to my brushes and developed this current style I have.
3. HOW DO YOU CURRENTLY MARKET YOURSELF AND WHAT NEW CHANNEL, IF ANY, WILL YOU ADOPT IN 2016. l l l There is a lot and it’s not easy to find the right balance..! I use Facebook, Pinterest, newsletters, I’m on Twitter but don’t put a lot of efforts there, the one I am building on recently is Instagram, I think I will concentrate on that for a while...
2. YOUR ART BUSINESS CENTRES AROUND YOUR ORIGINAL ART, WORKSHOPS, PRINTS, CARDS AND JEWELLERY. DO YOU PLAN ON INTRODUCING OTHER ITEMS TO
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Work around the kids: my time blocking works around my baby’s naps to be honest, he dictates when I start and stop working:) I also had to adapt my work space several time, when I had only child and he was a baby it was so easy to just place him in his bouncer seat next to me while I painted in my studio... When he started to move around I move the easel behind the couch in my living room, and when he was shot to get there I placed my canvas directly on the wall in my kitchen, high enough so that he couldn’t reach. Now he’s a toddler and I have another baby and I still have to adapt all the time...
4. AS A WORKING MUM, LIST YOUR TOP 5 ORGANISATIONAL TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR WORKING WEEK. lll What a great question! And one that constantly evolves depending on the week... l Lists!!! I write everything down. I have a to-do jotter that I carry with me all the time, then I schedule the tasks in my diary. l Meal planning- I try to plan everything out before I do my weekly shopping, then it’s one less thing to think about everyday, I hate this “What are we going to eat tonight” dilemma. l Tidy up at the end of every day, no matter how wrecked I am. Nothing is more deflating than having to clean up in the morning. Start with a clean slate. l Time blocking- I struggle a little with it but it’s such a great concept: I try to allocate specific time for specific tasks, for example Monday between 10-12 it’s jewellery-making time... Not always easy and it keeps changing!
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5. YOUR PALETTE IS CONTEMPORARY AQUAS, PASTEL PINKS, AND BURGUNDY. HAVE YOU EVERY CONSIDERED A MONOCHROME RANGE OR WOULD THAT FEEL FOREIGN TO YOU? l l l Not at all, I think it’s a nice exercise and it allows me to concentrate more on the volumes and contrast between highlights and shadows so I have done it a few times, recently on a pair of little boy / little girl paintings. 6. WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE NEW ARTISTS TO HELP FUND THEIR ART BUSINESS? lll I’m all for keeping another job on the side, which I still do, it takes the stress off and it pays the bills... I think it’s important to think of a few avenues and not put all your eggs in the same basket... As a artist you can give workshops, sell your art in other forms than paintings like prints, calendars, cards etc.. It’s all a learning process...! AMÉLIE GAGNÉ
Web: http://www.ameliegagnestudio.com
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The 6 step guide to getting Brand Engagement How do we get people to engage with us, form a relationship with us, and become loyal customers? We know people don’t like to be sold to in the old traditional way – so we have to use other techniques now. 1. TELL A STORY
Also ask friends, family and customers to
Get people to share and discuss it, and act upon it.
1. Endorse you on social media,
The way you get them to do all of these is by having
2. Review your products
creative competitions, dazzling discounts, charitable
3. Leave complimentary comments on your website
initiatives, and laughter. Engage and entertain them in
Create as many favourable back links as possible to
order to create a following, make your products highly
your website.
memorable, and the only ones they will choose. 4. DIRECT MARKETING 2. CRAFTY COMMUNICATIONS
Open up a free Mail Chimp account or post out a
Put on your copywriter’s hat on and write down 10
few brochures to targeted leads. DPM – Direct Post
clever slogans for your card business or a particular
Method can be highly effective – never underestimate
range. Here are a few examples:
the power of an envelope with a postmark. But make
• So what’s the big deal about Stripes? (Question)
sure that whatever marketing message you have
• The 3 Best Ways to get a buyer’s attention? (creates
included inside “sings” and has a call to action.
interest) • Brand X reveals their secret behind their top selling
5. DIGITAL MARKETING
design.
Make a list of all the digital platforms you have a
• Alert: Learn the shortcuts to grow your brand
footprint in, and craft some engaging messages to
internationally.
draw attention to yourself. Don’t forget to respond as
• The Ultimate Guide to hand-embellishing.
generously to people who like, share, and comment
• Explore the stunning range of the X collection.
on your posts as they do on your account.
3. MARKETING
6. VIDEO’S AND ANIMATION
Tell the world about your lovely cards, stationery,
Bring your cards to life with moving imagery and
and homeware items by placing some paid ads in
sound, special effects and an engaging story.
trade press. Ring the advertising team in aligned
Engage all the senses.
publications and ask them for their best deals. Approach you phone call with the expectation that
7. SIMPLY NEVER FORGET...
they should do as much as they can for you - not
... Make your designs, product lines, customer and
something most of us are good at.
returns service the best there is.
FREEBIES https://s3.amazonaws.com/guidetobuildinganaudience/JeffGoinsTheBeginnersGuideToBuildingAnAudience.pdf
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s p i T 6 FOR MANAGING PPC YOURSELF BY NIAMH TAYLOR
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efore you get started on PPC you need to sign up to Google Adwords. Doing this is free and easy and can be completed on the Google Adwords sign up page. https://www.google. co.uk/adwords/ Google will then take you through the process stepby-step to help you get started. In addition Google have recently launched
an expert help service to all advertisers who spend more than £6 per day. You can phone them on 0800 026 1713 and they will even help you set it up. Win Win. Once you have completed that you are ready to go and here’s six tips I recommend you do to help you ensure you are getting the most from your Google Adwords.
1. USE THE FREE GOOGLE CREDIT Google gives out £75 free Adwords credit when you start up a new account. That’s a nice little sum to help you get started. The only stipulation is that you spend £25. To get your free £75 Adwords credit click here.
2. DO YOUR KEYWORD RESEARCH
5. ENSURE YOU HAVE GOOD LANDING PAGES
This is where you will need to invest time. You know your business and industry best so take time to ensure you are targeting the correct keywords. Once you are in the adwords dashboard you can go into a tool called Keyword planner. It is very easy to use – put in your industry, location, website url etc and Google will recommend keywords for you to target. Check out this Google video on YouTube which takes you through the steps to using Google’s Keyword Planner on the Adwords dashboard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jyk-bIGOeY I suggest you start small and then once you know what is working and driving sales or lead enquiries for you, scale up and hit the ground running.
A common mistake made by newbies to PPC is that they set the destination landing page of the PPC adverts to go to the homepage of their website. Don’t do this. There needs to be synergy between your actual advert and the landing page you take the user to. I suggest you create specific landing pages for your different campaigns. This will help your quality score which will help keep the amount you need to bid down.
6. TARGET EFFECTIVELY One of the best elements of online advertising is that it enables you for the first time ever to truly market at a 1:1 level. That’s the beauty of PPC too. You can define your target market and decide how you can reach them. Understanding the capabilities of each platform will allow you to spend your budget wisely. Decide where your audience are most likely to be and then decide if you will spend on Google or on Facebook. Google targets on keywords whereas Facebook allows you to target on loads of additional segments like age and marital status to name a few.
3. CONSIDER LONGER SEARCH TERMS The best way to succeed at PPC is to consider longer search terms. Don’t target keywords where you can see there is high competition but go for long-tail phrases and competitor names. You can read about long-tail keyword targeting here.
4. JOIN THE GOOGLE ONLINE CLASSROOM Set aside time to learn. You can never learn enough when it comes to PPC as it is constantly evolving. There’s loads of tutorials online and you can find them here through Google’s Adwords Online classroom. According to Google “Our AdWords Online Classroom provides free online training to help you achieve long-term advertising success with AdWords. Whether you’re new to AdWords and want to learn the basics, or you’ve been with AdWords for a while and want to take your account to the next level, we offer a range of topics to suit your needs”. Get signed up today – it’s FREE!
So that’s a quick overview to help you get started with your PPC. This is only the start of how you can manage Adwords campaigns but it is plenty for you to get on and do it. If you want lots of free tips on everything to do with digital marketing get following me. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ niamhtaylor Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitaltwenty4 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ digitaltwentyfour Web: www.digitaltwentyfour.com
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Interview with .....
Marie Jonsson-Harrison
1. MARIE! WHAT A LIFE. FROM PLAYBOY MODEL TO A WORLD FAMOUS NAÏVE ARTIST, NOT TO MENTION KISSING RICHARD BRANSON. HOW HAS YOUR “GET-UP-AND-GO” ATTITUDE HELPED YOU IN YOUR ART CAREER? lll Yes lol, it has been quite a crazy and unusual life so far and I haven’t finished yet! Well, Lorraine I think the fact that I had no preconceived ideas about what being an artist meant - and no formal art education, (no need to follow any rules) made me free spirited and willing to just go with my heart and paint what I wanted. I am naturally a happy person curious about life and what it has to offer and paint to reflect that. I also love to please a client and find doing commissions fun as they often introduce me to a new subject matter to explore, something that I may not have thought of otherwise. Also whenever an opportunity knocks I mostly grab it with two hands and go for it - even though sometimes I feel like I bite off more than I can chew and also take on far more work than I should. But I figure you only live ones so you got to go for it!
recently my artwork was used for an international convention for Doctors in the Perinatal and Postnatal area The Australasian Marce Society 2015 (perinatal mental health) where I was commissioned to produce an artwork which was widely used for the conference, appearing on their website, advertising material, carry bags, T shirts, invitations, lunch tickets, direction signs and media releases and even in the toilets. So that was really fun to do :) As far as tips on securing a deal well I am afraid that I can’t really answer that as I have never actually pursued one myself. I have just been very fortunate to be asked if I would be interested in being part of a venture. I have recently illustrated a children’s book Winston Knows and I really enjoyed that process, so if another book came along with a fabulously written story I would absolutely love to be part of that!
2. YOU SELL ORIGINAL ART WORK, PRINTS, SCULPTURES, AND HAVE SOME ENVIABLE LICENSING DEALS (BEDDING). TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT IS MOST PROFITABLE FOR YOU, AND WHERE YOU’D NEXT LIKE TO SEE YOUR ARTWORK REPRODUCED. WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE FLEDGLINGS ON HOW TO SECURE A LICENSING DEAL? lll My latest ventures are always the most fun, until something else comes along and I find that the so far they have nearly all been pretty profitable. Rather
3. YOU’RE HUMOUR IS KEY TO THE ARTPIECE – ONE OF MY FAVOURITES BEING THE LADY WITH THE FISH NET STOCKINGS LURING HER NEXT CATCH. DO YOU HAVE FUN THINKING UP YOUR NEXT RISQUÉ PAINTING, OR PUTTING IN FEATURES THAT WILL SHOCK AND MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH. lll Yes absolutely, I have so much fun when I think about what to paint and whilst I am in the process of and hope that translates to the people that see my work. Sometimes in a gallery I will hang back a F
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bit incognito and people-watch whilst my work is discussed and I so love to see the giggles and laughs as they point out little bits that weren’t at first apparent. I do have a little bit of a naughty sense of humor! I also think that even with serious subjects that I have painted l can say more with humor and still make a point on the human condition and hopefully even make people think about a subject they otherwise might not. I also know that there are a lot of sad and bad in the world and try within the means that I have to make people smile and laugh and bring positivity! have had greeting card deals over the years and am always open to listen to new suggestions and collaborations when they come up. I also tend to choose carefully what I want my art to be used for as not to cheapen the image or my “brand”. Therefore when things do come along that I am part of I am always very happy to be part of the marketing and advertising of the product if that is required. Thats where my background in modelling comes in handy too. At the moment I have had a few postcards made that I will have on sale during a festival month of exhibitions whereby 6 artists will be touring South Australia in a mobile ARTGALLERY “A Bus Full of Art” is bringing art that delights and amuses you in a big yellow REAL bus! 6 artists individual work in this unusual travelling gallery space. A new adventure which I think will be fun!
4. SINCE WE FOCUS LARGELY ON GREETING CARDS AS AN ART PRODUCT, TELL US IF YOU’VE HAD GREETING CARDS OF YOUR WORK PUBLISHED, AND IF THAT IS AN AREA YOU WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP. WILL WE BE SEEING THE MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON BRAND PRODUCTISED AND AT A TRADE FAIR SOON? lll Because I am so busy painting and have been doing so for a long time now, I never have the time to research or do anything about getting my own work marketed in any major fashion. So the merchandise deals that I have been part of has always been approaches from other companies to buy the initial copyright often with ongoing royalties. But yes I
5. WHAT GALLERIES HOLD YOUR ARTWORK – AND HOW DO YOU ORGANISE YOUR YEAR SO THAT YOU REMAIN PROLIFIC, BUT NOT BURNT OUT? l l l I used to be represented here in
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Australia by a well known gallery but they unfortunately collapsed due to the GFC, and since then I haven’t bothered about getting another gallery here in Australia as I do quite well just from my own website, Instagram and Facebook pages. My European exhibitions are handled by my agent Eliane Kristensen who organizes my exhibition schedule there. I guess the main gallery who always hold my work since the GFC has been Knud Grothe Galleries in Copenhagen. The upcoming schedule is sorted by Eliane and is very busy with a recent exhibition in Berlin, Germany and then these other coming up below and I have just also agreed to take part in another in Canada in September. So no rest for the wicked! • • • • • •
2015-2016: Public Sculpture for McLaren Vale March 2016: Exhibition in Paris, France April 2016: Exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark June 2016: Festival d’art naïf, Saumur, France June-August 2016: Festival Naive in Katowice, Poland July: Festival d’art naïf, Saint Junien, France
So at the moment I am finishing a couple of cat paintings to go to Paris, at the same time a small painting for Knud Grothe in Denmark as well as one for “A Bus full of art” which starts on the 13th February. I have also have several commissions waiting in the wings. But I am actually a person who works better the busier I am, lol I am not good at sitting still doing nothing. So far so good with the burn out! Although I think I did come close at one stage earlier on when I was exhibiting mainly in Japan and felt the pressure to supply 40 or more paintings a year for the Japanese market but as their economy has slowed that too, is now much more manageable.
6. YOU BLOG AND USE FACEBOOK EXTENSIVELY – DO YOU HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLAN THAT YOU FOLLOW OR IS IT MORE AD-HOC THAN THAT? l l l It would be nice to have more of a marketing plan - but no I have to confess it is more ad-hoc and just comes from experience over the last 5 or so years. I just noticed if I made my presence known in social media it would bring in clients and inquiries to my website and messages on Facebook and emails. So I make sure I post something each day and from the feed back I get people tell me they like to see what I am doing and where I am going and follow in a more personal way. I also enjoy the interaction myself as I do actually spend most of my days by myself in the studio although I also have quite an active social life at night :) Social media does take a up a little bit of time of course but really not as much as you would think. MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON
Web: www.mariejonssonharrison.com.au https://www.facebook.com/Naiveartbymarie https://www.facebook.com/marie.jonssonharrison https://twitter.com/Naiveview https://www.instagram.com/marie.jonssonharrison/ https://www.facebook.com/marie.jonssonharrisonll https://www.pinterest.com/artnaive/ Mobile: 0439508659 Email: mariejonhar@gmail.com
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Introducing...
KING
HENRY VIII
I
n Issue 6 I shared a short article on Queen Elizabeth 1, Henry VIII’s daughter. In Issue 7 I want to introduce Henry VIII – a monarch who fills books with wonderment, shock, sympathy (given his failing health at the end) and great interest. When I painted my portrait of Henry, I used a simplistic but inaccurate version of his coat of arms. When I transferred this to a card, I had to be completely accurate, and it was at this point I thought I had better check with the correct authority – in this case the Lord Chamberlain’s Office. I wrote asking their advice on whether the coat of arms could be used, and after a short wait, I heard back. The email I received had a very elegant coat of arms which I have kept in my Inbox for reference.
Dear Ms Stylianou, Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office by the Cabinet Office. I’m afraid it will not be possible to use the shield bearing the Royal Arms of King Henry VIII. The Royal Arms of England (3 lions) are still in use on The Queen’s arms and are therefore protected by the Trade Marks Act. The Prince of Wales’s Three Feather Badge is also protected. Guidance is available on the British Monarchy website:http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/ UseroftheRoyalArms.aspx
I am sorry to send such a disappointing reply. Yours sincerely, I hope you like this rather podgy portrait of Henry as much as I do.
It is always best to check on these things. Nobody wants the ghost of Henry VIII tormenting one’s sleep! Henry VIII was born in 1491, the second son of Henry VII (whom I will feature soon) and Elizabeth of York. He came to the throne in 1509. He was an intelligent, athletic character in
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his youth. Henry was multi-lingual, pious, and competitive. He was both bookish, and an accomplished musician and author. Henry’s reign was dominated by the Protestant Reformation, and the succession, which led to the Church of England being formed. Henry’s dalliances with his numerous mistresses, and desire for a male heir, resulted in him seeking to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Henry’s Chancellor, and Cardinal, Thomas Wolsey failed to get the Pope’s consent for divorce between Henry and his wife. It was Wolsey’s successor, Thomas Cromwell who managed, with Parliament to reduce the Pope’s power in England, thus resulting in the English Reformation. Henry made steps to break from the Roman Catholic Church and freed himself from risk of execution by reinforcing his headship of the realm. It caused great division between clergy and advisors. Anne Boleyn did not give Henry a son, but a daughter called Elizabeth. Henry then married his third wife Jane Seymour who did give Henry a son, Edward VI. She died shortly afterwards, however. Henry then went on to marry Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. Henry VIII died in 1547, survived by Catherine. In summary, Henry VIII was viewed by many as a tyrant, a warmonger, and womaniser. His strong desire for a male heir to secure the throne was thwarted since Edward died as a young boy, and his daughters Mary, and Elizabeth from two different wives did not have children themselves. It was Elizabeth, however, through her decision not to marry, and a love for her country, who brought much stability to her reign.
TO SEE THE REST OF MY ART HISTORY RANGE, PLEASE VISIT http://lorrainestylianou.com/product-category/greetings-cards/art-history/
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Interview with .....
Sabina
of SABIVO Design
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1. YOU’VE HAD A VARIED CAREER IN NUMEROUS DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS INCLUDING SCIENCE, ACADEMIA AND RETAIL. HOW HAS YOUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CARD BUSINESS – IS THERE A SCIENCE TO IT? lll Using my collective experience is the actual science helping me now. Every single role I held was an actual conscious decision with desired outcome and even the most unrelated to business (science) helps me with analytical thinking and critical mind. Ironically, the only professional experience I need now and never had is formal design training. However, the positive side is that I am always open and willing to learn and can have fresh perspective on the matter.
directly with clients. This is something I do for myself personally and is not related to my business, the focus is on young entrepreneurs and their businesses. I am a big advocate of the power of knowledge (whether though academia or skills on the job) and there isn’t a greater pleasure for me to see a young person succeeding in business with a little help from me. For all the work I do, I get generously paid with thanks, smiles and confidence from young entrepreneurs. It is simply amazing! I also produce a lot of reports and analyses for the trusts, which I have done in my retail jobs and I enjoy doing. I am also a distant mentor via Bright Ideas Trust (London) and Start Up Republic (London). It means I don’t work with clients directly but just as and when needed with similar queries as The Prince’s Trust.
2. HOW TO YOU JUGGLE FAMILY LIFE WITH SOLO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP? lll It is probably the most challenging role I ever had. It has taken me a long time to get used to the orderly daily chaos. I think it requires military organisation, planning and high level of flexibility, which you can get to start with but is hard to maintain. It’s also good to keep the humorous side of things, otherwise life may turn too serious when all is too much to handle.
4. EACH OF YOUR DESIGNS ARE CLEVERLY HAND PAINTED AND ADORNED WITH EMBELLISHMENTS (BOWS AND DIAMONDS). DO YOU HAVE STAFF TO HELP YOU? DO YOU ENVISAGE A TIME WHEN YOU WILL OUTSOURCE THE DELICATE ART OF PRODUCING HANDMADE CARDS COMPLETELY? l l l SABIVO Design is a family affair, I don’t do it all myself. I get help at busy times and I also have no problem delegating jobs to people who are far better than me in what I do. F
3. I NOTE, LIKE ME, YOU SHARE A LOVE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MENTORSHIP AND ENTERPRISE INITIATIVES. WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN AND HOW HAS IT HELPED, IF AT ALL, TO DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS? lll I have always had fascination for business and entrepreneurship thus I am an active business mentor through The Princess Trust (Leicester) and work
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with just 1 product offering. In previous jobs I have been lucky enough to have been involved in new product launch, new shop opening and tendering for a new supplier, so I have an idea of ins and outs of the processes. In other terms, I don’t have to practically go through the motions to know whether or not and how it’ll work. The only way I don’t mind bringing those to market would be through licensing agreement.
5. DO YOU PLAN ON EXPANDING YOUR PRODUCT OFFERING TO INCLUDE THINGS OTHER THAN CARDS? lll I don’t plan it at the moment, but I have not ruled it out. I have always wanted to have a wholesale business, not a retail business, therefore I am happy
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE SABIVO DESIGNS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? l l l To just continue to grow. SABIVO Design
Telephone: 44 (0) 116 225 8255 Mobile: +44 (0) 771 942 4619 Email: info@sabivo.co.uk Web: http://sabivo.co.uk/
The Book Nook My recommended book this month is From Vision to Exit. I’ve heard Guy Rigby speak a few times at various entrepreneurial events and have his book on my shelf. When you come to sell a business it’s rather like selling a car – the car with a log book will generally sell better than one without. In business, that means your assets – What assets are you
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building in your business that will add value when you come to sell? This month I’ve done another issue of my magazine, and created a Youtube video.
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=U7zE_3wWi-g Keep recording all your value!
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! s t n i o p h c Tou W
ell last edition I was excited to share that I opened an Etsy shop. This time it is an
Instagram account. I really like the visual nature of apps like this – but I do need to put a bit of work into cropping photos, and making sure the ones I want to use are on my phone in the first place. By day two I had a whopping 14 followers! Check it out! https://www.instagram.com/lorrainestylianou/?hl=en
Would love to know how you grew your business last month – I’ll feature you!! Email me on Lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com
Pretty in
PINK 7 PETALLED FLOWERS RANGE
BIRDS IN THE TREE RANGE. CODE: BIT2
Email orders to lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com 20
BOHEMIAN BIRDS RANGE. CODE: BB7
CURIOUS CANINES RANGE. CODE: CAN22
CUTE RANGE. CODE: CH17
GYPSY CHIC RANGE. CODE: GC17
Email orders to lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com 21
Meet The Expert, Publisher Interviews, Competition, Pinboards, Floral Elegance, Trends For Autumn/Winter 2015. Hoarders.
Time Management, Ignite Your Inner Author, Competition, What Is Your Why, Publisher Interviews.
A Card Making Masterclass, Publisher Interviews, Competition, Ninja Networking, Retreats, In The Artists’ Studio.
Knowing Your Worth, Publisher Interviews, Farmyard Friends, Pr On A Shoestring, A Match Made In Heaven, Religious About Cards. the mag azine ded
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PR RELIGI OUS ABOU CARDST Farmy Frien ard WORT H
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A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Inside!!! Interview s with An Hancock drew Cha of Art Car mbers of ds Ireland, Two Scoops and Beth , Marion Nadler of Beth Nad ler Art ....
Retailer Spotlight, Publisher Interviews, St Patrick’s Day, Brand Building Blocks, My E-Spark Journey.
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My RK E-SPAey Journ
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Queen Elizabeth, Publisher Interviews, Competition, Linked In, The Hallmark Story, So What’s New?.
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S T H G U O H T E-ZINE
& FUTURE PLANS
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’ve had a think about why I like to produce my digital magazine each month and here are some of my thoughts.
1) Firstly it is my way of giving back to my friends, readers, and anyone interested in the same things as me ie. design, greeting card publishing, surface pattern design and entrepreneurship. I hope my readers will find my articles inspirational, and help encourage creativity. 2) By giving my fellow publisher/designers free PR helps me fill the pages of my little e-zine with interesting topics, give my readers useful information, valuable tips and tricks, and open a window on our world. In exchange I too get free PR which is a win-win for us both. So let’s be SOCIABLE. 3) By sharing information or pointing out free resources, or recommending books, fledgling publishers and designers don’t feel so alone and can follow us all on social media. It is not enough today to “network”, or follow people in the industry for business purposes. We have to go the extra mile and become each other’s FRIEND. [I’m still quietly astonished how quickly some people in some industries will try and sell you something before they’ve gotten to know you]. That is so 1980’s. People don’t like being sold to….we have to work on things differently using emotional intelligence and psychology. 4) By reading each other’s challenges, our future plans, and connecting with each other, we can keep the industry a vibrant, lively one where we grow through knowledge share. I love to include artists from America, or elsewhere as it
adds to the industry’s global appeal. It’s important to network with people from other countries so connect with all my contributors on social media! Even if you work in a tiny studio on your lonesome, you won’t feel so isolated by doing so. 5) Avoiding pitfalls. By sharing our journey – warts and all – we can hopefully prevent newcomers to the industry making costly mistakes at the start of their business, 6) Blow your own trumpet. Business doesn’t really favour the shrinking violet. It’s so important to do a little self-promotion every day, putting yourself in front of other’s in your industry. Your buyers will want to know what you are up to and what you are working on. I’ve personally found it easier to write articles in a magazine format than a blog. It’s all down to what you feel comfortable doing. Through my e-zine I can showcase both my own, and other’s card ranges which makes for a more colourful, interesting read. 7) Competitions and prizes. In each edition I run a competition to win free samples of my cards, as well as other providing links to “freebies” – It is so important for me to treat my readers with little giveaways and interesting design or business course links. We are all on this entrepreneurial or design journey together so we may as well have fun in the process. 8) Last but not least: From Issue 7 onward I want to include a regular article on trends in the industry. I will gather my information from several sources and will show you how to stay current and maintain your competitive advantage.
Happy Reading.
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Interview with .....
Lucy Levenson
of Lucy Levenson Designs
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haven’t done fairy tales yet, so it will be interesting as I had a lot of interest.
1. TELL US HOW IT ALL STARTED FOR YOU IN TEXTILE ART? lll I got started in textile art after my daughter fell very ill, she was left with brain damage. I had been a photographer before working for magazines traveling the world. I looked after my daughter as a full time carer. In 2011 I started sewing as, having really never done it before, I found it helped me when my daughter was ill.
4. YOU LICENSE SOME DESIGNS FOR PRODUCT. DO LICENSORS CONTACT YOU OR DO YOU APPROACH THEM? l l l Licensors approach me. 5. I’D IMAGINE YOUR CHILDREN’S STORY PICTURES WOULD BE PERFECT FOR CHILDREN’S APPAREL. IS THERE ONE PRODUCT IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU’D LOVE TO SEE YOUR DESIGNS ON? l l l I’d like to see my fairy tales on t-shirts, bedding, mugs and plates, etc.
2. YOUR APPLIQUE CUSHIONS ARE GORGEOUS FEATURING ROWS OF HOUSES, ANIMALS, SNOWSCAPES, FOLKSY IMAGES. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM AND HOW LONG DOES EACH COMPOSITION TAKE? lll I get inspiration from the world around me and from my travels, also I have a very vivid imagination.
6. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE LUCY LEVENSON DESIGNS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? l l l The next 5 years: I will just let it evolve in its own time. My style changes and I am evolving all the time. Who knows where I will be, it should be exciting!
3. TELL US WHICH OF YOUR GREETING CARD DESIGNS SELL BEST? lll They all sell well. I suppose if I had to say most the popular, it would be the stag, London, and house card. I
LUCY LEVENSON DESIGNS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucylevenson/ Website: http://www.lucylevenson.com/ Mobile: 07951 344429
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TREND SPOTTING in London A lthough I was an exhibitor at
PGLive 2016 I was able to walk the halls of the Business Design Centre on the two set up days, allowing
me to spot trends on those stands
that were completed first. It took me over 6 hours
to get my own stand finished, but I had a couple of extended breaks in-between to grab some caffeine in Costa’s and check out my competition back at the venue. I noticed quite a few familiar brands who always seem to choose the same place year on year, as well as total newbie publishers in the artists’ quarter and elsewhere. London was baking in the 27 degree sunshine, and the summer mood seemed to be reflected inside in the hall through the most uplifting display stands, my favourite being a bicycle decorated in flowers and presents. So what trends caught my eye? I think many of the publishers have kept closely to Pantone’s 2016 colour palette of pale blue and pinks, decking out their displays with rows of pale pastel cards, with contrasting bold typography. There was an air of sophistication about the cards on display – thin black outlines forming a frame around card edges,
TREND
reflecting vintage invitations, with a penchant for spot colour added via foiling. Lots of dusky bronzes, metallic silver and gold lettering, and floral detail popped from the card surfaces,
SHOUT-OUTS!
simply aced stripes on her
https://www.ionacards.co.uk/ http://meganclaire.co.uk/ http://www.carolinegardner.com/ http://www.paperclippenguin.com/ http://made-by-man.co.uk/
the cards themselves balanced on
male greeting card range. The displays themselves set a trend with lots of wire grills and innovative pinboards used as the backdrop, with carefully placed nails holding pretty cards up
pretty thin ledges of clear Perspex or
via bulldog clips. I think Henry of
wooden dado rails. Monochrome elements
“Made by Man” must have won the prize for
positioned symmetrically in a folk style were also
innovation – designing tiny perfectly sized hooks to
very evident – my favourites on Iona’s stand.
hold up the strings of his display using a 3D printer.
Wearing my rose tinted glasses and Hawaiian
10 out of 10 for effort. Elsewhere chunky chains
shirt (I had to spell check Hawaiian!) I spied lots of
hanging from hooks were evident.
tropical imagery - pineapples, flamingos, hibiscus
The innovation carried on into the realms of
flowers, and hummingbirds. This is obviously
augmented reality – Jess, the owner of Paperclip
inspired by the forthcoming Olympic games
Penguin showed me clever 3D animations on an ipad
in Rio not to mention our love of the 60’s era of
designed by her partner. How timely, I thought, when
campervans. As my funny, but cynical friend Karen
I had spied an augmented reality opportunity for a
commented – the design industry hasn’t placed as
greeting card publisher on the UKTi Export website.
much emphasis on the Zica virus or migrant crisis
This is one aspect of the card industry’s future! Using
this year. Talking of big pink birds, I recall the
a code, the user can visualise the image on the card in
hilarious site of plastic pink flamingos having been
3D on screen making it come to life.
placed in the middle of a roundabout in Colchester
Lasercuts with their intricate designs are also in
when I visited it on the Monday of the show – only
vogue. Their delicate, lacy appeal suitable for both
in Essex after a night on the town! Check out my
genders via their application on more textured
own Happy Birthday card in my evolving Animal
surfaces like thin eco woodply.
Magic range. The tropical theme is also one of
Outside the exhibition hall, I took photos of cards
Caroline Gardner’s dominant card ranges with
on spinners at a nearby book and greeting card store.
Pina Colada’s, pineapple shaped notebooks, and
Here a lot of emphasis was on “local”/British sayings.
splashy watercolour art of pretty flowers.
Again words/text dominating the card front.
Polka dots, stripes and geometrical designs
This confirmed to me that trend awareness, and
simply never go out of fashion and this
constant innovation are key to staying
was evident at PG Live. It simply reflects
at the top of your game in the card
what is going on in the world of fashion –
industry. If trends don’t impact
particularly in summer clothing ranges.
everything we do, we’d still be
Gradients of coloured stripes are as
walking around in crinoline dresses
popular on the front of greeting cards as
and bonnets (or the male equivalent).
they are on summer vests. Megan Claire
TREND SUMMARY
, GEOMETRIC S T O -D A LK O P , S E IP P H Y, S T R PASTELS, T YPOGRA AUGMENTED L, A IC P O R T , S C LI A T UR, ME SHAPES, SPOT-COLO TS. REALIT Y, LASER CU
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A window on the world of a greeting card publisher
Gypsy Chic magazine