Gypsy chic magazine issue 1 by Lorraine Stylianou

THE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO GREETING CARD PUBLISHING

Gypsy Chic

magazine Issue 1 - 2015

Meet the expert LYNN TAIT PAGE 9

ROSES FOR ROSES SAKE

Floral elegance on card

Pinboards Do they have supernatural powers?

Hoarders! Who needs ‘em?

Bold &

BRIGHT THE TREND FOR

AUTUMN/WINTER 2015

WIN!!

FREE CARD SAMPLES IN OUR COMPETITION See page 23

anna Cossettini J , en P IN iZ o P f o s Zin Craig Matthew h it w s w ie rv te In ! & Robson Designs INSIDE!! tt co S f o T T O C S O J ign and of Deckled Edge Des

CONTENTS 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE

BUSINESS PLANS

THE POWER OF PINBOARDS

INTERVIEW WITH... JO SCOTT

INTERVIEW WITH... POIZIN PEN

TEN TOP TIPS OF EXPORTING

BOLD & BRIGHT: THE TREND FOR AUTUMN/WINTER 2015

P.12

16 20

SNOWFLAKES, SANTA CLAUS & DELEGATION

INTERVIEW WITH... JANNA COSSETTINI

HOARDERS - WE NEED YOU!

CARD PSYCHOLOGY COMPETITION/THE BOOK NOOK

THE ATTENTION WAR/WHEN INSPIRATION WANES

GYPSY CHIC QUOTATIONS

ROSES FOR ROSES SAKE

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL CARD PUBLISHERS/HOW NOT TO DO A GREETING CARD TRADE FAIR

P.25

LET T E R fro

m the Editor

elcome to Gypsy Chic ® the first issue of my magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and business startup. My goal is to give you a behind the scene glimpse of what it is like to set up as a card publisher through inspirational articles, interviews, helpful tips, and fun competitions. In this mini first edition I’m delighted to introduce a couple of my fellow greeting card designers – Janna Cossettini of Deckled Edge Design, Zin Craig Matthews of Poizin Pen, and Jo Scott of Scott & Robson who’ve kindly answered my numerous questions. Founding a business start-up takes great self-belief, tenacity, perseverance, and hard work and my hope is that the articles I’ve included in this online magazine will give you encouragement to carry on. I’ve found in my own journey that an inspiring article here, or an infographic there, can really restore my faith, and help me carry on. As in any business, it is best to take

advice from the Masters in your industry, and in this issue Lynn Tait, of the Lynn Tait Gallery shares her Export wisdom. I hope to bring you many more interviews with experts in this creative space and trust you will find something in these pages to encourage you in your journey as a designer/publisher. Finally, we’d love to know what you think about this magazine issue. Your input will help guide our future direction so please do take five minutes to share your views with us by emailing me on Lorraine@ lorrainestylianou.com. So without further ado I encourage you to grab a drink, put your feet up, and enjoy the read. Lorraine Stylianou Editor

MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE

ost card publishers start off as home-

Becoming a master juggler, plate spinner and blagger

at times that fit around current work

that income is not always guaranteed and you’ll find

based businesses and choose to work and family commitments. Painting

canvases, or producing digital designs for the card

industry can be a profitable route to take. There are

also helps. The nature of being self-employed means that it is crucial to put money aside when times are busy for those periods when things go quiet.

The entrepreneurial path is one of the most exciting

hundreds of thousands of artists, designers, and

and creative routes you can take but creativity isn’t

passion for what they love doing and earn a living

right brain and our more logical, rational left brain.

crafters around the world who have an unwavering from it as well. Micro businesses can make a powerful impact despite their size. Most artists choose a

creative business because of the lifestyle it affords

them. It is not their intention to take over the world

initially, at any rate. Neither do most prospective card publishers know everything about enterprise. The majority of us have to wing it again and again! As a freelancer, it is important to surround

yourself with enterprising individuals who feed

your mind and encourage you forward along the

entrepreneurial path. You will share the challenges of

self-employment together, something your employed

enough. It is a balancing act between our imaginative Understanding your goals and creating an action plan are vital to get clarity on what to focus on. You will

then have a stronger sense of purpose rather than a collection of scattered ideas. If you haven’t already done so, simply grab a pen and take a few minutes

to jot down what your priorities in running a design/

card business are. As soon as you have some goals in mind, you can translate those into tactics, a prioritised list and dates of when they should be accomplished.

For the more impossible goals, break them down into a series of smaller tasks.

As far as possible, make your goals SMART:

someone else and starting up on your own. Leaving

• • • • •

1) a raging determination to make that choice

you will achieve it. The more feeling you attach to

place would be foolhardy. Speaking for myself, I

importantly, know your “why”. Be totally clear why

friends won’t appreciate in the same way.

Lots of my business colleagues are currently

coaching and writing books based around the

corporate escape – leaving the world of working for

a well-paying day job for a life as a designer without succeed or 2) some alternative income stream in now live a life that is totally free of office politics,

mushroom managers, job evaluations and the general angst that employees feel when their job security is

continually under threat and I really never look back at my 30 years in the rat race.

Nevertheless, breaking in to the creative industries

can take a lot of effort and there is no quick “business in a box” solution. You need to create new work

consistently, raise your profile and attract some engaged fans and customers.

SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ACHIEVABLE REALISTIC TIMED GOAL

The more specific and real a goal is, the more likely

a goal the more motivated you will become. More you want to design cards – if you don’t have a reason or an emotional driver behind it, you will be more likely to give up.

A tip I’d recommend is to find people who’ve done

what you want to do and try and get them to help you get there too. If they can’t get involved personally,

read everything you can about them and

TOP TIP:

implement what worked for them.

Attend a Ladder Club seminar and join the GCA http://www.progressivegreetings. co.uk/ladder-club.php

http://www.greetingcard association.org.uk/

Get accountability partners (otherwise known as

benevolent tyrants!).

MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE

ost card publishers start off as home-

Becoming a master juggler, plate spinner and blagger

at times that fit around current work

that income is not always guaranteed and you’ll find

based businesses and choose to work and family commitments. Painting

canvases, or producing digital designs for the card

industry can be a profitable route to take. There are

also helps. The nature of being self-employed means that it is crucial to put money aside when times are busy for those periods when things go quiet.

The entrepreneurial path is one of the most exciting

hundreds of thousands of artists, designers, and

and creative routes you can take but creativity isn’t

passion for what they love doing and earn a living

right brain and our more logical, rational left brain.

crafters around the world who have an unwavering from it as well. Micro businesses can make a powerful impact despite their size. Most artists choose a

creative business because of the lifestyle it affords

them. It is not their intention to take over the world

initially, at any rate. Neither do most prospective card publishers know everything about enterprise. The majority of us have to wing it again and again! As a freelancer, it is important to surround

yourself with enterprising individuals who feed

your mind and encourage you forward along the

entrepreneurial path. You will share the challenges of

self-employment together, something your employed

enough. It is a balancing act between our imaginative Understanding your goals and creating an action plan are vital to get clarity on what to focus on. You will

then have a stronger sense of purpose rather than a collection of scattered ideas. If you haven’t already done so, simply grab a pen and take a few minutes

to jot down what your priorities in running a design/

card business are. As soon as you have some goals in mind, you can translate those into tactics, a prioritised list and dates of when they should be accomplished.

For the more impossible goals, break them down into a series of smaller tasks.

As far as possible, make your goals SMART:

someone else and starting up on your own. Leaving

• • • • •

1) a raging determination to make that choice

you will achieve it. The more feeling you attach to

place would be foolhardy. Speaking for myself, I

importantly, know your “why”. Be totally clear why

friends won’t appreciate in the same way.

Lots of my business colleagues are currently

coaching and writing books based around the

corporate escape – leaving the world of working for

a well-paying day job for a life as a designer without succeed or 2) some alternative income stream in now live a life that is totally free of office politics,

mushroom managers, job evaluations and the general angst that employees feel when their job security is

continually under threat and I really never look back at my 30 years in the rat race.

Nevertheless, breaking in to the creative industries

can take a lot of effort and there is no quick “business in a box” solution. You need to create new work

consistently, raise your profile and attract some engaged fans and customers.

SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ACHIEVABLE REALISTIC TIMED GOAL

The more specific and real a goal is, the more likely

a goal the more motivated you will become. More you want to design cards – if you don’t have a reason or an emotional driver behind it, you will be more likely to give up.

A tip I’d recommend is to find people who’ve done

what you want to do and try and get them to help you get there too. If they can’t get involved personally,

read everything you can about them and

TOP TIP:

implement what worked for them.

Attend a Ladder Club seminar and join the GCA http://www.progressivegreetings. co.uk/ladder-club.php

http://www.greetingcard association.org.uk/

Get accountability partners (otherwise known as

benevolent tyrants!).

STRATEGY DOCUMENTS

which ones to attend. (An artist with any commercial

If business plans scare you, then draw up a

sense needs to know what people are buying in the

strategy document.

design arena). Although I don’t recommend copying,

This is essentially a list of goals, ideas and routes to

Plans

riting a business plan is still one of the

based on fiction and even possibly ludicrous. They

most challenging aspects of business

should be capable of looking beyond the plan to

start-up and for me a continual work

see the personality behind the business.

in progress. I often wonder who would actually

Think about how you are going to produce your

read it. Most of them look so yawn-worthy. You can

keeping a record of the words other commercially

market that will generate revenue. The document is a

savvy artists use is really helpful if you have to knock

route map with a number of different paths that goes

up a brochure in record time.

into your very core. It will encompass your values,

l Doing

vision, action points, and purpose.

terms of what businesses may like to exhibit my art or

Try and list in sequence activities you need to

stock my greetings cards.

complete in order to get to a particular point and

l Writing

prioritise them in terms of importance. My current

l Continually

Looking at trending sites – What trends in other

grow my list of potential customers – and diarizing my

into my decorative design work.

tweets, facebook page updates etc.

a better camera

l Thinking

of new technologies I could incorporate

all the big show dates in my calendar and

l Studying

funding providers (may need them in the

l Expanding l Noting

my online presence (Folksy, Etsy,)

into my business eg familiarizing myself with Instagram

deciding if I want to buy a stand.

future) and researching my market.

Saving all the craft fair brochure pdfs that I get

Write down the basis of your creative mission in the

sent on my computer, diarising dates and deciding

box below. Type it up and put on your noticeboard.

goods, how you will sell (online or in retail) and

choose to ignore writing one at all until you need

deliver them.

investment but there is always this niggling thought

Who is your target customer, what age they are

at the back of your mind that without one you can’t

and what income do they earn? Will you combine

ups is that so often they are basing their business

experience do you bring to your business? What

be a fully-fledged business. The problem for start-

online and more traditional advertising? What

on a list of ideas, and no-where near formulating

are your values and big picture? Ultimately knowing

their aspirations into a plan, never mind thinking

how much money you think you will need to borrow

about investors.

and how you plan to repay it also helps.

As a creative, formulating ideas in a way financiers

Having some financial forecasts and an idea of

will understand doesn’t usually come naturally.

the people you will include to bring your goals to

funding and should show how the business aims to

templates on business websites as well as from

Ultimately, a business plan is written to help secure

life are also useful. You can get free business plan

create enough money to pay any loan back and over

the lenders themselves. What I found helpful were

what period. If you really struggle with this, get in

examples of completed business plans such as those

touch with a business mentor or trainer who can give

available from SMARTA or business libraries. If you

you the support you need to get it written.

have to present it to a bank manager remember

The purpose of the plan is to set the direction of

to talk about it enthusiastically – Personality and

your business, outline clearly how you plan to get

passion carries a lot of weight.

there and hopefully motivate others to participate.

Even if money is not an immediate issue it might

They need regular updating and reviewing.

still be worth writing a business plan as it forces you

know that business plans are ever only assumptions,

how you will plan to make your business work.

Financiers, crowd funders or other investors should

to identify what your main business objective is and

communicating via my social media

platforms in ways that will help my business and help

industries, for example fashion, could be incorporated l Buying

press releases to some local papers to grow

attention in the new place I’ve moved to.

list includes: l

some reconnaissance in my local area in

STRATEGY DOCUMENTS

which ones to attend. (An artist with any commercial

If business plans scare you, then draw up a

sense needs to know what people are buying in the

strategy document.

design arena). Although I don’t recommend copying,

This is essentially a list of goals, ideas and routes to

Plans

riting a business plan is still one of the

based on fiction and even possibly ludicrous. They

most challenging aspects of business

should be capable of looking beyond the plan to

start-up and for me a continual work

see the personality behind the business.

in progress. I often wonder who would actually

Think about how you are going to produce your

read it. Most of them look so yawn-worthy. You can

keeping a record of the words other commercially

market that will generate revenue. The document is a

savvy artists use is really helpful if you have to knock

route map with a number of different paths that goes

up a brochure in record time.

into your very core. It will encompass your values,

l Doing

vision, action points, and purpose.

terms of what businesses may like to exhibit my art or

Try and list in sequence activities you need to

stock my greetings cards.

complete in order to get to a particular point and

l Writing

prioritise them in terms of importance. My current

l Continually

Looking at trending sites – What trends in other

grow my list of potential customers – and diarizing my

into my decorative design work.

tweets, facebook page updates etc.

a better camera

l Thinking

of new technologies I could incorporate

all the big show dates in my calendar and

l Studying

funding providers (may need them in the

l Expanding l Noting

my online presence (Folksy, Etsy,)

into my business eg familiarizing myself with Instagram

deciding if I want to buy a stand.

future) and researching my market.

Saving all the craft fair brochure pdfs that I get

Write down the basis of your creative mission in the

sent on my computer, diarising dates and deciding

box below. Type it up and put on your noticeboard.

goods, how you will sell (online or in retail) and

choose to ignore writing one at all until you need

deliver them.

investment but there is always this niggling thought

Who is your target customer, what age they are

at the back of your mind that without one you can’t

and what income do they earn? Will you combine

ups is that so often they are basing their business

experience do you bring to your business? What

be a fully-fledged business. The problem for start-

online and more traditional advertising? What

on a list of ideas, and no-where near formulating

are your values and big picture? Ultimately knowing

their aspirations into a plan, never mind thinking

how much money you think you will need to borrow

about investors.

and how you plan to repay it also helps.

As a creative, formulating ideas in a way financiers

Having some financial forecasts and an idea of

will understand doesn’t usually come naturally.

the people you will include to bring your goals to

funding and should show how the business aims to

templates on business websites as well as from

Ultimately, a business plan is written to help secure

life are also useful. You can get free business plan

create enough money to pay any loan back and over

the lenders themselves. What I found helpful were

what period. If you really struggle with this, get in

examples of completed business plans such as those

touch with a business mentor or trainer who can give

available from SMARTA or business libraries. If you

you the support you need to get it written.

have to present it to a bank manager remember

The purpose of the plan is to set the direction of

to talk about it enthusiastically – Personality and

your business, outline clearly how you plan to get

passion carries a lot of weight.

there and hopefully motivate others to participate.

Even if money is not an immediate issue it might

They need regular updating and reviewing.

still be worth writing a business plan as it forces you

know that business plans are ever only assumptions,

how you will plan to make your business work.

Financiers, crowd funders or other investors should

to identify what your main business objective is and

communicating via my social media

platforms in ways that will help my business and help

industries, for example fashion, could be incorporated l Buying

press releases to some local papers to grow

attention in the new place I’ve moved to.

list includes: l

some reconnaissance in my local area in

THE POWER of Pinboards

y memory plays tricks on me, and as

series of paintings of key Belfast landmarks of which

hard as I try, there are days where I

the Titanic building was one. It’s an area of the city

couldn’t pitch my business for toffee.

I had never been to – I had left Northern Ireland in

Despite all my best efforts (the business plan, my 3

1986 for University in England and never returned

second elevator pitch, and all the great prose I’ve

except for the occasional trip to visit family at

written about my card business in brochures and on

holiday time. My Titanic Building painting was

my website) my mind goes blank and I forget what

done from a photograph on a scrap of old canvas

my business objectives are, or where I plan to be in

I had purchased in an art supply store in Finsbury

10 years’ time. That’s where my pinboards come in.

Park. To me the building is an architectural

I’m certain most of us have a dominant sense,

wonder - the aluminium panels representing

whether it is our hearing, our sight, sense of smell or

the crystallised water of an iceberg. I thought

intuition (the lesser known one) and depending on

no more about the painting until this weekend

the situation, one will prove stronger than the other.

(12 September 2015) as I shared lunch with my

Visual things seem to have a greater impact on me

family in the restaurant of… The Titanic Building.

than something written, spoken or felt.

Coincidence? Quantum Physics?

My niece loaned me The Secret DVD by Rhonda

In business we need all the help we can get so

Byrne the other day – yes, it took me a long time to

I’d highly recommend going through your stash

get round to making that one a priority, but I have to

of magazines, newspaper articles, and positive

say, I was bowled over. I listened to all the amazing,

affirmations to create a vision board you are proud

uplifting tips on how to create our dream world

of. Find images that really help expand your

through visioning, affirmations, and law of attraction.

horizons, and reflect your big business goals and

I must have filled a whole notebook of quotes and

dreams. Put your vision boards in a place you will

“To Do’s” but the most poignant of all of the ways we

see them regularly, and really try and sense you are

bring about our destiny is through vision boards.

in the places and situations you have cut out. With

The DVD encouraged the viewer to cut out images

an attitude of gratitude, and some positive action,

of where they’d like to see themselves in the future,

I’m certain some magic will happen. Never dismiss

and pin them up where they see them regularly.

following tried and tested business practices

As an artist, I love to paint places, buildings, and

to grow you empire but doesn’t a touch of the

landscapes. Over a year ago (early 2014), I did a

supernatural interest you too?

TEN TOP TIPS

of EXPORTING BY LYNN TAIT

Research your export partner fully before you commit.

sales on a big scale and a lot of aggro. Make sure you can manage the lead times from the date of order.

Agree terms and make sure that you are going to make money. You will need to heavily discount your cards.

Meet your export partner. There are plenty of opportunities for them to come to the many fairs and all serious distributors will be there at least one of them.

Payment terms. Proforma on the first order and after that it is likely to be 60 days plus make sure you can finance this as it could cause you a cash flow problem .

If you want to export the two fairs that are good for meeting export distributors are the Spring Fair in February and Progressive Greetings Live in May or June.

It is important to carefully work out all the costings, especially your time. If you are printing digitally it is quite hard to make a profit. It can be a lot of work and stress for little reward.

Don´t make a decision at the fairs, this is a long term commitment and you need to make sure that this is right for you.

10.

If you have done your homework and it all works, exporting can be a brilliant and lovely way of expanding your business. Infinitely better than being involved in brokerage which is much more risky. Once those boxes leave you that’s it, a done deal, no sale or return or thousands of cards sitting in someone else’s warehouse. You can then build up your export partners one at a time.

It is rare for you to have to pay the carriage, make sure you have this in the contract along with all the other terms.

It is vital that you always have the stock, this is the most likely reason for the relationship to collapse. The distributor will be selling to the whole country through agents and if one card is out of stock that will mean lost

CONTACT Lynn Tait The Lynn Tait Gallery http://www.thelynntaitgallery.com/

T U A R O F D N E R T THE

BRIGHTS Having followed the latest trends in the media during Fashion week September 2015 Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to say that they all include bright bold colours primarily of the citrus variety. I see them on everything â&#x20AC;&#x201C; stationery, clothing, accessories and styling products. They have been around for a couple of seasons and look to be staying. Have a look at two of my Curious Canine designs opposite for on trend colour!

5 1 0 2 R E T N I W / N TUM BRIGHT RED AND PURPLE! The “back to school” marketing campaigns local stores have been promoting include lots of bright pinks and orange colours which I think are great – School can be really dull sometimes, and a nice bright notebook can make the gloomiest day just a bit more bearable. The same goes in the greeting card business – nothing like a pop of colour to make a design stand out above the others in a spinner or on a person’s mantelpiece.

YELLOW IS IN VOGUE! Never mind orange... yellow is definitely the must-have colour for Autumn/ Winter. If you don’t fancy an all-over bright yellow you could go for a design with just a flash of yellow on the border.

Card range design, colours, and promotion with

JO SCOTT

of Scott & Robson Designs

evolve as I go. Once I have something I like, a range of images that to me, spark joy*, then ideally I like to try them out at a craft fair or a dog show to get feedback. This isn’t always practical as fairs are time consuming, standing out all day in the cold is not my idea of a good time, so sometimes I skip this bit and send sample packs to 2-3 of my trusted shops (one is run by a friend, and the other 2 are enthusiastic buyers of my cards) in return for their feedback on what is selling well. If it’s good feedback then the cards go in the brochure, if it’s not, then I go back to the sketchbook. *Does it spark joy? is a question I’ve borrowed from Marie Kondo, the Japanese cleaning consultant. In her book

1 WHAT DO YOU FEEL MAKES A GOOD CARD RANGE? l l l I think the answer is in the question, ‘What does it make you feel’? A good range will always consist of a combination of great imagery, choice of words, colours, not forgetting a high quality board that feels good in the hands, but it’s at that point when you look at a card and it elicits a feeling that I think makes it a successful card. It might prompt a feeling of tranquility, it might remind you of something or someone, it might make you smile or go ‘Awww’ and when this happens, I think you know when you’ve got a good card range. Having always bought and sent lots of greeting cards myself over the years, when I do go shopping I know when I see the card I want because it sparks a little feeling of delight when I see it. The challenge in creating a good range is consistently reproducing that little spark over more than one design.

“The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”

she asks you to ask this question and use your response as the guide to what to keep and what to sell/recycle/give away when you are clearing out your house. I can’t recommend the book highly enough, if you want to do a big spring clean, read this, it is truly life changing. But as an aside, I thought it was also a good question to ask of my work. Does it spark joy in me? If yes, then I’m onto a winner, if no then perhaps I need to work on it more or abandon it and start again.

2. WHAT IS YOUR METHOD OF CREATING ONE? l l l Lots of trial and more error than anything else, but I do have a process of sorts. I keep a regular sketchbook in which I mull over ideas and once I have a theme in mind I’ll move onto sketches and pen and ink drawings, then I crack open the paints. I keep varying degrees of the original work in my card designs and the rest is manipulated in Photoshop. Colour is always an issue for me, I have no formula and I am rubbish at keeping a consistent palette so I try and keep thematic elements to shapes and compositions and l just let the colour

3. WHAT THINGS WOULD YOU SUGGEST NEW CARD PUBLISHERS DO TO BUILD THEIR PROFILE ? l l l I think a good place to start is an email newsletter, blogs don’t really reach my audience of shops (only other artists and creatives) which isn’t to say that you shouldn’t have F

Card range design, colours, and promotion with

JO SCOTT

of Scott & Robson Designs

“The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”

a blog (I do have one), only personally I’ve found a newsletter more effective. It started out just with family members as a way of keeping in touch, then friends were added when we moved away to live in Ireland, then commission customers, then shops and now anyone who I have any work contact with is asked if they want to be added and I have a sign-up box on my website and Facebook page. I email monthly and give updates on work, any special offers I’m running and previews of new work. Next I think building a following on social media is fun and worthwhile, I would say just pick the social media channels you use already, for me it’s Facebook and Twitter. I schedule posts occasionally and always like to post my sketchbook updates when I’m away on holiday. I don’t spend too much time on social media for the card publishing, I think it’s important, but it’s relative, there’s no point spending hours deliberating over every post and scheduling a social media bonanza, this is not where your potential customers are coming to

look for new products to buy, but it might get you noticed and put on a potential buyers watch list. Ultimately customers buy at Trade Shows, they are expensive and nerve wracking and you’ll need realistic expectations that you probably won’t recoup the entire cost of your first Trade Show in orders, but there is nothing like a trade fair to focus your attention, build your profile and get you noticed by buyers. 4. AS A CARD PUBLISHER YOU HAVE NICHED INTO THE WORLD OF CATS AND DOGS - HOW HAS NICHING HELPED YOU? l l l It wasn’t the intention originally, obviously I have a love of dogs (I own a dog myself) but between us, I’m actually allergic to cats, although that doesn’t stop me appreciating their beauty! I started out just printing reproductions of some of my commission work as art cards, I got great feedback and so it went on from there, the dog paintings were by far the most popular. At the Ladder Club seminar last year I think I was referred to as ‘The Dog Lady’ by one of the other attendees, at least I hope she was referring to my work! Having this label allows others to share their dog and cat stories with me, as soon as people find out what I do they will often share a story with me about their pet or show me a photograph and many of these I used in the card range ‘Today I will be…’ this is a range of cards based on the idea of a dogs diary, what they get up to and the naughty things they are caught doing. This has been my first ‘hit’ range; I have one shop that is on their fourth re-order since February. In specialising in dogs and then cats I also came in contact with the volunteer

organisation Helping Paws

having gone through most of the painful experiences in starting out I suppose I do have some advice I can share. Firstly I would say, selfbelief is important, once you start looking into the world of card publishing and take those first steps to exhibiting at a trade fair it’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, you can look at others work and get overwhelmed by the talent and variety out there so it can be disheartening to begin with. If you are just starting out then I think you are entering the card industry for a reason, either it’s something you’ve always wanted to try or friends, family, someone close or industry related has encouraged you to give it a go, so I would say, try and keep focus on your belief in yourself and that of others and remember other people are probably looking at your work and thinking ‘Wow’. Secondly I would book yourself onto a Ladder Club seminar, they run every November and join their Facebook group, the networking, feedback, camaraderie and advice I received when first starting out saved me making some very expensive and potentially embarrassing mistakes, plus I’ve met a couple of new friends along the way, it’s a real community. The Greeting Card Association is also a very useful resource when starting out (www. greetingcardassociation.org.uk) Lastly I would say, book that Trade Fair, you won’t truly know where you stand until you do this, so visit the Shows now, do your research and ask for hints and tips from others, you’ll find complete strangers willing to give the most honest and detailed information, unlike any other industry I’ve worked in and just go for it.

(www.helpingpaws.co.uk) we came up with a fundraising idea whereby I donate my painting time and people buy a set of cards of their pet which I paint from a favourite photograph, the cost of printing, postage and packaging the cards are covered in the cost and rest of the money goes directly to Helping Paws, we’ve raised over £500 so far and it’s done a lot for raising my profile, but there’s nothing like the feeling when you hear about a newly rescued dog and knowing that some of the money raised went towards helping that animal. So to answer the question, I have embraced my niche and proudly wear my title of ‘The Dog Lady’ but there is a LOT of competition in the Dog and Cat sector so I don’t necessarily see it as an advantage. It does make some of my choices easier, for example, subject matter, I don’t need to ponder for long on which animal to use!

5. WILL YOU GO ON TO PAINT OTHER ANIMALS IN THE FUTURE? l l l I do a lot of commission work which is primarily portraits of pets, dogs and cats, but occasionally I get asked to paint other animals from chickens to alpacas and as a member of the Association of Animal Artists, I also paint a lot of wildlife. I have a couple of card ranges in the pipeline for 2016 that feature other animals and we will just have to see how these are received. 6. WHAT ARE YOUR 3 TOP TIPS FOR NEWBIES STARTING OUT IN GREETING CARD PUBLISHING? l l l I haven’t finished my first year of trading as a greeting card publisher so I feel very much a newbie myself still, but

organisation Helping Paws

PoiZIN Pen

Your heart is in the right place. But your mind went somewhere else!

case something spills out of my brain and lands in my mouth and if it makes me or someone else laugh, I write it down in draft form. At some point, it evolves into a greeting card. Sometimes I use an image, but my cards are mostly words.

1. WHEN DID YOUR IDEA TO PUBLISH GREETING CARDS FIRST COME ABOUT? l l l Following on from my stint as “Dr. Ruthless”, a shock jock on radio station Scot FM in Edinburgh, several of my friends said that I should write down the amusing stuff that comes out of my mouth which is very off the cuff, rather edgy and usually quite funny! So I did. I tend to say out loud what others think but don’t have the courage to repeat. I describe my cards as a slap across the face, but with a kiss inside to make it better!

5. WHAT IS YOUR FIVE YEAR PLAN (IF YOU HAVE ONE?) AND IF NOT, OUTLINE A FEW OF YOUR MOST IMMEDIATE GOALS. l l l I want to be doing this for the next decade or longer. I am not looking to get rich or famous but I feel my cards deliver a message people need to hear – or read. “Your heart is in the right place, but your mind went somewhere else!” I consider my card line to be specialised and I want distribution in good retail outlets. I think PoiZIN Pen is a boutique brand and I want to market it accordingly. Currently, I have a distributor for 6 French speaking countries and a distributor in the USA. Now, it’s about growing the brand and increasing sales and exposure.

2. WHAT WERE THE MAIN STEPS YOU TOOK TO GET THUS FAR? (TRADEFAIRS YOU’VE PARTICIPATED IN, STOCKISTS ETC). l l l The first thing I did was sign up for the Ladder Club Seminar six months in advance that was going to take place in October 2013. I was totally ignorant to the industry and I wanted to be as wellinformed and educated as possible. That seminar was well worth the wait! The second thing I did was to attend Autumn Fair at the NEC in September 2013. I wanted to see how greeting cards were displayed, how large the stands are, what is the lighting like and to see if anyone was doing my style of card or humour. 3. CAN YOU SHARE WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE? l l l Real life situations. The Human Condition. Silly things. Everything and nothing. Things that happen in real time. My husband David is my muse. 4. ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON ANY NEW RANGES? l l l Always. Constantly. I carry a notebook and pen everywhere I go in

Snowflakes, Sa & B ack in early April 2015 I was informed I ought to have a Christmas card range on display at the trade fair I was attending on 2nd June (PG Live, Business Design Centre, London) as most buyers would expect one. My stomach sank at the prospect of having to come up with an entirely new range in such a short time, primarily because I was juggling so many other things in my private life. Coming up with a new range has it’s challenges at the best of times but to do this whilst juggling our family’s house move overseas, and a complicated business matter is no small task. I’ve never had any problem outsourcing a design brief to one of my team if needed, but always try to provide my graphic designers with a good first draft so the collection bears by signature from the word go. I start most collections by opening a simple word document and listing a minimum of 12 greetings (in this case Christmas sentiments) below each other. Listing all the elements you need to incorporate – in this case timeless, classic Christmas scenes featuring churches, doves, candles, and holly wreathes, is also an important second step. Time constraints either 1) stress you out completely - rendering you incapable of getting any work done at all or 2) help you to distil all your creative energies into knocking something out that can be fine-tuned later. Thankfully, number one wasn’t an option! So by the time I had sketched out Christmas baubles, Christmas trees, bells, and reindeers I was well on my way to having a Christmas collection.

Recognising that you can’t do it all is as important in business as researching your market or getting finance. My other life in property management is held together by my very disparate team of lettings agents, mortgage brokers, handymen, plumbers, solicitors and decorators to name but a few. The rookie card publisher has to have a team in much the same way to help with the production, printing, distribution, marketing, and stocking of card ranges. In emergencies, I can always call on my team to refine my designs when I simply don’t have the time to do so myself. I only had to go back to the drawing board once with my reindeer design as it turned out far too comical for what otherwise is a fairly traditional collection. I had to redraw the reindeer’s antlers, and face. Once this was done, and the colour scheme agreed (four green, four blue, and four red designs) I was good to go. Probably the most nerve wrecking part of the card lifecycle is uploading pdfs for use by the printer, and waiting for them to arrive so you can package them in good time. Only hours before I caught my train into London a day before show opening, I uploaded the range to my website. The buyers who visited my stand may not necessarily have noticed this particular range over and above any other – but I know that having them on my website for buyers to refer to them later clinched a very substantial order. I guess the moral of this story has to be the need to trust the team around you to do what you don’t have time to do yourself, and together produce something magical. If you haven’t built your team yet, then do so promptly – CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

anta Claus n o i t a g e l e D

Janna Cossettini

of Deckled Edge Design

Ensure what you plan to offer is going to sell. n Have some money to hand once the biz is up and running for cashflow, to enable you to purchase higher volumes of cards/ env at the lowest prices, this is aside from costs of trade shows, packaging etc. n Ensure you have someone to help with advice on running a business/book-keeping.

1. WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS YOU TOOK TO LAUNCH YOUR GREETING CARD BUSINESS? l l l I actually was half-way through illustrating a childrens picture book and naivly thought I could do the book AND launch greeting cards..... I had to put the book on the back burner. So the answer would be: A; I joined the GCA. Sharon was such help with my silly Q’s. She outlined card sizes, printers, and explained about digital/litho etc. B; having some free time for the first time in 8 years with my youngest starting school. C; having a desire to become a professional again instead of being just ‘Mum’.

3. ATTENDING TRADEFAIRS IS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE LIFE OF A GREETING CARD PUBLISHER - WHICH VENUE HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY? l l l Home&Gift. It suits my personality and the subject matter of my designs.

2. WHAT 4 PIECES OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ARTISTS LIKE YOURSELF WHO WANT TO GET INTO GREETING CARDS? l l l I have 5; n Do your research. n Ask loads of questions.

4. HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON THE THEME FOR YOUR NEXT CARD RANGE, AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON THE NAME FOR A COLLECTION ? l l l Listening to buyers at Trade Shows, they tell you what they want to see more of, or what is lacking in the current industry. Sometimes it just dawns on you, hits you out of the blue. At times it is an extension of what you have already done. 5. WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SEE YOUR CARDS SOLD? l l l Equine industry mainly, large tack stores, coastal/rural independents. JANNA COSSETTINI

85 NORTH CRAY RD. THE COACH HOUSE. SIDCUP. KENT. DA14 5EP M: 0773 6441749 T: 0800 7710771 E: info@decklededge.co.uk W: www.decklededge.co.uk Twitter: @DeckledEdgeArt Facebook: facebook.com/decklededge Catalogue: ISSUU/decklededge

HOARDERS YOU! We need

y teenage daughter goes through phases of declaring what she wants to be when she grows up. This has ranged from anything from becoming a journalist, property investor, or foster parent. The one role that has remained fairly consistent throughout, however, has been a “Professional Declutterer”. While I’m not always grateful for her gentle goading to throw things out, I appreciate that I probably need to be challenged now and again to simply tidy up. With her help I’ve recently cleared out about 30% of a loft I hadn’t even looked at in over 5 years. But there is a function us hoarders are not recognised enough for: that of saving seemingly useless things for posterity, and in doing so preserving everyday things that will tell a future generation a lot about our lives. Collecting correspondence and greeting cards is one such example. For each of my children I kept a scrap book containing their new baby cards -cards friends and family sent to celebrate their birth. I come across them every now and then and always

like thinking of the well-wishers, not all of them people we see regularly, who took the time to congratulate us on the arrival of our new baby. The ones I received from contacts overseas are particularly special since they didn’t have the same choice of cards to buy but still made an effort to put pen to paper. Examples include blank cards with hearts on, and a kind message written in broken English. Throwing these away would mean my children have no idea how special their birth was, nor the welcome others extended to them as they made their appearance. But for me the most important thing about saving old correspondence is that I’m preserving pictorical samples of history designs that will take their place in their specific decades’ hall of fame. Perhaps we should think carefully before we throw the next batch of cards into recycling. We could be denying someone the change to PAUSE - to relive a special moment in someone’s life, as well as closing a window on the past. We’re also discarding some great examples of contemporary design that may be iconic in the future.

l l l COMPETITION

CARD P SY

CHOLO

l You reveal more about yourself than

send it on its way, or do you write an entire

you realise when choosing a greeting

letter on the inside of the card extending

card. If chosen carefully, you are

it on to the space on the back with arrows,

giving the recipient a small peak into

and Please Turn Over’s (PTO)?

the internal workings of your mind – a

Please share the thoughts that go

glimpse into your fashion sense, your

through your mind when card buying.

preferred colours, personality traits, and

All contributors’ names will be added to a

sense of humour. Of course if you’ve bought

hat, and a winner will receive samples of Lorraine’s Cats’ Chorus card range. Email us at Lorraine@

it primarily with the recipient in mind, you are showing

lorrainestylianou.com remembering to leave your

your caring side, considering what would appeal to the person who will receive it, the colours, subject matter

email and address. The winner will be announced

on my facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/

and humour you know them to enjoy.

lorrainestylianouart] and we will contact you to let you

The way you write inside a card is also revealing. Do you quickly scribble a one-liner on the card and

know too. Draw will be held on 1 November 2015.

The Book Nook l l l This month in the book nook I’ve started

modern framework for today’s changing negotiating

reading “The Yes book”, The Art of Better

landscape, covering [the] attitude, behaviour and

Negotiation by Clive Rich. It was recommended

process you need to overcome unhelpful traits in

to me by a business network I’m a member of.

yourself and others.” As card publishers I’m certain

Negotiation is a subject that has daunted me at times,

we all want to hear “YES” a lot more.

and one I know I can improve. I can’t review the

For our next issue we’d love to hear about the

book in its entirety as I’ve only read the introduction

books you are reading and how it helps inspire and

but to quote the back cover the book “gives you a

motivates you on your creative journey.

23 2

THE ATTENTION WAR Maintaining visibility

promotional material (brochures, blog posts etc) as

visible in new ways all the time. This could include

such as redbubble.com, fineartamerica .com, or

It is really important to keep making yourself

well as for uploading to your website or affiliate sites zazzle etc. They cannot reproduce your images on

joining the conversation you may be following on a favourite blogsite, joining a new forum, signing

cards, cushions or camera cases if the quality is poor

up to a new art website or opening on online store.

e.g. low quality JPEGS that are not in RGB colour

Many successful designers who see the business

mode. The letters RGB simply refer to Red, Green and

aspect of their art as a natural branch of what

Blue. Most design orientated online platforms such

they already do will be creating e-zines, forming

as Etsy and Folksy will have blogs posts or FAQ’s that

collectives of likeminded people, and producing

cover photography. They are worth checking out for

in addition to publishing cards and growing their list

https://www.etsy.com/ https://folksy.com/

regular newsletters to keep their readers informed

ideas on lighting, focus, tripods, and background.

of stockists. Customer engagement is where it’s at.

Good photography

Card publishing and design is a visual industry and you will need great pictures to show off your work.

Buy a camera that allows you to take high resolution

photos. You need good quality photos for your own

When Inspiration wanes ... Visit some of the websites below to reignite your creative energy. http://www.smartcreativewomen.com http://www.ted.com/talks http://www.creativeboom.co.uk http://enterprisenation.com http://www.saa.co.uk/ Please let us know any others you would recommend – head over to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lorrainestylianouart

Meet Gypsy, and Chic, my bohemian character creations who are here to inspire you with uplifting quotes from Rumi for the weeks ahead in all your creative enterprises.

“Stop acting so small, you are the universe in ecstatic motion”

“The door is wide open, don’t go back to sleep”

“Sell your cleverness

and buy bewilderment”

“ “Live life as if everything favour was riggedx in your favour”

ROSES for roses sake NOUN A prickly bush or shrub that typically bears red, pink, yellow, or white fragrant flowers, native to north temperate regions and widely grown as an ornamental. (Oxford Dictionary) 1

n keeping with the magazine’s title Gypsy

navy blue background and together they cater for

Chic, I wanted to showcase pictorially my love

numerous different sending occasions:

of everything rose-related. Every one of my card

Wedding, Engagement, Birthdays, Mother’s/

collections truly are a team effort and my Gypsy

Father’s Day, as well as celebrations of love,

Chic range is no different. Esther, one of my star

thanks , remembrance, and retirement. With a

freelancers, used my design brief to create these

mix of 32 designs, they really do look good in a

elegant flowers in both a day and night version.

standard spinner - filling out the top pockets with

I had a different sentiment added to each, and

eye catching florals. There are some blank any

Sharon, my trusted graphic designer, produced the

occasion designs in the range too for times when

print ready pdfs. I’m certain the fact that both live in

we just want to say it with flowers!

Spain has added much free spirited Mediterranean

To order please feel free to complete an order

warmth to the range. The collection currently

from and return on

totals 16 roses on a white background, and 16 on a

Lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com

28 4

The characteristics of successful card publishers

ike any entrepreneur, card

TAKING RISKS

and the sceptics, and for that reason

publishers need to show

Periods of uncertainty, and living

you have to have a strong belief

certain characteristics in order to

with the prospect of failing is part

in what you hope to achieve, or

move forward in their business.

and parcel of running a business.

plan on offering, otherwise you

The most common qualities of

Successful entrepreneurs learn to

will find yourself being talked

successful entrepreneurs are:

tolerate the unknown in order to

out of potentially great business

TENACITY

achieve a bigger goal. That’s why

opportunities and swayed in a

having big dreams helps you look

direction you hadn’t envisaged.

climbing Mount Everest. You have

above and beyond the risks you

In difficult times, a strong belief in

to be able to accept the many

have to take in order to achieve

yourself and your goals will help

challenges life throws your way,

your objective.

you see the naysayers for what they

push through obstacles, and learn

VISION

are – an annoyance that you learn to

to take risks with persistence and

determination.

others don’t is a characteristic

FLEXIBILITY.

PASSION

successful entrepreneurs share.

Being able to communicate that

market conditions as and when

enthusiasm to achieve success

vision helps you acquire the finance

required is key to surviving in

it is difficult to inject any energy

to grow the business. If you can

business. When you start out be

into your business. In a creative

convince others of the benefits

aware that your early products and

business, if you are fuelled by

your business will bring in a clear,

services may go through a lot of

a need to give your customer

concise pitch, you can more easily

refinement before you are really

something beautiful, special or

market your vision.

satisfied with what you have to offer.

Running a business is akin to

Without a strong desire or the

Seeing the opportunity in things

ingenius, at a price they are willing

SELF-BELIEF

to pay, your business has a much

better chance of being successful.

yourself completely from the cynics

avoid, side step, and ignore. Being able to adapt to changing

In business it is difficult to isolate

NOT

How to do a greeting card trade fair l

Don’t tell anyone you are attending – don’t sent

invitations, update your website or publicise it in anyway. l Don’t

have your finished product on display – just stick

Use poor quality “hook and loop” tape so that

everything falls off the shell walls

the original designs from your canvases, or watercolours

Forget your business cards, fliers, and brochures on

on the shell walls – don’t bother getting them into print

the day.

ready pdfs and printed at the printer.

Use any old chair to climb on – ignore all health and

duration of the show.

safety requirements. l

Don’t bother with order forms, clipboard, and

pen supply. l

Wear uncomfortable high heeled shoes for the

Don’t smile at the buyers, or any other attendees

Walk off for long periods leaving your neighbours to

man your stand.

Get to your stand the morning of the show to set up,

looking dishevelled and unorganised.

Don’t follow up with anyone who is kind enough to

leave a card after the show has ended.

Gypsy Chic magazine