#Henries2024
The Finalists
thursday3october2024 the royal lancaster nine kingslondonsuite
Over 150 greetings gladiators already signed up to exhibit at PG Live 2025… join this colossus legion!
www.progressivegreetingslive.com
Vini, Vici, Veni
Welcome to The Henries 2024 Awards, where we aim to take you back 2,000 years to Ancient Rome, for us to recognise and celebrate the finest in UK greeting card publishing.
To paraphrase John Cleese from the Life of Brian, Monty Python’s hilarious satire of the Roman Empire: “What has the greeting card industry ever done for us?”
The answer is obvious. It has given us warm feelings, positive sentiments, mental health, plenty of smiles, companionship, a sense of belonging. And just like Rome was the most successful Empire in the world, we in the UK lead the way in greeting cards, so this year’s Henries is not just about the finest ranges in the UK, but the entire globe. We are all exceptionally lucky to all make our living in this remarkable industry.
But tonight’s extravaganza would not be possible without the fearsome legions who make up our Henries sponsors. The specialist printers, board suppliers, envelope specialists and retailers, who make our industry tick. And of course Rani from Paper Mirchi who produced the amazing scroll invitation, Miles and Nigel from House of Cards for the casino and Roman fun bits, The Sherwood Group for the finalists boards, Windles group for the placecards and menus - and those remarkable cardboard craftsman at N.Smith for producing the incredible Roman stage set and photo op!
It only remains for us to say, “For those about to EAT we salute you!”
Jakki Brown, Warren Lomax, Tracey Bearton and Tracey Arnaud
The Henries team
By
George!
Fresh from his huge success at Edinburgh Fringe, the host of The Henries this year is comedian George Zacharopoulos.
With the theme of The Henries being ancient Rome, Greek-born George will be honing his material to rise to the historic battle of the Titans.
George is a familiar face on BBC One’s The One Show, ITV’s Good Morning Britain, and Dave UK, and was awarded Top European Performer at the Edinburgh Fringe and last year was voted International Comedian Of The Year by the biggest comedy club in Australia.
George has lived in Newcastle Upon Tyne since 2001 when he came to the UK to study biochemistry and found the comedy scene, turning professional in 2015 and going on to headline every major comedy club in Europe, Dubai and Australia.
Left: George Zacharopoulos is the host of The Henries 2024.
Above: PG’s Warren Lomax, Jakki Brown (right) and Tracey Arnaud at last year’s Carnival-themed Henries.
A Magnificus Charity Raffle
Every single penny from tonight’s raffle will go The Light Fund, our industrywide registered charity, with half the funds then going to Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Set up 20 years ago, since its inception, The Light Fund has now raised over £2 million and funded well over 250 charity projects helping men, women and children less fortunate than ourselves, all over the world.
Rompy
Pompei
Kindly donated by Cardzone
Do as the Romans did those 2,000 years ago and bathe in Bath's naturally warm, mineral-rich waters at the Thermae Bath Spa and enjoy a stay over at The Bird boutique hotel in an Abbey King Room with some spending money to enjoy this wonderful city.
Eat Tu Brute
Kindly donated by Enveco Gorge like an emperor on a burgeoning hamper of Italian gastronomic delights from Il Grande Italian Gourmet, including artisan salami, prize winning Italian truffle cheese, extra virgin olive oil, top quality pasta and sauces, soft amaretti biscuits, a trio of well-loved wines and lots more.
6 for £20 3 for £10
Clash Of The Titans
Kindly donated by David Greaves of Emotional Rescue Forget lion slaying, here’s your chance to have ringside seats at a football battle of two titans with four top executive tickets to the Manchester United v Arsenal match on 8 March 2025 at Old Trafford, with full buffet lunch, programmes and a parking space at the ground.
Vino Vidi Vici
Kindly donated by The Imaging Centre
The Romans were famed for introducing wine, but us Brits are marching on. Escape to the country for a minibreak involving a vineyard tour and wine tasting at Chapel Down Winery for two in the heart of the Weald of Kent, with a stay over at the Little Silver Country Hotel in lovely Tenterden.
Olfactory Orgy
Kindly donated by Paper Salad
Inspired by the aesthetics, colours and scents of Italy’s most historic and tropical region, Ortigia’s beautifully packaged fragranced and homewares products are revered the world over and you can give your senses a real treat with £250 to spend on this luxury Sicilian brand.
Aris-Throttle Away
Kindly donated by The Sherwood Group
Ever wondered what it would be like to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari Testa Rossa, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera or enjoy the thrill of letting rip round Silverstone, Brands Hatch or Donington Park race tracks. Well, your chariot awaits with £250 of Trackdays vouchers to take you up a gear.
Colossus Culture
Kindly donated by Woodmansterne
Take your seats at London’s Coliseum to marvel at Rigoletto, embrace the Mamma Mia! The Party experience or take your pick from a host theatrical treats, gigs or sporting events with £250 of Ticketmaster vouchers.
Maximus Empori
Kindly donated by Simon Elvin
Give yourself and your home a maximus makeover. You can style up your kitchen with a designer Dolce & Gabbana coffee machine top of the range pasta maker, Gucci goodies galore or in fact anything you fancy from John Lewis & Partners with a £400 spending spree. Bella Bella!
Caesar The Day
Kindly donated by Loxleys
The Romans knew a thing or two about spas and you too can become accustomed to a luxurious wind down. Let the pressures of life melt away, with a relaxing and luxurious spa getaway with a £250 Spabreaks.com voucher to spend at any of the 700 spa destinations in the UK and overseas.
In Vino Veritas
Kindly donated by Carte Blanche Greetings
You can go gaga over Gavi, say ciao to Chianti and nurture your Negroni nuances, by topping up your wine racks and filling up your drinks cabinet with £250 of Majestic Wine vouchers to spend on whatever tipples take your fancy.
Glad-heate-there
Kindly donated by Alpha Colour Printers
From antipasti to affogatos, ragu to risotto, enjoy a gargantuan feast at any of the fantabulous restaurants in The Ivy Collection with £250 to spend as you please with whoever you choose.
Above: Sir Henry Cole, the namesake of The Henries caricatured as King Cole, in Vanity Fair in 1871.
Below: The logo for The Henry Cole Classic Award.
The man behind the name
Why The Henries?
The UK greeting card industry has a lot to thank a certain Victorian philanthropist, inventor and culturist who went by the name of Henry Cole. Not only did he introduce the first ever commercially produced Christmas card – 181 years ago! –but was also a pioneer of the Penny Post (which heralded a quick and efficient postal service!) and was director of the V&A Museum which remains a source of inspiration of many of today’s greeting card creatives.
With these ‘claims to fame’ he was the ideal namesake of the greeting card industry’s product awards - The Henries.
It was back in 1843, finding himself too busy to write letters to all his acquaintances at Christmas time, that Henry Cole, commissioned his friend, John Calcott Horsley, a British narrative painter to design a card.
This significant Christmas card features a central hand-coloured image of a family party in progress, above the greeting ‘A merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You’ and is flanked by two much simpler images of the poor being tended.
A batch of 1,000 of the cards - only 5” x 3” in size and postcard format - were printed on a lithograph stone and then hand-coloured by a professional colourer.
Henry sent some of the cards to his family and friends including his personal messages of goodwill for the festive season, but the remainder of the cards he sold through a stationers shop in London’s Old Bond Street for one shilling (5p) each.
There are now only be around only 10 of the original 1,000 Henry Cole cards in existence - many of the cards were destroyed by the puritans of the day – known as Muggletoniansas the image depicted children drinking wine, which was considered inappropriate to Victorian sensibilities.
Thankfully, one of the original cards is safe and not too far away! In December 2005 one of original cards (that has been sent to a Miss Tripsack, a close friend of the poetess Elizabeth Barrett-Browning) came up for auction at an obscure auction house in Devizes in Wiltshire. The auctioneer, Alan Aldridge, kept a promise that he had made to PG’s Jakki Brown that he would not publicise the card being up for auction to the American market. (A card Sir Henry had sent to his grandmother had been sold via the same auction house to a private US investor only a few years previously, for £22K).
Determined to safeguard this precious treasure of UK greeting card history and keep it within the nation, PG’s Jakki Brown was successful in her bid for this very special Christmas card.
Sir Henry’s legacy continues strongly, with hundreds of card publishers, thousands of retailers and a strong band of dedicated suppliers perpetuating the wonderful habit of buying and sending greeting cards that are reverred throughout the world.
Above: This 181 year old 5” x 3” piece of cardboard represents an important part of our cultural heritage – the world’s first commercially produced Christmas cards that was introduced by Sir Henry Cole back in 1843. This card, from the initial 1,000 batch, was sent to Miss Tripsack, a close friend of the poetess Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and is now owned by PG’s Jakki Brown.
More about Henry
Above: Alan Aldridge, principal auctioneer of Henry Aldridge & Sons, Devizes, with the Henry Cole card as it went under the hammer.
Left: In 2005 PG’s Jakki Brown fulfilled a dream by successfully bidding for one of the few remaining examples of the world’s first commercially produced Christmas cards.
Below: Sir Henry Cole was the director of the V&A which remains a source of inspiration for many
House of Cards is proud to support the Greeting Card Trade for over 30 years and delighted to be a sponsor of the Henries.
'Greeting Cards!'
- Julius Caesar
The very best of luck to all the finalists.
The Henries awards are the ultimate accolades in greeting card design, this year attracting 2,095 entries from 313 different greeting card publishers across the 19 product categories.
Here we explain the two-stage judging process, involving well over 100 retailers, to arrive at the finalists and winners of The Henries 2024.
The Henries 2024 Live Judging Panel
l Sonya Adams, owner of Serendipity, Hale
“Publishers’ engagement with The Henries 2024 broke new records, with 313 greeting card publishers entering, from established leading brands to brand new start-ups, collectively showcasing our industry’s incredible creative prowess,” commented Jakki Brown, managing director of Max Publishing, which owns and organises The Henries.
“Likewise, the two-stage judging process has seen more retail buyers than ever casting their votes, both online and in person to arrive at the finalists and winners,” she added.
As ever, The Henries were free to enter, making them accessible to all publishers. The first round of judging took place entirely online, which saw a judging panel of some 90 retail buyers cast votes to arrive at a shortlist. There were 15 shortlisted ranges in the vast majority of the product categories. These shortlisted ranges as well as all of the submissions for The Lynn Tait Most Promising Young Designer or Artist category featured at a physical judging event (which was held on 30 July at London’s Business Design Centre) with a judging panel comprising over 40 retail buyers, considering the actual greeting cards and giftwrappings and casting their votes to arrive at the finalists and winners for The Henries 2024.
The Judging Colossus
l Priya Aurora-Crowe, buyer/co-owner of Lark London, 23 stores
l Sean Austin, owner of Austin & Co, Malvern
l Anne Barber, owner of In Heaven at Home, Market Harborough
l John Barratt, director of Card Centre, Felixstowe
l Dale Boreham, head of card design, Moonpig
l Georgina Black, owner of Pretty Shiny Shop, Finsbury Park and Oval
l Debbie Brown, co-owner of First Class Greetings and Plum Green, Hadleigh
l Jerry Brown, co-owner of First Class Greetings and Plum Green, Hadleigh
l Deb Came, proprietor of Paperweight, Cardiff
l Laura Clarke, buyer of Scribbler, 36 stores
l Lauren Clarke, assistant buyer of Waterstones, 320 stores
l Megan Douglas, card and giftwrap buyer, Waterstones, 320 stores
l Lucy Eason, owner of George’s, Whitstable
l Cilena Easton, owner of Artichoke, Tynemouth
l Shannon Fisher, buyer of Postmark, 14 shops in London, Birmingham and Glasgow
l Scarlett Ford, buyer of WHSmith, 500+ stores
l Charlotte Green, buyer of Cardfactory, 1000+ stores
l Mark Janson-Smith, co-founder of Postmark, 14 shops in London, Birmingham and Glasgow
l Sandra Jervis, stationery boss lady of Creative Cove, Lampeter
l Sarah Laker, chief stationery geek of Stationery Supplies, Marple and Wilmslow
l Aga Marsden, owner of The Highworth Emporium, Highworth
l Sally Matson, owner of Red Card, Petworth
l Samantha Ody, head of buying of Cardzone Group, 300+ stores
l Evonne Pearson, owner of The Hedgehog Bookshop
l Katrina Raill, director of Etcetera, Hitchin
l Caroline Ranwell, owner of Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall
l Andrew Reid, manager of Card Centre, Felixstowe
l Olivia Reilly, co-owner of Little Boat Gifts, Brightlingsea
l Peter Reilly, co-owner of Little Boat Gifts, Brightlingsea
l Tim Reynolds, retail manager of Medici Gallery, Kensington
l Maxwell Roberts, owner of Headrow Gallery, Leeds
l Cheryl Sandbach, senior buying manager of Cardfactory, 1000+ stores
l Jo Sorrell, owner of Cardies, Stevenage
l Helen Southgate, owner of Cards N Things, Hellesdon
l Paul Southgate, owner of Cards N Things, Hellesdon
l Serge Sumerling, owner of Nor, Beckenham and West Norwood
l Ruth Taylor, merchandise and buying administrator of Scribbler, 36 stores
l Lauren Thomas, buyer of Tesco, 4,000+ stores
l Emma Thurgood, manager of Sincerely Yours, Hornchurch and Shenfield
l Kaye Thurgood, owner of Sincerely Yours, Hornchurch and Shenfield
l Jo Webber, owner of Jo Amor, Tiverton
l Andrew Webb, partnership manager of Scribbler, 36 stores
l Nigel Williamson, partner of House of Cards, seven shops in the Home Counties
Top right: Cheers from the judging panel and PG team at The Henries 2024 physical judging event.
Above: Red Card’s Sally Matson and Sean Austin of Austin & Co were among the 100+ buyers involved in the judging.
Right: (left-right) Maxwell Roberts of Headrow Gallery, Shannon Fisher of Postmark, Tim Reynolds of Medici Gallery, Mark Janson-Smith of Postmark and PG’s Warren Lomax discuss the relative merits of some of the shortlisted ranges in the Best Photographic category.
The Lynn Tait
Open to: This special award category recognises and rewards the wealth of young creative talent that we have in the UK. This award is open to all designers and artists (employed by a publisher or freelance) aged 35 years or under on 1 July 2024.
l Rachel Burt, designer of Hotchpotch
“Hi I’m Rachel! I am a greeting card designer at Hotchpotch.
I have been working in the greeting card industry since I graduated from university (some years ago now!) and feel so lucky that this is my job!
I love doodling on my iPad and it has become a bit part of my design process. There is so much potential in digital processes and I love to explore these!”
l Emily Byrd, founder of Bird & Co Studio
“I have always had a passion for getting out into nature and exploring the wild. From a young age, I was at my happiest drawing in trees and making woodland dens. I have always loved making people happy and would spend hours crafting special birthday cards for friends and family.
For a long time, I’d dreamed of having my own business and in 2022, I combined my passion for illustration and design with my love of the outdoors and created Bird & Co Studio. Over the last year I decided to give this new venture my best shot, so after doing my first Christmas market, I signed up for PG’s Ladder Club in December 2023. The day inspired me so much and I met other cardies that have since grown into good friends. This led on to me doing the GCA’s Dragons’ Speed-dating event in March 2024, which helped me get used to pitching my work to retailers and gain some valuable feedback. Then in June I launched officially to the retail trade on Faire and at the PG Live show. I was so chuffed to leave the show with orders, amazing new contacts and more industry friends, as well as a Golden and Sunshine Tickets!
My designs are hugely inspired by my adventures in
in alphabetical order
2024 Finalists
l Rachel Burt, greeting card designer at Hotchpotch
l Emily Byrd, founder of Bird & Co Studio
l Georgi Doig, director of happiness for Lil Wabbit
l Beth Lewton, senior creative of Woodmansterne Publications
l Esme Linton, senior designer of Woodmansterne Publications
l Emily Nash, founder of Emily Nash Illustration
l Lex Rogy, founder of Little Roglets
the natural world (often accompanied by my spaniel Mylo), and my goal is to create beautiful, illustrated products that help to protect it. I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved so far; being a finalist for two Henries awards, planting 500+ trees and already being stocked in amazing stores around the world - I feel like I’m living my dream and I’m so excited to see where my journey leads me next.”
l Georgi Doig, director of happiness for Lil Wabbit
“I am beyond excited to be a finalist in this category for the second year running. When launching lil wabbit just four years ago, after I took my grandmother’s watercolour paints home following her death, I could never have guessed that one day I’d be nominated for an art-based award.
Since last year’s Henries I have been busy beavering away…I’ve created two new ranges consisting of 55 designs; launched our new bee scheme, sponsoring 60,000 bees, each one representing a card sold; continued our StreetVet campaign and hit a total of £13,000 raised to date; taken part in my first PG Live and Harrogate Home & Gift, as well as our fourth Top Drawer, plus landed my first small chain and national (thanks to the Dragons’ event).
Being recognised among the publishers in the category is truly amazing and we can’t wait to get to the awards and party the night away!”
l Beth Lewton, senior designer of Woodmansterne Publications
“My creative journey started over 10 years ago working within design industries, and to this day I continue to craft my design skills within the greeting card industry knowing there is always more to learn and explore. What inspires me? Well, my main source is mother nature, she gives my soul peace and quiet, so I take from her any inspiration she is happy to share with me. What gets me excited is taking a seed of an idea, giving it fertile soil, holding patience for growth and then watching the idea bloom. Hopefully many more ideas will be in bloom soon!”
l Esme Lintin, in-house designer for Woodmansterne Publications
“My journey started as a young teen in Lincolnshire creating handmade cards and crafts for family and friends. Many business ideas later, ranging from jewellery to decoupage, I landed in Hertfordshire creating wall art from large scale abstracts to nursery illustrations for worldwide companies.
I now run my own part time illustration business where my designs are inspired by the patterns and colour of the natural world, the jewel tones of tropical habitats alongside the details of British wildlife and meadows. Joining Woodmansterne has enabled me to explore new looser, more playful styles combining characters with punny typography.”
l Emily Nash, founder of Emily Nash Illustration
“Hello! I’m Emily, an independent publisher of illustrated greeting cards and paper goods. I create bright, fun and colourful imagery, using hand-cut and digital collage. I started my artistic career as an editorial illustrator and while I contributed towards a wide variety of publications, the lifestyle, food and culture pieces were my favourites as they allowed me to be more playful and creative.
Alongside this, I worked part time for a greeting card publisher which was how I was introduced to the industry. I soon realised how fun it could be to illustrate with the sole purpose of spreading joy, so in 2019 I decided to ‘go it alone’ and launched my own greeting card business. Since then, I have steadily grown my collection to over 300 products and I’m proud to be working with a fast-growing list of retailers around the world. While cards make up the majority of my range, I also design art prints, notebooks, puppet cards and more.
2024 has been a big year and I have recently started outsourcing fulfilment to a small and friendly warehouse team, which has meant I have more time to focus on creating new designs and expanding the business. I’m so proud to be part of such a creative and friendly industry and am looking forward to seeing where it leads me next!”
l Lex Rogy, founder of Little Roglets
“You might recognise Little Roglets as the hedgehog holding the paintbrush, but if you don't know Litte Roglets already, then let me tell you the answer to one of my most frequently asked questions - why the name? A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet + my surname Rogy = ROGLET.
From interior styling for superyachts as my first job out of university, to project management for LEGO sculptures (yep, you read that right), I was always in creative industries, but always felt like something was missing. At the time I'd also started painting again, where it soon became a side hustle. Every spare evening after work would be spent painting people's pets and creating one off cards, until the nudge to use my creativity for more than just a hobby got so strong, that with no plan what so ever, only a desire to paint - I decided to take the leap of faith and it was the best thing I ever did.
My inspiration is family, my love of travel and the very squiggly line that is the journey of life. Recognising that everyone's path looks a little different, everything I design has a meaning behind it, from either personal experience or childhood memories, ask me about a range and I can give you a story! I was always the girl that could be found with animals over humans (or by the buffet, but that's a different story and I'm yet to do a range on cheese).”
GOOD LUCK
When you care enough to send the very best
Open to: All greeting card ranges (humorous and nonhumorous) that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024 that reflect diversity and inclusivity. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
Best Inclusion Range
in alphabetical order
2024 Finalists
l Nobody’s Perfect from Fluffmallow
l Out! from Emotional Rescue
l Peace and Blessings from The Art File
l Queer Cards from Pickled Prints
l Seasons from AfroTouch Design
l You Go Girl! from Paper Rose
Peace and Blessings
Open to: All humorous greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs which have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
Gin & Frolics
Monkeyshines
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Gin & Frolics from Rosie Made A Thing
l Holy Flaps from Redback Cards
l Just Saying from Ohh Deer
l Monkeyshines from Pigment
l Motley from Poet and Painter
l Natural Yoghurt from Woodmansterne Publications
Holy Flaps
Motley
Just Saying
Natural Yoghurt
Best Entertainment or Character Card Range
Open to: All greeting card ranges that are published under licence (based on entertainment properties or character brands) that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs which have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
Category Sponsor
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Elmer from Tache
l Harry Potter Vintage Railway Poster Collection from Cardology
l Marvel Die Cuts from UK Greetings
l Peter Rabbit from Hallmark Cards
l Snoopy from Hype Associates
l Squishmallows from Danilo Promotions
l Harry Potter Vintage Railway Poster Collection
l Marvel Die Cuts l Peter Rabbit
Snoopy l Elmer
Squishmallows
‘What did SKEET PRINT ever do for us?’
‘There was that very fast turnaround of those urgent cards’
‘Oh yes and don’t forget that job last month with the amazing foiling and embossing’
‘What about those beautiful notebooks for Spring Fair’ ‘and the great idea for going plastic free on the shopping pads’
‘the foiled wrap looked really good as well, and it was on time’
‘remember the neon cards, the colours jumped off the card’
‘Yes but apart from the turnaround times, foiling and embossing, the print quality, the plastic free packing idea, the foiled wrap etc etc, what has SKEET PRINT ever done for us?’
‘Don’t forget the wine big nose, we would really miss that!’
Print we enjoy what we do :)
01522 790117
www.skeetprint.co.uk enquiries@skeetprint.co.uk
Licensed Heritage, Lifestyle, Art or Design Card Range
Open to: All greeting card ranges that are published under licence based on heritage, lifestyle, art of design properties that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs which have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Cath Kidston
l National Trust Harmony
in alphabetical order
2024 Finalists
l Cath Kidston from Ohh Deer
l Emma Bridgewater from Woodmansterne Publications
l Frida Kahlo from Origamo
l National Trust Harmony from Woodmansterne Publications
l RHS Classic from UK Greetings
l Sara Miller London from The Art File
l Emma Bridgewater
l RHS Classic
l Sara Miller London
l Frida Kahlo
Open to: All single Christmas card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs which have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Bijou Christmas
l Merry Little Christmas
Counter Range Best
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Bijou Christmas from Louise Mulgrew
l Cosy Christmas from Ricicle Cards
l Merry + Bright from Stormy Knight
l Merry Little Christmas from Megan Claire
l Stephanie Dyment from Woodmansterne Publications
l Storybook Christmas from The Art File
l Cosy Christmas
l Stephanie Dyment
l Merry + Bright
l Storybook Christmas
PRINTSBEAUTIFULLY
Christmas Box
Open to: All Christmas boxes or packs that have been launched to UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. These can be branded, own brand or charity products.
in alphabetical order
2024 Finalists
l Christmas Tri-Fold Card Boxes from Roger la Borde
l Fa La La Packs from Stop the Clock Design
l Luxury Christmas Boxes from The Art File
l Minnows from James Ellis
l Superior Boxes from Ling Design
l Woodland Christmas Boxes from Nigel Quiney Publications
Open to: All cute greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs which have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Absolutely Barking
Hello Mellow
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Absolutely Barking from Paper Shed
l Animalia from Great British Card Company (GBCC)
l Hello Mellow from Ginger Betty
l Primrose Hill from Cinnamon Aitch
l Rouge from Little Roglets
l Woodland from Ohh Deer
Rouge
l Animalia
Primrose Hill
Woodland
Contemporary Words and Sentiments Range
Open to: All contemporary ‘words and sentiments’ greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
Fun Thoughts
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Fun Thoughts from Ohh Deer
l Just Because from Eleanor Bowmer
l Lucy Loves Literature from Cath Tate Cards
l Nikki Miles from Jolly Awesome
l One Step At A Time from Fox Under The Moon
l Words of Wisdom from Dandelion Stationery
Just Because
Sentiments Range
Open to: All traditional ‘words and sentiments’ greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Hello Mellow
l Traditional Words & Sentiments
Category Sponsor
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Hello Mellow from Ginger Betty
l Most Especially For You from International Cards & Gifts (IC&G)
l Scene It from Emotional Rescue
l Traditional Words & Sentiments from Ling Design
l Wishing Well Female Collection from Carte Blanche Greetings
l Word Portraits from UK Greetings
l Scene It
l Most Especially For You
l Wishing Well Female Collection
l Word Portraits
l All Dogs, Great and Small
Open to: All art (fine art, contemporary and illustrative, but not photographic) greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered. l
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l All Dogs, Great and Small from Lil Wabbit
l Birth Flora from Bird & Co Studio
l Frame It from Ohh Deer
l Nature Trail by Kate Heiss from The Art File
l Offshore from James Ellis
l Toast Art from Objectables
Art l Birth Flora l Frame It l Nature Trail
Offshore
Toast
Photographic Range Best
Open to: All photographic greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l A Daily Cloud from Brainbox Candy
l BBC Wild Isles from Abacus Cards
l Coola Coola from Icon
l Jesuso Ortiz from Woodmansterne Publications
l London Cards from Eliot Siegel Photography
l The Photographic Collection from Tracks Publishing
l A Daily Cloud l The Photographic Collection
London Cards
l BBC Wild Isles l Coola Coola Jesuso Ortiz
Children’s Range Best
Open to: All greeting card ranges aimed at children that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Birthday Blocks
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Birthday Blocks from Cath Tate Cards
l Multi Sticker & Colouring Collection from Little Green Vibes
l Shine from Redback Cards
l Split Pin Puppets from Emily Nash Illustration
l Sunshine from Paper Salad
l Wobbly Head Pop-ups from Alljoy Design
l Multi Sticker & Colouring Collection l Shine
l Split Pin Puppets l Sunshine
l Wobbly Head Pop-ups
Contemporary Best
Open to: All greeting card ranges which demonstrate a current trend, be it in subject matter, terminology or production technique, that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Gratitude Galore
l Little Joys
l Min-Neons
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Gratitude Galore from Brilliantly Brave
l Little Joys from Raspberry Blossom
l Lost Plots from Cath Tate Cards
l Lucky Dip from Hotchpotch
l Min-Neons from Earlybird Designs
l Shiny Things from Stormy Knight
l Wonder World from Lola Design
l Lost Plots
l Lucky Dip
l Shiny Things
l Wonder World
Best 3D, Handmade or
Open to: All greeting card ranges which are either completely handmade or include 3D or hand-finished elements, that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Cranberry Squares
l Lily Loves
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Cranberry Squares from Cinnamon Aitch
l Cut Out Heart Reusable
Greeting Cards from Oh Squirrel
l Keepsake Collection from Paper Mirchi
l Lily Loves from Bexy Boo
l Message in a Bottle from Alljoy Design
l Up With Paper Luxe from Ohh Deer
l Cut Out Heart Reusable Greeting Cards
l Message in a Bottle
l Keepsake Collection
l Up With Paper Luxe
Best Male Range
Open to: All non-humorous greeting card ranges aimed at male recipients that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Colour Hub from Paper Salad
l Great Outdoors from Stormy Knight
l Happy Days from Stop the Clock Design
l Honcho from Laura Darrington Design
l Retro Rad from Sharon King-Chai
l Taking Shape from Heyyy Cards
Outdoors
Relations and/or Occasions Range Best
Open to: All relations and/or occasions greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Fleurescent
l Gin & Frolics
l Primrose Hill
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Fleurescent from Paper Salad
l Gin & Frolics from Rosie Made A Thing
l Hartland Brooklyn from Ohh Deer
l Holly Maguire from Stormy Knight
l Primrose Hill from Cinnamon Aitch
l Quicksilver from Wendy Jones-Blackett
l Studio Blom from Pigment
l Holly Maguire
l Hartland Brooklyn
l Quicksilver
l Studio Blom
At G.F Smith we offer a special collection of papers exclusively available for the greetings market in our unique swatch book.
Our modest minimums, hands-on approach and small-run production make G.F Smith a supplier of choice to producers of greetings cards.
Our papers can be adapted for a multitude of uses, from cards and stationery to wedding invitations.
We offer much more than just paper and can provide solutions for envelopes, boxes and gift wrap.
Contact us to request a copy of the new swatch book and find out more!
greetingsteam@gfsmith.com
gfsmith.com/greetings @gfsmithpapers @colorplan_papers
Best
Open to: All Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and Father’s Day greeting card ranges that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024 could be entered. Entries had to be event-specific, ie Publishers submitted a separate entry for Valentine’s Day, a separate entry for Mother’s Day etc.
l Father’s Day
l Flora Mother’s Day
l Shiny Valentine
Category Sponsor
Spring Seasons Range
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Father’s Day from Zoe Spry
l Flora Mother’s Day from Louise Mulgrew
l Primrose Hill Easter from Cinnamon Aitch
l Mine’s a Pint from Emotional Rescue (in collaboration with Paper Salad)
l Shiny Valentine from Stormy Knight
l Tokens of Appreciation
Mother’s Day from Two for Joy Illustration
l Valentine’s Collection from The Art File
l Primrose Hill Easter
l Tokens of Appreciation Mother’s Day
l Mine’s a Pint
l Valentine’s Collection
Best
Wholesale
l Everyday In-stock Range
Open to: All greeting card ranges sold via the wholesale distributor/cash & carry channel that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered. l Trendy Pops
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Everyday In-stock Range from Out of the Blue Studios
l Funkytown from Kingfisher Cards
l Isabel’s Garden from Simon Elvin
l Jolly Pops from Simon Elvin
l Pixels from Kingfisher Cards
l Trendy Pops from Xpress Yourself
l Funkytown l Isabel’s Garden l Jolly Pops l Pixels
Giftwrappings Range
Open to: All giftwrapping ranges (either ranges of sheet wrap or collections of co-ordinated wrappings such as boxes, bags, ribbons etc) that have been launched into UK retail (bricks and mortar and/or online) between 15 June 2023 and 14 June 2024. In the case of an ongoing range, only designs that have been launched during the aforementioned dates should be entered.
l Emma Bridgewater Collection
l Paper Salad Collection
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Emma Bridgewater Collection from Woodmansterne Publications
l Everyday Wrap from Kali Stileman Publishing
l Handcrafted Artisan Collection from Paper Mirchi
l Paper Salad Collection from Glick
l Raspberry Blossom Happiness Collection from Penny Kennedy
l Stephanie Dyment Collection from Glick
l Everyday Wrap
l Raspberry Blossom Happiness Collection
l Handcrafted Artisan Collection
l Stephanie Dyment Collection
We are home to illustrators.
License from our compelling catalogue or directly commission something truly inspiring.
The Henry Cole Classic Award
Open to: All greeting card ranges that have stood the test of time, having been published for at least the last eight years. The range must currently be on sale in some shape or form. Ranges can only win a Henry Cole Classic award once and then will be added to the Henry Cole Classic ‘Hall of Fame’. Previous winners include: Bestie from Paperlink, The Bright Side from Really Good; Camilla & Rose from Peartree Heybridge; The Country Set from Wrendale Designs; Eric the Penguin from GBCC; Forever Friends from Hallmark; Giggles from UKG; Ink Press from The Art File; Me to You from Carte Blanche; Medici Cards Blue Label from GBCC; On The Ceiling from Emotional Rescue; Photocaptions from Cath Tate Cards; Pizazz from Nigel Quiney Publications; Pop-Ups from Second Nature; Quentin Blake from Woodmansterne Publications, Rainbow from Ling Design and Virtual Safari from Emotional Rescue.
Boofle from UK Greetings
Launched: 2008
“From a capsule collection of general birthday cards launched in 2008 to a £multimillion cross category brand, Boofle’s trajectory has been truly incredible. And the brand is still growing, with 2024 set to deliver record greeting card sales.
The brand’s success is driven from investment in product development, with over 500 new designs launched each year, introducing new patterning, updated colour palettes as well as new props and poses. All of this is delivered sustainably, which is true to Boofle’s origin story of a pup knitted with love from Grandad’s old woolly cardi; Boofle really is the poster pup for reducing, reusing and recycling! H owever, arguably, the brand’s greatest strength is the continued ability to express emotion and connection which is after all the essence of a great greeting card. This is achieved through the consistent warmth and individuality of Boofle poses combined with lovely copy; in 16 years of design and patterning changes, Boofle has retained what is most important - making people feel loved.”
Happy Jackson from Pigment
Launched: 2013
“The creators of Happy Jackson, Giles Andreae and Heather Flynn continue to create casual, easy-going and playful designs with high shelf impact and a commercial voice.
This is our best-selling range as it is very easy send, for both male and female across every caption.
in alphabetical order
2024 Finalists
l Boofle from UK Greetings
l Happy Jackson from Pigment
l Ladies Who Love Life from Berni Parker Designs
l Quicksilver from Wendy Jones-Blackett
l Sara Miller London from The Art File
l Shakies from James Ellis
l V&A from Museums & Galleries
After 11 years, it remains a go-to range that retailers and consumers buy time and time again.
The range now spans 80 designs, all of which are printed on uncoated board with fluro inks, embossing and spot UV gloss.”
Ladies Who Love Life from Berni Parker Designs
Launched: 2009
“This range has been on sale in retail for almost 15 years (and for over five years previously too, although under a slightly different range name), all created by Berni. It still sells as well today as it did then, we still have first released cards in our top ten sellers.
It is a unique soft textured true art range hand-drawn on handmade paper using watercolour and coloured pencils The range shows ladies in a variety of life situations all created from Berni's endless stream of ideas and is sentimental as well as being funny, using a subtle sense of humour that the card recipients can relate to creating an emotion, smile or laughter of times spent with their friends There are now 313 designs in the collection.”
Sara
Miller London from The Art File
Launched: 2015
“Multi-award-winning designer Sara Miller continues to wow consumers around the globe with designs celebrating a love of playful prints and vibrant colour, inspired by a passion for travel.
Working with leading manufacturers of gifts and homeware, Sara Miller London’s growing collections across all manner of products mean more and more retailers are discovering the power behind this enchanting brand. It all started in greeting cards though, over nine years ago now where we came across Sara Miller at PG Live. The rest they say is history - with Sara Miller London being our number 1 selling collection since its original launch, moving through design trends and styles with her iconic luxurious colour palette and rich textures, enhanced by multi-level embossing and foiling. This range – which now comprises 111 designs - really has stood the test of time and has been a consistent performer and best seller for discerning retailers all over the globe, as well as loved by over 1 million card senders worldwide.”
Shakies from James Ellis
Launched: 2005
“The Paper Shakies range is unique. Coloured confetti encapsulated within the cards so that you can shake them around, adding a fun, tactile dimension.
Shakies first came about nearly 20 years ago, when we experimented adding loose glitter and sequins to a cellophane inner bag that was then placed on top of an illustration and then concealed by a border. These proved very popular and the range continued to grow with great success.
We were extremely excited in 2019 to introduce our first 100% recyclable range of Shakies cards that we called Paper Shakies. Through extensive thought and research, we swapped the cellophane, glitter and sequins to produce a more environmentally-friendly range using translucent paper, card and paper confetti, all of which are completely recyclable, biodegradable and plastic-free.
The range now spans 116 designs, including birthdays, occasions, relations, adult and children's ages.
Our lovely customers have stuck with us on our Shakies' journey and embraced the changes we have made. Our Paper Shakies cards are now more popular than ever and we hope this success continues!”
Quicksilver from
Wendy Jones-Blackett
Launched: 2006
“Since this range launched in 2006, we have published 2,653 different Quicksilver designs across everyday, Christmas and Spring Seasons.
When the range was originally launched, foiling was an old technique that hadn't really been used in a contemporary way. The first designs featured hand drawn letters and illustrations and were hot foil stamped in two colours with fluted dies. Fast forward to 2024 and we now cold foil the cards to achieve an array of foil colours. The designs are then embossed to give a threedimensional effect.
All the cards are 125mm square, are printed onto a textured 300gsm board and come with a matching textured magnolia envelope.”
V&A from Museums & Galleries
Launched: 2009
“The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art design and performance, dedicated to the power of creativity, founded by none other than Sir Henry Cole!
The Museums & Galleries brand has been associated with the V&A for almost 20 years over which time it has grown and evolved to reflect the changing collections and retail trends – al ways remaining a beacon of quality for what a heritage/art range can and should be, for today.
The range now comprises over 200 unique designs, across everyday, Christmas, special occasions and relations designs.
The designs cover everything from textiles, wallpapers, paintings, prints, ceramics and photography. The guiding principle is to provide timeless, universal and beautiful imagery, reproduced to the highest standards, to inspire retailers and the card-buying public alike.
The V&A card range remains Museums & Galleries' largest and most successful range, and is still a core pillar of the business’ offer. It is sold both in the UK and globally, as a landmark British heritage brand. It continues to fulfil the mission that the V&A was tasked with at its launch: to inspire creativity and set a benchmark for retailers in terms of quality and production.”
Category Sponsor
About Us
Cardgains is the largest buying group in the UK catering specifically for independent retailers within the greeng card, gi and associated products marketplace.
Trading since 1989, Cardgains has helped 1000’s of independent retailers to survive and thrive in ever-changing economic climates.
Greeng cards play such a huge part in many people’s lives with cards now available for almost every occasion and relaon.
The Henries 2024
Market Leading Suppliers
Over 90 suppliers covering all categories within greeng card and gi retail outlets.
Preferenal Trading Terms
Member exclusive discounts negoated to exceed those normally available.
Retro Bonus Scheme
In addion to discount, Cardgains offers a retro bonus scheme up to 2.5% of turnover.
Good luck to all the finalists in all the product and design categories, as well as the finalists compeng for the Cardgains sponsored ‘Best Service to the Independent Retailer’ award.
Markeng Acvity
Monthly newsleer, special promoons, what’s-hot emails & social media content.
Operaonal Efficiency
Simple ordering and invoicing system operang on a monthly cycle with low membership fees.
one of them?
Come and meet our Directors at Glee 2024
Open to: This award recognises the pivotal role publishers play in providing a good service to independent retailers. The finalists in this category were arrived at as a result of an exhaustive poll, involving 1,750 independent greeting card retailers, who were each asked to nominate their top three card suppliers on the service front over the last year. These responses were then correlated, awarding three points to all first choices, two points to those mentioned as second choices and one point for all third choices. These points were then totalled to arrive as the 12 finalists. There are three awards in this category – a Bronze, Silver and ultimate Gold, that will be presented to the top three scoring suppliers in the retailer poll.
2024 Finalists
in alphabetical order
l Abacus Cards
l The Art File
l Dandelion Stationery
l International Cards & Gifts (IC&G)
l Jolly Awesome
l Nigel Quiney Publications
l Noel Tatt
l Ohh Deer
l Paperlink
l Pigment
l UK Greetings (UKG)
l Words ‘n’ Wishes
The Honorary Achievement Award
The Honorary Achievement Award is a very special accolade that is awarded to an individual in recognition of the contribution they have made to the UK greeting card industry. Nominations are sought for this award and no finalists are announced. Nominees can come from any aspect of the industry, including retailers, publishers, designers or suppliers.
Some of the previous winners of this award are…
2023 - David Greaves, co-owner of Emotional Rescue
2022 - Alan Harnik, founder of Notes & Queries
2021 - Paul Taylor, managing director of Cardzone
2020- Cath Tate, founder of Cath Tate Cards
2019 - Simon Elvin co-founder of Simon Elvin, who received a special GCA Outstanding Contribution award.
2018 - Ged Mace, managing director of The Art File
2017 - Rod Schragger and Trevor Schragger, co-owners of Second Nature
2016 - Gary Rowley, former ceo of UK Greetings
2015 - John and Jennie Procter, co-founders of Scribbler
2014 - Louise Tighe, founder of Paperlink
2013 - Beth Genower and Matt Genower, co-founders of Five Dollar Shake
2012 - Lynn Tait, former owner of The Lynn Tait Gallery and founder of The Ladder Club - sadly now deceased
2011 - Giles Andreae, creator of Purple Ronnie, Edward Monkton and co-creator of Happy Jackson
2010 - Timothy Melgund, former chief executive of Paperchase
2009- Keith Auty, former marketing director of UK Greetings
2008- Mike Bugler, former managing director of Clinton Cards
- Dennis Podmore, former chairman of Windles - sadly now deceased
2007- Debbie Lewin and Clinton Lewin, former directors of Clinton Cards
2006- Chris Dyson, former joint managing director of Cardgains buying group
2005- Duncan Spence, business angel with an investment in Carte Blanche Greetings and Moonpig
- Stephen Haines, founder of Carte Blanche Greetings
2004- Peter Reichwald, founder of The Great British Card Company
2003- John Charlton, former chief executive of UKG and senior vice president of American Greetings
- Stuart Mackay, former managing director of UKG and Birthdays, former chairman of Paper Rose and former director of Simon Elvin
2002- William McCracken, a former GCA special advisor, former managing director of Ling Design and founder of one of the four first specialist card chains
- Paul Woodmansterne, chairman of Woodmansterne Publications
2001 - Simon Elvin, co-founder of Simon Elvin
2000- Andrew Brownsword, founder of Andrew Brownsword Collection and former owner of Gordon Fraser
1999 - John Condon and George Pomphret, former directors of Clinton Cards
1998 - Don Lewin OBE, founder and former chairman of Clinton Cards
1997 - David Hicks, founder of Really Good and Soul, now sadly deceased
1996 - Stewart Stott, former owner of Nigel Quiney Publications, awarded posthumously
Who’s sitting where?
