February 2020

February 2020 Issue 4 Volume 21

COME AND SEE OUR NEW RANGE AT SPRING FAIR 2-6 Feb, Hall 2, Stand J60/K61

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contents the team

Editor Rachel King rachel@lemapublishing.co.uk Advertisement Manager Simon Davis simon@lemapublishing.co.uk 01442 289940 (direct)

Managing Director Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

28

20

34

Chairman Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

REGULARS 7 Leader

22 Shop Talk

8 News

24 Retail Advice

It may be the end of winter but spring is on our minds – especially Spring Fair!

Read about what has happened this month in the industry.

Get ready for the warmer weather with tips and advice from retail expert Henri Davis.

28 On The Shop Front

18 John Ryan

74 Step Back In Time

John Ryan looks at the impact design trends and predictions have on the greetings and gift industry.

Circulation Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Get to know retailers from across the country and hear what’s happening in their stores.

14 Spotlight

See what new releases are set to launch and what exciting products are ready to hit the shelves.

Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

Keep in touch - follow us: @greetingstoday

Ellie Bartle explains why self-care is vital when you run your own business.

https://www.facebook.com/ greetingstodaymag

Chairman Malcolm Naish delves into the archives to see what happened in years gone by.

greetingstoday

FEATURES 20 Cover Story

Danilo reflect on a great 2019 and tell us what’s in store for an even bigger and better 2020.

26 Paperworld Preview

Discover the upcoming trends in the worlds of stationery, office supplies and writing instruments.

29 Anniversary Profile…

Berni Parker Designs

Celebrating her company’s 10th anniversary, Berni Parker reflects on her career and tells of her hopes for the future.

ONLINE

32 Anniversary Profile…

Fay’s Studio

We ask Fay Miladowska a few questions about her business as she celebrates a decade in the industry.

34 Spring Fair Preview

It’s the biggest show in town with inspiring ideas and exhibitors around every corner. See what you can expect from this year’s event so you can plan ahead.

Go to our website – www.greetingstoday.co.uk – for all the up-to-date news and new product information plus our Facebook and Instagram pages carry more photos from shows and events.

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

Contents - Feb.indd 1

MEDIA

Lema Media Ltd

1 Church Gates, Wilderness, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 2UB

Telephone: 01442 289930 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

At the heart of retail Greetings Today has a circulation of 6,076 Subscription per annum: UK £60 (free for people in the greetings industry), Europe £80, ROTW £100

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 3 10/01/2020 16:23

Over 1,000 quality greeting card designs reproducing o riginal work by more than 50 artists.

Massive choice of styles and subjects!

www.naturalpartnersart.co.uk Contact us to request a copy of our new greeting cards trade catalogue or register as a trade visitor on our website to browse our huge ranges of cards and prints. www.naturalpartnersart.co.uk Email: joe@naturalpartnersart.co.uk Tel: 07714 768956

leader

Museums & Galleries

I

t’s February – well almost – which means it’s time for many of us to up sticks and head to Birmingham for Spring Fair.

This will be my first time visiting the event at the NEC and the top tip people keep giving me is to wear comfortable shoes which is easy as, given my knees packed it in many moons ago and chasing after toddlers is hazardous at the best of times, heels haven’t been a staple in my wardrobe for years. So, let’s just hope whatever flats I pack don’t give me blisters.

We have a bumper Spring Fair preview with lots of wonderful new products launches from many of the greeting card and gift exhibitors.

With more than 280 exhibitors in the greetings and stationery category this year, there are plenty of stands to discover and you never know what goodies you might find.

Be sure to also check out some of the fascinating seminars on offer, whether it’s tips on digital marketing strategies, colour trends, sustainability or even some words of wisdom from the Queen Of Shops Mary Portas or star baker Mary Berry. If you haven’t organised your tickets yet, Spring Fair will be held from February 2-6.

Spring is also on Henri Davis’ mind as she discusses the colours and ideas that can work in retail with the various events that the season brings. So, whether it’s a splash of red for Valentine’s Day, or the bright yellows and greens of Easter, spring is the perfect opportunity to freshen up your shop floor and add colour to your merchandising.

Colour is the theme for John Ryan as well, as he examines how important predictors such as Pantone’s Colour Of The Year can be in the greetings industry.

Trends come and trends go, but how much value is there in what some of these organisations say?

Our Cover Story is on Danilo as the licensed product specialist looks back on its big hits of 2019 while sharing some of the great new things on offer for 2020.

We also have a preview on Paperworld, which runs over January 25-28 at Frankfurt am Main, and will be revealing all the hot new trends in stationery, office supplies and writing instruments. For those venturing to Germany for this international event, check out our tips from group show director Julia Uherek.

It seems 2020 is the year for milestones as we mark the 10th anniversary of Berni Parker Designs. Berni looks back on her lengthy career and achievements

Editor Rachel King

and provides a glimpse of what is in store for the future.

Also celebrating a decade in business is Fay’s Studio. We sat down with founder and designer Fay Miladowska to ask a few questions about her company and what she’s hoping to achieve in this landmark year as well as her plans for the future.

With all these busy events going on as people are still recovering from the chaos that is Christmas and the new year, Ellie Bartle explains why self-care is so important for our health and well-being in On The Shop Front.

Whether you’re an independent retailer like she is, or simply trying to juggle work and home life like the rest of us, she has some great tips to help you achieve that all-important balance.

And don’t forget our new regular section Shop Talk, where we get to hear the opinions of retailers from across the country.

Please get in touch if you’d like to participate or track me down walking the aisles at Paperworld or Spring Fair – hopefully I won’t be the one complaining about sore feet.

‘

With more than 280 exhibitors in the Spring Fair greetings and stationery category this year, there are plenty of stands to discover and you never know what goodies you might find

Clanna Cards

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Leader - Feb.indd 1

Send your views and submissions for the magazine to: rachel@lemapublishing.co.uk Tel: 01442 289930

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 7 10/01/2020 16:24

inthenews MBO sees Simon Elvin sell his card business A management buyout has given the Simon Elvin Group new owners, while the founders stay on as directors.

Ian Jackson is chief executive of Paper Design Group, a newly-formed holding company, which has taken over the business made up of publishers Paper Rose and Nigel Quiney Publications, giftwrap business Glick, own-brand supplier Polytint Cards and the wholesale card and wrap arm Simon Elvin Ltd. Now 78, Simon Elvin and his wife Janet began the business with the eponymously-named firm back in 1977 and have grown it through acquisitions, and they will continue to play an active role as directors.

They have also retained the 50 per cent share in Hendersons card business in Australia, which is not included in the MBO deal.

Ian was MD of Polytint, the business he ran with his father until it was acquired by Simon several years ago, and was appointed to the Simon Elvin Group

Sleepy Bee Studio

Raspberry Blossom

Type And Story

board in June 2018 as part of the succession plan for the company.

Simon says: “When Ian came to me in the autumn to discuss the possibility of an MBO it made sense. While Janet and I want to keep working here for at least another five years, we also wanted to ensure the future for our staff and customers.

“Ian is absolutely the right successor to head up the business. He has 30 years of industry knowledge and shares the same ingrained ethical values as Janet and I. This is the perfect way for the Simon Elvin group legacy to continue.”

Paper Rose, Nigel Quiney, Glick, Polytint and Simon Elvin Ltd will still be run as separate businesses with their own respective senior management teams.

Raspberry Blossom

8th PaperAwards winners revealed From beautiful prints and vibrant palettes to innovative design and undeniable originality, the S/S20 edition of the PaperAwards, sponsored by G.F Smith, has revealed the very best in greetings and stationery, as voted by the industry.

Raspberry Blossom was the big winner, taking both Emotive Design and Exciting Use Of Colour titles, while Type And Story topped the Engaging Print category, with Sleepy Bee Studio winning Best Stationery Design.

Each category winner received a prize worth more than £1,000, while the 18 finalists were showcased in the Greetings & Stationery area at Top Drawer S/S20, which ran over January 12-14 at London’s Olympia.

The full list of winners and finalists is: Emotive Design – winner Raspberry Blossom; runnersup Sadler Jones and Dicky Bird; finalists Kinshipped, Ola and Wanderlust Paper Co. Exciting Use Of Colour – winner Raspberry Blossom; runners-up Type And Story and Lagom Design; finalists Crispin Finn, Early Bird, and Vredenburgh Designs.

Engaging Print – winner Type And Story; runners-up Sadler Jones and Hotchpotch; finalists 1 Tree Cards, Lagom Design and Meraki.

Best Stationery Design – winner Sleepy Bee Studio; runners-up The Completist and Ola; finalists Block Design, Crispin Finn and The Room Alive.

Representing the best in retail across department stores, High Street staples and indies, this season’s expert judging panel who picked the short list for the public vote comprised Audrey Woollen, Urbanic; Craig Kilmartin and Fran Webberley, Five & Dime; Emily Dunstan, Heal’s; Emma Clooney and Joe Guest, Paperchase; Emma Hawkins, Fortnum & Mason; Heidi Richardson and Lucy Sticka, Little Paperie; Holly Tucker, Holly & Co and Not On The High Street; Jenny Wingfield and Olivia Davies, Search And Rescue; Mark JansonSmith, Postmark Online; Preena Patel, The Design Museum; Samantha Gibbs, Nest; Sarah Holmes, Pencil Me In; Sarah Sevier, V&A; Sidonie Warren, Papersmiths; and Victoria Suffield, The Hambledon.

People news Onwards and upwards for greetings card publisher ArtEco Designs which is happy to announce the appointment of two new area sales managers. Lynn Briody, formerly of Really Good and Caspari will be managing London and the South East. With over 30 years’ experience in the gift and greetings industry, Lynn has a great reputation for customer service and a keen eye for detail. Managing Leeds and the North will be Deborah Mitchell, who prides herself on her communication and organisational skills. She was also formerly with Really Good and happens to be good friends with Lynn, immediately adding to the friendly atmosphere fostered within the company as a whole.

ArtEco Designs MD Martin Gaunt says: “Both ladies are great fun and know their business. While they have only just joined, they seem like old friends. Both are very keen to get stuck in and do their very best for our customers.”

Philanthropic power of pencils Vent For Change is proving the power of the pencil by announcing a philanthropic partnership with National Stationery Week for their 2020 campaign.

To raise funds for children’s education projects, the sustainable brand will be giving away UK-made recycled pencils free to every company that signs up as a participating retailer for the April event.

Each participating business will receive a selection of pencils in five stylish colours adorned with an eye-catching #StationeryAddict hashtag. And, for a small donation, customers can choose their favourite recycled pencil with all funds raised being donated to

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education projects run by Plan International UK, a charity working to advance children’s rights and equality for girls worldwide.

Alongside the sustainably-sourced stationery, Vent For Change will provide a shelf-ready display tub, an official collection tin and more information about the education projects.

Founder Evan Lewis says: “National Stationery Week has a huge impact among stationery addicts of all ages. It will allow us to spread our message of sustainability while making an impact with a charity that can change lives. I can’t wait to see the #StationeryAddict pencils on shelves, countertops and storefronts.”

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10/01/2020 16:49

London Stationery Show 21 -22 April 2020 Business Design Centre

10 YEARS

Discover the largest selection of writing and paper products from around the world in one place.

Register now at stationeryshow.co.uk

inthenews Plastic fantastic at Carousel

Everything must go as Really Good and Soul close Maverick publisher David Hicks has announced “the end of an era” as he’s preparing to close both Really Good and Soul this summer.

The surprise revelation came on January 10 when keen traveller and photographer David told Greetings Today: “Everything feels like the right timing, and I have other things to do.”

David, who started Really Good in 1987 and added Soul UK a decade later, will be 59 this year, and has worked with his right-hand woman and company general manager Lisa Shoesmith since 2002.

He may remain in the industry on a consultancy basis and added: “I’m not getting any younger and want to move on and do other things while I still can, and Lisa’s health issues last year have given her time to reflect on life.

“I don’t want to continue without her as we work well together, so it seems a good time to call the end of an era.

“I’m lucky enough to have enjoyed the highs of inventing new things on a regular basis, and made some great friends along the way. I’ve loved working with everyone in the company, but it’s time to finish it all.

“From today (January 10) we’ll be having a massive sale and, as they say, everything must go! “ Still intending to exhibit at Spring Fair, where new ranges to be revealed , David, pictured with his honorary achievement award at the 2017 Retas, thinks it will take to the end of the summer to wind everything up.

Plastic-free packaging isn’t new – as Carousel Calendars found having spent the past year concentrating on environmentally-conscious processes.

While looking at a book they recently published, the calendar specialist discovered a plastic-free 1963 Colourful Canada version.

And Carousel rolled back the years within their 2020 collection when they trialled a small range with plastic-free packaging which saw such good sales they plan to extend the project by another 50 calendars for 2021.

This is on top of the 30 boxed calendars that are now completely plastic-free and all 114 diaries

they produce have no product packaging taking the range of plastic-free packaged calendars and diaries to approximately 200 titles.

Many of their 100-plus exclusive bespoke titles produced for both UK and overseas customers will also move to plasticfree over the coming years.

Carousel is also continuing to work on reducing their energy and carbon footprint, as well as ensuring products are made in factories that respect the Ethical Trading Initiative, to ensure they treat all staff fairly.

JLP festive trading down as MD leaves Christmas trading was 1.8 per cent down at John Lewis Partnership, hitting £2,167million with full-year profits also expected to be substantially lower than a year ago.

And the retailer has also announced MD Paula Nickolds (pictured), the first woman to hold the job, will be leaving after just three years in the role following reflection on her new responsibilities under the company’s Future Partnership plan where the John Lewis & Partners department stores and grocery arm Waitrose & Partners will be integrated under one new executive team structure.

JLP chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield said: “We saw a good sales performance in Waitrose & Partners, despite a weak grocery market, with like-for-like sales up 0.4 per cent. In John Lewis & Partners like-for-like sales were two per cent down on last year.

Operationally – across availability, service, delivery and online – we saw a strong performance in both brands.”

The figures cover the seven weeks from November 17 to January 4, and Sir Charlie added: “At the full year, we expect profits in Waitrose & Partners to be broadly in line with last year. In John Lewis & Partners we will reverse the losses incurred in the first half of the year, but profits will be substantially down on last year.”

Moonpig pulls ape cards Moonpig has pledged to no longer sell cards featuring depictions of captive great apes in unnatural situations, and will remove all existing ones from its website, after an appeal from animal rights charity PETA. “By banning images of captive great apes in unnatural situations, Moonpig has made a huge

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difference for non-human primates, both in the wild and in captivity,” says PETA Director of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor.

“Advertising agencies and film and television producers have already moved away from using these harmful images, and we hope other card manufacturers follow the company’s compassionate lead.”

PETA opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. The group’s letter to Moonpig is available upon request. For more information, please visit www.peta.org.uk.

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10/01/2020 16:49

spotlight

A selection of the latest greetings, gift and industry services releases

Natural Partners Although, for the first time in 10 years, Natural Partners will not be exhibiting at Spring Fair, they will be putting the time to good use with a flurry of fresh greetings card releases in the first few months of 2020.

Confirmed to date are ranges from three artists new to the company â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Camassia Bruce, Linda Hollingshead and Stuart Brocklehurst â&#x20AC;&#x201C; along with a completely new range by popular artist Helen Russell plus additions to several existing ranges, including those by Chloe Buck and Vicky Tucker. More will follow!

Already well known for their huge range of quality art cards with diverse styles and subjects, Natural Partners is committed to regularly refreshing the offering for their customers.

To see their full range of greetings cards and prints and keep up-to-date with new releases, simply register as a trade user on their website or email owner Joe Cole and ask to be added to the mailing list.

T: 07714 768956 joe@naturalpartnersart.co.uk www.naturalpartnersart.co.uk

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Jonny Javelin More and more Jonny Javelin products are being launched this year to start this decade off with a bang!

Their customers’ wishes are their command, so the Yorkshire publisher is delighted to announce over 80 brand-new cards to extend their most popular ranges.

In the Velvet collection, 27 new relation titles have been added across the code 75 and 150 sizes.

Co-owner Mandy Spears and the design team say they are constantly striving to keep up with the demand for additional images for their top everyday range. Inspiration comes from many different sources, not the least being their much-valued customers.

Signature is Jonny Javelin’s newest range, which has been incredibly popular since its launch last January, and 30 fabulous new titles were introduced at the start of this year, with bright and strong colour schemes.

Of the fantastic new foiling techniques that have been incorporated, MD Jonny Spears says: “These cards really have to be seen in the flesh to appreciate the rack impact they will have!”

Lovely new baby designs in their Velvet Moments range have also been launched and their pretty floral Secret Garden range is extended with more birthday month cards and lots of open birthday designs.

Jonny, Mandy and their team are really proud of all of their new products as well as their Christmas 2020 collection which includes the brand-new Signature Seasons range to complement their other Christmas favourites.

Spring Fair stand 2F51 T: 01423 563740 www.jonnyjavelin.co.uk

Emma Ball Ltd It was a busy 2019 for Eric Heyman – having his illustrations published in two children’s books – so, Emma Ball was really happy when he sent her 12 new wildlife card designs for his licensed range.

Printed on a matte board and presented with a cream envelope, these 6x6in cards really are a refreshingly different take on popular wild animals!

Spring Fair stand 2C02 T: 0115 985 8081 sales@emmaball.co.uk www.emmaball.co.uk

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10/01/2020 15:33

spotlight

A selection of the latest greetings, gift and industry services releases

Real & Exciting Designs Step right up and see the fabulous new Circus range from Real & Exciting Designs, which will be on display at Spring Fair.

This fabulous collection is inspired by all the fun of the fairground and comes printed on a luxury textured board, finished with embossing and a matte gold foil.

Some of the designs also feature neon pink ink, supplied with a coordinating neon pink of metallic gold envelope, bringing the fun of the circus to life.

The range features 32 general birthday, relations and occasions as well as 16 festive Christmas cards.

Spring Fair stand 2F25 T: 01223 207080 sales@realandexcitingdesigns.co.uk www.realandexcitingdesigns.co.uk

Fay’s Studio In response to the bushfire emergency in Australia, any pack of Fay’s Studio Koala greetings cards purchased sees a donation going to the Worldwide Fund For Nature’s Koala Crisis which aims to protect and support this endangered species. The publisher is also aiming to help the WWF’s Towards Two Billion Trees campaign to stop excessive tree clearing, protect existing trees and forests and restore native habitat that has been lost.

Spring Fair stand 2C72 T: 07817 412086 mail@faysstudio.com www.faysstudio.com

Dandelion Stationery This new Sketch collection from Dandelion Stationery consists of 15 designs covering birthday and occasions, printed in the UK on to luxury FSC board which was produced from 100 per cent recycled post-industrial waste.

By reusing the reclaimed waste fibres and materials from various commercial print processes this post-industrial waste is diverted from landfill.

The board is naturally imperfect, with the waste fibres being visible within, adding a unique quality to the greetings card design.

The Sketch cards are supplied with luxury 120gsm envelopes and can come cello-wrapped or plastic free – the choice is yours – and the card and envelope are 100 per cent recyclable. RRP is £2.39.

Spring Fair stand 2E32 T: 01332 695359 info@dandelionstationery.co.uk www,dandelionstationery.co.uk

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10/01/2020 15:33

Flame Tree Publishing There’s a perfect gift for art lovers coming from Flame Tree Publishing, which is showcasing its new series of Mini Notebooks Collections at Spring Fair for the first time.

Each set is comprised of three notebooks with designs by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, William Morris and Gustav Klimt, and containing alternating ruled and blank pages.

Following the success of their Artisan A5 Notebooks, Flame Tree is introducing a new range of A6 notebooks in PU leather, handcrafted with decorated edges overflowing with petals and teasing vines.

A unique blend of the practical and beautiful, with two ribbons and lined pages they’re perfect for notes, creative writing, poetry, doodles and lists.

Also, for the first time they will be showing the new Luxury Journal Blank Notebook series, an expansion of their successful foiled journal series which now includes blank notebooks with no magnetic closure, so they’re perfect for sketching and drawing but in a handy size that fits in your bag.

Spring Fair stand 2J16 T: 020 7751 9650 www.flametreepublishing.com

TOMCAT CARDS Check out our new feline friends on Spring Fair stand 2C41. Claim your free taster pack.

www.tomcat.cards

ArtEco Designs ArtEco Designs is adding a selection of brand-new cards to its The Heart Of A Garden brand from illustrator and graphic designer Angie Spurgeon.

The company has worked in partnership with Angie for several years now and it’s always a treat to see her cheerful, vibrantly-coloured and sometimes witty creations.

Inspired by life in the west country, her designs mostly celebrate all things British – with a scent of the seaside, caravan holidays, cream teas and glorious afternoons spent pottering in the garden listening to the blissful chirp of birdsong.

There are 15 new 160x160mm and 120x170mm designs coming soon – for Angie it’s all about “raising a s¯mile and putting some colour and warmth back into the world”.

ArtEco Designs has its own FSC chain of custody, use compostable plastic-free packaging, and only print in the UK.

T: 01209 315685 sales@artecodesigns.com www.artecodesigns.com www.theheartofagarden.com

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10/01/2020 15:34

JOHN RYAN

RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

Classic blue(s)

Trends come and trends go, but which ones are worth listening to? John Ryan looks at the impact some of the design trends and predictions can make on the card and gift industry.

F

ans of the BBC quiz show Only Connect might wish to ponder the following – what do coral, ultra violet, greenery, rose quartz and classic blue have in common?

If you’ve been following the fashion news over the month or so, you’ll probably find that the words classic blue ringing some sort of bell.

The answer is that all are hues which have been selected by the Pantone Color Institute as Colours Of The Year.

Classic blue has been chosen for 2020 for the simple reason that: “It’s a colour that anticipates what’s going to happen next”, according to a member of the institute’s senior management.

And, if you have been watching Pantone’s colour progressions over the last five years, you’ll doubtless have been convinced that life as we know it could hardly have continued without at least one or two things in every house being coral, rose quartz or whatever was in vogue in the year in question.

With this in mind therefore, will your store have cards that are classic blue this year?

This may all sound a little facetious, but a great number of people’s livelihoods depend upon Pantone being right. And this is for the simple reason that what Pantone says will, to some degree, be followed and clothing, cards, household items and on and on are all likely to feature something approaching classic blue.

Cards may be a little different in this respect as, by their very nature, they tend to be a little ephemeral and in truth coral or greenery are just as likely to capture the eyes of passing shoppers as anything that is classic blue.

It is also perhaps worth bearing in mind the

‘

words of a head buyer whose word was once your correspondent’s direct order: “You never did nothing wrong by buying black.”

His command of grammar notwithstanding (and he misused our mother tongue with a certain amount of amused freedom), these were wise words.

For every pair of trousers in coral or rose quartz and for every plush toy in similar tones, neutrals and shades of grey/black will always outsell. For card sellers, a line drawing, comic or otherwise, will probably have greater appeal than something garish.

There are, of course, exceptions.

A calendar could easily be drawn up for the card retailer’s colour of the season and it would be pretty different from anything that Pantone might come up with.

Things would, naturally, kick off with Valentine red, to be followed

by Easter chicken yellow. After that, there would surely be something dark at Halloween and then well, yes, it might be red and holly green as the year draws to a close.

So, what’s the point of a colour prediction agency? The answer must be that it offers certainty.

If somebody tells us that something is the way that things are, then it makes the matter of choice a good deal less arduous and we can all get on with the business of making money safe in the knowledge that

So, what’s the point of a colour prediction agency?

The answer must be that it offers certainty

at least one decision has been taken off our plate.

Sounds good, but sadly life is not like that.

That Pantone exercises an influence over some decisionmakers is beyond dispute and for greetings card retailers its diktats will certainly mean that some of the cards being offered by certain suppliers will be in the colour of the year.

They will only be a small proportion, however, and while the press release that trumpets the colour of the forthcoming year will be interesting, there will in fact be a whole Pantone chart of different colours in 2020 and classic blue will be in there as just one of many.

What, therefore, does it all mean? Don’t take colour forecasts too seriously but allow yourself at least a little time to reflect on what is anticipated because it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy if enough people go with it.

This makes some kind of sense.

‘

John Ryan is Stores Editor of Retail Week, a position he has held for more than two decades, and managing director of Newstores, a daily information service on what’s new in retail across the world. @newstores / www.newstores.co.uk +44 7710 429926

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10/01/2020 15:39

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look forward to seeing you at Giving and Living, Top Drawer and Spring Fair exhibitions, but if you miss us (or need us before) give us a call or emailâ&#x20AC;?

www.wirefittings.co.uk

info@wirefittings.co.uk

Tel: 01929 422762

V A L E N T I N E

Pick out a gift for your loved one

COVER STORY | DANILO

New year, new opportunities Back for the new year, at Danilo it’s time to take down the Christmas decorations and look to the new trends of 2020!

Last year Danilo saw strong performances from Paw Patrol – still their No1 pre-school range – LOL Surprise and The Gruffalo in their greetings cards and wrap ranges.

Paw Patrol

As the UK’s No.1 preschool property, Paw Patrol continues to attract a TV audience of over 2.5million each month. Now into its 6th season, this fun animated TV show goes from strength to strength. In 2020 Danilo will be launching brand new Paw Patrol card, wrap and bag designs in line with the latest Paw Patrol themes.

LOL Surprise

Now established as the No.1 toy property in the UK, LOL has seen amazing success over the past couple of years and has built a strong following amongst young girls. The greeting card, wrap and bag range from Danilo has seen similar success at retail and with new designs being launched in Spring 2020, this success is set to continue.

For Calendars

Danilo plan to deliver another exciting range of calendars in 2020 across all genres and include new product innovation to keep things fresh and appealing. From a movie perspective, titles such as Trolls 2, Minions 2, Scoob! and Onward lead the way for families. For the teen/adult fan, movies such as Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and Black Widow will offer slightly more edgy viewing.

Danilo aims to cover all of these titles in their latest calendar offering. Other hot calendar titles to look out for in 2020 include Stranger Things, Peaky Blinders and Friends all gaining massive awareness through TV streaming in the last year.

Away from the screen and into music, new calendar titles will include BTS, Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish providing some of the latest acts on the scene alongside iconic titles such as Elvis, Cliff Richard, The Beatles and David Bowie to name a few.

20 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

The Gruffalo

The Gruffalo was voted the No.1 Kids book in an Amazon poll and has become one of the most popular greeting card ranges within the Danilo offering. Alongside the Gruffalo, Danilo have developed other ranges from the Julia Donaldson book series including Zog and the recently animated story ‘The Snail and The Whale’ which was broadcast on BBC 1 on Christmas Day.

Another very exciting launch is the RHS calendar and diary range, which will become part of Danilo’s offering for the first time in 2020. This will capture the beautiful images from the RHS estates and events such as Chelsea Flower Show.

The focus on sport continues into 2020 with the UEFA European Championship taking place in the summer and Danilo will be supporting this with the official England FA Men’s Calendar.

Alongside this the English Premiership continues to excite fans with Danilo offering a range of official Premier League club calendars including Liverpool as the current Champions of Europe and the No.1 selling calendar of 2019.

There is a lot to come on the Danilo Calendar and Diary range this year, so look out for some exciting new titles coming soon.

Set to be an exciting year, 2020 has so many new and existing licences. For greetings cards, Danilo is pleased to be launching the following ranges, targeting preschool as well as the young boys and girls demographic: Guess How Much I Love You

The Snowman –

Ryan’s World –

Moon And Me

First aired on Channel 4 in 1982, The Snowman is now a Christmas classic that has been shown every year since, with more than 3.2million tuning in last year. It is available in more than 15 languages and is the longestrunning West End Christmas stage show, seen by more than two million people. With a 25-year broadcast commitment, next year will see a new range of official The Snowman cards, wrap and gift bags using the iconic imagery from the film.

This children’s classic book was first published in 1994 and focuses on key themes of nostalgia and expressions of love. More than 43 million books have been sold globally and 2020 see’s the 25th anniversary. In Spring 2020 Danilo will launch an exciting new range of cards, wrap and bags using the iconic artwork.

From the creator of highly successful shows such as Teletubbies and In The Night Garden comes the latest CBeebies hit ‘Moon And Me’ which is already ranking as the No.1 show in its broadcast time slot. Danilo are very excited to be working on this property and will be launching a full range of greeting cards, gift wrap and bags in Spring 2020 featuring the key characters from the TV show.

With more than 20million subscribers and 30billion video views, Ryan became the eighth highest-paid YouTube entrepreneur last year, making a cool £18million. Ryan’s primary audience is comprised of three to six year olds and their parents, so the new card and wrap range will aim to use the illustrative feel of his new TV show in new designs to appeal to that demographic.

Peppa Pig –

Following the fun adventures of Peppa with her friends and family, Peppa Pig is the No2 pre-school property in the UK and continues to be a big favourite among youngsters and their parents. Having celebrated her 15th anniversary in 2019, the new official card range will include ages one to four, general birthday, male and female relations, Mother’s Day and Christmas designs.

Thomas And Friends –

A top three preschool property, 2020 sees the 75th anniversary. of Thomas And Friends. Danilo will be publishing licensed cards for ages two to five and male captions, as well as general birthday.

PJ Masks

A top five pre-school property, the action packed adventures of Catboy, Owlette and Gekko are set to continue with series 4 launching soon. The new range of greeting cards from Danilo will be launching in Spring 2020, targeting the core audience of boys and girls aged 3-6 years old.

Retro

Targeting the ever-popular retro market, official card and wrap designs have been created for nostalgic British TV comedies such as Dad’s Army, ’Allo ’Allo, Are You Being Served? as well as for hit US sitcom Friends, which Danilo will continue to promote at retail. 2020 will also see a new greetings card range for popular TV series Peaky Blinders, following the success of the calendar.

Danilo will be unveiling all that’s shown here, as well as their seasonal and gifting ranges, at Spring Fair, so make sure you stop by Hall 2, stand J60-K61 to have a look.

DANILO PROMOTIONS LTD | WALTHAM ABBEY | EN9 1AS | 01992 702 900 | SALES@DANILO.COM

SHOP TALK

Shop talk Greetings retailers tell it how it is....

Carl Dunne

Cards & Gifts Sheffield How did you get into the greetings card industry or retail?

Back in 2009 I found myself looking for a job in Norfolk. No idea why but I thought: “Let’s get a greetings card stall on the Saturday market.” I got chatting to a friend who had a shop and they said to take an empty shop in the mews so I had a look and, next thing, I’d signed a lease! And I’ve never looked back. This is how I got into the trade. I sold that shop three years later, moved and set up again from scratch, this time in Sheffield city centre.

What are the best and worst things about working in retail?

I love buying new stock and making a stunning huge display, so my customers can see it’s new! I hate paying the exorbitant overheads, especially excessive unjustifiable business rates, with little in return.

What’s in your window at the moment?

As it’s Christmas as I speak, it’s Christmas all the way, as per the picture but I know it won’t be Christmas any more by the time this magazine comes out.

‘

Aztec from Cherry Orchard, In The Meadow from UK Greetings, and a huge increase of Barley The Bear from IC&G.

What’s your favourite item in store?

Alcohol flavour chocolates from Sarunds – so much so, I’ve had to let out my trousers and buy a new belt!

What card range or category do you always ensure you keep in stock because of its popularity?

I have to keep Barley Bear’s range from IC&G as well as In The Meadow from UKG. Memory Lane from Cherry Orchard also flies off the shelves like Buzz Lightyear when a new Toy Story film comes out!

If you could send anyone a card from the past or present, who would it be and why?

Range would be Sending A Hug from Cherry Orchard, to my mum. Why – I lost her some 21 years ago. I still miss her so much as I was in my early 20s and she has never had a chance to see my success in business. I know she’d be so proud of me!

Even more so this year, after winning the Retas award for Best Newcomer North. I’d give anything to just talk to her right now.

How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you?

Greetings Today helps me so much with being able to see what’s going on in the trade. I get a glance of new stock from suppliers, read up on other traders and can see and predict what’s on trend.

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Panda Cards, St Albans, Herts How did you get into the greeting card How did you get into the greetings card industry or retail?

I was a regular customer at Panda when I moved here. One day the brothers who owned it asked if I’d like a parttime position and I said yes. I took over when they decided to close it. The business has been operating for 43 years now, but I’ve been involved for 20-plus years.

What are the best and worst things about working in retail?

Best thing about working in retail is having fabulous independent suppliers and great customers – I don’t have a worst thing thankfully.

Greetings Today What’s the most surprising thing a has said or done? helps me so much with customer Last week a gentleman said: “I need being able to see what’s a Christmas card of King George at the gates of the palace going on in the trade standing with a letter box behind him.” Lol! What cards are selling well in your store at the moment?

Mary Singleton-Jones

‘

My favourite item in store is a Simon Drew card entitled Boris Dancing

What’s in your window at the moment?

Cards and gifts.

What cards are selling well in your store at the moment?

Five Dollar, Rosie Made A Thing and many others.

What’s your favourite item in store?

My favourite item in store is a Simon Drew card entitled Boris Dancing.

What card range or category do you always ensure you keep in stock because of its popularity?

Simon Drew, Rosie Made A Thing, Woodmansterne’s Quentin Blake and many more.

What’s the most surprising thing a customer has said or done?

Customers do surprise from time to time I just can’t think of one example at the moment.

If you could send anyone a card from the past or present, who would it be and why?

I would send a card to my grandmother to say well done for bringing up seven children, running a paper shop as well as keeping lodgers all on her own.

How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you?

When we’re mentioned is how trade magazines help us.

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

10/01/2020 15:42

‘

Aga Gabrysiak

Highworth Emporium, Highworth, Swindon really great. The worst, without a doubt, is lack of time at Christmas. Being a sales person most of my life I always enjoyed uninterrupted two weeks’ break between Christmas and New Year, I really miss that now.

What cards are selling well in your store at the moment?

If I was to name one company that would be Ling and their Talking Pictures brand.

What’s your favourite item in store?

Balloons.

How did you get into the greetings card industry or retail?

I worked as a sales person in the gift industry in Poland before I moved to the UK. After I moved here, I tried doing other things, including a rather disastrous restaurant experience! After that someone suggested to Richard (my fiancé) that he and I open a gift shop. We liked the idea and that’s how it started.

What are the best and worst things about working in retail?

The best is interaction with people, in my opinion, both customers and suppliers. We’re located in a small market town so everyone knows everyone therefore the relationships we build with our customers are strong and personal. Some became friends, and that’s really,

Shop Talk.indd 2

What card range or category do you always ensure you keep in stock because of its popularity?

Nigel Quiney’s Pizazz.

Greetings Today keeps me up to date with trends, new suppliers, exciting products, sometimes remind about events, trade shows, etc.

It’s a very useful tool, I must sa

How do trade magazines like Greetings Today help you?

They keep me up to date with trends, new suppliers, exciting products, sometimes remind about events, trade shows, etc. It’s a very useful tool. I must say, though, I prefer the printed mag rather than digital version, so I can mark things of interest and go back to them whenever I like.

What’s the most surprising thing a customer has said or done?

To quote them: “You have a ghost – her name is Emily and she is 11 years old!”

What’s the most surprising thing a customer has said or done?

Merry Christmas to my ex-wife was the strangest request we’ve got so far.

If you could send anyone a card from the past or present, who would it be and why?

Sorry can’t think of anything.

10/01/2020 15:42

RETAIL ADVICE

WITH HENRI DAVIS

Spring into 2020 Spring might still be a couple of months away, but here Henri Davis looks at what the season brings in terms of brings in terms of colour, events and new ideas.

G

et ready for the sunshine and warmer weather - we all need some ideas for the coming season.

I love spring with brighter days and green shoots, it always gives me the feeling of a fresh start.

I find months of dark mornings and evenings and the ● James Ellis intense focus on Christmas trading quite draining so the arrival of February means we have got to the other side and it is full steam ahead!

Spring seasons are really important for card retailers with Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and Easter delivering £180million in 2018 according to the GCA Annual Report and, while the values are significantly lower than Christmas, they give retailers a great chance to refresh their ranges and displays.

It is important for our shops to look interesting so this is a good opportunity to move all our stock around, pull out everyday items that can fit into the spring themes and then add in the new special lines you have bought for the occasions.

But, of course, it really starts on December 27, as soon as Christmas is over retailers move straight into the sale season. When I was at Next, we put the sale

● Bexy Boo

out straight after trading ended on Christmas Eve ready to opene on Boxing Day. Regardless, it’s a great opportunity to clear unsold items that you want to turn into cash to fund your new ranges and of course you need to check through your stockroom to make space for the new ranges too.

Valentine’s Day brings a big splash of bold colour and, if it’s right for your customers, it’s a great reason to splash out and dress your shops with balloons and banners and have a bit of ● Poet And Painter fun with some cheeky love-based humour too.

There are some fabulous Valentine’s cards around this year with something to appeal to everyone from the soppy and romantic to the slightly less serious like this from Poet And Painter.

Depending on the date for Mother’s Day it is quite likely that your Valentine’s display will come down and ● Emma Bryan you will go straight into this big event. The changeover will always be hard work, particularly when you’re using everyday lines to supplement and complement your special seasonal buys but, with good planning, it can be a fantastic opportunity to work through all of your product and check there’s nothing on your shop floor that should be cleared out and refreshed.

Mother’s Day will always be a much softer season than Valentine’s with prettier colours and feminine imagery, but mums cover a huge age range and the pictures and messages vary accordingly so they are relevant to the recipient, as with Emma Bryan’s design.

It’s a great opportunity to say thank you to the mother in your family and there will often be a card from the cat and dog too. Papagrazi and James Ellis show the sheer variety around.

Easter is a religious festival for some but because children are on holiday from school it is a great excuse to get outdoors with egg hunts, picnics and even the first barbecue of the year.

Henri Davis is an independent retail advisor to businesses in the cards, gifts, stationery and heritage industries, with 35 years of retail experience. She has worked for Habitat, Next, WHSmith and the National Trust and now advises small and medium-sized businesses, including retailers, visitor attractions, manufacturers and suppliers. She is the first retailer deputy chairman of the Giftware Association and the recipient of this year’s Greats Honorary Achievement Award. For more information visit www.henridavis.co.uk.

24 22 www.greetingstoday.co.uk Retail Advice.indd 1

As a retailer it is a great excuse to brighten up your displays with those lovely yellows, greens and pinks of spring., as illustrated by Bexy Boo’s Easter greeting.

With no shortage of great designs available for spring, I was interested to understand from a printer how things have changed for them, so I spoke to Michelle Mills at Windles.

They have seen an increase in publishers and designers using alternative techniques, such as cold foil and emboss, or fluted hot foil, to create embellishments which might have been previously done in China by affixing gems. Windles has also seen more take up of their simulated flitter, die-cutting and 3D-style cards with pop outs all of which add interest to the finished design but the most significant change has been the move to naked cards and the adoption of their Kard Klasp seal system which has significantly reduced their use of plastic.

The best news of all is that more cards are now being manufactured in the UK which would previously have been printed overseas, and this is significantly reducing the products’ carbon footprint which is a positive move.

This year Easter is on April 12, so the weather can’t be guaranteed but, being an optimist, I would like to think it will be sunny.

I can’t wait for spring to arrive as sunny yellow daffodils always make me smile.

● Papagrazi

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday 10/01/2020 15:50

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Golf Club .................................... Cost - £100 Please make cheques payable to Lema Publishing Ltd

Meet the Newbies.indd 2

18/12/2019 15:37

PREVIEW PAPERWORLD

Trend scouts Paperworld is the international trade fair for stationery, office supplies and writing instruments which runs in Frankfurt am Main over January 25-28. We speak to Julia Uherek, group show director, consumer goods, Messe Frankfurt, about the upcoming event.

Paperworld is fast approaching, how are the registrations and visitor numbers looking?

At Paperworld 2020 we are expecting some 1,500 exhibitors from all over the world. They include companies from the office and stationery sector that have been exhibiting at Paperworld for many years as well as young start-up companies that are exhibiting for the first or second time. Paperworld is the most international fair in this sector and we are expecting companies from around 60 countries. Most of the visitors are self-employed entrepreneurs and managers who are decision makers for their companies, and therefore highly relevant for the exhibitors.

Paperworld aims to inspire, how do you hope the 2020 event will do that?

We see ourselves as trend scouts, and

developments in the following year.

Our audience is primarily interested in seeing the latest trends – and that’s what we show at Paperworld in an international context.

Have you made any big changes for Paperworld 2020?

tomorrow”will bring, and consult with other industry participants in order to present our visitors and exhibitors with new perspectives and opportunities. For example,

We see ourselves as trend scouts, and transfer both the current industry fashions and social megatrends to the paper, office supplies and stationery industry transfer both the current industry fashions and social megatrends to the paper, office supplies and stationery industry. At Paperworld, retailers see all the latest themes and trends in the direct context of the sector and can apply them to their own product ranges. This gives them an edge over other market participants and makes them attractive and competent for customers. For the complementary programme, we look into what

30 www.greetingstoday.co.uk 26 Paperworld.indd 1

with colours, shapes and designs at Paperworld Trends, and with product combinations for retail outlets, at Mr Books & Mrs Paper.

shopping. But everything relating to sustainability and high quality is also very much in demand. These current developments are reflected in the Paperworld Trends in Hall 3.1 J11, with the three themes Blazing Hotchpotch, Noble Barrique, and Smooth Sorbet.

The designers from the Bora.herke. palmisano style agency will create these three trend worlds with selected products from exhibitors. This means that visitors are presented with a wide range of exhibitor products that correspond to the trend.

Paperworld Trends is the perfect first port of call to find out what’s new for the coming season.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing it live.

You have identified three key mega-trends for the industry in the form of Blazing Hotchpotch, Noble Barrique, and Smooth Sorbet, how can visitors expect these trends to be represented at the trade fair?

You are a very international event, with visitors and exhibitors from all over the globe, why do you believe you attract such a wide-ranging audience?

In the area of stationery, the season’s colour trends play a very important role. Trendy designs, such as last year’s jungle motif, are also being taken up for notepads or other accessories.

Consumers in this segment are very much guided by the latest market trends when

We naturally keep an eye on the markets throughout the year and on the paper, office supplies and stationery market in particular, in order to be able to pick up on the latest trends and developments at an early stage and integrate them into the subsequent Paperworld. The fair is a mirror of the market, so it also changes from year to year. Every year we review the previous Paperworld and plan the topics and content for the next event. We also include industry experts in the process so that we can present the latest

No major changes are planned for Paperworld 2020 – apart from the relocation of the Remanexpo product area into the newly-renovated Hall 6.1. The office supplies product area will be held in Hall 3.0. Hall 4.0 is hosting exhibitors with writing and drawing instruments (office) as well as manufacturers of school supplies (atationery). The Stationery area in Hall 3.1 features the product groups gift giving, packaging, and celebrations with paperware, greetings cards, small leather goods, accessories, napkins, table decoration, and designs. Halls 1.1, 1.2, and Forum 0 are reserved for exhibitors with paper-related products, stationery, office supplies, and writing materials for bulk buyers, wholesale and foreign traders as well as import and export companies from all over the world.

Do you have any surprises planned?

Since we change our complementary programme every year and adapt it to the market trends, there will be lots of new things to discover – for example the Future Office in Hall 3.0 C51, which offers a glimpse into the future with solutions for a smart office.

Retailers might want to surprise their customers in the coming year with a trendy additional product range. In January, visitors have the chance to broaden their horizons and explore the Creativeworld and Christmasworld trade fairs, which are held at the same time. Additionally, retailers can spice up their portfolio by offering, for example, a range of high-quality pens for hand labelling, or unusual gift articles and seasonal decorations. One thing I am sure of – the highlights and trends at Creativeworld and Christmasworld

www.facebook.com/greetingstodaymag @greetingstoday

10/01/2020 16:04

will be packed with surprises that are sure to amaze retailers’ clientele.

What exciting new exhibitors will be at the fair in 2020?

We are delighted to have attracted six new exhibitors from the UK. They are: AT Cross, Environmental Business Products, Noodoll, Pigment Productions, Puckator, and Ty UK. In total, 35 UK-based companies are registered. All in all, we’ll be welcoming some 120 new exhibitors at Paperworld 2020, which is particularly pleasing.

What are your top tips for any firsttime visitors? Are there any must see or must do items people should aim for?

We highly recommend that first-time visitors purchase their ticket right away online.

This not only saves them money and time spent queuing on site, but also enables them to travel to the trade fair by local public transport from the very first day. Our app is also extremely helpful when visiting the fair, because you can tag interesting exhibitors in advance, see all the events in the complementary programme, and find many other practical tips. I would also recommend every visitor to wear comfortable shoes and leave heavy bags and jackets in the cloakroom.

The first port of call at Paperworld is the Trends section in Hall 3.1 J11, where you can get up-to-date on the latest trends before heading on to the exhibitors in the halls. In addition, I would recommend the Förderareal – Innovation Made In Germany promotional area in Hall 3.1 to every visitor. This is where young companies present their new products, and it is also an inspiring contact point for supplementary product ranges.

Artebene Hall 3.1/E11

The new Artebene Wedding Range is guided by the motto Natural Chic Wedding. Tender blossoms and soft shades of green perfectly match the current botanical trend which focuses on flowers, plants and floral patterns. Not only do they look pretty, they also create a romantic feel good atmosphere.

The collection’s fine stationery items complement the gift packaging and offer fantastic possibilities to create attractive theme tables.

The Wedding Planner designed with much love and detail accompanies the happy couple through to their great day with all sorts of checklists and planning aids. It helps both bride and groom keep track of all appointments, guest lists, locations, decorations, and even their honeymoon. Matching stickers are also available which they can use for decorating each page as the whim takes them. To do lists and pages for notes in each section offer sufficient room for any kind of information and ideas.

For the celebration itself, no less than three new guestbooks have been developed. Invited guests

and families can share their wishes, words of wisdom and special memories permanently with the happy couple so the great occasion reverberates for a long time.

More new products and great inspirations for creative product presentations can be found on the Artebene website.

T: 020 8588 9510 www.artebene.com

Pigment Productions Hall 3.1-D30 At Pigment, their ethos remains the same as it’s always been – to make great cards and have some fun along the way! They strive to constantly innovate on exciting new product, and 2020 is no different with loads of newness to get excited about in Pigment’s bestselling ranges as well as lots of totally new collections.

At Pigment they think their cards and services are among the best but they also know they need to innovate every year so really hope visitors enjoy what they have to offer at Paperworld.

With more than 30 years of greetings card publishing experience, they’ve worked with customers and distributors worldwide, providing tailormade Pigment designs, translated to local languages.

T: 01423 520098 www.pigmentproductions.com www.greetingstoday.co.uk 27

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10/01/2020 16:04

ON THE SHOP FRONT VIEWPOINT FROM AN INDEPENDENT

Love yourself Being self-employed and running your own business can feel like a circus act with all your plates spinning. Ellie Bartle discusses a few ways she maintains and healthy work-life balance and offers some tips for other retailers to try.

It’s rewarding doing something you love for a living, but it can be allconsuming and overwhelming at times.

Taking care of yourself can slip to the bottom of your list of things to do. Here, I talk about six things we can all do in our daily lives to make sure we are giving due attention to our own health and wellbeing – learn to love yourself.

Routine Following a daily routine is possibly the most essential part of maintaining a healthy work-life balance for me. Having specific time slots where different tasks are executed means you’re less likely to devote too much or too little time to them.

For example, scheduling checking and replying to emails for half an hour can reduce the urge to repeatedly refresh and check your inbox throughout the day.

Sleep and eat properly Sleeping and eating properly seems simple, but the amount of small business owners I hear about who are up all night working, skipping meals, living on ready-meals at ridiculous times, and inevitably burning themselves out and becoming unwell, is endless. Remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. It’s not selfish to sit down for a meal with your family or lazy to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep enables your body to be at its best, meaning you can put your best into your business. Food

gives you the energy and the vitamins you need to survive and thrive. Your best work is going to be done when you’re happy, motivated and full of life, not when you’re miserable, lethargic, undernourished and fatigued.

Limit social media use Social media is a valuable tool for creating connections and networking with others, but use this screen time sparingly. You can lose hours scrolling through Instagram feeds, comparing how much better someone else’s business is doing than yours, how much more impressive their shop windows are, how many more customers they gained at that trade fair than you did. The list is endless. The negative effects social media has on mental health is a huge problem in society today, but it is possible to have some control over how you feel when you use any of the platforms.

Unfollow any account that makes you feel bad about yourself.

Fill your feeds with positivity, creativity and all of the people and things that inspire you.

‘

You shouldn’t feel guilty putting any of these things into practice.

Having a worklife balance that works for you is essential

’

Exercise Exercise doesn’t mean spending hours at the gym or training for a marathon. Just going for a short walk can have a calming and refreshing effect on your body and mind. This is particularly important for those who work from home. Avoid hiding in your studios, offices and craft rooms for days

Each month an independent retailer takes up their pen (or taps away at their keyboard) as a guest columnist for Greetings Today. This month we hear from Ellie Bartle, who runs Tigerlillys, in Littleover, Derbyshire, www.tigerlillyslittleover.com

at a time. Nature has numerous health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system and reducing the production of stress hormones. It can also be a great source of inspiration, giving a helping hand to problem solving and creativity.

Practice a hobby You are so much more than just your business. It shouldn’t consume you so much that you don’t know who you are outside of it. Spend some time doing something you enjoy that isn’t related to your work. For example, I’m a shop owner, but I’m also a reader and a yogi. I spend a little time each day sat down with a book and a cup of tea. Afterwards, I feel rested and relaxed. I also attend at least one yoga class per week at The Breathing Space Yoga Studio in Derby, and that’s exactly what I get – breathing space. One hour of yoga is like closing down all the tabs on your laptop browser. It’s a decluttering of your body and mind. Everything that doesn’t matter disappears from my mind, whilst providing clarity to the things that do matter and an enhanced frame of mind to do them with.

Family time Nothing in this world is as important as your family. Your family will understand how important your business is to you, and they’ll love you for your passion, hard work and dedication to it. But consistent non-attendance at family occasions will take its toll on relationships that should be treasured and not neglected. Over-working is often justified by thinking we’re doing it to earn money to provide for our families. While this is true, think about what it is you truly want to provide. Providing your time, love and presence is invaluable and something working and money just can’t buy.

You shouldn’t feel guilty putting any of these things into practice. Having a work-life balance that works for you is essential to your health and wellbeing, leading to a happier, more relaxed you, that will ultimately have a positive effect on your ability to run your business. Be kind to yourself, always.

28 www.greetingstoday.co.uk On The Shop Front.indd 1

10/01/2020 16:11

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE BERNI PARKER

Loving life Berni Parker has seen plenty of changes in the greeting card industry over the past 40 years, but as her own business celebrates it’s 10th anniversary, she looks back on her achievements.

‘ Berni Parker’s involvement in the greeting card industry started over 40 years ago when she was in college, while studying for a degree in Graphic Arts she began freelancing for a greeting card publisher and it has grown from there.

Greeting cards are a family business in more ways than one for Berni, as in the beginning she had an uncle who worked for a card company called Celebration Arts and he would send her trade magazines. It was an advertisement in one of these magazines that set her on her career path as an artist as she saw an art agency looking for freelance artists to work for them. Berni worked with that agency for the next 15 years designing various ranges for different companies

With all of this experience behind her, Berni decided 10 years ago that it was time to publish her own cards

’

in lots of differing styles. She balanced this work part-time while raising her three boys, but as the children grew up, Berni’s ambition grew too and she decided she wanted to work directly with publishers. “I assembled a portfolio of many styles and over the next 15 years worked for some of the industry’s major publishers including Washington Green, Paper Rose, Rainbow Cards, Jonny Javelin and The Art File,” Berni said.

With all of this experience behind her, Berni decided 10 years ago that it was time to publish her own cards but she couldn’t do it alone, so she recruited husband John to help with the business and the company began.

Berni’s style is inspired by a love of life, family and friends and her whimsical imagination. “After college and before I had children, I wanted to be a comedy actress,” she explains.

“I got involved with lots of amateur dramatics and loved improvisation,

so bringing these scenes from my head into life and onto paper came easy.”

Berni describes herself as being a real observer of people with a wonderful imagination that enables her to recreate these scenes into the designs for her cards. Whether it’s the Ladies Who Love Life or the men, or any of her other collections, you get a sense of heart and warmth, plus plenty of humour from her creations.

Like all businesses, Berni has had plenty of help and guidance along the way. “We have had so much help along the way which started initially with a good friend and fellow publisher Tony Fernandes giving us a lot of simple down to earth advice and who put us in touch with Bob at the Imaging centre who really understood my work and how it needed to be reproduced to give me the look I wanted. Indeed, many of the cards are still produced there today.” Berni remembers. Berni adds that one of the defining moments for her business was when the first proofs arrived from the Imaging Centre and she knew by her reaction to them that it was going to be a success. Shortly after, she exhibited at her first trade show and three weeks later the phone rang early one Sunday morning. “It was Mike from a beautiful barn shop called Country Harvest who along with his partner Steve had placed our first ever order. He was ringing now to place our first re-order. It also happened to be my birthday so it was the best present I could have received. Mike doesn’t ring on Sunday mornings now but still orders regularly,” she chuckles.

After a few years in business, Berni looked to diversify with a range of stationery and giftware, “This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Henri Davis whose knowledge and experience was invaluable,” adds Berni.

“Plus, Jenny Cummins, the owner of McMillan cards in Australia guided us through exporting our cards and is still our best overseas distributor today.”

So, with all these positive memories and relationships, what does she consider to be a highlight of the past 10 years in business? “There have been many highlights over the years, meeting customers and developing relationships with many of them becoming good friends. Supplying the National Trust for the last 10 years. Being able to involve my sons in different ways in the company indeed out son Ben now runs the business and being very proud to help and advise one of them to start his own greetings card company – Lanther Black – and watch it grow,” she beams.

“Personally, the business has also allowed my confidence to grow from exhibiting at trade shows and provided the opportunity to travel around the world and visit places I may not have otherwise seen.”

And what’s in store for the next 10 years? “I’m planning to continue designing to make people smile. I will be looking at new collaborations, adventures, cards and products. Part of my character is to always come up with creations and thrive on new ideas, creativity is one of my biggest strengths and assets. So hopefully it will be more of the same.”

www.greetingstoday.co.uk 29 Company Profile Berni Parker.indd 2

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ANNIVERSARY PROFILE FAY’S STUDIO

Exciting times ahead Publisher and designer Fay Miladowska is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fay’s Studio. We ask her about her business and what drives her ambition.

Why did you start your business?

In 2008 I was out of work, struggling with a chronic illness and, in an effort to get back to work and use my degree in illustration, I approached the Prince’s Trust and enrolled on their Business Enterprise course. I’d licensed some artwork previously to a publisher so I saw an opportunity to launch my own greetings card company.

What inspires your work?

Today my work is heavily inspired by flora and fauna and involves a lot of intricate pointilism-style illustration.

However, in 2013, I received a Henries nomination for my humour range Sweet Tooth so my work has evolved.

What do you believe has been the key to your success?

I definitely have an ‘I can do it’ attitude.

I think ill health actually gave me more passion and drive, so this has opened up so many opportunities and collaborations over the years, and I say ‘yes’ whenever I’m able to. This has led to me working with Australia’s bestselling children’s author, meeting Prince Charles at the Highgrove suppliers’ Christmas party, appearing on TV a few times, and having my cards on display in the windows at Harrods, all just from giving things a go.

How are you planning to celebrate your 10th anniversary?

I already have lots of exciting commissions, collaborations and new products in line for 2020, and I’m so excited for everything to come in the future. Every new milestone, contact or order is a celebration of how far I’ve come, so it will be an amazing year.

What’s been the biggest business challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Growing at a rate which I can handle!

I’ve always run the office from home

which has been a huge benefit especially as it has given me the flexibility when I haven’t been well.

When I began selling my cards in large volume too, that’s when I’ve had to pull in favours from family and friends.

Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

Back in the early days, I missed out on the whole Ladder Club experience sp learned a lot of lessons the hard way..

I wish I’d found my niche a little earlier,

finishes out there. I now produce cards knowing that everything can be fully recycled which has greatly lowered my environmental impact and, of course, gives me huge satisfaction.

What do you enjoy most about working in the industry? website that wasn’t stuck in the past decade and keeps up to speed with how the business has expanded. It’s a wonderful showcase of all I’ve achieved and a great platform which now works well on all devices making ordering and tracking orders much easier for customers.

‘

I’m so excited for everything to come in the future

but I’ve had so much fun along the way developing different ranges and styles and that’s been part of the joy of running my own company.

What has been the biggest change in the industry you’ve noticed?

I would definitely say the amount of smaller publishers, and the techniques, boards and finishes have come on leaps and bounds. The more recent focus on the industry’s impact on the environment. The amount of choice for buyers is great. I find I’m often inclined to develop ranges which respond to short-term trends, but I do indulge in self-initiated designs when I discover a new species.

You’re introducing bio-glitter in your products. How important is it for you to be environmentally-conscious?

I’ve been hand-applying glitter for about five years and in the past six to nine months I’ve had a calling to change my finishes to biodegradable alternatives. It’s allowed me to look into other options and research the best

It has to be working in such a fastpaced industry, where I’ve made so many friends. I’ve loved working for myself, being the boss and taking all the rises and falls as they come. I’ve had the honour of working with so many leading retailers and prestigious companies. You just never know what’s around the corner! I’m very proud of my business and I put this down to a determination which never waivers.

What can visitors expect at Spring Fair?

My big smile as always, and lots of new designs in my In The Wild card range, all finished with bio-glitter of course! I’ll be there with clipboard in hand ready to help customers with orders for 2020.

Come and see us, pick up the new trade catalogue and get help registering on the website from your phone or tablet.

You’ve started a new trade website, why did you decide to do that?

I was determined to invest in a new

What’s in store for the next 10 years?

I’d like Fay’s Studio to expand further and diversify more into stationery, accessories, tableware and giftware. I’m always looking for new opportunities, if any buyers would like to commission a design for their product range, do get in touch. I’m also looking to bring someone into the business to help it grow. I have four fantastic agents on the ground now, and would like to take on more. As demand has grown, I need someone on board to help cope with this. I’m going to be interviewing for a studio/ production assistant, someone with enthusiasm for and experience in the greetings industry with a lot to offer.

Anything else to add?

None of this would have been possible without my amazing customers, so I have to thank everyone for their fantastic support over the years. I also have to mention my mum, who many will know from the trade shows. She has been a very hard-working, glamorous assistant throughout it all.

32 www.greetingstoday.co.uk Company Profile Faye's Studio.indd 1

10/01/2020 16:21

PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Spring surprises Spring Fair is the biggest show of the year for the greetings and gift industry but, whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newbie to the event, there is plenty to see and do.

Spring Fair February 2-6, 2020

What the retailers say Christine Holmes, Flaunt It, Welshpool, Powys, Wales

“I go to Spring Fair and Autumn Fair every year. I always go down the card aisles to see if anyone new comes out. That’s how I came across Lanther Black and Flying Teaspoons by Laura Clamp which is an up-and-coming range that is quirky and fun.”

S UK Greetings

pring Fair describes itself as the definitive marketplace for the home and gift industry and, with more thab 2,500 exhibitors across all of the sectors in 2020 it’s easy to see why.

While many buyers and independent retailers return year after year to fulfil their buying requirements, organisers have made changes that will hopefully make the experience better than ever.

Over 50,000 people are expected to visit the NEC in Birmingham between February 2-6 where they will discover a redesigned show layout to provide

30 www.greetingstoday.co.uk 34 www. www.greetingstoday greetingstoday..co.uk

Museums & Galleries

visitors with a seamless shopping experience.

There are now two distinct sourcing destinations – Gift will be located in the Piazza, while Home & Living is in the Atrium – allowing for effortless buying opportunities.

Each sector is colour coded to help with navigation, with the colours found on the signage, entrances and throughout the halls. Maps are at the hall entrances, plus there are handy pocket maps to grab on your way into the show.

“Look out for our coloured carpets that mark which sector you’re in,” says Daniel Mayhew, key account manager Spring Fair, “the much-loved Little Black Book, Route Planner and Show Guide maps will match the carpet as you navigate the show to help you discover new sectors and suppliers.”

There is also the Spring Fair Match app to help people meet who they need to meet, which is interactive so you won’t miss a thing – plus everyone who downloads the app gets a free coffee at the show.

Diverse, relevant and exciting is what the event aims to be and, given the plethora of new products and ranges being launched in the greetings and gift industry alone, that ‘s a goal that should be achieved. But, while buyers and retailers are there for inspiration and ideas on what new things to put on their shelves, Spring Fair has many other

Kathleen Kennedy, Kennedys, Kirkcudbright, Scotland

“Yes, we go to Spring Fair to see anything new and get ideas for something new for the year. It’s really good to be able to find something

unusual as there is so much variety.

At the moment Pigment is one of our best but Alex Clark is funny and really popular, it’s so nicely designed.”

Debbie Bennett, Carabou, Cannock, Staffordshire “We always attend Spring Fair as we’re based in the Midlands. We keep going to see if we can find something out of the ordinary.”

Sonya HaandrikmanSibbald, Celebrations, Carlisle, Cumbria

“We do a lot of our gift buying at Spring Fair and try to find a few niche suppliers in the card halls.”

Sustainability is a key area of interest across retail, manufacturing and the wider community at large. The Sustainability Trail makes it easier to connect with sustainable suppliers who are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to environmental credentials The trail will highlight the brands striving to do their part in ensuring a more sustainable and ethical future.

If you want to meet sustainable suppliers, a top tip from Spring Fair marketing manager Leanne Roche is: “Make sure you use the o-nsite books that feature a sustainability index. We also have a sustainability library on the exhibitor list on the website – you things to offer as well. can read more about the exhibitor’s Sourcing is a new sector for 2020 – sustainable initiatives and what they’re pick up your sector guidebook in Hall doing.”

18 and use it to visit the new, trendThis year’s show has three exciting driven buying destination featuring theatre and workshop spaces to international manufacturers and provide retail insight and trend fabricators from Europe, Asia, Africa and information where visitors can listen to South America. the thought-provoking seminars and The Sourcing sector aims to be a panel discussions aimed at inspiring more cost-effective and easier platform and helping buying decisions. to meet these specialists rather than The Inspiring Retail Stage is where travelling overseas., and the area also you will find a plethora of informative has the Design & Source Stage for and educational seminars across the relevant seminars. five days of the show.

“Over 50,000 people are expected to visit the NEC where they will discover a redesigned show layout to provide visitors with a seamless shopping experience.”

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR Day one highlights are the key trends for spring and summer 2021; sustainability strategies and how you can become a more sustainable retailer; key buying challenges facing retail., and independent retail advisor and Greetings Today columnist Henri Davis will talk about the wider economic landscape and how you can match consumers’ needs with your product offering.

Day two has a panel discussion about the role of independent retailers in local communities, plus Christmas Trends for 2020., while day three includes a talk on how innovation can keep customers interested and what retailers can learn from other industries, and TV presenter and retail guru Mary Portas will discuss why she believes retail needs to adopt a kinder way of operating, and visitors can discover the key areas where technology could make a difference in retail.

On day four visitrors can learn how to fight back against fake reviews; the giftware trends for 2020-2021; how to harness the power of influencers, and learn how to use bricks and mortar to complement online sales.

On the final day, there are talks on how to build customer loyalty, digital marketing strategies and more. For a full listing of all of the discussions, visit the website www.springfair.com for more information and times.

Meanwhile, seminars in The Retail Skills Theatre will provide tips on social media, PR, negotiation, digital marketing, visual merchandising, talent acquisition and other key areas of interest for retail business operators., and the Design & Source Stage is where experts will share their knowledge on upcoming trends, tips on sustainability and packaging, regional advice and much more.

With all of this and more it’s sure to be a busy few days, happy buying!

Check out GOTY winners

Find out the fruits of the intense the board with finalists in Festive judging session for Gift Of The & Occasional, Garden & Outdoor, Year when the winners will be Home Accessory, as well as in Cards announced at the end of the first & Wrap and Stationery. day of Spring Fair.

GA CEO Sarah Ward said: “It’s With four finalists great to see so many in each of the 20 judges on live judging categories, the day, I don’t think fabulous ceremony at we’ve had this many the NEC on Sunday, in one room judging Decorasian February 2, will reveal the categories all at who has won. once. It’s Incredible Run by the Giftware also to hear their Association, the feedback and how prestigious GOTY they’re finding it hard competition attracts to choose from the hundreds of entries quality products.” online which a judging James Ellis All winners and panel of retailers, highly commended buyers and industry products, plus the media including overall Judges’ Choice, Greetings Today editor will be unveiled at Rachel King whittled the ceremony, and down to a shortlist of everyone is invited. up to 16 per category. Wraptious The finalists list is on The shortlisted www.giftoftheyear. products were then co.uk with Paper sent in for the last Shakies, James Ellis; stage held at The Pyramid Gift Boxes, Button Factory in Decorasian; Sophie Birmingham on Corrigan for Wraptious, From Me To You January 9, where the Wraptious, amd Wow! panel, including John Lewis, Ocado, You’re…Birthday Books, From The National Gallery, Paper Tiger Me To You making the grade in and Not On The High Street, pored Cards & Wrap, while the Stationery over the entries to pick the finalists category has Busy Life Planner, in a very intense all-day session.

Busy B; Pen Bookmark, Thinking And publishers have ensured Gifts; Sakana Daily Planner, Hello the greetings and stationery Day, and Yes Studio Stationery industry is well represented across Collection, Wild & Wolf.

36 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

GREETINGS & STATIONERY EXHIBITORS 1 Tree Cards – 1790 Cards – 2ToTango – The 3D Factory – Abacus –

Alandra Partyware – Alchemy Coatings – Alex Clark Art –

Alex Sharp Photography – Alison Gardiner Designs – Alljoy Design– Allsorted –

Alphabeti Yeti by Shelli Graham – The Alternative Image Co – Ambiente Europe – Amy Whelan Art – Ancestors Group – Angelic Hen – The Art File – Art Lana Publishing – Art Marketing –

Artebene –

Artist Gifts – Artpress Publishing – Art’s In My Heart – Arts Star Cards – Assaf Frank Photography Licensing – Avasam – Avonside Publishing – Believe You Can – Belly Button Designs – Berni Parker Designs – Bertoy – Bexy Boo – BGC Wholesale – Bird – Blue Eyed Sun – Bomb Cosmetics –

Boxer –

Brainbox Candy – Brianmedia – Browntrout Publishers – Bubblegum Stuff – Buddy Fernandez Card Co – Busy B – Caps –

Cardgains –

Cardmore – Cardology – Carousel Calendars – Carte Blanche Greetings – Casa Grande – Cath Tate Cards – Catherine Kleeli Cards – CBC Distributors – Celebration Crackers – Cheeky Chops Cards – Charlotte Clark Designer – Cheney Penrose Designs – Cherry Orchard Publishing – Clanna Cards – Cloud Cuckoo Design – Club Green/Hootyballoo – CoconuTacha –

2E65 2C32 2B13 3A24 NEW 2G70-H71 2G50-H51 2C16 2K16-L17 2E61 NEW 2E01 2D50 3E21 2C22 2C60 2L71 2E78 NEW 3C60 4H30 2L01 2F79 NEW 20H30-J31 2J20-K21 4G33 NEW 2E40 2E64 2F71 NEW 2E23 5L73 NEW 2F41 4C90 2G10 2A12 5L28 2E33 2G80 2C61 2L12 3S10-T11 5A10-B11 2E48 2J61 2H42 4F35 2C73 2L31 2G70-H71 2G70-H71 2B72 2D12 2F89 2J40-K41 3F30 2E16 2D71 5A11 2L60 2A52 4H94 6E52 2H48 NEW 2D45 2E72 NEW 2K17 2D64 NEW

Colcards – Compton & Clarke – Counting Stars – The Country Candle Co – Country Cards – Cozywood – Craft Buddy – Creative Party – Crossharbour International – Crumble & Core – Cycle Of Good – Dalaco – Dandelion Stationery – Danilo Promotions – Dannells –

Dean Morris Cards – Deckled Edge – Deluxebase – Demand Media t/a The Gift – Depesche –

Design Group UK – Deva Designs – Dimbleby Ceramics – Do Something David – Dollyhotdogs – Dorrigo – The DM Collection – Draw UK – Dream Capture Artwork – Earlybird Designs – East Of India – Eastgate Resource – EastWest –

Eco Glitter – Emagination Store Cards – Emma Ball – Emma Nicol – Enesco – Enveco – Eurowrap –

Ezen Designs – Fair To Trade – Fame Souvenirs – Fay’s Studio – Filthy Sentiments – Five Dollar Shake – Flame Tree Publishing – Forever Cards – FRSH Scents – Fujifilm UK – The Gifted Stationery Co – Ginger Ray – Glasgow Packaging & Print – Glass Deva – Glebe Cottage – Glick – Global Journey – Globe Enterprise – Goldbek –

Good Luck Trolls – Grass Roots International – The Great British Card Co – Green&Heath – Greetings House –

2C62 4F80 NEW 2H02 4A40 2B63 2C45 NEW 5F36

2G70-H71 3D60 2F61

5A39 NEW 1H93 2E32 2J60-K61 6C08 NEW 2B61 2D21

5L20-M21 3J53 5J40-K41 9F40-G41

2K20-L21 4H48 2A50 NEW 4F88 4A78 2C43 4K62 2A22 NEW 2F63

4F90-G91 3H54 3F20-G21 3U52 2E30 2C02

2E60 NEW 3D20 2A62 2K60-L61 2F11 4B81 3N52 2C72 2A61 2H02 2J16 2B41

9E60 NEW 2L70 2H31 2J11 2A33 2F75 NEW 2B71

2F50-G51

3K50-L51 4G100 2D22 NEW 4D46-E47 NEW 2G70-H71 2F70 4G46 2H70

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR GroovyArt – Half Moon Bay – Halligan Raby – Hammond Gower – The Handcrafted Card Co – Handsn UK – Hearts Designs – Heathcote & Ivory – Heather Alstead Designs – Heather Martin – Helen Richmond Design – Holy Mackerel – Hope Designed – Hornby Hobbies – Hunter Paper Co – Hype Associates –

If – Immersive Imagery – International Cards & Gifts – Into The Green – Iona Buchanan – Jacksons CRS – Jane Buurman Handmade – Janice Daughters Artist– Janie Wilson – Jemma Banks Design – Jessica Hogarth Designs – Jo Clark Design – Joanne Wishart – Joe Davies –

John Austin Postcards – Jonny Javelin Card Co – Judge Sampson – Kapelki Art – Kate Of Kensington – Keeler & Sidaway – Kevin Robinson Collection – Kingfisher Cards – Kitsch Noir – K-Paper – Langdon –

Lanther Black – Lasgo Worldwide Media – Laura Darrington Design – Laura Sherratt Designs – Laura Truby Designs – Lesser Spotted Images – Ling Design – Link Print & Packaging – Lisa Angel –

The Little Dog Laughed – Lola Design – Lomond Books – Lottie Murphy – Louise Mulgrew Designs – Louise Tate Illustration – Louise Tiler – Love Country – Lowlands Studios – Lucy Pittaway – Marina B Designs – Marissa’s Gifts – Mary Ann Rogers – Mask-arade – Mclaggan Smith Mugs –

2E76 4E60-F61 3P62 2J45 2E13 1K95 2E10 3Q10-R11 2C53 2C40 NEW 2D70 NEW 2E20 2E74 NEW 5K40-L41 2C14 NEW 2D53 4E95 5M75 2G71 2H60 4H109 2G70-H71 2B50 NEW 2E71 NEW 2H17 2E68 2D11 2F69 2E70 NEW 3K20-L21 2B45 2F51 4C116 2F65 2D23 4G98 2E63 2G58-H59 2F73 NEW 2E53 5B57 NEW 2D16 4D81 NEW 2B53 2A60 2D41 NEW 2C50 2H30-J31 5L101 NEW 1L61 2H11 2D65 4H101 2D60 NEW 2B60 4H102 2F17 2B33 2G40-H41 2H21 2E17 4A61 NEW 20L02 5F92 4F32

Megan Claire – 2C33 Melbourne Accessories – 4C120 NEW Middle Mouse –

2D62 NEW Mila & Willow –

2E67 NEW Mint Publishing – 2F27 Molly Mae – 2F20 Moocow Studios – 3E58 Moongazer Cards – 2B52 Morning Cuppa –

2A03 NEW Morning Glory –

2A14 NEW Morrigan – 2A02 Mulberry Studios – 3M50-N51 Museums & Galleries – 2G30-H31 Music Gifts Co – 4B72 My Gifts Trade –

8B60-C61 My World – 2A63 Natalie Alex Designs – 2E63 NEW Neviti – 2F89 Nigel Quiney Publications – 2F50-G51 Noel Tatt Group – 2G20 Nonna Diary – 2A20 NEW N Smith & Co – 5L70 NW1 London – 3D41 Objectables – 2D73 Ohh Deer – 2H16 Orange Pippin – 2B20 NEW Orcus – 5L91 Otter House – 2F89 Out Of The Blue Studios – 2H60 Pango Productions – 2D20 Papagrazi – 2B40 Paper Dreams – 2B14 NEW Paper Mirchi – 2C21 Paper Plane Designs – 2C15 Paper Projects – 5H59 Paper Rose – 2F50-G51 Paper Salad Publishing – 2H10 Paper Sole – 2E66 Partisan Products – 2H90 Patisserie e Laduree – 4J91 Peacock Supplies – 2E73 NEW Penfold Card & Gift – 2C23 Penguin Ink – 2E62 Penny Kennedy – 2H30-J31 Penny Lindop Designs – 2D33 Personalised Memento Co – 3E22-F23 Peskovoi – 2C44 NEW Peter Pauper Press – 2J30 Piccadilly Greetings – 2F30-G31 Pink Pig – 2D61 Pioneer Europe – 5G80-H81 Portfolio – 2F01 Price’s Patent Candles – 3J22-K23 The Proper Mail Company – 2F16-G17 Pulp Cards – 2K01 Quire Publishing – 2G21 Rachel Ellen Designs – 2K14-L15 Real & Exciting Designs – 2F25 Really Good – 4F40 Really Wild Cards – 2E41 Rebecca Pitcher – 6J02 NEW Redback Cards – 2E45 Regal Publishing – 2F30-G31 Reliefprint Press Cards – 2C52 Rex International – 4D100-E101

38 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

Richard Sellmer – 2D14 The Ribbon Printing Co – 2A40 Rocket 68 – 2B35 NEW Roger La Borde – 2J52 Rosanna Rossi – 2D32 Rosie Made A Thing – 2E15 RSW International – 2L50 Rush Design – 2D40 Sabivo Design – 2C31 Sadler Jones – 2D15 NEW Santoro – 2L16 Sarah Boddy – 2F67 Sarah Kelleher – 2C71 NEW Sarunds – 2G70-H71 Seedlings Cards & Gifts – 2B32 Select Direct Dispatch – 3F57 NEW Send ’n’ Pop – 2D68 NEW Sensations International – 2G75 Simon Drew Gallery Design – 4H71 Simon Elvin – 2F50-G51 Southfield Stationers – 2B12 Special Editions – 2G70-H71 Sterling Collections – 4B61 Stripey Cats Cards – 2C30 Sue Fenlon Art – 2D31 Susan Entwistle – 2B30 Suttons Packaging/Seaman Paper Co – 2J71 Sweet Design – 2E31 Sweet William Designs – 4F56 Swiss Kiss – 2C20 Tache – 2F17 Tag – 2B21 Taizhou Signal – 2B17 NEW Talking Tables – 2L30 Tatty Co – 2D66 NEW Temple Island Collection – 4J60 Tilnar – 3G50 Tinc – 4C40-D41 To Home From London – 4H89 Toasted Crumpet Designs – 2C17 Tomcat Cards – 2C41 Tracey Russell Design – 2B22 Tracks Publishing – 2G48-H49 Trademark Packaging Centre – 5H89 NEW Treat Republic – 4A50-B51 Tulip Studio – 2J57 Twizler – 2D43 Two Bad Mice Publishers – 2B23 Two Little Monkeys – 2D17 UK Greetings – 2G70-H71 Ultratape – 9A10 The Unique Paper Co – 2K91 Unique Party – 2K51 Veb Company – 2J01 Vent For Change – 2A21 NEW Vicki Thomas Associates – 8A67 WaggyDogz – 2C13 Waverley Books – 2D30 Wax Lyrical – 5A20-B21 Weekend365 – 4H51 Wendy Jones-Blackett – 2F21 NEW White Cotton Cards – 2B18 Widdop And Co – 4L20, 4L10-M11, 4K10-L11, 4M01 Wild & Wolf – 4D22-E23 Wish Strings – 2E21

Witts Design – Woodmansterne Publications – Words ’n’Wishes – Wraptious – Wrapuccino – Wrendale Designs – Xpressions Gifts – Yvonne Coomber Art – Zizi –

4D116 NEW 2F14-G15 2G70-H71 4G90 2B16 NEW 2J10-K11 2G70-H71 6E51 2F30-G31

NOTES

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Rosanna Rossi Stand 2D32

A new year brings fresh new designs – and lots of them. Rosanna Rossi will be showcasing the cheerful Fiori Rosa collection at Spring Fair covering 60 birthday and occasion titles.

With a zesty colour palette adorned with the brand’s hand-painted signature style, this range is a treat for the eyes!

The card designs range from blooming florals and bold butterflies, fancy gin bottles and clicking glasses, to cute, quirky animal illustrations.

Each card is printed to enhance pops of pink, coral and ultra blue which all come to life with gorgeous emboss detail and gloss varnish text.

The cards measure 150x150mm.

Alongside this are fresh designs to the Kirra collection with a touch of the exotic featuring tigers and pretty, pink flamingos. The cards in this collection measure 170x120mm.

Also being released are further designs within the Kirra Mini collection – a popular extension to the Kirra range with charming, painterly illustrations covering birthday, get well, thank you and new home titles. These cards measure 125x125mm.

The team at Rosanna Rossi is excited to show everyone the fresh, new designs and look forward to seeing you on their stand.

T: 07900 698522 www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk

“

With a zesty colour palette adorned with the brand’s hand-painted signature style, this range is a treat for the eyes!

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Our Christmas 2020 collection is now available to pre-order via our webshop, sales office or sales agents. Order before 30th April to guarantee your chosen designs.

Visit us at

2nd-6th Feb on Stand 2F50-G51 You can now order online: trade.glick.co.uk 01274 655980 sales@glick.co.uk www.glick.co.uk Unit 1 Allenby House, European Ind. Park, Knowles Lane, Bradford BD4 9AB

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Ling Design Stand 2H30-J31

With Spring Fair just around the corner, Ling Design has announced a huge selection of exciting new product launches taking place at this year’s show.

Now in Hall 2 the Ling Design stand promises to be packed full of irresistible greetings cards and luxurious gift packaging for Christmas and everyday.

Here are some of the highlights attendees can expect to see.

“

New for February 2020, Ling Design is releasing a licensed collection with trend-driven design group Creative Lab Amsterdam.

42 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

Christmas 2020 Ling Design Group’s 2020 Christmas range captures the magical spirit of the festive season in one collection of distinctive cards with something for everyone.

The range has been carefully curated to offer fresh and vibrant new takes on muchloved classic ranges from Ling Design with some special new flourishes, including a selection of new luxury designs using rich festive colours and sophisticated finishes.

Look out for the innovative new Christmas wallet packs from stylish contemporary brand The Curious Inksmith and the fabulous new looks from the Talking Pictures studio in single cards – especially the completely new Doodle Pip and A Festive Tale ranges.

Ling Design will also unveil a new-look boxed range, which is now plastic-free, saving a total of 3.5 tonnes across the season.

Penny Kennedy Those at the show will be the first to see a preview of the luxury new gift packaging for Christmas 2020 from Penny Kennedy, including an exquisitely stylish range from

Sara Miller, beautifully crafted designs from Morris&Co., a quintessentially festive range from Emma Bridgewater and unmissable new looks from industry-favourite Louise Tiler.

Creative Lab New for February 2020, Ling Design is releasing a licensed collection with trend-driven design group Creative Lab Amsterdam.

The 12 new greetings cards come with a distinctly tropical theme featuring exotic plants and animals, finished with foil and a luxury board for a really impactful result.

The collection comes hot on the heels of the matching gift packaging from sister company Penny Kennedy, to create a gorgeous selling story for customers.

Talking Pictures new everyday Those looking for occasions and relations cards should keep an eye out for Talking Pictures’ new Shimmer and Stardust ranges, launching at the show for February 2020.

These two collections take hand-finishing to the next level, with a beautiful selection of innovative adornments, created for the special occasions and loved ones that really deserve an extra sparkly celebration.

There will also be a new selection of Talking Pictures popular 8x8in cards launching in two attention-grabbing looks.

Sophisticated Manuka offers a trend-driven black and gold design theme, with holographic foil, print, emboss and a luxury board.

Elegant Lea-Rose really has the wow-factor thanks to pearl emboss, rose gold foil and special Austrian crystals.

T: 01892 838 574 enquiries@lingdesign.co.uk www.lingdesign.co.uk

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Cherry Orchard Stand 2H48

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Cherry Orchard is planning a fantastic Deal Or No Deal event on their stand at Spring Fair.

They will have 25 sealed boxes with hidden prize amounts in each one, so everyone is a winner, but some will be luckier than others!

There will be vouchers for winners to choose from the extensive Cherry Orchard portfolio, with the total amount of prizes worth more than £3,000, based on RRP, hidden in the boxes.

The prizes up for grabs are: l 2 x boxes contain £500 each l 2 x boxes contain £250 each l 1 x box contains £100 l 19 x boxes have £75 l And 1 box has just 1p To enter the fab Deal Or No Deal draw, all customers have to do is place an order on the Cherry Orchard Spring Fair stand for over £500 nett and choose your lucky box. Terms and conditions apply for the redemption of the vouchers.

Cherry Orchard MD and co-founder Jackie Collins is pictured with staff Helen Pallen, marketing manager; Fi Douglass-Gibson, director of sales; creative director Beverley Fisher and Jo Bennett area sales manager, London and South

T: 01684 295500 www.cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk

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www.greetingstoday.co.uk 43

PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

UK Greetings Stand 2G70-H71

Visit UK Greetings at Spring Fair where they’ll be showcasing a carefully-selected display of greetings cards and gift dressings, including Christmas, Standalone and Special Editions.

Christmas 2020 At UKG it has everything covered for Christmas 2020 – from the classic, elegant and premium Gibson line through to their fresh and contemporary Carlton ranges, and not forgetting all the festive funnies from the Hanson White brand!

Milestone age and general birthday There are some amazing, bright, eye-catching new ranges on offer in this group – featuring everything from fun and celebratory, such as Neon Lustre, sophisticated and premium like Loop The Loop Rosé) and witty humour such as Golden Age.

44 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

Standalone and life’s events This fab new collection features so many bright, fun and very contemporary design styles – it includes understated humour, cold foil finishes and trend-driven editorial. This fresh approach is really eye-catching and has a broad appeal across consumer bases.

Special Editions A magical collection of Christmas designs featuring more than 70 products, these capture the warmth, fun, values and meaning of the season. The essence of Special Editions’ charity values continues through this range with donations from every sale benefiting six major UK charities. These cards offer the perfect way to reach out to loved ones at this special time of year.

T: 01924 465200 www.ukgreetings.co.uk

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Museums & Galleries Stand G30-H31

The long-running and super-successful The Illustrators range sees the debut of four new cards featuring Judith Kerr’s iconic illustrations from her book The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Originally published in 1968, the book has sold five million copies to date and has never been out of print. A television adaptation was premiered on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve. M&G is also launching a range of stationery and gifts to accompany the cards.

Also in The Illustrators range are new Roald Dahl designs, joining the bestselling classic Paddington designs.

MinaLima Classics is a range of 12 blank cards showcasing Miraphora Mina’s and Eduardo Lima’s bold, stunning reinterpretations of classic fairy tale and children’s imagery.

The designers behind the look of the Harry Potter films, with their distinctive and unconventional aesthetic, they bring old favourites to life with dazzling, intense colour and 21st century design.

Ernest Michael Dinkel was a versatile mid-century artist and a contemporary of Eric Ravilious, whose works grace the Tate, V&A, and London Transport Museum.

M&G launches notelets featuring his delightfully quirky and colourful handdrawn Alphabets. His typographic designs also feature on gifts and stationery, notebooks, and gift packaging.

Wild Press is the work of Helen Ahpornsiri, an East Sussex artist with a uniquely beautiful creative vision. Her book A Year In The Wild has been translated into 15 languages, and she has also undertaken commissions for cult fashion brand Anthropologie.

All Helen’s images are made using only real flowers, petals, stems and leaves. These are grown or foraged responsibly before being placed in a flower press. After up to six weeks of pressing, the flora and foliage is flat and ready to use – preserved in their natural colours, with no paints or dyes.

Each piece is then cut and delicately positioned to form detailed illustrations; all brimming with the intricate twists and tangles of plant life. M&G is launching Wild Press on cards and notelets, stationery, gifts, and gift packaging.

M&G’s main card ranges – Classics, V&A, Tate, Natural History Museum, Matthew Williamson, BBC Earth, Mezzanine, Art Of Print, and British Library – all see major refreshes of new designs. Trends coming through strongly are an appreciation of the natural world, jungle flora and fauna, and the art of the East – notably Japan.

T: 01373 461455 sales@mgml.co.uk www.museumsgalleries.co.uk 46 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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covering the UK and Ireland in a variety of popular formats, we are able to offer a comprehensive regional calendar display for most areas. A4 is currently the best-selling format and we have a wide selection of counties and cities available. Most calendars in our regional section come with enclosed postage envelopes.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF To find out more, contact the Otter House sales team: phone 01392 824 300 email sales@gbcc.co.uk

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

The Handcrafted Card Co Stand 2E13

Nova The space-inspired range Nova is out of this world! With bright, vibrant colours and hints of chromatography, these cosmos-themed cards are printed on 350gsm boardstock and finished with stunning holographic foil to create a night sky full of stars. These cards measure 12x17cm and come with a grey envelope.

Royal Palms Royal Palms is a striking, majestic collection of everyday cards with a tropical theme and jungle imagery. With rich purples and on-trend navy blue, these cards are finished with delicate gold foil details. These cards measure 12x17cm and come with a grey envelope.

Ever Bloom Ever Bloom is a beautiful, feminine collection of everyday cards covering all female relations. With a pastel palette of purples and pinks, these cards have detailed, floral imagery and are hand finished with sparkling gems. These cards measure 12x17cm and come with a grey envelope.

“

The Handcrafted Card Company’s team can’t wait to see all of their customers and show them these new collections!

Wildflower Wildflower is a collection of beautiful cards with delicate imagery, printed or foiled on to 100 per cent recycled boardstock. These cards have fine detailed imagery across three board colours and feature an exquisite calligraphy font drawn by hand. Finished with one sparkling gem, these cards measure 10.5x17cm and come with an ivory envelope.

Tutti Frutti Tutti Frutti is a fun and fruity collection of feel-good everyday cards which are sure to make you smile. Printed on to high quality 330gsm boardstock, this range is bursting with bright and happy colours and sentiments. These cards measure 12x17cm and come with an ivory envelope.

The Handcrafted Card Company’s team can’t wait to see all of their customers and show them these new collections!

T: 01782 639733 www.thehandcraftedcardcompany.co.uk

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(t) 0116 230 4197 • (e) sales@mint-publishing.co.uk • (w) www.mint-publishing.co.uk

PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Carousel Calendars Stand 2F89

While everyone is saying goodbye to 2019, Carousel Calendars is already looking back on 2020 and working hard on 2021!

Their 2021 range of calendars and diaries is already in design with their studio and product team in Exeter, as well as putting together the brochure for all of the published and distributed products for that year.

The range has expanded once again, which enables them to offer a comprehensive selection to suit the needs of their different types of client and their own unique customers.

Last year they distributed more than 1,400 products and 6.5 million units, distributing for 10 other major publishers and approximately 30 smaller publishers, while publishing over 100 exclusive bespoke titles for UK and overseas customers.

The regional calendars – over 250 titles – require around 3,250 images which all need to be researched, spread of locations worked out, designed and captions written.

Having extended the offer even further for 2021, Carousel’s regional range is their biggest yet and offers the largest collection of regional calendars available in the UK covering almost every county, major city and area of interest around England, Wales – with all in dual language captions and dates – and Scotland, as well as choice locations in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

With diverse formats, A4 is the

most popular and has grown year-on-year to over 100 titles with new additions including the Lizard Peninsula, Brecon Beacons, St Ives and Tunbridge Wells.

The regional range also involves special collections, such as the Memories titles, showcasing historical black and white images of famous towns and cities – new for 2021 is Liverpool.

Along with this, Carousel Calendars is continuing the successful licensing partnership with the National Railway Museum, using their archive of nostalgic poster artwork to celebrate the heyday of rail travel.

New for 2021 is a licensing partnership with quirky greetings card maker Pabuku, where Carousel Calendars will use their unusual and unique illustrations, such as fish on bicycles and Victorian contraptions, to create a range of products in various formats.

And Carousel Calendars has entered a licensing partnership with renowned chef eco-campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his River Cottage brand to produce a wall calendar and diary using recycled paper, as well as other recently trialled features like being plastic and packaging-free.

Carousel and National Geographic are now in their third year of partnership focusing on their strong animal and landscape imagery and, for 2021, there will be new titles almost doubling the range to over 30, and new formats including an A5 diary and 59x48cm large-scale design, while extending into new countries such as France, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands.

Continuing their partnership with conservation charity National Trust, for 2021 Carousel Calendars will be extending the already successful range, and they’re expanding Becky Bettesworth’s charming seaside art, boasting a style reminiscent of vintage travel posters, with the addition of an A4 calendar featuring delightful nostalgic images of Devon and Cornwall.

T: 01392 826482 www.carouselcalendars.com

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

The Art File Stand 2L01

They’ve been extremely busy over the past few months at The Art File, with their award-winning in-house design team producing beautiful new designs as well as collaborating with their fantastic external artists.

At Spring Fair, they will not only be showcasing their 2020 Everyday collections, but also releasing their 2020 Christmas collections for the first time – so make sure you’re among the first to see them!

In 2020 The Art File is launching 316 products across eight brand-new ranges and five exciting range extensions, as well as four new gift wrap collections. Here’s a snapshot of just a few.

Balance A fantastic new creation by the in-house team, Balance has 16 designs inspired by the art movements of Bauhaus and Modernism. In such a busy world, this collection offers mindfulness, simplicity, and a space to breathe. The use of colour balanced with textured hot foils and debossed lines combine beautifully to produce this unique collection.

Sara Miller London Multi-award-winning designer Sara Miller London continues to wow customers around the globe with her love of colour, print, and pattern. This season, there are 12 gorgeous new designs to add to her already impressive collections, plus a range of oft-requested age milestone cards, finished with delicate gold foil and emboss detail and are paired with premium cream envelopes.

I Like Birds Shortlisted for a Henries Award in the Best Licenced Range, I Like Birds by Stuart Cox has become a firm favourite with The Art File’s customers. With seven bold new cards for 2020 – including the eye-catching, foreboding golden eagle – Stuart’s desire to combine his passion for nature with his love for design is clear in this new collection, which is full of personality and fun. The simple yet beautiful bold graphics and strong colour palette give these cards a real presence.

Christmas Collections The Art File has created more than 150 new Christmas products, and believe this to be their strongest festive release to date with an even bigger charity pack selection, increased significantly due to the huge success of the 2019 range.

Their Luxury Christmas Boxes earned the Best Christmas Boxed Product at The Henries last year and are designed specifically for those wanting to send a higher quality festive card to special people.

The Art File’s Christmas card collections have something for everyone – from frosty blues and silvers in Sapphire & Snow, to warm forest greens in Secret Garden scattered with adorable woodland animals.

They have also created five brand-new festive gift packaging ranges, including Christmas Robins which is full of bold reds and beautifully hand-drawn robins.

T: 0115 850 7490 sales@theartfile.com www.theartfile.com 52 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Jonny Javelin Stand 2F51

The Jonny Javelin team is delighted to invite readers to see their fabulous new products this year at Spring Fair where they will offer you a red carpet welcome.

Christmas always plays a big part in the February launch at Spring Fair and this year is no exception.

New versions of seasonal favourites are on display along with a brand-new Christmas range, Signature Seasons.

Featuring a more contemporary take on a traditional colour scheme with lots of different finishes and effects, Signature Seasons has elaborate design features and cheery words to make this range a fantastic and complementary addition to their Christmas collection.

Jonny Javelin is including their traditional Velvet Cheer, in three sizes with lots of specialised captions to attract the increasing demand in this market, plus Mistletoe Trimmings, an intricate and romantic range on a traditional theme, and Fudge Snowflakes offers ever-popular cute cards with different finishes, including

red foil and silver flitter enhancing the adorable characters of Fudge and his friends. So, lots of super new Christmas designs once again!

As well as their fabulous festive features, Jonny Javelin is also launching more than 80 brand-new everyday cards to enhance their most popular ranges.

In the Velvet range, 27 new relation titles have been added across the code 75 and code 150 sizes. The design team says it is constantly striving to keep up with the demand for additional images for the publisher’s top everyday range. Inspiration comes from many different sources, not the least being their much-valued customers!

Their newest range – Signature – has been incredibly popular since its launch last January, and 30 fabulous new titles are being introduced at the start of this year, with bright and strong colour schemes. Fantastic new foiling techniques have been incorporated, these cards have to be seen in the flesh to appreciate the rack impact they will have!

Lovely new baby designs in the Velvet Moments range will also be launched with more exciting and vibrant colour schemes to suit this genre.

And the pretty floral collection Secret Garden has been extended with more birthday month cards to complete the full 12 as well as lots of open birthday designs.

T: 01423 563740 www.jonnyjavelin.co.uk

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Visit Pioneer Europe at Spring Fair (Hall 5, Stand 5G80 – J81) or Spielwarenmesse (Hall 9, Stand D76) to see the latest from Qualatex and Northstar balloons and Pioneer Party products. Perfect for setting the scene at any party!

Open one account — access three amazing balloon and party brands!

www.qualatexeurope.com

www.pioneerparty.com

www.northstarballoons.com

Call 01279 501090 or email pelorder@qualatex.com for details

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Joe Davies Stand 3K20-L21

“

Joe Davies specialise in supplying to the independent retailer and there is certainly lots for greetings shops to choose from

Delighted to be exhibiting at Spring Fair 2020, Joe Davies is looking forward to seeing their customers in the new position of Hall 3.

Joe Davies specialise in supplying to the independent retailer and there is certainly lots for greetings shops to choose from as the giftware importer has been trading for more than 100 years and use all that experience to launch fabulous new ranges.

This time around, there’s more of the leading brand Equilibrium sentiment jewellery all available in a silver and rose plate finish. With Mother’s Day fast approaching there are the new stunning Forever Petals and Botanical floral jewellery collections that are perfect for this busy spring selling season.

Hot for the coming year is the popular Thoughtful Words porcelain range of sentiment gifts that include hanging family and friends gifts and packaged mugs. Joe Davies has even added a new Mother’s Day Thoughtful Words range with sweet sentiments and pretty pink and gold highlights of colour. They can be a standalone offering or there is a great spinner stand package.

Occasion product is strong for Joe Davies and an ideal product offering to sit within the greetings retailer proposition.

There are some great photo albums and photo frames ideal for weddings, christening, new baby and special anniversaries.

Known for their collection of sentiment gifts, Joe Davies’ huge selection is sure to impress – Vintage Floral is new for 2020 and within the range there are pretty wooden standing hearts, hanging hearts, standing butterflies and photo frames.

There’s something for everyone.

With its natural wood finish, beautiful floral illustrations in vintage colours and charming sentiments Vintage Floral is sure to be a winner with independent retailers as the captions cover all the usual popular sellers such as Family, Friends and, of course, Mum, to capture those upcoming, important Mother’s Day sales.

As well as Joe Davies’ own brands they will have all the bestsellers from Leonardo’s, the hot brand Sunny By Sue, Bug Art and Kooks.

A visit to the spacious and welcoming Joe Davies stand shouldn’t be missed, especially with so many new lines, their core offer and their little and often ordering system.

T: 0161 9756 300 sales@joedavies.co.uk www.joedavies.co.uk 56 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Emma Ball Stand 2C02

The end of 2019 was a busy one at Emma Ball Ltd, with Emma herself painting much of the new card designs while demonstrating in a Japanese department store!

With several new ranges for this year spread over licensed work from Caroline, Abigail, Susie, Shelly, and Eric as well as Emma’s own, the latest catalogue proved to be a whopper to design!

But it all got to the printer on time and shown here is just one of the new collection by Emma called Stitched Birdies.

A range of 18 cards, with plenty of matching products including tins and bags, there’s a big Emma Ball story to tell in shops for the spring! The cards retail at £2.35 and this range will be one of their first to go naked.

T: 0115 985 8081 sales@emmaball.co.uk www.emmaball.co.uk

Dandelion Stationery Stand 2E32

New designs in Dandelion Stationery’s Sherbet Collection can be seen at Spring Fair among a whole host of other new lovely cards!

The Sherbet Collection cards are printed on luxury matt FSC-certified board and come supplied with grey and white patterned envelopes.

The cards are supplied individually wrapped in cello wrappers or can be supplied naked with a card clasp. All the 114x162mm cards in this collection are finished with a snazzy holographic foil.

T: 01332 695359 info@dandelionstationery.co.uk www.dandelionstationery.co.uk

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Find out more at Spring Fair, Stand 2H 30 - j31 TO SEE OUR FULL RANGE PLEASE CONTACT: +44(0)1 89 2 838574 SALES@THECURIOUSINKSMITH.CO.UK WWW.LINGDESIGN.CO.UK/THE-CURIOUS-INKSMITH #WKHFXULRXVLQNVPLWK

PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Lesser & Pavey Stand 3N20-P21

Many parents today realise the importance of feeding children a healthy diet, now they can purchase bamboo plates, cups, and more from Lesser & Pavey to serve tasty and healthy nourishment from truly natural utensils that are good for the family, a colourful delight for the little one and better for the environment.

This bamboo range of novel eggcup plates with matching spoon comes in six wonderful designs. The collection also includes six colourful divided plates with matching knife and fork, cups and bowls.

The eco-friendly collection is made of bamboo and the packaging is friendly to the planet as well as being able to be recycled.

These items will be introduced to buyers at Spring Fair, visit the Lesser & Pavey stand for more information.

T: 01322 279225 sales@leonardo.co.uk www.leonardo.co.uk

Tomcat Cards Stand 2C41

There’s whimsy-a-plenty from Tomcat Cards at Spring Fair as, since moving to Tyneside early in 2019, they have been actively seeking work that would sit purrfectly alongside current ranges from their other amazing artists.

And they’re pleased to announce their mission has been accomplished!

Spring Fair will see the launch of an exciting brand-new range of cards from popular north-east artist Lisa Marie Robinson plus a spectacular range from Russian artist Rina Zeniuk.

Tomcat owner Lynne Thomas says: “We're so pleased to welcome Lisa Marie to team Tomcat, her work is a perfect fit with our other ranges and has the brightness, colour and humour that our customers have come to expect of us. We\re very excited to be bringing Lisa Marie's art to a wider audience.

“Discovering Rina was a real bonus and has only come to fruition in the last couple of weeks. Although well known in the international marketplace, she’s relatively unknown here in the UK at the moment.

“We’re absolutely delighted she agreed to work with us to develop an exceptional range of cards and feel sure our customers will be enthralled with this new collection.

“As if that wasn't enough, we’re also expanding our incredibly successful and popular Fiendishly Furry Felines range by Tamsin Lord, and Vicky Mount's firmly-established, bestselling Call Of The Wild range.”

Free taster packs containing a selection of the new cards will be available at Spring Fair, allowing both established and prospective customers the opportunity to assess the saleability of these new ranges.

T: 01207 775987 info@tomcat.cards www.tomcat.cards

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

The Great British Card Company Stand 2F70

The expert design team at The Great British Card Company have unveiled a vast, varied and vibrant selection of new boxed and single greetings cards for Christmas 2020 in a collection that is almost entirely new for the festive season.

Customers can look forward to seeing beautiful new looks across family singles, with stylish and contemporary artworks from Miki Rose and Jessica Johnson presenting rich and opulent colour palettes.

It’s also worth looking out for the stunning selection of detailed handmade designs with quality finishes that have been added to the range to provide greater choice for those looking for extra special relations cards at higher price points.

The handmade theme continues within open singles thanks to gorgeous new range Beau Bijou, which features jewels, foil and emboss with an impactful flittered tip-on.

There is a core selection of new releases from everyone’s favourite GBCC ranges too, including Peony Rose, Darkroom, Older & Wiser and Eric The Penguin, to ensure this is a Christmas collection with something for everyone.

Aware of the heightened consumer concern about the environment and natural world, GBCC has taken careful steps to reduce acetate across boxed cards. The range size of the bright and cheerful Paper

House solid boxes has seen a significant increase, and luxury kraft boxes have been introduced for the first time, housing a selection of stylish Christmas cards with innovative finishes. GBCC has also adapted the much-loved small children’s cube boxes to completely replace the acetate with a trenddriven printed card outer.

Other highlights from GBCC’s Christmas 2020 range include the popular Avanti boxes, which feature the established mix of humorous photography across a selection of different formats.

Medici Cards offer an extensive range of classic Christmas boxes plus 24 outstanding advent calendars, while The Almanac Gallery offers incredible and unique illustrations across a varied box selection.

T: 01452 888999 enquiries@lingdesign.co.uk www.greatbritishcards.co.uk

Marina B Stand 2E17

They’re buzzzzzing with excitement at Marina B as they have a wonderful new collection to launch called Marina Bee. This range is all about the simplicity of the bee in black and white, with hints of rose gold foil – and is sure to be a big hit with your customers.

Come and see them fresh off the press at Spring Fair where we will be launching 15 new designs ranging from birthdays and occasions to wellbeing. Marina can’t wait for you to see them!

The cards are printed on 350gsm board and individually finished with exquisite rose gold foil.

For more information or to order your latest samples and brochure please contact the publisher or visit their Spring Fair stand.

T: 01858 434462 marina@marinab.co.uk www.marinab.co.uk 62 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

M!NT

Stand 2F27 Mint Publishing will officially launch its rebrand as M!nt at Spring Fair 2020.

The popular publisher will showcase two brand-new card ranges as part of its refreshed offer, with a renewed focus on humour and quirky original designs.

Don’t miss your free goody-bag and a chance to see M!nt’s new direction – alongside existing ranges also on display including Be A…, Mimi, POW, Showcase and, of course, Knit & Purl.

This is the chance for retailers to see something refreshingly different at Spring Fair!

T: 0116 230 4197 www.mint-publishing.co.uk

Kapelki Art Stand 2F65

Kapelki Art is back at Spring Fair to show the new additions to the most popular of their greetings card collections.

Beautiful colours and unusual characters of the stunning work by Yuri Vasnetsov make these art cards so memorable and unique.

Find some fairytale magic with a story on their stand.

T: 07761 778144 info@kapelkiart.com www.kapelkiart.com

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PREVIEW | SPRING FAIR

Rush Design Stand 2D40

What’s new for 2020 we hear you ask – well, at Rush Design HQ the answer is lots and lots.

The winter months may get dark and gloomy, but the designing never stops.

For starters there’s a shiny new male collection – the Domino range has over 40 designs including open, ages and relations.

It is printed on quality board and finished with foiling to really bring out the style of the designs which are matched with a classic grey envelope. Size 150x150mm.

Next up there is the new Blossom Juvenile range including granddaughter and grandson ages one to five, plus, there will be additions to the popular Blossom collection.

If you can’t wait then please get in touch with Rush Design by phone, email, website or your friendly agent.

T: 01788 521745 info@rushdesign.co.uk www.rushdesign.co.uk

Janice Daughters Stand 2E71

Designer and publisher Janice Daughters of Art By Janice greetings cards will be exhibiting for the first time at Spring Fair.

Showcasing more than 50 new designs, some have been added to the already popular Cameo Creatures, Inky Creatures and Crazy Cakes collections.

Also, there is new artwork for the Scenic Collection taken from the original acrylic paintings by Janice.

The main feature is a range of new designs for men in the Vintage Nostalgia collection. These designs of vintage vehicles have an art deco feel and will appeal to all who have a love of the past.

Do come along to the Janice Daughters stand at Spring Fair to say hello.

T: 07860 633490 www.artbyjanice.co.uk www.janicedaughters.co.uk

66 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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Wendy Jones-Blackett Stand 2F21

Wendy Jones-Blackett is exhibiting at Spring Fair for the first time in four years with a brand-new designer stand, new greetings card designs and a new range too!

Evergreen is their eco-luxury range of hand-finished designs using recycled materials, homemade plant-based glue and biodegradable glitter – “a little piece of gorgeousness that didn’t cost the planet”, as the back-page info testifies.

There are 40 new titles and the cards are 165x165mm, sealed naked with a branded Kard Klasp seal.

Also on the stand will be WJB’s iconic Quicksilver range featuring stunning new designs of botanical imagery such as tulips, roses and eucalyptus, all hot foiled and embossed in the UK. And showing for the first time ever will be the Christmas 2020 range, be the first to see it on day one!

WJB will also be showing its beautiful Hey Fresco range with original patterns,

including some lovely new floral patterns as pictured – these cards are all printed and cold foiled in the UK, and the Christmas designs will be available for the first time.

Their large-sized Cloud Nine range is back too with a new look of animal prints and bright colours.

Completely handmade and hand-painted with glitter and a feather, this range has been a favourite with UK independents since 2006 and covers a huge amount of captions including Husband 70th, Daughter 40th and a whole host of other niche titles – there are 132 in all!

Pop along to the stand to see these fabulous cards in the flesh.

T: 01132 888 468 www.wendyjonesblackett.co.uk

Laura Sherratt Stand 2A60

Laura Sherratt has two new foiled card ranges debuting at Spring Fair, as well as new special age cards, and Christmas 2020 collections.

Holly And Ivy is Laura’s new 2020 Christmas card range, beautifully traditional, illustrated in the designer’s signature style, painted in classic colours and hand finished with gems and an exclusive wooden robin.

This chic new festive range has something for everyone, including all friend and relative captions. Cards measure 15x15cm and come complete with a striking red envelope.

Call at their Spring Fair stand to see all the newness for yourself.

T: 01538 384 566 hello@laurasherrattdesigns.co.uk www.laurasherrattdesigns.co.uk

68 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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We are looking forward to seeing you!

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Clanna Cards Stand 2D45

Coinciding with the launch of the new Le Mans ’66 film starring Matt Damon, Clanna Cards has taken over the distribution of the unique Visoni range of more than 150 greetings cards and 80 posters which includes licensed collections from Le Mans 24 Hours, British Airways and P&O Cruises.

There are also many glamorous international travel cards and posters including covers from New York’s Saturday Evening Post, Harper’s Bazaar, The Bystander and The Tatler magazines.

The cards are all 7x5in and the posters are 20x28in.

Clanna Cards is also publishing new occasions cards and expanding their licenced Brooklands Museum range.

Both the new Clanna Cards and Visoni ranges will be launched at Spring Fair.

T: 01242 575574 www.clannacards.co.uk

The Eco-Friendly Card Co Stand 2B71

The Eco-Friendly Card Co, Glebe Cottage, has launched a new collection of fine art cards from artist, Mike Bernard RI. Featuring urban and coastal imagery, his highly textured semi-abstract paintings are very sought after all over the world.

The cards are printed on 100 per cent recycled board and available either nested, or in compostable bags. A new notecard wallet set featuring images of London is also available.

T: 01626 369269 www.ecofriendly.cards

Enveco

Stand 2A62 There’s exciting news from Enveco – at this year’s Spring Fair they’ll be launching their new envelope collection which includes fabulous new colours as well as an additional recycled selection with new stock options made from recycled papers.

It may be just an envelope, but you can’t sell your cards without one!

So why not give your customers the best?

Enveco can create the perfect complementary envelope, you don’t have to just go with stock, they can create a bespoke envelope to your requirements, from your own artwork.

Pop along to see them at Spring Fair this year to collect a complementary swatch pack.

T: 01908 378866 www.enveco.co.uk 70 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

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Laura Darrington Design Stand 2B53

Kicking off 2020 in style, Laura Darrington Design is as pleased as punch to launch its newest kids’ range, The Artbox Collection.

Featuring a die-cut top edge, coloured envelope and cold foil finish as standard, the range contains 38 funky fresh designs perfect for your little dudes. Trade price £1.04 RRP £2.25 Come and feast your eyes on these and their other new collections at Spring Fair where, in a concerted effort to curtail the march of single-use plastic, all orders can now be packed either naked or cellobagged.

T: 0116 284 9660 info@lauradarrington.com www.lauradarrington.com

Flame Tree Publishing Stand 2J16

Flame Tree Publishing is excited to announce the new licences for the 2021 calendar and diary range.

For the first time they will publish the Historic Photographer Of The Year calendar – featuring stunning photography from around the world.

This year’s calendar includes photographs of Mont Saint-Michel, Red Sands Sea Forts and St Mary’s Lastingham, providing breath-taking compositions and awe-inspiring history lessons.

Flame Tree is also introducing a calendar in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, with 12 beautiful botanical drawings from a volume of illustrations believed to be

by Charlotte Cowan Pearson. While very little is known of her life, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and this calendar celebrate her outstanding talent as an artist.

And they also have two new art galleries in their extensive list of licensed products –the Manchester Art Gallery, showcasing paintings by George Stubbs, Arthur Hughes and Adolphe Valette, plus Guildhall Art Gallery, with a beautiful collection of paintings that illustrates key artistic movements and influences of the Victorian period, from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, to orientalism, classicism and narrative painting.

In addition to the bestselling Royal Ballet calendar, they will also publish a Royal Opera

T: 020 7751 9650 www.flametreepublishing.com 72 www.greetingstoday.co.uk

House wall calendar, celebrating some of the recently-staged outstanding performances, including La Traviata, The Magic Flute and Semiramide.

A new addition to the growing fantasy art list in 2021 is Fairy Tales by children’s book and greetings card illustrator Patricia MacCarthy. In this new beautiful calendar, MacCarthy has created 12 exquisite illustrations of much-loved characters from classic fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan. Last, but not least, in their new licences for 2021 is A Year Of Positivity by Rebecca McCulloch.

This beautiful calendar includes 12 quotes to encourage positivity and contentment.

Each one is surrounded by stunning floral artwork

by Rebecca McCulloch, an illustrator who has been creating bespoke collections for over 20 years inspired by her Somerset surroundings.

Following the success of their Artisan Notebook range, Flame Tree is delighted to introduce a series of Artisan Diaries in A5 and A6 sizes, in a range of hues to suit the mood and the moment.

With week-to-a-page views, opposite ruled pages for notes, they’re hand-crafted with decorated edges overflowing with petals and teasing vines. And, with flexible, soft touch faux leather covers, they’re easy to slip into your bag and a pleasure to use.

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STEP BACK IN TIME

Celebrating more than 25 years of publishing Greetings and Greetings Today, here we step back in time each issue to five, 10, 15, and 20 years ago in the greetings card industry – Malcolm Naish

February 2015

February 2005

l The Royal Mail increase postal charges with a penny added to both first and second-class postage – up to 63p and 54p. That is a rise of 1.6 per cent and 1.8 per cent.

l Piccadilly Greetings open a new manufacturing operation in Hemel Hepstead, Hertfordshire, that saw owner Jitesh Kaneria inviting Conservative Party leader Michael Howard to do the honours. It is a great compliment to Jitesh that 15 years on the company is still thriving in its excellent HQ and still print all their cards in Hemel Hempstead. Only recently I enjoyed a guided tour with Jitesh (pictured left) who is just as passionate about the industry and his company’s place within the greeting card industry.

l Australian children’s Stationery brand Smiggle has opened 19 shops across the UK in just 12 months. These are in addition to their stores in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. l All retailers will be allowed to offer click-andcollect services in store from April 15 as laws requiring planning permission are changed. Retailers will no longer have to apply for planning permission, which costs £196 and requires store bosses to complete reams of paperwork. Minsters say the move allowing more online shoppers to pick up their purchases in-store will boost the High Street. l Card Factory reports revenues up 8.1 per cent to £353.3million for year end January 31. This means an operating profit growth up by 8.9 per cent to £79.4m. Card Factory shares were a healthy 291.30p. l Alan Mawhinney decides to leave the publishing business to pursue personal business interests. Alan had worked for almost 25 years for Abacus. l We interview Wyevale’s senior buyer Afzal Sachak. At the time they had 148 garden centres in the UK.

February 2010 l Peter Andre receives a Valentine’s Day card supplied by UK Greetings from their Boofle collection when he appeared for an interview on the GMTV breakfast show.

He was unattached at the time, hence the card. l Greetings card publishers are a generous lot as can be seen when Artique Gallery Publishing raised more than £28,000 towards the Bomber Command memorial from the sale of their greetings cards featuring pictures of the aircrew and the famous aircraft – 55,573 aircrew lost their lives during the conflict. l We feature Rainbow Designs across three pages with a new strapline Leading The Way In Classic Characters. Move 10 years on and the company are still a major player in supplying timeless characters from well-loved icons such as Paddington (pictured left), Snoopy Beatrix Potter. l Terry Harvey gave us a blow-by-blow account of opening up a retail card shop in a Hampshire town with his wheeling and dealing with landlords to finally come up with a deal suitable for both parties. Securing the first three years of a 10-year lease I thought was quite a result. Finally opening a month before Christmas, his sales eventually amounted to half that expected at £26,000, but he was competing with Clintons, Card Factory and Birthdays in the same shopping centre.

74 www.greetingstoday.co.uk Step Back in Time Feb.indd 1

l UK Greetings acquired Collage Designs – a luxury giftwrap company, including the Italian connection Collage Italia Spa. John Charlton, UKG’s chief executive, told us: “We are tremendously excited about the acquisition as Collage creates some fabulous designs of giftwrap and gift boxes. This is an ideal partnership.” l The Cardgains Village made its debut at the 2005 Spring Fair with 144sqm of space. Still going strong today, the Cardgains team is to be congratulated on its foresight. l We publicise our very first golf day at Hawkstone Park, Shropshire.

Move on 15 years and the golf day is still going strong and, unbelievably, still retains the same format, although we have moved to a different venue. For 2020 we will once again be at Puckrup Hall on July 7.

February 2000 l Portico were on our front cover pushing their range of Tweenies children’s cards and wrap. l Marcia Hughes, proprietor of Kidderminster-based card shop In Touch, was our retail interview.

Marcia believed strongly that the independents’ most effective weapon in their battle against the majors was undoubtedly customer service. Marcia personally trained all of her staff in this very important aspect of card retailing. l Reflex Marketing is sadly placed into receivership. They had some great Winnie The Pooh greetings cards. l Mind’s Eye – a brokerage company – has had its CVA accepted by their creditors and is confident they can turn round the company. l It was great to see an old mate of mine Ted Blake, who owned and ran Caltime Calendars, taking the leading role of Tevye in Wembley Operatic’s Fiddler On The Roof (pictured left). Caltime is, of course, still going strong with Woodmansterne.

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10/01/2020 16:36

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