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Hidden Talents
You Never Knew... Becoming a greeting card publisher is not a vocational calling, yet the industry is peppered with amazing people who have taken multifarious pathways into our wondrous industry, bringing their hidden talents and previous experiences with them. PG persuaded a handful of the UK publishing fraternity to share their claims to fame.
Weight and See Heyyy Cards has punched above its weight ever since it was launched a couple of years ago by co-owners Yvette and Dan Clarkson, earning plaudits for their contemporary, crafted ranges. However, had it not been for a shared passion for weightlifting, the industry would have never benefitted from this talented couple’s card company. Yvette takes up the story… “Dan and I both have a hidden talent for powerlifting, a competitive sport in which we compete in three disciplines: squat, bench press and deadlift. It would be 100% true to say that Heyyy Cards would not exist if it weren’t for powerlifting as Dan and I first met at a competition in May 2017. I’m sure at that point, while we were covered in sweat and chalk we had absolutely no idea that five years later we would be married and owners of our own card company! After the competition we became good friends and trained together three to four times a week, supporting each other through various competitions where we placed for medals at the AWPC British, European and World finals. At some point in our powerlifting journey, two amazing things happened; we fell in love and we discovered we had a mutual passion for design and greeting cards. Weirdly, even though powerlifting and greeting cards have virtually nothing in common, training for powerlifting equipped us with the mental toughness, determination and dedication that we needed to start our own business. It also helped us to forge the relationship of trust we needed to work together. Just as I know that if I fail a rep, Dan is there to help me lift the bar, I also know that he will be by my side helping to carry the load every step of the way. Many of our products are inspired by our lifting journey, probably more than you think! The office we built in our garden also doubles as a gym, so you will frequently find us on an evening breaking off in between reps to write down an idea and shop talk while lifting!” Top: Dan Clarkson, co-founder of Heyyy Cards at a powerlifting competition. Above right: It was a shared passion for powerlifting that brought Yvette together with Dan. Above: A gym-themed card from Heyyy Cards. Left: Yvette and Dan Clarkson at The Henries last October.
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
A Real Who’s Who They do say ‘all the world’s a stage’, and while many Citrus Bunn cards will have taken ‘centre stage’ at celebrations with founder Clemency Bunn’s talent for combining illustration with pun-based captions attracting the public’s attention on the card front, she balances this with her other life as a scenery and props artist for film, TV and retail. Clemency takes PG behind the scenes… ”I’ve worked on loads of really cool projects. I actually had lots of fan mail once as a strange turn of events led the Whoovians to believe that Clemency Bunn was a new alien enemy for the Doctor! On Doctor Who Series 7 we were painting a set for the episode entitled ‘The name of the doctor’. We constructed a huge alien graveyard and the crew were asked if they’d like their names painted on the gravestones. The programme is shot in Cardiff so there are lots of Aleds and Dafydds on those gravestones, but the only name deemed ‘alieny’ enough to be in the foreground was mine - Clemency Bunn! Above and below: Clemency Bunn painting some props.