Progressive Greetings June 2024

ON THE CARDS

Well, I know retail is still a little quiet in some quarters, arguably due to the early timing of Easter, but things do seem to be looking up after a tough last few months. The inflation tiger seems to have been tamed at last, interest rates look set to drop dramatically and the green shoots of a pick-up in the economy should be coming through.

In addition, our largest specialist multiple card retailer, Cardfactory, produced some sparkling financial figures, and years of speculation over the future of Clintons, has been put to rest with its acquisition by Paul and James Taylor of Cardzone

Admittedly, we still have the ongoing saga of Royal Mail hanging over our collective heads, which we cover in our news pages while Cardsharp (pages 26-27) gives his typical forthright view on developments.

But hopefully we can all embrace a bit more optimism. We experienced it recently at our first ever, London Stationery Show which took place a couple of weeks ago at the London Business Design Centre. The atmosphere was terrific. As it was at our UK Gift Awards event which took place a few days later, where both the best gift retailers and gift products were

recognised in The

and the

And in a few days’ time we have the big one – PG Live, which takes place at the iconic London Business Design Centre on Tuesday 4 June and Wednesday 5 June. This is the largest gathering of greeting card publishers in the world with this year 220 publishers and companies showing off their abundant newness.

Warren, myself and all the Max team look forward to seeing you there and sharing a drink or two at the Opening Night party.

See you there!

Greats

GA’s Gift of the Year awards.

Left: PG’s Warren Lomax (left) and Jakki Brown at London Stationery Show with Cardzone’s Paul Taylor (second right) and his co-director, Jeff Weiss.

Below: The Image Gallery’s Deirdre and David Robinson from Auckland, New Zealand popped into LSS to meet with PG’s Jakki Brown, but they’ll be back for PG Live.

Below left: Ryman’s Theo Paphitis, the cover star of PG’s new sibling publication, Stationery Matters with Max Publishing’s Rob Willis and Jakki Brown.

9-21 News

All the latest happenings and developments in the trade.

23-25 Over The Counter

“I Don’t Wanna Talk About It…”

David Robertson, co-owner of JP Pozzi is aiming to do less talking and more listening.

26-27 Cardsharp It All ‘Sphinx’ To Me!

Cardsharp has deep concerns about the likely takeover of Royal Mail by Daniel Kretinsky aka the Czech Sphinx.

29-31 Viewpoints Whoops of Joy

PG shares a shower of the joyful initial reactions from a bunch of delighted Retas 2024 finalists.

33-35 PG Live Nuts & Bolts Bunch Of Fives

Jim Bullough, ops director of PG Live gives five good reasons to be at the show.

37-43 Rolling Back The Years Milestone Marking

Just some of the notable anniversaries that will be marked at PG Live.

44-45 In Conversation with…Scribbler Food For Thought

The official launch of Scribbler Studio, a new division which sees it share the creativity with other retailers.

47-51 PG Live Newbies Chapter and Verse

The back stories of just a handful of PG Live newbies.

Jakki Brown Editor/Joint Owner jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk

Warren Lomax Joint Owner warren@max-publishing.co.uk

Tracey Arnaud Sales Manager traceya@max-publishing.co.uk

53-71 Innovations

Publishers’ new ranges and designs debuting at PG Live.

73-75 Retailer Face to Face

Shar-ing Sainsbury’s

Shar Grothier, greeting card buyer for the 1,400+ store strong grocery giant shares an update.

77-81 Spotlight on…Beatrix Potter A Woman Before Her Time

With The Retas 2024 being on a Beatrix Potter theme, it’s time for a Potter-fest!

85-87 Publisher Upfront Hotel Hall-ways

Hallmark shares more about the resurrection of its Hall & Co brand.

89-91 Stationery Indies Panel Staple Answers

Fresh from London Stationery Show, panelists share the frills, thrills and spills of life as an indies stationery retailer.

93 Art Source Natural Ties

Sussex-based artist Helen Black started out with creative ‘Tomato Soup Saturdays’ with her Dad and sisters and has scaled the artistic heights ever since.

95-97 What’s Hot?

A trio of retailers reveal their best-selling ranges.

98-107 Sources of Supply

Tracey Bearton Features Editor traceyb@max-publishing.co.uk

Ian Hyder Joint Owner ianh@max-publishing.co.uk

TOP STORY

PG Live Countdown

Over 220 exhibitors to launch thousands of new designs

We are now only days away from doors opening on Progressive Greetings Live 2024, treating buyers to thousands and thousands of new designs and products from over 220 exhibitors.

The two-day show, which takes place Tuesday 4 June and Wednesday 5 June, at London’s Business Design Centre will bring the whole global greeting card community together, for an event where business will most definitely meet pleasure.

Bubblegum Stuff x Brittany Paige at PG Live

SHO

Above: Register now to receive a copy of the Show Preview.

Below: Talking Tables has put its B Corp sustainability credentials to work to create its Gift Kindly wrappings collection.

Bottom right: Everybody is Lovely is Pigment’s latest collab with Giles Andreae.

“The exhibitor line-up for PG Live is incredible, from the well-loved brands on the Village Green and Mezzanine right through to emerging companies and brand new startups up in the Upper Village and Springboard areas,” commented Warren Lomax, co-owner of the show. “And adding to the warm welcome, is a free lunch for all, free teas and coffees in proper cups for the duration of the show, and a free party on the opening night. We just can’t wait to see everybody!” he added.

Bottom left: As its name suggests Homeless Made’s cards are all created by homeless artists.

There will be a host of show-only offers, promotions and competitions galore lined up from lots of exhibitors, including those who will be celebrating special anniversaries, such as Dyson Design, which is giving away a free gift with every order to mark its 20th birthday while on the Dandelion Stationery stand there will be a lucky dip and other special offers as part of its 10th anniversary (see pages 37-43). And it will be a big cheer from Loxleys who is sponsoring the opening night drinks party to mark its 170th anniversary.

Among the many notable launches, the show will mark B Corp company Talking Tables’ move into giftwrappings, Hallmark’s resurrection of its upmarket Hall and Co brand, Pigment’s latest collaboration with Giles Andreae, while in the lunchroom Scribbler will be unveiling its new Scribbler Studio division to supply other retailers (see pages 44-45).

(For more on PG Live see pages 33-35, Innovations pages 53-71)

Family comes first

Having exhibited at pretty much every single PG Live show since it started, it would have to be good reason for the Museums & Galleries/Mint Publishing to miss this one. Thankfully it is a very happy one.

Being a very family business, when the wedding date was set for group general manager Tom Williams’ to the company’s administration and relationships manager Sophie Bylina, the only downside was a clash with the show.

Debbie and Alan Williams, have been ever-

The former Apprentice finalist Courtney Wood is debuting his Bubblegum Stuff business at PG Live thanks to a freshlyinked greeting card distribution deal with US brand Brittany Paige

Courtney met Brittany when they were both exhibiting at the same US trade show a year ago. “We got chatting and she told me she was looking for a distributor for the UK. A year later we met again and when she said she hadn’t firmed up on a distributor I saw an opportunity for us to work together,” said Courtney. “I then made contact with The Imaging Centre and the printing got underway with the official launch at PG Live”.

The collaboration covers a catalogue of 105 handillustrated card designs from the designer based in New York city, known for her “unapologetically witty and empowered” empowered designs inspired by city living, pop culture and celebs such as Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.

Courtney made it to the final of series 12 of The Apprentice with entrepreneur Alan Sugar in 2016 having started Bubblegum Stuff in his mid 20s designing and selling gifts and games, responding to pop culture trends to make people laugh.

Lil Wabbit buzzing about bees

Lil Wabbit may be better known for its dog designs, but the PG Live exhibitor is really buzzing about its latest environmentally-friendly link.

The publisher and artist Georgi Doig has launched Cards For Bees, a scheme where for every card purchased one bee will be sponsored through The Bee Butler in her home county of West Sussex.

“We aim for every single card to have a positive impact on our community and, of course, help our essential local pollinators thrive!” explained Georgi.

The Bee Butler offers a range of services including aviary preparation, hive management, swarm collection, bee-friendly garden design, sponsor a hive, and a bee keeping experience day, all aimed at helping people look after the insect that’s vital for the pollination of all plants and crops.

Every Lil Wabbit sold, Georgi counts the sale towards her annual Bee Butler contribution – this year the publisher has sponsored 60,000 bees to kick off the scheme.

Bees are appearing on the latest Lil Wabbit designs. Right: Lil Wabbit card sales are helping bees to thrive.

present at the show since the very first one when they exhibited with Mint, their original greeting card business, then son Tom joined the company in 2013 when his parents took over Museums & Galleries. M&G joined the exhibitor list in 2014, and RED became part of the group the same year, and the team is very much planning to return for the 2025 show.

Tom and Sophie have been together since 2016 “when his friend who I used to work with set us up on a blind date”, and she joined the business in 2018, while Tom’s brother Andy sold the products as an independent sales agent for a number of years before becoming a permanent part of the team on key accounts.

Left: Tom and Sophie on their recent wedding day.

Above:

Above: Courtney with some of Brittany Paige’s card designs.

Views on the news…

The Battle For RM Rages

GCA courts MPs as Czech Sphinx’s takeover looks likely

As PG went to press there were a crucial few days ahead for the greeting card industry as cardies continue the battle to ensure Royal Mail and the government to save the letter delivery service.

The GCA has gone all out in the media and is also pushing for MPs to sign 6-point pledge as the £3.5bn takeover bid from billionaire Daniel Křetínský, known as the Czech Sphinx looks set to go ahead.

Following a full on weekend of press coverage with the GCA, greeting cards, and quotes in all the national papers, association ceo Amanda Fergusson furthered the media push, speaking with more journalists, as well as meeting small business minister Kevin Hollinrake MP.

Having fed back a snapshot of the Independent Retailers’ Confederation (IRS) survey results, Amanda said: “Thank you to those of you who responded, it was great to see card indie retailers represented in the results and gave us

The 6-Point Pledge

• Fix it first, then reform – insist Royal Mail meets existing performance targets before any uso changes.

• Keep Saturdays affordable – protect the Saturday delivery service at an affordable price and make that price legally binding.

• Fully price protect all deliveries –protect consumers from aboveinflation price rises on second-class stamps, extend that protection to the first-class service, and make any future price rises conditional on agreed service targets being met.

• Keep Royal Mail national – protect an affordable single-price delivery service to all UK households.

• Stop delivery discrimination – prevent the prioritisation of parcel deliveries over letters and cards.

• Support High Streets – recognise the role a thriving postal service, including post offices, has in protecting High Streets and communities up and down the UK.

another opportunity to wave the flag for our industry and have our voices heard by government, especially Kevin, who is also postal lead for the government.”

The national, reliable and affordable Royal Mail service that the card industry depends on is under threat from RM’s proposals to chop the second-class service to three days a week by changing the universal service obligation (USO), which appears to be supported by regulator Ofcom in its The Future Of The Postal Service review.

There’s also the runaway price of a first-class stamp with the fourth aboveinflation stamp rise in two years last month, while the Czech Sphinx’s bid to take over the 508-year-old British institution is expected to be finalised by the end of May, adding even more uncertainty to the industry, although business secretary Kemi Badenoch has said she will not allow a foreign takeover without guarantees in place.

The GCA is urging MPs and other stakeholders to sign a pledge making a #Cardmitment to restore services, protect Saturday deliveries and hold back price rises to protect small businesses, High Streets, and consumers.

(See Cardsharp pages 26-27)

GCA members continue to battle to save Royal Mail’s delivery service, contributing to a press release that has been issued to the media by Arena PR on behalf of the trade association.

Cardology co-owner David Falkner highlighted: “It’s utterly bizarre the way Ofcom has approached the current review. They are obsessed with making their main objective to be the improvement of the Royal Mail’s bottom line. Everything else seems secondary. It’s like running the rail service and not caring that people travelling are missing their meetings or getting to their journeys on time, as long as the rail companies are making the money they need. Their priorities are all wrong. It needs a more measured approach.”

Retailer Michael Apter, md of Paper Tiger’s three shops in Edinburgh, saying: “Royal Mail should be maintaining their universal service obligations. A lot of the proposals being suggested that could come into place could be very damaging for small businesses. We need to be able to rely on a service that runs six days a week at a price that is affordable to its customers.”

With their Paper Salad publishing business depending on a “reliable, affordable and accessible” postal service, founders Karen Wilson and Claire Williams said: “We really rely on the Royal Mail and some of the changes being proposed pose a massive threat to our whole industry. We are all very mindful of the impact any reductions to the current levels of service, or increases in price, could have. Hopefully the concerns of local businesses across the UK will be listened to and some sensible solutions can be reached.”

Royal Mail’s David Gold to speak at GCA AGM

David Gold, Royal Mail’s director of external affairs and policy is to be a headline speaker at the GCA’s conference and AGM in Bristol’s Harbour Hotel on 19 September

Tickets are still available at the discounted price of £95 for association members (until May 31) who’d like the chance to hear what he has to say.

“David is keen to hear members’ concerns as well as to share Royal Mail’s plans for the future,” GCA ceo Amanda Fergusson told PG. “We look forward to welcoming David to our conference, and appreciate his willingness to hear directly from members and share Royal Mail’s plans – especially ahead of the crucial run-up to Christmas.”

Right: Earlybird discounts are still available for the GCA conference and AGM.

Left: Cardies have been getting their own ammunition to save a reliable postal service from Royal Mail. Below: The media has been full of coverage of the industry’s plight.

Above: David Falkner from Cardology has been instrumental in the GCA’s RM campaign.

Below: New branding for GCA’s Festive Friday, created by Wendy Jones-Blackett.

DANILOʼS SUPER SHOWCASE

A SNEAK PEEK INTO

PG LIVE 2024

Get ready

to immerse yourself in a world of creativity and innovation as Danilo prepares their return to the upcoming PG Live show, slated for June 4th and 5th at London’s esteemed Business Design Centre. Renowned for their licensed greeting cards, gift wraps, and bags, Danilo is gearing up to dazzle visitors at Stand 513 with their latest offerings.

Prepare to embark on a nostalgic journey as Danilo introduces new greeting card designs featuring cherished children’s brands. From timeless classics like Guess How Much I Love You and The Gruffalo, to the enchanting worlds of Rachel Bright & Jim Field and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, attendees will be captivated by fresh designs that breathe new life into these beloved characters.

Continuing with the children’s brands, Danilo will also present an array of captivating designs for favourites such as Bluey, Peppa Pig and PAW Patrol, alongside iconic brands like Barbie, Pokémon, Minecraft, and Super Mario. With vibrant visuals and engaging themes, these designs are destined to resonate with both young audiences and their families.

Mie bu s,

prepare to be delighted by the unveiling of official card designs inspired by the highly anticipated summer blockbuster, Despicable Me 4 and for those in search of something with a delicate, hand-finished type style, Danilo presents an exclusive lineup of lifestyle card collections by Kate Smith and Bexy Boo.

For footy fans, there will be exciting display of football designs featuring top-tier teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and more. From colourful card designs capturing the essence of each club’s spirit to eye-catching gift wraps and bags adorned with team logos and colours, Danilo’s collection promises to be a winning choice for football enthusiasts and gift-givers alike.

is key at Danilo and Stand 513 will also be showcasing brand new lenticular cards that mesmerise viewers with their dynamic perspective shifts. Meanwhile, Danilo’s innovative storybook cards promise a delightful surprise, with integrated storybook pages adding an extra layer of charm. And for a truly interactive experience, explore the new jigsaw cards, featuring a built-in puzzle that promises hours of entertainment.

Lenticular cards

Danilo will also unveil a new collection celebrating the timeless tales of Dr. Seuss. These innovative designs seamlessly blend iconic imagery with the enduring charm of these renowned book titles, offering a treasure trove of cards for different occasions.

But there’s more! There will be some surprise activity planned for Tuesday, guaranteed to inject an extra dose of excitement and engagement into your visit.

Make sure to mark your calendars and join the Danilo team at Stand 513 for an unforgettable showcase of creativity, innovation, and inspiration.

TOP STORY

A Weiss Move

Cardzone welcomes Jeff Weiss onto the board

The Cardzone group has beefed up its board as well as strengthened its shareholder lineup as part of its futureproofing of the enlarged business, following the acquisition of Clintons’ 163 stores in March.

The Weiss family, the former owners of Clintons, now has a 10% shareholding in the Cardzone group and Jeff Weiss has been appointed to the board. Commenting, Paul Taylor, founder and managing director of Cardzone, said: “We are delighted to have the expertise of Jeff and the Weiss family now within our family business.”

Certainly, the Weiss family has a very strong greeting card heritage being descendants of Jacob Sapirstein, who founded American Greetings (the parent company of UK Greetings) in 1906. When US investment company, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

acquired the majority stake in American Greetings (including UKG) in February 2018, the Weiss family retained a 40% stake. However, Clintons (which was acquired by AG’s subsidiary Lakeshore Lending from the receiver in June 2012) was not included in the deal and remained under the ownership of The Weiss Family until it was sold to Pillarbox Designs, Cardzone’s parent company that is owned by Paul Taylor and his family, including son James Taylor, the company’s trading director, a few months ago. PG bumped into Paul and Jeff Weiss at the recent London Stationery Show. Commenting on his involvement with the Cardzone group, Jeff said: “Paul’s acquisition of Clintons is not just good news for the market and the industry as a whole, but also the greeting card consumer. I am very happy to be involved.”

Paul, Jeff and the team are currently working on the refinements of the strategy for the enlarged group, futureproofing it for the longterm.

Morleys expands with third Camp Hopson outlet

Morleys group is bucking the trend with its Camp Hopson department store in Newbury, with the opening of a third shop in the Berkshire town, which includes a new greeting card and stationery department.

Cllrs Nigel Foot and Sarah Slack, the mayor and mayoress of Newbury, were officially opened the new shop which houses the greeting card, stationery, gifts, home fragrance, linens, tableware, cookware, electricals and toys departments, just two doors down from the main grade II listed department store, with a furniture centre across the car park.

Morleys, still a private limited company under directors Nigel Blow and Bernard Dreesman, and non-executive director John Egan, now has eight department stores, seven in and around the Greater London area plus Camp Hopson.

Thortful climbdown over helium facts

Thortful md Pip Heywood has held up her hands to admit the online greeting card company hadn’t fully checked the facts over its helium balloon stance – but still won’t sell the product. She had originally said the reason for its decision to discontinue selling the balloons was to protect the limited supply of helium for critical medical uses such as MRI scanners in hospitals. However, The Balloon And Party Industry Alliance (BAPIA), the UK’s largest trade organisation for the industry, swiftly responded to say that the helium used in balloons is a different product.

“Unlike Westminster, we're pretty comfortable admitting when our facts haven't checked out,” Pip wrote in the social media posts, accompanied by a minutelong video. She confirmed the helium found in balloons “isn't actually the spawn of Satan”, but said “because they’re single use and their recyclability is tricky” the online card retailer, still won’t be stocking the products.

The Earlybird team is flying high with new initiatives

There’s now a TerraCycle UK zero waste box inside the Earlybird store in London’s Stoke Newington and co-owner Heidi Early explained: “We’re encouraging all our customers to bring in their old balloons, ribbons, weights and bags so we can reuse them and keep them out of landfills. We want to help the party industry become a much more circular economy! We’ve already had such a positive response from our customers so far and can’t wait to keep going in this direction.”

And the greeting card and gift shop, which also has its publishing side run by Heidi’s husband and business partner

Dom, has now also taken on the role of dispatching all Just A Card’s orders of pins, window stickers, resources bundles, card packs, posters and stands that help the campaign encourage people to support, value and buy from artists, makers, indie shops and small businesses as eery sale, even just a card is vital to their survival.

“A cornerstone of their local community, Heidi and Dom have been big supporters and champions of Just A Card for a number of years,” said campaign founder Sarah Hamilton who is delighted Earlybird has not only taken on the fulfilment side, but will also be selling the pins and window stickers from the shop.

Left: Paul Taylor, managing director of Cardzone with his now co-director Jeff Weiss at London Stationery Show.

Below: With the Clintons stores, the Cardzone group now comprises over 340 stores.

Above: Camp Hopson’s ultramodern stationery department.

Above: Earlybird and TerraCycle UK have teamed up to keep foil balloons out of landfill.

Right: Just A Card’s pins and stickers are now being dispatched from Earlybird.

Above: Pip Heywood accepted her facts weren’t completely right

Publishers Clinch Gift Awards Trophies

Outstanding Achievement for Hannah Dale

Greeting card publishers proved their versatility as their creativity earned the top trophies at The Gift Awards with Rosie Made a Thing winning a hat trick of trophies while Wrendale’s Hannah Dale was crowned with the Outstanding Achievement title.

The glittering event at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel, which unites The Greats gift retailer (owned by Max Publishing) and Gift Of The Year awards (owned by the GA), heard how brilliant academic Hannah, wasn’t meant to be in greetings or gifts, but, when the shine came off the banking world, she started Wrendale Designs at her kitchen table on husband Jack’s family farm in Lincolnshire and, with his help, has built the business from her debut at PG Live in 2012 with a handful of card designs to a £15million annual turnover business which now includes a myriad of products. Having already collected the Best Pet Gift Product Or Range trophy, Hannah was called up for the Outstanding Achievement award and, as someone who always likes to be prepared, admitted: “Having to stand up here in front of all these people, not knowing what I'm going to say is pretty much my equivalent of those awful nightmares where you turn up at school on the first day with no clothes on – and I probably shouldn’t have said that!

Left: Worthy winner Hannah Dale.

Below: Rosie Harrison (left) and product design manager Charlotte Dudley with their trio of trophies.

Botton: A very happy Caroline and Jon Ranwell of Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall with their Greats trophy.

the credit for it. This is an incredible industry. Thank you very much, I’m totally overwhelmed – I can't believe it.”

Celebrating with Hannah was Miles Robinson, co-owner of House of Cards which took on Wrendale Designs at that first PG Live: “I’m trying to find the words as I’m in awe of what Hannah has achieved in what feels like five minutes. To have done what she has done from 12 cards in 2012 to dealing with 47 countries in 2024, it’s beyond words. And what it’s done for our business to be partnered with the Wrendale brand is unbelievable, engaging with our customers who engage with the brand is amazing.”

Meanwhile Rosie Harrison, founder of Rosie Made a Thing, was all set to party with her new Choccy Cards having won both the Best Card & Wrap Product or Range and overall Judges’ Choice, while her Bags Of Fun tote bags earned the Best Gift Under £15 title.

Rosie told PG: “We can’t believe it, and getting the Judges’ Choice award is a real bonus.”

Pictura expands into Finland

International greeting card and product distributor Pictura Group has acquired 80% of the shares in the Finnish company Linnapaperi

With a stronghold in its home country of Sweden, Pictura already has a greeting card presence in Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Poland and USA, with its own design studios in Sweden, America and France.

Headed up by md Charlie Wallin, he has been elected chairman of the board at Linnapaperi, overseeing operations on Pictura’s behalf.

Commenting Charlie said: “We are impressed by Linnapaperi’s performance and proud to establish a relationship with ceo Tapani Linna, creative product director Sanna Linna-Rentto and the team behind Linnapaperi. Pictura and Linnapaperi share the same values and beliefs. Our companies strive to meet our customers’ needs and help them succeed. We look forward to learning more about the Finnish market and ensure that Finnish retailers get the best products on their shelves.”

Santoro goes back to its roots

Santoro is going back to its roots with an environmental initiative aimed at saving the ancient olive groves in the founding family’s ancestral homeland.

Having produced 3D and pop-up greeting cards for almost three decades, Santoro is building on its commitment to sustainable production practices where each tree felled and processed for the board to make its products is replaced with three new seedlings, and the lignin used as a binding agent in the paper production process is then burned to produce thermal and electric bioenergy fed back to the paper mill to power its operation.

“In all seriousness, we have so many people to thank for this award, and many of them are in this room tonight. And I'm also really sad that Jack’s not here to celebrate with me as, true to our career, and probably our marriage as well, as always, he's behind the scenes doing a lot of hard work, and I'm out here taking

Among other publishers picking up GOTY trophies included Little Dog Laughed and Vent For Change while top gift retailers were feted in The Greats.

Hosted by comedian Andrew Ryan, the Awards were attended by over 400 guests, spanning gift and greeting retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, reps and agents.

Meera and Lucio Santoro, who founded the company in London’s Carnaby Street in 1983, have ancestry rooted in the Puglia region of Italy, which produces around 40% of the country’s olive oil from around 60million trees. Five years ago the xylella fastidiosa pathogen was identified, carried between trees by a sap feeding insect, then causing the host to dry out and die, with around 10m trees dying so far. The Santoro family have now invested in planting over 1,200 olive trees in 2024-5, as part of an environmental rehabilitation programme.

Above: Nature and sustainability are important in Santoro’s 3D and pop-up designs.

Above: Pictura md Charlie Wallin (right) with codirector Magnus Arpi at last year’s PG Live. Charlie is all set for his return trip!

Reason To Exist

Theo Paphitis’ stationery secrets

“You must have a reason to exist in business,” Theo Paphitis told a packed standing-room-only audience at the recent very successful London Stationery Show, where he was interviewed on stage by PG’s Jakki Brown.

Theo started off with some personal revelations, how that as a young boy that he hated school, he hated academic studies and he hated writing. “I am dyslexic. I couldn’t spell. My writing was a mess. In fact, the last thing I thought I would ever get involved in would be stationery.”

His first exposure to Ryman came at his first job after leaving school at a London brokers. “I found myself needing to write memos. The first ones I did were such a mess, they sent them back to me and told me to try again. One lunchtime I took myself down the Borough High Street and went to Ryman and there I bought a calligraphy set. I took it home and practiced every night for a week. My writing improved, but my spelling didn’t. So back to Ryman, this time to buy a dictionary. So then my spelling improved.”

Fast forward to 1995 and Theo bought Ryman out of administration. “At the time

Below:

Ryman was an office supplies business. Its top seller was fax paper. Once fax machines starting dying off, no one thought Ryman would survive.”

Theo has definitely proven that Ryman can indeed not just survive but thrive. “Once brands lose the reason to exist, that’s when they disappear. We’ve had to change with the times. We’ve had to change our product mix and the way we do business,” said Theo.

Of the recent move into fashion-led stationery, he highlighted how Covid “accelerated the merge of home and office with lots more people working from home. They don’t want boring stationery. They want something a lot more interesting. We’ve tapped into this with our new Ryman Design branded stores, with the newest one opening next week in Edinburgh.”

Summing up with some advice, Theo said that a business will only survive “if you know what you are in business for, what will you do differently, why someone will come to you, what is the reason they will buy from you.”

(See pages 89-91 for stationery insights from indies)

Ryman returns to profitability

Profitability has improved at stationery and greeting card retailer Ryman over the past 12 months as its latest trading update showed a £4million-plus improvement for the full year to 31 March taking it back into profit.

The 130-year-old company, which now trades from more than 190 stores across UK High Streets, reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) that hit £2.7m – over £4m up on 2022-23 – on revenue of £104.6m.

Owner Theo Paphitis, commented: “I’m very pleased with the progress made by the Ryman business over the past two years as it recovered from the impact of the pandemic.

“I increased my personal involvement in the business as ceo 16 months ago, as well as increased time in the business, I have invested and committed to further funding to ensure Ryman has the resources to build on this progress,” he said.

UKG dresses for Met Gala

Greeting card designs can reflect trends from the fashion world. UK Greetings took this link to the max by sashaying some of its card designs that echo some of the incredible frocks seen at Vogue’s recent annual Met Gala on the social media ‘red carpet’. Officially called the Costume Institute Benefit, it’s an annual haute couture fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum Of Art’s Costume Institute in Manhattan, which is organised by fashion bible Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

This year’s theme was officially Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion with a secondary explanation of Garden of Time.

Archway makes a difference

Greeting card wholesaler, Archway Cards is determined to make a difference with its business so has launched pre-orders for its Christmas boxes raising money for East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH). The Norwich-based family-run business is giving 50% of the profits from every sale of the festive boxes to the charity.

“We have previously benefited from Each's amazing services during a difficult time for our family, when nine-year-old Fraser Delf, who suffered from the rare Coats Plus Syndrome, received end-of-life care there in 2020,” Archway’s technical director Dan Beeby told PG. “They provided exceptional services and care for Fraser and support for his brother Stuie, parents Carla and Stuart, and grandparents at the Milton Hospice in Cambridgeshire.”

The Christmas boxes come as a display unit of 15 designs with six boxes of each design, 10 cards in each box, at a trade cost of £2.40 a box, and pre-orders can be made now with the units available from September.

Dan runs the business, one of the six finalists in The Retas Awards 2024 Best Greeting Card Wholesaler category, with his operations director wife Amy and md Chris Dyball, who set up the business 40 years ago.

Archway had a rebrand to celebrate the anniversary back in September along with an upgrade of the website and online side which was one of the first in the sector, 13 years previously.

Left: Theo enthralled the audience at London Stationery Show with the Q&A session with PG’s Jakki Brown.

With a 4th Ryman Design store in Edinburgh the design-led concept is growing.

Above: Dan with his wife Amy.

Above: Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah Bagshaw.

Above right: Anna Wintour. Below: Cole Escola.

BY DAVID ROBERTSON

“I

don’t wanna talk about it…”

I like to get involved, whether it is in my own business and dealing with colleagues, the BID, Chamber of Commerce or many of the self-development workshops I attend. Moreover, I always feel compelled to add something, to say something, to make a point, to tell a story or indeed ask a question. As we all approach the big industry ‘talking shop’ that is PG Live, I am making a conscious decision to listen more and talk less.

At a recent event a comment was passed after I spoke, about me overtalking and it hurt. Like a perfect punch to the solar plexus it took the wind from my sails and now a month or so later I am still reflecting on it and looking to see what or how I can improve.

You want to say enough to be heard and get your point across, but you don’t want to overtalk. It is a fine line.

Fiction when it was released and Tarantino is of course known for his dialogues between characters that are crucial to the story.

In Reservoir Dogs for example you never see the robbery, you only hear about it (Tarantino couldn’t afford to shoot it!)

In Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), the main character asks the hitman (John Travolta) she seduces: “Do you listen or do you just wait to talk?”

In the midst of all this personal reflection I listened to my favourite podcasts, The Overlap.

Overtalking suddenly was mentioned by Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager. He articulated how he could keep getting his points across to a team when he interacted with them daily. He shared that he was an overtalker in the beginning of his career and had then made a conscious decision to step away from that, learning techniques to have more impact in what he said.

Of course talking too much is just one side of this coin. The other is do I really listen?

Some 30 years ago I saw the film Pulp

This got me thinking again. Do I listen properly to understand and respond or am I just waiting for a gap to talk again?

Listening and talking are two hugely powerful tools that we must master in business.

In retail we are communicating all day, whether it is with our teams, our suppliers or indeed our customers. Overtalking or not getting our points over carefully can actually do you much more harm and

waste so much time. So how do we improve? How do we train ourselves to be better?

In his book, STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut , Dan Lyons explores this very topic, coining the phrase ‘talkaholic’.

I know I often do overtalk, tell the same story, or indeed ask an unneeded question, but I don’t talk just for the sake of it and I do want to hear the answer and discuss further the topics we are engaged in.

I do wonder if my talking comes directly from two things. As an only child I grew up around lots of adults with whom I constantly engaged in conversation. I loved to speak about football or TV or indeed any subject and found nothing better than chatting with my parents’ pals.

The other reason is that I have been brought up in shops since the age of 13 and quite simply that is what you do. You need to speak and engage with your customer. You need to remember key things about them and be genuine in your interest as this is often what sets you apart in terms of customers coming back time and again.

Above: David Robertson is aiming to listen more.

Left: David at PG Live with Rush Design’s Lorraine Bradley. Below: Human behaviour is acted out in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

From my recent research I have highlighted five top tips to avoid overtalking…

1. Well, when you can, say nothing. In the supermarket for example don’t engage in chit chat. Don’t share your day or as my wife says, my life story! Practice not speaking.

2. Spend as little time on social media as it programmes you to respond and engage. In fact, its success is measured by the ability to attract attention.

3. Bring quiet into your life daily so the urge to fill up silence with noise is not needed. As I write this I am not listening to my music or a podcast – and the only sound is the birds!

4. Be an active listener. Consciously seek out the other person’s comments and their points first.

5. As you receive information go into the situation. Use some of their words as the opening to your response to actually delve deeper into their answer to get a fuller response.

Fundamentally, if you really want to connect with your colleague, customer or supplier - you really need to listen! I want to, in effect, say more by saying less…

Those that are interrupters can also be a more of a problem than those that just want to talk. Usually they are so keen to add a point that the enthusiasm just bursts out and invariably they really didn’t mean to be rude!

Setting ground rules in your own head, again being honest and perhaps encouraging everyone to listen to everyone before debate begins are all good ways to get round this.

What you really don’t want is that person who has a brilliant idea or solution or a burst of knowledge that could make a difference to you or your business to go unheard because they have not had the opportunity to speak.

have a better immune system. When people walk away feeling that they have both gained knowledge and shared a moment this releases a powerful feeling of selfworth.

So, think about it when you say: “Hey, how are you?” Do you mean it or is it a throw away?

Matthias Mehl from the University of Arizona has been looking at how being a good conversationalist is directly related to your emotional wellbeing.

He found that people who tend to have good deep conversations are happier and

Engage properly with your “how are you?” question tone inflection and wait for the answer.

This is of course difficult in a retail environment where we have lots of little interactions, but they must be genuine so that customer walks away feeling there has been some type of connection. That is what will bring them back.

As you read this many of you will be looking forward to PG Live.

Trade shows are a perfect example of where good, meaningful conversations happen.

Those exhibiting want to tell you their story. They want you to listen as they tell you about their product and all the exciting things on their stand.

Indeed some of the new exhibitors have reached out to me already by sending me their postcards or an email asking me to look at their product and give them some advice.

These include Brilliantly Brave, whose profits benefit mental health and wellbeing, Heather Trefusis Art who loves dogs like I do or Bare Cards with its product designed to avoid single use paper waste who are all seeking that meaningful conversation. We need to listen to what these and other new companies have to say and be honest with how we see what they do fitting into our stores.

Some of the people I like best in our industry and get on so well with I do very little business with, not because I don’t like what they do but because it won’t appeal to my

I am always touched with people wanting to connect. I am always keen to look at new cards, board and ideas and I love to hear about their passion and progress.

So I will be listening more, talking less and when I do talk, I will try and make it worthwhile. I look forward to putting this into practice at PG Live… I am still in training though!

Left: New publisher Brilliantly Brave has got in touch with David about its PG Live debut. Above: Debuting at PG Live, Heather Trefusis Art is all ears for David’s feedback on her cards. Below: Doing the right amount of talking v listening is crucial in life.

Above: Talkaholics in action!

Left: Some bedtime reading for overtalkers. Below: Listen up and say less.

It All ‘Sphinx’ To Me!

Cardsharp has a very guilty obsession that he does not shout about too often. He is a ‘Timbromaniac’! Yes, he knows it is very embarrassing. However, the more modern term for his filthy passion is ‘philatelist’. He collects postage stamps, which means with his historical know how he has the currently dangerous Royal Mail scenario, whipped up by Daniel Kretinsky aka the Czech Sphinx bid to buy, licked.

security review, but Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is “mindful” of a resolution, implying that the deal will go through.

Cardsharp is not into any old stamps, just those of the British Empire in the reign of George 6th, our late Queen’s father. Back then the Royal Mail was the artery of what, although in decline, was the largest empire the world had ever known. And George 6th’s head adorned every postage stamp that emanated from the empire’s constituent parts, whether it was the second largest territory on the planet in Canada, or the second most populous, India, right down to a little rock with a couple of hundred inhabitants in the South Atlantic, Tristan de Cunha. Bertie’s (his real name) head was on them all, either in profile or full face.

And even before Cardsharp’s bromance with Lizzie’s dad, the Royal Mail has had a long and such venerable history. It was Georgie Boy and her mother, and present King Charles’ rather capricious predecessor, Henry 8th, famed for his six wives and rather interesting approach to matrimonial termination, that set up the postal service in 1508.

So, the current issue of Royal Mail’s future is of double interest to Cardsharp. The heritage is of huge importance to him,

while the future of the organisation is of vital importance to our beloved greeting card industry.

But as PG went to press it was looking increasingly likely that Royal Mail will be taken over by a foreign buyer, Daniel Kretinsky, the so-called Czech Sphinx billionaire (which also has shares in West Ham and Sainsbury’s) in a £3.5 billion take-over bid.

Of course, the proposed

The Government has said (and so you expect it would) that its priority is to ensure that Royal Mail customers (that’s you and me!) continue to get deliveries six days a week and a single price for post throughout the UK, regardless of owner.

And so, it looks like on Wednesday May 22 that the board of International Distribution Services (IDS), Royal Mail’s parent company will recommend to its shareholders an acceptance of a 370p non-binding proposal from EP Group, a conglomerate controlled by Daniel Kretinsky.

And of course, the directors of IDS, will recommend acceptance. The offer is way above the share price and no doubt with their share options, they are in line to make more than a tidy little profit.

But this is all so worrying for Royal Mail and our greeting card industry. Powerful businesses have a history of making regulatory assurances look foolish in the long run. A pledge to keep Royal Mail’s headquarters in London to Cardsharp means nothing, when you consider the most profitable part of IDS, is its parcel outfit GLS that is based in The Netherlands.

Left: Ironically the Sphinx has lost his nose, but Cardsharp’s feeling about the acquisitive antics of Daniel Kretinsky towards Royal Mail do not smell very sweet to those in the card trade.

Below: Cardsharp’s postal passion includes a penchant for George 6th stamps.

Bottom: As well as Royal Mail Daniel Kretinsky’s current UK business interests include West Ham FC

Once Kretinsky takes over, it would become an overseas operation with control ceding out of the UK. The tax domicile revenue shifts out of our domain, and a once great British utility will be lost. Even more scary is that us taxpayers will still be responsible for any deficit for Royal Mail’s UK guaranteed pension fund.

Cardsharp is not a ‘Little Englander’, and is a huge believer in free markets, but when it comes to a utility so vital to the nation’s well-being, the last thing you want is foreign ownership. We have seen the damage that has been inflicted on a whole chunk of UK infrastructure, such as water, electricity, trains and airports. And we have seen how toothless the consumer regulatory bodies are in practice, when it comes to controlling abuses.

And free markets only work where genuine competition exists. With monopolies such as Royal Mail, there is no free market when it comes to postal delivery and with Ofcom seemingly unable or unwilling to protect the interests of the consumer already, the future does not look encouraging.

Of course, Kretinsky will make the right noises now. He will give the assurances

It is

that

Right: Co-ordinated by the GCA, the UK greeting card community has put up a strong fight to safeguard Royal Mail services, including a presence at the London Ofcom meeting, with Cardology’s David Falkner on stage and (left-right) Seth Woodmansterne (Woodmansterne Publications), Pip Heywood (Thortful), Jakki Brown (PG), Heidi Early (Earlybird Designs), Miles Robinson (House of Cards) and Fiona Pitt (Hallmark) in the audience.

Below: Cardology’s David Falkner fought hard on the greeting card industry’s front at the Ofcom pow wow in London.

Below right: CWU’s front man David Ward at the London Ofcom meeting about Royal Mail’s future. The mentions of potential strikes if Daniel Kretinsky takes over with any satisfactory agreements in place sends shivers down the spine of those in the card trade, remembering the pre-Christmas 2022 strikes.

As for the incoming Labour Government (and let’s face it we all know, it is going to happen) they have also been rather quiet and tame on the whole issue, not willing to frighten ‘the children’ with a proposal to renationalise. In Cardsharp’s view it could have been a real vote winner for them, especially as they are quite willing to talk about renationalisation of the Rail Network.

Unfortunately, mystic Cardsharp can see the future and it is not a rosy one. By his reckoning, bit by bit Kretinsky will water down his commitment to the postal service. He will want to break the power of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) and

about protecting the Universal Service Obligation and not stripping its assets, but it now looks like the takeover will go through on the nod from Rishi Sunak’s

Conservative government. What a pity the Government, in Cardsharp’s view, is too blind or stupid to realise that there could have been real votes to be had in a ‘Save our Posties’ campaign.

make mass redundancies. Its huge pension scheme will also be a temptation. Taxes will be paid overseas rather than in the UK. And Cardsharp predicts that the Sphinx will try to get around maintaining the USO. The wheeze he is kite-flying is the idea of trying to ditch delivering to houses, instead setting up partnerships with a network of local shops and locker

companies where you would go and collect your post. There are even rumours of him wanting to install 10,000 locker machines in the UK to replace letterbox deliveries, but to technically adhere to the universal postal service obligation.

Kretinsky said a few months ago that having acquired a 25% stake in Royal Mail that he was not interested in full control. As they used to say in the cowboys and indians films that Cardsharp used to watch as a nipper: “He speaks with forked tongue”.

It is said of the Sphinx, that he makes money in industries that are dying, which Cardsharp thinks is ominous for Royal Mail, our greeting card industry and indeed our nation. George 6th will be turning in his grave.

Going back to the reign of George 6th and his beloved stamp collection, Cardsharp recalls that in 1938, Neville Chamberlain, the King’s Prime Minister at the time refused to go to the aid of the then Czechoslovakia, when it was threatened with conquest by Hitler’s Nazi Germany concluding it was a “Far away land of which we know nothing about”. Perhaps, reflects Cardsharp, there could not be a more a more fitting metaphor for our national decline, that we have handed what was the throbbing artery of a formally global empire, to a relatively unknown and secretive Czech who “We know nothing about!”

Pure and simple, it all ‘sphinx’, concludes Cardsharp!

Below:

a frightening concept

Royal Mail will change radically.

paperlink.uk/nt

Whoops of joy

After a rigorous industrywide canvas of nominations and much cajoling of retailers to put themselves forward, there were whoops of joy heard the length and breadth of the UK as the finalists for The Retas 2024 greeting card awards were announced. PG shares a smattering of the joyful initial reactions from a bunch 140 happy nominees who are now gearing up for the big reveal of the winners at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on 4 July where the event will take on a World Of Beatrix Potter theme.

Sean Austin, owner, Austin & Co, Malvern Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – The Midlands

In a wee Facebook reel showing himself changing the year on the board outside the store, Sean posted: “Apologies for the scruffy appearance, but I was down the tip! We’re up for the Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer in the Midlands – this is the fourth time in a row. Makes for an easy message change on the chalkboard!”

Jo Sorrell, owner of Cardies, Stevenage Finalist in Best Retail Initiative

“Well, what a wonderful surprise to hear that we have been nominated for The Retas awards! We are all springing about, like Benjamin Bunny, with excitement! We can’t wait to see everyone on July 4. Congratulations and good luck to all our fellow nominees.”

Helen Williams, owner, Helen’s Wishes, Dursley Finalist in Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer & Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer Initiative

Having just celebrated her first year running Helen’s Wishes, a chuffed Helen said: “Wow, just wow!” she exclaimed. “Super proud of myself and, of course my fabulous team. Keeping everything crossed for the winners’ reveal in July. Huge thanks as always to my fabulous customers for all your support.”

Heidi Early, co-owner, Earlybird, Stoke Newington Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London (inside the M25)

Showing off the two Retas trophies they’ve previously won with colleague Hannah Sharman, Heidi said: “Wowsers! We’re always really nervous scanning PG Buzz for the names of finalists so to spot us straightaway was immense!

To have reached the finals again is just bloody brilliant. As small business owners it’s always a case of head down and getting on with the job so to get recognition that some people think we’re the best independent card shop in London just really makes us stand up and feel proud.

Thank you so much to our customers and everyone who voted for us, and team EB who keep our doors open every day for the last 20 years – give or take a few pandemic closures! We can’t wait to party with everyone in July.

Massive congrats to all the brilliant card shops around the country who help to keep delivering smiles and who have also been nominated, we are privileged to be among you.”

Kate Cowie, director, Utility, Liverpool and Manchester Finalist in Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer – North

“We are honoured and delighted to be a finalist at The Retas especially as in November Utility will celebrate its 25th birthday and we can't think of a better way to celebrate. We really are super excited.”

Below: Spot the difference as Sean Austin changes the chalkboard.

Above: Utility’s team show their joy at the flagship Liverpool One store.

Right: Helen Williams is dead chuffed at her double nomination.

Below: Three of Jo’s Ponks reading their fave Beatrix Potter stories in readiness for The Retas.

Above: Hannah and Heidi are happy.

VIEWPOINTS

Sandra Jervis, owner, Creative Cove, Lampeter Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Wales

“It’s pretty amazing news – especially as I hadn't even entered myself, having won it last year!

Absolutely honoured that people think enough of me and what I do to have put me forward for the second year running. I am truly grateful.

A huge thank you to all you wonderful customers who keep buying and keep coming back. And another thank you to my staff, especially when you have deliveries to unpack, stock rooms to reorganise, displays to magic up and really weird photography requests.

Oh, I suppose Mr Cove should get a teeny mention... especially as it's another jaunt I'm off to! Thanks for putting up with the shop coming first, my endless demands and bringing things in to the shop when I've left them at home!”

Tracey & Chris Bryant,

owners, Expressions in Swindon, Cat’s Whiskers in Bishop’s Cleeve, Polkadot in Keynesham Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West

“How excited are we! To be recognised for doing something we love is extra special. Thanks to all who nominated and voted for us.

Time goes so fast, it’s five years since we took over Polkadot.”

Kayleigh Hisim, co-owner, Milford Cards & Gifts

Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer –Home Counties & South East

“To be in the top seven greeting cards shops of the Home Counties & South East is just incredible. And a very exciting ticket has arrived for us – our Silver Ticket for being finalists at The Retas for 2023 plus now we’ll have a Sunshine Ticket in the post for being finalists this year. Roll on PG Live, I’m very excited to find some new wholesalers to bring into the shop. Plus, the Champagne reception helps us along the way!

Now for the wait until July when it’s off to London we go! We are so honoured to be alongside these independent greetings shops as finalists – now off to hunt for a dress!”

Celia Leeson-Cox, head of creative and visual merchandising at Yarnton Home & Gift

Finalist in Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards - Independent

“How wonderful to be shortlisted for this huge accolade!!! So, this is beyond exciting for everyone involved: all the illustrators, and our brilliant publishers, reps and agents, along with our great little team at Yarnton.

What a wonderful industry this is.”

Andrea Pinder, owner, Presentation, Barrowford

Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card

Retailer – North West England & Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer Initiative

“Wow! I’m sooooooo excited I’m bursting with pride – I actually cried when I heard the news. Sending my biggest hugs and smiles

It’s such a wonderful achievement to be nominated and recognised for everyone’s dedication and hard work within such a fantastic industry.

When the news came through I could hardly believe what I saw – I was thrilled to read that not only had we been nominated for a Retas award, we’d been nominated for two awards!

This news makes all our hard work and commitment worthwhile, not only for the recognition, but also for being part of such a wonderful industry.”

card.

Aga Marsden, co-owner, Highworth Emporium, Highworth Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – South West

“We do love a good card and we always have a great selection of cards for all occasions in our shop therefore we’re absolutely over the moon to hear the latest news – we have reached the finals of The Retas 2024!

It’s an absolute honour to be in the finals among the very best card retailers in the south west.

To be recognised by the greeting card industry is a huge privilege. Winners will be revealed on 4 July, so keep your fingers crossed. See you around lovely people and a huge, huge thank you for all your support!”

Tim and Annie Gould, owners, Objectables, Folkestone Finalist in Best Independent Retailer –Home Counties & South East

“We are super happy we’ve been nominated for a Retas award. It’s the annual shindig for greeting card retailers and there are some great other shops – some of which actually sell our cards, thank you – so I’m already practising my happy loser face, but honestly just being nominated is amazing.

We have worked so hard and our wonderful staff have worked so hard at making this shop what it has become, not to mention the brilliant customers who, for some insane reason, just keep coming back and the lovely suppliers that sell us all the wonderful stuff.

So, thank you.

No amount of Retas of whatever variety will stop us from trying to make this shop the absolutely best we can because if we don’t try and do that, what’s the point!”

Above: Andrea instore while publisher Wendy Jones-Blackett got in fast with a congrats

Above: Kayleigh and husband Sinan earned this Silver Ticket as 2023 finalists.

Above: Tim and Annie have gone Retas crazy.

Right: Celia (3rd left) and the team.

Above: Having won in 2023, Sandra Jervis is honoured to be nominated again.

Above: Cheers to the news from Chris and Tracey.

Above: Aga (left) and Lorraine are over the moon.

Dan Lee, owner, The Card Gallery, Wimborne Minster Finalist in Best Independent

Greeting Card Retailer – South West

“Wow! We are a finalist at The Retas! We’re so thankful that our little shop gets recognised as a great independent retailer.

“So much work goes into running a business and we’re

Serge Sumerling, owner, Nor, Beckenham Place Park and West Norwood Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – London (inside the M25)

“Having recently opened his second Nor store Serge said: "Absolutely delighted to receive news that Nor has been shortlisted...a great big thank you to all those who nominated us – OMG OMG OMG! Amazing news.

Sally Matson, owner, Red Card, Petworth

Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – Home Counties & South East, & Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer Initiative

“We are absolutely stoked to be shortlisted for two categories in The Retas 2024. We’re also very honoured to be on a shortlist among such great retailers – very proud!

One of our very favourite days of the year is meeting all our industry buddies at the awards ceremony in the big city in summer, we can’t wait. Thank you to everyone who nominated us!”

Above: Sally celebrates with an appropriate

Katie Wilkinson, owner, Country Kate, Kinver

card.

Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – The Midlands

“We’re absolutely blown away with the amazing news we are in the finals. We are so proud and excited –we are that excited we could pop!

This is a massive achievement for us, these awards are like the Oscars and to have got down to the final seven is amazing. We can't wait to go and celebrate at the awards’ ceremony –this year's theme is Beatrix Potter, my favourite!”

Helen Southgate, co-owner, Cards ’N’ Things, Hellesdon Finalist in Best Independent Retailer –East Anglia

“Wahoo! We’re so pleased to be finalists. Thanks to all our suppliers who nominated and voted for us, especially celebrating our 40th year.”

so proud of how far we’ve come. Despite the challenges and setbacks that only continue, we have a brilliant team, past and present, and wonderful loyal customers! Cheers to being an independent retailer!”

Ryan Shoobridge, owner, Battle House Of Cards & Gemini Greetings in Heathfield Finalist in Best Independent Retailer – Home Counties & South East

“A bit of a surprise to find out we’re a finalist in The Retas awards for our area. I didn't know we'd been nominated but it’s really lovely to be included!” Ryan: Ryan was surprised at his stores’ nomination.

Laura Bell, director, Ivad Gifts, Paisley Finalist in Best Independent Retailer – Scotland

“What a great 20th year we’re having, we’re so delighted to have been part of Paisley and bringing you great cards and gifts since 2004.

Wow! We’re so excited to have found out that we’ve been nominated as finalists in The Retas awards. A fabulous surprise as we were nominated by suppliers or reps and it’s only a few weeks since we were highly commended for the Best Gift Shop in Scotland.”

Jo McBeath, owner, Chirpy, Chapel Allerton Finalist in Best Independent Retailer – North East England

“Greeting cards are the backbone of Chirpy and we love it when our customers comment on the wonderful choice we have. We’re delighted that we’re a finalist for The Retas awards.”

Caroline Ranwell, owner, Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall Finalist in Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer – The Midlands

“We are so, so proud that we’re again a finalist in the Midlands category! This is the fourth time that we’ve been a finalist so we are absolutely over the moon! These awards are the equivalent of the Oscars in the greeting card retail world so it’s a real honour to be one of the seven finalists in our area. A huge thank you, we can’t wait to see everyone at the awards event at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 4 July.”

Hop along to The Retas

To be among the UK’s best greeting card retailers as well as some great card publishers, you can book your tickets to The Retas online now via Max-Tickets.net or contact The Retas’ awards manager Clare Hollick, director of Createvents, on 0118 334 0085 or email clare@createvents.co.uk.

Rosie Made A Thing

Right: Family celebrations at Cards ‘N’ Things.

Above: Caroline and husband Jon love local publisher Dean Morris (left).

Above: Jo loves her cards.

Below left: A great 20th year at Ivad Gifts.

Above: Katie is ready to pop!

Above: A great big thank you from Serge.

Bunch Of Fives

“PG Live really does celebrate and bring together the two best elements that make our industry so fabulous – the products and the people,” stated Jim Bullough, operations director of PG Live.

Here, Jim shares a handful of reasons why visiting the two-day greeting card showwhich takes place Tuesday 4 June and Wednesday 5 June at London’s Business

Newness Galore

See the largest line-up of greeting card companies anywhere in the world –thousands of new designs across hundreds of new ranges.

The crux of PG Live is that it is the global greeting card show. This year there will be well over 200 greeting card publishers and allied businesses exhibiting at PG Live – a host of leading brands, as well as a host of ‘waiting to be discovered’ ones.

At this year’s show, the Upper Village sections for emerging publishers (sponsored by The Imaging Centre for

the last 11 years), which has proved so popular in previous years, has been expanded to include even more new gems. The Springboard section, which debuted last year, provides an inventive entry point option for a whole clutch of newbies.

In addition, The Retas’ and The Greats’ finalists and winners (2023/2024), plus all Cardgains’ members will have extra incentives to visit the show, having been sent special tickets and vouchers, worth up to £150 to spend against an order placed at the show.

Above: The Art File alone will be launching over 100 new greeting card designs, plus new giftwrap and stationery products.

Extras, Show Only Offers and Promotions

From the live saxophonist welcome to the keepsake tote bag (this year celebrating Hallmark ’s licensing agreement with Peter Rabbit), there are lots of added extras and “Ooh that’s good” elements at PG Live.

Exhibitors always pull out the stops with their show only offers, enticing promotions and fun competitions. This year there is even a chance to win a sculpture of a rhino made from discarded flip flops in Kenya (thanks to Kirsty Todd Illustrations!)

Be Inspired, Feel You Belong, Meet The People

PG Live really is where the greeting card community comes alive.

Feel inspired, meet the people behind the brands, reinforce relationships, make new contacts, enjoy feeling you belong.

People do business with people , the greater understanding there is on a human level, the better any business relationship can be. Something somebody says can spark a new idea and face to face feedback can overcome obstacles and strengthen connections.

PG Live provides a fantastic opportunity to meet the people behind the products, catch up with agents and reps, chat to fellow retailers – and enjoy being inspired and realising that you are a part of the big wide world of greeting cards.

The friendly atmosphere at PG Live means that the chat flows freely on stands,

PG Live at a glance

When: Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 June 2024

Where: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0QH

Timings: 9.30am-6.00pm (with a free opening night party onsite until 8pm) on Tuesday 4 June

9.30am-4.30pm on Wednesday 5 June

Registration: Via the show website (www.progressivegreetingslive.com) or by calling +44 (0)7734 111633

Getting there: The BDC is only a few minutes walk from Angel underground station and a 20 minute walk from Highbury and Islington station. It is also a short taxi ride from Kings Cross/St Pancras and Euston while Waterloo, Liverpool Street and Paddington stations are also easily accessible. www.progressivegreetingslive.com

gerhard@greetingcardsfromlowlandsstudios.com www.greetingcardsfromlowlandsstudios.com

in the aisles, perusing The Retas/Greats Wall of Fame, in the Gallery Luncheon Room – and of course at the Opening Night Drinks Party!

And there will be selfie opportunities galore to share with your customers, including a couple of Minions (on the Danilo stand), Tatty Teddy (on the Carte Blanche stand) and plenty of other famous faces too!

Location Location

Location

The ‘home’ of PG Live is the Business Design Centre, an attractive, airy building that is easy to get to in London’s trendy vibrant Islington.

Right: (second right) Sonya Haandrikman-Sibbald of Celebrations in Carlisle spending her Sunshine Ticket (worth £75) with Lucilla Lavender at last year’s PG Live.

Left: A trio of the many PG Live postcards exhibitors have sent out, that were produced free of charge by The Imaging Centre on board donated by GF Smith.

As an industry with lots of personality, it is fitting that this dedicated trade show takes place in a venue to match. The Business Design Centre does not disappoint on lots of levels – from the historic to the practical, the aesthetic to the geographical.

Light pours in through the wonderful glass roof of the Business Design Centre, a building that has lots of tales to tell since its foundations were first laid in the 1860s – among which was that it was used as the venue for a famous 24-hour walking race in 1876 between an American Edward Weston racing against Brit William Perkins.

Its compact nature makes getting round PG Live very easy. And it’s only a short walk away from the Angel underground station and a hop, skip and a jump from London’s mainline stations makes it ideally placed for visiting by public transport (though limited car parking is available on site).

And as the BDC is surrounded by a great selection of bars, restaurants and shops , with hotels close by, it is easy to justify staying over.

Eat, drink and be merry

Ensuring visitors are ‘fed and watered’ in style is of paramount importance at PG Live. After all, no one can work effectively on an empty stomach and feeling thirsty. So, you can feast your eyes on a smorgasbord of new products, but also enjoy a scrumptious complimentary lunch – and free tea and coffee in ‘proper’ cups all day! As ever, buyers and exhibitors will be incredibly well looked after. The popular PG Live tea trolleys will be out in force pouring out cuppas throughout the day (thanks to Windles) while a free delicious lunch will be served to exhibitors and visitors alike (with Scribbler sponsoring the lunchroom this year). The Good Eating Company, based at the BDC, have been put through their paces, with votes cast from a gruelling tasting session vegetarian puttanesca lasagne and roasted haddock atop a celeriac and potato gratin, both served with a salad of spinach, raz el hanout carrots, tahini dressing and dukkah was the winning menu for the Tuesday. While on Wednesday it was the Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice that clinched the meaty option with the celeriac, spinach and ricotta filo pie taking the top spot as the veggie option, both served with salad of edamame beans, green peppers and cucumber with a miso dressing.

And for thirsty souls, there is also an opening night drinks party (sponsored by Loxleys) for all to christen the first day of wonderful trade.

Above: This year’s PG Live keepsake tote bag, courtesy of Hallmark, will feature Peter Rabbit.

Left: This splendid rhino sculpture, made from discarded flip flops in Kenya, is up to be won in a competition on Kirsty Todd Illustrations’ stand up in the Upper Village area of the show.

Above: A happy bunch of lovely retailers at The Retas and The Greats champagne reception.

Below: Windles will once again be sponsoring the tea trollies at this year’s show.

Bottom: The lunchroom at this year’s show will be sponsored by Scribbler Studio with Talking Tables helping to put on a great show where you never know who you will be sitting next to.

Give your customers the gift of joy and colour this Christmas

With over 85 Christmas Cards , exciting Gift and Homeware plus beautiful Gift Wrap and Packaging we’re you go to supplier for contemporary, modern and uplifting festive designs.

Whether it is pooches in jumpers, endearing fold-out angels or elf-sized mini cards, our Christmas offering will appeal to the varied tastes of your fab customers.

2023 saw several designs SELL OUT in record time so make sure you place your pre-order as soon as you can.

Come and see us at PG Live Stand 207 or contact us for our new Christmas catalogue.

MARKING

MILESTONES

Marking celebrations is at the very essence of the greeting card industry, be for a first birthday through to a diamond wedding anniversary, so it is only fitting that we don’t let significant milestones within our community pass by without a popping the corks.

PG shares some of the significant birthdays that will be being celebrated at PG Live.

35th anniversary of…Cardgains

Managing director Penny Shaw spills the beans on the buying group’s long service…

Potted history: “Following the success of Bridewell UK, Cardgains was established in 1989 catering specifically for independent greeting card and gift retailers. It’s gone from strength to strength with around 1,000 independent rooftops and now working with around 100 product and service suppliers of cards, gifts, party, wrap, home fragrance and much more.

With an ever-expanding portfolio, Cardgains’ eclectic supplier group is second to none.

The buying group is unique in that it’s owned by hundreds of shareholders, both past and present trading members, who have received a healthy dividend each year.

Members receive specially-negotiated preferential trading terms from our suppliers and also a retro bonus based on their turnover through the company, so it’s a winwin situation.

Celebrating 35 years this year, supporting independent retailers shows that the Cardgains’ system works on all levels for all parties.”

Significant moments: “I joined the company in 1998 and was promoted to md at the beginning of 2023 – a long apprenticeship! Helen McManus joined the business in May 2023 and joined the board in December 2023 as finance director. Our internal team is now all about the girls with a fully female team.

These changes in the management team gave us the opportunity to significantly develop company procedures, systems and strategies after being unchanged for 30 years. We’re now working hard to future-proof Cardgains with planned efficiencies and system changes.

I was extremely proud when Chris Dyson, the previous joint md, won The Henries

Honorary Achievement Award in 2006, increasing industry awareness and giving additional kudos to the buying group. While the company has changed, and continues to do so, I’d like to continue the legacy to the company and wider industry that Chris formulated, though in my own style of course!

Cardgains Charity Challenge walks began in 2002 – I’ve taken part in every event and have walked the Yorkshire Three Peaks twice; the Lyke Wake Walk twice; have climbed Ben Nevis; trundled 25 miles along the Thames; circumnavigated Windermere and Ullswater; walked, canoed and cycled the Cardgainsathlon on the Leeds/Liverpool canal; had Withering Thighs on the Yorkshire Moors, and looked out around London last year, to name but a few of our expeditions!

I’ve walked over 800 miles and we’ve raised over £400,000 for various charities. I’m proud of these accomplishments and that the Cardgains Charity Challenge has become an industry event each year. This year we’re walking the Sheffield Round Walk titled It’s Not Grim Up North on 27 June raising funds for Mind.”

Marking the milestone: “For our anniversary year we’ve waived our £100 joining fee for new members, which is another great incentive to join the group.

For existing members who register with us on the stand at PG Live, there’s a free month’s management charge to be claimed.”

The next chapter: “As we know, technology continues to develop rapidly and, while we’re a little late to the party, we are embracing social media, developing our website to enhance the visitor experience, be mobile compatible and user friendly.

We’re also increasing our profile through exhibitions, shows, sponsorship and events and look forward to working with other industry bodies to progress further.

We believe Cardgains has already developed substantially over the last 18 months, and we continue to consolidate, embrace change and development to take the buying group into the future. “

Above: Cardgains challenges – Penny on Ben Nevis in 2005.

Above left: A special anniversary logo.

Below: The Look Out London 2023 participants raised £50,000 for MNDA.

Below left: Penny and Helen are the all-female team now in charge, on the way to The Retas 2023 and at Spring Fair 2024.

30th

anniversary of…Belly Button Designs Rachel Hare, founder and creative director, explains how her happy accident came about…

Potted history: “Belly Button was started entirely by accident in 1994 – as a fine artist searching for a source of income I stumbled upon greeting cards as a way of creating small paintings stuck on to board that had been cut and scored by hand! It was funded by the amazing Prince’s Trust and a new business support grant from Manchester City Council.”

Significant developments: “Meeting a small creative printer and sharing ideas and premises very early on...thank you, Arnold x!

• Being selected to supply John Lewis & Partners back in 1997 and

work directly on merchandising my cards – a great platform to present my brand.

• Exhibiting at Spring Fair in my first year and meeting all my agents during the boom in design-led cards – and moving to fulfilment in 2014

• Having my third baby as this really focused my mind on taking the business in the right direction and making some key decisions.”

Next chapter: “I'm hoping to see more confidence come back into the market and for the industry to champion originality.

This year will be full of a few surprises and we’ll be launching a brand-new card range at this year’s PG Live - showcasing our unique ability to reinvent ourselves.”

My favourite design: “It’s always one from my most current collections! I don't like looking back, so it would be the mushroom design from our new Woodcut range.”

Above: Belly Button supporting retailers at The Retas.

Left: Team Belly Button with Rachel at the centre of the business.

Right: The Elle range has been at the heart of the company for 30 years.

Above right: Rachel’s current favourite design.

10th anniversary of…Sarah Kelleher

The lady herself tells all about her colourful eponymous brand…

Potted history: “I'll be celebrating a whopping 10 years of trading this year at PG Live where I first showed my greeting cards in 2014.

Deciding the best way to learn about the industry was to take a leap of faith and just go for it, I booked a small stand, simply stuck the cards I'd designed to the walls and offered visitors free sweets! So much was learned at that first show, everyone was happy to give me their advice

on printing, pricing, card sizes, etc, and it was thrilling to take a few orders, I was hooked and have taken part in every PG Live since!”

Significant developments: “A few years on and the main turning point of the success of my business came when I started to understand that it's important to keep authentic, don't relentlessly follow trends, you can't please everyone, find your

Above left: Rachel Hare founded Belly Button Designs by accident.

Above: Sarah at PG Live 2023. Right middle: Visiting stockists is a favourite for Sarah. Far right: A bestselling design.

customer and design for them, keep your brand tight and you will become recognised for what you do.

Printing on demand has allowed me flexibility to try out new products without huge investment, my gold-foiled larger cards have been incredibly popular over the last few years so I've continued along that route discarding the less popular ideas. As the lovely Lynn Tate used to say “If it works, do the same but different”."

Next chapter: “Today I'm just as excited about my business as I was 10 years ago, I love seeing my cards in shops all over the country and am still thrilled when an order is placed by a new stockist, especially if they’re cello free. So, to celebrate and to be fair, I'd like to offer customers old and new a 10% discount at PG Live when you order your cards nested.”

20th anniversary of…Dyson Design Founder and designer Helen Dyson talks about her card business…

Potted history: “I began my career in advertising design and eventually set up my own studio. Every Christmas, I produced a greeting card to thank my clients. One year, a card featuring an image of snowdrops by my photographer friend Neil Robinson had a fantastic response. The card even won a paper industry award!

Before long, I found myself at Spring Fair 2014 showing off my fledgling collection, Fabulous Flowers, which comprised just 18 cards.

Fast forward a few years, and I sold the graphic design business to throw all my energies into the greeting card business with a collection that today numbers nearly 500 cards.”

Significant moments: “Diversifying from floral designs: The Fabulous Flowers range established the brand but, in response to customer demand, the team has created new ranges for men and children. The evolution continues with new cards focused on wellbeing.

• Meeting Diana Fegredo: I met Diana at Harrogate Home & Gift more than a decade ago, and we have become great friends. The Diana Fegredo Studio collection launched as part of the Dyson range at PG Live last year. I love working with illustrators such as wildlife artist Laura Andrew and vintage motoring specialist Brian James.

• Getting into bespoke: I’ve managed design and production of exclusive ranges for some of the UK’s leading specialist retailers and celebrity brands.”

Marking the milestone: “I’ve designed a special logo to mark the anniversary that’s in use online and in print, including on the company’s 20th anniversary catalogue – it will feature prominently on the stand at PG Live.

As a thank you to loyal customers, we’re giving away free gifts with every order this year and, at PG Live, there will be a series of draws on the Dyson stand to win anniversary-themed prizes.”

Next chapter: Helen is passionate about the natural environment, and she plans to develop the company’s strong eco credentials. She’s looking forward to forging new relationships with customers, photographers and illustrators, and she adds: "I hope we’ll have a stable economy over the next five years, and people continue to send greeting cards to express love, gratitude and friendship.”

My favourite design: “Sweet Pea Helen Millar in the Fabulous Flowers range features a beautiful pale mauve flower bred by Eagle Sweet Peas for my best friend Helen Millar, who died of MND in 2012. Sales of the card support the Motor Neurone Disease Association.”

Above: Sweet Pea Helen Millar was launched at Chelsea Flower Show 2014 and is still Helen Dyson’s favourite. Left: Dyson Design’s 20-year logo.

Left: Sweet treats at Sarah’s first PG Live. Below: Some of the newest designs.

10th anniversary of…Dandelion Stationery

Looking back and forward with founder Jo Wilson…

Potted history: “Dandelion was started in 2014, as I was keen to escape a corporate career in HR where I’d been since I left uni. I had always had a creative side and was desperate to have a career that I enjoyed and was passionate about.

In 2014/15 we secured our first customers outside Derbyshire – Jo Barber at No.14 Ampthill and Sean Austin at Austin & Co in Malvern, and the business continued to grow steadily ever since.

After a series of location moves as we grew, we finally moved to our own dedicated premises in 2020, right in the middle of Covid. We now have a lovely little design studio combined with in-house warehouse facility. “

Significant moments: “After approximately two to three years in business we were lucky enough to meet Alan Harnik from Notes & Queries at a trade show, and started our exposure to export – N&Q has been an amazing partner who we continue to work with. Other countries came on board soon after, but N&Q started our export journey.

• Moving to our dedicated premises in 2020 gave us the opportunity to be more efficient in our processes as we could fit out the studio and warehouse in a way that works for us – and it gave us the space to grow and try new products as we finally had storage space!

170th birthday of…Loxleys

• While the name Paperchase currently leaves a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, I do have to thank them for being the first UK national chain we worked with – this

MD Tony Lorriman reveals the greeting card print specialist’s lengthy history…

Potted history: “Having been established in 1854 by brothers Edward and William Loxley as a stationery shop and bookbinders in the centre of Sheffield with a printing press in the back room, the business moved to its current premises in Kiln Street in 1920 – which was originally built as a Victorian roller-skating rink!

Loxleys printed its first greeting card in 1980 and 20 years later transitioned into a specialist manufacturer, focusing solely on cards and withdrawing from all other markets – now producing over 100million cards a year.

In 2022 a management buyout was completed by myself and three members of the Loxleys management team, dividing

Loxleys from The Sherwood Press.”

Significant moments:

opened our eyes to managing and supplying big orders.”

Marking the milestone: “We’ll be having a celebration in the office at some point later in the year, but we’re using PG Live as our official 10th anniversary – we have a lucky dip in place for our customers and we’ll have some super show-exclusive offers for our customers to take advantage of.”

Next chapter: “The last few years have been a rollercoaster – after Covid, energy price increases and cost-of-living challenges I’m thankful that we’re still here working in a business and industry that we love! We have new stuff in the pipeline that we think our customers will love, and we’d love to entice some new customers on board.”

My favourite design: “This is a really tricky question as I genuinely find I often have a new favourite every time we bring out a new brochure. I love seeing the collection develop and grow, and it’s great to be able to try new things from time to time. The card I’ve sent the most to friends and family at the moment is the Happy Ducking Birthday card. I’m also very fond of our air fryer card – as I approach a big birthday this year this pretty much just sums me up in one sentence.”

“Producing our first greeting card in 1980, and making the significant decision in 2000 to withdraw from all other markets and focus exclusively on greeting card production.

•The ownership changes, firstly in 2008 through the strategic alliance with Sherwood and subsequently in 2022 with the multi-party management buyout by Loxleys directors.”

Marking the milestone: “Loxleys has kicked off its 170th year on a high note, hosting a GCA Local event in collaboration with Wendy Jones-Blackett and generating £340 for a local arts charity through our 2024 customer survey.

Continuing the celebrations, we’re proud to be sponsoring the Tuesday night drinks party at PG Live, where we'll be sharing a toast to this significant milestone with our industry peers

Throughout the year we will be keeping the celebrations rolling, with both our staff team and customers. We have a few exciting projects in the works behind the scenes –which we’re keeping tightly under wraps for now!”

the

of Loxleys, safeguarding the company's future is paramount to us. With 170 years of trading already in the bag, we believe it’s imperative we guarantee the company goes beyond our ownership and is in good health to be passed on to the next generation.

We will maintain this through strategic investments in our machinery, infrastructure, and most importantly, our workforce. We aim to reinforce Loxleys’ position as a leader in the greeting card industry with a culture of innovation and excellence.

In 30 years, when Loxleys celebrates its 200th anniversary, it will be fantastic to look back and say we contributed to that!”

Next chapter: “As

current custodians

Left: Jo’s two current favourite designs.

Above: A jubilant Jo with her Henries award.

Top : Notes & Queries’ Alan and Vanessa Harnik set Dandelion on the export path.

Left: Directors (from left) production director Gary McCrorie, pre-production director Paul Brookes, md Tony Lorriman and operations director Gary Anderson.

Above right: Tony Lorriman presenting The Henries 2023 award for best children’s range to Raspberry Blossom.

Above left: GCA local Sheffield hosted by Loxleys and Wendy Jones-Blackett in April 2024.

FOOD FOR

Scribbler has always punched above its weight with a consumer awareness and love of the brand that is far higher than most retailers who trade from 33 stores could ever dream. Admittedly Scribbler has a decent online presence and engaging social media activity that reflects its authentic quirky personality, but it definitely reaches heights to which other retailers of its size can only aspire.

The company is still very much under the leadership of co-founders, John and Jennie

THOUGHT

Always out to surprise, of course Scribbler would not introduce a strand to its business in a normal, boring way. Set to serve up plenty of food for thought, the lunchroom at Progressive Greetings Live (June 4-5) will mark the official launch of Scribbler Studio, a new division of the specialist greeting card retail multiple which will extend its design capabilities and extensive consumer card-buying knowledge to other retailers.

Whetting the appetite, PG met up with Aisling Crosland, Scribbler’s head of creative, and buying manager Tori HeathSmith who are heading up this new wholesale side, to find out what’s on the menu.

Aiming high for CoppaFeel

Scribbler has forged a strong relationship with the CoppaFeel breast cancer charity, raising many £thousands through the sale of cards and gifts in aid of this worthy cause over the years. The recent death of the charity’s founder Kris Hallenge has hit the Scribbler team hard, making Aisling Crosland even more determined to raise as much money as she can by trekking the Himalayas for five days this November for the cause, with a JustGiving site set up.

“I will be setting out on a challenging, extraordinary and life-changing trek, all in the name of checking chests,” says Aisling. “Scribbler is generously sponsoring the trek, but I am also looking to raise as much money as I can to aid CoppaFeel in its mission to stamp out the late diagnosis of breast cancer by making sure that young people are regularly checking their boobs, pecs and chests and getting to know their bodies in order to have the confidence to see their GP if something just doesn't feel normal. The more I can do for this worthwhile charity and carry on Kris’ legacy the better”.

Procter, who have set the course for new ways of doing things for decades, such as its print on demand straight to store model which now involves 40 publishers (an idea John first mooted during his talk at The Ladder Club back in 2017) and the collaboration with Fujifilm for Scribbler card kiosks. However, the latest strand, that of its move into wholesale under the Scribbler Studio brand is being driven by Aisling Crosland, its head of creative, and buying manager Tori Heath-Smith.

“Under Scribbler Studio we will be able to bring together the best creatives from our own in-house team, as well as incredible freelancers and exclusive ranges from other hot partnerships and brands from which we will be able to curate a bespoke selection for other retailers,” Aisling explained.

And as Tori added: “We have thousands of designs in our archive and, through our own shops and online and kiosk sales, know and understand consumer purchasing patterns. We can also offer trend forecasting and fullrange category planning if wanted.”

Above right: Aisling in training for her Himalayan trek. Right: Just one of the cards the sales of which has helped raise money for CoppaFeel.

Above left: Scribbler’s head of creative and studio, Aisling Crosland (centre front) with some of the Scribbler in-house studio team Frances Tilstone (content creator), Michael Donovan (senior web designer), Rebecca Hendry (senior designer), Abbie James (designer) in the company’s London HQ. Right: John and Jennie Procter, founders of Scribbler at PG Live.

Scribbler is not exactly a rookie in this space, having previously supplied Sainsbury’s with a gondola end display of Scribbler branded cards and undertook a project with M&S to supply over 50 of its new look stores with a bespoke card collection, an agreement which came to an end at the start of this year.

And, on the back of exhibiting at PG Live last year, a distribution agreement is now underway with Second Nature to supply a curated collection of Scribbler designs into the independent channel.

Shopping spree

The launch of Scribbler Studio comes at a time when the mothership of Scribbler retail is on something of a growth curve.

However, Aisling stresses: “The launch of Scribbler Studio is much more of a significant strategic commitment, knowing that we really can deliver for other multiple retailers, both here in the UK and overseas”. Elaborating, she added that Scribbler’s experience of the last few years adds oodles more confidence in the service. “Creating over 2,000 new designs from scratch for the project with M&S was a challenge, but it gave us a taste of what we really can do. We not only have our own in-house studio, but also strong relationships with a whole host of very talented freelancers, plus a growing number of partnerships forged with publishers and brands who are keen to work with us on bespoke ranges,” she adds.

This month for example sees a bespoke range from Jolly Awesome going into Scribbler stores, joining other new collaborations from Fairly Good Comics, Cyanide & Happiness and social media sensations, PunHub and Zoe Bread, all of whom can also be extended into the Scribbler Studio offer.

Having joined Scribbler seven years ago, bringing with her experience gained from working for UKG’s Watermark studio, Aisling is now relishing the opportunity of creating and curating collections of greeting cards for other multiple retailers as part of Scribbler Studio.

As to what retailers are on their wishlist, Aisling and Tori share a knowing smile. “We do have an idea of some key players that we feel we could help to improve their greeting card and or stationery offer, but we will be open to discussions with retailers of any discipline, be it in grocery, fashion, varietal stores, garden centres or anything else. That’s the beauty of greeting cards, they are relevant to everybody,” Aisling points out.

With Scribbler known and respected especially for its edgy humour, this is bound to be a draw for some retailers, but as Tori

“We have had a great year,” reveals Tori. “Our sales are up, we have opened a new store in York and have our sights set on another five before the end of the year.”

While its own brand greeting cards and stationery collections are performing well, as Tori highlights: “Our own brand cards only account for 30%, so we are still very reliant on the wonderfully talented publishers out there who each bring something to our offer.”

Sponsoring the lunchroom at PG Live, with a bit of help from the Talking Tables team to dress the room, means that other than during the lunch, Tori and the buying team will have all eyes on the exhibitors.

“I love PG Live and look forward to seeing the newness from our existing suppliers as well as discovering some new and emerging publishers for whom our POD model will best work, for them and us. It is going to be a full two days!” she predicts.

explains its design skillset goes way beyond the funnies.

“Our consumer card buying knowledge is immense, not just through our own stores, but online and from the kiosks,” points out Tori. “As evidenced in our own ranges, we have also broadened the number of finishes and formats on our cards, while still being keen to keep the production in the UK. “

While Tori and Aisling accept that different retailers each have their own customer base, trends, be it in humour, words, subject matter or design treatment, will be able to be interpreted and tailored to fit each case.

“Right now, as reflected in our stores, mushroom designs are trending as is the cowboy/country & western aesthetic, which we feel will extend well into next year. We can get greeting card designs out into market in less than two weeks, which is great if a celebrity or catchphrase comes to the fore, but we also have a feel for those trends that are going to develop further and stick around or a while,” says Tori. With the finishing touches being put to the ideas for the PG Live lunchroom launch of the new division, Aisling and Tori are making sure that the delicious food being served will be matched by an equally tantalisingly tasty smorgasbord of products and services from the new Scribbler Studio.

Above: Scribbler’s Tori Heath-Smith (second right) and Laura Clarke (second left) with Stormy Knight’s Sarah Jackson and Ricicle’s, David Nichols-Rice at the recent GCA Dragons Speed-dating event.

Above: Scribbler’s Cambridge store with an on trend mushroom-themed window display.

Above right: PunHub, a social media sensation with 1.2m followers is exclusive to Scribbler Studio.

Below: Just handful of designs that will be on offer from Scribbler Studio, including exclusives from Jolly Awesome, Fairly Good Comics and social media brand, PunHub.

Right: A FujiFilm Scribbler kiosk in one of the stores displaying some of the trending cards of that week.

CHAPTER

AND VERSE

The imminent Progressive Greetings Live - which takes place June 4-5 at London’s Business Design Centrewill see a heady array of publishers making their respective debuts at the exhibition, most notably in the Upper Village and Springboard areas.

PG shares the back stories of just a handful of these PG Live newbies and their respective ‘plotlines’ for the show.

Advertising Does Pay

Alex Ebdon, co-founder of

Once upon a time: “It was Benjamin Franklin who said: “Out of adversity comes opportunity” and certainly this was the case for our family-owned creative business, Hands & Hearts. The adversity in our case was Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns. The opportunity was to create a greeting card business with positivity at its heart.

Way back in my distant past I studied fine art, but then had a bit of a shift to a degree in Psychology, followed by a long career in advertising. While advertising is an inherently creative business, and I certainly enjoyed it for a long time, I began to feel that it wasn’t really fulfilling my personal desire for creativity. There were too many meetings and not enough actual action. So, I began to pick up the artistic side of my life again –painting, creating portrait commissions and broadening my graphic design. I love the way that with my own creative business I can have an idea, create it and get it in front of

Hands & Hearts

customers within hours. This fast-track of creativity convinced me to take the plunge and go all in, creating Hands & Hearts with my wife Anna.

Things were developing well, particularly with our personalised gifts, then Covid hit. Never had we been more fragmented as a society, and never had it been more difficult to keep connected with friends and family. It was during his time that we realised what potential there was in greeting cards as a means to rally against the difficulties that Covid was creating.

Hands & Hearts is so named because that’s what we put into everything we create. The business has a lofty purpose to ‘make the world a more positive place’, by harnessing the power we all have to inspire others through what we say to them and what we do for them.

Back in 2020, we saw the potential of greeting cards to bring people together in the times they were forced apart, an emotional lifeline through our letterbox. From this we designed the first of our Positivity collection with a bit of knowing British wit along the way, with editorial such as ‘I miss your face’, ‘Keeping up with my quaraspondence’ and, ‘Sending lockdown love’.

And from there our Positivity range has gone from strength to strength. The range now offers a wealth of greeting card designs that are all about spreading positivity and touching upon those moments in families and friendships where you know just what needs to be said in beautiful typography and bold colours, harnessing a unique strength in creating most powerful moments of connection between sender and recipient.”

PG Live main plot: ‘We will be making our debut appearance at PG Live, bringing the power of positivity through our contemporary, design-led take on words and sentiments.”

PG Live Upper Village Stand 745

Above: Alex Ebdon was happy to swop a life in advertising for life as a greeting card publisher.

Right: One of the Covid-centric designs from Hands & Heart. Far right: Positivity on a Hands & Heart design.

Inset: Everyone has a story…

Teacher Knows Best

Fiona Wilson, founder of Fiona Wilson Prints

Once upon a time: “My creative journey began in my 30s after leaving a job that was no longer a good fit for me. I started to consider what I had really enjoyed doing growing up. I was always making things, knitting or sewing, demanding that my Mum help me make teepees in the back garden, but somewhere along the way the freedom and confidence in making and creating got knocked back and academic subjects took over at school.

I didn’t have the best art teacher at high school. There was a lot of pencil drawings of still life set-ups plonked on a table, while the teacher busied himself in the store cupboard!

I went off to university to study for a Business

The Best Medicine

David Mould, founder of Ecosse Encaustics

Once upon a time: “I dabbled in photography in my teens, during the seventies while living on the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis. On leaving the islands in the eighties to become a psychiatric nurse and later selling medication in the pharmaceutical industry, I got my first digital camera around 2007, which further developed a passion for landscape photography.

My early photo career saw me feted, both at national and international level.

However, at that time, landscape photography was becoming an over saturated market and photographers were struggling to survive in the new digital and social media world.

Studies degree, after which I worked for 10 years in sales and marketing. I then ended up having a summer off work, feeling pretty low and not knowing what I was going to do. It was my Mum who encouraged me to do something creative again. She had always made things…quilts, china painting, embroidery and while I was having time off from work, she gave me some art materials and suggested that I had ‘a play’ with them, so I started doing some drawing and painting.

Next thing I knew I had enrolled on a yearlong course at art college aimed at adults who had no art qualifications where I tried drawing, painting, ceramics and textiles and loved every minute of it. After this I did a degree in Surface Design and Textiles where I developed my love of screen printing, pattern and illustration.

Soon after I set about starting my creative business. I rented a studio and started running workshops alongside making my own work, studied part-time for a Masters in Textiles and did some part-time teaching at university which I have done ever since. I’ve run numerous projects for my students over the last 15 years to design greeting cards and started to think – why am I not doing this myself?”

PG Live main plot: “I have been making and selling my screenprinted products for over 15 years now, and last year decided to extend my range into greeting cards, hence my stand at PG Live. It just made sense to take my colourful patterns and illustrations onto paper goods, and I am excited to launch my ranges at the show.”

PG Live Upper Village Stand 791

Feeling there was a need to do something off the wall, through the internet and online mentors, I discovered photo encaustic art, the combination of beeswax, resin and the photographic print, that produces a visual, tactile and ethereal fine art piece.

Within my art business price structure there was room for low-cost high-volume items, so I set about producing greeting cards from some of my images. They soon became very popular, and the timing coincided with my attendance at The Ladder Club and a day at The Imaging Centre, which led to me committing to a stand at PG Live. So here I am, catapulted into PG Live.”

PG Live main plot: “In addition to my greeting cards, my art will also be on show at PG Live.”

PG Live Upper Village Stand 790

Above: David Mould in his studio.

Right: PG Live sees David Mould take his photographic art into the greeting card B2B world.

Above right: A small selection of Ecosse Encaustics’ greeting card designs.

Above right: Designing is at the heart of Fiona Wilson.

Right: Fiona outside her studio, which is part of a former Ginger Beer Factory, hence the name.

Below: Some of Fiona’s bold, colourful designs.

A Beauty-iful Story

Mike Read, co-founder of Ink and Ivy…

Once upon a time: “For the past 20 years I’ve been living and breathing all things packaging. Working mostly in the beauty industry, I’ve designed and developed hundreds of seasonal gift boxes for UK retailers, such as Boots , Marks & Spencer and many other leading UK beauty brands.

In recent years, I’ve been researching and reporting on packaging innovation, sustainability and the impact of packaging on our planet, always seeking a better way forward.

The packaging material I love the most is cardboard, it’s a soft and friendly material with endless creative possibilities. However, cardboard packaging isn’t just functional, the opening and unboxing can be an experience, especially a gift box with considered finishing and tactility. Much like a greeting card, the opening and the reveal of a gift box will often leave a lasting impression on its recipient.

Why now greeting cards you may ask? At this point I need to introduce my brother and co-founder Dan. My career-driven brother moved to the US more than 15 years ago and has worked for various creative agencies in New York and California, and has worked for clients such as Sony, PlayStation and CocaCola. He is now a digital design director for a branding agency in San Francisco. A few years ago, chatting away on Skype, Dan and I randomly started talking about greeting cards,

and specifically what a short lifespan they have. We were pondering over that moment when cards are discarded just a few weeks after they’ve been opened and how all those thoughtful messages are lost in with recycling or go “out with the trash” as I recall Dan phrasing it.

Around a year ago we decided, from both sides of the pond, that this was a problem we needed to solve. So, with a focus on longevity and sustainability, we’ve put our experiences together, to design a new wave of greeting cards that have a greater purpose and greater respect of the planet.”

PG Live main plot: “At PG Live we will be launching Wallypops, a branded collection of new generation pop-ups that stick to the wall. This wall art collection of loveable characters will add personality and fun to any room or space. These little guys will ‘stick around’ long after the other cards have come down.

As we embrace technology and the digital world in which we live, we are also excited to be launching Infinite Tales, an innovative collection of greeting cards that uses AI technology to generate infinite personalised bedtime stories.”

PG Live Upper Village Stand 600

A Year On…

Kathryn

Wilkinson, owner of KDee Designs made her debut at PG Live last year

Once upon a time: “I started off my design career straight from university, working in Ireland for interiors company, Scatter Box , designing cushions and gaining experience in the industry.

I loved every minute of it, but wanted to expand my design skill set into more product ranges so took a role with Sainsbury’s homeware team as an in-house designer. The experience and design skills I gained, working in categories including partyware, home accessories, kitchen textiles and more, has been a great asset in helping me run my own business.

In 2011 I was inspired to set up my own wedding stationery business. As commissions continued to grow it allowed me to invest in new equipment and, using my design skills and background knowledge, I began creating other

product lines such as greeting cards, seasonal decorations and personalised gifts. I had been selling a small range of greeting cards across my own website and Etsy for six years with the vision of expanding the range and selling into retail. The ideal opportunity came when we started our family in 2022; it was the perfect time to take a break from the wedding stationery and focus on my greeting cards. I was able to dedicate more of my time to creating all the unique wooden icon cards I'd been visualising. Three months later I had produced my ranges, exhibited at Spring Fair and PG Live last June and was delighted to came away with a selection of stockists across 26 stores. I enjoy working on upcoming trends, the excitement of producing seasonal items a year in advance, range reviewing, understanding buyers and merchandiser roles and working with suppliers and retailers alike.”

PG Live main plot: “Having picked up business from some major retails at last year’s show, my goal for PG Live 2024 is to expand into more retailer outlets and create some great working relationships with them. I have expanded the range of cards and will be launching 12 fabulous new collections at PG Live. Two of my favourites are Snowy Christmas, a gorgeous seasonal range with cute wooden icons in Snow Globes and Baubles which can be cut out and hung on the recipient's Christmas Tree, and Terrazzo, an on trend pastel collection featuring on wooden icons perfect for so many occasions. I have also introduced some print only cards to mix in with the wooden icon cards. These cards are made using a mix of different boards, and finishes and offer a different price point to the main ranges.”

Upper Village Stand 749

Above left: Brothers in arms, separated by the Atlantic, Mike and Dan Read. Above: Infinite Tales is a card range that embraces AI technology. Below: The Wallpops are designed as a 3D greeting card that lives on.

Above: Kathryn, founder of KDee Designs in her New Forest home.

Above right: The wooden additions give KDee Designs’ cards an extra dimension. Below: A localised approach from KDee Designs.

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Standing Out

Lowlands Studios is serving something special to the table, with its brand-new 3D collection, Pop it UP! The collection comprises 36 designs that are a mixture of large pull-out, pop-up and special 3D folded cards in three different formats – portrait 160mmx220mm, landscape 220mmx160mm and 180mm square.

Lowlands Studios 0031 651051520

www.greetingcardsfromlowlandsstudios.com

PG Live Stand 401 Mezzanine

Feeling Tipp Top

Mini Mayhem

It was seven years ago that Dom, Earlybird’s head designer and co-owner produced a range of mini cards that, despite the size being unusual at the time, was snapped up by many stores and has grown to 100 relations, age, birthday and occasion designs in the collection. PG Live sees the launch of 18 new neon mini cards, which focus on sentiments and children’s numbers, featuring spot UV and embossing.

Earlybird Designs

01227765372

earlybirddesigns.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 401

Fair’s Fair

There is some more fun to be had at the Objectables’ fair! There is a host of new ages designs as well as some more occasions joining the Fun Fairs range. The 120x170mm cards are sold naked and nested with a Callisto soft white envelope.  Objectables 01303767240

www.objectables.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 320

Christening a new collaboration, Rosie Made A Thing has collaborated with friends, Abi and Roz, aka Tipperleyhill to arrive at the new Tipp Top range, comprising 18 designs featuring quirky animals in rather fancy shirts. The 109mmx157mm cards come naked with a snazzy Aqua envelope.

Rosie Made A Thing 0116 4062000

www.rosiemadeathing.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 500

It’s A Wrap

A Man’s World

ibrant Verse is among the newness from Two for Joy Illustration. This male-orientated collection comprises over 30 typographical designs in a contemporary palette of blues and yellows with a rainbow-foiled finish, accompanied by an ochre envelope. This complements the original female collection foiled in pinks and oranges, paired with a lilac envelope. Wrap is also available.

Two for Joy Illustration 07710707592

www.twoforjoy.etsy.com

PG Live Upper Village Stand 727

James Ellis is launching its first ever giftwrap range. There are 16 designs of sheet wrap in the inaugural collection for adults and children. Each 500x700mm sheet is printed on 100gsm FSC-certified uncoated paper that is plastic-free and 100% recyclable. Orders will be sent without plastic packaging, flat in a box.

James Ellis 0117 927 7667

www.jamesellis.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 427

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Beauty And The Beastie

The Comedy Card Company will be showcasing its new Beastie range featuring daft humour, pastel colours and the odd mouse or two! Printed in the UK on FSC board, each card is supplied with a recycled kraft envelope.

The Comedy Card Company 07885 027381

www.comedycardtrade.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 102

So Italian

Allora is one of the several new ranges Lucilla Lavender will be showing at PG Live. This collection of 28 everyday and occasions designs by Liz Vanden Baviere feature a contemporary colour palette overlaid onto backgrounds of cream and soft pastels, with a fun typestyle and subtle embossing.

Lucilla Lavender 0203 405 1410  www.lucillalavender.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 305

Down On The Farm

Inspired by the lovely rural setting of its West Berkshire Studio, Buttercup Farm is a new range of birthdays and blank cards from Paper Shed Design. The collection features soft whimsical beautifully illustrated designs featuring farm animals on a range of birthdays and blank cards. Paper Shed Design 01189 744283  www.papersheddesign.com

PG Live Village Green Stand 180

Delicate Touch

Act Your Age

Ricicle's new adult age range celebrates each milestone with shimmering gold foil and a vibrant, gender-neutral colour palette. A6 in size, there are eight designs in the inaugural collection, each of which will be accompanied by a white envelope.

Ricicle Cards

07850757676

www.riciclecards.com

PG Live Village Green Stand 162

A Capital Idea

Responding to the requests from several retailers, Klara Hawkins is launching a range of London-themed cards at the show. These 15 playful designs, featuring some of London’s favourite landmarks and icons, contain a mixture of birthday and blank cards. Orders over £150 placed at the show will receive a 15% discount.

Klara Hawkins 07808 681886

www.klarahawkins.com

PG Live Village Green Stand 111

Cinnamon Aitch is welcoming 30 new designs to its best-selling range, Primrose Hill. Each card is hand-finished with little gems and flowers to add an understated sparkle, delicately enhancing each illustration.  The new additions cover ages, relations as well as birthday designs. All are printed on heavyweight, textured FSC board and supplied with a bespoke printed envelope.

Cinnamon Aitch

0121 773 6833

www.cinnamonaitch.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 231

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Female Finesse

Millefleur is Abacus Cards’ latest illustrative female birthday range.  Taking inspiration from the Art Deco era these dazzling, celebratory designs are created using intricate raised gloss black varnish with iconic birthday symbols accentuated by beautifully penned flowers.  All are accompanied by a black and white Art Deco-inspired printed patterned envelope.

Abacus Cards

01638 569050

www.abacuscards.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 300

Flush With Plush

Sunny Days

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Rosanna Rossi has fused all of its best creations in its new card collection, Sunburst. Spanning a broad mix of masculine and feminine designs to suit any occasion, the 150mm square cards all include raised gold or copper foil accents to add a luxury touch. They are paired with a cream or eco Kraft envelope.

Rosanna Rossi 07900 698 522

www.rosanna-rossi.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 520

Peter Rabbit, Paddington, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and the new Harry Potter Wizarding World collections are just some of the licensed plush and gift ranges that Rainbow Designs will be showcasing at PG Live. Among these is Rainbow’s Disney’s Hundred Acre Wood Winnie the Pooh collection of soft toys and nursery essentials which includes Winnie the Pooh and his friends Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet. And with the third Paddington movie on the horizon, it’s marmalade sandwich time!

Rainbow Designs 01329 277300

www.rainbowdesigns.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 340

Animal Magic

Text Messaging

Well-known for its quirky contemporary statement pins, stickers, patches, bookmarks and notepads, Fluffmallow is now branching out into greeting cards. Launching with 20 designs, they're a mix of everyday and occasions designs with the messaging enhanced by a foil finish. There is a show offer of buy 6 SKUs of cards and receive free postage. Fluffmallow

www.fluffmallow.com

PG Live Upper Village Stand 601

Buns At The Ready

Fire up the grill and hoist the wieners as Arrthi launches 20 new designs into its Cheeky Legends greeting card collection. Among the new additions to this growing humour range are captions such as BBQ Wizard and Drama Bum.

Arrthi

07735 398457

www.arrthi.com

PG Live Upper Village Stand 723

The Art File is launching over 100 new designs at PG Live in brand-new collections as well as extensions to bestselling card ranges, plus giftwrap and stationery items. Among these is Zig Zag Zoo, an adorable children’s card collection. Every card features a pair of geometric animals in pastel colours, with six designs available as age cards too. Each die-cut card is printed on textured board and finished with spot UV.

The Art File 0115 648 3240

www.theartfiletrade.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 200

cards@iffygreetings.co.uk www.iffygreetings.co.uk

Greeting Cards Designed and Printed in the UK

Upper Village : Stand 774 IFFY Greetings cards are designed to be fun, sometimes eye-rollingly silly and quite often stu ed with sentiment. We hope to bring a smile that will match the occasion.

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

No Brush Off

Following on from the ArtPress’ successful Inky range, artist Jenny Frean has created Brush with Nature, a new colourful and gently humorous collection. The animals and critters interact playfully with objects in our world and give rise to titles such as ‘Ants in your plants’ and ‘2B or not 2 Bee’. The 150mm square blank cards are accompanied by a recycled Kraft envelope. ArtPress Publishing 020 7231 2923

www.art-press.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 306

A Greener Sparkle

As the world’s first reel to reel manufacturer of Bioglitter wrapping paper, The Unique Paper Company will be showcasing its brand-new Winter Woodland range that comprises flat wrap, rollwrap, greeting cards and gift bags. All wrap is printed and converted in the UK using FSC-certified paper, water-based inks and finished with Bioglitter, made from natural and plant-derived material for a ‘greener’ sparkle. There’s a 10% discount off orders placed at the show plus entry into a prize draw to win £250 vouchers for BUYAGIFT or equivalent free stock.

The Unique Paper Company 01206 242483

www.theuniquepapercompany.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 236

Keeping You Postcarded

Pink and Mint Design has extended its greeting card and prints portfolio with the addition of a range of postcards. All featuring founder Suzanne Tak’s distinctive contemporary style in trademark pink and green colour palette, the designs cover popular London landmarks and scenes. Pink and Mint Design 07841666101

www.suzannetak.com

PG Live Upper Village Stand 768

Paws For Thought

Making its PG Live debut, Heather Trefusis Art will be launching Happy Tails, a joyful range based on hand-painted animal designs covering birthdays and congratulations. The 150mm square cards are printed on 300gsm beautifully textured FSC-certified board, supplied with a kraft envelope either nested or wrapped in biodegradable cellos.

Heather Trefusis Art 07946 605564

www.heathertrefusisart.com

PG Live Upper Village Stand 788

A Stitch In Time

All based on Jane Buurman’s incredible freehand embroidery art, are three brand new collections. Summer Breeze features beautiful florals with heartfelt sentiment; Bouquet incorporates bold type with bees and florals while Whiskers, celebrates our furry friends, featuring dog breeds with a Pop Art twist. New designs also join the Inspire female sports collection.

Jane Buurman Handmade 07703490241

www.janebuurmanhandmade.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 420

Hello Sunshine

You won’t miss Paper Salad’s new children’s range, Sunshine. This fun and super bright icon-based children’s range features the company’s signature neon colours, further enhanced by super shiny spot UV and deep embossing. The 125mmx175mm cards will be supplied with a bright patterned envelope.   Paper Salad 0161 427 0001

www.papersalad.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 413

HEAPS & HEAPS OF NEWNESS!

We’re launching over 70 new designs across our best-selling collections at PG LIVE and can’t wait to share them with you!

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Back To Collage

Soho is one of three brand new ranges being launched at PG Live by Happy Street. Featuring an array of vibrant colours, the contemporary designs, all created in-house started off life as tiny, collaged artworks. The 105mmx150mm cards come with a recycled kraft envelope and are supplied naked or wrapped. There is no minimum order.

Happy Street  07956 680935

www.happystreetcards.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 153

Chocs Away

Wood If You Could

New from Apple & Clover is its Eco Wooden Badge card collection, comprising 18 designs, each featuring a colourful children’s badge covering ages 1-7, along with some open birthday captions for boys and girls. The wooden badges are sustainably sourced, making them an eco-friendly alternative to the classic birthday badge. The 155mm square cards are accompanied by a black spotted, kraft envelope. There’s 15% off orders placed at the show.

Apple & Clover 07790 900976

www.appleandclover.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 530

The Cambridge Confectionery Company, the younger, chocolatey sibling of familyowned fudge manufacturing company

Calico Cottage UK will be exhibiting at PG Live for the first time showcasing its UKmade artisan chocolate and gift confectionery. It will be a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds.

Cambridge Confectionery 01353 741661

www.cambridgeconfectionerycompany.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 211

Animal Antics

Shopping Spree

A quirky alternative to 'love you to the moon and back' sentiment, is The Curious Pancake’s Love You To The Supermarket and Back range, the designs of which pay homage to all the major supermarket carrier bags! The A6 cards, printed on luxury matt 350gsm FSC board, come naked and nested, accompanied by a kraft brown envelope.

The Curious Pancake 0115 952 2632

www.thecuriouspancake.co.uk

PG Live Springboard Stand 1

Such Bravery

Brilliantly Brave is launching nine new ranges, 104 cards in total, all 150mm square, sold naked and accompanied by colourful recycled envelopes. Gratitude Galore (pictured) is a range that captures the profound impact of having a supportive presence during life's most challenging moments, with vibrant, joyful designs that radiate sincere appreciation. Through its tie-up with Green Ribbons, every 1,000 cards sold translates into a two-day, 16-person Mental Health First Aid course.

Brilliantly Brave

www.brilliantlybrave.co.uk

PG Live Springboard Stand 7

In addition to its Renaissance Vandalism range, licensed from Artijoke, Bewilderbeest is adding a bundle of new designs to its Tail Wagging the Dog and Heard They’re Absurd ranges. All animal-themed, there’s a mixture of occasion specific cards and the everyday nonsense that Bewilderbeest is best known. All available cellowrapped or naked, as is the publisher’s founder Iain!

Bewilderbeest

07742895283

www.bewilderbeest.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 109

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Absolutely Fabulous

Dean Morris Cards has added a clutch of new designs to its best-selling Fabulous range.  As always with this evergreen collection, the new 5”x7” designs feature bold and colourful retro imagery coupled with outrageously funny punchlines that range from nice and clean to those that are a bit naughtier.

Dean Morris Cards

01902 560247

www.trade.deanmorriscards.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 312

Pushing The Envelope

Your Number’s Up

Bare Cards has gone even more vibrant with its mission to launch cards with built-in posting pages, eliminating the need for a separate envelope. Working with a local designer, Cannedels its new Little Heroes age range for children create that ‘wow! Factor’ before they’ve even opened their greeting card.

Bare Cards

www.bare-cards.co.uk

PG Live Upper Village Stand 730

Crafty is Poet and Painter’s newest milestone birthday greeting card range. Created by hand in the Poet and Painter studio using linocut and collage processes, the designs have gold foiled edges and a cheeky birthday message. Each card is 150mm square, blank inside and printed on FSC board, supplied with a white envelope. Poet and Painter 07779064894

www.poetandpainter.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 303

Citrus Zing

Our Twisted Life

Pobody’s Nerfect is Versed Aid’s flagship range. Designed by Michelle Jones in her Shropshire-based studio, this boldly coloured collection of over 80 designs takes inspiration from the absurdities of everyday life. Peppered with naughty and nice designs, the 150mm square cards are blank inside, printed on FSC-certified 300gsm board and come with fully recyclable brown eco-Kraft envelopes, supplied naked or cello-wrapped. Versed Aid 07932 759 357

www.versed-aid.co.uk

PG Live Springboard Stand 15

Softly Spoken

Post Pals is Posh Paws’ brand new collection of soft, cute and mailable plush gifts that friends and loved ones can post along with a card in a standard A5 envelope. The inaugural collection includes 12 adorable plush characters each with an embroidered message, to match the cute character with something for each occasion.

Posh Paws International 01268 567317

www.poshpawsinternational.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 405

Studio Frewb’s Give It A Zest Collection began with a painting of lemons and the pun 'Have The Zest Birthday'. The range very quickly expanded to include 25 designs, all of which feature their own silly pun, coupled with fruity, fishy and floral watercolour paintings. The cards are A6 size, printed on recycled board and come nested with a recycled kraft envelope.

Studio Frewb 07950221804

www.studiofrewb.co.uk

PG Live Springboard Stand 5

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Goal Scorers

White Cotton Cards is kicking high with its football collection of cards and gifts which include a wide array of greeting cards (general, ages and relations) covering 200 different teams (and local teams can be ordered too), as well as money wallets, socks (in two sizes), coasters, keyrings and magnets, all of which are made in UK from sustainable sources. Also new are wedding thank you cards and matching socks! There will be a prize pot for all orders placed at the show.

White Cotton Cards 07714633390

www.whitecottoncards.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 225

Following A Pattern

Creature Comforts

Critters is a new humorous animal range from Stoats & Weasels. There are 36 designs in this new collection, starring both common and more niche animals, covering a range of occasions. Each brightly coloured A6 card is printed on GF Smith recycled board and supplied with a yellow envelope.

Stoats & Weasels 07796 664912

www.stoatsandweasels.shop/wholesale PG Live Upper Village Stand 747

Pear Tree Press is launching a new range of modern, brightly coloured and patterned birthday cards for the show. The designs span bright detailed florals, patterned balloons and delicious looking cake patterns. The cards all come in biodegradable cellowraps with brown kraft envelopes.

Pear Tree Press  07949857748

www.peartreepress.co.uk

PG Live Springboard Stand 10

Worldy Goods

In Full Bloom

Peonies is a brand new range by Sarah Kelleher featuring her favourite blooms. The 18 new designs, all gold foiled, cover everyday birthdays, ages, get well, new home and blank cards. All are printed onto FSC board and come with a recycled envelope.

Sarah Kelleher 07768 123957

www.sarahkelleher.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 100

A Dangly Delight

New from Paper Mirchi is its Keepsake Collection. Every card includes a detachable hand-marbled Christmas ornament which comes complete with a ready to hang gold string. These bauble designs are available in a variety of festive colours.

Paper Mirchi 0203 633 1415

www.papermirchi.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 526

Clare Maddicott Publications is unleashing a new batch of Harold’s Planet occasion and everyday designs.  The creation of the talented duo Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar, these latest amusing and quirky creations feature Harold’s views on life, his reflections on its ups and downs, obsessions, frustrations, and his love of red wine.  The cards are accompanied by a soft grey coloured envelope.   Clare Maddicott Publications 01638 569050

www.maddicott.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 425

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Keeping You Paged

At what is Pretty Little Scribbles’ PG Live debut show, the publisher is launching its Keepsake Bookmark Collection, a series of designs with a detachable bookmark gift. Created with sustainability in mind, once they are finished being displayed, these cards can be repurposed and used as a bookmark. 07843852801

www.prettylittlescribbles.com www.abcard.co.uk

PG Live Upper Village Stand 775

London Calling

Walking The Talk

Newbie publisher, Real Talk Cards will be launching its Neons for Aeons range which comprises 13 designs depicting neon signs that express timeless, nonseasonal sentiments. As owner Susan Husband says: “Cards have the potential to be conversation starters and sometimes, people need a bit of a nudge. The Neons for Aeons range is the excuse that everyone’s been waiting for”. All cards are 5”x 7”, come unwrapped and nested.

Real Talk Cards 07956994614

www.realtalkcards.co.uk

PG Live Upper Village Stand 789

Covent Garden is a brand new contemporary range from Megan Claire. This extensive range consists of 48 designs covering female birthday, relations, ages and occasions in a pastel colour palette as well as male birthdays, relations and ages in a rich colour palette. All cards are finished with a luxury gold foil deboss and matched with a luxury cream envelope.

Megan Claire 01536 560345

www.meganclairetrade.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 154

Punny Stuff

Lovely Paper Stuff has expanded its animal range with new eye-catching designs including a funky dressed-up bulldog (Doggy Style), an angrylooking hen wishing you a Happy Birthday (Mother Clucker) and a prawn riding a moped (Prawn to be wild). There’s a 10% discount on all orders placed at the show.

Lovely Paper Stuff  07786886223

www.lovelypaperstuff.com

PG Live Village Green Stand 172

Leaf It Alone

Now Then, Sunshine’s Jude has been busy painting plants over the last few weeks and will be bringing her new card range, For The Love of Plants to PG Live, along with her existing collections of colourful cards. There are 14 designs in the new botanical-inspired range and they're all printed on recycled card with eco-friendly inks and packaged in a biodegradable cellobag to keep things kind for Mother Nature.

Now Then, Sunshine! 07713626142

www.nowthensunshine.com

PG Live Upper Village Stand 744

Lovely Lines

Created by Giles Andreae, one of the UK’s most successful greeting card designers, is the new Everyone is Lovely range from Pigment. The big, bright, supercharged words have maximum shelf impact and sendability. The inaugural collection includes 10 open designs as well as a full set of the key integrated captions.

Pigment   01423 520098

www.pigmentproductions.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 313

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

In Black and White

KDee Designs will be bringing 12 new ranges to PG Live, one of which is the Monochrome Scribbles collection. This fun black and white range of 59 cards, covers a variety of everyday and occasions sends. With a mix of print only and print with wooden icons, each 105mmx150mm card is printed on FSC board, and comes with a recycled Kraft envelope.

KDee Designs

02380 892888

www.kdeedesigns.co.uk

PG Live Stand 749 Upper Village

Emotional Intelligence

A Cut Above

Stormy Knight is adding 15 new cheerful diecut designs to its Marylou collection, covering birthdays, occasions and Valentine’s. The collection features super-cute designs in fresh and zingy pastels that are die-cut and finished with a spot UV gloss so they really pop. Each card is paired with a fleck craft envelope and printed onto FSC-certified stock.

Stormy Knight 0117 9098684

www.stormyknight.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 160

Nostalgic Pangs

Life’s A Peach

Sabivo Design is launching Peaches, a colourful range of 24 new open birthday, occasion and relation titles. The range draws inspiration from colourful market stalls in Summer and their abundance of pretty blooms and fresh fruit. The designs are handpainted in bold strokes and handfinished with signature cup flower sequins. The cards are sized 145mm square, supplied with brown kraft envelopes and wrapped in biodegradable cello bags.

Sabivo Design 01858 683 278

www.sabivo.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 135

Veronika will be launching a range of around 100 greeting cards, covering birthday, celebration, appreciation, Christmas and her favourite subject, ‘feelgood cards’ all in her whimsical and quirky style. The selection includes both D&I designs as well as those for pet lovers.

Veronika Pock - Artist 07837964882

www.roni-p-designs.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 435

There are new designs galore in all of The Porch Fairies licensed ranges, all of which feed nostalgic pangs. These include new additions to its Foxwood Tales range, including A5 triple panel foldout keepsake Picture Cards for everyday and Christmas. These come with kraft envelopes and bio bags.

The Porch Fairies 07775 826 629

www.theporchfairies.co.uk

PG Live Stand Mezzanine tand 524

The Plot Thickens

Cath Tate Cards has added to its popular Lost Plots range with some striking new cards for PG Live. Hand-drawn typography and illustrations created by artist Lisa Robson, the designs’ brilliantly vivid colour palette and hand-drawn type are inspired by the 70s. The new cards, all 17cmx12cm, cover birthdays as well as a range of occasions. All cards are printed in the UK on 100% recycled paper.

Cath Tate Cards

0208 671 2166

www.cathtatecards.com

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 307

There will be so many wonderful new launches at PG Live (June 4-5) at London’s Business Design Centre…here’s just a taster!

Group Effort

Featuring over 300 brand new designs, Carte Blanche Greetings will be showcasing several stunning new ranges from its Me to You, Wishing Well, Hotchpotch and Blue Mountain Arts collections. The female everyday Me to You features Tatty Teddy artwork on a candy-striped background with a pretty gold-embellished lantern motif, while Wishing Well cards include the Golden Haze range with its beautiful meadow-inspired artwork.

Carte Blanche Greetings

01243 792600

www.cbgtrader.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 222

Just Because…

Golden Oldies

Charlotte Farr illustrations will be launching over 80 new cards at PG Live, including a new collection called Oldies. The collection includes cards for the 70s child (pictured) 80’s child and the 90’s child, the cards feature hand-painted retro-inspired illustrations from each decade. These retro cards are supplied with a bright coloured envelope and can come naked or packaged in a biodegradable cello bag.

Charlotte Farr Illustrations

07540760690

www.charlottefarrillustrations.co.uk

PG Live Upper Village Stand 804

Due to popular demand, Bexy Boo’s Henries-nominated This card is for you because…range has been extended to include lots of lovely cute and funny illustrations for birthdays, ages and occasions. All the new designs are printed on 350gsm board, accompanied by a white alabaster envelope with eco stickers as standard.

Bexy Boo 01565 830 546

www.bexyboo.co.uk

PG Live Village Green Stand 178

Me (& Dee) Time

Fruity Harvest

Marit Taylor, the creative co-founder of Apricot Cards designs every one of her cards in her Cotswolds studio using only the finest coloured pencils which she loves because they offer such versatility. The 80+ designs are printed on either FSC-certified or 100% recycled board, are 15cm square, blank inside and are available nested with kraft envelope.

Apricot Cards

07809403475

www.apricotcards.co.uk

PG Live Upper Village Stand 766

A Doggy Dozen

Pooches Pamper Parlour Collection is FunkyAdi’s new range of 12 doggy cards for canine lovers. These will also be turned into a 2025 calendar. These are in addition to the collection of 30 designs of 148mm square cards, all hand-finished with metallic highlights, printed on recycled board, accompanied by a recycled envelope, packed in biodegradable and compostable cellophane sleeves. All the cards are blank.

FunkyAdi 07958460310

www.funkyadi.com

PG Live Springboard Stand 2

Dandelion Stationery is launching a new collection of notecard packs which have been created in collaboration with the Me & Dee Charity, which helps families going through uncertain and difficult times. There are two everyday packs as well as two Christmas packs, with each pack containing eight cards (four x two designs). The 100% recyclable packs are designed and printed in the UK, using FSC board, with a donation from every pack sold going straight back to the charity. Dandelion has a lucky dip for customers placing an order at the show.

Dandelion Stationery

01332504940

www.dandelionstationery.co.uk

PG Live Mezzanine Stand 517

SHAR-ING

SAINSBURY’S

“Staying true to our company values of own it, make it better and be human, our card ranges capture the essence of what we stand for, while ensuring we are inclusive to all our customers. It is so important to us that all customers feel represented within our ranges and therefore we proudly work with our Sainsbury’s teams at UKG and publishers to create the best ranges for our customers,” sums up Shar Grothier, who with two and half years’ greeting card buying experience at Sainsbury’s is well into her stride and is loving it.

“Despite shifts caused by the early timings of Spring Seasons this year, we’re really pleased with the positive growth on our greeting card sales. Our Mother’s Day card sales were phenomenal, driven by the talented artists and teams we work with,” said Shar enthusiastically.

Since then, the new selections of standalone designs and wedding cards have gone into stores and by the end of this month

Sainsbury’s millions of customers will be treated to a revamped children’s and occasions cards selection,

with a host of new captions to respond to changing buying needs.

In addition to accommodating designs from 30 different card publishers, all of whom are brokered in via UK Greetings, Shar and the Sainsbury’s buying & merchandising teams work closely with the Sainsbury’s own brand team, based at UKG’s Dewsbury HQ to create cards which collectively give the supermarket a real point of difference,

From its New Designers x Habitat greeting card collaboration that brought young creative talent into the field to its value quad shippers that provided a greeting card solution to the cost-of-living crisis, plus its continued commitment on the diversity & inclusion front with its Black History Month and braille and sign language displays, Sainsbury’s has been pushing the envelope in more ways than one.

PG caught up with Shar Grothier, greeting card and wrap buyer for the 1,400+ store strong grocery giant for an update.

being it in a small store right up to its largest branches which accommodate up to 30 card bays.

“We have an amazing partnership with the Sainsbury’s team at UKG who are based in Dewsbury. They help us to push the boundaries, bring exciting new designs and innovation to life through the own label studio and are full of strategic and creative abundance. I also love working with all the publishers we broker in, who all have their own identity and help to make our ranges stand out in store. It’s been great to forge a rapport with so many publishers, and I can’t wait to catch up with them at PG Live,” says Shar.

She exudes an infectious enthusiasm towards greeting cards, but is also very commercially aware of the need that creativity needs to equate to sales which means catering for customers considerations, including on retail price.

zAbove: Sainsbury’s now trades from over 1,400 stores.

Below left: The greeting card selection in Sainsbury’s includes designs from 30 publishers, plus own brand cards that are developed by a dedicated team in UKG’s Dewsbury HQ.

Below: Sainsbury’s Shar Grothier (third left) with colleagues (far right-left) Abi Wilson and Charmaine Fletcher at The Henries 2023 with Claire Dunstan, Zoe Callister, Rachel Wood and Sandi Parisi from the UKG team.

social media, and we are now looking at how we further develop this idea,” she added.

It is often said that you cannot be all things to all people, but as part of the supermarket group’s long-established commitment to sustainability as well as diversity and inclusivity, the Sainsbury’s card buying team strive to continue to embrace this within its greeting card selection.

Up close and personal

Shar Grothier is put on the spot…

What was your career journey into greeting card buying?

“Like many others in the greeting card community, I feel very fortunate to be involved in such a wonderful product that plays such an important role in showing gratitude for relationships, in the good times and the tough ones,” says Shar, whose own journey into the sector came about when she started designing her own cards to find solace during the long and lonely pandemic (see breakout box).

“On the tough front, the cost-of-living crisis has made things difficult for everyone, but we were determined to ensure that our customers would be able to find amazing cards to suit all budgets in our displays, hence the development of our value quad shippers which are highly visible in store, offering cards from 50p” elaborates Shar.

Another recent notable development on the greeting card front from Sainsbury’s was its innovative New Designers x Habitat greeting collection which harnessed the creative talent of eight artistic undergraduates in a dedicated Hey There! card collection which went on sale in 200 Sainsbury’s stores.

“As Habitat is a sponsor of the New Designers graduate show, it was a lovely continuation of this relationship, bringing new youthful voices to our greeting card selection while also shining the spotlight of the potential of the industry to other young creatives,” says Shar. “It was so joyful to be involved in bringing the first Hey There! collection into store and to see how the artists shared their happiness on

“Sainsbury’s was one of the first major retailers to remove the cellowrap on the majority of its cards, but for the good of the planet I am delighted that other retailers followed soon after. Likewise on the diversity and inclusion front, we all need to do our utmost to make everyone included, and that means having a reflective range of cards on offer for customers,” says Shar, proud of the braille and sign language range it launched as part of its own brand offer. Similarly, while Sainsbury’s has celebrated Black History Month through a dedicated greeting card collection for the last four years, the Sainsbury’s team ensure diverse and inclusive cards are part of its all year round offering. “We feel it is important to build awareness and celebrate Black History Month within our stores, from our all-year round range. It is about being authentic to our customers and working with publishers in the industry to showcase their talent,” believes Shar, highlighting Sainsbury’s ongoing relationship with Black-owned publisher StreetGreets as a case in point which was sparked by a greeting card competition Sainsbury’s ran with Ohh Deer and the GCA several years ago.

“We are all in this world together and thankfully there are greeting cards out there that help in our relationships, whatever our colour, religion or disposable income, whether we want to make someone laugh, say ahh or just feel valued.

“I did a degree in Fashion Management at Nottingham Trent University and spent my placement year working in LK Bennett’s head office. I always knew I wanted to be a buyer, and joined Ted Baker after university, where I spent the next five and a half years working within the accessories buying team. When Covid hit, I worked remotely at Ted and spent the evenings designing cards as my release during lockdown. This led me to me next adventure at Sainsbury’s. When I saw the greeting card buyer role advertised, I knew this was the perfect job for me! I have been here and loving it for the last two and half years. I have given up making my own cards, now that I work with the professionals!”

What do you love most about the greeting card industry?

“Everyone is so friendly and seems genuinely happy to be involved in it all. I really enjoy the abundance of creativity and of course seeing this creativity translating into commercial sales. There is nothing more rewarding than when a product you have been involved in is loved by the consumer who buys it.”

What are the bugbears about your job?

“I wish I had more time as there is always so much more I would love to do on the category.”

What three words do you reckon your best friends would use to describe you?

“I have a lovely group of friends, who said they would describe me as a ‘positive’, ‘ambitious’ and ‘fun-loving’ person.”

As a little girl what did you want to be when you grew up?

“My sister reminded me that I wanted to be Po from The Teletubbies!”

I work with such an amazing team and I’m so proud of everything we create for our customers and can’t wait for the next card launches in store”.

What are your guilty pleasures?

“Watching rom coms, listening to old school 90s/noughties music and eating Guylian seashells chocolates.”

What makes you most happy?

“Being silly and dancing around in the kitchen, which is something I do every evening when I get home.”

At what did you last cry?

“Watching Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm when the pigs went off to be slaughtered.”

I have a magic carpet waiting…where would you like to go?

“Bali, The Philippines, New York and

in any order!”

Marrakech

Above: Shar (right) all ears at the recent GCA Dragon Speed-dating event with Libra Fine Arts’ Skip and Katherine Khangurra.

Middle left: The greeting card value shipper is prominently placed in Sainsbury’s stores.

Middle right: One of the students sharing a jubilant post about his art appearing on in the Hey There! collection.

Below: Black-owned publisher Street Greets has been stocked by Sainsbury’s since the first Black History Month greeting card competition.

Above right: Po was Shar’s aspiration as a young girl. Above: Guylian seashell chocs are a guilty pleasure of Shar’s.

While there’s no doubt that Beatrix Potter’s most famous character is Peter Rabbit, it was actually another rabbit, Benjamin Bouncer, with whom Beatrix first found success – and it was through greeting cards that Miss Potter first chose to share her endearing artwork with the world.

Beatrix Potter made her first Christmas cards for her family in 1889, which featured Benjamin Bouncer, her pet rabbit.

Encouraged by the family, Beatrix and her

Beatrix Potter was an astonishing writer and illustrator and later in life became the cornerstone of the National Trust. But while her characters, from Peter Rabbit to Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, have spawned an enduring licensing programme gracing countless products, very few people know that her very first licensing agreement was for greeting cards.

With the World of Beatrix Potter as the theme for The Retas 2024 greeting card retail awards and her enduring characters gracing the keepsake bag at PG Live this year, PG indulged in a wondrous Potter-fest.

A Woman Before Her Time

printing machine so they could print the cards commercially. The printing machine cost £16, but they were short by £6. Beatrix’s Uncle Harry (who was the English chemist, Sir Henry Roscoe), suggested that the cards were of such quality ‘any publisher would snap at’ and encouraged her to try to sell them.

With this in mind, Beatrix prepared six more designs for cards, based again on Benjamin Bouncer. She sent them to a list of five publishers, starting with the company Marcus Ward, but they were promptly returned. Bertram then delivered the pictures to Hildesheimer & Faulkner himself. The following day a cheque for £6 arrived and a request to the ‘gentleman artist’ for more sketches.

them her new designs – this was Beatrix’s first business meeting and she did the negotiations herself, virtually unheard of in those days. Her designs were published in 1890, first as Christmas and New Year cards, and then as illustrations, featuring alongside a set of verses by Frederic E Weatherly. Offering inspiration to many

Above: Beatrix Potter was a woman ahead of her time

Right: Benjamin Bouncer appeared on Beatrix Potter’s first greeting cards published in 1890 by Hildesheimer & Faulkner.

Left: Cardology, one of the current day licensees which continues Beatrix’s legacy, won a Licensing Award for its 3D Peter Rabbit cards.

Below: Just a few of Beatrix’s enduring characters.

BEATRIX POTTERTM © Frederick Warne & Co., 2024. Images courtesy of the Frederick Warne Archive

By the book

Thomas Merrington, creative director of Penguin Ventures lives and breathes Beatrix Potter every day. He not only knows his way around the extensive and rich archive of images and artefacts on which the licensing programme is based, but equally importantly maintains the relevance and integrity of this historic British creative genius by driving and controlling the contemporary interpretations of her original work to maintain a connection with the modern day consumer.

Here Thomas shares his thoughts…

“I really admire Beatrix Potter as a true allrounder. The more I get to know what she achieved and did during her lifetime the more I am amazed. We do often refer to her as a woman before her time, but I think even by today’s standards she is still an incredible individual. Working in licensing, what is interesting for me is that she recognised the value of her own characters and started licensing Peter in her lifetime, making Peter the oldest licensed literary character. We can see from her own approach to approvals what she liked and didn’t like and we try and keep that same sense of creative commerciality today.”

Outside of its greeting card licensing partnerships, Thomas highlights Gucci and Orchard Toys prime examples of contemporary executions of this historic property.

“Our Peter Rabbit x Gucci collaboration showcases the global appeal of Peter Rabbit, but also highlights how as a brand Peter is able to sit comfortably in the grocery channel as one of the No. 1 baby brands, but also sit very comfortably in the premium and high fashion end of the spectrum,” suggests Thomas. He also cites the partnership with Orchard Toys as being significant, an established toy brand that parents love and trust. “With this partnership, we wanted to make sure our characters and their stories were front and centre but maintain the classic Orchard styling. We think this has worked incredibly well and is preforming brilliantly,” adds Thomas.

Zara Grindrod, sales and marketing director of Rainbow Designs

A Bea in your bonnet: “I actually have two favourite Beatrix Potter books. I really like the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, partly as it features one of my favourite images – the squirrels rafting across to Squirrel Island. In this image I think Beatrix captures the beauty and breadth of

the Lake District landscape with water, mountains and islands, but also gives a sense of real adventure. By all accounts Squirrel Nutkin is very annoying with his dancing and riddles, and his behaviour has serious consequences. I like that Beatrix’s characters are grounded in nature, but there are also some strong moral lessons in the tales.

My other favourite is The Tailor of Gloucester. Beatrix doesn’t feature humans that often in her tales, but here we see how the animals come together to help the poor tailor. It has such a sense of magic – the idea that little mice live and thrive in their own world under the floorboards! And of course it also has an immediate sense of Christmas, Christmas spirit and nostalgia, so I love this tale for those reasons.”

“For a woman, especially of that era, to become such a successful published author was an incredible achievement, and her work and legacy of the National Trust is to be admired, even by today’s standards. Her illustrations are detailed and beautiful and a testament to their enduring nature and why they have stood the test of time.”most inspirational part of her legacy.”

A Bea in your bonnet: “It has to be Mrs Tiggy-Winkle! I adore hedgehogs, and love it when we are lucky enough for them to visit our garden. The brilliant portrayal of this

heart-felt character in The Tale of Mrs TiggyWinkle, in both the story and illustrations, is so warm and friendly, you definitely feel you could have a lovely cup of tea with her!”

Continuing the legacy: “We have been so fortunate to have had the pleasure of working with the Beatrix Potter licence for over 35 years, during which time we have had the privilege of being able to explore the huge catalogue of artwork and styles from across the decades. We are super proud of our bestselling Once Upon a Time and

deluxe Signature collections of infant toys and gifts, that focus on both Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny. New additions to our Signature collection, that will be arriving this autumn, include knitted blanket and soft toy gift sets, presented in beautiful keepsake boxes that feature white-out, all over print of Beatrix Potter’s classic illustrations.”

PG Live stand 344

Left: Thomas Merrington and his friend and colleague, Peter Rabbit. Below left: The Peter Rabbit x Gucci collab makes a bunny hop into the upper echelons of premium fashion. Below: Thomas’ favourite Beatrix Potter image of the squirrels paddling to Squirrel Island.

Left: Rainbow Designs will be bringing some of its Beatrix Potter collection to PG Live, where it is exhibiting of the first time.

Above: Mrs TiggyWinkle, a favourite of Zara’s, even appeared on a first class stamp back in 2016.

Right: Rainbow has expanded its upmarket Signature collection of Beatrix Potter gifts.

Chapter and Verse

In the book Don’t Tell the Grown-Ups: Subversive Children’s Literature, back in 1990 the critic and novelist Alison Lurie wrote an essay about Beatrix Potter, entitled Animal Liberation: Beatrix Potter which begins…

‘Nearly ninety years ago, in London, a woman escaped from prison with the help of a rabbit. It was not a modern prison, with facilities for education and recreation and a chance of parole, but a tall, dark, stuffy Victorian house; and the prisoner, who had been confined there for most of her thirty-six years, was under sentence for life. The

Jo Clarke, founder of Toasted Crumpet

rabbit’s name, of course, was Peter.’ Beatrix’s career really was a miracle and her books changed the nature of children’s literature – the first child-sized, affordable (one shilling) children’s books that spoke to children in their own language and didn’t patronise them. Another point Alison makes is that Potter ‘portrayed the world from a mouse’s or rabbit’s - or small child’s-eye view. The vantage point in her exquisite watercolours varies from a few inches to a few feet from the ground, like that of a toddler.’ And she was subversive and on the side of naughtiness – for Alison the ‘concealed moral’ of the Peter Rabbit story is ‘that disobedience and exploration are more fun than good behaviour, and not really all that dangerous, whatever Mother may say’.

“We are all huge Beatrix Potter fans at Toasted Crumpet and have enjoyed her illustrations and stories ourselves as children, and also now with our own children. The delicate and detailed nature of her illustrations bring to life her characters so well and her style of watercolour painting is certainly close to my heart as my preferred medium of artwork. Her style of illustration is so recognisable and being involved with such an iconic brand and catalogue of classic works, led by an inspiring female artist, is a real privilege.”

A Bea in your bonnet: “My favourite character has to be Peter Rabbit – I love his cheeky nature, his sense of humour and adventure, and his ability to get out of any scrape! Kim, our head of sales, has a real soft spot for Benjamin Bunny because of his super cute face, his loyalty to Peter and his love of a tasty snack. Featuring unique designs from Toasted Crumpet, our licensed range brings together the very best of Toasted Crumpet’s botanical and woodland designs with the instantly recognisable characters and iconography from Beatrix Potter.

We first launched this range in February 2024 at Spring Fair with our hero character Peter Rabbit featuring in the Fresh Meadow Breeze design, while Benjamin Bunny is in The Vegetable Patch and Flopsy is nestled among Wild Berries and Cottontails.

For Autumn/Winter 2024, we are delighted to welcome two new characters to our range, with Squirrel Nutkin being the star of Bushy Tails & Woodland Trails, and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle being right at home in the Lavender & Linens design. Our Christmas collections also wouldn't be complete without featuring the beautiful artwork of Peter and his friends from The World of Beatrix Potter, so we are also excited to be adding Peter Rabbit & Friends in A Winter's Tale to our AW24 launch.

When designing each collection, we carefully look at the aspects of each character’s personality as described in the original stories by Beatrix Potter, and choose designs, colours and scents that are complimentary. This unique collection of designs features across a range of Toasted Crumpet’s signature product lines. The home fragrance and beauty offering is a first for The World of Peter Rabbit with Toasted Crumpet now offering seven distinct scents in our very popular tin candles, six luxury boxed hand creams and eight soap bars featuring our exclusive Peter Rabbit by Toasted Crumpet designs. Other product lines in the collection include adult stationery, mugs, nursery prints and cosmetic bags. This collection has been such a joy to work on. The artwork by Beatrix Potter is so complimentary to Toasted Crumpet’s design style, with a love of detail and watercolour artwork shining through. This makes the collection a very unique and special offering which we are delighted to be able to offer our customers.”

Dale Boreham, senior design manager of Moonpig

“Beatrix Potter has always been a part of my life. My Mum is a massive fan and introduced me to her works at a young age. Growing up I had all the books, spent a few holidays in the Lake District visiting where the tales came to life, and fondly remember watching the BBC series on a Sunday in the early 90s.

Beatrix Potter's illustration style is iconic, each character is well-considered, beautifully illustrated, and timeless - they are as fresh today as the day they were first imagined.”

A Bea in your bonnet: “It has to be Peter Rabbit! He is so iconic, and as a small child growing up, I loved the mischief he got up to in Mr McGregor's garden. Jemima Puddle-Duck is one of my Mum's favourite, so she comes in a close second.”

Continuing the legacy: “Moonpig has worked with Beatrix Potter for years, and individually I have worked with the brand for as long as I have been in licensing. Peter Rabbit in particular works well for us and has a huge appeal as it works well for young children and adults.

Penguin is great to work and collaborate with and has invested in creative over the last few years which has helped invigorate the brand. Recent asset updates include some new party poses with balloons, which work well for our new birthday cards. Alongside the core looks, one of our talented designers, Nim, has been creating a bespoke floral look, taking the existing assets and complimenting them with a trend-led feel which the Penguin team approved. We launched this look for Mother's Day and have some everyday designs launching anytime soon.”

Above: Jo Clarke with some of Toasted Crumpet’s Beatrix Potter nursery prints.

Below: Some lovely scented Toasted Crumpet x Peter Rabbit scented soaps.

Bottom left: Peter Rabbit is top of the pops for Toasted Crumpet’s Jo Clarke.

Above: Everyone attending The Retas will be receiving one of the iconic Beatrix Potter Tales books as a gift from Penguin.

Top: Dale Boreham at last year’s PG Live.

Above: Dale’s mum is a massive Pater Rabbit fan so he knows what Moonpig card to send her then?!

Below: A photo upload option features in some of Moonpig’s Beatrix Potter designs.

Holly Ismail, head of NPD, innovation and licensing at Hallmark

“Last year I took a trip to London where I visited the V&A museum. While looking around (and getting a little lost), I stumbled on a small Beatrix Potter exhibition which showed some of her original artworks. It was there that I discovered that her illustrations had been published on one of the first ever greeting cards, years before her first storybook was written. This was just a week after we – at Hallmark – had found out we had secured master greeting card rights for Peter Rabbit, and so it felt like such a poignant and full circle moment. What really struck

me at that time was the timelessness of the characters that Beatrix Potter created and the way she used the world around her to inspire her stories. Her business savvy nature combined with her imagination is undoubtedly the reason the Peter Rabbit brand remains as popular as it is today, but it’s really the relevancy of her work for so many generations that, I believe, is the most inspirational part of her legacy.”

A Bea in your bonnet: “All the Beatrix Potter stories are unique and special, but I think my favourite has to be Jemima Puddle-Duck

While as a character she is a little naïve, she also shows a lot of grit and determination throughout her story, and it’s that juxtaposition that I think makes her so endearing. I also fondly remember a mini Tales of Jemima Puddle-Duck book I had when I was younger, and which I would read often. I think, ultimately, it’s that nostalgic feeling that Jemima evokes that makes her so special for me.”

Continuing the legacy: “With our brand new range of Peter Rabbit designs we really wanted to lean into the theme of

A licensing legacy

Although Beatrix’s first licensing deal was for greeting cards, it was by her designing and patenting a Peter Rabbit doll in 1903 that she created the world’s oldest licensed character. Her goal was to provide high-quality merchandise, which was true to the original characters and to the ‘feel’ of her Tales. A range of products, including slippers, handkerchiefs and china tea sets were developed under Beatrix Potter’s approval and licensed by her publisher, Frederick Warne & Co.

The World of Peter Rabbit is now one of the world’s longest running and largest international literature-based licensing programmes with 98% global awareness. Peter Rabbit and friends have appeared on thousands of

nostalgia, and use the magic of storytelling, imagination and creativity to bring the world of Peter Rabbit to life through our greeting cards. To do this, we’ve focused on using a real breadth of characters, poses and scenes across our designs paired with sweet and warm editorial. The range covers a wide number of sending occasions from birth, to male and female captions as well as open sends, and the cards are finished with delicate foils, decorative emboss, die cuts and deckled edges to really bring the storytelling to life. Just as Beatrix Potter’s illustrations were, our core designs are also produced in the UK – and will be available from this month, with full seasonal programmes to follow. It’s been such an exciting range to work on, and we can’t wait to launch this product to market!”

Above: In addition to its greeting cards, Hallmark is also producing the invitation for The Retas on a Beatrix Potter theme, plus sponsoring the keepsake tote bag for PG Live which celebrates Beatrix Potter.

different licensed products in more than 110 countries throughout the world with the licensing programme now managed by Penguin Ventures, the consumer products and experiences team within Penguin Random House Children’s.

Looking ahead, Penguin Ventures is planning two anniversaries for The World of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix Potter’s 160th birthday is in 2026 which will look back at her incredible achievements and lasting legacy, while setting the scene for a wonderful celebration the following year when 125 years of The Tale of Peter Rabbit will be marked in 2027.

Top left: Holly Ismail with some of the new Hallmark Beatrix Potter cards.

Left: Jemima Puddle-Duck’s true grit made her a heroine for Holly.

Left: The essence of Beatrix’s very early work, such as this, has been retained and evolved by the Penguin Ventures through licensing.

Above: Orchard Toys chose Peter Rabbit for its first ever licensed range of puzzles and games, resulting in a Hero Toy accolade at London Toy Fair.

THE ESSENTIALS

When: Tuesday 4 – Wednesday 5 June

Where: Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1 0QH

Times: 9.30am-6pm on 4 June (1st night party ‘til 8pm) 9.30am-4.30pm on 5 June

Tel: +44 (0)7734 111633 www.progressivegreetingslive.com

A fabulous celebration of publishers, retailers, overseas distributors and suppliers, where business meets pleasure

Don’t Miss PG Live 2024…

Here Are Five Fabulous Reasons why…

1. The Incredible Exhibitors

Known the world over as having the greatest selection of greeting cards, the exhibitor line-up for PG Live 2024 is incredible. From leading established brands through to fresh and amazing start-ups, what an amazing opportunity to meet the people behind the brands and see their stunning new products

2. Newness Galore and Show Only Offers

Thousands and thousands of brand new designs will be making their debut, with a host of ‘show only’ incentives and promotions to boot.

3. The Upbeat Vibe

PG Live brings everyone together – with retailers large and small, overseas distributors from all corners of the world, sales agents, leading trade suppliers, and over 200 publishers and other exhibitors will all be under one roof.

4. Loads of Treats

Free tea and coffee for all, a delicious free lunch, opening night drinks party for everyone and a keepsake goody bag.

5. The Wonderful Venue

With its high curved ceiling letting in loads of natural light, the Business Design Centre just doesn’t feel like an exhibition venue. Nestled in vibrant Islington, the BDC is not only easy to get to, but is surrounded by lovely shops, restaurants and bars!

There are over 200 exhibitors at PG Live 2024...

A GIFT FROM THE GODS

ABACUS CARDS

ABBOTPRINT

ADDSQUIRREL

AFROTOUCH DESIGN

ALFF A BET DESIGN

ALL SHADES

ALLJOY DESIGN

ALPHA COLOUR PRINTERS

ANGEL FINE ART

ANTHOLOGY CARDS

APPLE & CLOVER

APRICOT CARDS

ARCHIVIST

ARGUS

ARRTHI

THE ART FILE

ARTPRESS

AVANTI PRESS

BARE CARDS

BELLY BUTTON DESIGNS

BETTIE CONFETTI

BEWILDERBEEST

BEXY BOO

BIRD & CO STUDIO

BOLD & BRIGHT

BRAINBOX CANDY

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE

THE BRIGHT AGENCY

BRILLIANTLY BRAVE

BUBBLEGUM STUFF & BRITTANY PAIGE

CAMBRIDGE CONFECTIONERY

CARDGAINS CARDOLOGY

CAROLINE GARDNER

CAROUSEL CALENDARS

CARTE BLANCHE GREETINGS

CATH TATE CARDS

CHARLOTTE FARR ILLUSTRATIONS

THE CHARMING PRESS

CINNAMON AITCH

CITRUS BUNN

CLARE MADDICOTT PUBLICATIONS

CLEAR CREATIONS

COACH HOUSE PARTNERS

COMEDY CARD COMPANY

COTTON & GREY

CREATIVE SPARROW

CRUMBLE & CORE

THE CURIOUS PANCAKE

DANDELION GREETING CARDS CO.

DANDELION STATIONERY

DANILO

DEAN MORRIS CARDS

DESIGNER GREETINGS

DEVA DESIGNS

DICKY BIRD

DINOSAURS DOING STUFF

DOTS ALLOWED

DYSON DESIGN

EARLYBIRD DESIGNS

EAST END PRINTS

ECO NATURE

ECOSSE ENCAUSTICS

ELEANOR BOWMER

ELIOT SIEGEL PHOTOGRAPHY / THE BRITISH ART GALLERY

EMILY NASH ILLUSTRATION

EMOTIONAL RESCUE

ENVECO

FAIRE

FEATHER & HARE

FEATHER.INK

FEDRIGONI

FEEL GOOD SUPPLIES

FIONA WILSON PRINTS

FIVE DOLLAR SHAKE & COUNTING STARS

FLUFFMALLOW

FUNKYADI.COM

GBCC (THE GREAT BRITISH CARD COMPANY)

GCA (GREETING CARD ASSOCIATION)

GENEALITYART

GERRY MURRAY DESIGN & LICENSING

GINGER BETTY

GRACE JACKSON DESIGN

GRAPHITE CREATIVE

HALLMARK CARDS

HANDS & HEARTS

HAPPY STREET

HEATHER TREFUSIS ART

HEYYY CARDS

HOLY MACKEREL

HOMELESS MADE

HOTCHPOTCH LONDON

HYPE

IFFY GREETINGS THE IMAGING CENTRE INK AND IVY GROUP

JAMES ELLIS

JANE BUURMAN HANDMADE

JEHANE

JELLY ARMCHAIR

JESSICA HOGARTH

JOLLY AWESOME

KALI STILEMAN PUBLISHING

KATIE LEAMON

KATIE TINKLER

KDEE DESIGNS

KIRIORI

KIRSTY TODD ILLUSTRATION

KLARA HAWKINS

LAURA DARRINGTON DESIGN

LAURA LONSDALE DESIGNS

THE LAURA WALLACE COLLECTION

LETTERBOX LANE

LIBRA FINE ARTS

LIL WABBIT

LING DESIGN & PENNY KENNEDY

LIONCAT PAPER CO.

LITTLE BIG PIE

LITTLE ROGLETS

LORENZO ZANGHERI ARTE

LOUISE MULGREW

LOUISE TILER DESIGNS

LOVELY PAPER STUFF

LOWLANDS STUDIOS

LUCILLA LAVENDER

LUCKY INK

LUCY DRIVER ILLUSTRATION

LUCY MAGGIE DESIGNS & SUNSHINE LLAMA

LYDIA. LONDON

MARINA B

MAX MADE ME

MEG HAWKINS

MEGAN CLAIRE

MERAKI

MICHELLE FIEDLER DESIGN

MIFKINS

MIND OVER LETTER

N SMITH PACKAGING & DISPLAY

NICOLE ELDERS

NIGEL QUINEY PUBLICATIONS

NOT AT ALL JACK

NOW THEN, SUNSHINE!

OBJECTABLES

OH SQUIRREL

OHH DEER

ORIGAMO

PANGO PRODUCTIONS

PAPER BIRD

PAPER ROSE

PAPER SALAD

PAPER SHED DESIGN

PAPER SPECTRUM

PAPERLINK

PAPER MIRCHI

PAPERSHEEP

PASELL PUBLISHING

PBS WAREHOUSING

PEAR TREE PRESS

PENGUIN INK

PICKLED PRINTS

PIGMENT

PINK AND MINT DESIGN

POET AND PAINTER

THE PORCH FAIRIES

PORTFOLIO

POSH PAWS INTERNATIONAL

PRETTY LITTLE SCRIBBLES

PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS

RAINBOW DESIGNS

RASPBERRY BLOSSOM

REAL TALK CARDS

REDBACK

RICICLE CARDS

ROBERT JAMES HULL

ROSANNA ROSSI

ROSE AND MOON

ROSIE MADE A THING

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS

RUSH DESIGN

SABIVO DESIGN

SARAH KELLEHER

SAY IT WITH SONGS

SHARON KING-CHAI

THE SHERWOOD GROUP

SIGMUND LINDNER

SOOSCHICHACHA

SOPHIE BRABBINS

SPRING & AUTUMN FAIR

STEPHANIE DAVIES

STOATS & WEASELS

STORMY KNIGHT

STRIPEY CATS

STUDIO FREWB

THE SUNSHINE BINDERY

SUSAN O’HANLON

TACHE

TALKING TABLES

TEEPEE CREATIONS

THE VISUAL NARRATOR

TRACKS PUBLISHING

TWO FOR JOY ILLUSTRATION

UK GREETINGS

THE UNIQUE PAPER COMPANY

URBAN STEPPIN

VEB COMPANY

VERONIKA POCK - ARTIST

VERSED AID

WASHED UP CARDS

WENDY JONES-BLACKETT

WHITE COTTON CARDS & GIFTS

WIDDOP AND CO

WILDFLOWER CARDS

WILD LINES

WOODMANSTERNE PUBLICATIONS

ZOE SPRY

…and this is just the line-up of exhibitors as we went to press!

Hotel Hall-ways

There is nothing quite like walking into the sumptuous surroundings of a grand hotel, marvelling at the ornate decor or feeling like an A lister enjoying a cocktail or two in the roof bar of an exclusive boutique hotel, far away from home. These are memories in the making and for keeping. This was exactly the starting point for a significant collection that Hallmark will be unveiling on its stand at PG Live, which takes place June 45 at London’s Business Design Centre, under its heritage sub-brand Hall and Co.

“The consumer and consumer behaviour are always at the heart of the how and why we develop our ranges for retailers,” explains Rachel Goodman, creative director of Hallmark UK & Ireland. Not leaving anything to chance, not only does Hallmark have a team of six people in its inhouse data and insights team, but it also invests heavily in external research to track the inner workings of retail purchasing habits, responses to design trends,

The Senato in Milan, Aristide in Syros, De Cambis in Avignon and Ritz in Paris all have something in common that will be there for all to see at PG Live at the beginning of June. It is not just that they are among the most revered hotels in the world, but are all inspirations behind the resurrection of the historical Hall & Co brand through a new premium greeting card and gift packaging collection from Hallmark.

PG checks in and orders room service to find out more.

drilling down to how different consumer segments are feeling and acting.

“Among the changing consumer behaviours is that shoppers are looking for something extra special to mark their really close relationships and show how much they care, so we started to scope out what a ‘premium’ range of cards and gift packaging could look like within the Hallmark portfolio,” explains Rachel. Delving deeper into consumer insights, it became clear to Rachel and her team that there was a real appetite “to give shoppers something that can take the notion

Above: Hats off to a hotel welcome! Left: (right to left) Rebecca Clapham, Rachel Goodman and Kath McKerlie with Hallmark’s new Magical Botanicals that will also be launching at PG

Above: Milan’s Senato hotel was the inspiration for the Memento Luxe range.

C OL LE C TI ON

of card giving and turn it into a real gift giving experience.”

And to elevate this even further called for a special brand treatment, resulting in the resurrection of Hall & Co, which has long been part of Hallmark history though has been little used for many years.

“We saw real merit in using this established name and evolving it into the new era of luxury,” said Rachel.

So, having established the consumer need was there and being able to draw on a heritage brand which would fit superbly with the luxury aspiration, all that was needed was the design direction and product development!

It was during a working session between senior designer Rebecca Clapham and head of creative Laura Brunton, looking at the concept of ‘luxury’ in more detail, that they started to explore how it shows up very differently from person to person and this sparked the idea of taking inspiration from the world of hotels.

them to imagine the type of person that stays in each hotel, and if that person were buying cards and wrap, what would they choose? That way we knew that every choice and decision would be rooted in that consumer’s need,” elaborated Laura.

First up is the Senato hotel in Milan. This hotel exudes slick sophistication and clean lines adopting a primarily monochrome colour scheme with touches of gold and green foliage.

“This brief targeted the card shopper that loves classic design and knows that less is more… knows that real elegance and sophistication comes from understated but brilliant design. They want monochromatic, playful and fashioninspired products,” said Laura. And all this ultimately inspired the range Memento Luxe.

the contemporary, tailored and refined premium shopper. “These are consumers that wants to see their personality shine in everything they buy. They enjoy something that feels personalised, limited edition and mood capturing. This developed into our Vivid Aura range,” she revealed.

And it’s only fitting that inspiration for the final theme of opulent maximalism epitomises a ‘grande dame’ of the hotel world - the Ritz in Paris. “This hotel embodies the guest that wants decadence, whimsy and quality,” explains Laura. “This card shopper wants delicate, refined storytelling, combined with playfulness and exquisite process and finishes – which inspired our Paper Fables collection.”

“From pared-back sophistication to maximalism and eclecticism, what one person sees as luxury is very different to another, however all visitors to luxury hotels ultimately want the same thing - a premium experience and their version of a premium aesthetic,” sums up Laura.

So the not-so arduous task of researching hotels and luxury travel began, before settling on four hotels that all epitomised a premium aesthetic, but each with a very different look and feel.

The brief to the design team was to then immerse themselves in each hotel. “We asked

“For our second theme we wanted to explore colour – so we chose two hotels for inspiration which were Aristide Hotel in Syros in Greece and Hotel De Cambis in Avignon in France. Both Hotels are about bold colour, with schemed rooms,” elaborated Rebecca.

These hotels were to inspire development for

So, if you can’t quite find the time for a tour with stop offs in Paris, Milan, Provence, and an idyllic Greek island, you can handily luxuriate in the greeting card and giftwrappings equivalent on the Hallmark stand (218) at PG Live. No passport required.

Left: The opulence of the Ritz in Paris was one of the inspirations for the Hall & Co collection.

Below: Being in a gorgeous rooftop bar overlooking the sea, as the Aristide can make you feel special.

Left and below: The Aristide Hotel in Syros and Hotel De Cambis in Avignon both inspired the Vivid Aura collection.

Left and below: The intricate Paper Fables range was very much inspired by the Ritz Hotel in Paris.

StapleANSWERS

Among the highlights of the recent London Stationery Show was a lively panel discussion among a bunch of indies about their industry loves, customer laughs and their stationery item alter egos.

PG was in the front row as Sarah Laker, of Stationery Supplies in Marple and Wilmslow; Sandra Jervis from Creative Cove in Lampeter; Ray Williams of JPS in Chesham; Sally Stephenson of The Pencil Case in Cowbridge; and David Worsfold from Farrants in Cobham shared the thrills and spills of life as an independent stationery retailer.

As an indie, what's your USP that the multiples and online can’t match?

Sally: “My shop is very aimed at the school age market, particularly four to 11-year-olds, and anyone who's got children that age knows how many millions of birthday parties you go to on a weekly basis. So, we've curated a fabulous range of children's stationery that you can't really find in the nationals. When our customers come to us, they come asking for advice “Oh, what can I buy for a seven-year-old girl?”

So we recommend loads of brilliant things that we know will work. We gift wrap what they choose, the kids write their cards sat at the counter and then they're good to go. Often straight from our shop straight to the birthday party.”

Sandra: “For me the USP is that we all bring our own personal self to our shops and expose ourselves to our customers – not like that! People buy into you

You don't buy into Sainsbury's, you don't buy into the big brands. But with the independent retailers, it is you they're buying, it's you they're coming back for. You create that narrative. And

that's what makes that connection.”

David: “Everybody's gonna say the personal touch, one-to-one and all the rest of it. Quick anecdote, local cycle shop, chap goes in, wants to buy some very expensive cycling shoes, chap goes off into a corner with the price, looks on the internet comes back to the retailer and says “can you match the price?”

So the retailer replied: “okay, I'll match it”. He takes the payment, puts the shoes on the counter, and as the customer goes to pick them up, the retailer takes them away, saying: “No, you can have them tomorrow, like if you had ordered them on the internet!”.”

How is your shop part of the local community?

Sarah: “During the first lockdown, we all came back to work and the world was mad. I had a little old man come in the shop who's shopped with me for many years. Never really says a lot to me. Just hello, goodbye, thank you, and off he goes. He came back in and, as he was leaving, there was a box of chocolates on the counter. And I said, “you’ve forgotten your chocolates”. And he said “no they’re for you, I've missed you so much”. He went out of the shop and I just burst into tears. It was such an emotional time anyway but, to think that that man who had never said a lot to me at all, felt that strongly about missing my shop just shows what a part of the community we are.”

Sally: “Half of my business is actually school uniform for the 11 schools in my town, and the other half is stationery in that same market so we're plugged into literally everybody who's

Above: The indie panellists at the recent London Stationery Show holding up their fave stationery items. (Right-left) Chair of the panel, Sarah Laker; Sandra Jervis, Ray Williams, Sally Stephenson and David Worsfold Below left: A tidy display in JPS Stationers.

Below middle: Sally Stephenson of The Pencil Case in Cowbridge is partial to her Perfect Planner diary.

Below right: For Ray Williams of JPS Stationers in Chesham, his Pentel Wrens pencil is his fave item.

got children in our local area. We do the raffle prizes, the PTA support, we sponsor the local cricket club and the local hockey club. And every Easter and every Halloween I organise a hunt around the town. I get all the other independent retailers in our High Street together, there's about 20 of us, and the kids all come to me at nine o'clock in the morning, pick up their maps, and then off they go around the town, deliberately taking their parents and grandparents into all the other independent retailers on the High Street for a couple of hours to find all the clues that we've hidden. Then they come back to me at the end to get a prize. It's brilliant, there’s a great atmosphere on the High Street and all the independents really benefit from getting all these families through.”

David: “Being on the High Street, it means that you're sort of blended into the fabric of the town, just by default. And, plus, we’re not just the local newsagents we are the local news desk. If you want to know what's going on in Cobham, everybody comes into the shop.”

Ray: “I stock a range of cards by local artists and books as well that are published by local authors –there's a connection there with local people. And we have produced the Chesham calendar for about 15 years now, giving the profit to local charities.”

Suppliers and independents are in a marriage, what can make this marriage happier?

Right: Stationery Supplies’ Sarah Laker (left) have a laugh on the N Smith stand at LSS with Max Publishing’s social media maestro, Nicola Webster. Below: Farrants’ David Worsfold’s commercial mind means that being a current best seller, Legami Erasable Pens is top of his love list. Bottom: Creative Cove’s Sandra Jervis is a big lover of her Kaweco fountain pen.

Sally: “Suppliers should stop undermining the independents by doing a deal with the nationals. Legami Erasable Pens is a case in point, we're all doing really well, everybody's benefiting from that brand and then, to see a big national doing a big discount on them! You don't need to offer a discount on Legami Erasable Pens. So don't undermine us just because it suits you to do short-term deal with a big national chain.”

David: Probably like my marriage - don't text me, don't email me. I'd rather see you in person – and we’re still going strong after 42 years!”

Ray: “Well, we've all enjoyed our time here, the suppliers telling us their stories, showing us the products they've got. If more of our suppliers actually came to these events and showed us the products they've got, we would see them and we might want to stock them. But, if they're just sending out emails or bits of paper in the post, we're never going to really engage are we?”

Sandra: “Something that could improve the relationship with my suppliers would be them offering samples that I can use to sell their products…a notebook that customers can look at and write in, rather than me having to actually break open the notebooks that I've paid for and bought to sell.”

“Is this what you want?” He shook his head and when I asked him to describe to me he wanted, he said: “You know, when you walk along and find water” – in a stationery shop!”

What's your favourite stationery product?

Sarah: “My Leuchtturm diary and Drehgriffel pen. I can't get anything done without a diary – paper and pen is the way forward. And, notebooks, I must have four or five on the go at any one time.”

Sandra: “My favourite is my Kaweco fountain pen. I bought it for the shop and was so upset that it sold that I had to go and buy another one and it's been with me ever since.”

Ray: “My little Pentel Wren’s pencil which you click it once and it keeps writing and writing. It's got very clever mechanism that means you don't need to keep re-clicking.”

Sally: “Mine is my Perfect Planner diary. This is the third year I've been using these planners and it's absolutely revolutionised how I run the business, how I manage my time, and I will set my goals and review them every month. It’s a fabulous product.”

David: “My personal favourite is the one that makes me most money, which happens to be the Legami Erasable Pens. They came from left field and now they’re one of my bestsellers.”

What’s your funniest customer request?

Sarah: “I had a guy come in asking: “Have you got some dividers?” I showed him my lovely dividers selection. “No, not that kind of dividers,” he said, so I showed him a pair of compasses.

Sandra: “The best request I've ever had, and the customer was convinced that they bought them from for me the year before, was where was the section in my shop where I sell spring onions to the public. I think he meant the hardware shop about five days down, but he’d bought them from me, apparently.”

Ray: “I had one last week. It was a very, very quiet day, and then this old boy walked in, perfect for our demographic. I thought, good, he's going to be buying something. And he said “Hello, can you tell me where the police station is?” So, I told him and he said: “It’s just I've lost me hearing aid”!”

Sally: “We had someone walk into what’s clearly a stationery shop, it’s called The Pencil Case, and ask if I sell cricket whites!”

David: “We are also a newsagent and I think I had the first conspiracy theorist because this lady came in on a Friday and said: “I'm going away for the weekend, so can I have my Observer now?’” I explained “the Observer is a Sunday paper madam, and we don’t get it until Sunday”. To which she responded: “I know you get them before then, you've got them in the back”!”

What would be your stationery alter ego?

Sarah: “I'm going to go with a paperclip because I like connecting people, whether it be my customers or the industry, I like to hold things together.”

Sally: “My shop is called The Pencil Case and it contains loads of fabulous stationery so I've got to be a pencil case.”

David: “I’d chose to be a pencil shaving of Sarah Laker!”

Ray: “I should be the staple of Chesham as I’ve been there for 28 years.”

Sandra: “I've decided that I'm going to be a Positive Planner because I'm a right little ray of sunshine.”

Art Source

Back to Black

With a ‘starter’ of super creative ‘Tomato Soup Saturdays’ with her Dad and three sisters as a child, Helen Black was destined for a ‘main course’ of artistry in her working life.

Here the Brighton-based surface pattern designer and illustrator shares her life, loves and inspirations.

“Growing up my Mum often worked in the family hotel on Saturdays so it was my art teacher Dad who looked after us four girls at the weekend.

We’d have tomato soup and Dad would provide us with drawing materials, paints and clay. We would all sit at our large, white, round table and spend hours drawing, colouring-in and creating so it was a fairly sure bet that we would all grow up to be artistic.

My school art teacher Miss McGrenery was a joy and really inspired my art journey as did my Dad, who is still an artist.

I went to Blackpool Art College then attended Birmingham Polytechnic (the days before it became a university) where I studied printed textiles. During holidays I would work in London Print studios which helped my path when moving to London.

My first job was with a textile converter hand-painting tiny floral patterns for high street fashion stores such as Miss Selfridge, Top Shop and River Island. It was here that I met Andrea, a fellow designer, and we decided to go into business together selling prints and surface patterns to anyone who would buy them.

I began to realise though that I needed to learn how to use a computer at some point as I could see this was the future so my next move was to work in retail for a supplier to Marks & Spencer, designing prints for women’s and girls’ underwear and eventually men’s underwear! I also worked for BHS and Kickers before joining a studio designing for fashion graphics.

WANT TO BE FEATURED?

Redundancy forced my hand into becoming a freelance designer and after winning a design competition set by Tigerprint, doors started to open for me.

During this time, in common with so many creative people, I suffered self-doubt about my work and style. However, appearing in the Print & Pattern Nature book helped my confidence to grow and develop my style.

Over the years my style has evolved into something which I hope gives people a little joy.

I tell people that “I colour-in for a living” which is basically true. I paint with black ink and ink pens to create lots of patterns, texture and shapes then I scan these in and use Illustrator to piece it all together, not always knowing how things will turn out. I usually have a vague idea of where I want an idea to go, but sometimes happy mistakes happen.

My inspiration can come from all sorts of things, but I am often inspired by illustrators from the 60s and 70s, maybe because it reminds me of those ‘Tomato Soup Saturdays’ of my childhood. I adore the work of John Alcorn, Alice and Martin Provensen, Jerome Snyder and Brian Wildsmith and there are so many modern illustrators who inspire me too.

Swimming in an outdoor pool, here in my home town of Brighton is amazing for days when you need to have a think about designs and long walks along the coast help too.

I have learned over the years not to compare myself to others and to be happy in what I create. You have to be yourself and enjoy the process, that’s what people can feel in your work, I think.

Since freelancing I have worked with many wonderful companies on all sorts of products from party tableware to jigsaws and am excited about future collaborations. It’s always a joy seeing your designs in store, as the end goal is to make people happy.

The icing on the design cake is having Hannah Curtis, from my agency Creative Sparrow, supporting my creativity, finding me wonderful briefs to work on and in general bringing out the best in me.

I’m so lucky to have the career I have and I look forward to, hopefully, giving people a bit more joy in the future through my work.”

l Helen Black is represented by Creative Sparrow.

Far left: Helen Black.

Above: This design echoes the days when Helen was hand-painting flora designs for Miss Selfridge, Top Shop and River Island.

Left: A contemporary Christmas design.

Below: Helen is happy creating pretty pastel designs.

Above left: Bright and bold works well for Helen too. Left: Another different style from Helen.

PG ASKED A TRIO OF RETAILERS FOR THEIR BEST SELLERS

Paul Cheshire owns &Quirky, a Retas Awards 2024 finalist in the historic market town of Berkhamsted – where the Anglo-Saxon leaders surrendered to William The Conqueror’s forces after the defeat at the Battle Of Hastings.

Category

Everyday

Occasions

Humour

Name of Publisher

Robert James Hull

Bite Your Granny

Raspberry Blossom

Ohh Deer

Kaart Blanche

Lagom Design

Whale & Bird

Objectables

Running With Scissors

Buddy Fernandez

Children’s Gift Wrappings

Gifts

Heyyy Cards

Hutch Cassidy

Ricicle Cards

Penny Kennedy

Art Wow

Lisa Angel

Product/Name Range

Comments

“Animal-themed cards which are hand drawn and finished with a colourful pompom. With a pet and safari selection these are always a popular card.”

“Fun cards with a kitsch and nostalgic design based on pop culture and old TV shows.”

Joys Mini Cards

Legends

Cards Forest Fr1ends Child Done This

“Bright fun designs in a mini card, the colourful designs and die-cut design of dogs and cats are always good sellers.”

“A fun, comedy selection of which sells very well.”

“An innovative Belgian LGBTQ+ brand owned by Timo and Lars which features celebrity figures born in that month.”

“A perfect little card for any occasion.”

“Innocent-looking cards with Forest Friend figures, but feature hilarious wording which makes everyone chuckle.”

“These cheeky cards feature kids’ drawings which look innocent but are not!”

“Fun, quirky cards which aren't serious and bring a lot of laughs.”

“A staple humour card with its simple design continues to make people laugh – and they’re local.”

Tiny & Terrific

Magic Party

Under The Sea Raspberry Blossom

Mugs and coasters

Match Box Tokens

“These are bright, fun and nostalgic childhood themed age cards. In the design of childhood games and toys.”

“Bright colourful cards which feature hand drawn illustrations of a selection of party animals.”

“Lovely illustrated pictures of under the sea mermaids, fish and turtles. Finished with foil and lovely scalloped edging.”

“Following on from the bright world of Raspberry Blossom cards this range of colourful bags, wrap and tissue paper complement the style of cards.”

“Pop culture icons which sell consistently well – although Taylor Swift is in the lead!”

“Cute little porcelain figures which come in a matchbox featuring a cute title. Perfect for impulse purchase.”

Right: An Under The Sea card from Ricicle.

Right: A Bite Your Granny’s kitsch design.

Right: Forest Fr1ends naughty humour by Whale & Bird.

Envelope & Notebook Manufacturer

Stock & Bespoke Envelopes

Pastel, Deep Tint, Neo-light, Pearlescent, Eco Kraft, Recycled, Specialist, Textured, Printed, Foiled & Embossed, Electric Neon, 120gsm Tints, Recycled Kraft Base Pearlescents

Convert your best selling card designs into bespoke notebooks

Perfect Bound, Saddle Stitched, Wiro Bound, Weekly Planners, To-do List, Magnetic Shopping Pads Notecard Envelope Sets & Affirmation Cards, Casebound Notebooks, Gift Bags

Rob Sampson co-owns A Stone’s Throw with partner Pete, and they have just celebrated its 10th anniversary selling local, hand-crafted products and major greeting and gift brands in Robin Hood’s old stomping ground of Sherwood.

Category Name of Publisher Product/Name Range Comments

Everyday

Relations & Occasions

Humour

Children’s

Art

3D/Pop-Ups

Giftwrappings

Gifts

Heyyy Cards

Cinnamon Aitch

Louise Mulgrew Designs

Marina B

Ohh Deer

Rosie Made A Thing

Rachel Ellen Designs

B. Marriott Design

The Art File

Alljoy Design

Sarah Kelleher

A Blackbird Sang

Ziggle

I’Mpressed

She & He

Animalia

Confetti Celebrations; Pretty Lilly

Just Saying Gin & Frolics

Cookie Cutters

RSPB Garden Birds

Pollen

Message In A Bottle

Floral flat wrap

Pot Stems

Baby bibs and hats

“Really classy letterpress cards, but still maintaining the fun.”

“Customers can usually find a card “that looks just like my friend”!”

“Good quality board and artwork.”

“The rainbow foil element makes these cards really stand out.”

“Simple, but laugh-out-loud humour.”

“You can't go wrong with Rosie Made A Thing, hits the nail on the head.”

“Fun, bright, and shiny with gold foil, the children's age cards are a hit.”

“Customers love the bold graphics on these cards, with a donation to the RSPB too.”

“This range is still going strong for us.”

“Fantastic designs at a great price.”

“Stunning designs.”

“Customers are loving the wide range of designs, perfect for a new baby gift.”

“A great pick-me-up gift that can go through the post easily too!”

Stephanie Johnson is in the middle of celebrations marking 25 years of running The Gift Box in Peebles, a county town in the Scottish Borders

Category Name of Publisher Product/Name

Caroline Gardner

Wendy Jones Blackett

Rosie Made A Thing

James Ellis

Cinnamon Aitch

Lesley Johnson

Louise Carrie

Shona Lenaghan

Rachel Ellen Designs

Paper Rose

3D/Pop-Ups

Gifts

The Wooden Postcard Company

Glick Legami

Joyful notes

Quicksilver

Gin & Frolics

Acorns

Piccadilly

General

General

General

Star Jumps

The Art Group: Photogram

Highland Cow

Avocado

Erasable Pens

“I have stocked CG since I opened in 1999 and she keeps coming up with great ranges.”

“These cards are bright and colourful.”

“We constantly hear customers sniggering away at these cards.”

“The animal cards are really lovely and bright.”

“These are very simple, but pretty cards that feel special for age birthdays.”

“All the art cards I stock are by local Scottish Borders’ artists”

“Has to be these – they’re just very cute cards that are perfect for children.”

“The animal ones are always a hit especially the ones with dogs.”

“Customers are amazed these can be posted with a normal postage stamp and love that they can prop them up on a shelf as a mini picture.”

“So many ranges that sell well for me, but the Avocado one has been popular since it came out this year.”

“The local children go nuts for these pens and even swap them in the playground!”

Right: Bright floral wrap by Sarah Kelleher.

Right: Heyyy Cards I’Mpressed range.

Right: RSPB designs from B. Marriott Design.

Right: Wooden postcards make a great display.

Right: Rachel Ellen’s Star Jumps are great for kids.

PRODUCT DIRECTORY l PRODUCT DIRECTORY l PRODUCT DIRECTORY

GREETING CARDS

One of the UK’s leading publishers of Charity Greeting Cards. Impress offers a wide collection of images, including fine art, graphic, photographic and cute. We also offer a bespoke design service for bulk orders and/or mail order fulfilment.

PRODUCT DIRECTORY l PRODUCT DIRECTORY l PRODUCT DIRECTORY

i ww info w. o@ pas @pas ell sel pu lpu blis ublis hin shin g. ng com com m info@passel ublisshinng..com

THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF GREETING CARDS IN THE WORLD

To appear in the Product Directories contact Warren Lomax T: 020 7700 6740 email: warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact Tracey Arnaud T: 07957 212 062 email: traceya@max-publishing.co.uk

6 Heron Trading Estate

Alliance Road, Park Royal, London W3 0RA T: 0208 385 4474 F: 0208 385 4471 E: info@Xpressyourselfcards.co.uk

WWW.XXPRESSYOURSELFCARDS.CO.UK

PRODUCTS: World’s leading publisher of high quality plastic greeting cards. Also an extensive range of quality greeting cards covering Everyday, Occasions, Christmas and Spring seasons.

BRANDS: Cherished Thoughts, Sweet Sentiments, Buddies Always, Symphony, Thinking of You, Style, Special Wishes, Special Times, Young Editions, Groove Sensations, Forever Blessed, Grey Skies, Classics.

METHOD OF SALE: SENSATIONS –Direct to retail XPRESS YOURSELF –Now one of the leading wholesale publisher suppliers in the UK

Products: Greetings Cards, Gift Wrap, Gift Bags, Social Stationery, Partyware

Brands: Blossom & Bows Card Essentials Greetings Impressions In Touch Isabel s Garden Planet Happy Sentiments With You In Mind Word Play Method of sale: Wholesale Distributors

Simon Elvin Limited Wooburn Industrial Park, Wooburn Green, Bucks HP10 0PE Tel: 01628 526711 Fax: 01628 531483 www.simonelvin.com mail@simonelvin.com

& an extensive range of superior quality, design-led Greeting Cards for all occasions, Spring Seasons & Christmas.

To appear in the Product Directories contact Warren Lomax T: 020 7700 6740 email: warren@max-publishing.co.uk or contact

Tracey Arnaud T: 07957 212 062 email: traceya@max-publishing.co.uk