This document summarizes an issue of the magazine Gypsy Chic. It includes interviews with several women involved in greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship, including Catherine Kleeli, Catherine Pain, and Charlotte Ellis. The issue focuses on the entrepreneurial experiences of the women and provides advice on topics like brand building, marketing, and growing a small business. It also highlights Celtic-themed shops and artists in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

1. Gypsy Chic
magazine
Gypsy
Inside!!! Interviews with Catherine Kleeli, Catherine Pain,
Charlotte Ellis and Dollybirds Art ....
Issue 5 - 2016
the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
My
E-SPARK
Journey
HAPPY
SAINT
PATRICK’S
DAY
Catherine Kleeli Catherine Pain,
GYPSY
CHIC
QUOTES
Interviews with Catherine Kleeli
E-SPARK
Catherine Kleeli
HAPPY
BELFAST
FOCUSRETAILER SPOTLIGHT
ON
THE WICKERMAN
BRAND
BUILDING
BLOCKS

2. 2
CONTENTS
3
4
6
9
10
13
14
17
18
21
22
25
26
2
P.10
P.6
P.14
P.18
P.22
P.14
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE HATCHING CHICKLET!
INTERVIEW WITH...CATHERINE KLEELI
GYPSY CHIC QUOTES
INTERVIEW WITH...THE WICKERMAN
BRAND BUILDING BLOCKS/BOOK NOOK
INTERVIEW WITH...CHARLOTTE ELLIS
EARN YOUR STRIPES
INTERVIEW WITH...DOLLYBIRDS ART
ARE YOU PROFILE PRETTY?
INTERVIEW WITH...CATHERINE PAIN
VIDEO TYPES
YOUTUBE

3. from the Editorfrom the Editor
L E T T E R
W
hat a whirlwind of a month
February has been. Joining
the E-spark programme in
the Belfast Hatchery has
been nothing short of lifechanging. Meeting
80 new businesses, learning about what each
other do, and pitching en masse in front of total
strangers, has helped us bond - there is real
momentum in the group. Knowing that our
time won’t last for ever, we’ve already started
to gather each other’s contact details, formed
groups on Twitter and Facebook, knowing only
too well that we can’t stay here forever. Once
we have flown the nest in August we will have
to forge ahead on our own, all the stronger for
having had this shared experience. But for
now, we all plan on making the very most of
the remaining 5 months, despite knowing that
much of it will not all be plain sailing, and that
we will all face the Piranha Pit where we will
have our business ideas torn to shreds, and our
assumptions called into question. We expect to
feel discombobulated by the end.
My involvement on this accelerator has
prevented me from getting Issue 5 out on time –
late by a fornight. But I hope you will overlook
this. As you know life just gets in the way
sometimes.Thanks again to Sharon, my graphic
designer who helps me on a daily basis to make
things look beautiful and to pull together the
contents of this e-zine amongst other things.
Special thanks also to my contributors this month
– the 3 C’s : Catherine Kleeli, Catherine Pain,
and Charlotte Ellis of Charlotte Elizabeth who all
share their journey in this incredible industry.
Belfast is my focus for this issue with a
contribution from The Wickerman, a lovely
Celtic themed gift and craft shop near my office
in Lombard Street, and a feature on Dollybirds
Art, owned by Eimear Maquire. I hope you enjoy
reading all about them.
Wishing you a happy St Patrick’s Day, and a
shamrock filled month!
Lorraine
www.lorrainestylianou.com
3

4. 4
THE HATCHING
CHICKLET!
H
aving completed my fourth week on
the E-Spark business accelerator I
am better placed to see what has been
a bit of a personal whirlwind more
objectively, which in turn allows me to write a few
words about my experiences to date. I saw the
E-spark programme, a free business accelerator,
advertised in November 15 via a flashy
advertisement on Facebook.This world’s largest
business incubator is available to entrepreneurs
at all stages at various locations around the
UK, and India. Belfast happened to be my
local “hatchery” - the name given to the space
“chicklets” or new startup businesses occupy.
The free office space is provided by the Royal
Bank of Scotland, or it’s offshoot in N.Ireland, the
Ulster Bank. The whole concept is the brain child
of Jim Duffy, who started the idea in Glasgow,
with the backing of leading entrepreneurs. Jim,
an ex-police officer, went to Business school after
leaving his job and is passionate about
changing the culture of the UK, and
elsewhere through entrepreneurship.
Having successfully registered,I waited
for an email from the E-Spark team
indicating a range of appointment
dates. With Christmas looming,
and knowing my annual tax affairs
needed finalising,I certainly
wasn’t going to choose a December interview if
a later one in January was on offer.So that is what
I did – booked the last possible option of January
14th. This gave me more time to get my own
domestic chaos in order and think about what I
was going to say in my 60 second pitch. It also
gave me time to research,and draft,my value
proposition,and vision for my business.
The great thing about networking in a small
city like Belfast is that I met at least four other
people who had already applied and attended
interview. Sadly none of them got on the
programme. I will mention the reasons why I
think this was a little later on.
On the morning of 14 January, before my
interview, I headed into town with only one
objective in mind – to sit at my favourite window
seat in the Europa Hotel with a relaxing hot
chocolate. Ironically the hotel is the most
bombed hotel in the world, having been
targeted 28 times during the troubles. Realising
I still had over 45 minutes to spare, I skipped
along Royal Avenue to meet my Italian friend
Chiara who was busy selling Italian
leather handbags in a shopping
mall. Standing in the middle of
Castle Court, Chiara made me
rehearse my pitch over and over
again. This preparation helped
an ex-police officer, went to Business school after
leaving his job and is passionate about
changing the culture of the UK, and
elsewhere through entrepreneurship.
Having successfully registered,I waited
for an email from the E-Spark team
indicating a range of appointment
chocolate. Ironically the hotel is the most
bombed hotel in the world, having been
targeted 28 times during the troubles. Realising
I still had over 45 minutes to spare, I skipped
along Royal Avenue to meet my Italian friend
Chiara who was busy selling Italian
Castle Court, Chiara made me
rehearse my pitch over and over
again. This preparation helped
http://www.entrepreneurial-spark.com/

5. steel my nerves and I headed
towards the large Ulster Bank
building to take my turn in
front of the judging panel.All
the attendees were shown
into a tiny side room. Some
were studiously repeating
their pitches in front of laptop
screens while the rest of us joined in lively
banter,finding out what each other did.
When we were called up,we headed en
masse to a top level floor and shown in to
a board room with just enough seats for
everyone. With only 15 minutes allocated
to each person for interview,two“enablers”
listened to my 60 second pitch,and asked me
a few questions on my vision for my business.
The objective of this accelerator is to grow a
business rapidly,the interviewers uninterested
in lifestyle business proposals. Prospective
applicants please note!
We were given the opportunity of staying
on after our interview to network but I headed
for the lifts,and my train home.I had watched
my two interviewers for signals of interest in
what I shared at interview,but wasn’t able to
pinpoint anything one thing over an other. What
I can say with certainty now,however,is that I
definitely expressed a desire to go global. To
do that,there has to be things in place within
your business to allow that.I believe the fact
that I already include in my team freelancers
from all over the world was a strength.I’ve
never had a problem delegating tasks to people
far more skilled in the use of Creative Suite
6 than me,once I’ve scanned in my original
artwork.Neither have I found it difficult to hire
and manage multiple freelancers for translation
services,animation and video production.
Given that I’ve worked with my team for over
two years,I have grown to love and trust them
all. I couldn’t wish for a better bunch.
Going back to my contacts who did not join
our hatchery in the February
intake,it is clear that the
proposition they put forward was
not scalable. The great work/life
balance one accountant I meet at
numerous local events makes clear
he is interested in achieving does
not float the E-spark enablers’boat.
As part of an intensive accelerator we are there
to achieve rapid results,with little chance of
balance in the early months. In a little pep talk
by Jim,the CEO of the Company,before our
official launch on 3 March,we were warned that
family life may never be the same again and
were encouraged to have a little cry when the
pressure gets too much.
Moving from my comfy home office into a
hatchery filled with ambitious entrepreneurs
has forced me to reassess my goals. Thoughts
around what I would prepare for lunch were
soon replaced with thoughts around innovation,
market fluctuation,brand awareness,and
business model generation.Being accountable
to a mentor at fortnightly temperature checks
soon gets your work juices flowing. My focus
prior to the programme was very much
centred around design – my comfort zone.
This has now moved more to thoughts of how
I can collaborate with team members,and
generate sales. I’ve had to substitute family
commitments for event nights,and must face
constructive criticism from mentors in the
forthcoming“Piranha Pit”– a place where your
business proposals are picked apart in order to
get you to question everything you are doing.
I’d like to thank everyone on the E-spark
programme for the opportunity afforded me,and
hope I can live up to their expectations. Thanks
also to Sharon Little of the GCA for asking me to
write about my journey so far.Wishing all future
applicants the very best of luck! Remember,if at
first you don’t succeed,try and try again.How
else does a chick break out of it’s egg?
5
our hatchery in the February
intake,it is clear that the
proposition they put forward was
not scalable. The great work/life
balance one accountant I meet at
numerous local events makes clear
he is interested in achieving does
not float the E-spark enablers’boat.
http://lorrainestylianou.com/

6. 6
Interview with .....
Catherine Kleeli
of Catherine Kleeli Designs

7. 1. HAVING LOOKED AT YOUR WEBSITE
BRITISH ANIMALS ARE YOUR MAIN
SUBJECT. HOW DO YOU START EACH
DRAWING AND WHAT TECHNIQUE
DO YOU USE TO GIVE IT A COLLAGE/
TEXTURED APPEARANCE?
lll Something of the creature’s intrinsic
qualities or character have to catch my
attention in the first instance. Preferably
I begin by capturing this photographically
myself or I use a found image. The
textured appearance comes from
collageing onto heavyweight textured
watercolour paper.
2. I NOTE THAT YOU HAVE A DEGREE
IN FINE ART. HOW DID THAT HELP YOU
PURSUE A CARD PUBLISHING BUSINESS?
lll There is no doubt that my Fine Art
Degree has been helpful to my creative
processes in helping me think critically,
helping me explore possibilities and
opening up my practice to new disciplines
and techniques. Getting involved with
Printmaking has probably been the
single most helpful element in extending
my creations into the card publishing
business. This exposed me to creating
works in a ‘series’, to working with F
7

8. 8
‘Chine Collée’, a French term for
incorporating collage into printmaking,
and to using prints as ‘cards worth
keeping’ which has become the
‘strapline’ of my business.
3. FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON’T KNOW
TELL US ABOUT GUM ARABIC TRANSFER
PRINT – WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?
lll Another name for the Gum Arabic
Transfer Print is ‘Paper Lithography’
as the resulting print has the quality of
a lithographic print. Instead of using a
lithographic stone from which to make
a print, you use a photocopied image as
your print plate. In order to do this, using
the principle of oil and water not mixing,
you use an oil based ink and gum Arabic
medium mixed with water. This isn’t an
easy process to master, as you’re basically
inking, rolling and handling a soggy piece
of thin paper to make a print. Somehow, I
just managed to get to grips and persevere
with the process as the resulting print
gives an image that inspires me and is
the basis for layering with other print
techniques like ’Chine Collee’. I’m also
very ‘light of hand’, an essential quality
with this technique.
4. DOYOU PLANTO INCLUDE OTHER
THEMES INTHE FUTURE ORDOES BRITISH
WILDLIFEAND NATURE IN GENERAL GIVE
YOUAWIDE ENOUGH SCOPE? WILLYOUR
CARDS REMAIN BLANK?
lll For the moment I think there is still
some mileage in continuing my Animal/
wildlife theme as this is what people
identify my brand with at present. I
think my range will evolve gradually so
that new themes will emerge generically
without moving away too much from my
origins. I will be continuing with blank
cards for the foreseeable as this is why
some of my Agents have taken me on to sit
alongside their other publishers.
5. HOW DO YOU FIND NEW STOCKISTS?
lll I was very fortunate to find an Agent
early on in my business development.
This and other subsequent Agents have
by far proved the best way of finding new
Stockists. Finding new good Agents – well
that’s another issue. Like finding a hen’s
tooth! Other than Agents, I approach
Stockists directly if I’m visiting anywhere
that I think my cards would sell well, I
always have some samples with me in the
car – not easy, and takes courage but can be
immensely satisfying when someone says
‘yes, I can sell these’. Thirdly, momentum
is the thing, like getting a jet plane off the
ground. Once people see your cards, that
momentum can build via trade fairs, your
website, social media and editorials. It’s
basically a multi-pronged attack.
6. DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO SCALE
THINGS INTO SOMETHING MORE THAN
A LIFESTYLE BUSINESS? IF SO, TELL US A
LITTLE ABOUT WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE
TO SEE CATHERINE KLEELI DESIGNS IN
THE NEXT DECADE?
lll I’m keen to explore the possibilities
of licensing some of my designs as
another income stream. This is on my
agenda to explore in the coming year.
As an Artist, I’m also keen to continue
paint and printmaking whenever time
allows and who knows how this might
seep into Catherine Kleeli Designs –
the possibilities are endless.
CATHERINE KLEELI
Mobile: 07814 293155
Email: ck@catherinekleeli.co.uk
Web: www.catherinekleeli.co.uk

9. 9
In this edition I want to
share some of the very
direct quotes I’ve heard
from business mentors
I’ve followed [paid for their
courses, bought the books,
wear the T-shirt] - those
organised by entrepreneurs
Daniel Priestley, and Jim
Duffy). I hope they resonate.
“INFLUENCE FLOWS FROM OUTPUT.”
“Prolific
beats
Perfect.”
“Get Sh*t done.
Then make
it better.”
“GODO.”

10. 10
Interview with .....
The Wicker Man

11. 1. TELL US HOW THE WICKERMAN WAS
ESTABLISHED AND SOMETHING ABOUT
YOUR JOURNEY TO BELFAST TO BECOME
A SHOP OWNER AND PROMOTER OF
CELTIC ARTS AND CRAFTS.
lll The Wicker Man was created in 1994
by Laurence Burrell and Peter Todd, 2
jewellery makers who saw a niche in the
market promoting locally made products.
We have been in our present location since
2007. We work with around 150 makers
from the island of Ireland: potters, weavers,
jewellery designers and artists with
different media. Our ethos is to promote and
celebrate everything which is local: skills,
talent, materials and traditions.
We work with makers who range in
age from 20 years old to 80+, with large
companies and “one man band”, with
professionals and hobbyists, with people
who have lived here all their lives and ones
who came from somewhere in the world but
chose to live in Ireland and add to the mix.
We know all our suppliers and their stories.
This enable us to sell not only beautiful
products but also where they came from,
who made them and how they are made,
enriching both our experience and yours.
We are not a souvenir shop, we are a
craft shop so we enjoy a strong support
from local shoppers, some have been our
customers for 20 years and of course we
love welcoming visitors to Belfast and tell
them about our beautiful city.
11
F

12. 12
2. YOU HOST CRAFT EVENINGS AND
GALLERY EVENTS. IS COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT IMPORTANT TO YOU?
IS THERE A STRONG INTEREST IN
LEARNING IRISH CRAFT TECHNIQUES?
lll 5 years ago we started promoting and
selling pure Irish wool in our shop. We
have 2 suppliers from Kilkenny & Donegal.
From this we discovered that our customers
wanted to learn to knit and crochet so
we set up classes taught by a passionate
professional tutor and have been running
them successfully for the last 4 years.
There is definitely a revival in people
wanting to learn traditional skills and we
are happy to cater to that demand.
3. I GET A LOT OF CONFLICTING
OPINIONS ON THE FUTURE OF GREETING
CARDS – FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW
ARE CARDS STILL A PROFITABLE PART OF
YOUR BUSINESS.
lll Yes, we still sell a lot of cards. It could
be to do with the fact that we only sell Irish
artists cards, some Celtic and in Irish.
There are a lot of people in the world with
Irish connections and they love to receive
a physical card rather than a digital one.
I also thing that people generally like
receiving cards and appreciate the time
someone has taken to buy, write and post
it, which makes it a lot more personal.
4. WHENWORKINGWITHANEW
SUPPLIER OF CARDS,WHAT DOYOU
LOOK FOR? DOYOUWORK ONASALE OR
RETURN BASIS OR PLACE ORDERS? WHAT
TRADE FAIRS TOYOUVISIT, IFANY?
lll We look for something different than
what we already sell, having been in business
for 21 years means that we have been buying
from some of our suppliers for a long time;
this makes it difficult sometimes to make
space for newcomers and offering a local
aspect to their cards is as important as
having a good variety in their range.
We mostly buy cards outright as it is a
bit difficult to keep track of them on a sale
or return basis unless they are bar coded.
We only attend one trade fair: Showcase
at the RDS in Dublin. This show exhibits
mostly Irish makers so it works well for
us. A large number of makers also visit the
shop to show us their work during the year.
5. TOURISTS MUST MAKE UP AN
IMPORTANT PROPORTION OF YOUR
CUSTOMERS. CAN YOU TELL US
WHERE THE MAJORITY OF TOURISTS
COME FROM? IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAY
WHICH NATIONALITY SPEND MOST IN
YOUR STORE?
lll Visitors to our shop are from all over
the world, especially the USA, Australia,
Europe and Great Britain. Americans tend
to spend the most.
6. ARE THERE ANY NEW MARKETING
STRATEGIES YOU PLAN TO TRY IN 2016?
lll Our strategy for 2016 is to grow
our branding to emphasise the priority
of promoting and selling local in The
Wicker Man.
THE WICKER MAN
W: http://www.thewickerman.co.uk/
E: admin@thewickerman.co.uk
T: +44(0)2890 243550

13. 2
l Businesses both old and new must constantly
build their brand. The starting point is always
knowing your market, and your customer profile.
Positioning your brand is all about finding a niche
in your prospects mind and satisfying them with
products, visuals, and word associations that stick.
What does your brand say about you? Get some
friends, and random strangers to make a list of the
words they associate with your products and the
feelings they evoke.
A good a place as any to start is by looking at
what your competitors are doing. Here are some
businesses you may like to research for ideas on
how they’ve put together their brand story. They are
not greeting card specific but since presentation,
packaging, logos, the colours we choose are all
part of our brand image, you can’t go far wrong by
looking at a few.
Consider the history and inspiration behind the
brand, the values they aspire to, their “tone of voice”
and the photography used.
Silken Favours: http://silkenfavours.com/
Louis Vuitton: http://uk.louisvuitton.com/eng-
gb/homepage
Cath Kidston: http://www.cathkidston.com/
Belleek Living: http://www.belleek.com/
belleek-brands
The Book Nook
13
l l l Downloaded at 6am one cold
March morning, the moment it came
through on my Facebook feed, this
kindle download is a joy to read.
Follow the author Martin Norbury
though his amusing story of how
childhood lessons of rejection,
not fitting in, his love of dance,
and magic, helped him succeed
in business. Now known as the
Scalability coach, Martin’s book
will be one I get through quickly and
the moment I’m back in bed (my
only chance to read anything) I’ll be
polishing off the remaining 1 hour
and 50 minutes remaining of my
kindle download. Enjoy - and let me
know what you thought of it.
BRANDBRANDBUILDING BLOCKS

14. 14
...Charlotte Ellis
of Charlotte Elisabeth Designs
Interview with .....

15. 1. YOU HAVE MANY LOVELY DESIGNS
ALL FEATURING AN EMBELLISHMENT
OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER – BUTTONS,
DIAMANTES, RIBBONS. DO YOU HAVE
ANYONE TO HELP YOU APPLY THESE.
lll No, currently I do everything
including all the embellishing although I
know that I do have the support of family
and friends when a big order comes in.
The majority of my business is online
sales - I try to get my orders out within
a day or two for single cards and there
are some designs that are quicker to
put together than others. It’s just about
manageable for me to carry out all the
work myself. If I was to supply my
handmade designs to stockists, then it
might be a different story and I’d definitely
need more help with finishing the designs.
2. LIKE MANY OF US, WE HAVE TO
JUGGLE CARD PUBLISHING WITH FAMILY
COMMITMENTS. HOW DO YOU BEST
DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES THIS
CREATES – ANY TOP TIPS?
lll I’m a single mum to my gorgeous
four year old son so time management
is key. For many years, I worked five
days a week as a Legal PA in London only
making my cards in the evenings and
on weekends. It was all proving very
stressful and recently, with my son due
to start school, I knew that I wanted to be
closer to home. Luckily, the opportunity
arose at exactly the right time to enable
me to work from home but that has meant
I have to be even more disciplined and
organised - my day is also split because of
the afternoon school pick up so I tend to
work mornings, stop mid-afternoon, and
then carry on again in the evenings.
I try to draw on my PA skills in terms of
planning and prioritising my day to day
goals and objectives. While a lot of my
days do feel a little rushed, there are a few
things that I find helpful - making lists and
prioritising each task; deciding first thing
in the morning what I can realistically
fit into each day and what I need to
accomplish; always communicating with
customers and keeping them informed
of progress; setting aside dedicated time
with my little boy in the afternoons and
on weekends. Often my work doesn’t feel
like work so sometimes I find it difficult to
shut off from the business completely.
Most importantly, I try to take care of
myself with a healthy diet and trying
to get enough sleep. Sometimes easier
said than done. When I have a lot on,
it’s much easier to break things down
into smaller, manageable steps, perhaps
taking an hour or so away from work and
then coming back with a fresh mind. My
advice would be just believe in yourself
and your ideas, follow your dreams and
the opportunities will arise. F
15

16. 16
3. WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
DO YOU USE? WHICH ONE IS YOUR
FAVOURITE AND WHY?
lll I use Facebook and Twitter although I
sometimes struggle to be consistent with
either. I lean towards Facebook because
it’s the platform I’m most familiar with
and I have more of an audience there. I’m
not someone who naturally loves posting
on social media which I know in this day
and age is something I need to address
especially now in terms of expanding my
business. I have enough artwork, orders
and creativity going on to post everyday, I
just don’t seem to have settled into it and
I often get so caught up in making orders
up or designing instead. Perhaps it’s time
to make a new list and start scheduling
some posts!
4. DO YOU CURRENTLY EXPORT, AND IF
SO, TO WHICH COUNTRIES. HOW DO YOU
DEAL WITH BIG ORDERS?
lll No, it’s not something I’ve looked at in
any detail. Due to the handmade nature of
my cards, I never felt I would be able to cope
with all the work involved in hand-finishing.
However, I’ve had quite a few online
orders from people in Australia so perhaps
there’s a market for my cards there. With
any size order, time management and
communication is so important; it’s always
good practice to determine from the start
when the customer needs their cards so
whether it’s a large or smaller order, I just
allocate the time necessary around other
work to get everything finished on time.
5. WHAT THREE THINGS WILL YOU
IMPLEMENT IN 2016 TO HELP GROW
YOUR BUSINESS.
lll I am exhibiting at the British Craft
Trade Fair in Harrogate in April so that
will be the first major event of 2016 for
me. Meeting customers directly is always
encouraging - I’m so used to selling online
and working on my own that trade and
local craft fairs are definitely going to be an
avenue that I intend to explore. Secondly,
I will be looking to acquire a few more
stockists and thirdly, I definitely need to
focus on a marketing strategy and getting
my brand name out there.
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
CHARLOTTE ELISABETH DESIGNS IN THE
NEXT 5 YEARS.
lll I’ve always had success with online
personalised card sales so I intend to carry
on developing that side of the business.
I’m planning to design more birthday
and wedding invitations since they have
taken a back seat over the last year or so.
Selling directly to the consumer is what I’m
familiar with but I’ve recently been thinking
more seriously about acquiring stockists.
I’ve started changing the way that I design,
and I’m producing a lot more hand-drawn
work - I have lots of ideas so I’m just going
see what opportunities present themselves.
TheonethingIwouldloveistobeableto
generateenoughbusinesstoaffordmorespace
toworkin-whetherthatbeasmallstudioorjust
anotherroom(ortwo!)athome. Currentlyall
myworkisstilldonefrommylivingroomtable.
CHARLOTTE ELISABETH DESIGNS
W: http://charlotte-elisabeth.co.uk/
M: 07816 814 805
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
CharlotteElisabethDesigns/?fref=ts
16
3. WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
DO YOU USE? WHICH ONE IS YOUR
FAVOURITE AND WHY?
lll I use Facebook and Twitter although I
sometimes struggle to be consistent with
either. I lean towards Facebook because
it’s the platform I’m most familiar with
and I have more of an audience there. I’m
not someone who naturally loves posting
on social media which I know in this day
and age is something I need to address
especially now in terms of expanding my
business. I have enough artwork, orders
and creativity going on to post everyday, I
just don’t seem to have settled into it and
I often get so caught up in making orders
up or designing instead. Perhaps it’s time
to make a new list and start scheduling
some posts!
4. DO YOU CURRENTLY EXPORT, AND IF
SO, TO WHICH COUNTRIES. HOW DO YOU
DEAL WITH BIG ORDERS?
lll No, it’s not something I’ve looked at in
any detail. Due to the handmade nature of
my cards, I never felt I would be able to cope
with all the work involved in hand-finishing.
However, I’ve had quite a few online
orders from people in Australia so perhaps
there’s a market for my cards there. With
any size order, time management and
communication is so important; it’s always
good practice to determine from the start
when the customer needs their cards so
whether it’s a large or smaller order, I just
allocate the time necessary around other
work to get everything finished on time.
5. WHAT THREE THINGS WILL YOU
IMPLEMENT IN 2016 TO HELP GROW
YOUR BUSINESS.
lll I am exhibiting at the British Craft
Trade Fair in Harrogate in April so that
will be the first major event of 2016 for
me. Meeting customers directly is always
encouraging - I’m so used to selling online
and working on my own that trade and
local craft fairs are definitely going to be an
avenue that I intend to explore. Secondly,
I will be looking to acquire a few more
stockists and thirdly, I definitely need to
focus on a marketing strategy and getting
my brand name out there.
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
CHARLOTTE ELISABETH DESIGNS IN THE
NEXT 5 YEARS.
lll I’ve always had success with online
personalised card sales so I intend to carry
on developing that side of the business.
I’m planning to design more birthday
and wedding invitations since they have
taken a back seat over the last year or so.
Selling directly to the consumer is what I’m
familiar with but I’ve recently been thinking
more seriously about acquiring stockists.
I’ve started changing the way that I design,
and I’m producing a lot more hand-drawn
work - I have lots of ideas so I’m just going
see what opportunities present themselves.
TheonethingIwouldloveistobeableto
generateenoughbusinesstoaffordmorespace
toworkin-whetherthatbeasmallstudioorjust
anotherroom(ortwo!)athome. Currentlyall
myworkisstilldonefrommylivingroomtable.
CHARLOTTE ELISABETH DESIGNS
W: http://charlotte-elisabeth.co.uk/
M: 07816 814 805
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
CharlotteElisabethDesigns/?fref=ts
16

17. 17
EARN YOUR
STRIPES!
A
lmost everyone will be familiar with
the black and white codes on products
known as barcodes which are used
for stock control – when scanned,the
retailer can determine what,and how many,items
s/he holds in inventory. They are not only used
for determining prices,and stock levels of goods,
but for tracking items (luggage at airports,the
location of postal items etc).
Indie card publishers looking to use the
Universal Product code – official name for
barcodes – on their greeting cards will come up
with numerous barcode providers – all offering
different levels of service,and prices. Do your
due diligence before purchasing vast quantities
as some providers are charging excessive
amounts. Barcodestalk (thanks to agent
extraordinaire Ian Bradley’s recommendation!!)
is by far the cheapest I’ve seen,although the
web interface on Buyabarcode’s site is user
friendly (except for the annoying pop up lady
who appears on the screen every time you visit
whom you must silence immediately). The
difference in cost of 1000 barcodes between the
first (€180) and second company
(£830),for example,is a whopping
£690 – an amount neither a startup
nor an established publisher can
afford to lose. And there are some
companies out there charging even
more. I started listing barcode
providers,inserting them into a table which I
was going to share in this article,but most were
so expensive,I decided the exercise was futile.
Nobody in their right mind would pay 83p for
something they can find just as easily for 14p. If
you can better 14p (for 1000) please let me know.
For the young publisher,the investment
in barcodes may appear prohibitive but if it
represents the difference between only being
stocked in independents rather than major retail
chains,the investment is,in my view,well worth
making if your objective is to run a scalable
business. It could be one of the“quantum leaps”
your business must go through to become a
recognizable brand.After weeks of dithering,
I have taken out GS1 membership and will
be generating my “stripes”with free barcode
generating software.A learning curve on a par
with a Himalayan trek.
So what of the inventor of the barcode?
George J. Laurer still lives in the US. Born in
1925,George was requested to create a pattern
or code that could be used on food labels and
that was readable by the scanners of the day.
Different protoypes were created
but Laurer’s striped version won
the day. The striped code brought
supermarkets into the digital age
– and I’m about to bring my cards
into this mythical other world very
soon too.

18. 18
Interview with .....
Dollybirds Art

19. 1. WHEN I SAW YOUR
BEAUTIFUL BIRD PAINTINGS
ON TWITTER I KNEW I HAD
TO GET IN TOUCH. HOW DID YOUR ART
JOURNEY START AND WHEN DID YOU
DECIDE TO NICHE INTO BIRDS?
lll I have always known I would be an
artist, my dad is an artist and I have lots
of childhood memories of sitting drawing
with him. I went to university in Belfast and
studied painting before going on to complete
a Post Grad in education. I started painting
birds when my children were a bit smaller.
We have lots in our garden because we are
so close to the mountain, I love wildlife and
the birds were a perfect subject because of
their scale and beauty.
2. YOU HAVE QUITE A PRODUCT
RANGE FOR WHAT I’M ASSUMING IS A
RELATIVELY NEW STARTUP (CORRECT
ME IF I’M WRONG). WHAT SELLS BEST
FOR YOU AND DO YOU SELL AT LOCAL
MARKETS? ARE PRIVATE COMMISSIONS
AND LICENSING SOMETHING YOU HOPE
TO DEVELOP IN THE BUSINESS?
lll I have been working on Dollybirds
Art for around 3 years. I have 2 young
children and my husband works long
hours so there is never enough time to
get everything done.
My best seller would be my Dollybird
prints followed by my new notebooks. I
have a new collection of Greetings cards
being launched in March. I don’t do a lot
of markets but I do sell through some
lovely shops such as Avoca, Kiln & Loom
and Line & Latte. I also have an online
shop on my website. I have had a few
private commissions and have also dipped
my toes in the world of licensing with a
London based company, I would like to
develop this further though.
3. WILLYOU EXTENDYOUR
BIRD PAINTING TO INCLUDE
MORE EXOTIC BIRDS LIKE
FLAMINGOSAND PEACOCKS?
lll Yes, I have so much that I really want
to make and paint. I would love to do a
really sweet collection of budgie paintings,
also I would love to paint a collection of
woodland creatures. I still have lots native
birds to paint too. I did paint a flamingo
as a commission and I really enjoyed
painting it. I do love a bit of pink.
4. HAVEYOU MANYARTIST FRIENDS IN
THE BELFASTAREAWITHASIMILAR LOVE
OFWILDLIFEAND E-COMMERCE SKILLS?
lll I am lucky as my studio space is in a
building with 3 other artists who are in a
similar position to me. I am also a member
of Belfast Print Workshop so I get to work
in an open workshop with other artists
to produce my screen prints. One of my
sisters is an artist and the other is one
half of a design company Oscar & Oscar so
both are great to get advice from.
5. DESCRIBE YOUR WORKSPACE AND
WHERE YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION
FROM?
lll My studio is on the top floor of a
1950s building which really reminds
me of the offices in the series Mad men.
Some of my walls are covered in beauty
board. It’s a great space big enough for my
ever growing collection of stuff, I like to
collect things! I have lots of old bird books
in my studio, I love looking at Victorian
illustrations. I have a table for painting by
the window, a framing table and a table for
packing and wrapping things.
There are great views of the Cavehill
from the window & I start each morning
with a walk which is where I get most of
19
F

20. 20
my inspiration. I see so many birds on my
walks, I love watching them.
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
DOLLYBIRDS ART BY 2018 – SHARE SOME
OF YOUR MORE PRESSING GOALS.
lll I would like to develop a complete
range of Dollybird stationery. I have just
started a course in Illustrator as I want
to develop a range of wedding stationery.
I will be working on that this year. I have
a children’s book idea in my head that I
would love to make a reality next year.
I would like to find more lovely stockists
for Dollybirds Art. I also would like to find
some new licensing partners.
DOLLYBIRDS ART
Web: www.dollybirdsart.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dollybirds-
Art-101059810024881/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/dollybirdsart/
dollybirds-art/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dollybirdsart

21. 21
ARE YOU PROFILE PRETTY?
– A Linkedin CRASH COURSE
P
art of your professional online brand will
include your presence on social media and
it might be worth asking yourself how you
are perceived. Have you taken a look at LinkedIn
lately? Firstly you will be missing a trick if you haven’t
thought of how your website will look on a mobile.
When people access you via LinkedIn (a potential
400 million viewers) they will try and gather how
personable you are.They don’t want to do business
with a faceless corporate,but with someone with
a nice headshot,good visual content and video
because it is through these mediums that we learn
most about someone.
WHY DOES JO BLOGGS JOIN LINKEDIN?
Firstly it gives you a profile,allows you to connect,
find and be found and gives greater insights into what
you do. The top 10 tips I would recommend to make
you“profile pretty”are:
1.Share and post good content regularly. Remember
what I’ve harked on about in previous editions – the
need to be seen as an influencer.
2. The more active and engaging you are on LinkedIn,
the higher up the Google search engines you go
3. It reinforces your personal brand by saying that
you are relevant,current,and alive
4. If you are not there,you are not being talked about
– you are inconspicuous by your absence.
5. If you decide to update your profile do so with
a lot of forethought,and preferably by using the
“incognito”button in settings until you are ready to
go live (more later)
6. Think about how you differ from others and make
sure you spell that out in neon lights on LinkedIn
7. LinkedIn is a professional“Work/business”site
so keep it smart casual – don’t be too familiar or
obscene – that could be a major faux pas.
8. Don’t use LinkedIn as some recruitment site
where you post a dry CV. People want to connect with
a person,not a digital résumé
9. If carefully crafted,your personal brand will give
you a competitive edge – how do your competitors on
LinkedIn come across and how can you better them.
10. Credibility is built on trust,and truth. Don’t
fabricate information.
HEADSHOTS
Try and get a professional photo taken. A profile
with a photo gets many more profile views than one
with no photo. It is fine to get a photo taken of you
doing your professional line of work (within limits)
– if you are a car polisher, then one of you polishing
cars will be fine.
BACK TO BASICS
Ask yourself why you are using LinkedIn? What is
the goal you wish to achieve? Most probably it is to
create a professional identity you are proud of,or to
engage with a certain group of people. There is a way
of utilising LinkedIn fully.
Here are my top suggestions:
• Set your goal • Complete your profile as fully
as possible • Make it search friendly • Grow your
network • Be responsive and communicate regularly
with your network • Join new conversations •
Recommend people • Give your best URL –
preferably mobile friendly.
IN ISSUE 6 IWILL CONTINUE THIS ARTICLEWITH TIPS ON HOW TO BE FOUND, AND AN EXAMPLE
OF SOMEONEWHO IS THE MOST PROFILE PRETTY PERSON ON LINKEDIN. WATCH THIS SPACE.
THE “DO’S”
• Tell people who you
are,summarise your
expertise and abilities
• Use key words
• Keep it clean, simple,
and fresh
• Share info and useful,
interesting links
THE “DON’TS”
• Don’t copy and paste
your CV and Job Description
straight up to the site
• Don’t tell fibs
• Don’t be a slob – check for
grammatical errors and
punctuate correctly –
these really ruin
your credibility.
4 8

22. 22
Catherine Pain
Interview with .....

23. 1. GIVE US A PEEP INTO YOUR
BACKGROUND AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN
FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST?
lll I have always drawn and painted.
I didn’t follow any formal training as I
like to do things ‘my way’. My subjects
tend to be animals and plants as I am
drawn to those. I’ve always loved living
creatures and to depict them is great
fun. The lovely designs of William Morris
inspire me as do the early artistic
representations of hares and bears
(e.g. in medieval and early Egyptian art).
Illuminated manuscripts are a constant
source of enjoyment for me too.
2. UNTIL I RESEARCHED YOUR WEBSITE
I HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU ILLUSTRATED
CARTOONS. HOW DID YOU FIRST START
AND WOULD YOU LIKE MORE CARTOON
COMMISSIONS?
lll Cartooning has been something I have
done from childhood. I’ve been illustrating
for The Open University for around 15
years creating cartoons for the magazine
‘Society Matters’, which began as the
brainchild of the late Richard Skellington,
and this has now evolved into part of the
OpenLearn online platform. Here is a link
to the Society Matters area: http://www.
open.edu/openlearn/people-politics-law/
politics-policy-people/society-matters/
public-spending-drain-on-the-economy-
or-the-mark-civilised-society . The Tablet
approached me in 2013 because of the
work that they found online for The Open
University and I have been lucky enough
to produce occasional illustrations for
that publication ever since. I enjoy the
world of cartooning and am open to any
more offers of work in that area.
3. YOUR ANIMALS SHOW A LOVE OF
BRITISH WILDLIFE: DOGS, CATS, OWLS,
HEDGEHOGS AND BIRDS TO NAME A
FEW. DO YOU PAINT FROM LIFE, PHOTOS
OR THE INTERNET, AND WILL WE SEE
SPECIES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AT
SOME POINT?
lll I work from life for most of my
paintings. Drawing is the starting point
for me. However for animal portrait F
23

24. 24
commissions I normally work from
photographs. When it comes to greeting
card designs I tend to draw from my
imagination and refer to my own photos
or the internet for references as to
proportion of the animal and so on. I do
have sketchbooks containing drawings of
animals and plants that I have seen in other
countries so may well venture into images
with those in. Interestingly my UK clients
seem to really like the local British birds
and animals and keep asking me for them,
so I follow my heart and also requests from
my supportive outlets in the UK.
4. WILL GREETING CARDS BE YOUR
MAIN FOCUS NOW FOR SOME TIME AS
I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE
TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE PRODUCT
FOR A WHILE TO GAIN TRACTION IN
THAT INDUSTRY?
lll Greeting cards are my primary focus
at present. My agents work tirelessly to
spread the word and I am fortunate enough
to have a very loyal following in the UK. I
love the world of the greeting card industry.
Everyone is so friendly and cards are such
lovely things to send and to receive.
5. NAME THREE MAIN GOALS IN 2016?
lll My three goals for 2016 are to draw
every day, to draw every day and to then
do a bit more drawing every day!
6. SHARE ANY BIG VISION OR DREAM
YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE AND WHY IT
IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.
lll Export is my big goal. Our country is
a great one but in a global marketplace
we UK citizens need to expand beyond
our shores. My aim is to herald the work
of UK artists and designers by making
my work as good as it can get and then
sending it out around the globe. We’ve
seen a rapid decline in our manufacturing
base. It worries me that the UK’s world
standing may not be as strong as it was.
If I can contribute to the other fantastic
work done by British artists who are
already trail-blazing the export path and
representing the UK to the world with
their glorious work then I’ll be made up.
CATHERINE PAIN
W: http://catherinepain.co.uk/greeting-cards-
catherine-pain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greetingcards.
catherine.pain
E: info@catherinepain.co.uk
M: 07831 672 535

25. 25
I
n myYoutube article I discussed the
importance of video to grow your brand.
In this page, I want to outline a few of the
multivarious types of video there are, and
ways of creating really cheap videos from your
mobile phone.
I start with a list of 10 of the most well known
video categories:
1. Humourous videos
2. Interviews
3. How toVideos
4. Reviews
5. Behind the Scenes
6. Documentary
7. Crowd funding videos
8. Hot topics
9. Demos
10. Travelogues
For card publishers, taking some really good
photos from your cell phone is the first place to
start.Then open up your App Store from your
phone and download a video editing app.These
can range in price from FREE (Adobe Voice) to
£70 (Premier Elements). A really useful one
at the affordable price of £7.99 is Filmic Pro.
Once downloaded, simply experiment with the
features it offers.Within a matter of minutes you
can add text to photos, incorporate short film
clips between photos and add music.This is the
simplest type of video – one that needs no video
equipment as such, nor any expertise in terms
of shots (opening shots, extreme close up, or
wide shots) and can be added to your Youtube
Channel in minutes from your phone. Post to
Twitter or your Facebook page.
Let me know how you get on!
VideoVideo
TYPES

26. 26
W
e all know that having a
presence on Youtube is
important for any business
these days but only a tiny
percentage of card publishers utilize the
platform. After a few searches this week
there isn’t a lot of new content from greeting
card designers. The most recent videos
out there are produced by large companies
like Hallmark, or the paparazzi who follow
celebrities around (check out these two with
Jessica Parker-Smith).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYGHirI70Ng
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSaQe2m5ags
USING YOUTUBE’S OWN STATISTICS WE
KNOW THAT:
l YouTube has over a billion users - almost a
third of all people on the Internet - and every day,
people watch hundreds of millions of hours of
YouTube videos and generate billions of views.
l YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile
alone, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds
than any cable network in the U.S.
l The number of hours people spend watching
videos (aka watch time) on YouTube has increased
by 60% y/y,the fastest growth we’ve seen in 2 years.
l The number of people watchingYouTube each
day has increased by 40% y/y since March 2014.
l The number of users coming toYouTube who
start at theYouTube homepage,similar to the way
they might turn on their TV,has increased by more
than 3x y/y.
PRODUCT
l 80% of YouTube’s views are from outside of the U.S.
l YouTube has launched local versions in more
than 70 countries.
l You can navigate YouTube in a total of 76 different
languages (covering 95% of the Internet population).
YouTube

27. 27
MOBILE
l Once users are on YouTube, they are spending
more time per session watching videos. On
mobile, the average viewing session is now more
than 40 minutes, that’s an increase of more than
50% y/y.
l The number of hours people spent watching
videos on mobile has increased by 100% y/y.
l More than half of YouTube views come from
mobile devices.
l YouTube’s mobile revenue has doubled y/y.
There are hundreds of tutorials on Youtube on
how to create a video for the complete beginner
covering topics on equipment, editing, and
uploading to your channel. For those of you who
don’t want to make your own, there are some
video production companies out there who can
produce an off the shelf version for you for as
little as £150. With card designs, it really is easy
to slot them into a pre-prepared format and add
your own branding and wording. If you would like
details of my video team please email me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7zE_3wWi-g

28. Gypsy Chic magazine
A window on the world of a greeting card publisher