Gypsy Chic Magazine's Issue 8 (2016) features interviews with card artists and insights into the greeting card publishing industry, highlighting topics such as PR, marketing strategies, and entrepreneurship. Contributors discuss the balance between creative design and business acumen, sharing personal experiences and practical advice for success. The issue encourages readers to embrace new opportunities and continually adapt in a competitive market.

1. Gypsy Chic
magazine
Issue 8 - 2016
the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
A DESIGN
BRUSH
OVER!
Inside!!! Interviews with Danielle Vaughan The
Ripped paper artist, Amanda & Frank Mountain
of Lola Design Ltd and Annabel Langrish
BOOK
NOOK
WHY SEND
GREETINGS
CARDS?
USING PR
EFFECTIVELY

2. 2
CONTENTS
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P.22P.22
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
INTERVIEW WITH... DANIELLE VAUGHAN / FREE PR
A DESIGN BRUSH OVER! / BUSINESS INSURANCE
MARKET INFLUENCERS
INTERVIEW WITH... AMANDA & FRANK MOUNTAIN
A PAINTING WE SHALL GO! / BOOK NOOK
INTERVIEW WITH... ANNABEL LANGRISH
WHY SEND GREETINGS CARDS?
USING PR EFFECTIVELY
GET YOUR COURSE ONLINE
MORE FREE PHOTOGRAPHY
MAKE YOUR GREETING CARDS TREND22
P.22
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P.14
P.10
P.4P.4
P.7

3. from the Editorfrom the Editor
L E T T E R
H
ello fellow artists,
greeting card
publishers, and
entrepreneurs. I hope
you had a great summer and had a
chance to chill a little. I was very glad of a break
– a chance to step back from my business boot
camp experience, to travel locally, and do some
family trips. I tried out a few Airbnb’s, a coastal
tour, and a trip to see the outlaws in London!
Like most of us juggling work and the demands
of children off school, I identify strongly with the
slummy mummies that feature in a lot of newly
published novels, and the US film release Bad
Moms. That untouched gin bottle tempts me
through the kitchen door.
Issue 8 is finally here. The patience shown by
my contributors Danielle Vaughan, Amanda and
Frank Mountain, and Annabel Langrish is prize-
worthy. Sorry it took me so long to get this issue
out. There was just a lot going on!
I wanted to feature the lovely Frida Kahlo on my
front cover as we jump into Autumn. I’ve painted
Frida and owls together before, and wanted to
clean up my basic paintings graphically. Using
the genre of caricature, which I’ve done before,
I got my graphics
team to produce
this vibrant image
of her, using my
primitive drafts as
a starting point.
I’m sure you agree little owl
looks super cute. I’m building
up my portfolio of Frida
images and will be adding
them to a few art sites soon. It’s
fun to think of my Frida design on someone’s
duvet cover,T-shirt or clock somewhere in the
world. Those small sums that feed into our
paypal accounts from American art sites are not
to be sniffed at and I’m always glad someone
somewhere wanted my artwork on their product.
In this issue, I cover a range of topics including
PR, marketing and course creation. Watching
what’s trending in the industry is always fun,
and I include a freebie section that lists more
free photo sites for you to use. Knowing why we
sends cards at all helps us refocus so I hope my
infographic is of help. Let me know of anything
I’ve left off.
A good few of you will be right in the middle
of Autumn Fairs across the country which I hope
prove very successful. I hope you return home
with bulging order books, make lots of new
leads, and renew old contacts.
So for now, sit back and enjoy the read.
Lorraine
www.lorrainestylianou.com
3
I’m sure you agree little owl
looks super cute. I’m building
up my portfolio of Frida
images and will be adding
them to a few art sites soon. It’s
I got my graphics
team to produce
this vibrant image
of her, using my
primitive drafts as
a starting point.

4. xx
Danielle Vaughan
The Ripped paper artist
Interview with .....

5. 1. I WAS REALLY PLEASED YOU
CONTACTED ME ON FACEBOOK AND
THINK YOUR WORK IS UNIQUE. THE
RIPPED PAPER ARTIST IS A GREAT
SLOGAN. HOW DO YOU START A
COMPOSITION AND WHAT IS YOUR
WORKING METHOD?
lll I haven’t been doing this very long
(started in 2014) and consider myself to
still be learning from those around me and
so haven’t developed my style per se.
With florals I usually have the bouquet/
bunch in front of me to work from as I
enjoy bringing out the reflections in the
glass. With animals/ portraits I use the
grid method working from a picture.
2. THE BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE, FLORA
& FAUNA FEATURE LARGE – ALTHOUGH
YOU DO PORTRAITS, AND POP ART
INFLUENCED STILL LIFE TOO. IS THAT
WHAT THE MARKET SEEKS OR WHAT
YOU ARE MOST HAPPY CREATING?
lll Florals/ animals sell well especially
as cards, I challenge myself with the
portraits and they take much longer to
complete. I alternate between a portrait
and them unwind with the florals/animals.
3. YOUR MEDIUM OF RECYCLED
PAPER IS SO ON TREND. ARE THERE
ANY OTHER INGENIUS TECHNIQUES
YOU THINK YOU WILL ADOPT, OR
EXPERIMENT WITH, SOON?
lll I have been wanting to learn to weld
metal for a while and have finally found a
teacher-watch this space!
4. THE TYPEWRITTEN STYLE OF YOUR
WEBSITE REALLY COMPLIMENTS THE
MEDIUM YOU USE FOR YOUR ART –
MAGAZINES. DO YOU ADMINISTER YOUR
OWN SITE, OR DO YOU OUTSOURCE
THAT SO YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON
YOUR ART?
lll Yes I have created the website, it is
good to have that control and to learn to
do these things yourself. Though I also
appreciate my limited knowledge and that
it could improve. F
5

6. 6
5. LIVING INTHE MIDLANDS,AND NEAR
LEICESTER, HAVEYOU DONEAHISTORICAL
PORTRAITOFRICHARD IIIYET?
lll I have thought about it but there are
so few images around that I feel I would
be just churning up another one. I need to
wait till I get a vision of a fresh image of
him before I start.
6. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GROW THE
DANIELLE VAUGHAN BRAND IN THE
NEXT 5 YEARS?
lll I would like to develop my style, work
on freehand portraiture (iv’e just joined
a class) and although I have sold through
Saatchi Art over to America I would like to
see more of my work further afield.
DANIELLE VAUGHAN
Web: http://dvaughangallery.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/d.
vaughangallery/?pnref=story
l I’ve had to totally re-evaluate my opinion about
door to door selling because I wasn’t helping myself
by repeating the same negative rhetoric about my
hatred of sales.
I’ve found it SO much easier pitching up at a new
local outlet in person with my cards with the attitude
that 1) It doesn’t matter if I don’t get an order 2) I see
it as a way of introducing myself as their neighbour
3) I’m actually approaching the sale without flogging
anything: I simply say I produce an e-zine all about
greeting card publishing and would love to feature
their shop. It completely changes the dynamics of the
sales conversation. Once I’ve done this a bit more, I’ll
report back on its effect on the number of orders I get.
I’ll share some interviews soon with store owners in my
neck of the woods. Selling really is all about what value
you can offer someone. You’ve got to give to get.
FREE PR -
The key to unlocking doors

7. A DESIGN BrushOVER!
l A helpful lady in one of my artists
Facebook groups shared a good source for
low cost, delicate, fine brushes – the type
you need to do small detail in watercolour
or acrylic ink. Who would have thought of
looking at a nail art website to find them?
Mine should be winging their way to me
shortly. I’m so done paying a lot of money
for specialist brushes in art stores – they really
are a rip-off. Odd suppliers name (Lol) – but
once I got over that one, I’m looking forward
to testing them out.
BUY 12 BRUSHES FOR £2.50 WITH FREE
SHIPPING. VISIT: http://www.banggood.
com/12Pcs-Nail-Art-Brushes-Set-Draw-
Painting-Pen-Gel-Design-Brush-Tools-
DIY-p-1008581.html
l When I attend markets, shows,
tradefairs, or exhibitions I’m always asked
for insurance certification. Here are a few
links to compare
prices. Variation
in price will
often depend
on whether
you employ
staff at venues, or need to use specialist
equipment, so bear this in mind.
A-N.co.uk gets my vote!
https://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk/
business-insurance
http://www.rowett-insurance.co.uk
https://www.hiscox.co.uk/business-insurance/
https://www.a-n.co.uk/about/insurance
7
BUSINESS INSURANCE

8. 8
H
ow much time
do you spend on
marketing your
business? Do you
have an active
marketing strategy that you
implement daily? And how
much time do you assign to
producing content about your
brand, products and story?
After six months on a business
accelerator, followed by a
month of annual leave (boy
did I need that!) I am now
able to return to my creative
enterprise with renewed
vigour. The first half of the year
involved a deep dive into my
business – from the luxury of
free city office space. I came
to understand the business
speak around investment, the
business landscape in general,
and the marketing plays that
every business wanting to grow
should employ. And in a card
business like ours, everything
really is a marketing play.
The basic skills of a marketer
will include analytics,
modelling, quantitative data,
understanding your competitor,
copywriting and psychology. It
is essential to do a competitive
audit on similar businesses
around you to see exactly what
they are doing and then tweak
your business to include some
“extras” that may have been
overlooked by other design
enterprises. Content marketing
is massively important and
with outsourcing platforms like
Upwork.com it is easy to hire
freelancers anywhere in the
world to design infographics
that you could use in your blog
posts to drive engagement and
conversation. There are many
other ways of making your
business visually engaging.
Knowing some of the useful
MarketINFLUENCERS

9. comparison websites will help
you analyse your competitor.
Do you know how bigger
card companies get their
organic traffic? Are their blogs
engaged, or something done
as a second thought? Are they
writing long content pieces? Do
they use a PR company? How
many social media platforms
do they use? Do they capture
emails from their website, and
what jobs are they advertising
(a great indicator of where their
marketing focus is). Is there
any newsworthy items on these
businesses in google news?
As part of my business
accelerator I studied loads
of greeting card companies
accounts via Companies House.
I compared their websites,
and product offerings. I had
detailed spreadsheets with
multiple columns and came to
understand what they do well,
and how I’m different.
Knowing what is going on
around you can also give you a
lot of incentive to plug away at
your business knowing that you
may have an edge over another
company in your field. It is
business after all!!
So as we start a new “term”
(those of us with kids know all
to well what that feels like), we
need to get our design houses
in order, get those “to do”
lists filling up and use every
opportunity to gain sales. As
my hero Gary “Vee” would
say in his finest French “Fuck
Gonna! Just do the work!.”
Be an active desk potato – get
your planning charts out, keep
writing content, connect with
your customers in lots of ways,
and keep influencing!
Oh – and don’t forget – connect
with me on Instagram (my new
favourite way of socialising).
9

10. 10
Interview with .....
Amanda & Frank Mountain
of Lola Design Ltd

11. 1. TELL US HOW IT ALL STARTED FOR
LOLA DESIGNS LTD – WHAT YEAR DID
YOU ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND, AND
SHARE SOME OF THE HIGHS AND LOWS
GETTING THIS FAR.
lll Lola Design Ltd started as a greeting
card publisher in July 2015. However
before this I had been in the greeting card
industry for over 14 years working for
Simon Elvin as there senior designer for
nine years and the other four I’ve been
freelancing as Lola Design through my
art agent for other main greeting & gift
publishers such as Cardmix, Noel Tatt,
American Greetings, Creative tops etc.
Frank, my other half, has supported
me on the business side following over a
decade in FMCG sales and marketing. i’m
very lucky to have him
October 2014 was a big turning point
for myself and Frank, my dad was very
Ill with kidney failure spending most of
his time in hospital so I offered my spare
kidney to him. After the op it left us
thinking that life is too short and made us
re-evaluate what we wanted to do hence
why we have expanded into publishing
side together. I’m a firm believer in “if you
don’t try you will never know”.
Each day has its highs and lows, the
main low is the uncertainty we don’t know
what’s round the corner, is the design
right commercially ? Will the people like
our work? Can we do this financially? etc.
Highs are each time a customer buy the
product comments and feedback we receive
helps us to develop more as a brand. Also
the support within the industry for new
publishers has been incredible and ranges
from the other publishers I work for to the
fellow Ladder Clubbers and GCA.
2. WHAT CRITERIA DO YOU USE WHEN
SOURCING PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS
(PRICING, MINIMUM ORDER
QUANTITIES, SPEED FOR EXAMPLE?). DO
YOU PERSONALLY VISIT THE FACTORY
TO SEE THE PROCESSES IN PERSON OR
IS MEETING A REP. AT A TRADEFAIR OR
OTHER INDUSTRY EVENT SUFFICIENT?
lll We are very particular on sourcing for
example the board that we select must have
a quality feel to it. Going for a board that
represents your brand and compliments the
artwork is very important to us. We were
reassured when a new Japanese customer
not only saw the designs but then inspected
the board, it proved that this appreciation
extends beyond ourselves.
We do visit suppliers that are
producing our products it’s an important
factor in building a relationship with
suppliers. Seeing how your product is
made gives us a better understanding
of lead times and possibilities with
design. We recently visited our ceramics
manufacturer in Stoke on Trent who
screen prints and hand finishes all our
UK made fine bone china products, this
was an eye opener to the complexity
and the attention to detail required to
produce the perfect product. F
11

12. 12
3. OUT OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES
AN EXTENSIVE PRODUCT LINE
OFFERS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER
OF TRADEFAIRS TO BOOK, PR ETC, DO
YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE BETWEEN
HOMEWARES OR STATIONERY AND IF
SO, WHY?
lll Blimey thats a question we are
asking ourselves. We are still quite new
to the publishing side so deciding on
what works for us is still a big learning
curve. Managing cash flow is very
important so we are only doing what
we can afford to do but we do believe
that you have to invest ahead of sales
in the start-up phase and most of our
spending outside of product goes into
trade shows. PR is all done by ourselves
via social media, you don’t have to spend
lots of money on this. Other than this,
we invest in our product and as other
small publishers will know, when you
are small, you have to be careful not
to spread yourself too thinly. Moving
into new designs, product areas etc can
tie up cash very quickly and it is often
a struggle to make small productions
commercially viable.
We don’t really have a preference to
homeware or stationary. It’s all about
the design and which product it would
suit but again, we are still at the learning
stage so trying different things and
seeing if we get traction.
4. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR
BESTSELLING CARD RANGE IS? WHAT
DO YOU THINK CONTRIBUTES TO ITS
SUCCESS.
lll Our floral dogs are our best selling
card range, however our recent launch
at the spring fair NEC of the wildlife
botanical is showing promise. I’m very
conscious of trying to be different in the
crowded market but still sensitive to
commercial appeal. It’s really important
for me to get feedback from customers
as to what sells and what does not it’s
the only way of being able to grow and
develop creatively.
5. DESCRIBE YOUR WORKING
ENVIRONMENT – DO YOU HOLD A LOT OF
STOCK, AND WHAT HOW DO YOU STORE
CARD STOCK?
lll Both myself and my husband Frank
work from home and we have one
employee Rocky the French bulldog who
is head of security and over sees most
important daily decisions smile emoticon
Our office/spare bedroom is quite open
and airy with some amazing wall paper
from a company called Beware of the
Moon, two desks and two second hand
computers.We hold stock in the other
spare room of our house. The greeting
cards are mostly in plastic stackable
storage bins on shelves labelled up with
series numbers, so we can easily pick and
pack what the customer requires.
6. IT’S FEBRUARY 2018 – WHAT DO
YOU HOPE LOLA DESIGN WILL HAVE
ACHIEVED IN THE NEXT 24 MONTHS?
lll That’s a very good question to ask,
one I haven’t really thought about as we
tend to take each day as it comes at the
moment. It would be nice to see that we
are still able to sustain a living and that
Lola Design becomes an increasingly
recognised design and lifestyle brand.
LOLA DESIGN LTD
W: www.loladesignltd.com
E: sales@loladesignltd.com
T: 07456 488595
F: https://www.facebook.com/LolaDesignLTD

13. 2
l Handbag sized, this gorgeous little mini travel
set by Daler Rowney (my favourite paint supplier)
is perfect for designing your next greeting card
whilst you travel on
public transport, sit
in the café with your
coffee and
croissant, or
wherever you
happen to be.
With a tiny
brush, detachable
palette, and thumb ring, it is perfect
for those spontaneous moments when you just
want to break out the art!
With 10 pan colours, [it could really do with
a white in the mix] this sweet mini paint set is
perfect for making idle moments productive.
I’ll be packing this for my forthcoming flights,
train journeys, and coffee stops.
The Book Nook
13
lll Worked all week on your greeting card
business and want to read around your industry for
fun, or insight? This very affordable novel on kindle
(currently £2.14) follows the life of the largely female
workforce of artists and designers working for their
corporate bosses in a 70’s American greeting card
company. As the Amazon description reads, “In 1979,
when this story begins, greeting cards carried almost
the full weight of society’s urge to be social: to love,
to flirt, to tickle and to console.”
The story describes the clash of two cultures - the
profit orientated business managers of Heartland
Greetings, St Louis, and the hardworking women
artists who had to be grateful they had a job.
Read and enjoy!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C8FOHMC/ref=rdr_
kindle_ext_tmb
The Art Factory: “Mad Men” meets the Greeting Card Industry Kindle Edition
A PAINTING WE
SHALL GO!
whilst you travel on
public transport, sit
in the café with your
for those spontaneous moments when you just
want to break out the art!
a white in the mix] this sweet mini paint set is
perfect for making idle moments productive.
train journeys, and coffee stops.

14. xx
Annabel
Langrish
Interview with .....

15. 1. ITWAS LOVELY MEETING YOU IN
DUBLIN AT SHOWCASE IRELAND, MY
FIRSTVISITTO THE CITY IN DECADES,
AND A FIRST FORTHE RDS. I’M REALLY
INSPIRED BYYOUR SUCCESS AS AN
ARTISTWITH MULTIPLE PRODUCT
OFFERINGS, STOCKIST OF LADIES
FASHION AND GIFTS, AND IF I’M CORRECT,
A MULTI-GALLERY OWNER. YOURART
WORK OFWILDLIFE, SEAAND GARDEN
BIRDS, FLOWERS, AND FARMYARD
ANIMALS IS EVOCATIVE AND FULL OF
CHARACTER, TEXTURED, AND WITH A
SENSE OF MOTION. HOW DID YOU FIRST
STARTYOURARTJOURNEYAND WHEN
DID YOU START PUBLISHING CARDS?
lll From a very young age, I always
knew I would study art. Failing becoming
an artist, I wanted to marry a vet or a
farmer! We always had pets at home in
Barbados - Irish Wolfhounds, assorted
cats and a donkey. I studied fine art in
Cheltenham, Wolverhampton and Sligo.
Winning the Iontas National Small works
competition, inspired me to paint again
after taking time out to raise my family .
I started getting excited by animals as
subjects with them being so much a part
of my life on a smallholding - we had goats,
chickens and a donkey. I’ve always lived
in the country and now in West Cork, I am
surrounded by wildlife, farm animals and
seabirds, so no shortage of inspiration.
I work in different media, but find that my
monoprints on textured handmade paper
lend themselves best to being printed.
2. YOU AREANART GALLERY OWNER
WITH LOVELY SPACES IN SEVERAL
LOCATIONS IN THE REPUBLIC. TELL US
HOWYOU MANAGEALLTHE CHALLENGES
INVOLVEDWITH EMPLOYMENT OF STAFF,
STOCKING SEVERAL STORES, SUPPLYING
PRODUCTTOALLYOUR STOCKISTS IN
IRELAND AND UK, AND ATTENDING TRADE
FAIRSWITHOUTWEARINGYOURSELF
INTO THE GROUND?
lll I couldn’t do all this on my own - I
get fantastic support and help from my
husband Klaus. He was happy to make
the move to Cork with me although it was
really my own dream to live near the sea.
I knew my work was diverse enough to
open my own shop, as I had my originals,
raku ceramics and recycled range . He
helped build up our home into a gallery
and cafe and we share a love of gardening
and growing our own produce for the
table. We found it very quiet at home in
Ahakista, so we opened another gallery in
Schull. This is staffed by Klaus, my sister
and my friend/ housekeeper. I never do a
day in the shop - I hate sitting in front of F
15

16. 16
the computer, but I love ordering beautiful
things for the shop.
Klaus does all the book keeping and we
are still trying to get our heads round it all.
I am usually at home in the mother ship,
in the studio, garden, or in the cafe.
Sometimes it does get a bit overwhelming
and we do work really hard, but it is so
rewarding and we absolutely love what we
have created.
3. IF THERE IS ONE CARD RANGE MORE
POPULAR THAN OTHERS, WHICH IS IT
AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
lll The most popular image of all my
cards is the hare. Everybody loves hares.
4. MY READERS WILL BE CURIOUS TO
KNOW IF THERE IS “MORE JUICE” IN
PRINTS, CARDS, ORIGINAL ART, OR OTHER
BUSINESS ACTIVITY LIKE CELEBRITY
EVENINGS (IN YOUR GALLERY) OR
CLOTHING AND JEWELLERY?
lll We have our own 3 retail outlets, our
wholesale customers, and our online shop.
My products include cards, tablemats
and coasters, tea towels, table runners
and napkins and cushions. We also have 2
exhibitions a year, opened by a celebrity
if possible. We go to Christmas craft fairs
and Bloom garden show. It is really a
combination of everything that keeps
us ticking over - I sell all my originals
eventually, but the prints make for a quick
turnover, and I like to see my images on
different products.
5. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO
PAINT ONE OF YOUR LARGER PAINTINGS,
AND DO YOU ACTUALLY GO OUT TO SEE
WILDLIFE IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT?
lll I am a quick painter, as my style
is spontaneous and I like to keep my
drawings as loose as possible. Most of my
images are from my own photographs. I
have a fantastic zoom on my camera - it’s
like looking through binoculars.
6. WE ALL HAVE THINGS WE NEED TO
DO TO TAKE OUR BUSINESS TO THE
NEXT LEVEL – WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU
NEED TO DO TO DEVELOP THINGS FROM
WHERE YOU ARE CURRENTLY?
lll I am about to apply for a grant to get
my own printer. At the moment I get all
my prints, frames and cards done locally.
Having my own printer is very exciting,
as I can try out far more images, and print
on demand.
I am designing a set of mugs, which is a
new project for me.
I have had my cards with a distributor
in Ireland, and am now doing it myself, so
hope to get them in a lot more outlets, as I
feel they are my best advertising as far as
leading people to my website. You get not
only the person who bought the card, but
also the person they send it to.
I hope to find a lot more customers online,
as I think this is the way of future retail.
ANNABEL LANGRISH
Email: annabellangrish@gmail.com
Web: http://www.annabellangrish.ie/

18. 18
A
lmost every greeting card publisher
will need to use PR to build their
reputation at some point in their
business. It is one of the ways business
owners increase support and awareness around
what they do,as well as influencing ideas. It is a
great tool to promote you,the thought leader.PR
helps to connect you,and what you do,with your
target audience,potential customers and fans alike.
It can be one of the most useful tools to keep your
company in people’s thoughts in a positive way and
to grow fruitful relations with them.
PR FABLES
n Before you launch a PR exercise it is
worthwhile knowing what PR is not: It should
not be thought of as advertising on the cheap,
nor that you can dispense with it altogether in
your business. Neither should you believe that
you will see instant results the moment you start
publicising your products or services. Probably
the worst faux pas you can make is to believe
that there is no bad press. You’ve got to ensure
your reputation is not blighted by a flippant
comment or off the cuff remark that can be totally
misconstrued. At best PR should be monitored
and measured so you can improve on its results.
A lot of PR can be done yourself but if you use an
agency it is really worth remembering to compare
different companies in terms of their clientele,
their own press-worthiness,and whether or not
they hold awards in the industry. A good PR
company should be experts in a variety of fields
that span consumer,public and corporate affairs.
In fact,a good PR agent will have experience in
public affairs,client and event management,the
media,marketing and sales.
SO HOW CAN PR EXPERTS HELPYOU?
n Firstly they can improve your communications
with customers, other businesses, and large
corporates. They help bring your message
to consumers through great copywriting and
photography. Thirdly they can take a lot off
the stress of dealing with the media by liaising
directly with them on your behalf. Following on,
they can engage in clever ways with all of your
clients, and the public in general though clever
editorial, creative communications, and cutting
edge design. They can oversee the management
of business events allowing you to host
networking events in a seamless, professional
way, and encourage sales though promotions,
storytelling, and clever campaigns. One of the
most beneficial roles a PR agency undertakes is
that monitoring of Media communications though
their analysis and evaluation of all publicised
“noise” around your brand.
THE ADVANTAGES OF CONSIDERING
A PR AGENT
n Keeping you in your clients’ mind is the top
reason for hiring PR services. We all need that
visibility boost, and help make everyone who
comes into contact with our brand aware of the
promotions and products on sale. An agents
primary focus is to position you as the go-to
PRUSING
EFFECTIVELY

19. person in your field,over and above all your
competitors. They should work tirelessly to
increase your sales turnover,influence customers
of the strengths and benefits of your product
lines and to keep them informed of all new
developments in terms of business growth,or
innovation. They are there to place a spotlight on
your business activities when you need it most.
Good PR will most always involve the use of
great photography, clever use of logos and
typography, and clever editorial in the press.
No matter how small your publishing business
is, it is important to think like a corporate and
seek out creative editorial in business and
trade press. Industry and service awards are
an excellent think to promote in articles about
your business. The easiest way to get free PR is
via editorial in business magazines, or through
clever wordsmithing ie. copywriting. Words
are important, and we all remember carefully
crafted slogans, headings, and advertisements
years after. Think of grocery van’s for example:
You shop, we drop, or You click, we pick.
Other beneficial PR opportunities can be hand
through sponsorship or working closely with other
ambassadors of your business such as charities,
for example. Highlighting forthcoming events,
and creating a story around them is something we
can all do to bring attention to what we do.
How many of you have written to your MP?
Building relations with local decision makers is
a great way getting some attention. I sent cards
recently to a number of politicians and got a lovely
response back by email from our First Minister.
My reasoning was that I’m sure she (Arlene Foster)
would love some encouragement in what must be
a very difficult job. She responded several weeks
later by thanking me for my encouraging message
and good wishes,and wished me every success.
A mutual swapping of best wishes which only cost
the price of a stamp and was a great conversation
piece at a seminar I attended last week around
innovative ways of getting local recognition.
PR can also be highly effective in putting the
record straight or help avoid a crisis. By acting
as an alternative voice when things go pear-
shaped can help prevent a major backlash or
loss of consumer faith in what we do. I’m sure
you’ve noticed large editorial and advertising
campaigns by tour companies immediately
after a negative event in a specific country e.g.
Turkish Airlines promoting flights to the country
immediately after the recent Coup.
Digital PR is of huge importance today and we
must embrace video in all that we do. Any PR
that includes video today get far more views
than copy on its own, is easily shared with
others, and is effective for increasing back
links, and in-linking with other websites.
To conclude, use all the free PR out there –
writing to editors in trade magazine telling them
of new ranges, dropping a card in the post to
your local MP, and contacting your local radio,
or newspaper with a carefully worded press
release reminding them of what you do. Hard
work and creativity isn’t always enough – you
need to make what you do highly visible, and to
be heard above your competitors’ noise.
19

20. 20
GET YOUR COURSE
ON LINE!
l You are sitting on a mountain of information
that could be made into a course. Check out
some of the greeting card related courses on
Udemy... I’m sure we could all come up with
something from our own personal perspective.
THERE IS ROOM FOR US ALL AND
NO-ONE HAS A MONOPOLY.
It may involve some preparation, some video
skills, and planning, but the hard work only
needs to be done once.
Here are some greeting card related courses on
Udemy you may wish to reference as a comparison.
LEARN BASIC CARD MAKING
https://www.udemy.com/learn-basic-card-making/
LEARN HOW TO START YOUR OWN
GREETING CARD BUSINESS
https://www.udemy.com/how-to-start-a-greeting-
card-company-for-beginners/
The elements of any course will include your
offering, and how you will change the lives of your
prospective students in terms of learning outcomes.
Your content will need to broken into sections and
varied between video, text, and great photography.

21. MORE FREE
PHOTOGRAPHY!
21
NEGATIV http://negativespace.co/photos/
PIC JUMBO https://picjumbo.com/
PEXELS https://www.pexels.com/
START UP PHOTOS http://startupstockphotos.com/
SIDEKICK BY HUBSPOT http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/75-free-stock-photos-im-ht
LIFE OF PIX http://www.lifeofpix.com/
UNSPLASH https://unsplash.com/
GRATISOGRAPHY http://www.gratisography.com/
STOCK SNAP https://stocksnap.io/
Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!Frenzy!
http://www.gratisography.com/
Freebie

22. L
ike the fashion industry, the
predicted trends in greeting
cards are already in the public
domain as far as spring and summer
2018. The dominant looks for the
Spring and Summer of 2017 are still
strongly influenced by minimalism with a
professional “work-inspired” appearance.
I popped in to quite a few greeting card
stores last week on my trip to London and noticed
many very detail-free cards on the shelves - less
made more by hints of copper foiling, and simple line
drawings. Clean, pared down, sketches dominated in
stores like Oliver Bonas and Scribbler.
The minimalist trend was reinforced through
designers’ concentration on structural shapes and
modernism. So where has this all come from? A lot
of this pared back, barely there trend is influenced by
sport and architecture. With the Olympics just over,
and the Paralympics in progress, sport, speed, and
precision is at the forefront of our minds. Strength and
refinement are juxtaposed in fine, complex geometric
shapes. The minimalist trend is pared back in simple
shapes with an emphasis on structure that retains
a delicate appearance. Seeing through shapes,
and feeling the airiness of a piece dominates many
designs at the moment.
But design is always counterbalanced to
suit all tastes, and more flamboyant floral
designs are equally present - colour is
attention grabbing and stores know only
too well that a bright, energetic palette
will draw customers through the doors.
From Poundland to Paperchase, neon
hues mixed with eco-buff are everywhere.
It allows stores to maintain their eco-credentials whilst
adding some interest to otherwise uninspiring neutral
shades. Put together, the buff backgrounds works
magically to highlight coloured detail.
The flamboyance of Rio is still trending, as is our
love of the safari. The British public have had a long
affair with the natural colours of wild cats, animal
prints, and sandy beaches. Mix this with nautical
elements and the draw of the sea, and you can appeal
to almost anyone.
I’ve kept geometrics in mind when designing some
male birthday cards for a stockbroker friend of mine.
I sent them to print knowing they would be a hit with
his male clients and am pleased to say he loved them.
To order my new “Paler Shades” range email me at
lorraine.stylianou@gmail.com
MAKE YOUR GREETING CARDS
“TREND”

23. 23
ORDER FORM
ROMEO CARD RANGE. £6 for 6 cards
CODE AMOUNT TOTAL
SHA1 I MISS YOU
SHA2 MAKE A WISH
SHA3 THANK YOU
SHA4 NEW BABY
SHA5 BABY BOY
SHA6 SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS
SHA7 BABY GIRL

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