Why Having a Clear Vision is Vital for Business Success

Gypsy Chic
magazine
INSIDE!!! Interviews with Hannah Dale of Wrendale Designs,
Marina Brook of Marina B & Rose Hill of Rose Hill Designs ....
Issue 2 - 2015
THE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO GREETING CARD PUBLISHING
WHAT
ISYOUR
WHY?
WHY HAVING A CLEAR
VISION OR GOAL IN
YOUR BUSINESS ISVITAL
TO SURVIVE.
IGNITE YOUR
INNER AUTHOR
Why you should
write a book.
WIN!BIRTHDAY
CARDS
PAGE 7
SEASON’SGREETINGS
TIMEMANAGEMENT
How managing time is
probably the biggest
challenge card publishers
face in business.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
WHAT IS YOUR WHY?
COMPETITION/BOOK NOOK
INTERVIEW WITH... HANNAH DALE
GYPSY CHIC QUOTES
VIDEO MARKETING
INTERVIEW WITH... MARINA BROOK
ART LICENSING/BUSINESS CARDS
TIME MANAGEMENT
INTERVIEW WITH... ROSE HILL
IGNITE YOUR INNER AUTHOR
WOODLAND WONDERS
2
CONTENTS
3
4
7
8
11
12
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17
18
20
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from the Editorfrom the Editor
L E T T E R
What a pleasure it is to share
the second edition of Gypsy
Chic with you. Sharing these
business themed articles is
a way for me to connect with
like-minded, hardworking card publishers and
get close to what’s going on in our industry
through interviews and articles.You all keep
the cogs of the UK card industry turning and
for that you deserve a big pat on the back.
Even if you are only turning a small profit
you’ve succeeded where many more have
failed. And for those who dream of breaking
even, keep going – nobody can point fingers
and say you aren’t trying.
I attended a rather disappointing export
event this month, meeting representatives
from a government body. My expectations
may have been set too high, since I found
the American trade advisors particularly
unhelpful. The beleaguered receptionists
had worked hard to get me a last minute slot
with the US representatives all morning and
they finally found me a 2.40pm appointment.
I had to leave a very interesting seminar to
meet them. It could have been a combination
of post-lunch fatigue, (that graveyard session
on a Friday afternoon when everyone is
thinking of the weekend) or the fact that a
civil servant who has no direct experience of
running their own business will never really
have the same interest in the challenges that
face entrepreneurs like ourselves, regardless
of how well they pretend to. Whatever it
was, I should have only expected them to
nod interestedly and possibly offer me some
market advice by email, produce some
research material, or send me some event
information once I’d gotten home. I had rather
hoped I’d leave the event feeling energised,
and full of great ideas on how to grow my brand
abroad, ultimately aiding the British economy.
When the two advisors I spoke to suggested
that the competition I would face trying to break
into the American card market was hardly worth
the effort, I felt like knocking their two heads
together. What irked me most was the way they
pretended to know something about the card
industry at all. I’m certain a tadpole would
have had more market knowledge than these
two put together. I saw lots of other delegates
had left samples of their products on the desk
but I decided I’d rather bin mine than leave
these two ingrates anything!
Moving swiftly on…. I have three great
interviews to share with you in this issue:
Hannah Dale from Wrendale Designs,
Marina Brook from Marina B and Rose Hill
from Rose Hill Designs and want to thank
my willing contributors for answering all my
questions, without which this issue would
be much less interesting, and significantly
slimmer. This is the last issue before 2016 so
I’d like to wish you Happy Hanukkah, a Merry
Christmas, and a great New Year.
Lorraine Stylianou
Editor
3

5
H
aving a clear vision or goal in your
business is vital to survive. Without
knowing what we are working for means
we can become disillusioned quicker
and distracted from our future plans. On days
when crises strike – and believe me,I’ve had a few
of these in the past fortnight – we can easily feel
crushed and despondent,ready to throw the towel
in,about to say“to hell with this lark”.
Having a“why”helps to give us courage so we
don’feel like a buoy floating aimlessly at sea. As an
enthusiastic leader in our respective businesses
we have to be able to take risks without forever
looking over our shoulders in doubt. Your“why”
is your purpose,and as a card publisher will be
made up of your creative talents,your passion for
evocative imagery and meaningful sentiments,
and your love of painting – let’s say – animals,
flowers,or other uplifting subjects.
Your skill in being able to paint,draw,design
something that make customers laugh,or go
“Awh”will be fine-tuned over the months and
years you practice but your ultimate goal,I
would argue,is to inspire, encourage, humour,
connect, and influence. As designers we want
to create a product that captivates,restores,and
brings joy. To do that we have to allow our talents,
values,and passions to meet as that is when we
are most productive.I know many card publishers
who are passionate about horses,dogs,or
typography for example,and have niched in –
concentrating on only these things within their
design remit.To stay in business we have to
dovetail our customers’ needs with our ability
to capture the sentiments they are looking to
share with their loved ones at special occasions,
and significant moments of their life. Customers
buy cards as a way of expressing their affection
for other people and to mark an occasion such
as an office retirement, success at exams, or
turning 18. This card giving tradition continues
through to younger generations too as they take
ownership for the people and relationships in
their lives. Sensitivity, compassion and love
transcends generations.
Of course, big, hairy, scary goals like wanting
to be England’s No. 1 greeting card publisher
within 3 years generating £10million in
sales (purely hypothetical), will need a lot of
planning and will need to be SMART.
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timebound
You’ll have to keep a keen eye on your sales
funnel, (note to self: Lorraine – make those sales
appointments!) and work out your conversion
rates. This will involve working out how many
appointments you make, and follow up, that
convert into sales. If you meet 10 buyers, and
only one places an order, then you’ll have to
work much harder that if you’re conversion rate
was 50% - gaining a sale for every two buyers a
HH

you speak to. Although much of this is really
another article, knowing what each stockists’
individual requirements are is paramount. If you
show buyers that you care about their revenue
generation as much as your own, they will
remember you.
As we invest time and energy into our card
business we’ve always got to remind ourselves
that our purpose is to create a product that
satisfies both the quality test,price test,and the
aesthetic our customers are seeking. We’ve
heard the CEO of Paperchase say we are in
the fashion business – a trend-led industry that
follows colour preferences, themes, styles, or
the latest craze. I would argue that we are in
the beauty business – one of pure appreciation
of what brings us joy and awakens our senses.
As card publishers we are the mouth piece for
our consumer who buys our cleverly worded/
illustrated cards because somehow they express
who they are and what they think. As Simon
Sinek put it in his now famous Ted Talk, people
do business with people who believe what they
believe. A beautiful design takes someone’s
thoughts away from what they are doing right
now and allows them to pause, reflect, chuckle.
We are helping to create connection through the
medium of cards. So on days when inspiration
ebbs away in our business remind yourself of
these things: you are doing what you do for the
betterment of humanity: to colour and brighten
someone else’s world through the intersection of
your art and your commercial products.
That’s quite a responsibility! If you don’t give a
fig for trends,then create your own – which I see
many card publishers doing. Just be confident to
break new ground.
Luckily for us, beauty is in the eye of the
beholder so there is room for all of us. Just
BELIEVE that there is someone out there
who will appreciate your vision, your designs,
your wacky sense of humour and step into the
limelight with courage. Leave the critics (most
importantly your own inner critic) where they
belong – in the shadows where they’ll wither
and die. If you can combine all your special
talents with a philanthropic goal then so much
the better – big visions rock.
Believe that someone out there is searching for
what you do. If you have an online shop window,
an Etsy shop, or blog remember the billion
plus smartphone users in the world have every
chance of stumbling across what you offer. Don’t
try to appeal to everyone but concentrate
on what motivates you and your potential
audience. Become the best at what you do within
your niche, and don’t be afraid to tell stories
around what you do. Blog, tweet, Instagram, and
share. You are in the communication business.
You are selling a communication product. I’m
certain you’ll soon be so clear on your “why”
you’ll be unstoppable!
6

2
l To win a six pack of my soon to be
printed Happy Birthday Labrador
design from my Curious Canines range
please like my Facebook page (not just
the post) and a name will be drawn
from the hat on 1st January 2016.
Visit my Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/
lorrainestylianouart/
lllCOMPETITION
l l l STAR, Leadership behaviours for Stellar
SME growth, by John and Will McKee, is definitely
worth a feature in this issue’s Book Nook. Although
Ireland-centric in its case studies, and in need of an
update (published 2008) this is an eloquently written
business book that gets to the soul of what it is like
to be a small business owner in a way few books
achieve. The reader is drawn in right from the start
with real life examples of stressed out executives
who are in desperate need of strategic business
help and one can’t help but identify with their
struggles. Different leadership styles are covered in
depth. Available on Amazon, this is a quality read
primarily for the objectivity it gives you around your
entrepreneurial operations, allowing you to see the
wood for the trees through the various solutions
it recommends. With no specific reference to the
card industry, or the micro business in particular,
the leadership styles it looks at are still completely
relevant, giving business owners invaluable pointers
for measured growth once expansion warrants
putting a team of staff in place.
The Book Nook
7
Curious
Canines

8
Hannah Dale
of Wrendale Designs
Interview with .....

1. AFTER A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL
FEW YEARS AS A CARD PUBLISHER
AND ILLUSTRATOR HOW DO YOU COPE
WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF
RUNNING A BUSINESS?
●●● One of the things you quickly realise
when you start a business is that you have
to be proﬁcient at a whole array of things.
It isn’t enough to come up with ﬁrst class
designs, you have to be an accountant,
salesperson, administrator, marketeer
and a whole host of other things. As soon
as we were able, we hired people who are
much better at all these things so that
I can focus on what I enjoy. That said,
it seems there is no way of escaping a
burgeoning emails and if I’m not careful
I can spend a whole day going through
my inbox and sorting things out before I
have picked up a paintbrush. Some of this
is unavoidable but some days I just don’t
switch the computer on- it’s the only way
to not be distracted by it all!
2. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE FLEDGLING GREETING CARD
PUBLISHERS TO HELP THEM BE AS
SUCCESSFUL AS WRENDALE DESIGNS ?
●●● Be true to yourself and create
designs that you believe in rather
than trying to follow a trend. Listen
to feedback but don’t be disheartened
by isolated pieces of very negative
feedback - you can’t possibly appeal
to everyone’s taste. The key is what
retailers are saying- you will see
patterns emerge in the comments you
get- that is the most valuable kind of
feedback. Finally, delegate the tasks you
don’t enjoy or are not good at as soon as
you can- be honest with yourself about
your strengths and weaknesses. F
9

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3. HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED?
●●● I spend a lot of time on each design
because of the nature of creating an art
card. It has to come from the heart or it
just doesn’t work. If I’m not feeling it for
some reason I take a few days away from
the paintbrushes and something always
seems to pop into my head and I can’t
wait to start working again. There is a
world full of inspiration wherever you
look, as long as you keep your eyes open!
4. WRENDALE DESIGNS ARE KNOWN
FOR THEIR AWARD WINNING DESIGNS,
ACCOLADES, AND PRIZES - HAVE THEIR
BEEN ANY LOWS IN YOUR JOURNEY
THAT HAVE REALLY CHALLENGED YOU?
●●● Having your own business is a huge
roller coaster of emotions and I don’t
believe it is possible to have any kind of
business without setbacks,
disappointments and challenges. I
remember one of the first agents I
approached returning my samples to me
with a letter saying that he didn’t think it
would be a success and it wasn’t for him. I
remember being totally gutted and could
easily have taken that as gospel and given
up. There are plenty of opportunities out
there and if you find that a particular door
doesn’t open for you, you just have to keep
looking for others.
5. DO YOU HAVE A BEST TIME OF THE
DAY TO WORK, OR ARE THEIR TIMES
WHEN BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL
IS REQUIRED?
●●● I have never been productive late at
night, my best time is first thing in the
morning and I love getting up at 5am
when the rest of the family are still in
bed and enjoy the peace and quiet to
crack on. That said, the demands on my
time with a young family means that I
have to start again once they are in bed
and I often paint in the evening as well.
6. WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE
WRENDALE DESIGNS BRAND?
●●● We’ve got some exciting things
in the pipeline including some more
books and we are launching a new
children’s range in January and
a home furnishings range in July
which I am very excited about. We
launched in the US last year as
well so we have three trade shows
across the Atlantic in January
and February.
HANNAH DALE, WRENDALE DESIGNS
T: 01652 680253
W: www.wrendaledesigns.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hannah.dale.75
10
when the rest of the family are still in
bed and enjoy the peace and quiet to
crack on. That said, the demands on my
time with a young family means that I
have to start again once they are in bed
and I often paint in the evening as well.
6.
WRENDALE DESIGNS BRAND?
●●●
in the pipeline including some more
books and we are launching a new
children’s range in January and
a home furnishings range in July
which I am very excited about. We
launched in the US last year as
well so we have three trade shows
across the Atlantic in January
and February.

x
Having attended a
number of events at
Hilton Hotels this
month, Gypsy and Chic
want to share some
of Conrad Hilton’s
inspiration with you.
“I know when I have a problem and have done all I can:
thinking, figuring, planning. I keep listening in a sort of inside
silence until something clicks and I feel a right answer.”
“DON’T
ever quit”
“Successful people
keep moving.They
make mistakes but
they don’t quit.”
“Enthusiasm is a vital element
toward the individual success
of every man or woman”

VIDEO M
I
really would have liked to have attended
an Outsider Art Exhibition in New York
recently but could neither afford the time
nor the air fare. By going on Youtube I
was able to watch a visitor’s video of her time
at the show – her interviews with artists and all
of the work on display. It was almost as good as
being there. Through this sharing, I saved myself
hundreds of £sterling! Through your videos you
could be helping others as well.
Since Youtube is the world’s second largest
search engine it really is worth creating a Youtube
Channel so people can subscribe to you. A short
video on Youtube can generate lots of interest, and
this can be embedded in your blog. You could
do a “how-to” video of you painting something.
If you properly keyword it, you can increase your
visibility, and drive traffic to your website. The
power of an online video cannot be quantified – it
can catapult and accelerate your business in a way
other methods fail. For starters it demonstrates
your skills as a tutor which can be a lucrative stream
of income. Any flip camera or smart
phone will do and in time you can
progress to better equipment.
The formula for making
a good marketing video
consists of a number of
things but can be broken
into 4 main components:
1. THE “WHY” VIDEO
(I give my example below)
I paint for self-expression. I find it therapeutic,
creative, and fun. By doing what I love, and
following my passion, I have found I can make
a living from it. I’m a self-taught artist with no
formal training and by harnessing the expertise
of my tiny team of graphic designers, I have
been able to adapt my original paintings for
greetings cards, and licensing. My work reflects
the gorgeous retro images of my youth – folksy
60’s culture, hippyesque patterns, animals in
bright landscapes. Not everyone has the means
to buy original art but greeting cards allow you
to buy an image that stops you in your tracks
for a fraction of the cost of an original and inject
some rainbow colour into your life. My cards are
not 50 shades of grey!
Why me: I’m a member of ABNA, I have
exhibited in UK galleries, have self-published
colouring books available from Amazon and run
a card publishing business.
2. THE “CONTENT” VIDEO
For each card range I could
make a video showing the
preparatory steps, the
drawing of patterns, the
application of paint on
canvas, or my sketch.
TOP TIP
For free music to use
on videos go to
freestockmusic.com or
freepublicmusic.com
For pictures visit
stockfootageforfree.com
FORYOURBUSINESS

MARKETING
Then a few shots of myself using my computer,
speaking to my team, receiving the boxes of cards
from the printer, and their dispatch to stockists.
3. THE “PROOF” VIDEO
l Show some” before” and “after” shots of the
range in development.
l Interview someone who has received one of
your cards or get some referrals from stockists.
l Include customer testimonials and positive
comments. Perhaps visit a shop where your cards
are displayed.
l One clever tip is to include lots of different
people (different genders) in different
environments to provide testimonials (the office,
outdoors, people around a board room table). It
is far more engaging.
4. THE “URGENCY” VIDEO
If you sign up for my special offer by midnight
on Thursday, I will be offering an original limited
edition print with every £100 order but numbers
are limited. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.
You will also need to create surprise, gratitude,
trust, desire, anticipation and urgency as well.
Write down, using 5 or 6 bullet points of the
benefits a potential customer will get from
buying your cards, prints, original art, or your
extraordinary customer service.
The things you really need to avoid when
making a video is looking under-confident, not
having jotted down a structure for your video,
stopping and starting throughout the shoot, or
looking anxious. Viewers can only forgive lack of
technical ability up to a point, so try and think
of the quality of production, lighting, sound and
content before you start. Keep focussed when
speaking to the camera and deliver your message
as clearly as possible.
Not everyone has perfect presentation skills and
top of the range camera equipment. If you have
a good product and people are interested in your
artistic skill, the chances are, they will buy whatever
you are offering, be it a custom painting or a
spinner of cards. When adding a video to Youtube
remember to mention that you would love viewers
feedback or comments. This encourages viewer
participation and community involvement.
More video makers are including the “bloopers”
at the end for humour and to build rapport.
Remember to use consistent lighting that is
no higher than your eyes and if necessary, put
a diffuser over the lights. Daylight bulbs are
recommended. If you are outdoors you could
put a wind shield on your mike.
Please do let me know if any of this
encourages you to start your camera rolling
by dropping me an email at
Lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com
13

14
Marina Brook
of Marina B
Marina B is a small up and
coming design led business
based in the heart of
Leicestershire specialising
in innovative, unique
and heart felt designs for
greeting cards,
stationery
and gifts.

1. DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY BEHIND THE
SCENES OF MARINA B.
lll A typical day in Marina B’s world is
always a busy one!!! No day is ever the
same but that’s what I love! I will say
that one of my favourite days would be a
design day!! I have two young children
Lilly who is 4 and Jack who has just
turned 1 so the business has to fit around
my family at the moment.
An average working day would be
dropping the children off at Nursey or
Granny’s house, then I have to pack a
lot into a small window I have. My 1st
job of the day is to speak with stockists
and see if they need anything, check
how sales have gone and see if there is
anything more I can do to help them.
Next on the to-do list is check the stock
I hold and ensure I have plenty to fulfil
orders. If I haven’t then I place orders
to replenish. Then comes the fun bit!!
The design! All designs from Marina
B are hand-drawn with classic yet chic
themes with a generous sprinkling of
love. I love creating new ideas and can’t
wait to see the finished result in a card. I
am currently looking into ways to extend
my range of products by using designs on
tea towels, ceramics and other items to
creating some tea towels and other items
as think they designs would sit perfectly
on Textiles. Getting a great new design
takes time, and lots of ideas are redrawn
many times until I feel they are good
enough to feature on a new card.
2. WHAT WAS THE FIRST CARD RANGE
YOU DESIGNED AND ARE YOU STILL
SELLING IT?
l l l The Union Jack heart is one of my
absolute favourites and was the first card
that I originally designed when Marina B
was formed. It is still a bestseller today
with just a few slight tweaks to bring it in
line with the rest of the range.
3. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE
BUSINESS AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED
SINCE YOU LAUNCHED?
l l l From an early age I have had an
interest and felt passion for everything
artistic and creative. I love the idea of
creating a design that could add an extra
sparkle to a special occasion or support
someone through a difficult moment in
their life. I have always had an artistic
nature and a passion for design. Whilst
at school I studied Textiles and Design
and Technology. This led me to an Art
Foundation course at Loughborough
University. Loughborough’s Art and
Design Foundation is a fast paced, fun
and creative course that encouraged
me to develop my artistic ability. The
aim of it was to learn a broad range of
skills before tailoring the course to what
you enjoy and eventually choosing the
specialist undergraduate course best
suited to you and your ambitions.
This led me to specialising in Textile
Design which I studied for 3 years at
Cardiff. This background combined with
a strong focus on providing outstanding
products, that genuinely please F
15

16
customers and a determination to succeed
hopefully put me in a good position to
make Marina B a huge success.
I started making cards 3 years ago for
friends and family, all cards were made and
personalised by hand but due to the popular
demand I then designed a small range of 12
designs for Christmas which I sold in a local
shop. I never dreamt this would lead to the
birth of Marina B Designs. I didn’t really
think they would sell but was delighted
when they rang asking for some more. The
designing then started from there. I created
a small range for seasonal events such as
Valentines and Mother’s Day to start with,
which quickly lead into a range which now
caters for all occasions. Now Marina B is
supplying cards across the UK and online
with lots of different ranges.
At the start the whole manufacturing
process was done by me at the kitchen
table. Hand drawing every card, then
painting, glittering and packing. As
much as I enjoyed this I quickly realised
that if this was ever going to be a proper
business, we would need to outsource
the manufacture so I could focus on the
important part of designing and growing
the business.
4. DO YOU HAVE AN ALL-TIME
FAVOURITE CARD AND WHAT DOES IT
LOOK THAT?
l l l My ultimate favourite card is part of
the Pretty Lilly Range, and was inspired
by my late Granny. I was very sad when
she passed away and I felt I wanted to
create a design that I could remember her
by. She loved the outdoors and gardening,
so it had to be pretty and colourful. It is
one of those special cards you would send
to someone you care and love who you
want to know you are thinking of them.
5. WHERE DO YOUR DESIGNS COME
FROM AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE YOUR
NEXT RANGE.
l l l My true inspiration comes from a
love of a beautiful design and its impact
on the customer. I’m hugely inspired by
the shape of the heart which features in
nearly all of Marina B’s designs. I love
anything with a heart and experimenting
trying to fit it into new designs. The new
ranges tend to come from ideas that have
popped into my head when I am about and
about. I always have a sketch book to hand
so I can capture any treasures on paper
when ideas spring themselves on me.
Usually these end up being the best ones!
6. MARINA B’S BIG DREAM
l l l We hope to be in a position where we
are selling cards and giftware nationwide
through a number of high profile National
chains as well as a large number of
independent card and gift shops. My
ultimate dream would be to produce a
high end range of ceramics, textiles and
tin ware items featuring our own designs,
and along with our stationery. In addition
we aim to have our own web store which
we are currently working on.
MARINA BROOK
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Marinabhandmadewithlove/

2
TOPIC: ART LICENSING
Having 15 minutes of research time on line is a
great way to relax and educate ourselves.
Here are a few sites you may wish to visit for
art licensing information.
https://www.facebook.com/lima.licensing/
http://artquest.org.uk/
http://www.dacs.org.uk/
17
Fancy a browse….
l I swap business cards at events all over the
country and the ones that really inspire me
are not necessarily the flashy, glossy better
quality cards but ones with inspiring wording
that call you to action.
I’ve seen a few that I really liked at a designer
maker craft event recently and what made
them stand out above the others (besides
the usual name, company name and contact
details) were words like: Adobe Creative suite
6 tuition in your home, Exclusive Arts Parties.
When you turn the card over, you are reminded
of a free downloadable e-book if you visit their
website (an opportunity to build their sales
list) or what their clients say through positive
testimonials. This way, you’re advertising what
you do and reinforcing your credibility.
Spending lots of money on fancy business
cards is not a priority initially. It is probably
more important that you have a customer’s
details so you can phone them to follow up a
potential sales lead.
CHECK OUT:
www.plasmadesign.co.uk/business-cards
www.eyecatchers.co.uk
Business cards

18
TIME
M
ANAGE
M
ENT
TIME
M
ANAGE
M
ENT
M
anaging time is probably
the biggest challenge card
publishers face in business.
There simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
If you do a little bit of everything in terms
of painting/design, responding to emails,
packaging, dispatching your work, and
marketing yourself, you’ll establish
a pattern of tasks that
becomes easy to follow.
Having a “To Do” list is
crucial, but all the more
so if you are working from
home where the separation
between family and work
life becomes blurred. I
strongly advise keeping lists
for everything you need to do as they keep
you focussed. Simply cross off the tasks as
you’ve done them. Otherwise you are relying
on memory, which will fade when something
else distracts you.There is always some
phone call or knock on the door that eats
into your time, or a phantom
hunger pang that entices you
into the kitchen.
Procrastination is a real
issue for homeworkers. One
way round it is to block out
your working day just as you
would in the office and try
and stick to set lunchtimes
and coffee breaks. Don’t
look at the chores that

need doing. The tumble dryer
will just have to wait. Knowing
that a lot of tasks take twice as
long as you’d planned it is also
worth building in a bit of extra time in the
day to deal with unexpected issues (that
bothersome person who keeps texting you
just as you are in the middle of putting the
finer finishes to your latest masterpiece).
By getting out of bed half an hour earlier is
one solution.
Being your own boss means you can, in
effect, work whatever hours you like. The
reality involves long hours and hard graft.
There isn’t much time for one’s “self” in
self-employment at the start up stage of
your business.
The main difference between a hobby
and a business is that the latter is so much
more work. There is an added level of
seriousness that has to be applied to
business – the finances, your time and
meeting orders. The one third of the day
working parents lose to the school run,
making packed lunches, and picking kids
up from sports events is a bit of a silent
scream. We just have to be that much more
focussed to get anything done.
Tasks like video creation, writing
a business plan, or getting a social
media strategy going also has to be
factored in. I’m currently building
a list of stockists in the area I’ve moved to,
arranging for my cards to be professionally
photographed, registering for lots of free
business related courses with business
networks, getting copy together for my
digital magazine, and getting to grips with
Etsy. The networking side is probably the
most important, and I’ve been fortunate
enough to meet an ex-Hallmark saleman
in the last few days who has passed on
the name and phone number of the buyer
in one of Ireland’s biggest chain of card
stores at an event one of my friends said I
shouldn’t bother attending.That’s another
factor in life – luck!
… BEAR IN MIND
One of the biggest hurdles designers can
experience is creative block – which often
comes from worrying about money. Money
worries damage your creativity. Creative
block is often caused by forgetting to
nourish your creative mind. By identifying
what it is that helps inspire you to create,
you can recreate the triggers that will get
your creative juices flowing – the music
we like, vision boards, even the smell of
homeopathic oils.
By blocking out specific times to nurture
our creative soul it is easier to stay ahead
of our game. If we simply work nonstop
without taking time out to reflect it won’t be
long before you get that feeling common to
creatives suffering burnout – a feeling of being
undervalued,under recognised,and under
paid,not knowing what the bigger picture is.
So as the Stay Calm posters recommend,
Just create and carry on.
19
CREATIVITY vs BUSINESS
DREAMS
IDEAS
NEW DESIGN STYLES
THERAPY
RELAXATION
PRODUCTS
SALES & MARKETING
BUSINESS PLANNING
DEADLINES
MONEY

20
... Rose Hill
of Rose Hill Designs

1. WHEN DID YOU
DISCOVER YOUR
PASSION FOR GRAPHIC
DESIGN/ILLUSTRATION
AND WHY DID YOU FOCUS
ON THE CARD INDUSTRY IN
PARTICULAR?
● ● ● I’ve always been creative. In fact
the first competition I won for my drawing
was when I was four years old of an owl
which was exhibited in the National
History Museum for six months. My
brother still teases me and says it’s my
best drawing. The card industry is such
a lovely and fun industry to be in with
endless opportunities – it means I can
work on multiple designs and I love the
connection people have with my designs.
2. YOU USE BRIGHT PRIMARY COLOURS
IN MANY DESIGNS - DO YOU THINK YOU
WILL PRODUCE A MONOCHROME RANGE
AT SOME POINT?
● ● ● I don’t think so as colour and
pattern is so important to me but I
never say never!
3. GIVE US AN INSIGHT INTO THE
HIGHS AND LOWS OF GREETING CARD
PUBLISHING.
● ● ● Oooh there are so many amazing
things working for yourself (and some
not so great things). My favourites are
that I can create a business in the way I
want to live my life; I’m a very sociable
person and have become great friends
with all of my stockists and suppliers.
Trade shows are so much fun although
very tiring, but so wonderful to meet
lots of likeminded people and chatting
about creative processes is brilliant!!
The card industry is such a lovely
industry; truly it’s unlike any other.
4. WHAT IS YOUR
BIG VISION FOR YOUR
BUSINESS?
● ● ● I have so many
plans just waiting to be
actioned!… I would like to
expand my product range to
include other items such as ceramics
and cushions. Also add to my growing
stockists. I am currently entering the
American market. My favourite plan is
to curate a really cool art exhibition.
5. ANIMALS FEATURE A LOT IN YOUR
DESIGNS. DO YOU PLAN ON DOING
DIFFERENT DESIGNS THAT MAY, FOR
INSTANCE, INCLUDE AQUATIC OR BIRD
DESIGNS, OR EVEN LANDSCAPES?
● ● ● I love animals and do have a lot
of animal designs, but I also have a lot
of figurative, iconic items, patterns,
typographic designs, but yes, I think
birds will be a great idea. Possibly I
will do aquatic and landscape designs.
Because my work is hand-drawn the
possibilities are endless… it’s just finding
the time to focus on one thing at a time.
But the sky is the limit.
6. WHAT PAIN DO YOU THINK CARD
PUBLISHERS SOLVE?
● ● ● Knowing that someone cares
about you enough to give you a card,
and having that hand written message
inside from a loved one is the best
feeling you can have. It’s an emotional
connection and ultimately makes us
happy which is amazing!!
ROSE HILL DESIGNS
T: 07742347603
W: www.rosehilldesigns.co.uk
Instagram: @rosehilldesigns
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosehilldesigns.uk
21

22
Q
uestion: why would you write a
book? Answer: Because you can and it’s
probably the best business card you’ll
ever have. You will have knowledge,
wisdom, passion and a message that only you can
tell the world. You’ll have gained this experience
from your career, your hobbies, your family, your
life. Once you know how to put your message out
through a book you can learn to monetize it. You
need faith in yourself and belief that others want
to hear your story. The results that come from
publishing a book (if properly produced and
marketed) can be: be a steady stream of royalties,
a publisher’s advance, direct sales, notoriety for
you, life changing experiences for you and your
readers, further business in terms of coaching
opportunities, workshops, speaking events, and
ability to develop audio and digital products on
your chosen subject. Your will get noticed for
your thought leadership and the value you bring
to others. Your book can act as your business
card when speaking to other’s in your industry.
The main reason for publishing a book is that it
positions you as a big name in your niche and is
the ultimate business card at networking events.
There is help all around to assist you in
structuring your book.There are endless
resources in libraries, book stores and online as
well as distance learning and college courses.
There are workshops and book coaches in their
multitudes to help you get started.
At no time in history has there been so many
opportunities to write a book and have it
published as today. Self-publishing has come
such a long way in the last decade. It has
shaken off its amateur image and is viewed
as a perfectly acceptable way of entering the
hallowed corridors of publishing at a cost most
people can afford.
It is a way of fulfilling a personal desire to see
your hobby, or business idea in print, a way of
leveraging the experience you have of your
niche, and a way of making money. It saves you
a lot of the pressures many authors’ face seeking
publishers to accept their manuscripts, and
coping with rejection when the editors turn down
their hard work. One downside of self-publishing,
however, is that the marketing and distribution
of your book is your responsibility if you haven’t
used a cooperative book publisher to help you
or commercial publishing houses that have a
self-publishing arm. The latter can help arrange
printing if you need their assistance although no
one can guarantee your book will sell. The aim,
IGNITE YOUR
INNER AUTHOR.

23
therefore, is to produce the best work possible
and to use every method to get it to your readers.
There are numerous self-publishing courses, both
online and off, to help you succeed in addition to
books and magazines on the subject. These will
give you essential information on the pros and
cons of publishing your own work. Reading as
much as you can about self-publishing will give
you a better understanding of what is involved in
creating a book in terms of its design and print
processes. Material will cover book launches,
online retailers and other advice. Writer’s
services companies can help with editorial work
and feedback on your masterpiece. I’ve met
several authors who self-published without using
an editor and regret it. Just contact me for my list
of writers’ services.
My first three books were self-published but as
they were colouring books I could dispense with
editorial. I outsourced the template production
via Elance.com. Given that the publisher/graphic
designer who responded to my bid on Elance
was based in Mexico may have been cause for
concern but it didn’t delay the projects in any
way. I was able to liaise by email on most things
and used Skype to clarify others. Payment for
work was done by PayPal. I was walked through
the process of setting up a contract with a self-
publishing house in the UK, had advice on
opening a merchant account on Amazon and the
publisher also listed my books there.
COPY EDITING
l A copy editor will check your manuscript for
mistakes such as spelling, that pictures are in
the right place, that sentences hang together in
the right paragraph, repetition and punctuation.
This process helps ensure that your book is
the best it can be and you can agree all of the
recommendations before going to print.
TYPESETTING
l Another aspect of publishing your book is the
typesetting phase. For me the term typesetter
conjures up images of busy newspaper staff
furiously working to assemble print blocks in the
right order for the next edition of the news.What
it involves today is someone taking your text from
a document and converting it into a professionally
presented book with typographical design.
They will have an eye for the type of book your
material suits, the paper quality to use, page size
and colours and graphics. Once you are happy
with the look, the fonts used, and the book’s size
you can then think about cover design.
After typesetting comes the proof reading
stage. Proof reading allows you a final chance to
check that everything is correct and to amend
overlooked spelling mistakes.
JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER
l It is so important to get the design of a cover
right. Unless you have experience of Adobe
Photoshop or Illustrator,it is best to hire the
services of graphic designers who know how to
do this properly. Covers are what sell books and
it is vital that good cover artwork is used. If you
have written your book to showcase your art or
card ranges you should use full colour throughout.
Using black and white images of art today is so
1950s – visualise those old books with colour
plate inserts where one side was blank and the
other showed a colour image. Printing techniques
have come a long way since then as well as
our expectations and we need to be as visually
attractive and eye catching as we can possibly be.
PRINTING.
l Finding a suitable printer at a price you can
afford is another challenge the self publisher
needs to consider. Personal referrals
are very helpful but if you don’t have any
recommendations, it will involve phoning around,
reading websites, and checking prices. For me,
the customer service element is crucial at this
stage – I simply cannot operate with a printer who
doesn’t respond to my emails, leaves the phone
off the hook for ages while they check details and
never return calls. Don’t take a list of industry
credentials to signify excellent customer service
– it doesn’t. I won’t name names, but I’ve had
appalling service from some of the UK’s biggest

24
printers, and found smaller
privately owned companies treat
their customers properly. There
is nothing as frustrating as trying
to navigate your way through the
uploading of final artwork to the
printer to discover their computer
systems haven’t accepted it, and
there is nobody to speak to for advice by
telephone. Even worse – you’ve paid for
the order upfront and realise there was
something you wanted to clarify and can’t
get hold of anybody for days. Nightmare.
You will have to familiarise yourself with
some printing jargon such as the different print
processes of lithographic or digital printing,
paper weights, etc. The number of copies you
want printed will normally determine whether
you opt for digital (smaller print runs) or
lithographic printing (larger print runs). My
recommendation would always be to pay for a
sample copy of your book before authorising the
final printing so you can hold a mock-up of your
work and feel the paper quality.
Once you have delivery of your blockbuster
you have to consider publicity and marketing.
You may have already thought about this and
drafted press releases for your book in a flurry
of excitement. Measuring which publicity types
get the best results is difficult. I’ve sold books
on Etsy, Amazon, Ebay and have no way of telling
how the buyer became aware of them in the first
place – from my FB pages, from search ads, direct
searches, from my blog? All I know is that without
word of mouth, social media, blogs and FB pages
nobody would have known of their existence.
The marketing of your book is probably the
hardest aspect of self-publishing. Without
effective marketing your beautifully bound
copies will remain in the boxes the printer sent
you, representing a huge waste of your time
and hard earned cash. Cooperative publishers
with marketing and distribution arms can save
you a lot of grief and lost sales. They will help
you produce information sheets, market your
book through online book stores, assist you
in advertising your book on their web pages,
provide you will a web shop, distribute your
book through their network , give help with
book orders and give you a sales report with
breakdown of royalties due to you.
Bear in mind that the more advanced
the marketing assistance you require,
the more you will pay for it.
Things you should do yourself to
advertise include networking, carrying
press releases and a copy of your book
with you, throw a book party, ask your
local library if you could do a book signing there,
and drop off your business card and book fliers in
offices and shops that offer services related to the
material in your book. If you have friends who are
members of a local book club why not ask them
to review your book and blog about it.
If you want to see your book distributed
internationally, there are many translation
companies who will assist you with this. The
hurdle of marketing these in the countries you
intend them to be read will require some thought
as well as a use of social media and other tactics.
Elance is a good place to start to find publishers
with translation departments.
Hopefully these suggestions will help you to
achieve your goal of being a published author.
Weigh up all the options, keep comparisons of
costs, services, and customer service before
making any decision.
GETYOURSELF ON AMAZON!
● This is one of the simplest things to accomplish
today. I’m assuming here that you have chosen
the self-published route. Once you have the
contents of your book, you can either arrange
to have a small print run of your book done with
a local publisher or you can choose a print-on-
demand facility using self-publishers such as
Lulu.com or Amazon itself (Createspace). For
self-published books you will need a barcode
readable ISBN number. Please note that some
UK publishers insist that the ISBN registration is
made with the UK ISBN Agency rather than having
American ISBNs. Armed with your ISBN number
printer to discover their computer
in advertising your book on their web pages,
provide you will a web shop, distribute your
book through their network , give help with
Gypsy Chic
magazine
INSIDE!!! Interviews with Zin Craig Matthews of PoiZIN Pen, Janna Cossettini
of Deckled Edge Design and JO SCOTT of Scott & Robson Designs
Issue 1 - 2015
ROSES FOR
ROSES SAKE
Floral elegance on card
WIN!!
FREE CARD
SAMPLES IN OUR
COMPETITION
See page 23
Hoarders!
Who needs ‘em?
Bold &
BRIGHT
THE TREND FOR
AUTUMN/WINTER 2015
Meet the expert
LYNN TAIT PAGE 9 Pinboards
Do they have
supernatural
powers?
breakdown of royalties due to you.
Bear in mind that the more advanced
the marketing assistance you require,
the more you will pay for it.
Things you should do yourself to
advertise include networking, carrying
press releases and a copy of your book
with you, throw a book party, ask your
Zin Craig Matthews of
Zin Craig Matthews of
Zin Craig Matthews Pof Pof oiZIN
of Deckled Edge Design and JO SCOTT of Scott & Robson Designs
WIN!!
FREE CARD
SAMPLES IN OUR
Gypsy Chicmagazine
Gypsy
INSIDE!!! Interviews with Hannah Dale of Wrendale Designs,
Marina Brook of Marina B & Rose Hill of Rose Hill Designs ....
Issue 2 - 2015
WHATISYOURWHY?WHY HAVING A CLEAR
VISION OR GOAL INYOUR BUSINESS ISVITAL
TO SURVIVE.
IGNITE YOURINNER AUTHORWhy you shouldwrite a book.
WIN!BIRTHDAYCARDS
PAGE 7
WHATISYOURWHY?
IGNITE YOURINNER AUTHORWhy you shouldwrite a book.
SEASON’SGREETINGS
TIMEMANAGEMENTHow managing time is
probably the biggestchallenge card publishers
face in business.

ensure it is put in a barcode format, for example:
Simply send your artwork/
book content to your publisher.
This is usually done on-line
by uploading a pdf version to the publisher’s
website, indicating the size and quantity of books
required, type of paper you want the book to be
printed on, hard or soft covers and whether or not
this is full colour, or black and white. Then pay
your fee and await delivery.
Don’t forget: If you have a website built to
support your book remember to use your QR
code. These are codes generated online that are
readable by apps on peoples’ smart phones. The
code takes people directly to your website.
Once delivered (copies of your shiny new
books stacked high in the middle of your living
room) you then need to think of getting the
books listed on Amazon. To do this, first create
a merchant account. Amazon’s guidelines are
perfectly straightforward. If uploading the
artwork for your new book seems too daunting
then you can approach some of the smaller
publishers or outsource sites to do this for you
but it really isn’t difficult.
Decide on the price you want to charge (allowing
for Amazon’s eye-watering 60% commission) and
once the listing is live,ask your friends to write
encouraging reviews. There is nothing like a good
referral to secure further business. Market your
book on all your social media sites,in your blog
and online shop (which can be a blog page that
links back to the Amazon listing you have set up).
With strategic keywords and traffic you can achieve
substantial sales online.
Reviews: Get your friends and business
associates to review your book
– I see books on Amazon
that were published
years ago without a single
review. Had these authors
no friends?
E-BOOKS
l Like hard copy books,
e-books allow you to do
the hard work of compiling your content once
and then making money for this over and over
again through the continued sale of the book.
Again, a website or squeeze page should be
set up that promotes your book and can accept
payments through PayPal. The simplest format
is to write your content in a rich text editor
and saving it as a PDF file. By including an
advertisement within your e-book giving your
contact details, your web and blog url, you are
people another opportunity to do business
with you.
E-books can be given away free of charge as
a way of building your customer list. Known
as an ethical bribe, customers get access to a
link where they can immediately download the
e-book in exchange for their name and email
address. Once you have these, you can market
directly to them though regular newsletters and
emails.The idea would then be to create another
art-related e-book – this time for which you
charge- and promote it to your earlier customers.
The chances of a sale are increased since they
have shown interest in the topic before.
Once you have written your e-book and sold
some you can consider making it work harder
for you by producing an audio version via CD.
Videos could also be produced showing you
completing an art work that can be uploaded to
yourYoutube channel. By giving a short demo of
“how to” art techniques, subtitling your website
address and directing viewers and subscribers
to your online shop, you are further increasing
your potential to make sales.
KINDLE
l A colouring book, like the ones I
published, is not really suitable for
Kindle but books in word format
are. Once you have set them up
on Amazon the marketing is
done for you.Think of writing
about your art and business
journey. There are
already artists out there
doing this.

26
I
t’s still Autumn and an opportunity for me to
reveal my woodland creatures, a new range
that developed over the months of September and
October with the help of my team. The designs
were all pdf ready when I decided to change the
background to a much subtler style with a pretty
white leaf silhouette. The colours used are earthy,
woody, and neutral which work really well with
their accompanying buff coloured envelopes. My
personal favourite is Mr Squirrel, followed by Miss
Doe (a deer, a female deer!), with Harry Hare a
close third. I hope you like them.
Woodland
Wonders
ORDER FORM
WOODLAND WONDERS CARD RANGE

CODE PRICE AMOUNT TOTAL
WOW1 Stag 5.70
WOW2 Squirrel 5.70
WOW3 Raccoon 5.70
WOW4 Hedgehog 5.70
WOW5 Bear 5.70
WOW6 Pheasant 5.70
WOW7 Fox 5.70
WOW8 Owl 5.70
WOW9 Rabbit 5.70
WOW10 Blackbird 5.70
WOW11 Baby Deer 5.70
WOW12 Hare 5.70
WOW13 New Forest Pony 5.70
WOW14 Badger 5.70
WOW15 Polecat 5.70
WOW16 Field Mouse 5.70

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

Why Having a Clear Vision is Vital for Business Success

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