A window on the world of greeting card publishing, art and design, and entrepreneurship

1. Gypsy Chic
magazine
Gypsy
Issue 7 - 2016
the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
KINGKINGKINGKINGKINGKING
HENRYVHENRYVHENRYVIIIIIIIII
6TIPSFOR MANAGINGPPC YOURSELF
Inside!!! Interviews with Amélie Gagné, Lucy Levenson
of Lucy Levenson Designs, Sabina of SABIVO Design and
Marie Jonsson-Harrison
BOOK
NOOKNOOK
TREND
SHOUT
OUT!
Trend spotting
in London
PAY
PER
CLICK

2. 2
CONTENTS
3
4
7
8
10
14
16
18
19
20
22
P.4
P.26P.26
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
INTERVIEW WITH... AMÉLIE GAGNÉ
BRAND ENGAGEMENT
6 TIPS FOR MANAGING PPC YOURSELF
INTERVIEW WITH... INTERVIEW_MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON
KING HENRY VIII
INTERVIEW WITH... SABIVO DESIGNS
BOOK NOOK
INSTAGRAM
PRETTY IN PINK
MY EZINE RAISON D’ÊTRE
INTERVIEW WITH... LUCY LEVENSON DESIGNS
TREND SPOTTING
P.8
P.10P.10
24
26
P.26
TREND SPOTTING
P.24
P.16
P.8
P.24
P.16

3. from the Editorfrom the Editor
L E T T E R
I
Issue 7! Hi folks, I’m
delighted to bring
another Issue to life and
what a bumper edition it is.
I’ve got 4 interviews for you with
a veritable pot pourri of creatives – artists who
have developed their product lines from their
canvas, sketch pad, and work table into jewellery,
prints, lampshades, mosaics and cushions to
name a few – Enjoy reading the stories of Marie
Jonsson-Harrison, Amelie Gagné, Sabina
Kovacheva, and Lucy Levenson.
To help you with the digital marketing of all
your glorious designs, Niamh Taylor has shared
some of her tips and tricks around Pay Per click
advertising and how to manage that yourself.
I’ve drafted a piece on brand engagement – with
a link to a free e-book on brand attraction to
increase your knowledge further.Thanks to Jeff
Goins for making this publically available online.
The past few weeks since Issue 6 have been a
real personal challenge. As a mumpreneur, I’m
totally time poor and have had the challenge
of fitting a tradefair in London
in, (something I stressed
endlessly about, followed
the next day with a stand
at an Agricultural fair
in N.Ireland – Balmoral
Show: the Ibiza
for all Irish
farmers. I
had such a fun time there stroking rare
and expensive breeds of sheep, goats, and
cattle. I had quite a few good conversations
with them too J, topping that off by sampling
craft cider, and scoffing organic meatball wraps.
Knowing me though, I’m never there just for
a jolly, and picked up lots of good leads for
prospecting my card designs to. As Jim Duffy
would say, I’m always entrepreneuring.
Which reminds me about the fun I’ve had this
week at a laser centre, laser cutting some top
secret designs into acrylic sheets. The amount
of designs I had crammed into one sheet meant
the laser took a lot longer than anticipated. Of
course I’m planning on presenting these to a
leading light in the business world whom I hope,
will appreciate them. Another initiative involved
hand painting 7 original cards for the finalists at
a London conference. I should have more info on
that for you in terms of a magazine feature, whose
editor I met about a year ago at the Holiday Inn,
Westfield Shopping Centre. Network, network,
network as they say.
Enough waffle from me. Wishing you a great
few weeks ahead, and happy reading.
Lorraine
www.lorrainestylianou.com
3

4. 4
Interview with .....
Amélie
Gagné

5. 1. WE METIN DUBLIN INJANUARY16,AND
YOU KNOWIADOREYOURBEAUTIFUL
ARTCARDS. TELLUSABOUTYOURART
JOURNEYFROM CANADATO IRELAND
lll I have always been into artsy and
crafty things, as far as I can remember...
My last job in Canada was in a workshop
that made the floats for a big winter
carnival we have in Québec city. After a
couple of years in Ireland I eventually
secured a job in a beautiful art gallery,
and this is what rekindled my love for
painting, and so I got back to my brushes
and developed this current style I have.
2. YOURARTBUSINESS CENTRESAROUND
YOUR ORIGINALART, WORKSHOPS,
PRINTS, CARDS AND JEWELLERY. DO YOU
PLAN ON INTRODUCING OTHER ITEMS TO
YOURALREADY EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIO
OF PRODUCTS.
lll I would love to successfully break into
the world of art licensing... I haven’t put a
lot of effort into it yet but I think my work
could work well on such a big variety of
products, I’d love to see it on bed covers
for children for example, or design a range
of summery tableware.
3. HOW DO YOU CURRENTLY MARKET
YOURSELF AND WHAT NEW CHANNEL,
IF ANY, WILL YOU ADOPT IN 2016.
lll There is a lot and it’s not easy to
find the right balance..! I use Facebook,
Pinterest, newsletters, I’m on Twitter but
don’t put a lot of efforts there, the one I am
building on recently is Instagram, I think I
will concentrate on that for a while...
5

6. 6
4. AS A WORKING MUM, LIST YOUR TOP
5 ORGANISATIONAL TIPS FOR GETTING
THE MOST OUT OFYOURWORKINGWEEK.
lll What a great question! And one that
constantly evolves depending on the week...
l Lists!!! I write everything down. I have
a to-do jotter that I carry with me all the
time, then I schedule the tasks in my diary.
l Meal planning- I try to plan everything
out before I do my weekly shopping, then
it’s one less thing to think about everyday,
I hate this “What are we going to eat
tonight” dilemma.
l Tidy up at the end of every day, no
matter how wrecked I am. Nothing is more
deflating than having to clean up in the
morning. Start with a clean slate.
l Time blocking- I struggle a little with
it but it’s such a great concept: I try to
allocate specific time for specific tasks,
for example Monday between 10-12 it’s
jewellery-making time... Not always easy
and it keeps changing!
l Work around the kids: my time blocking
works around my baby’s naps to be
honest, he dictates when I start and stop
working:) I also had to adapt my work
space several time, when I had only child
and he was a baby it was so easy to just
place him in his bouncer seat next to me
while I painted in my studio... When he
started to move around I move the easel
behind the couch in my living room, and
when he was shot to get there I placed
my canvas directly on the wall in my
kitchen, high enough so that he couldn’t
reach. Now he’s a toddler and I have
another baby and I still have to adapt all
the time...
5. YOUR PALETTE IS CONTEMPORARY
AQUAS, PASTEL PINKS, AND BURGUNDY.
HAVE YOU EVERY CONSIDERED A
MONOCHROME RANGE OR WOULD THAT
FEEL FOREIGN TO YOU?
lll Not at all, I think it’s a nice exercise
and it allows me to concentrate more
on the volumes and contrast between
highlights and shadows so I have done it a
few times, recently on a pair of little boy /
little girl paintings.
6. WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE NEW
ARTISTS TO HELP FUND THEIR ART
BUSINESS?
lll I’m all for keeping another job on the
side, which I still do, it takes the stress
off and it pays the bills... I think it’s
important to think of a few avenues and
not put all your eggs in the same basket...
As a artist you can give workshops, sell
your art in other forms than paintings
like prints, calendars, cards etc.. It’s all a
learning process...!
AMÉLIE GAGNÉ
Web: http://www.ameliegagnestudio.com

7. 2
1.TELL A STORY
Get people to share and discuss it,and act upon it.
The way you get them to do all of these is by having
creative competitions,dazzling discounts,charitable
initiatives,and laughter. Engage and entertain them in
order to create a following,make your products highly
memorable,and the only ones they will choose.
2. CRAFTY COMMUNICATIONS
Put on your copywriter’s hat on and write down 10
clever slogans for your card business or a particular
range. Here are a few examples:
• So what’s the big deal about Stripes? (Question)
• The 3 Best Ways to get a buyer’s attention? (creates
interest)
• Brand X reveals their secret behind their top selling
design.
• Alert:Learn the shortcuts to grow your brand
internationally.
• The Ultimate Guide to hand-embellishing.
• Explore the stunning range of the X collection.
3. MARKETING
Tell the world about your lovely cards,stationery,
and homeware items by placing some paid ads in
trade press. Ring the advertising team in aligned
publications and ask them for their best deals.
Approach you phone call with the expectation that
they should do as much as they can for you - not
something most of us are good at.
Also ask friends,family and customers to
1.Endorse you on social media,
2.Review your products
3.Leave complimentary comments on your website
Create as many favourable back links as possible to
your website.
4. DIRECT MARKETING
Open up a free Mail Chimp account or post out a
few brochures to targeted leads. DPM – Direct Post
Method can be highly effective – never underestimate
the power of an envelope with a postmark. But make
sure that whatever marketing message you have
included inside“sings”and has a call to action.
5. DIGITAL MARKETING
Make a list of all the digital platforms you have a
footprint in, and craft some engaging messages to
draw attention to yourself. Don’t forget to respond as
generously to people who like, share, and comment
on your posts as they do on your account.
6.VIDEO’S AND ANIMATION
Bring your cards to life with moving imagery and
sound, special effects and an engaging story.
Engage all the senses.
7. SIMPLY NEVER FORGET...
... Make your designs, product lines, customer and
returns service the best there is.
FREEBIES
7
https://s3.amazonaws.com/guidetobuildinganaudience/JeffGoins-
TheBeginnersGuideToBuildingAnAudience.pdf
The 6 step guide
to getting Brand
Engagement
... Make your designs, product lines, customer and
returns service the best there is.
How do we get people to engage with us, form a relationship with us, and become loyal customers?
We know people don’t like to be sold to in the old traditional way – so we have to use other techniques now.
The 6 step guide
Brand
How do we get people to engage with us, form a relationship with us, and become loyal customers?
Also ask friends,family and customers to
1.Endorse you on social media,
We know people don’t like to be sold to in the old traditional way – so we have to use other techniques now.

8. B
efore you get started on
PPC you need to sign up
to Google Adwords.
Doing this is free and
easy and can be completed
on the Google Adwords sign
up page.https://www.google.
co.uk/adwords/ Google will then
take you through the process step-
by-step to help you get started.In
addition Google have recently launched
an expert help service to all
advertisers who spend more than
£6 per day.You can phone them
on 0800 026 1713 and they will
even help you set it up.Win
Win.
Once you have completed
that you are ready to go and
here’s six tips I recommend you
do to help you ensure you are getting
the most from your Google Adwords.
6 Tips
FOR MANAGING
PPC YOURSELF
BY NIAMH TAYLOR

9. 9
1. USE THE FREE GOOGLE CREDIT
Google gives out £75 free Adwords credit when
you start up a new account.That’s a nice little sum
to help you get started.The only stipulation is
that you spend £25.To get your free £75 Adwords
credit click here.
2. DOYOUR KEYWORD RESEARCH
This is where you will need to invest time.
You know your business and industry best
so take time to ensure you are targeting the
correct keywords. Once you are in the adwords
dashboard you can go into a tool called Keyword
planner. It is very easy to use – put in your
industry, location, website url etc and Google will
recommend keywords for you to target. Check
out this Google video on YouTube which takes
you through the steps to using Google’s Keyword
Planner on the Adwords dashboard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jyk-bIGOeY
I suggest you start small and then once you know
what is working and driving sales or lead enquiries
for you,scale up and hit the ground running.
3.CONSIDER LONGER SEARCH TERMS
The best way to succeed at PPC is to consider
longer search terms.Don’t target keywords where
you can see there is high competition but go for
long-tail phrases and competitor names.You can
read about long-tail keyword targeting here.
4. JOIN THE GOOGLE ONLINE
CLASSROOM
Set aside time to learn.You can never learn
enough when it comes to PPC as it is constantly
evolving.There’s loads of tutorials online and you
can find them here through Google’s Adwords
Online classroom. According to Google “Our
AdWords Online Classroom provides free
online training to help you achieve long-term
advertising success with AdWords.Whether
you’re new to AdWords and want to learn the
basics, or you’ve been with AdWords for a while
and want to take your account to the next level,
we offer a range of topics to suit your needs”.
Get signed up today – it’s FREE!
5. ENSUREYOU HAVE GOOD
LANDING PAGES
A common mistake made by newbies to PPC
is that they set the destination landing page of
the PPC adverts to go to the homepage of their
website.Don’t do this.There needs to be synergy
between your actual advert and the landing page
you take the user to.I suggest you create specific
landing pages for your different campaigns.This
will help your quality score which will help keep
the amount you need to bid down.
6.TARGET EFFECTIVELY
One of the best elements of online advertising
is that it enables you for the first time ever to
truly market at a 1:1 level.That’s the beauty of
PPC too.You can define your target market and
decide how you can reach them.Understanding
the capabilities of each platform will allow you
to spend your budget wisely.Decide where your
audience are most likely to be and then decide if
you will spend on Google or on Facebook.Google
targets on keywords whereas Facebook allows you
to target on loads of additional segments like age
and marital status to name a few.
So that’s a quick overview to help you get started
with your PPC.This is only the start of how you
can manage Adwords campaigns but it is plenty
for you to get on and do it.
If you want lots of free tips on everything to do
with digital marketing get following me.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
niamhtaylor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitaltwenty4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
digitaltwentyfour
Web: www.digitaltwentyfour.com
5. ENSUREYOU HAVE GOOD

10. MarieJonsson-Harrison
Interview with .....

11. 1. MARIE! WHAT A LIFE. FROM PLAYBOY
MODEL TO A WORLD FAMOUS NAÏVE
ARTIST, NOT TO MENTION KISSING
RICHARD BRANSON. HOW HAS YOUR
“GET-UP-AND-GO” ATTITUDE HELPED
YOU IN YOUR ART CAREER?
lll Yes lol, it has been quite a crazy and
unusual life so far and I haven’t finished
yet! Well, Lorraine I think the fact that
I had no preconceived ideas about what
being an artist meant - and no formal art
education, (no need to follow any rules)
made me free spirited and willing to
just go with my heart and paint what I
wanted. I am naturally a happy person
curious about life and what it has to offer
and paint to reflect that. I also love to
please a client and find doing commissions
fun as they often introduce me to a new
subject matter to explore, something that
I may not have thought of otherwise. Also
whenever an opportunity knocks I mostly
grab it with two hands and go for it - even
though sometimes I feel like I bite off more
than I can chew and also take on far more
work than I should. But I figure you only
live ones so you got to go for it!
2. YOU SELL ORIGINAL ART WORK,
PRINTS, SCULPTURES, AND HAVE
SOME ENVIABLE LICENSING DEALS
(BEDDING). TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT
IS MOST PROFITABLE FOR YOU, AND
WHERE YOU’D NEXT LIKE TO SEE YOUR
ARTWORK REPRODUCED. WHAT TIPS
WOULD YOU GIVE FLEDGLINGS ON HOW
TO SECURE A LICENSING DEAL?
lll My latest ventures are always the
most fun, until something else comes
along and I find that the so far they have
nearly all been pretty profitable. Rather
recently my artwork was used for an
international convention for Doctors
in the Perinatal and Postnatal area
The Australasian Marce Society 2015
(perinatal mental health) where I was
commissioned to produce an artwork
which was widely used for the conference,
appearing on their website, advertising
material, carry bags, T shirts, invitations,
lunch tickets, direction signs and media
releases and even in the toilets. So that
was really fun to do :) As far as tips on
securing a deal well I am afraid that I
can’t really answer that as I have never
actually pursued one myself. I have just
been very fortunate to be asked if I would
be interested in being part of a venture. I
have recently illustrated a children’s book
Winston Knows and I really enjoyed that
process, so if another book came along
with a fabulously written story I would
absolutely love to be part of that!
3. YOU’RE HUMOUR IS KEY TO THE
ARTPIECE – ONE OF MY FAVOURITES
BEING THE LADY WITH THE FISH NET
STOCKINGS LURING HER NEXT CATCH.
DO YOU HAVE FUN THINKING UP YOUR
NEXT RISQUÉ PAINTING, OR PUTTING
IN FEATURES THAT WILL SHOCK AND
MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH.
lll Yes absolutely, I have so much fun
when I think about what to paint and
whilst I am in the process of and hope that
translates to the people that see my work.
Sometimes in a gallery I will hang back a F
11

12. bit incognito and people-watch whilst
my work is discussed and I so love to see
the giggles and laughs as they point out
little bits that weren’t at first apparent.
I do have a little bit of a naughty sense
of humor! I also think that even with
serious subjects that I have painted l
can say more with humor and still make
a point on the human condition and
hopefully even make people think about a
subject they otherwise might not. I also
know that there are a lot of sad and bad in
the world and try within the means that I
have to make people smile and laugh and
bring positivity!
4. SINCE WE FOCUS LARGELY ON
GREETING CARDS AS AN ART PRODUCT,
TELL US IF YOU’VE HAD GREETING
CARDS OF YOUR WORK PUBLISHED,
AND IF THAT IS AN AREA YOU WOULD
LIKE TO DEVELOP. WILL WE BE SEEING
THE MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON
BRAND PRODUCTISED AND AT A TRADE
FAIR SOON?
lll Because I am so busy painting and
have been doing so for a long time now,
I never have the time to research or do
anything about getting my own work
marketed in any major fashion. So the
merchandise deals that I have been part
of has always been approaches from other
companies to buy the initial copyright
often with ongoing royalties. But yes I
have had greeting card deals over the
years and am always open to listen to new
suggestions and collaborations when they
come up. I also tend to choose carefully
what I want my art to be used for as not to
cheapen the image or my “brand”.
Therefore when things do come along that
I am part of I am always very happy to
be part of the marketing and advertising
of the product if that is required. Thats
where my background in modelling comes
in handy too. At the moment I have had
a few postcards made that I will have on
sale during a festival month of exhibitions
whereby 6 artists will be touring South
Australia in a mobile ARTGALLERY “A Bus
Full of Art” is bringing art that delights
and amuses you in a big yellow REAL bus!
6 artists individual work in this unusual
travelling gallery space. A new adventure
which I think will be fun!
5. WHAT GALLERIES HOLD YOUR
ARTWORK – AND HOW DO YOU ORGANISE
YOURYEAR SO THATYOU REMAIN
PROLIFIC, BUT NOT BURNT OUT?
lll I used to be represented here in
12

13. 13
Australia by a well known gallery but they
unfortunately collapsed due to the GFC,
and since then I haven’t bothered about
getting another gallery here in Australia
as I do quite well just from my own website,
Instagram and Facebook pages. My
European exhibitions are handled by my
agent Eliane Kristensen who organizes my
exhibition schedule there. I guess the main
gallery who always hold my work since
the GFC has been Knud Grothe Galleries
in Copenhagen. The upcoming schedule
is sorted by Eliane and is very busy with
a recent exhibition in Berlin, Germany
and then these other coming up below
and I have just also agreed to take part in
another in Canada in September.
So no rest for the wicked!
• 2015-2016: Public Sculpture for McLaren Vale
• March 2016: Exhibition in Paris, France
• April 2016: Exhibition in Copenhagen,Denmark
• June 2016: Festival d’art naïf, Saumur, France
• June-August 2016: Festival Naive in Katowice,
Poland
• July: Festival d’art naïf, Saint Junien, France
So at the moment I am finishing a couple
of cat paintings to go to Paris, at the same
time a small painting for Knud Grothe in
Denmark as well as one for “A Bus full of
art” which starts on the 13th February. I
have also have several commissions waiting
in the wings. But I am actually a person
who works better the busier I am, lol I am
not good at sitting still doing nothing. So
far so good with the burn out! Although I
think I did come close at one stage earlier
on when I was exhibiting mainly in Japan
and felt the pressure to supply 40 or more
paintings a year for the Japanese market
but as their economy has slowed that too, is
now much more manageable.
6. YOU BLOG AND USE FACEBOOK
EXTENSIVELY – DO YOU HAVE A SOCIAL
MEDIA MARKETING PLAN THAT YOU
FOLLOW OR IS IT MORE AD-HOC THAN
THAT?
lll It would be nice to have more of a
marketing plan - but no I have to confess
it is more ad-hoc and just comes from
experience over the last 5 or so years. I
just noticed if I made my presence known
in social media it would bring in clients and
inquiries to my website and messages on
Facebook and emails. So I make sure I post
something each day and from the feed back
I get people tell me they like to see what I
am doing and where I am going and follow
in a more personal way. I also enjoy the
interaction myself as I do actually spend
most of my days by myself in the studio
although I also have quite an active social
life at night :) Social media does take a up
a little bit of time of course but really not as
much as you would think.
MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON
Web: www.mariejonssonharrison.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/Naiveartbymarie
https://www.facebook.com/marie.jonssonharrison
https://twitter.com/Naiveview
https://www.instagram.com/marie.jonssonharrison/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.jonssonharrisonll
https://www.pinterest.com/artnaive/
Mobile: 0439508659
Email: mariejonhar@gmail.com

14. 14
I
n Issue 6 I shared a short article on Queen
Elizabeth 1, Henry VIII’s daughter. In
Issue 7 I want to introduce HenryVIII – a
monarch who fills books with wonderment,
shock, sympathy (given his failing health at
the end) and great interest. When I painted
my portrait of Henry, I used a simplistic but
inaccurate version of his coat of arms.When I
transferred this to a card, I had to be completely
accurate, and it was at this point I thought I had
better check with the correct authority – in this
case the Lord Chamberlain’s Office. I wrote
asking their advice on
whether the coat of
arms could be used,
and after a short
wait, I heard
back.The email
I received had
a very elegant
coat of arms -
which I have
kept in my Inbox
for reference.
Dear Ms Stylianou,
Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to
the Lord Chamberlain’s Office by the Cabinet Office.
I’m afraid it will not be possible to use the shield
bearing the Royal Arms of King Henry VIII. The Royal
Arms of England (3 lions) are still in use on The
Queen’s arms and are therefore protected by the
Trade Marks Act. The Prince of Wales’s Three Feather
Badge is also protected.
Guidance is available on the British Monarchy website:-
http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/
UseroftheRoyalArms.aspx
I am sorry to send such a disappointing reply.
Yours sincerely,
I hope you like this rather podgy portrait of Henry as
much as I do.
It is always best to check on these things.
Nobody wants the ghost of Henry VIII
tormenting one’s sleep!
Henry VIII was born in 1491, the second son
of Henry VII (whom I will feature soon) and
Elizabeth ofYork. He came to the throne in 1509.
He was an intelligent, athletic character in
Introducing...
KING
asking their advice on
whether the coat of
arms could be used,
and after a short
wait, I heard
kept in my Inbox
for reference.
HENRY VIII
KING

15. 15
his youth. Henry was multi-lingual, pious, and
competitive. He was both bookish, and an
accomplished musician and author.
Henry’s reign was dominated by the Protestant
Reformation,and the succession,which led to
the Church of England being formed. Henry’s
dalliances with his numerous mistresses,and
desire for a male heir,resulted in him seeking
to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
Henry’s Chancellor,and Cardinal,Thomas
Wolsey failed to get the Pope’s consent for
divorce between Henry and his wife.It was
Wolsey’s successor,Thomas Cromwell who
managed,with Parliament to reduce the Pope’s
power in England,thus resulting in the English
Reformation. Henry made steps to break from the
Roman Catholic Church and freed himself from
risk of execution by reinforcing his headship
of the realm. It caused great division between
clergy and advisors.
Anne Boleyn did not give Henry a son,
but a daughter called Elizabeth. Henry then
married his third wife Jane Seymour who did
give Henry a son, Edward VI. She died shortly
afterwards, however. Henry then went on to
marry Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard,
and Catherine Parr. Henry VIII died in 1547,
survived by Catherine.
In summary, Henry VIII was viewed by many
as a tyrant, a warmonger, and womaniser.
His strong desire for a male heir to secure
the throne was thwarted since Edward died
as a young boy, and his daughters Mary, and
Elizabeth from two different wives did not
have children themselves. It was Elizabeth,
however, through her decision not to marry,
and a love for her country, who brought much
stability to her reign.
TO SEE THE REST OF MY ART HISTORY RANGE, PLEASEVISIT
http://lorrainestylianou.com/product-category/greetings-cards/art-history/
Henry’s reign was dominated by the Protestant
Reformation. Henry made steps to break from the
TO SEE THE REST OF MY ART HISTORY RANGE, PLEASEVISITTO SEE THE REST OF MY ART HISTORY RANGE, PLEASEVISIT

16. 16
Interview with .....
Sabina
of SABIVO Design

17. 1. YOU’VE HAD A VARIED CAREER IN
NUMEROUS DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS
INCLUDING SCIENCE, ACADEMIA AND
RETAIL. HOW HAS YOUR COLLECTIVE
EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CARD
BUSINESS – IS THERE A SCIENCE TO IT?
lll Using my collective experience is the
actual science helping me now. Every
single role I held was an actual conscious
decision with desired outcome and even
the most unrelated to business (science)
helps me with analytical thinking
and critical mind. Ironically, the only
professional experience I need now and
never had is formal design training.
However, the positive side is that I am
always open and willing to learn and can
have fresh perspective on the matter.
2. HOW TO YOU JUGGLE FAMILY LIFE
WITH SOLO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
lll It is probably the most challenging role
I ever had. It has taken me a long time to
get used to the orderly daily chaos. I think
it requires military organisation, planning
and high level of flexibility, which you can
get to start with but is hard to maintain.
It’s also good to keep the humorous side of
things, otherwise life may turn too serious
when all is too much to handle.
3. I NOTE, LIKE ME, YOU SHARE A LOVE
OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MENTORSHIP
AND ENTERPRISE INITIATIVES. WHAT
ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN AND
HOW HAS IT HELPED, IF AT ALL, TO DRIVE
YOUR BUSINESS?
lll I have always had fascination for
business and entrepreneurship thus I
am an active business mentor through
The Princess Trust (Leicester) and work
directly with clients. This is something I
do for myself personally and is not related
to my business, the focus is on young
entrepreneurs and their businesses. I am
a big advocate of the power of knowledge
(whether though academia or skills on the
job) and there isn’t a greater pleasure for
me to see a young person succeeding in
business with a little help from me. For all
the work I do, I get generously paid with
thanks, smiles and confidence from young
entrepreneurs. It is simply amazing! I also
produce a lot of reports and analyses for
the trusts, which I have done in my retail
jobs and I enjoy doing.
I am also a distant mentor via Bright
Ideas Trust (London) and Start Up
Republic (London). It means I don’t
work with clients directly but just as and
when needed with similar queries as The
Prince’s Trust.
4. EACH OF YOUR DESIGNS ARE
CLEVERLY HAND PAINTED AND
ADORNED WITH EMBELLISHMENTS
(BOWS AND DIAMONDS). DO YOU HAVE
STAFF TO HELP YOU? DO YOU ENVISAGE
A TIME WHEN YOU WILL OUTSOURCE
THE DELICATE ART OF PRODUCING
HANDMADE CARDS COMPLETELY?
lll SABIVO Design is a family affair,
I don’t do it all myself. I get help at
busy times and I also have no problem
delegating jobs to people who are far
better than me in what I do. F
17

18. l l l My recommended book this month
is From Vision to Exit. I’ve heard Guy
Rigby speak a few times at various
entrepreneurial events and have his
book on my shelf.
When you come to sell a business it’s
rather like selling a car – the car with a
log book will generally sell better than
one without. In business, that means
your assets – What assets are you
building in your business that will add
value when you come to sell?
This month I’ve done
another issue of my
magazine, and created
a Youtube video.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=U7zE_3wWi-g
Keep recording all
your value!
The Book Nook
18
5. DO YOU PLAN ON EXPANDING YOUR
PRODUCT OFFERING TO INCLUDE THINGS
OTHER THAN CARDS?
lll I don’t plan it at the moment, but
I have not ruled it out. I have always
wanted to have a wholesale business, not
a retail business, therefore I am happy
with just 1 product offering. In previous
jobs I have been lucky enough to have
been involved in new product launch,
new shop opening and tendering for a
new supplier, so I have an idea of ins and
outs of the processes. In other terms,
I don’t have to practically go through
the motions to know whether or not
and how it’ll work. The only way I don’t
mind bringing those to market would be
through licensing agreement.
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
SABIVO DESIGNS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?
lll To just continue to grow.
SABIVO Design
Telephone: 44 (0) 116 225 8255
Mobile: +44 (0) 771 942 4619
Email: info@sabivo.co.uk
Web: http://sabivo.co.uk/

19. Touchpoints!
Well last edition I was excited to share that
I opened an Etsy shop. This time it is an
Instagram account. I really like the visual nature of
apps like this – but I do need to put a bit of work into
cropping photos, and making sure the ones I want to
use are on my phone in the first place. By day two I
had a whopping 14 followers!
Check it out!
https://www.instagram.com/lorrainestylianou/?hl=en
Would love to know how you grew your business
last month – I’ll feature you!!
Email me on Lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com

20. 20
PrettyPrettyPrettyPrettyPrettyPretty
ininin
Pretty
in
PrettyPrettyPretty
in
Pretty
in
Pretty
in
PrettyPrettyPretty
in
Pretty
PINKPINKPINK
Email orders to lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com
BIRDS IN THE TREE RANGE. CODE: BIT2
7 PETALLED FLOWERS RANGE

21. 21
Email orders to lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com
GYPSY CHIC RANGE. CODE: GC17
CURIOUS CANINES RANGE. CODE: CAN22
BOHEMIAN BIRDS RANGE. CODE: BB7
CUTE RANGE. CODE: CH17

22. Gypsy Chic
magazineGypsy
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
FOCUS
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT
ON
THE WICKERMAN
BRAND
BUILDING
BLOCKS
Chic
magazine
Issue 5 - 2016
the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
BELFAST
BRAND
BUILDING
BLOCKS
Gypsy Chicmagazine
Inside!!! Interviews with Andrew Chambers of Two Scoops, Marion
Hancock of Art Cards Ireland, and Beth Nadler of Beth Nadler Art ....
Issue 4 - 2016
the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
Knowingyour
WORTH
FarmyardFriends
PRON
of Two Scoops, Marion
A MATCH
MADE IN
HEAVEN
Farmyard A MATCH
MADE IN
RELIGIOUSABOUTCARDS A MATCH
RELIGIOUS
A MATCH
RELIGIOUS
RELIGIOUS
RELIGIOUSABOUT
ABOUTCARDSCARDSCARDSCARDS
A SHOE STRING
Interviews with Andrew Chambers
Farmyard
Meet The Expert, Publisher
Interviews, Competition,
Pinboards, Floral Elegance,
Trends For Autumn/Winter
2015. Hoarders.
Time Management,
Ignite Your Inner Author,
Competition, What Is Your
Why, Publisher Interviews.
A Card Making Masterclass,
Publisher Interviews,
Competition, Ninja Networking,
Retreats, In The
Artists’ Studio.
Retailer Spotlight, Publisher
Interviews, St Patrick’s Day,
Brand Building Blocks,
My E-Spark Journey.
Queen Elizabeth, Publisher
Interviews, Competition,
Linked In, The Hallmark Story,
So What’s New?.
22
Gypsy
Knowing Your Worth,
Publisher Interviews, Farmyard
Friends, Pr On A Shoestring,
A Match Made In Heaven,
Religious About Cards.

23. 23
E-ZINETHOUGHTS
& FUTURE PLANS
I
’ve had a think about why I like to produce
my digital magazine each month and here are
some of my thoughts.
1) Firstly it is my way of giving back to my
friends,readers,and anyone interested in the same
things as me ie.design,greeting card publishing,
surface pattern design and entrepreneurship.I
hope my readers will find my articles inspirational,
and help encourage creativity.
2) By giving my fellow publisher/designers
free PR helps me fill the pages of my little
e-zine with interesting topics, give my readers
useful information, valuable tips and tricks, and
open a window on our world. In exchange I too
get free PR which is a win-win for us both. So
let’s be SOCIABLE.
3) By sharing information or pointing out free
resources,or recommending books,fledgling
publishers and designers don’t feel so alone and
can follow us all on social media. It is not enough
today to“network”,or follow people in the
industry for business purposes. We have to go the
extra mile and become each other’s FRIEND. [I’m
still quietly astonished how quickly some people
in some industries will try and sell you something
before they’ve gotten to know you]. That is so
1980’s. People don’t like being sold to….we have
to work on things differently using emotional
intelligence and psychology.
4) By reading each other’s challenges, our
future plans,and connecting with each other,we
can keep the industry a vibrant,lively one where
we grow through knowledge share. I love to
include artists from America,or elsewhere as it
adds to the industry’s global appeal. It’s important
to network with people from other countries so
connect with all my contributors on social media!
Even if you work in a tiny studio on your lonesome,
you won’t feel so isolated by doing so.
5) Avoiding pitfalls. By sharing our journey
– warts and all – we can hopefully prevent
newcomers to the industry making costly mistakes
at the start of their business,
6) Blow your own trumpet. Business doesn’t
really favour the shrinking violet. It’s so important
to do a little self-promotion every day,putting
yourself in front of other’s in your industry. Your
buyers will want to know what you are up to and
what you are working on. I’ve personally found it
easier to write articles in a magazine format than
a blog. It’s all down to what you feel comfortable
doing.Through my e-zine I can showcase both my
own,and other’s card ranges which makes for a
more colourful,interesting read.
7) Competitions and prizes. In each edition I run
a competition to win free samples of my cards,as
well as other providing links to “freebies”– It is
so important for me to treat my readers with little
giveaways and interesting design or business
course links. We are all on this entrepreneurial or
design journey together so we may as well have
fun in the process.
8) Last but not least: From Issue 7 onward I
want to include a regular article on trends in the
industry. I will gather my information from several
sources and will show you how to stay current and
maintain your competitive advantage.
Happy Reading.

24. 24
Lucy Levenson
of Lucy Levenson Designs
Interview with .....

25. 1. TELL US HOW IT ALL STARTED FOR
YOU IN TEXTILE ART?
lll I got started in textile art after my
daughter fell very ill, she was left with
brain damage. I had been a photographer
before working for magazines traveling
the world. I looked after my daughter as a
full time carer. In 2011 I started sewing as,
having really never done it before, I found
it helped me when my daughter was ill.
2. YOUR APPLIQUE CUSHIONS ARE
GORGEOUS FEATURING ROWS OF
HOUSES, ANIMALS, SNOWSCAPES,
FOLKSY IMAGES. WHERE DO YOU GET
YOUR INSPIRATION FROM AND HOW
LONG DOES EACH COMPOSITION TAKE?
lll I get inspiration from the world
around me and from my travels, also I
have a very vivid imagination.
3. TELL US WHICH OF YOUR GREETING
CARD DESIGNS SELL BEST?
lll They all sell well. I suppose if I
had to say most the popular, it would
be the stag, London, and house card. I
haven’t done fairy tales yet, so it will be
interesting as I had a lot of interest.
4. YOU LICENSE SOME DESIGNS FOR
PRODUCT. DO LICENSORS CONTACT YOU
OR DO YOU APPROACH THEM?
lll Licensors approach me.
5. I’D IMAGINE YOUR CHILDREN’S STORY
PICTURES WOULD BE PERFECT FOR
CHILDREN’S APPAREL. IS THERE ONE
PRODUCT IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU’D
LOVE TO SEE YOUR DESIGNS ON?
lll I’d like to see my fairy tales on
t-shirts, bedding, mugs and plates, etc.
6. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE LUCY
LEVENSON DESIGNS INTHE NEXT5YEARS?
lll The next 5 years: I will just let it
evolve in its own time. My style changes
and I am evolving all the time. Who knows
where I will be, it should be exciting!
LUCY LEVENSON DESIGNS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucylevenson/
Website: http://www.lucylevenson.com/
Mobile: 07951 344429
25

26. TREND
SPOTTING
in London
A
lthough I was an exhibitor at
PGLive 2016 I was able to walk the
halls of the Business Design Centre
on the two set up days, allowing
me to spot trends on those stands
that were completed first. It took me over 6 hours
to get my own stand finished, but I had a couple of
extended breaks in-between to grab some caffeine
in Costa’s and check out my competition back at
the venue. I noticed quite a few familiar brands
who always seem to choose the same place year
on year, as well as total newbie publishers in the
artists’ quarter and elsewhere. London was baking
in the 27 degree sunshine, and the summer mood
seemed to be reflected inside in the hall through
the most uplifting display stands, my favourite
being a bicycle decorated in flowers and presents.
So what trends caught my eye? I think many of
the publishers have kept closely to Pantone’s 2016
colour palette of pale blue and pinks,decking out
their displays with rows of pale pastel cards,with
contrasting bold typography. There was an air of
sophistication about the cards on display – thin
black outlines forming a frame around card edges,

27. 27
reflecting vintage invitations,
with a penchant for spot
colour added via foiling.
Lots of dusky bronzes,
metallic silver and gold
lettering,and floral detail
popped from the card surfaces,
the cards themselves balanced on
pretty thin ledges of clear Perspex or
wooden dado rails.Monochrome elements
positioned symmetrically in a folk style were also
very evident – my favourites on Iona’s stand.
Wearing my rose tinted glasses and Hawaiian
shirt (I had to spell check Hawaiian!) I spied lots of
tropical imagery - pineapples, flamingos, hibiscus
flowers, and hummingbirds. This is obviously
inspired by the forthcoming Olympic games
in Rio not to mention our love of the 60’s era of
campervans. As my funny, but cynical friend Karen
commented – the design industry hasn’t placed as
much emphasis on the Zica virus or migrant crisis
this year. Talking of big pink birds, I recall the
hilarious site of plastic pink flamingos having been
placed in the middle of a roundabout in Colchester
when I visited it on the Monday of the show – only
in Essex after a night on the town! Check out my
own Happy Birthday card in my evolving Animal
Magic range. The tropical theme is also one of
Caroline Gardner’s dominant card ranges with
Pina Colada’s, pineapple shaped notebooks, and
splashy watercolour art of pretty flowers.
Polka dots,stripes and geometrical designs
simply never go out of fashion and this
was evident at PG Live. It simply reflects
what is going on in the world of fashion –
particularly in summer clothing ranges.
Gradients of coloured stripes are as
popular on the front of greeting cards as
they are on summer vests.Megan Claire
simply aced stripes on her
male greeting card range.
The displays themselves
set a trend with lots of
wire grills and innovative
pinboards used as the
backdrop,with carefully placed
nails holding pretty cards up
via bulldog clips. I think Henry of
“Made by Man”must have won the prize for
innovation – designing tiny perfectly sized hooks to
hold up the strings of his display using a 3D printer.
10 out of 10 for effort. Elsewhere chunky chains
hanging from hooks were evident.
The innovation carried on into the realms of
augmented reality – Jess,the owner of Paperclip
Penguin showed me clever 3D animations on an ipad
designed by her partner. How timely,I thought,when
I had spied an augmented reality opportunity for a
greeting card publisher on the UKTi Export website.
This is one aspect of the card industry’s future! Using
a code,the user can visualise the image on the card in
3D on screen making it come to life.
Lasercuts with their intricate designs are also in
vogue. Their delicate,lacy appeal suitable for both
genders via their application on more textured
surfaces like thin eco woodply.
Outside the exhibition hall,I took photos of cards
on spinners at a nearby book and greeting card store.
Here a lot of emphasis was on“local”/British sayings.
Again words/text dominating the card front.
This confirmed to me that trend awareness, and
constant innovation are key to staying
at the top of your game in the card
industry. If trends don’t impact
everything we do, we’d still be
walking around in crinoline dresses
and bonnets (or the male equivalent).
TREND
SHOUT-OUTS!
https://www.ionacards.co.uk/
http://meganclaire.co.uk/
http://www.carolinegardner.com/
http://www.paperclippenguin.com/
http://made-by-man.co.uk/
TREND SUMMARY
PASTELS, TYPOGRAPHY, STRIPES, POLKA-DOTS, GEOMETRIC
SHAPES, SPOT-COLOUR, METALICS, TROPICAL, AUGMENTED
REALITY, LASER CUTS.
TREND SUMMARY

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