Chirpy, Waterstones and House of Cards reveal whose designs slayed them
Braving the fire of the Dragons saw 72 greeting card publishers get in front of 21 top retail card buyers recently as they pitched their latest designs.
And the fast-paced Dragons Speed Dating afternoon saw an intense few hours of positive pitching, copious learning and highly enjoyable networking at London’s Business Design Centre in the event organised by the GCA.
Having winged their way in from various corners of the UK, the retail Dragons were tamed by PG for long enough to discover their views on the annual event and which of the publishers had slayed them – here Chirpy, Waterstones and House of Cards reveal all…
Jo McBeath, owner of Chirpy, Chapel Allerton
Dragon flying: “I had a brilliant time and found it was very worthwhile. I will definitely be placing some orders, a few immediately and then some later in the year.
“I was blown away by the generosity of the card samples included in my goodie bag. Such care and thought had been put into them.”
Den delights: “From the meetings I had, I was very impressed with…
- Emily Nash Illustration – I loved her cheery, colourful designs for all occasions.
- Happy Street – I loved their range of gorgeous colourful cards, great prices, short lead times and no MOQ! Will definitely be buying their cards for Chirpy.
- Ivy & Ink – I loved their Wallypops pop-up cards, a great idea for something a little bit different than just sending a card.
- Jessie Maeve Studio – beautifully designed cards which will soon have a place in Chirpy.
- Pear Tree Press – she had her cards really well displayed on boards which made it very easy to see her ranges.
- The Silent Card Co – for their amazing idea of sharing how important British Sign Language (BSL) is, their innovative card idea and their infectious enthusiasm. We carried on our chat in the bar afterwards and I could have chatted to them all night!
- Twenty Birds – I loved her beautiful presentation box for showing her cards to me. Her cards will be perfect for Chirpy and, even better, she’s from Yorkshire!”
Megan Douglas, buyer of cards and gift wrap, Waterstones
Dragon flying: “I had a great time at the Dragons’ event, which had such a lovely atmosphere. It was so good to catch up with everyone as well as meet some great publishers and talk one-on-one about their work. The calibre of products was very impressive.”
Den delights: “So many wonderful publishers… Two For Joy and Catherine Rayner both stood out for their beautiful illustration styles that I think our customers would love.
“We’ll be reviewing our range of everyday cards over the next month, with a view to incorporating new publishers where possible.”
Miles Robinson, co-owner of House of Cards
Dragon flying: “It was a super day. The buzz of the event is marvellous. The standards just get better each year and this one was no exception.
“It was great to see so many new and emerging as well as more-established publishers taking part, with some really professional presentations – and I’m looking at the mammoth pile of samples on my desk!”
Den delights: “Of those I saw on the day, the following caught my eye…Apple & Clover, Heather Trefusis Art, Ink & Ivy Group, KDee Designs and Paper Mirchi.
“I would imagine we will certainly be trying some of our finds – subject to terms of course! – and have high hopes for some.”
