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All responses Most smiled responses
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Hi Kate!
There is a trick - but it's very easy :-)
Here's a quick video of how to do it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD5bMIf1fzw
Thanks,
Fiona -
I took those pictures in Paris - I would say in Montmarte somewhere - but I can't be sure. sorry I can't be more specific.
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hello - thanks for the question.
They are possibly photographs that I took on my travels and I definitely would know where they are located. But I am not sure which signs you are referring to. If you can send me a link to the specific posts I can probably help you. Happy to help :-) -
Good question! Well I would say that being able to meet all the people that I work with from around the world under one roof was very important. I speak to all these people weekly but to meet them face to face was brilliant. Also by going to a large international trade show you really get a feel for your position in the market. It's easy in Canada to feel isolated from even our closest trading neighbours - being at the show makes you feel like a player in the industry.
And finally it was amazing to meet all the people that I blog with, Twitter with and have developed online relationships with....very heartwarming!
Thanks for the question! -
My designs are a digital collage of vintage imagery and original elements which are illustrated with gouache on paper. Thanks.
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Well it was pretty simple really. I started off small with just a few cards and did small print runs so the costs were low. Once those cards had sold I had enough money to design and print more cards. Cartolina has always been self sufficient. I have never borrowed money to grow the business because I'd have to pay it back!
For the first year I did some corporate graphic design work to pay the bills. When Cartolina got too busy for me to do freelance work then I was making enough money to quit that gig and focus on the cards.
There is a lot of planning with any small business and planning where you spend the money is the most important one.
If you have an expensive high maintenance lifestyle then it will take longer before you can quit your day job.
The most successful business owners invest more time than money into their businesses.
I believe that the element of necessity is the best driving force to a successful business. If you don't have to work hard to pay the bills, if you don't have the anxiety, the necessity, to make money - what will drive you? -
Good questions. My cards take a long time to design because I am often starting out with very damaged or torn bits of ephemera that have to be restored before I can use them. I would say that on an average a card probably has about 3 full days work on it(25 to 30 hours) - some have more. I am crazy for detail and, if you've seen our cards, you'll know that they have complete designs on the back and the front - so twice as much work!!
I design new product once or twice a year. Because we don't really folow trends or fads our designs last a long time - they don't have the average shelf life of a greeting card. -
Thanks!
I guess I would suggest that you would try and predict or anticipate what a buyer would be looking for. In my experience a buyer would like you to make an appointment to show your line. They want you to show up looking professional and confident. Practice your presentation before you go so you are comfortable being a sales person. A buyer will want to see that you have a very consistent, recognizable and unique style and that your product will suit their store(this is important.) A full collection is important - I would say a minimum of 24 cards, mostly birthday and thank you. A buyer also wants to see that either you are a reliable, well established line who can fulfill orders quickly and efficiently or, if you are a new line, that you are committed and professional(they don't want to buy into a line - and then not be able reorder or contact you in a few weeks.) Be clear on your terms - credit card for first order, net 30 for subsequent orders. Buyers need terms - you cannot expect a buyer to pay upfront for each order - we offer net 60 to all buyers. Research shipping costs so that you can give your buyer an estimate of their total cost when they order. Leave the buyer with a sample and a catalog and try to fulfill the order within a week.
If you can't get in to see a buyer consider leaving a set of samples and a line-sheet with them for a couple of days - and then return to pick up the samples and hopefully an order. Don't pester buyers - sometimes a buyer may really love your line but they may not order for 6 months because they literally don't have the space for new stock. I would say that 40% of buyers don't buy immediately. An order of cards takes quite a while to sell through - give a buyer at least 2 months before you contact them for a reorder.
Hope that helps :-) -
No, I'm way too young for that :-)
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When we travel we generally go to international cities where we can take in all the fabulous, architecture and design - fill up on inspiration and then bring it back to our place in the mountains. But recently I have really been craving to go to one of those amazing tropical places - completely relaxing, warm, beaches, oceans and completely secluded and private, no phones or technology.( and I'm not talking all-inclusive resort in Mexico!) I have never wanted to go to that kind of place up until now. But I have been spotted recently checking out places like Northern Queensland, Australia. I think I need one of those relaxing holidays - who knew?
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asked by cameronblazer
Ha ha - I wish I was fearless.
I am a total control freak so my biggest fear is to find myself unprepared for a situation. And the way I deal with that is through a completely unnecessary technique of predicting the potential worst case scenario for every situation and then spend way too much time figuring out a solution for said disaster that will probably never happen anyway. So basically I worry too much about hypothetical calamities!
This actually explains why I didn't sleep for the first 2 years of my business because I spent all night worrying that Cartolina would be a success - and how would I handle the logistics! What if it all went wrong? Good grief!
I'm working on the above.
I'm also scared of those stringy bits when you peal a banana - yuck. -
I live in a small mountain community in British Columbia - Nelson, BC.
Nelson is a ski town on the edge of a huge lake - Kooteny Lake. It's a lot like one of the Colorado towns like Telluride or Breckenridge - in fact it almost looks identical to Breckenridge - an old silver mining town full of very pretty Victorian houses. People who live here are pretty resourceful and creative - there are a lot of amazing people here who move here to get away from the city but to still live a pretty sophisticated lifestyle. I feel very lucky to live in Nelson. Nelson's claim to fame is that it was the very pretty location for the Steve Martin/Darryl Hannah movie Roxanne - back in the 1980s.
Thanks for the question. -
Will you ever show us some of your paintings? Do you still have some? What kinds of things did you paint? Will you ever do it again?
I might show you my paintings. I was most prolific in the 90s so they look a little dated maybe. For years I painted street scenes from around our little town which is full of vernacular wooden houses from the 1890s. They were quite fun and quite popular. Then I worked as an illustrator for a few years so all my paintings were quite illustrative. Then I went through a period where I did very decorative abstract paintings. I don't paint much now except when I want to give a painting as a gift. I might show you some of my illustrations sometime. The only trouble with painting for a living is that it's a very personal thing so it can really eat you up. I can be a very grumpy person when I am painting and I think that it can be rather unhealthy - very emotional. Being a graphic designer is just easier on my emotions - I'm crying right now in fact :-( -
There seems to have been a bit of a shake down in the last year. If you read industry stats it would say that the stationery business suffered along with all other industries in the bad economy last year - but those stats are based on the big players like Carlton and American Greetings. If you ask any of the small Indie companies like ours we would tell you that business is booming. I don't know if its the best time to get into the paper business right now unless you already have recognizable brand to float along on. It's harder for start-ups at the moment because retailers are less likely to pick up a new line in this economy. But there are exceptions.
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asked by springdaystudio
I would like to eventually have a property on Saltspring Island BC. Maybe a property where I could have a small guesthouse and commercial studio where I could offer courses on some of the things I have learned over the last few years - like designing and running a restaurant from scratch - or taking an artistic hobby into a viable business - I feel like I have a lot to offer and I like helping other people. That's what I see in my future - in a perfect world!
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asked by luckystarpress
Pretty much all my card designs are digital collages of vintage imagery. I have collected vintage images for as long as I can remember and I can put them to good use these days with Cartolina! I have to restore a lot of the imagery and that can take days on some images and if I need a certain element, like a small bird I will draw and paint it. But I keep my own drawing and painting for my personal art these days.
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Of course!
It bothers me when people are unnecessarily negative.
Life is too short to be critical and judgmental. We all try to do our best. I've always tried to be a generous person and every week I try to support a dozen or more other artists on my blog because I believe it's the right thing to do - karma credits. I donate to charities and good causes and I'm the first person to offer industry advice if asked. So when I hear unnecessary negativity aimed at me it bothers me because it just goes to show that time was not taken to get to know me. I'm not perfect but then who is :-) -
You are the first person to ever ask me that question! When I started designing the first Cartolina collection we had just returned from Italy. I always try and learn a bit of the language when I travel. I was struggling with the Italian language. My very Scottish dad was with us - he spent years in Italy in the 60s and he speaks fluent Italian(with a Scottish accent!) He taught me some basic words. Cartolina is Italian for postcard. It was a word that I just really loved - loved rolling the R ! So when it was time to put a name to the new card line Cartolina was a natural :-) That was a great question!
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Well that's a good question. We are working on a line of home wares right now which is a new direction. And we are starting to do more licensing. I want Cartolina to stay true to her roots - based on exotic and eclectic vintage imagery so I am very picky who we partner with. I like to keep tight control over the Cartolina image but I am open to new directions as long as they fit the brand. Thanks for the question!
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That's a tough question. I think I would have to say that I am most proud of being able to make a living from art and design. Also I am proud of the fact that we have been able to do it without having to move to a big city. It takes a lot of flexibility to do business from here but it's worth the extra effort and I feel good about not living in the rat race!
Thanks for the question!
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Fiona Richards’s Bio
Designer, blogger and business owner - www.cartolina.com
