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Flamingo Paperie

Flamingo Paperie has now closed down but it’s fabulous range of cards, gift wrap, charity Christmas cards, traditional advent calendars and stationery were well known for their beautiful illustrations and great quality.

I was an Independent Executive Flamingo Partner. I still have much of the fabulous Flamingo range of cards, gift wrap and stationery and I also stock other non Flamingo items such as colour in tablecloths and other gift wrap on this website.

Be the first to know

If you want to receive exclusive special offers, sneak previews and information about new releases as they happen and/or the latest Flamingo brochure then click here.

If you really love Flamingo Paperie then you need to also join my Flamingo Customer Club and you’ll get a free gift with your first order in my Flamingo Shop.

What’s New?

Flamingo Paperie Christmas Cards 2018

The new Flamingo Paperie range is out now. We have an exciting Christmas range for 2022 including our traditional advent calendars and our well-known advent calendar cards.

New products come out about 5 times a year. If you’d like to be up to date with the latest just ask.

Click here to see the Christmas 2022 range.

You can still get hold of a few Phoenix Trading products. Just ask me if there is something from the old range you want to get hold of. I may well have it in stock and if not I’ll do my best to find it!

If you have questions about becoming a Flamingo Partner then perhaps my FAQs will help. Get in touch and we can work out what’s best for you.

Sign up now to my Customer Club if you would like me to send you special offers, sneak previews. You can also be involved in the design of new products and more.

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National Stationery Week

Business Opportunity, cards, stationery, request a brochure National Stationery Week

The Power of the Written Word

Writing, and being able to write by hand matters and is as important as ever, even in an increasingly digital world. There are many reasons for this – it isn’t a question of just using one or the other. Click here to read the A-Z of why writing matters. According to YouGov research commissioned by National Stationery Week, 92% of adults think that writing by hand is important. While 97% think it is important for children to learn to write.

National Stationery Week celebrates the written word and all things stationery – the products which make it all possible, and give pleasure to so many people. You can never have too much stationery! Its aim is to get people all over the world talking and writing about stationery, and why writing by hand is important. And to send more letters and cards, and not just text or email.

2015 marked the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, and is a reminder of how handwriting has stood the test of time. It also saw the launch of the first #WorldStationeryDay in April, as part of National Stationery Week.

Let’s get more people putting pen to paper and writing more often – especially children. Let’s send more letters and cards, especially to those we care for, rather than just text or email.  It’s much more personal.

Source: National Stationery Week

birds and birdhouses note cards If you want to get started why not take a look at these handy note card sets. They come in packs of 10 with coordinating envelopes. Ideal to keep for when you want to send a quick note to someone. Why not challenge yourself to send 7 note cards or even the whole 10 on National Stationery Week?

My favourite design at the moment is the Birds and Birdhouses one, illustrated by Sue James.

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Exclusive cards for exclusive businesses!

best seller pack Phoenix Trading

If you’d like to see a better range of greeting cards available locally, all high quality with stunning artwork and illustrations, at prices that are really good value – then why not stock Phoenix cards in your area?

Stunning cards from Phoenix Trading

Many people contact me from all over the world wanting to know how they can buy Phoenix cards. Well here’s the thing – they can’t – unless you sell them!

Wherever you are in the world you can now be an International Business Customer with Phoenix Trading. You can buy cards at a discounted rate and sell them on to friends, family, through your business, small shop, hairdressers, post office, etc., making a nice business for yourself – and of course having a never ending supply of fabulous, gorgeous cards for your own personal use too!

This is a great opportunity, if you love cards and want to see a better choice, quality, price of cards in your area then you can make that happen now. Registration form and full terms and conditions.

If you don’t know where to start, and what to order first, we’ve even put a pack together of some of our bestsellers to get you off to a great start.

best seller pack Phoenix Trading

However, you can’t do this if you’re in the UK, France, NZ or Australia – that’s because if you’re in these countries you have the amazing opportunity to become a Phoenix Trader and build a team of Traders around you.

Be the first in your area to stock these amazing cards, you can order now and I’m sure your friends and neighbours will thank you for it. I bet they’d love to know a ‘card lady’ they can depend on!

Full product list

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Noah and Gracie

Just one family story about how the charity Together for Short LivesWS361_butterfly_and_blossom has helped them – if you’d like to support children’s hospices you could hold a Butterfly Tea Party in June.

Noah and Gracie

It’s hard to know where to start, so maybe the beginning is good. I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant with Noah. I’d always wanted to be a mum. Noah was born on 31 October 2006, a healthy little boy. As a parent you have so many dreams for your child, I wanted Noah to have all the things I didn’t have and so much more.

Noah developed as a normal little boy; he started to walk when he was 11 months old. But when Noah was about 13 months we noticed that his walking pattern didn’t seem quite right, he seemed to drag his left leg slightly. I explained my concerns to my health visitor and she referred Noah for an x-ray, this came back all clear. No one could explain Noah’s unsteady gait. When Noah was two and a half he had a little fall, as I picked him up to comfort him I noticed that although he was crying, his eyes had a slightly glazed look. When I went to put Noah down, he couldn’t stand on his feet and had no mobility at all. I’ll never forget that day; it would be the day I really knew something serious was wrong with Noah. Whilst Noah was on the waiting list for an MRI scan he continued to have these episodes and his walking deteriorated. One morning, as Noah tried to get out of bed he couldn’t walk at all. I took him to A&E in a panic and he was admitted for further tests. After two days in hospital the consultant asked to see us. As we walked into the room and saw two other doctors, we realised that something was wrong.

It’s amazing how your whole world can change within seconds with just a few words, the words we heard ‘Noah has a very abnormal brain scan’. The doctor explained that Noah had a condition called Leukodsytrophy, She explained that Leukodsytrophy is a life-limiting condition. I remember feeling physically sick and just sobbed and sobbed. I was seven months pregnant with my daughter at the time. We were told that there are around 40 different types of Leukodsytrophy. Noah’s tests were sent away to a specialist in Holland who diagnosed Noah with Vanishing White Matter Disease, a form of Leukodsytrophy.

Vanishing White Matter is a very rare condition which affects the white matter on the brain. It is genetic and runs in the family, and both Greg and I were carriers of the mutated gene. Symptoms generally appear in a child who has been appearing to develop fairly normal. The condition means that Noah will lose each of his abilities and will become physically disabled. A striking feature of the disease is that the symptoms get worse slowly for the most part, but there are episodes of rapid deterioration that follows an infection or mild head trauma. Noah could partially recovery following these episodes, or the episode could lead to coma and death.

We decided to have our daughter tested for the condition and were told that our beautiful little Gracie also had the same disease. As far as we know Noah and Gracie are still the only two children living in Northern Ireland with Vanishing White Matter Disease so we have to travel at times for treatment in Holland.

Although our life is not how we ever expected, we are truly blessed with Noah and Gracie in our lives.

Noah is our little Superman, a true hero to us and all who meet him, he is passionate about life and everyone who meets him comments on his infectious laugh. He is the happiest little boy I know, and even though he is ataxic at present and suffers from regular pains in his legs, he never complains. He is a joy to be around and at times puts us to shame with his ability to live life to the best of his ability.

As you can imagine it’s very difficult trying to keep a six and a half year old safe when he actually believes he is superman!

Gracie is now three years old and a little princess who also loves life. She is so affectionate and I truly believe that when she was born she was our little light, at a time that seemed very dark. She really helped us to get though.

We now just have different hopes and dreams for our children, and we will continue to trust that God will give us the strength to get though each day, because tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. We prefer to live one day at a time. We love Noah and Gracie with all our hearts; they have amazing strength and have touched the lives of so many people who have met them. We will never give up hope and will continue to pray for a miracle or that a cure maybe found.

No, our life is not as we imagined it to be but what we do have is faith, hope and of course an abundance of unconditional love within our family.

via Noah and Gracie.

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Is it possible to earn money as a full time mother without the kids suffering?

mums working from home

Mums working from home have a difficult task on their hands. Juggling work and looking after the children is a tough job. Is it possible to do both? I believe so. In fact I believe if you choose the right business it can enhance the whole experience.

How mums working from home can make it work for everyone

Allow me a brief introduction of myself. IMG_9962
I’m a full time mother of three, the oldest is now 9, the youngest 3. I’ve been a full time mother for 9 yrs. For the past 8 years I’ve also run a part time business.

I admit that we were lucky, at first it wasn’t about the money. My husband had a good enough job and we adjusted our lifestyle to suit one income. I did struggle in early motherhood with my ‘loss’ of purpose. It took me over 4 years to appreciate the value of what I was giving my children as a full time mother. The ‘business’ was a hobby and I didn’t even keep my commission but donated it to charity.

Then my husband’s job went downhill, wasn’t quite what he had hoped for, a little stress and disappointment and we began to wonder if this is what life was all about. Call it mid-life crisis if you wish.

So what, you might think?

Plenty folk hate their job, that’s life…but if you could change it wouldn’t you? If it was possible to do what you really wanted, what your deepest desire was, wouldn’t you at least give it a go?

My husband wanted to write. He wanted out of his job and via a bizarre set of circumstances I realised I quite enjoyed selling things and supporting others to fulfil their potential. Running a direct sales, network marketing business started to look less like a hobby. It looked more like a fulfilling way to earn an income.

WS364_storkWhat’s more, running a network marketing business like mine (I’m an Independent Phoenix Trader and I sell gorgeous cards and stationery alongside my growing team of Traders) not only seemed possible with a baby and toddler in tow, it actually seemed a positive part of full time motherhood. Perhaps mums working from home who have been doing these kind of businesses for years are actually on to something.

Here’s a few reasons why it’s working for me:

No childcare costs – maybe obvious but being able to take my children with me in my business means I don’t have to pay childcare or leave my children with strangers.

Flexibilty – because I can take my children with me I can work on my business when it suits me, not just after bedtime. And to be honest I’m not fit for much in the evening, I’m probably a morning person.

L278_Fairy_CelebrationStickers – my kids love stickers so they often volunteer to help with sticking labels on brochures or other ‘mundane’ tasks like putting cards in cellos or stuffing envelopes. They love helping me stocktake or set up my stall. This isn’t slave labour, they don’t have to do it, I don’t make them do it, but they want to. It’s fun to them.

Cute sales aids – I don’t really consider myself a people person. My social skills aren’t great and certainly don’t come naturally. So when it comes to fairs, events or even putting a basket in a workplace it’s so much easier with a toddler in tow. The children are the conversation starters just by being there, making it much easier for me.

Entrepreneurs – my kids are more entrepreneurial than me. Perhaps they don’t have my fear of failure, they’ll have great ideas and just go for it. My oldest who often lacks confidence has now raised a few hundred pounds for charity making and selling sweetie cones. But what astounds me is how she will confidently ask complete strangers passing by her stall if they’d like to buy a cone. My children are learning business skills way before they realise it and way better than me!

It is possible

So when people ask is it possible for mums working from home to be a full time mum and run a business, the answer for me is not only is it possible it’s a really positive thing and actually an enhancement of the parenting role. There are lots of different things you can do too.

If you’d like to find out more about what I do and how it works for me, just ask.

A072_Birds