Posted on Leave a comment

Just A Card

Just a Card

I took the Just a Card 5 day social media challenge and shared what Just a Card means to me and my business.

I’m Janet and this is my wee independent biz, Cards and Gift Wrap.

Day 1 My Story

Cards and Gift Wrap started because I am a full time mum at home with 4 children, now aged 2 to 12. I seemed in constant need of birthday cards and wrapping paper for the children and their class mates parties. Other friends were in the same position. Always having to go shopping at the last minute for a card and constantly feeling disappointed at what was on offer in the shops but having no other choice. Now they too are wise and keep a stock of my cards because they are nicer, more afforable, better quality and because it’s just so much more convenient than the last minute panic.

I became an Independent Flamingo Partner (formerly Phoenix Trader) in 2012. I fell in love with the bookmarks and then the notecards, then the gift wrap and eventually the whole kaboodle! I’ve expanded my range to include other gift wrap and accessories, including monthly themed subscription box and I now design my own notebooks and have plans to develop that range and others in the future.

I love seeing others grow and encouraging them. One of my children now makes her own cards and runs her own little business as a result of Cards and Gift Wrap. Over 30 other women across the country run their own Flamingo biz in my team and that’s growing monthly. My notebooks are designed to encourage and boost self confidence. These things alone are motivation enough to keep running my business. It’s never ‘just a card’.

That’s kind of me…oh and my husband is a self published author so that also motivated me to build a business that would allow him more time to write and market his business.

Well done if you’ve read this far!

Day 2 What ‘Just a Card’ means to me.

Funny cos what it means to me is the exact opposite.

When you send ‘just a card’ it’s never ‘just’ a card. It’s a smile, it’s a hug in an envelope, it’s an ‘I care’.

When you receive ‘just a card’ it’s never ‘just’ a card. It’s a warm glow inside, it’s a wow someone thought of me, it’s a heart pounding boost.

When you buy ‘just a card’ from me it’s never ‘just’ a card. It’s showing that you appreciate quality design and not the mass produced. It reminds me that it’s worth the effort running my wee biz cos you need it. It supports a family of 4 kids to do what we do, which is spend as much time together as possible.

Here is one of my favourite Flamingo Paperie cards and it’s soooo much more than ‘Just a Card’

Day 3 share the love.

Here are some of the places I get my own cards from and others where I get supplies from.

Meanwhile here’s the tagline that the Greeting Card Association agreed on for the card industry…I think it pretty much sums up what happens when you send ‘just a card’ don’t you?Just a Card

Some of my gift wrap comes from Flamingo Paperie too but most of it comes from Deva Designs, including the ribbons, bows, tissue, gift bags and most of what goes in my monthly subscription box. If you see something in Deva that I don’t have in stock, just ask and I’ll add it to my next delivery from them.

All the colouring in tablecloths now come from Eggnogg, they do some fabulous other products too. My favourite tablecloth is the party one because it has cake on it!

Day 4 What’s new and how do you get hold of my stuff

I have recently added notebooks, designed by me, to my stock. There are new designs in the making all the time. My first one was the So Flamboyant one.so flamboyant

You can browse all my items in my shop. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please just ask.

Day 5 Happy Dance

Every time you buy from a small business a real person does a little happy dance. I am no exception. Even when you buy ‘Just a Card’ from me I do a happy dance. You’ll have to nip over to my Facebook page or Instagram profile to see this one.

So you see really, it’s never Just a Card!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.