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Fundraising

fundraising

Want to know how you can do some fundraising with Flamingo Paperie? Well here are a few ideas to help you raise money for your good cause.

Fundraising with Flamingo Paperie

Become an Independent Flamingo Paperie Partner

Some of my team joined Flamingo Paperie purely to support their fundraising. My mum is one example! She joined Phoenix Trading initially, to raise money for her local Macmillan Cancer Support Committee. She’s given them about £2-300 each year for the past few years. You could do this too. You buy everything at 70% of retail price so I suggest that you can allow for brochures and courier charges on your orders and safely donate 20% of all your sales to your chosen charity.

Be a Fundraising Fairy

If you don’t want to join the team but you like the idea of collecting a few orders and raising funds then become a Fundraising Fairy. I will send you as many brochures as you need and samples where possible. You then show those samples and share out the brochures and collect the orders and money. You don’t have to do it alone. Perhaps your whole organising committe could collect 5 orders each? Send me a list of the orders and 80% of the retail price. Keep 20% for your charity and I’ll get the orders delivered direct to you to hand out.

Buy our Christmas cards

ALL our Christmas cards are charity cards, even our advent calendar cards. So buy our cards and you’ll be supporting charities via the Phoenix International Charity. Our cards support both national and local charities. Our Independent Flamingo Partners, like me, nominate the local charities each year.

If you have other ideas how I can help you raise money then please ask. I love supporting charities and it’s one of the reasons I became an Independent Flamingo Paperie Partner.

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The First Christmas Card

This week we received our first Christmas card. It always comes from the same family friend and is one of those things that lets us know Christmas is here.

first-christmas-card

It’s glittery (or flittery as we say in the card market), plain but very effective.

I do look at every card we receive, not just the first Christmas card, quite critically as I sell Christmas cards!

Every Christmas card that comes through our letterbox gets a good look over. Because I sell Christmas cards that are exclusively designed I am always on the look out for other cards of a similar appeal. Phoenix Trading asks us to submit Christmas cards each January in to a sort of competition to see who else is making popular or attractive designs. Therefore I am always on the look out for extra special cards (that obviously aren’t Phoenix ones!) to submit.

Are they charity Christmas cards?

Nearly every Christmas card that we receive is a charity card, but not all. I know some people just buy cheap cards then make a donation to a charity instead, I get that. However, if the card doesn’t say it’s a Christmas card then it does leave the impression that the sender just bought the cheapest pack of cards they could find because they felt they ought to send a card. Perhaps that’s just very judgemental on my part but that’s the impression I get that’s all. Personally I think every Christmas card could be a charity card, even some charity cards can be pretty cheap these days so there really is no excuse.

Does it stand up?

Most of our Christmas cards will end up hanging on a string in our hallway for everyone who visits to see. However a really special card may well get pride of place on the mantelpiece – but only if it can actually stand up! How many cheap, thin Christmas cards there are that come through the door that cannot stand without being sellotaped, glued or blu-tacked to the surface?!

I choose the cards I send making sure they look good, do good and are good quality. How do you choose yours?

Looking forward to seeing what Christmas cards drop on to the mat this week…

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Why I send Christmas cards

I have to say that contrary to the popular phrase, ‘No one sends Christmas cards anymore’ I think most of my friends and family do. So, I wanted to add a little post about why I send Christmas cards.

1 People like receiving Christmas cards

When all we get through the letterbox these days is junk mail and bills, we all love it at Christmas time when there’s a heap of cards from the postman. It certainly cheers me up when a few cards fall on the door mat. My children equally love to be able to open lots of mail.

2 It’s an opportunity to catch upadvent-calendar-cards2

I’m not the best at keeping in touch with friends and family. While Facebook and the like are good for these things, it is so much nicer to receive a hand written note.

3 It’s fun choosing the right card

There are so many great cards out there. Of course taking the time to hand make a card is extra special but if time doesn’t allow that there are so many lovely Christmas cards available. My favourite are our advent calendar cards as these are just that little bit different.

4 Cards help decorate the home

Glitter, sparkles and pop out bits. Beautiful flowers, snow scenes and nativity stables. All these help to make the home festive and welcoming at Christmas.

5 Christmas cards make someone feel special

Finally, I think, Christmas cards show someone they are important. The fact you’ve taken time out of your busy life to think of them and write a card speaks volumes in someone’s life.

Take time to send a few cards and help someone know they are special to you.

What was the most memorable Christmas card you received? Let us know in the comments.

ALL our Christmas Cards are charity cards!

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Donkeys, Hedgehogs and Christmas Trees

September Phoenix Christmas cards bestsellers

Our top charity bestselling Christmas cards in October, so far are My Christmas Friend, Little Donkey and Snowman and Robin.My Christmas Friend bestselling Christmas cards Little Donkey bestselling Christmas cards snowman and robin

All our Christmas cards support various charities via the Phoenix International Charity. Our cards support three main charities; Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research and Together for Short Lives. Flamingo Paperie Partners nominate all the other charities. If you’d like to see your charity nominated then all you need to do is a fundraising event with me.

Our luxury, exclusive bestselling Christmas cards are for sale here and in my Flamingo Paperie shop.

Have you seen our traditional advent calendars? Our advent calendar cards are also charity cards!

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Charity Christmas Cards Supporting Local Charity

The Nativity Stable Phoenix Trading Charity Christmas Cards

I am proud to make a donation each year from a proportion of all Christmas cards sold to Western Isles Cancer Care Initiative (WICCI). A minimum of 10% is donated each year. Throughout the year I also support WICCI supplying them with stickers, paper tape and stationery items for their fabulous rainbow care boxes.

I also attend local craft fairs in the run up to Christmas and there is usually a fee or percentage donation from these sale to local charities and organisations.

Past Christmas donations

Every year Flamingo Paperie donated 1p for each of its charity Christmas cards it produced via the Phoenix International Charity. This in turn supported Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer ResearchTogether for Short Lives and lots of local charities that we Flamingo Paperie Partners got to nominate.

In 2016 my nominated charity Hebrides Alpha Project received £150 from the Phoenix International Charity. The Hebrides Alpha Houseing project provides supported accommodation for people recovering from alcohol, drug, mental health or crimal justice related issues.

Over the past few years Laxdale Cubs and Beavers invited me several times to help them raise money for their nominated charities. Because of this, I thought it was time to give them something in return. So I nominated them as my local charity for 2017. I’ve already donated £100 from your Christmas card orders this year.

I was also really privileged in early December 2017 to support a coffee afternoon in memory of a family friend. From Christmas card sales that afternoon I gave £50 towards Cancer Research UK.

snowman and hedgehog honor ayresFlamingo Paperie charity Christmas cards – look good, are good and do good!

Click here to buy your cards now and support some great causes.

The 1p donation by Flamingo Paperie was unusual for card publishers. This is not the same as the usual charity donation on Christmas cards that retailers give. Flamingo Paperie are effectively the wholesaler in this case. It’s unusual for a wholesaler to make a charity donation on cards.

If you’d like to know why sending Christmas cards is a good idea then you might like 10 Reasons to send an actual Christmas card

Are you a business owner? If so then you might be interested in how to Increase Your Business By Sending Business Greeting Cards

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10 Reasons to send Christmas cards

10 Reasons to send Christmas cards handwritten Christmas cards

We keep hearing that no one does send Christmas cards anymore. Depending on which survey you read you might think sales of Christmas cards are on the increase or they’re doomed. Well I’m not sure what to believe there but I do believe that sending cards is a great thing to do at any time of the year and Christmas is a good time to do it.

Why send Christmas Cards?

A survey by Traidcraft found that people do still send Christmas cards and there are lots of good reasons why.

Traidcraft drew up the cartoon strip below after their survey in 2015. The 2016 showed that even more people (84% compared to 77%) in that year said they preferred to receive a hand written Christmas card.

10 Reasons to send handwritten Christmas cards

What Traidcraft and Dr John Sentamu had to say about sending cards

“What is even better is that when you buy a charity Christmas card, the benefit is multiplied. You’re not only showing friends and family you care, but you’re also supporting organisations such as Traidcraft to continue their life-changing work. It’s heartening to see that even in this social media age, charity Christmas cards are a win-win way of spreading festive cheer.”

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, a keen social media user, is lending his support to the organisation’s call for people to put pen to paper and send personal, handwritten charity cards to their friends and family this Christmas, rather than relying on social media messaging.

Dr Sentamu said: “Perhaps more than any other time of the year, Christmas is a time when everyone should feel connected, loved and enjoy a sense of belonging.

“While social media and text messaging are great and convenient ways to stay in touch with friends and family, handwritten Christmas cards really are the best way to show someone that you’ve taken the time to think of them at this special time of year.

“Sending a Christmas card is a simple act, but it really shows you care, bringing a feeling of goodwill perfect for the season to all who receive them.”

What more do I need to say?!

Buy yours now! (and they’re all charity cards)

Increase Your Business By Sending Business Greeting Cards

Do you send 250?

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10 people you could be Thinking Of this Week

thinking of you week

With Thinking of You Week just around the corner I thought it might be helpful to give some ideas of people you could send your 7 cards to.

1 – Your neighbour

Let’s face it you could send all 7 cards to people in your area and light up the whole neighbourhood with smiles. A little card to say, ‘Thanks for being a great neighbour’ would be lovely don’t you think?

2 – A family member

Who is special to you in your family but you never quite tell them often enough, or maybe they’re so special that you can’t tell them too often. How they’ll smile if you pop a card through their door this week.

3 – Work colleague

Who’s having a tough time at work? Who makes the office more fun and bearable and makes coming to work worthwhile? Send them a note to let them know that work wouldn’t be the same without them.

4 – Secret admiree

Who would you like to talk to but can’t quite pluck up the courage to do so? Or maybe you don’t get the chance without someone else around all the time. Why not send a card, they’ll feel very special and it might just break the ice.

5 – Someone bereaved

Who’s lost a loved one recently, or maybe it’s an anniversary of their loved one’s death? A card to let them know they’re thought of and cared for is a nice touch, especially if it’s a bit awkward to bring it up in conversation.

6 – Your bestie

I know you see them all the time, you talk and text on the phone regularly but I bet they’d love a card from you. It would be unexpected and special.

7 – Your postman

Well why not? They deliver all your mail, be nice if they got one to take home with them wouldn’t it?

8 – The Queen

Now Britain’s longest reigning monarch I bet she’d love a card for no other reason than to say ‘thanks, thought you might like this’.

9 – A celebrity

Well, when else would you have the excuse to send a card to George Clooney/Justin Bieber/Rihanna/Shakira?

10 – ‘Thinking of You’ surprise

You could be really daring and leave a card for someone to find! Check out Share the Love Letters for more on this.

The challenge is to send 7 cards over the course of a week, I’ve given you more than 7 possibilities in case some of the ideas don’t apply or appeal to you. Go on – send some smiles!

For more reasons to send cards read my other blog about being a Mad Hatter

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The Jackson Family

The Jackson Family
image

“Before I came I hadn’t heard of Rachel House. I think everyone has this image that you’re going to walk through the door into sadness and death and people crying in corners. It wasn’t until I walked through the front door that I thought “wow”. It’s smiles as soon as you enter.

Rachel House takes the stress away. I don’t have to be running around, cooking meals and sorting Mark out. It lets Morgan, Eden and Sky just be kids. When we’re here, I’m more relaxed and I know that my kids are very happy and safe. It’s just a home from home.”

Help families like the Jackson’s by buying our special butterfly basket products, or indeed anything from my shop as I’m donating 10% of all sales to CHAS

via The Jackson Family.

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Did you know?

Who came up with Christmas cards?WS319_ceramics

Which country leads the way in greetings card design?

How much money goes to charity from Christmas cards?

What’s the average cost of a greetings card?

Answers to the above and more in my latest video – Did you know?

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Why Flamingo Paperie and what’s cake got to do with it?

why flamingo paperie

People often ask me why Flamingo Paperie?

There are a lot of reasons but here are today’s top 5 reasons why Flamingo Paperie ticks my boxes

1 – Potential

TF22-butterfliesThe UK card industry is huge and growing. Despite what you might think, “that no one sends cards anymore because we all just Facebook each other”, the Greeting Card Association UK (GCA) reports that sales of greeting cards are actually increasing! In fact we spend more on cards than we spend on tea and coffee put together!

2 – Charity

I am passionate about giving something back. Having previously worked in areas like Darfur and Sierra Leone I cannot escape the reality that I am hugely blessed in life. I don’t believe in just giving handouts. On the whole these don’t better someone else’s circumstances. But giving people the tools they need to take control of their own lives and situations – that’s worthwhile. Flamingo Paperie as an organisation always looks to share their success, to give out, not keep it all to themselves. The people who run it have done this since they started as the company, Phoenix Trading in 1995. All our Christmas cards are charity cards. Some of my team donate all their profits to charity, and I love to help people raise some extra money for their cause, be it their Scout group or their local hospice.

3 – Being my own boss

I’ve done the working for a big company and having to work overtime to make more money for shareholders with no personal gain. I’m through with that! Anyone with children will value flexibility in life as planning even a day can all go to pot with a sick child, a well timed nappy change, an unexpected nap (from the child not me…though often I wish!). Working from home and being in charge of my tasks and goals, with no one saying “I know it’s tough and we don’t want to push you over the edge but we do need you to work the overtime” (as a previous boss said to me after I had disclosed that I had depression and was struggling to make it through each day), is a key reason why Flamingo Paperie is best for me and my whole family.

4 – Flitter

What is flitter? Why do I go on about it so much? Flitter is that wonderful stuff also known as fairy dust or magic sparkle that people sometimes mistake for the poor imitation that is glitter. Many of Flamingo Paperie’s cards are flittery – and at no extra cost! If the cards aren’t flittered the illustrations are still stunning. When I first became an independent Phoenix Trader I thought I might send them some of my designs but I’ve since been privileged to see some of the original artwork and, no – I won’t be sending mine in. The artists who illustrated for Phoenix Trading and now Flamingo Paperie are in a league of their own…if you are in that league you might want to look at the info for artists. What’s more all of our flitter is eco-friendly glitter. That’s really important to me as I work to be a plastic free business as you can see from my eco-friendly paper tape that I have designed myself.

5 – Cake!

Sorry can’t get away from it…I’ve tried to eat less of it but there’s no getting away from the fact I love cake. Flamingo Paperie Partners eat a lot of cake, drink a lot of tea – and when we can we love wine with our cards too. Being a Flamingo Paperie Partner is about people. Whether it be listening to what someone wants out of their business, seeing how I can support someone with fundraising or helping someone choose the right sympathy card. These conversations often happen over a cuppa and if possible a slice of cake. I’m not fussy what kind of cake, any will do!

B030-sugar-and-spiceThese are my reasons for today and probably in today’s order why Flamingo Paperie ticks my boxes.

They might change because being an independent Flamingo Paperie Partner means I can be flexible like that. If you’d like to find out more do get in touch. I’ll be happy to send you some information with no commitment on your part. Except possibly the requirement to eat cake if you come to a team meeting. But as I say I’m flexible – you choose how big a slice you want!