You may remember that I wrote about the very talented card designer, Caroline Gardner, in a post a few months ago.
Well, today I’m not only featuring her new range of cards, ‘Wise Words‘, but also a Q&A from Caroline below, which makes very interesting reading.
The new range of cards feature colourful floral patterns with ‘words’ overlaid and are a real departure from her past designs.
How did you get into designing cards? Was there a certain trigger?
My first real commercial break came from a neighbour who was sourcing products and commissioning work from the UK for various Japanese galleries. We’d never met, but while leaving home one day, the neighbour drove past with a flat tyre.
I flagged her down and as she was late taking her children to school, I offered to give her a lift. We got chatting and it transpired that she had been let down by an artist who had been commissioned to make a range of greeting cards using metal as a theme.
I came up with something using florist wire (something nobody else was doing at the time) and the cards were a huge success.
The original ‘wire’ cards were so well received in Japan that it wasn’t long before they re-ordered. Boosted by this initial success, I thought I would try my luck in London.
At the time, my husband Angus and I had two children under the age of four and so life became a permanent juggling act.
When Angus came back from work in the evenings, we would bundle the children into the back of the car and drive around the streets looking for suitable potential stockists. The following day, I would send out the samples.
Where do you get inspiration for the designs on your cards?
Inspiration comes from all over, but I never look at other cards! Instead, for me, people who can maintain a sense of being original and unexpected in their work are the very essence of what design is about.
I really admire Consuelo Marni for what she does. I really love her sense of style and irreverence to fashion.
What do you love about being a card designer?
Having the freedom to do what I like!
I love all flowers, but I think a garden rose is hard to beat.
I find Caroline’s story of how she started her business SO inspirational! Who would have thought that from a chance conversation that her business would have developed as it has.
Many thanks to her husband, Angus, for all his help in compiling this post.