Introducing... Zoe Spry

We’re delighted to introduce a new card supplier, Zoe Spry. Her gorgeous cards have just arrived and our Chirpy customers already love them.

Here’s a little interview we did with Zoe to find out a little more about her.

Tell me a little bit about yourselves & your company

I’m currently a one woman band creating fun paper goods and stationery based in Bristol. That means I do everything from designing, to social media, to sales, to dispatching. I’m hoping to get some help in the near future as the business continues to grow, I’m always very busy (which I’m very very grateful for!)

How did you get into doing what you’re doing?

I started making cards as a hobby when I finished my degree in Textile design. I licensed a few designs to publishers while gaining industry experience as a full time Children’s Book Designer. It wasn’t until I was made redundant from my studio role that I took the plunge into self employed life!

What does a ‘normal’ day look like?

Every day is slightly different but it always is based around the same sort of routine: emails, admin, designing, packing and dispatching orders, as well as doing freelance design work in between- it gets really busy but I love the variety.

Biggest achievement to date?

Putting myself out there to do trade shows has been a really big step for the business. It was really daunting at first but so good to meet people face to face!

Where can we find your cards?

You can find my cards in a number of fabulous independent retailers (including Chirpy..!) across the globe. I’ve recently started stocking Oliver Bonas and have a range of licensed designs in Tesco stores.

Favourite card you’ve designed  / most popular card design?

My most popular card is the ‘happy birthday letter candles’ card with gold foil finish. I think the bright colours and foil confetti make it a great all-rounder which is why it sells so well.

Have you seen any changing card trends over the last 12 months?

I’m noticing more and more shaped diecut cards. I think brands are constantly looking for ways to stand out and you can create some really exciting finished pieces via this method.

Why do you think sending cards is still so important?

In a world which is so fast paced with technology, it’s so easy to just send a text. I personally love the process of choosing a card and writing in it, as well as receiving a card in which the sender has taken time to consider what they think I’d like. It’s a more personal and more considered action.

Best thing about running your own business?

Watching something grow which started from a tiny seed. Being in charge of my own destiny is also very exciting!

Advice to someone looking to turn their hobby / talent into a business?

Keep practicing your skill to always get better! Be willing to learn from others and be kind to yourself.

Plans for the future?

To keep expanding our range of cards, do more trade shows and hopefully grow our list of amazing stockists :)

Check out Zoe Spry’s Instagram HERE

Introducing... Middle Mouse!

We’re delighted to introduce a new card supplier, Middle Mouse, who we met at this year’s Harrogate Tradeshow. Her beautiful cards have just arrived and we’re sure our Chirpy customers are going to love them - check out the extra treat on the back of some of them!

Here’s a little interview we did with Bec to find out a little more about her.

Tell me a little bit about yourselves & Middle Mouse?

I’m an illustrator and designer based in Lancashire, and work with my husband, Darren, who organises the orders and ships them out to our customers. Middle Mouse launched in 2018 and is named after a tiny uninhabited island off the north coast of Wales, visible from my favourite place in the world, Llanlleiana, Anglesey.

How did you get into doing what you’re doing?

I graduated from Manchester Met in 2005 and I’ve been illustrating ever since! I started in a tiny bookshop/studio in The Last Drop Village, Bolton with my best friend, where we sold children’s books and gifts whilst building our portfolio. We’ve worked with a range of clients from the BBC to the NHS, and in 2018, my Dad (a gardening and cookery writer, Paul Peacock) and I decided to start a greetings card company that gave people a little something extra, from recipes and growing tips on the back of the card, to little booklets packed with added content. Unfortunately Dad passed away just before we launched, so I carried on in his memory.

What does a ‘normal’ day look like?

I get up and take our studio dog, Pippin, for a walk, then have breakfast and get to my desk (looking out onto the Middle Mouse garden) for about 8.45. We do research, answer emails, put orders into production in the morning, then have lunch. I do my best creative work from about 1pm - 10pm, so the afternoons are usually drawing, designing and sending things to print, interspersed with a bit of weeding, dead-heading roses and another walk in the afternoon. In the evenings I usually draw on the iPad or read. Basically, work, work, work, but I love it!

Biggest achievement to date (personally or business wise)?

We were thrilled to get our first big stockist with Middle Mouse (Scribbler) and exhibit at our very first trade show. But I’m also hugely proud of a free app I’ve designed called FORM-AI, which shows people how to do over 1300 exercises and help people move better.

Where can we find your cards?

Our cards are available in over 150 shops in the UK, including Scribbler and Selfridges (coming this autumn), and also on our website www.middlemouse.co.uk

Favourite card you’ve designed  / most popular card design?

We love our Characterful range, especially the Blackadder cards, but my favourite cards are the Botanicards range, as they feature my mum’s recipes and Dad’s growing tips on the back!

Have you seen any changing card trends over the last 12 months?

We’ve noticed a big move away from secondary processes as this adds to the carbon footprint of the cards, with bolder, brighter designs taking over the impact of foiling and glitter.

Why do you think sending cards is still so important?

Each card is a tiny piece of art that wishes someone well. There are not many things in the world that are manifestations of goodness, so it’s an honour to provide people with something that helps them connect with someone and send some joy.

Best thing about running your own business?

The ability to drop everything and nip out for chocolate at a moment’s notice! That and having studio dog Pippin sleeping at my feet as I work, and meeting so many lovely people at trade fairs!

Advice to someone looking to turn their hobby / talent into a business?

Visit trade fairs, and talk to people as much as possible. The greetings card industry in particular is exceptionally friendly and everyone is happy to help you. Take risks and do things that scare you, but be kind to yourself too.

Plans for the future?

I’d love to write a picture book for children and maybe do some more study in literature, as well as continue to grow our greetings card ranges.

Check out Middle Mouse’s Instagram HERE

Bye bye Spring, here's to a Chirpy Summer!

So we’ve waved goodbye to another 3 months of the year, Spring is behind us, we’re in the middle (!) of summer and half way through the year. Less than 6 months until Christmas - there I’ve said it now, promise I won’t mention it again!

So looking back at April, May and June it’s been a real mixed bag - typically Spring I suppose, with all retail seasons in 3 months.

After a busy March, April brought us back down to earth with a bang! Sales were 33% down from March and from April 2022, it was not to be a busy Easter! We were left wondering where everyone had gone to eat their Easter chocolate. We did however welcome Black Violet as she popped upstairs as our ‘Maker in Residence’ and hosted a fabulous Jewellery workshop. We also held our now monthly Arm Knitting Workshop with Mizz Knits which never disappoints with woolly fizz & laughter!

We welcomed May with the launch of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I was honoured to be featured in their ‘Wear it Pink’ Campaign - watch this space for more fundraising events in October as our chosen Chirpy charity. The news was full of how the numerous Bank Holidays would be good for retail businesses, so we threw open our doors to the cries of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. The first one coincided with a very sunny Sunday and the new Chapel Allerton Market so as gluttons for punishment we opened then too! Think it might be a slow burn but Sunday openings when the market is on is here to stay for Chirpy. After 5 long years we were also delighted to welcome back My New Wardrobe with her pop up shop, which was a great success so we’ve got the next autumn date in our diaries (6th October is case you’re wondering) Another Arm Knitting and a Jesmonite Coaster workshop finished off what turned out to be an enjoyable and quite busy month.

June, my favourite month! And it did not disappoint! I have realised the busier I am, the happier I am and I think that reflects in the shop. 5 workshops, Double Points event, visited a new card tradeshow where I found 5 new suppliers, asked to be a judge for the Oscars of the card world, feature article in Gifts Today and welcomed Annika for a week on Work Experience. Another Chapel Allerton market day, where we were much busier and Shop Independent Day too. As well as my own birthday - a busy month which flew by!

So what does the summer have in store? As terms end and people go off on holiday July & August can be tough months in retail. We’ll be open as usual thanks tp my fabulous Chirpy team.

There's still time to grab those Teacher gifts, cards and vouchers. We’d like to think that the schools we support through prizes for Summer Fairs & Raffles support us by shopping local for their Class Collections (fingers crossed!)

We’ve got trade shows to visit with Christmas in mind (sorry, I said I wouldn’t mention it again!) and from September we’ll be back in full swing with lots of new Workshops.

I’m always amazed when I look back at what we’ve achieved at how much more there is to running a shop, no one told me that when I bought Chirpy almost 7 years ago. I’ll always strive to keep the stock, workshops and events new ands exciting for our wonderful customers and love to hear your feedback and ideas of what you’d like Chirpy to offer so don’t hesitate to get in touch here

Thanks for your ongoing support, have a wonderful summer and don’t forget us for all those summer birthdays!

Jo x

Shop Independent Day : Saturday 24th June

Saturday 24th June is Shop Independent Day, supported by Holly Tucker of Holly & Co.

The idea behind the day is to encourage everyone to support their local independent businesses as much as they can, vote with the £££s and help keep our independent high streets surviving and thriving.

We’re really lucky in Chapel Allerton to have such a great high street with sop many independent shops on it. From the Fruit Stall, George 7 Joseph Cheesemongers, Neil the Butcher & Tablets Fishmongers, the choice of fresh product is outstanding.

For gifts you are spoilt for choice from Chirpy, of course, to Rebel & Rose, kids toys from Armadillo, The Little Bookshop, Glasshouse Gallery and The Sweet Quarter.

More specialist shops include Fit to Bust, The Refilling Station, Katie & May, Hopscotch & The Perfumed Garden

Not forgetting our great array of eateries including Crust & Crumb, Sunshine Bakery,. Opposite & House of Koko. Or places to eat & drink out including Hern, The Woods, Wayward Wines, Canteen and Seven Arts.

You can even keep fit, after all that eating and shopping, at Chapel Allerton Pilates & Yoga Kula.

So why not use this Saturday 24th June to try out a new indie business in Chapel Allerton? And tell your friends about us. Or shop online with one (or more) of us.

Shop Independent, it’s so easy to do in Chapel Allerton!

We're Open on Sunday 2nd July 11am - 3pm

Have you heard?

Chapel Allerton has now got it’s own Sunday Market!

To help celebrate Chirpy will be Open while the market is on - that’s the 1st Sunday of every month from 11am - 3pm

We’ll also be running a NEW Flag Printing Workshop, perfect for adults and kids getting ready for the summer festival season. Check it out and book HERE

So why not pop in when you’re visiting the market for a browse, grab a gift or pick up your Click & Collect orders.

Let’s hope the sun shines again for the market on 2nd July and don’t forget to pop in to Chirpy too!

Thank You Teacher!

Can you believe the it’s nearly the end of term?

If you’re looking for a great card or gift then check out what we have in store or online HERE

Or if you’re looking to buy something bigger as part of a class collection then we’ve got lots of lovely things too, or why not buy a CHIRPY GIFT CARD?

Available in £5 increments available in store or online, a guarantee that the teacher will get something they really want. We’ll even add a FREE Thank you card. Pick up a Gift Card online here

Wishing everyone a great last few weeks of term - enjoy your parties, end of term performances and sports days!

Introducing... Heyy Cards!

In June I visited PG Live for the 1st time, a tradeshow dedicated to greetings cards.

There I met with Heyy cards, an independent card brand who we now have the pleasure of stocking at Chirpy.

We like to get to know our suppliers a little bit more, so here’s an interview we did with Dan & Yvette. It’s great to learn more about them & what makes their brand tick.

Tell me a little bit about yourselves & Heyyy

Heyyy is our small greeting card business run by husband and wife team Dan & Yvette Clarkson. Basically, we are both hopeless romantics! When we first met a few years ago we used to send a lot of cards to each other (we still have them all in a drawer in our office!). Somehow we fell into the habit of starting each card, each note and each text message we sent to each other with the word ‘Heyyy’, it became our little greeting. One night during lockdown we got talking about an off the wall idea to start our own card company – and so Heyyy Cards was born!

How did you get into doing what you’re doing?

Dan is a graphic designer and Yvette worked in the greeting card and stationery industry for 15 years for another publisher until the pandemic, when things changed for everyone. At a time in our lives when a lot was changing, we decided that there was no better opportunity than to try to see if we could make a business doing something that we were both passionate about.

What does a ‘normal’ day look like?

A normal day for Heyyy (if you can call it normal!) starts with us both heading off to work – we still have 9-5 day jobs! Dan works for a branding agency and Yvette works for a local charity. After arriving home in the evening and walking our dog (and office mascot) Keo, we begin our work on Heyyy! Our evenings and weekends consist of packing orders, invoicing, brainstorming new ranges, designing cards and everything in between! It’s rather hectic but at the moment we absolutely love it, and the fact that we have been able to keep our day jobs gives us the security to be able to invest in the business and grow our collections without having to worry about paying the bills at home.

Biggest achievement to date (personally or business wise)?

Being shortlisted as finalist for the Henries awards (the Oscars of the greeting card world) for our Tiny and Terrific children’s cards in our first year of trading was amazing! We were so pleased to be invited to the award ceremony and see our cards up on display.

Where can we find your cards?

Our cards are stocked in a small but steadily growing list of gorgeous independent retailers, card and gift shops, garden centres, bookstores and fashion boutiques, from as close to home as Chesterfield, to as far away as Chicago!

Favourite card you’ve designed  / most popular card design?

Dan’s favourite card is from our Type Dreams collection which simply says ‘Thanks for Being You’. It was one of the first cards we designed and is a really simple yet elegant design.

Yvette’s favourite card is probably ‘Happy Birthday Handsome’ from our new Dancing in the Rain collection. Men’s cards are so difficult to find, especially for a more contemporary fellow, and this one hits the spot for me!

Our most popular card is probably ‘Old Enough to be a Classic’ which is a letter press style birthday card featuring beautiful classic car illustrations. We loved this design from the start which was inspired by our 11 year old son’s fascination with cars, but it has even surprised us how popular it has been!

Have you seen any changing card trends over the last 12 months?

The card industry is so amazingly diverse and new ideas are constantly coming into the market. This year we have noticed a growing trend for 3D designs, scalloped edges on cards and also more quirky concepts like cards which look like book covers.

Why do you think sending cards is still so important?

Sending greeting cards is SO IMPORTANT! In a world where everything is online, immediate, and digital, it’s so lovely to still be able to send something hand-picked and tactile to a loved one in the post. Greeting cards are perhaps one of the most accessible forms of art and expression. Costing only a few pounds you can buy something unique which has the power to make the person you are sending it to smile, laugh, cry or just feel like you are thinking of them.

Best thing about running your own business?

The freedom to design things and do things our way… of course not everything is a best seller and we have learned some lessons along our journey, but that’s all part of the fun! It’s also incredibly fulfilling to have started something from nothing and to be able to watch it grow. It’s absolutely humbling and still a bit surreal to stand in a shop and see someone pick up a card that you have designed and start smiling!

Advice to someone looking to turn their hobby / talent into a business?

Sponge up as much information and advice as you possibly can before you take the leap! Speak to other small business owners, look at online forums, local business networks. Know your market, look at what’s out there, learn about your customer. In our case we spent a lot of time talking to shops about what they needed, who their end customers were, what sold well for them, how things were packaged etc. Research is key! We are lucky that the greeting card industry is a very friendly one and other publishers and retailers have been very kind in sharing information to help us along our journey.

Plans for the future?

World domination!! Only kidding. Hopefully we would like to grow slowly but surely, working on new designs and building a range that keeps us relevant to both shops and consumers. In time we would both like to do this full time… if we can both eventually make a humble living doing this, that would be the dream!

Watch this space to find out what we’ve got planned with Heyy later this year to celebrate ‘Thinking of You Week’ and why not give them a follow on INSTAGRAM

Our first visit to PG Live

This week we had our first visit to PG Live - the specialist greetings card tradeshow.

Loving cards as much as I do I’m not sure why I’d never visited before. Last year I was shortlisted and was a finalist for their RETA Awards, the Oscars of the card world, for our Chirpy Card Monthly Subscription. Unfortunately I didn’t win, however I was awarded a voucher to spend at PG Live.

The tradeshow didn't disappoint, in fact with a champagne reception and a free lunch it was a wonderful day out.

I met with some lovey existing suppliers and met lots of great new ones too, placing lots of orders.

Having been asked lots of times from our Chirpy customers, I was on the look out for lovely packs of cards which is exactly what I found. Blank and Thanks you cards are starting to arrive in Chirpy, so we’re sure you won’t be disappointed

We didn’t apply for the awards this year, life got in the way, but will be applying again in 2024 and hopefully visiting PG Live too.

Check out or cards and notecards HERE

As featured in Gifts Today!

This month we’ve been featured in Gifts Today

Read all about Chirpy, how Jo became the owner of this gorgeous shop, what we sell, how we source our products and lots more besides.

Read the article HERE

Don't forget Father's Day on Sunday 18th June!

It’s Father’s Day on Sunday 18th June & we’ve got a great range of cards & gifts for all budgets.

If you’re looking for a gift for a stylish dad, grandad, uncle, carer or stepdad then check out what we’ve got in store and online HERE