The Tracey Russell Cards Story

Over the months it has taken me and the web developers to put this site together it was this page that caused the greatest challenge.

Why would anyone be interested in Tracey Russell and not the products I have for sale?

Designing at Tracey Russell Cards is a labour of love for me and not a job - I love every minute I spend creating the Tracey Russell Collections

However, through the development of the site and meeting customers first hand either through my own gift shop and at trade fairs I am slowly coming round to the idea that maybe where I am now is something to be proud of and not embarrassed by and there maybe people looking at my site who are a little more interested in my brand, other than the products themselves…So here goes…

How It All Began

From an early age I always remember being as creative as possible. If it wasn't scrap booking it was cutting up and sticking back together again. My poor sister, Lisa, from an age where she could stand on her own two legs she was my real life mannequin, costumes galore - she didn't half look good in black bin bags and white shopping bags held together with staples. It's amazing what kind of ballgowns can be created from such material.

Elizabeth Emmanuel eat your heart out!

Not forgetting to mention I use to make her go to school dressed as a Christmas tree, most years for the Christmas school party!!

For most people you outgrow toilet rolls and sticky back plastic; but not me! My childhood creativity stayed and I finally ended up at Art College. Designing greetings cards never entered my thoughts. My whole life was absorbed in wanting to be a textile artist.

I first did a foundation course in art and design at Newcastle College, then graduated from Cleveland College of Art and Design first in 1997 with an HND in Surface Pattern Design and then again in 1998 after a top-up year achieving a degree in international textiles.

During my studies I became quite productive and, with my Mum and Dad in tow, traveled at least once a month with a caravan down the UK attending craft fairs in such diverse places as Windsor and Sandringham, selling my framed textile designs, cushions and other textile craftworks.

I really enjoyed this, although it was hard work, it was very rewarding;  people were buying my creations, creations which had really come from my heart. Let me tell you, when people buy the things that you create with love, it gives you such a buzz!

I was making cards then, but only as basket fillers for my craft table. Bits of old fabric and left over embroidery stuck to card without a care in the world. They sold a treat!!
During my top up year I was expecting my first child, and while I was really looking forward to being a mum, I had to make a decision about my lifestyle. I like a challenge but with my baby due three days before the end of my degree course, I couldn't be doing the craft fairs as well.  

Thankfully, my son was considerate enough to wait and Joe was born two days after I completed my degree's final exhibition. His first trip into college was when he was five days old!
During this time I had also met a lovely woman, Debbie, who allowed me to put a small range of greetings cards in her shop, Acorns and Angels, at the Metro Centre, a shop that is sadly no longer there.
This secured my future as a greetings cards designer as not only did my cards sell really well but a North-East agent representing other card companies visiting the shop saw potential in my range and asked me to join her portfolio.  My lucky break!

I remember the day my first order came in!

More orders followed and so too did more agents. More agents meant more work.

After a time it reached a point where the workforce of  Tracey Russell and her fab parents had reached capacity. Dad worked away in Nottingham and was staying, during the week in a caravan. He took cards to make on a night not only to help out but also to stop him from getting bored!! Thanks Dad x

With my parents being so supportive and accommodating they allowed me to run what was now a 'proper' business it from their spare bedroom. This allowed me to employ staff.

The staff at first were by way of outworkers - creating the handmade cards from home and then staff alongside me in my 'office' also making and helping with other duties such as packing and clerical work.

It's lovely to say my first two members of staff, Claire and her mum Margaret  are still with me eleven and a half years down the line. Margaret is one of our outworkers and Claire, as many of you will know is the most precious member of staff anyone could ever wish for.  Starting as an outworker, she has grown to become the backbone of the business, becoming a director, as well as my best friend.

 She took the business by the horns in 2000 and again in 2002 for me to have my two girls Molly and Alice.

Claire gave birth to baby Harvey in July, this year, 17 years after having her daughter Laura.

In 2002, after being nominated by the children's dad, I was fortunate enough to win North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, very surreal! 

By 2004 we had grown out of Mum and Dad's spare room and moved to an industrial unit, not pretty and quaint - but very practical, in our village of Langley Park

That's where the Tracey Russell team still are today.

The Tracey Russell team consists of Claire and me in the office, seven members of staff working in production at the Langley Park unit and four ladies working from home. Our fantastic team work like a well-oiled machine (we oil them with tea and coffee) hand-making cards and gifts for over 1,000 shops nationwide.  We currently work with eleven UK agents and we have agents in New Zealand and Australia.

Our product range now consists of photo albums, keepsake boxes, social stationery, wrapping paper and, new-to-our-range for 2011, prints.

We are quite unique in our approach to manufacturing our products as everything but our wrapping paper is printed in-house, made to order and all made individually by hand. This means that no two products are exactly the same - each has its own little foibles - a personality if you like - which is what you expect when products are made by hand and not churned out on in the thousands by a machine.

We haven't narrowed down just what it is that people like about our products so much - but I have a feeling that apart from our customers' personal preferences, I suspect an element of what they like is that they appreciate just how much personal effort has gone in to the design and creation of every card and product that leaves our premises.

Where we are today -and what the future holds

The launch of this site is another milestone for us and a definite benefit for our public clients and also trade customers buying for their own retail outlet.

It's a delight to be able to offer this service and a big step for us here.

Personally, I will continue to design new collections and introduce new products, expanding my ranges further. O only wish that there could be more hours in the day and more days in the week. (Although I'm sure my other team members like their time off work!)

Claire will continue to make sure that I don't go off on a tangent. She's good at bringing me back down to earth and reminding me we are not playing at 'Blue Peter' where you can stick a million things on one card. 

Her strength, wisdom and guidance within the business will continue to make it grow.

Our staff ensure that life is never dull; who would have thought a handmade greetings card company could be soooo entertaining!

And that's it!!

Before I go, I have a few big Thank You's to hand out:

I would not have any of this if it were not for everyone else around me.

Mum and Dad, they are simply the best parents around.

My sister - always there as back up.

Claire - for all her hard work over the years. Without her commitment and hard work I wouldn't be where I am today. For being there, both in and out of work.

Most importantly,

Joe, Molly and Alice, my children - for being such cool kids. For being patient when I'm burning the candle at both ends, for pretending they don't mind when I'm working at trade fairs and for not taking it too hard when I'm late picking them up from school.  And generally being there for me when I have card overload on the brain!!

Hope you enjoy my site,