Jane Means | UK Ribbon Designer & Giftwrapping Expert

May 22, 2013
by jane
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Summer update and behind the scenes

We were delighted to launch our new websites last week after a year of photo shoots, hard work and lots of working behind the scenes with our web people. I have also really enjoyed doing lots of step by step tutorials which I plan to add with products, as well as showcase them on Flickr and Pinterest.

We’ve used lots of props to give a fresh approach and had great fun working with many different pieces from old wooden cupboards to china tea sets. I love nothing more than to rummage at local antique fairs to find perfect junk for a photo shoot.

One thing I was keen to launch was the Gift Wrapping Secrets area. For over 13 years I have been running gift wrapping courses all over the UK and after completing the course students can access the confidential area for personal use (You will find the log in details at the bottom of this post). There’s still lots of work on my to do list but I’m getting through it bit by bit.

We found that the back up courses website was really helpful tool so students could focus on the
practical side in the class and not miss vital points whilst scribbling lots of notes, giggling with tension!

Another great thing we added was the ‘Pay per view videos’ If you didn’t stretch to buying the DVD, you can now watch single clips which start at only £1.25.
We have also popped on the DVD introduction on our YouTube clip, and I’m planning to do lots of new clips as my head is buzzing with ideas.

We hope that you like our new websites and as a little thank you, we’re offering a 30% discount on our 10M rolls of ribbon in our ‘Big Blog Sale’

Just log on to our Shopping site and enter your discount code ‘blog1′ to get a 30% discount on all of our 10M rolls.

This offer is valid until Friday 24th May 2013 and is a perfect time to top up your ribbon cupboard

I would love to hear your feedback about the 2 new sites

Shopping: www.janemeans.com

Courses www.janemeans.co.uk

Enjoy our sale

Jane x

If you have attended one of our courses and would like to access the Gift Wrapping Secrets, just follow these simple steps…

1. Register on our shopping website www.janemeans.com with your details (you will need to include some basic course details so we can find you on our database).

2. You will then receive an email from us (remember that we are open M-F 10am-3pm)

3. You will then need to head to our Courses website www.janemeans.co.uk to log in

You will then be able to access the step by step photographs and handy tips which you covered on your course*.

If you are struggling at any time, please give us a call on 01522 522 544

*Please note that this is for your personal use only and we regret we cannot offer this service to those who run their own gift wrapping courses.

May 8, 2013
by jane
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Making a Pom Pom with Bakers Twine

Have a go at this fun and easy to do Pom Pom gift wrapping. All you need is your wrapped gift and a roll of Bakers Twine.

I love the fresh texture of Bakers Twine and I am often asked how I use it in my gift wrapping projects.

This easy step by step idea shows you how to wrap a present, and finish it with an eye catching Pom Pom.

Wind somer Bakers Twine around the gift several times, ensuring the two ends overlap before cutting.

Tie the two ends together in the centre of the gift. You will then need to get a clean fork ready for the next part.

With your role of Baker’s twine wrap it around your fork several times (I did 10)
Tie the two ends around the centre so the twine resembles a bow tie.

Cut both sides and tease the twine so it resembles a pom-pom. The two ends can then be cut down to the same length as the pom pom strands. Tie your pom pom in to the centre of the gift with the loose ends.

This wrapping is great for kids and suitable for men too. You could also make several and have a strip of them along your gift.

This project can also be done with garden string or narrow ribbon, and loose pom poms can also be glued on to gift tags…Have fun!

April 25, 2013
by jane
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My adventure in Bolivia

Despite travelling most of my life, one of the most undiscovered continents for me is South America, and I was lucky enough to experience the flavours and cultures on a recent trip to Bolivia

The trip from the UK was a long one, taking over 24 hours and 4 flights via Dallas, Miami and La Paz to reach our destination. I was amazed at the steep and sprawling capital of La Paz, clinging on to the hillside as we flew our last leg, and followed the mountain glaciers and snow capped mountains all the way.

Cochabamba was our base for the trip to meet the future in laws. Known as ‘The city of eternal spring’, The streets were filled with colourful and rustic buildings.

We spent many lazy days people watching, catching truffies (shared taxis), shopping at local markets and enjoying a beer at sunset.

I really enjoyed a visit to the Simon Patino Museum, which was once home to a tin baron and was furnished with ornamental doors, statues, and rich Italian furniture.

Inside the museum was an exhibition by textile designer Sandra Deberduccy I loved the rainbow of colours with a Bolivian influence. Yarns were displayed around tubes and looked very effective (I was in heaven)

Our next port of call was the first capital of Bolivia, Sucre, which was founded by the Spanish in the 16^th century where white washed colonial buildings are scattered in a valley.

We based ourselves in a lovely hideaway called the Hostel du Merced A true gem where we could come back after a long day and enjoy the sunset on the terrace.

Whilst in Sucre we took a trip to see a large collection of dinosaur prints and explored the surrounding area enjoying mountain treks and plunging in the natural waterfalls

Our next base was the sprawling metropolis of La Paz. From here we took a 7 hour round trip journey by local bus and a boat ferry across to Copocabana. A long and exhausting day close to the border of Peru, but one I won’t forget.

The small square was crammed with taxis being blessed with flowers and ribbons, and is host to a 16^th century shrine and basilica. Although very touristy, this was a good hub to tour Lake Titicaca which is a mountain lake in the Andes on the border of Bolivia and Peru (and often called the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,500ft) We visited a nearby sacred Inca island called Isla del Sol with ruins, lamas and a scattering of market stalls.

Our last day was spent seeing the ruins in the ancient pre Columbian city of Tiwanaku 70kms west of La Paz close to the shore of Lake Titicaca.

A Unesco world heritage site, it houses many weird and wonderful Inca ruins dating back to 900AD and includes temples, symbolic gates and mysterious carvings of strange faces.

I loved my journey through Bolivia and certainly can’t wait to explore neighbouring Chile and Peru. My preconception nerves about travelling in South America surviving the high altitude, drug barons and kidnappings were soon dissolved.

This country was full of culture, vintage VW Beetles history and smiles. If you’re looking for adventure this is the place to go.

April 9, 2013
by jane
2 Comments

Making a Ribbon Lampshade

Being a ribbon designer, I am always dreaming up different ways of how to use this versatile product, and love nothing more than picking up some old junk and transforming it….with the help of ribbon!

I’ve put together this little tutorial to make this pretty pastel lampshade. You can either leave it plain, or add some fun pom pom trim to accessorise it.

You will need your lampshade, glue and ribbon…I’ve used approximately 12 metres on this small 5″ lampshade (bear in mind you always need more than you think!). In this project I have used our Peppermint and Pink Stripe Ribbon for the base.

I start off by taking all of the ribbon off the roll and stick the end inside the lampshade with glue. You may also find it helpful to leave a peg on the end for 10 minutes until the glue has dried.

You are then going to start threading the long ribbon around the base of the shade. Make sure there is sufficient tension but don’t be too heavy handed.

Continue all the way round the shade, ensuring it doesn’t twist as you go along. This does take some time so try and be patient!

When you have covered the whole of the shade, cut the ribbon and add a small amount of glue on the end, then pop a peg on it for 15 minutes. You may have to do this several times if a multiple rolls of ribbon are involved.

You now have a classic looking lampshade which can easily be accessorised with brooches, feathers, buttons or trim. For this project I going to add approx 50cm of pom pom trim to go around the base.

Add the trim with small amounts of glue, ensuring it is fairly straight around the base. You can also add the trim to the top of the lampshade if you prefer.

Here’s the finished lampshade which will look fantastic in any room (including a children’s bedroom). You could do several in different colour ribbons and add them on to a chandelier… a favourite vintage look of mine.

In this project, I have used some Navy and Cream Stripe Ribbon which looks very nautical and fresh. You can also add a zig zag of ribbon on the base as an alternative. A small lampshade will take around 40-60 minutes to make including drying time, and is a wonderful addition to a home.

Here’s a handy little recap if you need some help on the way…………….Happy Crafting folks!…

Jane

April 2, 2013
by jane
1 Comment

Wedding Decorating Ideas

I have always loved beautiful presentation whether a shop window, dinner table or displays at a local farmers market or craft fair. I especially love all of the effort and small touches that go in to a wedding and even ran my own wedding courses several years ago after styling many weddings and parties for friends.

We all love nothing more than a good wedding. Lots of fun, laughter, new people to meet and a day full of beautiful dresses, hats, delicious food and wine in stunning surroundings with lots of additional touches, the cake, favours, gift table, flowers…the list goes on…

Recently I did the WedCraft event at Lincolnshire Showground and ran through several ideas in my decorating seminars and covered everything from DIY projects, table plans, bunting and even dressing the very important toilets!

Vintage milk bottles are wonderful for a few stem of flowers tied with raffia or pretty ribbons. They can also be used for sweets and cocktails if you want the vintage twist.

They can also hold paper straws for children which always go down a storm. I’ve also tied on a brown tag with some contrasting ribbon.

There are always plenty of flowers at weddings and I love to use the left over ones. A small jug of flowers can be placed on the present table, on the bar or with a basket of toiletries in the loos.

Ribbons is a great versatile item to use. It can tie wedding favours, place settings and tags and can also make cutlery look really special. Here I’ve tied some cutlery and placed them on a contrasting blue napkin. You can also pop a single flower or ivy leave in too to give it an extra dimension.

I love to incorporate lace too. The romantic element can be introduced in to wedding stationery, place settings, ring cushions and flower arrangements.

I particularly love to tie in scented foliage and fresh flowers. If you are trying to prepare before hand you can use dried lavender as an alternative.

I love it tied in to gifts too, and here I’ve used our Lavender stitched grosgrain ribbon to highlight the theme.

Dried rosebuds are a fantastic medium to use. The can be scattered on tables, placed in shot glasses or a large vase and can easily be glued on to favour boxes and tags.

If you are wishing to give vouchers or tokens to friends and relatives who have helped on the big day, place the item in a pretty envelope and tie on an artificial rose. This is also a lovely idea for favours too.

I love this heart shaped candy, and these too can be scattered on tables as a decoration, placed in glasses as a feature or glued on to labels and favour boxes.

As a kid I loved ‘Love Hearts’ (and still do!). These can be used as an alternative to heart shaped candy and rosebuds and make a fun and nostalgic decoration.

Paper flowers are extremely useful for wedding styling. I have glued them on to a photo frame for a table plan, as well as use them on favour boxes and place settings. You will usually find these in a good bakery or sugar craft shop.

They are a great embellishment if you are wrapping wedding gifts. On this project I have wrapped a luxurious body scrub for a bride to take away on a Caribbean honeymoon.

Washi tape is a real must for decorating and you can add it to anything from photo frames, furniture, wrapping paper and tags.

Whatever the style of your big day, the one thing I always remember along from the great company, gourmet food and stunning venues are the small touches. Photographers are always quick to pick this up too and for many more tips and ideas, check out my wedding board on Pinterest.

Having just got engaged myself, I will be putting lots of ideas together for my forthcoming wedding in September, and will keep you posted on developments!

March 28, 2013
by jane
1 Comment

Inspiration for Easter

Spring is my favourite season of the year. For me it’s new beginnings with flowers coming out after a long winter and I love to see the garden coming back to life.

Easter is a busy time for us as I designed a range of egg wreaths and eggs which always go down well.

We have just done the Country Living Spring Fair and were amazed how popular the Easter collection was.

Our twig and egg wreath was used on our Easter table. I popped it on a vintage glass cake stand belonging to my late grandmother and placed a wrapped hyacinth in the centre.

I filled a glass vase with artificial Spring flowers and twigs and hung some lightweight speckled eggs on it to make an easy Easter tree.

The pink, blue and green speckled eggs were also placed in wire baskets which made a great feature. We had rolls of pastel ribbon gracing the table too.

My most popular decoration has been the Pastel Egg Wreath which has graced magazine covers and been featured in Country Living, Woman and Home, Prima and many other publications. It even won the ‘Editors Choice Award’ with House Beautiful.

Even some of my gifts have been wrapped with the Easter influence. I wrapped a chocolate bunny in tissue, cellophane and raffia. I glued some wire to some chocolate mini eggs and tied these in on the bow.

I sourced lots of Spring ribbons whilst on a buying trip to Paris. I particularly love this vibrant Bunny print one!

I love the pastel and vibrant colours of the Spring. Here a garden bench is graced with bunnies and lots of fun decorations.

Kids love this display but I have to say that I love it too. It’s vibrant, fun and cheerful. Artificial eggs have been glued on to an oasis sphere to form a stunning egg tree decoration.

I also love wrapping Spring gifts in pretty wallpaper remnants and tying in faux flowers and Easter egg decorations.

Whilst at the Country Living Spring Fair, I loved the Easter room set that TV presenter Catherine Gee put together.

The rustic table was graced with bone handle cutlery, vintage china and an understated centre arrangement. I adore this classic look.

Catherine tied starched linen napkins with our Grey Stripe Ribbon, adding a stamped tag and a feather. This look is so simple and anyone can achieve it.

My Easter this year will be a very relaxed affair in London with friends. There are lots of egg hunts going on in the city and I’m sure we will have fun taking part somewhere. I will also cook a lunch and decorate napkins with my ribbon.

From myself and the team, we wish you all a Happy Easter and hope you have a great Bank Holiday weekend.

Jane x

March 8, 2013
by jane
2 Comments

Our Charity Dress Event

Our Barking Mad Charity Dress Sale was a huge success. We were so touched how many people offered to help, as well as those who donated clothes and prizes

With such a hectic diary I was concerned about the last minute logistics, but my friend and co-organiser Sarah Milne and her team and family did a fantastic job at Braceborough HQ

Days before the event it was a race against time washing and ironing clothes at all hours, rallying around finding rails, mannequins and jewellery displays

Carefully folding clothes and collecting furniture, props, a cash till, carrier bags and the last minute things

We wanted to make the shopping event a pre-loved boutique experience, that everyone could enjoy even on the tightest budget

We enlisted the help of dress agencies and retailers, deciding to price everything at a good price in the hope everything would sell. (We were delighted that this tactic worked a treat)

On the day home-made cakes and cloudy lemonade were brought in, as well as handmade chocolates and lollipops in paw print designs. These were all a huge hit and everyone enjoyed afternoon tea

Jugs of spring flowers and vibrant tissue paper pom-poms graced the hall ensuring a spring appearance and fragrance to welcome our guests

TV presenter Catherine Gee (from Escape to the Country) cut the ribbon and officially opened the sale. We presented her with a bouquet of Spring Tulips after she cut the ribbon

Crowds flocked in and were mesmerised by the quality designer bargains on rails. The first purchase included Vivienne Westwood, LK Bennett and Escada clothing costing £27 instead of £500!

Queues soon gathered and each item was gift wrapped in tissue and placed in a brown carrier bag tied with ribbon. Everyone loved the small touches and effort that we put in on the day.

People were delighted with their armfuls of bargains, with many designer pieces including Dolce & Gabbana, Chloe, LK Bennett, Ralph Lauren, Moschino, Tommy Hilfiger, Dior, Joules, Per Una and Jasper Conran.

There are so many people to thank including our sponsors and helpers, Country Living Magazine, Elena Alice china hire, LMRT web design, Three Counties Dog Rescue, Jayne Hitchen, the residents and friends of Braceborough, local press and many others.

Thanks also to those who donated fantastic raffle prizes including Entsorga, Leonard Interiors of Bourne, Sly Dress Agency, Glender Launders, Catherine Kaye, Wil Fry, Stamford Curves, Tricia Balson, Hester Creswell, Dawn Robinson and Lisa Hinks

The event went so quickly that we were drawing the raffle before we knew it… the afternoon was now evening and cups of tea had been replaced by glasses of Prosecco.

Our event raised £1263 and the remainder of the clothes and accessories will be sold in Stamford and Peterborough so we hope to raise £1500.

Three Counties Rescue do a superb job and work endlessly to help animals, their volunteers came along and even some of the dogs popped in to join the party (and fell asleep with all of the excitement)

It was such a sucess that we are already organising the next one in February 2014. If you would like to get involved please let us know!

January 28, 2013
by jane
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The Barking Mad Dress Sale

Many of us dream about buying that designer dress in London, Paris or Milan, only to realise that we can’t afford it. In my case I have too many unworn clothes bulging in the wardrobe as it is, with endless frocks I’ve bought from M+S or Next with labels still attached.

I’ve got together with my very good friend Sarah Milne in organising ‘The Barking Mad Dress Sale’ after realising we had too many unworn clothes that no longer fitted. I wanted to do something with these lovely clothes, and so many other friends have the same issue where they don’t just want to give their clothes away, and haven’t the time to sell them on an auction website. We were thinking about doing a charity event and wanted to combine the two.

The idea came to fruition whilst we were stranded on a train returning from the Country Living Fair in Glasgow before Christmas. The seed was sown over a few glasses of wine with endless sketches and notes, and we soon started spreading the word amongst friends and family.

We are delighted at the response from local businesses, family and friends willing to help. Already we have some great sponsors including Country Living Magazine, Leonards Interiors, Enotita, Sly Dress Agency and Entsorga Italia. We love our nostalgic flyer by Janene Spencer, a busy London Graphic Designer who donated her time for our charity event (I was so impressed with her work that I have now hired her for future design projects).

One of the main sponsors is Belinda Sly from the Sly Dress Agency in Stamford, who will be helping with the operation to ensure the clothes are pre loved perfect and priced accordingly.

Having gift wrapped for royalty and luxury stores throughout Europe, I will be on hand to ensure each item is wrapped in tissue and presented in a paper bag with ribbon so you get that boutique experience. I will also have a range of ribbons and accessories for sale at the event.

Country Living Magazine have been extremely generous by donating 200 gala tickets for our shopping event. Every paying customer will receive a free ticket worth £16.50* which includes entry to the Spring Fair gala evening in London on 20th March, and it’s the perfect chance to do some shopping amongst the 300 handpicked exhibitors with complimentary wine. You will also find our haberdashery stand packed with ribbons and trimmings at this brilliant show.

Customers will also be able to indulge in tea and home-made cakes presented on pretty china cake stands by Elena Alice.

There will also be cloudy lemonade presented in jars with paper straws and glasses of wine available. Tables will be adorned with jugs of freshly cut flowers and linen.

The raffle is gathering speed and we have been donated a gift voucher by Leonards Interiors who have just opened their new shop in Bourne, a prize from Decorative Country Living and Entsorga Italia are donating an Italian Hamper and many other prizes will be up for grabs (please let us know if you would like to donate something).

The event will be held at a stylish hall in the rural village of Braceborough, which is located between Bourne and Stamford. The intimate stone building will be transformed with help from interior stylists and will be adorned with bunting and pom-poms, with jugs of fresh flowers scattered on the tables.

TV Presenter Catherine Gee will be opening the sale and the charity event will be taking place on Thursday 7th March from 3.30-7.30pm, with timings to suit those who work or have children. Admission is free with ample car parking throughout the village. The postcode is PE9 4NT

We are now looking for good quality ladies clothes and accessories to be donated for this event (they don’t have to be designer). If you drop any clothes off at our Haberdashery Closet in Bracebridge Heath (LN4 2TA), we will reward you with a complimentary roll of ribbon from the shop!

Half of my own wardrobe is going to be cleared out including M+S Per Una, Banana Republic, Boden and Next. Already we have had some designer labels, shoes and bags handed in including Escada, LK Bennett, Dior and Prada.

If you’re having a wardrobe Spring Clean, we will gladly take them off you and pop them in to our ladies pre loved sale … (sadly we can’t accept underwear, hosiery, children’s or menswear). If you can spare any hangers we would be extremely grateful.

Current drop off points include Lincs, Cambs, Wilts, Bucks and London:

The Haberdashery Closet at Jane Means (Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln) 01522 522 544

3 counties Rescue (Bourne) 01778 440318

Sly dress Agency (Stamford) 01780 482870

Enotita (Peterborough) 0845 2699 953

Leonards Interiors (Bourne) 01476 585101

Sarah Milne (Braceborough near Stamford) 07915 419836

Linda Brookes (Ryhall near Stamford) 01780 238927

Jane Means (London) 01522 522 544

Caroline McFarlane (Marlow) 07503 165737

David Hooper (Westbury, Wilts) 07791 277623

Sarah and I are keen animal lovers and all proceeds will be in aid of 3 Counties Rescue in Bourne, who work endlessly to accept, care for, and find homes for the unwanted, lost and stray cats and dogs.

This will be a luxurious shopping event where you will be able to buy a pre loved piece for as little as £2.50 and enjoy tea and homemade cakes in pretty surroundings in rural Lincolnshire.

If you would like any leaflets for your school, club or village notice board, or would like a few flyers to give out, please give us a call on 01522 522544 (We should receive our leaflets in early February).

We would love you to spread the word and you can follow developments on our Facebook Page and via Twitter #barkmad

On a final note if you or anyone can help with the last few jobs on our ‘to do list’ that would be great. We need

Extra Drop Off Locations
Good quality Ladies clothes, shoes, bags, hats and accessories to sell
Spare coat hangers
Mannequins and Clothes Rails (loan)
Raffle prizes
General word of mouth
Leaflet distribution in the local area

Hope you can make it to our event!

Jane x

Sponsorship Artwork Image kindly supplied by LMRT Design

* One Country Living gala ticket per person with a minimum spend of £10. Limited tickets available

January 23, 2013
by jane
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Clever ribbon storage and display ideas

I’m often asked about the various ways to store and display ribbons, especially by craft lovers and shops.

Whether you have lengths or rolls of ribbon, I have put together a collection of handy ideas.

Loose lengths of ribbon can be wrapped around a piece of card and pinned. This makes a great filing system and can be done in colour order. We find this works really well when we send our ‘ribbon by the metre’ orders out.

If you are selling or storing pre cut lengths of ribbon, these can be rolled and secured with a band and stacked on shelves. Although initially it looks tidy, I do find at our shows that this method isn’t suitable so I wouldn’t recommend this to busy shops with a heavy footfall.

In our Haberdashery Closet we have stocked these handy gift tags which are made out of card, and rigid enough to withstand ribbon being wrapped around them.

Storing Pom Pom trim can often be a challenge and here we have used a free standing metal kitchen saucepan rack.

You can also use book shelving units to store Pom Pom from the wall. I picked this one up from a local charity shop for £15 and painted it light grey.

At most of our trade shows we use a dresser on wheels, which is ideal in a retail environment as it is mobile and free standing and can be positioned in alternative places. The dresser was bought from Ebay for £25, painted cream in Farrow and Ball. We also added industrial wheels to the base which were from B&Q. The base of the dresser is also handy for storing additional supplies.

If you are storing rolls of ribbon horizontally, you will need to add some shelf edging to stop the rolls from falling out. You can buy inexpensive lengths from B&Q and have them cut at no extra charge. I added the wooden edging with wood glue, and painted it the next day with eggshell paint.

If you haven’t got edging on your shelves, it’s better to store them vertically in short piles to avoid them rolling off the shelves. If you sell ribbons, it’s a good idea to fill any gaps with wrapped boxes or other merchandise.

Luckily I have access to these rustic farm crates from my dads farm, and my mum added some wooden dividers. These make wonderful rustic storage and the natural look of the wood shows the colours off really well.

I also store ribbons in small bookcases with edging on the shelves, and these are lightweight and can easily be free standing on a floor or placed on a table top.

When I’m running courses I will store ribbons in these handy wooden crates or trays which I bought from an interiors shop.

Wicker hampers and baskets make a good alternative for ribbon storage. If you are selling ribbon, it’s a really good idea to have some display boxes with ribbon that you have good quantities of. I particularly find hampers are useful as they are easy to transport with ribbons inside.

One of my favourite displays is this one. I picked up an old gilt frame from a junk shop for the bargain price of £5 as it had no glass or back. My mum took it to her woodwork class and added a sturdy back template that we had designed and cut some wooden poles for the rolls to slot on to. We currently use this as a display purpose only as it is hassle removing the poles to access the rolls of ribbon. This however would be a suitable solution if you sell or use ribbons by the metre.

I picked up these rustic wire baskets at the Country Living Fair. These are lightweight with the rolls easily visible, and our price tags can be tied on to the basket.

Another alternative is to use a simple glass bowl or vase for displaying rolls, which looks very effective. Here I have used a contrasting colour bowl to highlight the nautical ribbons.

For a Spring photo shoot I used some china from Time for Tea with Elena Alice, and had rolls of ribbon displayed on a cake stand. It is a very effective method introducing height for the display.

At a Christmas Fair we needed so much storage for ribbons that we combined lots of different displays which worked very well.

I am always dreaming up new ways to display ribbons and will keep adding to this post. If you have any good ideas please also let me know!

January 20, 2013
by jane
1 Comment

Top Drawer Spring 2013

We were back at Earls Court in London to exhibit at Top Drawer, a design led trade show for gift companies and retailers

The stand was full of ribbons, piled high in a dresser that I had bought off Ebay and painted cream.

We also displayed ribbons in old fashioned crates off my fathers’ farm which were really eye catching, with everyone asking “Do you sell these?”

The stand was also adorned with our sample ‘mood board’ cards.

Each ribbon I’ve designed has a story behind it with many childhood memories or travels behind the inspiration.

Our ribbons adorned boxes wrapped up in floral wallpaper.

We very much went for the vintage floral theme and tied in artificial flowers from a local cake shop.

I love to include flowers on my stand and ribbons were tied around little vintage milk bottles with bluebells.

Our Easter collection was also showcased, and our faux speckled eggs are a favourite with Country Living Magazine.

Last year many shops ordered these purely as decorations for the window, and ended up stocking them as customers were asking to buy them.

The new range of nostalgic paper bags were launched, very versatile for parties, small gifts, sweets and favours.

I even decorated one for a Valentine style shoot, and I know these will be so popular for Christmas too.

A big trend coming through is monochrome and patterns, so our Black and White dotty ribbon proved popular. The design came from liquorice allsorts (being my favourite, the sweets didn’t last long after this photoshoot!).

We all had a super time at Earls Court, there are so many brilliant products at Top Drawer, that I ended up placing lots of orders.

I now can’t wait to get my new ranges for the Haberdashery Closet, Wed Craft event and Country Living Fair.

On a final note, we were so busy with the run up to Christmas that our annual staff party had to be postponed.

Luckily some of the team enjoyed a lovely meal at Sartoria in London over the show weekend, and we aim to have a small staff bash in the Spring in Lincolnshire.