N&O article on Chelleline Cards

The Raleigh News & Observer is the newspaper I grew up reading. I read the comics there as a kid, became informed about the world through its front page when I was a teenager (I made myself read at least one article a day), and found out about Triangle events through the now-defunct What's Up section on Fridays. So it was a great honor when a journalist from the N&O contacted me about an interview! I spoke with them about the beginnings of the business, sales, getting my work into stores, and about the other talented designers on our team, my husband, my mother, and my friend, Pauline. The article was published this Tuesday in the "Shop Talk" section (Section B, Triangle) and can also be viewed online.

Thanks very much to Corinne Jurney for this wonderful opportunity!

The Road to NSS: Down to the Wire

With less than two weeks to go before the Show starts, things are getting down to the wire. My biggest accomplishment this past week was getting all the mailers out. Not an easy task, as I enclosed a collage card with a majority of them (and since I have a small amount of inventory, I had to make many of these cards as I was writing them), handwrote long notes for nearly all of them, and handwrote the addresses. Yes, I'm crazy. But it's done! It's scary and exciting to think about these mailers going out into the world, and how people across the US, Canada, and the world are receiving them at their boutiques and opening them up and learning about Chelleline Cards.

Our Heart Constellation card was also a Best New Product finalist, which means another new task: getting the display board ready! This probably deserves another post in itself. Our Crossroads of Love card was also featured in Stationery Trends' Pre-NSS issue! It was so exciting! Again, this deserves a post in itself, too.

Here's the status of the to-do list as of May 6, 2014.
 
NEED TO DO:

1) Highest priority on new designs:
- new task: print catalog
-create Voyages catalog and select new postcards. In progress. update 5/7/14 done!
- new task: print sample postcards update 5/7/14 done!

2) Next highest priority on mailing postcards to stores:
- store research - in progress. done!
- send mailers - will do when research is "completed" or after I run out of time to do more research, probably the second. In progress done!

3) Third highest priority: The Booth
- "shelves" for booth - in progress, can probably do more. (When I have pictures of my booth, you'll see why shelves is in quotation marks.)
- 2 large collage images - 1 done, 1 to go done!
- other elements - need to do. done!
- new task: experiment with layout of cards done!
- new task: make sure lighting is ok
- new task: item number labels for samples on wall

4) Press Kits
- add photos, images to text
update 5/7/14 done!
- new task: find previous press clippings and organize done!
- order press kit folders done!
-  print stickers for press kits done!
- print

5) 3 samples of each card design - in progress
new task: make and print labels for all card samples. - in progress.

6) New tasks: design Best New Product display board

The Road to NSS: Burning the candle at both ends

I finally finished all of my orders last week! They were mailed off last Tuesday, and I won't be soliciting any orders from my current stores until after the Stationery Show.

I was feeling a bit worn out on Friday, so I took the day off on Saturday. Saw some farms with my husband, ate dinner at Satisfaction Pizza, watched a few Doctor Who episodes. It was much needed and I woke up Sunday energized and ready to get back to work!

Here's the status of the to-do list:

NEED TO DO:

1) Highest priority on new designs:
-finish new cards - 7 hand-drawn designs have been scanned and edited in Photoshop. Need to make printable files. 3 out of 7 collage designs made. Update Friday, April 18th: all new collage designs finished! Done for all!
-photograph new cards. Done for Les Cartes de Pauline (our new card line). Still need to photograph and/or scan the other new cards. Update Saturday, April 19th: done for all new cards except the 7 hand-drawn ones Done for all!
-edit photographs of new cards. Done for LCDP. Update Saturday, April 19th: done for all new cards except the 7 hand-drawn ones Done for all!
-add new cards to wholesale catalog. In progress for LCDP. all except 7 hand-drawn ones Done for all!
- new task: print catalog
-create Voyages catalog and select new postcards. In progress. 

2) Next highest priority on mailing postcards to stores:
- store research - in progress. done!
- send mailers - will do when research is "completed" or after I run out of time to do more research, probably the second. In progress

3) Third highest priority: The Booth
- "shelves" for booth - in progress, can probably do more. (When I have pictures of my booth, you'll see why shelves is in quotation marks.)
- 2 large collage images - 1 done, 1 to go
- booth signage - done.
- other elements - need to do.
- furniture. Previously, we were going to bring the furniture up from NC, but Mitya's aunt offered us her furniture to use. Score! 
- new task: experiment with layout of cards
- new task: make sure lighting is ok

4) Press Kits
- add photos, images to text
- new task: find previous press clippings and organize
- order press kit folders
- print

5) 3 samples of each card design - in progress

So the biggest accomplishment this past week was finishing all of the new cards and updating the catalog (as well as finishing all current orders). So glad to get that crossed off the list! Now onto the next task...

The Road to NSS: One month to go!

This week has really flown by! Can't believe it's Thursday and there's only one more month until the Stationery Show. I've decided to re-order the to-do list this time, and list things in order for priority. Here's the state of things as of today:

NEED TO DO:

1) Highest priority on new designs:
-finish new cards - 7 hand-drawn designs have been scanned and edited in Photoshop. Need to make printable files. 3 out of 7 collage designs made. Update Friday, April 18th: all new collage designs finished!
-photograph new cards. Done for Les Cartes de Pauline (our new card line). Still need to photograph and/or scan the other new cards. Update Saturday, April 19th: done for all new cards except the 7 hand-drawn ones
-edit photographs of new cards. Done for LCDP. Update Saturday, April 19th: done for all new cards except the 7 hand-drawn ones
-add new cards to wholesale catalog. In progress for LCDP. all except 7 hand-drawn ones
-create Voyages catalog and select new postcards. In progress.

2) Next highest priority on mailing postcards to stores:
- store research - in progress.
- send mailers - will do when research is "completed" or after I run out of time to do more research, probably the second.

3) Third highest priority: The Booth
- "shelves" for booth - in progress, can probably do more. (When I have pictures of my booth, you'll see why shelves is in quotation marks.)
- 2 large collage images - 1 done, 1 to go
- booth signage - done.
- other elements - need to do.
- furniture. Previously, we were going to bring the furniture up from NC, but Mitya's aunt offered us her furniture to use. Score!

4) Press Kits
- add photos, images to text
- order press kit folders
- print

5) 3 samples of each card design - in progress

Oh, and I also am working on current orders for stores as well! Priority on those is high as well!

The Road to NSS: Things are getting done edition

Things are getting done, but there's still so much left to do. It doesn't help that I'm starting to get all these new ideas for cards - probably a side effect of all the Stationery Show preparations - and feeling like I have no time to make these new card ideas that are popping into my head like daisies after rain. Why didn't they come to me last fall, when I was having a creative block (and had more time)? Or in January or February? Why now? It's unfair, I tell you!

So, here's the status of the to-do list:

NEED TO DO:
- more card designs to finish 7 designs in progress (all hand-drawn, need to be scanned into Photoshop and made into PDFs to print), 7 collage to do.
- photograph new cards done for new card line this afternoon when I was stuck outside on the deck, locked out of the apartment. Still need to do for other cards.
- edit photographs of new cards
- revise wholesale catalog on hiatus for now. Current listings (2013 and earlier) have been edited, waiting until photos of new cards are taken, edited and ready.
- continue researching stores still in progress
- continue working on and finalizing booth design in progress
- print new business cards done!
- work on press kits still in progress. Text done, need to order folders and brand the text in Photoshop or Illustrator
- create elements for booth still in progress
- design and print stickers for display cards in progress
- create print versions of my mother's card line done! but need to:
- create print versions of approx. 10 cards that I forgot to scan in earlier.
- select new Voyages postcards, greeting cards and print samples still in progress (we may not do greeting cards for Voyages)
- create stamp for new card line done!
- 3 samples of all cards in progress 

The damage so far:

Booth fee = $2376.00
FLOR tiles (at 25% off with free shipping) = $360.63
Clip-on lamps from Home Depot = $119.76
Electricity = $113.50
Carbon copy wholesale order forms = $42.70
Printing costs for mailer = $51.28
LOUIE Awards submission = $150.00
Labels for cards = $11.73
Freebies = $101.93 (not so free after all, I guess!)
Business cards = $17.67

Total as of April 10, 2014 = $3345.20

The Road to NSS: Early April update, the panic edition

I've decided to update this to-do and expense list on a weekly basis. It'll help keep me on my feet and hopefully help others in the future! And maybe it will make you feel like you're more on top of things...because at least you're not as behind as poor little me! :)

NEED TO DO:
- more card designs to finish in progress. 3 more left to do.
- photograph new cards
- edit photographs of new cards
- revise wholesale catalog still in progress
- continue researching stores still in progress
- finalize and print mailers done!
- continue working on and finalizing booth design in progress
- print new business cards
- work on press kits in progress
- create elements for booth still in progress
- design booth freebies done!
- order booth freebies done!
- design and print stickers for display cards
- create print versions of my mother's card line still in progress
- select new Voyages postcards, greeting cards and print samples still in progress (we may not do greeting cards for Voyages)
- create stamp for new card line in progress
- launch new website done! (no, this was not on the other to-do lists but I love adding things that are finished just so I can cross them off my list.)
- 3 samples of all cards in progress

The damage so far:

Booth fee = $2376.00
FLOR tiles (at 25% off with free shipping) = $360.63
Clip-on lamps from Home Depot = $119.76
Electricity = $113.50
Carbon copy wholesale order forms = $42.70
Printing costs for mailer = $51.28
LOUIE Awards submission = $150.00
Labels for cards = $11.73
Freebies = $101.93 (not so free after all, I guess!)

Total as of April 3, 2014 = $3327.53

The Road to NSS: Two months to go!

It's less than two months to the National Stationery Show! Eek! Let's take stock of where I am now. Unfortunately I don't feel like I've gotten much done in the last month!

February's "to do" list:

NEED TO DO:
- more card designs to finish
- photograph new cards
- revise wholesale catalog in progress
- continue researching stores in progress
- finalize and print mailers, and mail them  done!
- continue working on and finalizing booth design
- print new business cards
- work on press kits
- create elements for booth in progress
- design booth freebies
- order booth freebies
- design and print stickers for display cards
- create print versions of my mother's card line in progress
- select new Voyages postcards, greeting cards and print samples in progress
- buy the necessary furniture & equipment for booth I'll be carting our own furniture up to New York!
- resolve parking issue with car Parking car at my friend's house in New Jersey. Turns out that the 6 years I spent in NYC weren't all for nothing!

And let's take a look at the damage so far:

Booth fee = $2376.00
FLOR tiles (at 25% off with free shipping) = $360.63
Clip-on lamps from Home Depot = $119.76
Electricity = $113.50
Carbon copy wholesale order forms = $42.70
Printing costs for mailer = $51.28
LOUIE Awards submission = $150.00

Total as of March 26, 2014 = $3213.87

I'm hoping to keep the costs under $5000, although my firm budget is $7000. It helps that we won't have to pay for a hotel - we have family and lots of friends in the area.

When this is all over, I plan to do a few more blog posts on how to prepare for the show, and how to do it on a budget and still look professional (assuming I pull *that* one off, haha!). But for now, I'm hoping that these updates will help future NSS exhibitors get an idea of where they should be. It also helps keep me accountable!