a right royal seal of approval

We were thrilled when we heard that the queen (sorry) of daytime television Lorraine Kelly was a fan of 2d Scrumptious’ Royal Wedding tote bag. Steven Lenton is the graphic genius behind the 2d Scrumptious range, and has created this uncanny portrait of Kate & Wills in celebration of their big day. It is also available as a poster print and a bookmark, complete with a cute corgi cut-out! We’re buying ours now…

To see our complete range of Royal Wedding memorabilia, click here

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 31 March 2011

Illustrated Life in LivingEtc

A few months ago we posted about one of our new sellers, Illustrated Life who joined the site in January. The company was started by illustrator Emma Cowlam, who creates prints and cards with her signature black and white line drawings. We’re obviously not her only fans as her work has been featured in this month’s LivingEtc magazine! The piece features two of Emma’s bespoke prints in an article focussing on simple lines and design . You can recreate this look by displaying one or two of Emma’s smaller prints – which would be perfect lined up on a mantle piece or shelf.

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 25 March 2011

get creative with Eggnogg

One of our sellers, Eggnog Greetings Cards has developed a lovely new product to add to their collection of illustrated cards and wrap. These colour in postcard books are filled with 15 thank you notes and 15 birthday cards for children to colour in and send.

“Being a mum of two I’m always being asked to draw characters for my children’s party invites, friends christmas cards etc,” says Kate Edmunds, illustrator, designer and creator of everything Eggnogg, “so I designed a product which children could happily colour in, producing something fun and practical – a postcard to send to friends and family”.

Kate will soon be adding colour in invitation cards to the range, as well as a selection of holiday-themed cards that can be coloured in and sent to family and friends whilst you’re away on your travels – a great activity to keep the children entertained on long journeys!

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 18 March 2011

the adventures of Mabel

Last month we met Mabel, our merchandise and picture editor Carrie’s new puppy. We were instantly besotted and our obsession is only growing as the weeks go by and we hear more about what she’s been up to. She turned 13 weeks old this weekend and she already has a reputation for being a little mischievous! Carrie says, “working at home is now something Mabel has to be involved with. She often has her paws on the computer keys obviously trying to help me work. She even managed to send her own email to Holly by walking over the computer keys!”.

Mabel also made the mistake of kicking one of her toys under the sofa and getting herself stuck there whilst trying to retrieve it. Carrie came home to see her little nose poking out from underneath the sofa and had to lift it to set her free.

Our favourite story was when Carrie and Mabel went to visit Carrie’s nephew, Harry. Mabel discovered Harry’s skateboard and decided she would try her hand (well, paw) at it and skated across the kitchen floor. Sadly we don’t have a photo of her in action on the skateboard, but we will settle for these impossibly cute images of her. We can’t wait to hear what she gets up to next!

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 11 March 2011

an interview with Door 77...

Our most recent partner interview comes from new-comers Door 77, who joined us in January. It’s run by sisters Caroline and Samantha, who took the plunge and started their own business last year and specialise in making personalised cards, cushions and gifts by hand. We asked them to answer some questions about themselves, their products and starting out on their own.

What first inspired you to start your own business?
We’ve always loved being creative, coming up with ideas and designing things. We both had office jobs in London, were sick of the tube everyday and just wanted to work at something we have a passion for.

How did you get started?
We had ideas in our head that we desperately wanted to make into a reality, so we bought a load of fabric, got sewing and made our first cushions. We loved it and haven’t stopped since!

Do you remember your first ever order?
Yes, it wasn’t that long ago! Caroline was at work in London and Sam was at home, we saw the message saying we had an order, called each other and screamed! Then we decided it must be notonthehighstreet.com testing our products, but after the 10th order that day we realised it wasn’t and it was amazing!

What inspires you to keep growing and developing your business?
The idea that people like what we do. That they want one of our cushions to decorate their home or want to give a card with the words we came up with to a loved one. We see it as a big compliment and it’s so rewarding. We constantly have new ideas popping into our heads, so the development of the business just feels like a natural progression and we will move and evolve as outside influences inspire us.

What advice would you give someone hoping to start and/or grow their own business?
Think very carefully about your product range and target market. Don’t try to do too much too soon, focus on your area of expertise and capitalise on that, you can build around that later.

What is your favourite/bestselling product?
At the moment our favourite products are the stamped cushions, they’re great for adults and children and can be personalised so you get a really special and unique product every time. We’ve not seen anything like them anywhere else and we’re especially proud of them! We’re also developing some beautiful Moroccan inspired picnic blankets and we have a feeling they may well take our top spot soon!

Posted by jenniferbaldwin on 04 March 2011