Grace Jackson, founder shares her journey.
Grace Jackson Design is a luxury stationery studio specialising in hot foil designed greetings cards, note cards and more. All of your stationery and gifting needs are covered whether you're looking for an engagement card and gift or a set of thank you cards.
I have been a professional graphic designer for over 14 years and the thrill of seeing my ideas on paper never gets old. In my career so far, I have had the privilege of working with some amazing brands and companies including Country Life magazine, Savills, Winkworth's, National Trust, Pol Roger Champagne, Malmaison Hotels and ATG Tickets. I have always had the desire to put my love of design, colour and typography into something that I could call my own and covid presented me with the time to take my first steps into that world. Since the launch of my initial greetings card range, I have continued to expand both my business and product ranges, using my love of stationery, design and customer insight to develop elegant, luxury products that I hope bring joy and delight.
My passion for patterns, hues, and delicate touches. Each card reflects meticulous attention to detail, accentuated by hot foil finishes, and is printed in the UK using premium, FSC certified card stock, quality and attention to detail are core principles for both myself and my business.
I love to draw inspiration from nature, art, patterns, and people that I come across both at home and away. As such, I am never too far away from a sketch pad, notebook or camera to record my initial thoughts. There will be a central idea to each design or design range - this could be a message or pattern that I will first focus on. This will grow into a wider concept and influence the wider design that I build out over time.
Once I have an initial design, I will often seek first impressions from my partner, friends, family and a close network of peers if I am stuck between several ideas. However, I always make sure to stay true to myself during this process.
Sustainability is another of the core values of my business. All of my greeting cards and notebooks are printed in the UK on FSC certified card stock. The hot foiling process is then completed by hand in my Cambridgeshire studio, with the foil that I use being both compostable and re-pulpable, aligning with eco-friendly practices. I am also part of the Zero Foil 2 Landfill scheme where all my waste foil can be converted to solid recovered fuel (SRF) and used in other industries.
My pencil cases are 100% cotton and hand made in Scotland and my fountain pen manufacturers are based in Germany where every pen is assembled by hand also.
I will always aim to use sustainable materials and production methods, where possible, to ensure that my beautiful creations are also kind to the environment.
I love to be out with my dog - even if she whines at me straight after breakfast for not being in my studio and letting her curl up in her favourite spot under my desk (the taskmaster that she is!). Being outside and seeing the seasons pass and how that changes the colours around us is something that I will never stop finding fascinating. Equally, being at home with friends and family in an evening, with tasty food and a few laughs always helps me to rebalance at the end of the day, and lets me remember everyone that has supported me throughout this journey.
I think that I'd be torn between being shortlisted in this year's Henries Awards for my wrapping paper, which is an annual awards event for greeting cards and gift wrap, drawing many of the large names in the industry so even being nominated is a huge deal. Or being awarded a ‘Golden Ticket’ by Postmark and a ‘Sunshine ticket’ by Sincerely Yours at Progressive Greetings Live earlier this year - the biggest Greetings Card trade show there is. This may seem like a small thing - these tickets are essentially shopping credits given to winning and finalist shops in an annual industry award process - but having these high profile stores publicly and proudly acknowledge their belief in me was very humbling and certainly up there in my top moments.
The patterns on my new pencil case range were inspired by a holiday in the Mediterranean. My love of geometry and artistry was captivated by the playful and bold application of colour that I saw across everything from the decor in Palaces to the floor tiles in a small taverna. My camera was honestly close to having more photographs of art and patterns than anything else from that trip. These swaths of light, colour and patterns now sit proudly at the heart of these colourful cases. As an allergy sufferer, I have also ensured that these cases can be used for carrying my EpiPens as attractive, discreet but essential medical storage.
I am always aware of trends to understand what people may be drawn to and because of a genuine interest. However, my designs and products are design-led not trend-led and always driven by my own passions and interests to ensure that I am creating and delivering a product that I am truly proud of.
Really anyone who appreciates fabulous stationery and design. I love a pen that flows evenly as you write, get overly excited when writing on good quality, thick paper, and always seek out that perfect card to really make the person receiving it feel special. So my target audience is really anyone like me - people who want products that are as meaningful and carefully curated as the words that they create and hold.
To stay connected with my customers, I have my own website (gracejacksondesign.co.uk) and post frequently on social media channels @gracejacksondesign, which works especially well for my international clients. However, I really love meeting people face to face and having the opportunity of getting to know more about them - one of the reasons why I am looking forward to this event.
Hearing from and talking to my customers. Be it individual buyers or shops that have chosen to stock my products, I love to hear their feedback and ideas and wants - this helps me think about how to help them in the future and allows me to improve. Although it can sometimes be demanding, I also love that I am involved in each step of the design and creation process. This allows me to really stamp by brand on the business and appreciate the work that goes into each of my products.
There are so many to choose from! I think that my top three would be:
Passion: Pinpoint the one or two things that you really love and go from there. It's ok that others may have different tastes or opinions, not everyone is the same!
Persevere: You will have highs and lows - just keep moving and keep your eyes forwards. Believe in yourself and don't be afraid to accept the help of others - especially those that know when to listen, when to speak, and when to bring you a cup of tea (or something stronger).
Enjoy: It can be scary going out on your own, but remember that amongst it all, you have the power to make it what you want it to be. Therefore, make sure you fill it with fun and take time to enjoy the journey.
