The last of our orders from the National Stationery Show went out last week and we could not be more excited about all of the retail shops where you can now find Happy Cactus Designs' products. You can now shop for Happy Cactus cards, notepads, and other products from coast to coast! Check out an entire list of our retailers here. We are very fortunate to work with so many wonderful shop owners and appreciate their support of our business.
If you are a retailer interested in learning more about carrying our products, please visit our wholesale page for more details.
After launching my debut collection in 2011-2012, I had many requests to add more masculine thank you card options to my line. Guys need to write thank you notes, too, right?
When designing my Spring 2013 collection, this focus was one my mind. For the card below, I drew two small triangles and decided to use a navy blue and black combination. A pattern was created with the triangles and "Thank You" was inserted using a thin minimalist font.
I love the end result, and many buyers did, too! This card was one of my top three sellers at the Stationery Show this year! You can buy the Thank You Triangles card in the shop here!
This year at the National Stationery Show I had the pleasure of meeting a number of artists and designers walking the show. Many asked how I decided to do the show and what it takes to get there.
There's no "right" or easy path when it comes to deciding to exhibit at the show, and each person's decision is completely different from the next as it is a very personal one. That said, if you are contemplating having a booth at NSS in the future, here's a few bits of advice:
- Set goals. Think about your company and where you want to be. Spend a lot of time thinking about where you see yourself in six months, one year, five years, etc. Will exhibiting at the Stationery Show help you get there? How?
- Develop an understanding of the wholesale world. Wholesaling isn't right for everyone and is very different from selling directly to retail consumers. If you are new to wholesaling and also considering doing the Stationery Show, start thinking through some of the systems and processes you will likely need to set up. Do you have the ability to scale up your production and fulfill orders to retailers in a timely manner? Can you appropriately price your products for the wholesale market? How will you keep track of your orders and contacts? How will you package and ship your products? Will you be able to release new designs consistently throughout the year? Lots to think about!
- Be prepared to show a full line of cards/products. Having just 12 cards won't cut it at NSS. You are expected to have a complete line covering many different categories. From different people I've spoken to, I've heard you should be prepared to bring anywhere from 30 to 75 unique designs to present at the show. You want your walls to have ample product on display and for buyers to see that you are committed to your art.
- Do a lot of research. I learned a LOT about the show by looking at photos and reading summaries online. Blogs like Paper Crave, The Stationery Place, Design Sponge, and Oh So Beautiful Paper do a wonderful job covering the show each year. Many designers share their experiences on their own blogs or Facebook pages as well. The Center Aisle Group has also published a book about preparing for this tradeshow in particular that should be on your must-read list. If you can swing it, walk the show (the show management allows artists to purchase passes to attend the show) and take it all in.
- Invest in workshops and networking opportunities. I've shared before how invaluable Tradeshow Bootcamp has been and continues to be in preparing for and navigating NSS and the stationery industry in general. I've also greatly benefited from working with business consultants, industry experts, and educators including The Center Aisle Group, Joyce Wan, and Rena Tom. Each opportunity has been well worth the investment as I've learned a TON while also building a network of friends and supporters at the same time.
- Meet other designers. I've made a number of good "paper" friends who are not only wonderful people and amazing designers, but also a great resource when I need feedback about preparing for NSS or working with retailers. Find other designers that live near you and ask them to meet up, or email a few designers you admire and see if they would be willing to answer some of your questions.
Have more questions? Feel free to contact me at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com and I'd be more than happy to answer them!
In a departure from last year's white walls with hand-drawn accents, this year I decided to do blue foam core walls for my booth. I was extremely happy with the color choice because it really made my colorful products pop. When we first arrived at the Javits, the floor itself was pretty empty, so we quickly got to work laying down the foam tiles and lining up the electricians to help with my lighting.
I then applied the vinyl decals (not as scary to do as I thought it would be).
Since many of my cards include small, intricate details, I decided to blow up some designs to poster size and hang them along the top of the wall.
I kept the furniture simple: a modern white chair and white bookcase that doubled as a display area and storage space. Since my booth was on a corner, I purchased two pedestals to display products and attract people walking by. The card categories were hand-written by me onto the walls using white paint pens.
Booth details:
- Signage: I used custom vinyl decals to display my company logo and booth number. I hand-lettered the card categories onto the walls using white paint pens.
- Flooring: I reused my oh-so-comfy faux wood foam tiles. They are the best when you are standing most of the day. It's funny how many buyers comment on how comfortable they are when they walk into your booth!
- Lighting: I splurged this year and did a parcan spotlight. The Javits electricians were able to position the parcan perfectly to highlight my products. I added additional clamp lights to fill out the lighting. Having great lighting is essential to showcasing your products and I was very happy that I went with the parcan this year.
- Walls: Custom blue foam core walls from Manny Stone.
- Furniture: Two display pedestals, lightweight white plastic chair, and a white bookcase for product display and storing items like catalogs and samples.
Happy Cactus is off to New York City for the National Stationery Show. We are beyond excited to be back for our second year and to debut a number of new products. If you are attending the show, please come visit us at Booth 2240!
I'm leaving for the National Stationery Show in a few short days, and I can't wait to share my new products with retailers attending the show! Here's a behind-the-scenes look at my pre-show mailer that I recently sent out to stores. It's customary to send invitations to retailers inviting them to visit your booth at the National Stationery Show. This year, I did a 5"x7" flat card using a design based off my new Emerald Flowers patterned card (debuting at the show).
The front of the card had pertinent information about my booth and new product releases, while the back was covered in the hand-drawn floral vines. The white against the emerald green color really pops!
I decided to use a kraft envelope and wanted to use white ink for the address. One of my favorite parts of the mailer is the floral oval stamp on the front of the envelope that I wrote each retailer's address inside. I had a stamp made based on an original drawing that matched the card's floral vines, then I stamped each envelope using white ink. I used a white gel ink pen (my new obsession) to hand-address each card.
Finally, I choose the USPS's brand new vintage seed packet stamps. I absolutely adore these stamps and loved the bold flowers against the brown kraft!
I hope retailers enjoyed receiving these invitations as much as I enjoyed putting them together. See you at Booth 2240 in New York!
I have been eagerly awaiting the latest issue of Stationery Trends, the leading stationery industry trade magazine, and was so excited to see that two new Happy Cactus cards are featured in its pages! This is the special National Stationery Show edition and I am so honored to be included alongside many other talented designers. This is also the first issue featuring the newly revamped design and I love what the editors have done!
I'm in the home stretch of preparations for the National Stationery Show with only a few weeks to go. A lot of major tasks have been completed and now I'm working through a list of many small yet equally important items on my to-do list. One of the most important tasks is to remember to take some time to chill out, reflect, and take a mental break. It's hard to not feel overwhelmed at this point, but I'm trying my best to remember to just breathe!
