Lincolnshire Journal magazine

Our Charity Day back in July has been featured in the Journal Magazine, and I never knew Abi Titmuss was a Lincolnshire lass!

8th August 2009
With several of the main trade fairs around the corner, we have been busy promoting the new trade collections. Two of my favourite trade magazines are Gift and Craft Focus where you come across unique and often small companies who have those 'must have' unusual products. I do hate to see companies copying their competitors (or websites as we are finding!) , so us as consumers are left with an overload of the same thing. Entrepeneurs make it by their own signature and style, and not by following others footsteps
What is lovely in the gift industry at the moment, is that retailers are pulling the stops more than ever before because the consumer wants that something different. Luckily we have very fresh ideas and a keen eye so we're always kept on our toes, with a fair price in mind. We were delighted when Craft Focus featured us as a new company to watch in their Industry News section, and gave us such a lovely write up.




10th August 2009
I always think the summer time is a quieter time for us for courses with so many people on holidays. To my surprise I added a one off date in August to find it virtually booked up within a fortnight!
It's all go with new collections arriving, photo shoots, a good stream of orders and even the odd client coming in from Hong Kong for a private gift wrapping course. It's an exciting time with preparation underways for the forthcoming events and a very full diary for the rest of the year. I'm even sourcing ribbons for next Spring and fell in love with this romantic embroidered ribbon which we have online for £1.50 per metre. After the current wedding season I somehow don't think we will be left with much for Valentines Day!




11th August 2009
One of my favourite reads (not that I ever get any spare time!) is Woman and Home Magazine.
Our courses have been featured in the latest issue and the phone has been red hot with enquiries from North Yorkshire to South Wales. We've also been frantic helping magazines with their Christmas shoots, liasing with good old Marks and Spencer who always come up trumps with their wrapping range (they I believe are one of the best on the High Street for Gift Wrap)
We're now even working with an interior magazine for their January shoot. When it's been a hot and muggy day I can't get my head around snowdrops and new year diets!
And back to Woman and Home magazine...dosen't Joanna Lumley look fabulous on the cover?
I will enjoy the read on the train this week to another course.





19th August 2009
I love a good challenge and was recently asked by Crafts Beautiful Magazine to create a feature on how to use those roll ends and remnants of ribbon. Those of you who have been on a Gift Wrapping Training Day will have plenty of ribbon ideas! So for a couple of days I talked, breathed and dreamt of thrifty and inexpensive ribbon ideas...from how to get a matching handag to adding trim to jeans.
The online feature shares the top 10 ribbon tips (please click on the link). Being brought up on a diet of Blue Peter and sticky back plastic, I really enjoyed looking through their online craft projects...so ten out of ten to Crafts Beautiful and that's definately being saved to my favourites.

Today I was at the 125th Lincolnshire Show seeing the Princess Royal open the newly built Epic Centre. I love the fact that it has so many environmental pluses however the building lacks any personality feeling like a stark dental surgery. Sadly the outside area is a complete shambles (how can you sit at a table on a slant??) The architect clearly got his inspiration from the Tellytubbies as there's no shade, nowhere decent to sit, and being squashed in like sardines isn't my idea of fun. Our Council tax has clearly been spent on an overprices garden shed called the Epic Centre!


June 27th 2009
What a sad story to hear of the death of Michael Jackson. Despite his troubled life, he gave us the best music which appealed to every race, religion, and age. He danced with fire in his shoes and nobody can ever do the moonwalk as perfect as the King of Pop.
We've had the tribute songs playing quietly in the office and still can't believe that he has gone.

July 4th 2009
Bollywood came to Lincolnshire this weekend. It was a mixture of fundraising events and a milestone birthday. With a cross range of guests and a passion for India I decided to have an ice breaker Asian theme in an Indian Raj Marquee, and was amazed at how much effort people made to be there in superb costumes. Champagne flowed on the summer evening by the watermill and everyone had an absolute ball, dancing in to the early hours and relaxing in the chill out tent.
I have to admit I've never enjoyed one of my own events so much and was so touched at the distance some came from, including Spain, France and Ireland.

July 7th 2009
Today we hosted our charity event and grand sale at the Watermill. Not only was the weather kind but we also had a great turnout. We had some lovely exhibitors, plenty of happy helpers and a few dogs joining in the fun. We took around £1100 at the event and with my donation (all of which we will put through Gift Aid) we hope to give each charity around £800.
The event was also covered by the Journal Magazine and our event will be featured in next months issue. If you would like to make a donation please get in touch.

July 17th 2009
After a very good week, I'm busy sourcing new stock and will be making a quick visit to the Harrogate Trade Show looking for dare I say.....Christmas stock! I'm always teased about getting ready for Christmas in July as I was one of those who went mad at the glimpse of the first Christmas cards in the shops at the end of August. Already I've been asked by magazines to wrap presents for Christmas shoots and it's very hard finding Dark Green Tartan Paper in the middle of summer.
I'm delighted to have found these lovely bright and cheerful gift tags (Made in Scotland for us).
They have cute little brass eyelets and are a classic understatement to any gift, napkin or plant and I can't wait to experiment with them on forthcoming photo shoots.

22nd July 2009
One of the greatest inventions to come in to the floristry world was good old stem tape. It's like a self sticking tape made with crepe paper. It usually comes in green, brown or white (wedding corsages usually have white stem tape covering the stems). I've been digging in to my creative mind and ribbon remnant box and have made these gorgeous roses out of wired ribbon.
You will need a single beaded berry from a bunch, an arm length of wired ribbon and stem tape
(All of which we sell right here at www.janemeans.com)
I've made a few roses and tied them on to a special wedding gift as shown.

Buy Online Gift Wrapping Supplies - Jane Means

These ribbons are truly luxurious and come on a 10 metre roll without breaking the bank. Jane Means is known as the Gift Wrap Guru and she not only has ribbons by the roll and metre but lots of other wrappings and decorations that are hard to find on the High Street.

June 7th 2009
We are delighted to be at Burghley Horse Trials for the first time. We sadly couldn't squeeze in to the Country Living Tent so are exhibiting with our own tent.
We're selling all our unusual ribbons, trimmings and wrapping and will also be running a Gift Wrapping Service for the show...and it's so handy being quite close by.
The event is from September 3rd-6th at Burghley House, Stamford, Lincs
For more information log on to www.burghley-horse.co.uk




June 17th 2009
From one type of animal to another. I came in contact with a huge 6ft Rhino today, a gorgeous leather version from www.omersa.co.uk
I had the task of wrapping it for an undisclosed client who just happens to be one of my favourite all time rock stars (sorry my lips are sealed on this one)
It took 3 of us and nearly 2 hours to complete the wrapped creation.
We wish Mr Rhino lots of luck in his new A list mansion!

I can't stop listening to BISHI

I first saw Bishi live when I was at the Jonathon Ross show (before he was struck off for being naughty). Her music is amazing and I've just treated myself to her album

For the meantime I am making do listening to clips of the Bishi website and will be watching the postman daily!!