Paper Smile – Paper Smile – Greetings Cards, Gifts and Jewellery for that Special Someone…

Hi, I’m Julie, owner and creator of our family Greeting Card & Gift Shop based in West Yorkshire.

My brother and I set up our high street shop back in 2013, selling all kinds of quirky cards and gifts. We both have a history in Graphic Design and Print, so as well as designing and printing our own cards and prints, we also sourced Goods to sell from other UK brands. It was a gorgeous little shop, a firm favourite on our High Street, we had so much positive feedback from our loyal customers I’m proud to say. Then like so many other small business, in 2022 after living through Covid and with footfall dwindling on the high street, we decided to close the premises and move solely online. I needed more free time to help with our poorly, elderly parents as well as continue to run the online shop and my brother has his own separate print business, which keeps him extremely busy.

Sadly we lost our dear Dad in 2023 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

In Spring 2024 a new opportunity arose for me. It was time to get out of my garden studio and meet my customers again, face to face. It’s the part I love and I’m good at it, so I applied to sell at some local Artisan Markets selling my own creations and I was accepted, Yay. So far, so good!

Since joining the artisan markets, it has has given me more confidence to focus on my own designs and my passion, which is my garden. When I’m not working, I spend most days in there, it’s my sanctuary. It wrapped its arms around me at the worst time in my life losing my dear Dad, it was my quiet, safe space and it’s where I’m at peace with my hands in the soil. When I’m not pottering in the garden, I’m usually in a garden centre wondering where I can squeeze in another plant, or taking photos of anything with leaves, I’m obsessed but I am fun, I promise!

So, this new chapter and direction of my business is focusing on my love of nature, using my own photographs and my confession of being a crazy plant lady, it all seems to fall in to place.

I do hope you like my new creations and if there’s anything I can help with, please contact me via the contact us page or email: happy@papersmile.co.uk
We do post on socials to keep you updated on the Markets and Events we’re at, so please follow along, see below.

There are loads of goodies that we’re no longer stocking, so if you like a bargain, get yourselves to the SALE section.

Thank you so much for reading.

Love, Julie