A decade of Alice Palace - 2016 to 2026
Everyone seems to be looking back at the last decade, so thought I'd join in!
2016 - I did my last trade show, and started to move away from selling to shops, and developing instead into personalised illustration selling direct to customers. I created the illustrations for a children's book called Desmond's Dragon, and celebrated 10 years of being a Not on the high street partner.
2017 - These personalised aprons were on the TV show 'Come Dine With Me'.
2018 - Requests came in for 10 year wedding Anniversary gifts and cards from original Alice Palace wedding stationery customers! After creating well over 1000 greeting card designs, I stopped selling to trade and concentrated on selling personalised gifts and cards. Theo Paphitis chose Alice Palace as a Small Business Sunday winner. Here's Theo holding the personalised football kit bag designed for him... #SBS winner.
I started doing the 100 day project, and did illustration work for Daisy Haggard's TV programme Back To Life.
2019 - Personalised hoodies began and it was also the busiest teacher gifting year to date.
Liz left for pastures new after 10 years with Alice Palace, and I left the studio on Cowl Street, and had a garage converted into a little work space, where Mandie worked.
I moved into an office at home - all accidentally in perfect timing for covid to arrive.
I also put some greeting card designs onto Thortful.
2020 - Covid times and it was very busy sending out even more orders than usual. I completed my 1st 100 day project (after 2 years of trying!). Here's Day 5/100 - 'Dogs find the greatest joy in the simplest of things; life is better with dogs.'
2021 - I worked on a bag and thank you card design for Daisy Haggard's 'Back to life 2' series.
Teacher cards & gifts were on ITV This Morning for the second time.
The big story card for teachers, and the thank you teacher print both got their 5 minutes of fame, and Holly said 'they'd bring tears all round'.
And the new wild swimming bag became a big seller too.
2022 - Great Drama! ...the personalised drama bag was on ITV's Coronation Street.
2023 - I started on a fabulous journey creating illustrations for a children's book series dedicated to spreading Chinese culture.
2024 - I moved into our new home office (very exciting!), took part in Getting Paid To Draw, Mike Lowery's 8-week portfolio-building class for illustrators (I absolutely loved it, created new illustrations for my portfolio and found it so brilliant to be learning again and to feel like I was back at uni after so many years!).
I worked on the 3rd Little Frog Book about an elephant, and the British adaptations of the three traditional Chinese stories were signed by Fujian Children's Publishing House in China (to be published after undergoing editing by the publishing house).
2025 - I did online courses/workshops every month, to inspire me and help me write my own children's book. I moved all production in-house and started doing everything myself again - from ideas and designs - to printing and making products - to packing and posting (and loved it all!).
I also finished the illustrations for the 3 Chinese picture books.
I went to David Hockney's Bigger & Closer exhibition (and a grand plan was hatched to go to more art exhibitions!).
I also managed to shut shop for the summer for the first time (c'est la vie!).
2026 - I've starting slowly- I'm going to do the 100 day project again (really missed doing it last year), and keep moving forward!
