34 When did you start up and why? In 2016 Crumble & Core began its life when three friends Jilly, Lucy and Lou came together with a cuppa around the kitchen table looking at Jilly’s beautiful artwork. We wanted to find a way that we could use her incredible art to create a beautiful range of Cards and Gifts. What were your backgrounds/skillsets that you brought Crumble and Core? We all had very different skillsets. Jilly obviously brought her incredible portfolio of artwork. She was taught to paint by her dad at the age of 10 and that ignited a longlife passion for watercolours. She went on to train at art college in textiles and illustration and was a published freelance artist for many years. Lucy had run a successful card, gift and homestyle shop, The Banana Tree in Eastbourne, for over 26 years which gave her a wealth of knowledge in the gift trade industry. Lou had a career in the city, bringing invaluable sales, marketing and computer/system skills to the business. Collectively all those skills put together with a sprinkle of passion, drive and a sense of humour made us lucky enough to land the best job in the world – working together! Tell us about your product offering. We are a British company that create beautiful ranges of products that cherish and celebrate both the everyday and special days. Our products are all sourced in the UK, not mass produced - British designed, British made. We make greetings cards, boxed silver jewellery cards, boxed scented candles with matching greeting cards, boxed notecards sets, gift wrap and mounted prints. What are your most popular products? Our adorable Boxed Silver Jewellery Cards, which we have been finalists for both the Gift of The Year Awards 2021, 2022, 2023 and Henries Awards 2019, 2021, 2022. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? This year we launched a floral collection, Bright Blooms, in which we used different compositions and colour palettes. The range of foiled cards, candles and cards, and jewellery have exceeded expectations. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? We are constantly creating, that is the fun part! We look at trending colours, styles, analyse sales and update our collection regularly. What sets you apart from your competitors? The charm of Jilly’s nostalgic artwork is a real draw. We hand finish our products in a unique way by incorporating the gemstones and jewellery into the artwork adding to the magic of the image. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? The high cost of living has hit everyone this year, but the price point of our
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=