Ella Announcements

Happy Birthday: Free Gift!

2011-02-22T00:01:00.000Z

Birthday: Week Four

It's the final week of our Birthday Extravaganza, and if you order from Ella Announcements this week, you will benefit from...

FREE CANVAS PRINT

If you order between now and 11.59pm on 28th February, you'll grab yourself a free canvas print worth £35!

How to claim?

Simply email us with your preferred canvas design from the "Canvas Art: Kids" section of Ella Announcements, and your chosen wording, including your order number within 24 hours of purchasing.

The Smallish Print

This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. This offer is not valid if purchasing using a gift voucher. Should any customer fail to include the discount code at the checkout, this cannot be applied to orders already processed. You must email within 24 hours of placing your order to guarantee your free canvas print worth £35. Canvases can only be shipped to the address given on your order, and will be sent separately to your announcements.

Happy Birthday: 10% Off!

2011-02-15T00:01:00.001Z

Birthday: Week Three

It's week three of our Birthday Extravaganza, and if you order from Ella Announcements this week, you will benefit from...

10% off your order

If you order between now and 11.59pm on 21st February, you're entitled to 10% off your order

How to claim?

Simply quote HAPPY10 at the checkout and the discount will be applied to your order.

The Smallish Print

Happy Birthday: Free Postage!

2011-02-08T00:01:00.002Z

Birthday: Week Two

It's week two of our Birthday Extravaganza, and if you order from Ella Announcements this week, you will benefit from...

Free Postage

If you order between now and 11.59pm on 14th February, you're entitled to free postage with your order.

How to claim?

Simply quote FREEP2 at the checkout and the discount will be applied to your order.

The Smallish Print

It's Joey's Birthday!

2011-02-07T08:45:00.000Z

Ella Announcements is not the only baby in the Farren family celebrating a birthday this week.

A very cute little boy: 7th February 2006

My not-so-little, and very handsome boy is 5 today! Happy Birthday Joey!

Happy Birthday: £5 Off!

2011-02-01T00:01:00.001Z

Birthday: Week One

It's week one of our Birthday Extravaganza, and if you order from Ella Announcements this week, you will benefit from...

£5 off your order!

If you order between now and 11.59pm on 7th February, you're entitled to £5 off anything on the website.

How to claim?

Simply quote BDAY1 at the checkout and the discount will be applied to your order.

The Smallish Print

It's our Birthday!

2011-01-31T13:00:00.000Z

On 5th February 2011, Ella Announcements is 4 years old. We've always been a little slack on birthday promotions as I tend to forget (naughty!), but I think this year it's time to push the boat out.

To celebrate our 4 years of trading, we've got 4 cracking offers available to all customers who purchase from us during the month of February. We'll be sharing these offers on our blog, and in newsletters, so check back here every Tuesday to find out the latest offer, or sign up to our newsletter through the website homepage to have the offers delivered directly to your inbox.

See you tomorrow with our first offer!

Product Spotlight: Clodagh & Darragh Birth Announcement

2011-01-28T14:25:00.003Z

People wrongly assume that mixing boy and girl together on one design means yellow, or green. That is not the case, and in fact I have never had a client come to me for a mixed design and request these colours.

Take this design for example. The client wanted pink and blue for their newborn twins. My favourite thing about this design is that both colours are used without dividing the design in two, yet still it doesn't look too "boyish" or too "girly".

Not all colours are an obvious match, but if there's a colour scheme you have in mind, please just let us know and we'll do our best to make it work in whatever design you choose. Of course, if it looks awful, we'll say so!!!

Click here to purchase the Clodagh and Darragh design!

About Business Awards...

2011-01-26T14:10:00.002Z

In both 2009 and 2010, I have been lucky enough, with Ella Announcements, to be recognised in a number of national business awards.

In 2009 I won the Vivid Green Award at the Remote Worker Awards 2009 which saw me walk away with a garden office worth £10K! At the same ceremony I was highly commended in the BT Home Business Category.

In 2010 I was shortlisted for the Young Entrepreneur Category at the Women on their Way Awards, and for The Climb category at the It's A Womans World Awards. I also won the Self-Employed Parent of the Year Award at the Mumandworking Awards in November 2010.

My connection to awards goes further than that. At Mumpreneur UK we run two annual awards schemes. The first is The Mumpreneur Awards. The 2011 awards are now open for nominations. If you're a mum in business, there'll be a category to suit you. Enter now over at www.mumpreneuruk.com. You have until July to submit your nomination.

This spring, we're also running the very first Mumpreneur Idol competition where one lucky lady will walk away with a prize that will transform their life: The Ultimate Business Start Up Package. So if you're a mum, and interested in the possibility of starting up in business, it's quick and easy to enter the Mumpreneur Idol competition, so visit www.mumpreneuruk.com NOW and enter, as there's little over one month left to get your entries in.

So why am I writing a blog post about Business Awards?

For anyone in business, it's worth considering entering awards. You, and your business, will gain so much from this. Some of my favourite reasons:

Gain Credibility for You and Your Business
Learn More about You and Your Business
It's Free!

You can find business awards by googling, networking, or checking your local newspaper... so keep a beady eye out and see if there's anything you can put yourself forward for.

So when you've found an award to enter your business for, what tips do I have for entering?

Enter Yourself. You know most about you!
Prepare to boast. Never lie, but emphasise the good bits.
Don't be concerned about being a small business.
Check the word count!
Believe in yourself. If you don't think you're good enough, the judges will be uninspired by your entry.

You can read a full article on my thought on entering business awards over on the Mumpreneur UK Website.

How it all started...

2011-01-24T13:48:00.000Z

As we're still in January, the month of reflection, I thought this would be a good time to share with you the story of how Ella Announcements started. I'm an awful one for waffling, so I'll try and keep the story brief.

At the age of 18, I was a stay-at-home mum to two children under the age of 2. My now husband worked away from Monday to Friday, and I'd moved to the other side of the city to my friends, so I didn't get out much. It was me, the four walls, dirty nappies and cbeebies. I considered college, however I'd previously quit my A Levels, as I wanted to be at home with my daughter. Surely the same thing would happen again. I considered work, but with no major qualifications it would be impossible to get a job that would cover the cost of childcare for two babies. I was generally bored stiff, and needed SOMETHING to do.

It was around this time I began teaching myself the basic of graphic design. I messed around with photographs of my little ones, and started learning the ins and outs of photoshop. During this time, I also became interested in learning about website design. Using online tutorials, I learnt basic html. This, coupled with my new found design skills, would make it possible for me to create a basic website. I needed something to test my new skills on. What could I create a website for?

At the same time as this, I had a friend from the states request that I design her a birth announcement for her newborn son. I'd never heard of a birth announcement, but in the US its a longstanding tradition to send out birth announcements.

I done a little research. There was nothing quite like it here in the UK. I began to design some samples of Christening invitations, Birthday invites and general thank you cards too. I knew birth announcements alone wouldn't cut it for the UK market. Although at this time, I wasn't sure I was looking for how this idea would work as a business. I had found a hobby of graphic design that was seeing me through the day and making me a generally happier person.

I did design a website, called Bo Peep Designs. It was cute. Pale blue with a little sheep. It showcased the examples I'd been working on. It included pricing if anyone wanted to purchase. But I wasn't going to be marketing my website, so I didn't expect any orders. I was pleased that I'd created something with the skills I learnt, but I was just 19 years old. I was a teenage mum. I couldn't start a business. The thought never crossed my mind...

Until, I discovered selling on ebay. I whipped a few auctions together, and the Christening Invitations started selling instantly. Several a day, infact. I wasn't making a profit from these orders, but it wasn't long before I realised I could. I had to quickly register as self-employed. I created a new business name, that would allow me to cater for all audiences, and not just babies, and launched my new website Ella Announcements in February of 2007.

I had no business plan. No idea about anything relating to business. I never imagined I'd become my own boss. I never imagined my hobby could make me money, but here it was! Ella Announcements launched with at least 6 orders a day. I didn't have time to stop and think about the business aspect of it. It was happening, and happening fast, and I just went with it.

I do wonder how different things would have been had I stopped and created a plan, and worked out exactly how I was going to play it, but I think I may have chickened out of becoming self-employed if I had done so. I never thought I was the entrepreneurial type, but working for myself suits me perfectly. It's also allowed me to grow my family without worrying about finances or childcare arrangements.

My advice to anyone else considering starting a business, but not sure if they have what it takes... Go for it!! It has transformed my life and made my future an exciting one!

Would you like to retail our products?

2011-01-19T10:36:00.000Z

We're on the look out for new retailers of our announcements and invitations. We can provide all non-photo cards (that's the products within the sugar & spice, all things nice, snips & snails and puppy dog tails categories!) and our gifts on a dropshipping basis.

Who are we looking for?

Our ideal partners are event organisers, occasion websites and baby-related businesses. We're happy to partner with established businesses with top quality websites stocking top quality products. We do have a limited to the number of retailers we can work with, and therefore we will be selective with who we choose to source to.

But how will it work?

All of our items are personalised, and need to be approved prior to printing. This makes it a little more complex than standard wholesale. Most retailers choose to take the order, email details to Ella Announcements, who'll contact the customer with their proof and continue with the order. Or you may wish to email the details to us, and we'll send the proof back to you! You can then contact the customer with their proof, and check they are happy before proceeding to print. We're happy to discuss the pros and cons of each of these two options with you in more detail.

What commission will I get?

You will receive 25% commission on all orders, with our minimum order of 20 cards totalling£27... (However most customers order more than 20 cards. It varies from order to order). This is standard with all of our retailers and across all of our products, and is non-negotiable.

How can I get more information?

We have a trade pdf available, so please email us at info@ellaannouncements.com to request a copy. This includes application details which can be forwarded to us. We will review your application, and if we feel it would benefit both parties for us to work together, we will get started on helping you to add our products to your website.

Photo Tips: Announcements & Invites

2011-01-17T17:00:00.000Z

Photo Tips

For the best announcements, you need the best photographs, and for the best photographs, you simply need to follow the basic rules outlined on this page.

Rule One: Background
It's time to declutter your photographs, and you wouldn't believe how simple it is going to be. Take a bedsheet. Preferably a white one. Or a blanket, again preferably white, or a nice pale shade. Lay the sheet down on the floor, and lay your baby on top of it. Stand above with your camera, voila! You have a photo of your baby.... not of the stained carpet, or the toys on your floor, or the ironing board in the background, or a bookcase sticking out of your babies right ear. If you want your baby sitting up, throw the sheet over your settee and sit the baby on it and voila! You have a photo of your baby, not your shiny flash-rebounding leather sofa, or your crazy floral print cushions. The sheet on the sofa also works for photos of baby on their front, and again, for photos of baby lying down for side shots, as well as the birds-eye shots you'll get on the floor. Keyword for Rule One: Bedsheet

Rule Two: Lighting
Lighting can make or break a photograph, but this doesn't mean you require fancy lighting equiptment. Theres no better lighting, than the sun! Which room in the house gets the best daylight seeping through the windows? Whichever room that is, this is the room you will be taking your photographs in. Lay the bedsheet down on the floor directly in front of the window, and chances are the sun will fall nicely onto babies face for you to take the birds-eye shots. Or if you're taking photographs on the settee, then make sure it is facing the window and light. DO NOT take a photo facing towards the light source. Make sure its YOU with your back towards the light, NOT your subject, otherwise your baby will be in shadow. Keyword for Rule Two: Sunlight

Rule Three: "SMILE!"
This rule is to do with capturing as many different emotions as you can. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT keep forcing your baby to smile. If you've spent all day taking photos, and haven't got a smiling one... this does not mean it has all been a waste. I can guarantee if you were to look back through the days photographs you'd find plenty of beautiful shots. While photographs of your baby smiling might be great to look at... When you have four near-identical pictures on one announcements, it's really not that fantastic. Try and capture all sides of your babys personality. A smile, a cry, an innocent gaze, a hand-suck, a frown, a tongue, a looking-away-from-the-camera, a sleeping baby, a laughin baby....A mixture of different photographs will make for a great invitation. Keyword for Rule Three: Personality

Rule Four: Frame It
In terms of designing the invitation itself, this rule is irrelevant, as we can always crop as required, but if you're looking for a great photograph to keep as a personal memory, this one is important. Framing a photograph well, really makes a difference to the final outcome. The photograph is of your baby, so take it of your baby, and not the surroundings. They're only little things and can be swamped by everything around them, so get in close! Through the eyepiece, or on your LCD, is the photo of your baby? or is there tons of background? If theres background, move closer... Your baby should fill the screen. If you're doing close up shots, get close up! Take some photographs of your babies hands and feet while you're there! Try different angles too. Keyword for Rule Four: Close-up

Rule Five: Posing & Arranging
Heres where it gets fun! You need to let your imagination run wild! Poses vary from age to age. For newborn babies you can lie them on their belly, on their back, cup their head in your hands, wrap them up in a little ball in their favourite blanket... experiement with differening poses. Regarding clothing... if you're comfortable with it, try naked, or just a nappy. These photographs are always really natural and really beautiful. Maybe wrap a bow around your naked baby, or lay a flower on them to cover their bum. If you like the black and white photographs, with one item in colour, then give your child a flower, bright coloured bear, or a cute coloured nappy cover. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, try baskets, tin baths, fairy wings... go wild and have fun! Photography is not meant to be a tough task, so enjoy it! Keyword for Rule Five: Experiment

10 Tips... Creating your Business Logo

2011-01-10T16:58:00.000Z

First Impressions are always crucial, and this is the same for your business. Your logo is the very first thing a lot of customers will see. When you hand someone a business card. When they click on your website. When they see you tweeting. Your logo can shape a persons opinions instantly on the quality of your business. These tips can aid you in the quest for your ideal logo...

1. Get a professional in

While this will of course cost you money, it's such an important aspect when starting your business, it'll be money well spent. It doesn't have to cost the earth though. Many people will tell you that if you're going to do it "right" you need to find a designer that will charge over £250. This is not the case. Ella Announcements provides a bespoke logo design service for just £80, and many other companies can provide you with a professional, bespoke logo for less than £100. Always check through the designers portfolio (which should be extensive). Ask for recommendations from other business owners. Really shop around and compare portfolios, prices and what's included. You should choose a designer that lets you be involved in the design process, and will not limit the number of amendments you want to make. I would only recommend designing your logo yourself if you have experience in design and are confident in your abilities.

2. Make sure it's unique

Some companies will provide you a logo design based on a template. This is a huge no no for any company... even if you love the template. Your company needs to have it's own unique brand, and it's not possible to do that if hundreds of other people around the world have the same design with a different name in it. When choosing your design company double check that each logo is bespoke and designed with your specification in mind. While it's always a good idea to look around at other companies logos, and select ones that you like (and why you like them), never copy a logo design. As well as this meaning you are not unique, it could have a legal impact on you.

3. Your point of view

It's important to have a logo design that you love. You should be looking for a logo to last for the life of your business. This will not happen if you do not love it. Write down a list of things you definitely want to include, and a list of things you'd maybe like to see. It's also worth writing a list of things that would turn your stomach. This will give you a good idea of what you're looking for, before contacting potential designers.

4. Your customers point of view

While what you like is important, what the customer will feel about the logo design is more crucial to the design process. The design needs to be relevant for your target market. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer. What would draw them to delve further into your products and services? What would catch their eye? What would they like to see? It might be worth asking family and friends, their thoughts on what would be right for your business, or even creating a survey to ask potential customers their thoughts.

5. Select the right colours

The colour of your logo could make or break your design. They need to be colours that look good on the web, and on print. They need to be colours you're happy with. They need to be colours that are suitable for your target audience. In theory, this should be simple enough to work out, but experiment with a few different colour combinations. A gadget shop would probably appeal to a predominantly male audience, so don't choose pinks. A bouncy castle company needs to appeal to families and children and be bright and fun, so don't use black and white. As a general rule, I tend to try and stick with no more than three colours, to prevent a design looking clumsy and cluttered, however for some businesses (such as the bouncy castle company) you can afford to be a little more adventurous. If you want to use more than three colours, but you're not sure it would suit your company, you can always try using a couple of different shades of one colour.

6. Be sure you can use it for different purposes

I touched upon this in the last point, but you need to be sure your logo can be used for a variety of different means. Think about what you're going to want to use your logo on... Website, Leaflets, Letterheads, T-Shirts, Signs, Car/Van, Promotional Merchandise. Steer clear of animated logos where possible, and if you're looking to have your logo embroidered or printed on merchandise, it may be an idea to also ask the designer not to use any special effects on a logo such as bubble-typed lettering, gradients or a glittery finish.

7. Big or small, it needs to work

Professional designers will ensure this is the case, but it's important if you're using a friend or family member, an amateur designer, or yourself to ensure you the logo is designed BIG. You can always reduce the size of a logo, but you increasing the size of a logo can affect the quality. When printing large banners, posters and shop signs, your artwork needs to be very big. On the other hand, make sure that when reducing the image to make it smaller, for your website, avatars, etc you do not lose any important aspects of the design. Keeping it somewhat simple will help with this. Fiddly details can be lost when reducing the size of your logo, and just look messy.

8. Images and Icons for your logo

If you want to use an image/icon for your logo, avoid using any form of clip art. It can look unprofessional and somewhat tacky. Others may use the same clip art which means it's not unique. If you want to use an image/icon then ask your designer to create one from scratch, or if the designer is unable to do so, commission an illustrator to create the icon for you. This ensures it is unique to you. Ask your designer to find a clever way of incorporating the image into your logo so that it doesn't look out of place. Not all logos need an image to work.

9. Picking a font

Unless it is vital to you to use a specific font, try and let your designer select this for you. Choosing the wrong font can fail a logo. There are SO many fonts available to designers, that it is good for you to have a general idea of the style of font to look for, but be open minded. As a designer, I am obsessed with fonts, know what works best for different types of projects, and it pains me when clients say they want X font... which will NEVER look good.

10. Get Feedback

Before finalising your logo, get feedback from your friends and family... even your children (My 4 year old is my fussiest client, but he tends to get it right, so I always welcome his input! Kids are honest!). Getting feedback from an outsider will prevent you from getting too wrapped up in what YOU want, and will remind you to focus on what your customers will want.

Product Spotlight: Sleek Circle Christening Invite

2011-01-07T12:15:00.000Z

I think this is my favourite design in the Puppy Dogs Tails category... It's sweet, yet strong... Traditional, yet contemporary... And really easy to adapt to any theme and any personality.

There is really just one colour in this design... dusky blue. This can be changed for ANY colour, to suit any colour scheme and any specification, so if you love the design but it doesn't match your lime green birthday theme, then we can easily get this changed for you at no additional code.

The invite is printed on 120mm x 120mm 300gsm silk card, and costs £1.35. You can buy the card by clicking here.

So which is your favourite design on the Ella Announcements website?

My favourite designs of 2010

2011-01-06T16:33:00.003Z

I've just been looking through all of the announcements and invitations designed in 2010, and thought it would be apt to share with you some of my favourite photocard designs created this year.

Now, I made my selection, and ended up with 27 designs. I wouldn't have the time nor energy to be posting them on my blog, so I forced myself to whittle it down to 2 boys designs and 2 girls designs, and I will somehow feature some of my other favourites in the blog for other purposes over the coming months.

One of my favourite girl design selections was simple. Poppy Violet. This design consists of 7 photos on a double sided design. It was based on the clients favourite design which was in our birth announcements section, and used the preferred colours of purple and grey, rather than the pink and brown of most Christening designs. But that's not to say I don't love the pink and brown, which are exactly the colours used on my next design, Amelie Lucinda Ann. This was created right at the end of the year, so is not yet on the website, but is based on the Eva Rose Jardine design. I love the injection of colour, and the funky, almost 3D-like feature text.

One of our most popular birth announcement designs for boys is the Jack Dylan design. Often I get slightly bored of the more popular designs... I love variety in my life... but I chose a design for Christian-Peter as one of my favourite boys designs because the photos are just absolutely adorable. Even though the name is longer than the one on the sample announcement, the text still fits perfectly on the design. It's soft and elegant and just makes me coo! Another little person who makes me coo is my perfect little Isaac who joined us in 2010. I can't work out what I love so much about his announcement. I love designs with borders on. I don't think I design enough of them. I really don't like aqua colours, yet with the colours from the photographs, the soft aqua is adorable, and a completely new look for Ella Announcements. Now, Isaac's announcement isn't yet available to purchase on the website, but I intend to get it uploaded with the next lot of updates in the next few weeks.

Thank you to all my customers through 2010 who have helped make my job so enjoyable!

The Famous Resolutions...

2011-01-04T07:07:00.000Z

We all make New Years Resolutions. Do we keep to them? I'm not so sure. I think my main problem with keeping New Years Resolutions is that I haven't promised anyone but myself, and I don't mind letting myself down. So this year, I'm gonna share a few of them with you, and I can check back next year and see how I done.

1. Keep Blogging.

I'm rubbish at keeping up to date with blogs. I just tend to waffle, the realise no-one wants to read my waffle. But blogging is important for small businesses, so since last month I've been making an effort to ensure I get blogging... The key now, is to stick with it! My new years resolution is a minimum of 2 blog posts per week!

2. Love My Business.

I love Ella Announcements. It's a huge part of my life. It's my business, my job and my passion. However, each year I seem to have a time where I fall out of love with it. Often this has just been a week, tops, but last year I had a longer period of time where I lost all love of what I do. This is not going to happen in any degree over the coming 12 months. I am going to love my business every single day.I'll tie this in with point no1, and blog one reason each month of why I love my business, to ensure I'm keeping to this resolution.

3. Have some "Me Time".

If I'm not working, I'm being mum. I don't "do" me-time. I never take any time out for myself, yet it vital to the mental wellbeing of any human being, particularly a busy business mum of 4. My me-time won't involved going out, and it won't involved baths and books. It's clear I am of the mindset that I always have to be doing somthing. When I "relax", I get bored and depressed. So I am going to get myself a hobby. I'm going teach myself to sew. Now, I ask my mother-in-law to sew buttons back on the kids shirts, and I haven't touched a needle and thread since the age of 11, and a sewing machine since the age of 13 in Textiles!!! So this is a whole new world for me. I'll blog a creation each month, to ensuring I'm keeping to this resolution.

The best thing about my three resolutions is that my business will benefit and my state of mind will benefit too. So here's to a happy and prosperous year!

New Year Business Design Offer!

2011-01-02T10:02:00.002Z

Having disappointed a few people that yesterdays offer excluded business design, I've got a fabulous New Year offer for all small business owners out there.

It's a new year, and a fresh start for some businesses, or a new journey completely for some people making 2011 the year they become their own boss. And Ella Announcements wants to help!

January Offer

That's why, when you purchase a Logo Design from Ella Announcements through January 2011, you'll bag yourself one Free Promotional Design. That's a free leaflet design, poster design, business card or advert, worth £95.00

This offer is available through January only. While we can only take on a limited number of logo design projects at any one time, this offer will be valid to anyone who makes payment for their logo up until 31st January 2011.

To receive our business design pdf, discuss your logo design project or ask a question about this offer, simply email me at info@ellaannouncements.com!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T11:11:00.001Z

It's 2011... Happy New Year!

So today, on 1.1.11, you can benefit from a lovely 11% off ALL products* from Ella Announcements.

Use the magical promotional code 2011 at the checkout to benefit from this offer. This discount will be available until 11.11pm on 11.1.11 so feel free to share the offer with any friends and family who might be interested.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2011! Here's hoping it's a good one!

*excludes services such as business design

Mumpreneur UK

2010-12-29T16:25:00.002Z

While Ella Announcements is what I like to call my "full time business", it's not the only business baby I have in my life.

Back in 2009 I met Laura Rigney, who, within a month of meeting, became my business partner. Together we organised the very first national conference for mums in business... The Mumpreneur Conference 2009. The event, organised in just a few short weeks, took place in October 2009 and was a huge success. Within days, we were organising our 2010 event (The Mumpreneur Conference 2010, unsurprisingly). It is undeniable that Laura and I make a cracking team. I'd say I'm the creativity in the partnership, and she's the gob! (I mean this in the best possible way, Laura!)

At our 2010 event, we launched Mumpreneur UK, a website aimed at supporting and celebrating mums who run their own business. We're both "mumpreneurs" and we both know how difficult it can be at times, how exciting it is a lot of the time, how important it is to have the relevant support available AND how relieving it is to have others to share it with. Mumpreneur UK hopes to meet the needs of all mums in business who are starting up, or running, a business and we hope to be a voice for business mums in the UK through a number of initiatives and events.

If you're a mum running a business, or interested in the possibility of starting a business, visit the website www.mumpreneuruk.com (and you might even be interested in entering our event, Mumpreneur Idol... more details to follow in January!)

Pictured above: Me (the whale on the left), and Laura!

Say THANKS!

2010-12-27T09:02:00.000Z

Well, it's over for another year! I hope you had as much fun this weekend as we did over in Ella Announcements HQ, and hope Santa brought you everything you wanted!

The Christmas Thank You Card orders are already coming in, and we'll begin sending out proofs this week. If you want to ensure you still qualify for the 2 day proof turnaround time, then it's vital you get your order is NOW, as this tends to become the busiest time for Ella Announcements (Everyone suddenly remembers the January/February party they need invites for!) and the proof turnaround time can extend to several days overnight.

FREE Bespoke Designs

As with our Christmas Cards, we're offering you a FREE bespoke design this year for your Christmas Card thank you's. We have a few Christmas thank you's on the site, but we appreciate this is not enough to choose from. So, we invite you to look around the photo thank you galleries, and also the Christmas gallery, and see if any design catches your eye. Place your order through there, and then email order@ellaannouncements.com with any design ideas and suggestions, along with your wording and photographs. We'll create a design especially for you, that no-one will have sent out before you! A very special way to say thank you to your family and friends.

I'm now going to start uploading my Christmas pictures and get my own thank you cards designed, so I've shared my Christmas 2008 christmas card design with you until I've pulled my finger out :)

Please do not hesitate to email me with any questions regarding the Christmas Card Thank You's, or placing an order over the Christmas Period. (Remember: The next print date is 03/01!)

Merry Christmas Folks!

2010-12-17T17:30:00.001Z

Well, today was the last print day before Christmas so I guess Ella Announcements is closed for Christmas now!

But fear not! We're still around.

We will still be processing proofs, and you are welcome to place an order at any time throughout the Christmas period. We'll aim to get a proof to you within 2/3 working days, and will aim to respond to all email enquiries within 48 hours.

I'll likely not get a chance to blog between now and Christmas with the kids now off school and some last minute Christmas preparations, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas time! I hope you all have a lovely time with your families, and take lots of snaps for those thank you cards ;)

Ho ho ho!

We want to hear from YOU!

2010-12-15T21:40:00.001Z

It's nearing the new year, and a new year is always the perfect excuse for a new start, and a new start is a perfect excuse for new products or features within the business.

What would YOU like to see from Ella Announcements in 2011? Email info@ellaannouncements.com with any feedback, or anything you think could improve the website, and if it's at all possible, we'll see if we can implement this at some point within 2011!!

Thanks for helping to improve Ella Announcements!

Christmas Card Deadline!

2010-12-13T06:50:00.001Z

Today is the very last day you can order Christmas Cards, to ensure they'll be with you before this week is up.

You can now ONLY order the cardstock options (that's everything minus the photo paper prints!) and you have until 3pm to do it. If you order after this time, I cannot guarantee you'll get your Christmas Cards in time.

If you order today, you need to ensure you check your email periodically to approve your cards before tomorrow is up.

Quick!!!!

Wedding Thank You Cards: Nichola & Richard

2010-12-10T13:56:00.000Z

As well as baby stationery, we also love to work on designs for your big day! Our Wedding Thank You Card designs will be uploaded to the website in the coming few weeks, and here's a sneaky peak...

We were lucky enough to design Nichola & Richards Wedding Invitations, and were delighted when they came back for some photo thank you cards. The colour scheme was based on their invitation, with the focus being their beautiful photographs!

If you'd like a design like Nichola & Richards, contact us to find out how, from just 90p per print and a free bespoke design!

Isabel's 3rd Birthday Invitations

2010-12-09T20:00:00.001Z

This time next week, my baby girl turns 3. I can't quite believe it! Now that she is at nursery we've decided this year that she can have a party... Well... Invite a few friends around for a boogie and cake!!

When it comes to designing Ella's invitations, the girlier the better. They've always been pink and flowery with butterflies and beautifulness. Isabel is NOT that kind of girl. Dont get me wrong... she loves dollies and dancing and princess dresses, but she's a complete scraggamuffin, she has a deeper voice than Joey, and if you put her in a baby pink dress, it just wouldn't look right. From newborn she was in blue sleepsuits (girls ones, though!!), bright fuschia dresses and red and navy outfits.

So how to create a 3 year old girls invite, without the pink flowers and butterflies?

I love duckegg blue for girls, alongside brighter colours. I chose a deeper version of the blue, alongside a deep dusky purple and bright pink and think it works perfectly. Isabel loves it!

This invite will be available on the website soon, however if you'd like to order it in the meantime, just drop us an email to get the ball rolling!

Nativities, Birthdays and Christmas Holidays!

2010-12-08T21:22:00.001Z

Nativities

This afternoon I'm off to watch Joey's ABC Nativity. He's a donkey dancer. I always secret mocked the boy "dancers" before... particularly those who had to wear angel outfits... and now my son is one. I shall mock no more ;-) So we will not be at work this afternoon (8th). The same accounts for Monday 13th, when Isabel and her nursery will be treating us to some lovely Christmas songs during the afternoon.

Birthdays

We'd also like to inform you that we'll not be around at any point on Thursday 16th December, due to Isabel celebrating her 3rd birthday. Any orders or enquiries will be dealt with the following day.

Christmas Holidays!

We thought this would also be a good time to let you know about our Christmas working days. It's a little complicated, so listen up! We cannot guarantee to process any printing from Friday 17th December 2010 onwards.

We will still be around to deal with email enquiries throughout the Christmas period, and will work on designing proofs, ready for the January printing. If you would like to place an order from 18th Dec - 2nd Jan we welcome you to do so. We will be working hard to ensure your order is ready to be with you during the first week of January, and will be able to have proofs with you ASAP. We can expect proof turnaround times to increase through January as this is always our busiest month, so it's a good idea to get that proof approved early! Any E-Products (design only options, business design, etc) will be unaffected.

We will return to normal as of Monday 3rd January including our 48 hour proof turnaround time, and 72 hour print turnaround.

If you have any questions about our Christmas printing break, please do not hesitate to contact us.

24 Hour Turnaround Time...

2010-12-07T21:10:00.001Z

Now that most people have got their Christmas cards all wrapped up, and the crazy rush has subsided, we're excited to tell you that there is now a 24 hour turnaround time!

If you order today, you'll have your proof by the end of play tomorrow. We anticipate that this turnaround time will extend until Christmas (although this is not guaranteed), so make the most it and order your announcements, invites or thank you cards this month!

Last Day for Photo Prints [Xmas]

2010-12-06T07:31:00.001Z

Today, at 3pm, is the final day to order photo paper prints for your Christmas cards. Should you proceed, beyond 3pm, with ordering this print option for your Christmas Cards, we cannot guarantee that they will arrive in time to hand them out for Christmas.

You can order all other print options for another week though, so you haven't missed out! Quick, go order today!!

The Kids Christmas Cards

2010-12-03T19:52:00.001Z

I have three kids at school/nursery, and a minimum of 140 classmates to write cards for... Thats my idea of hell! This is the perfect excuse for m to take advantage of my own products with a set of personalised christmas cards for each child.

They were allowed to help with the design of their cards, choosing their photo, colours and design elements from various website examples, and here's what they came up with!

Isaac Charlie's Announcement

2010-12-02T19:45:00.003Z

Ok, so I'm a little late with this, but I really struggle with my own designs. Having no specification and the design world at my finger tips makes my awfully indecisive mind quiver in fear!

But 4 weeks after his arrival, they're done! Here is the birth announcement for my beautiful Isaac!

Photographs were taken by one of our recommended photographers, B72 Imaging.

Isaac's Birth Story

2010-11-30T20:20:00.001Z

I wanted to post this earlier in the month, while it was still fresh in my mind, but I just couldn't free my hands for three minutes in order to share with you my latest birth experience.

I was going to try and keep it short, but I'm still so excited by it, I may struggle.

We'd attending hypnobirthing courses with Lee from Amazing Births at 20 weeks, when we then decided we wanted a home birth. My due date came and went and I started to panic about being pressurised into induction so on Saturday I went to see Wendy McGregor for some induction acupuncture. And that's when it started...

I was having frequent surges (contractions) from the appointment throughout the rest of the day. Nothing much to them, but enough to make me stop talking and concentrate on walking through the park! This continued throughout Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor, and then at 10pm I retired to bed, knowing full well I would be up again soon. I failed to tell Chris this (didn't want to jinx it), so he ended up staying up to play on the computer. He regrets this, as, at 11.30pm he came to bed. His head hit the pillow and I told him it was time to get up again.

He prepared the room for the birth. Candles, oil burning, music on, pool up. At some point the midwife arrived and was shown to the kitchen to read my birth preferences (in short: shut up and leave me to it!). I'd asked for no examinations in my birth preferences, but she wanted to check I was in labour. I hadn't wanted her there at that point. I wasn't ready, but they'd misunderstood Chris's call and sent the midwife out to us. I was thinking I'd only be a cm dilated, and she'd assume I wasn't in labour when I knew I was.... I was 4cm, and some other technical mumbo jumbo.

The midwife left me to my own devices. She didn't speak to me. She didn't even tell me her name. I didn't know until I read my notes after, that her name was Ruth. She directed all questions through Chris. However, I was in such a sound state of mind that I would have happily spoken to them both. But the peace and quiet was lovely, to be fair. I sat on my ball and breathed through each surge, listening to the hypnobirthing music. I had the affirmations playing, and found myself grinning from ear to ear through one surge which timed itself perfectly with the affirmation "Each surge of my body brings my baby closer to me"...

I started softly crying at one point, at the realisation I was about to have a baby. I don't think I'd come to terms with this at any point in my pregnancy. It had all been a bit surreal. I barely felt pregnant.

I just chilled out with my own company. Midwife would come and listen to baby's heartbeat, always perfect, and then leave me again. Eyes closed. Breathing. Meanwhile Chris was chasing the cats around. The Midwife was allergic, and they were excited by her paperwork, coat, medical equipment, etc...

As the surges grew stronger, I decided to try out the pool. It was lovely. Too lovely. I was falling asleep slightly. Chris ACTUALLY fell asleep. My surges slowed slightly. I got out again and sat on my ball.

I was still perfectly fine and normal. Had I not been ensuring I was completely relaxed, I think I'd have happily been cleaning, or cooking, or dancing inbetween surges... And even through surges!

I realised it was time to get back in the pool. I didn't have a clue what the time was. I figured I'd only been in labour for an hour or so... When Chris mentioned the kids potentially waking up soon. WHAT!? So he made arrangements with my mum to come and collect them, and he'd wake them for her arrival. Up until this time, I was generally just "chillaxing" as Ella would say. Nothing much to report.

Things started to kick up a notch. I started crying and crying. The midwife and Chris sat in front of me by the pool. It was the first time the midwife had been within 5 metres of me throughout the labour. They told me I was doing great. I told them I knew I was, and there was no reason for my crying. I knew I was in "transition". I'd have told them that if I was more conscious and able to talk. I was starting to zone out a bit... Or tune into my body. At this point, I asked Chris to wipe my mascara tears (I hadn't taken my makeup off before bed). Instead of wiping under my eye, as a woman would, he wiped down from my eyelid to my cheek, smearing more mascara on my face. This caused a bit of a grumble from me about his lack of mascara wiping knowledge, which we all found amusing.

The surges that followed were the first that I made noise. I wasn't screaming. I was growling a little as I breathed out, that was all. I said "it's coming" a few times, as I felt the babies head move down. The second midwife turned up. I started to "push" (although was still very much breathing rather than pushing). I kept telling Chris that I wasn't getting anywhere. It just felt like nothing was happening. But the midwife told me to feel the babies head. A few more surges, and it was time for the head to be born. I shouted through this surge! And voila, babies head. Midwife told me how to lift baby out of the water, but I don't think I was really listening to her. I said "come on baby" followed by another shouty push... and my baby was born. I could see his willy before I even began lifting him (as his bum was floating upwards) so I announced that it was a boy before lifting him, screaming, to my chest. It was 7.32am on Halloween (although the clocks had gone back at 2am, so add an hour on to the length of the labour).

We got out to deliver the placenta. He was weighed (8lbs 6oz), and everyone was happy. I walked around perfectly normally (it didn't feel like I'd given birth... the water was amazing!) and then fed him while we discussed names. We settled on (by other names being crossed off) Isaac Charlie. By 9am we were left to our own devices with our own baby in our own home. It was surreal, and fantastic!

I felt no real pain throughout the birth. It was the same sensations I'd experienced with my previous labours, but I just looked at them in a different way. It was a lot of pressure, and in no way a lot of pain as I'd thought previously. So if you're expecting a baby, I'd highly recommend hypnobirthing, as it allowed me to have the perfect birth experience... (and it made 9 hours feel like 2, which is always a bonus!)

I can't believe I won't get to do it again *sob*

Become a Recommended Photographer

2010-11-29T16:51:00.000Z

When purchasing photo cards, the biggest factor in creating a stunning finished product is the perfect photographs. We're on a mission to find professional photographers from up and down the UK that our customers can use to achieve beautiful photographs to create beautiful announcements and invitations.

If you're a photographer who specialises in newborn and family photography, covering a county not currently covered on our website, and would like to be listed on our Photographers page, please email info@ellaannouncements.com with your details to discuss.

All we ask of you is that you allow the photos taken to be used on the announcements, emailed direct to us. You are welcome to charge whatever fees necessary, and promote additional products as much as possible.

We'd love to hear from you if you have any questions, or would like to be involved.

Amanda x

New Canvas Designs

2010-11-26T16:43:00.001Z

Just in time for Christmas, we've got some new canvas wall art designs up our sleeves...

Our canvases start from £35 and are personalised with your own details and printed onto high quality 260gsm matt canvas. It will be mounted and hand-stretched around an 18mm pine box frame. Every canvas is handmade with great care. It will be supplied with corner wedges for re-tensioning of your canvas and supplies with dentate hangers so they are ready to hand on your wall.

Visit the website for more designs!

Christmas is coming...

2010-11-25T09:00:00.001Z

Are you ready to share some festive cheer?

It's only a month to go until Christmas now, which means it's time to start getting ready... Christmas decorations out of the attic, Christmas presents ordered, buying extra food and beer to store away, and time to write your Christmas cards!

Now, I've been known to personally be a bit of a scrooge, but when it comes to designing christmas cards it really is my favourite project to do! For this reason, until 6th December, you can purchase any one of our Christmas Card designs BUT benefit from a completely free Bespoke Design. We'll create a unique christmas card that no-one before you will be sending out in 2010.

With photo paper prints starting from just 90p including envelopes, and our fantastic card options priced from £1.20, celebrate this Christmas in style without breaking the bank. Here is just a taster of some of our Christmas designs for 2010, perfect for babies first christmas, family cards and great for kids to hand out at school and nursery.

GUARANTEED TURNAROUND TIME

If you place your order during November, we guarantee to send you a proof within 48 hours, This promise, combined with our new printing system (orders dispatched within 72 hours of approval*) means you'll have your order within a week!

*Applies to A6 and A5 options only. Photo Paper Prints may have an increased turnaround time.

Mumpreneur Idol

2010-11-23T17:06:00.001Z

As well as Ella Announcements, I also run Mumpreneur UK, a website aimed at supporting and celebrating mums who run their own business.

Today, we launch our spring event Mumpreneur Idol. Mumpreneur Idol is our business start up competition, where one mum will walk away with the ultimate start up prize enabling her to launch her own business.

If you're a mum, and have a business idea brewing, head over to Mumpreneur UK to find out more, and enter today.

I'll have more information on the event in the new year, so check back soon for more news.

Product Spotlight: Stripy Girl Christmas Card

2010-11-23T16:59:00.002Z

Our first Product Spotlight is our Stripy Girl Christmas Card Design:

Product Details:

This christmas card includes a photo of your little one alongside your christmas greeting. This bright pink stripe background, with green and brown, makes for a super fun design, ideal for your child to hand out at school.

Your Christmas Cards can be printed as Photo Paper Prints, Single Sided Card or Double Sided Card on 300gsm silk card, starting from 90p each.

My thoughts on the Product:

I chose this design for the first Product Spotlight, as I have just sent these to print for my daughter to give out at nursery. She's NOT a girly girl, and her cheeky personality has everyone she meets giggling, so it was important that her Christmas cards reflected this, so this design came to light.

As Isabel attends nursery all day every day, her Christmas Card list is ridiculously long. Most children only attend half a day for a couple of days a week... but she knows them all. For this reason, I am so glad I will not have to handwrite all of Isabel's cards (as, at 2 years old, she's not quite yet old enough to write them herself!).

You can have a number of photos on this design, and choose your colours to suit. Behind the photo it's actually a really simply design, which is why it is easy to adapt and make your own!

You can buy the spotlight product here:

http://www.ellaannouncements.com/cart/stripey-girl-p-550.php

New Print Option!

2010-11-23T13:55:00.000Z

Well... I say a new print option, but this is actually the first ever print option Ella Announcements offered and it's back after popular demand.

Photo Paper Prints:

The photo paper prints will have your announcements printed as 6" x 4" photos on crystal fuji archive photo paper. Our budget option provides you with fantastic print quality at budget prices of just £0.90 per print!

Find out more on the Print Options page.

Please note, this print option may have a longer turnaround time, and will not be dispatched via next day courier as per the cardstock print options.

Self-Employed Parent of the Year

2010-11-22T13:51:00.000Z

I am delighted to announce that this month I was awarded the Self-Employed Parent of the Year Award from the mumandworking awards. I was SO gutted not to have made the awards themselves, but had given birth just 3 days earlier so had to admit defeat and stay at home *sob*.

You can find out more about mumandworking, and the awards, here:

http://www.mumandworking.co.uk/awards/

A huge thank you to everyone who supported me in the lead up to the awards, and to the judges for recognising my achievements. I am thrilled, and hope to be able to attend the 2011 awards and pass on my crown ;)

It's a Boy!

2010-11-03T13:13:00.000Z

We're delighted to announce the birth of our fourth (and last) child, Isaac Charlie Farren.

Isaac was born at home on 7.32am on Sunday 31st October weighing 8lbs 6oz. I need to set aside some time to take some photographs, but check back soon for our photo birth announcement!

The next two weeks, we will be around and working, however with reduced working hours, so please be patient if you are awaiting a proof or a reply. We anticipate we'll be back to normal working hours, and standard turnaround times before next week is up.

Maternity Leave

2010-10-13T13:59:00.001+01:00

Hi Guys,

Ella Announcements is due a baby any day now, so will be shutting up shop for 2.5 weeks... In the hope baby actually arrives within those coming 2.5 weeks!

We'll be using this time to make some much needed updates to the site, and try and add lots of new products for you to browse through.

Check back on 1st November 2010, when we anticipate we'll be re-opening with lots of new print options, products and designs... And just in time for Christmas Cards too!!!

Keep an eye out on the blog for our very own birth announcement of baby #4!

Amanda x

Proof Turnaround Time...

2010-08-28T09:18:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to let customers know that our proof turnaround time is currently just 2 working days! If you order your invites today, you could have them with you before the week is up! Personalised invitations in less than a week... Can't say fairer than that!

www.ellaannouncements.com

Knocking it down, to make it brand new!

2010-07-26T08:15:00.000+01:00

Today is officially the first day of the Summer Holiday. And you can SO tell... I am still in my PJ's, It's raining outside and no-one really knows what to do with themselves here.

Only "here" is not home. And no, we're not on holiday (unfortunately). The kids and I have moved in with Grandma and Grandad while Daddy spends his week off work knocking down the walls and ruining my house... with the final intention being to make it look fabulous and new. Whether he can achieve it, I do not know. I can only hope.

So while he's knocking down walls, I'm knocking down prices! Until Friday 30th July at 5pm you can purchase a Logo Revamp for just £40! (Normally £60)

What is a Logo Revamp ?

For those who already have a logo design, it may simply be a case of updating the existing logo to ensure it looks professional. So many people will create themselves (or get someone they know to create) a logo just to be able to get started with minimal spend. But no business can truly grow with a poor quality logo design.

Logo design is the illustration of the business. It is considered to be the tool which gives the first impression of a business. Having a logo helps to attract potential customers to your business, and give your business a unique identity. Some people would argue that a logo design is more important to the business than a name.

The Logo Revamp does exactly what it says on the tin. It's a Logo Makeover! A spruce up! A nice fresh start to your business this summer. And for just £40 your Logo Revamp will provide you with.

One initial design concept based on your existing logo
Unlimited Revisions
Your logo in any size and file types requested
One-on-one communication with the designer throughout
3 months ongoing support, including additional sizes and file types, and help with providing your logo to others in the correct format

And for this special offer time only, we guarantee you'll have your initial proof within 3 days, and you will receive your completed logo within 2 weeks of the invoice date!*

If you're interested in logo design, but do not qualify for a revamp, our logo design service costs £95. See the website for further details of what is included.

We will also be selecting one or two of you to feature on the blog, showing details of your logo revamp as well as details of your work, your website and your business.

If you'd like to take advantage of this offer of a Logo Revamp for £40, please email info@ellaannouncements.com with "Logo Revamp: [Your Business Name]" in the subject line. You'll need to send us the follow...

Your current logo
Your website link
The wording (Business Name + Tagline if wanted)
The colour scheme
You thoughts on what you'd like to see revamped
And anything else you think will be useful!

We will respond to your enquiry ASAP to confirm you are eligible for a Logo Revamp, and your payment page will be sent. Payment can be made via credit/debit card or paypal. Payment must be made by 5pm on 30th July 2010 (unless otherwise agreed). We will not begin work on your logo revamp until payment has been made. You will receive your initial concept within 3 working days.

*The invoice date, will be the date that payment has been made. We will have your logo completed within 2 weeks of your payment date assuming all emails are responded to quickly and efficiently, and that you require 5 or less rounds of amendments. Should you not respond to emails quickly, and should you require more than 5 rounds of amendments, we will still complete your design, but the turnaround time is not guaranteed.

Please note: We will limit the number of participants in this special offer, so to ensure you don't miss out, contact us ASAP!

Have a wonderful first week of "summer"!

And Without Any Further Ado...

2010-07-10T17:21:00.000+01:00

...I give you the new website!

The Ella Announcements team are ever so excited at the launch of the brand new-look website! We've got new designs, new products and this brand new spankin' blog that will be packed full of special offers, competitions, fun facts, articles, special news and new designs.

Please note... The site is STILL under construction. You'll notice our Occasions section, Wedding Stationery and Gifts aren't quite complete, but we'd love to hear feedback on it so far. What do you think of the new design, navigation and ordering process?

The sections that we're still working on will be complete in just a few weeks, so bear with me while I work very hard to ensure it's all working and perfect! And if you think something is missing, please let us know so we can try and incorporate it if we feel it's important to do so.

Check back to the blog regularly, as we'll be launching our very first competition in a few days time!