Member Article

County Durham business hangs up the bunting to celebrate success

The owner of a small creative business in County Durham who has had to adapt during the coronavirus crisis has discovered a new market for her word art designs. Mum of three Catherine Lines runs bespoke card and picture making firm All About Words, but since the lockdown began has been unable to print, frame and distribute products. However, she has found a thriving new market by designing downloadable paper bunting for printing at home, with one product for helping with VE Day celebrations becoming a huge success.

Catherine Lines started All About Words in 2013, initially as a hobby when she couldn’t find a card that she liked for a friend. While software has been around for some years that generates word art, it has many limitations. In contrast, Catherine produces pictures and cards by using a selection of words that are special to each customer and creating unique artwork. In 2018, she invested in a high-quality printer and equipment, along with hundreds of font typefaces and images, and launched All About Words as a small business.

The COVID-19 restrictions mean that All About Words cannot operate in the usual way, so Catherine has started designing bunting for customers to download and print out on paper at home. Along with the design itself, each order comes with clear and simple instructions for how to cut out and thread the bunting ready for display in and around the house. In the last week, the £3 All About Words VE Day Celebration Bunting has become a best seller on the company’s Etsy store, with orders coming in from throughout the UK and from as far away as New Zealand.

Catherine comments: “It’s been an amazing week. I loved designing the bunting and put a lot of work into it, but I really didn’t expect it to be so popular. The All About Words business has been built on being able to print out and send high quality cards and framed pictures and the lockdown was a big blow. So I’m over the moon that I have been able to find a successful way to diversify, keeping myself busy and providing people everywhere with something that they can put to good use when they safely celebrate the VE Day anniversary at home.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chris Lines .