I’d made cards for family and friends before, but it was a lost earring and a chance conversation with a customer at work almost 20 years ago which led to the chance of exhibiting at a wedding fair – something I’d never considered but nervously accepted. Just a few short weeks later I was exhibiting the small selection of design samples I had created and was astonished by how much I enjoyed it, the positive feedback and most of all by making a sale!
Over the next few years, encouraged by family and friends, and with an increasing number of word of mouth requests, I attended more wedding fairs (supported by Mum and Jasmin) I started building relationships with Partner Venues and had a small permanent display at one. We collectively dared to dream.
Then in 2014, completely out of the blue, life altering health issues within the family made it impossible to continue. Stock and equipment was sold. Samples were shredded. The dream was over.
We relocated. I changed jobs. Jasmin went to university. Alysha started secondary school. I changed jobs again. With ever increasing travel time and costs I was disillusioned and unhappy. Attempts to to adjust my working pattern and allow for family time were rejected so when a suitable job closer to home presented itself, I grabbed it with both hands.
We eventually decided to start again, chose a hot air balloon as our logo, rebranded at Floating on Air Designs and very tentatively relaunched. Launching our Instagram account at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in 2018. I spotted a Start Up course on Facebook in September the same year and totally on a whim signed up. I could never have imagined what a difference it would make, how many connections and friends I would make, or how much I would miss the regular check ins when the course ended.
The relaunch gathered momentum, we had a website created and booked a school Christmas Fair. We decided we were ready to start exhibiting at wedding fairs again and excitedly created a new range of samples for our first event since relaunching – literally 2 weeks before the whole world was locked down for Covid19 in March 2020.
As the world started to come back to life I fractured my ankle and following a remarkably stubborn 19 month refusal to heal it required full reconstruction. I was frustrated but used the time to sketch ideas, plan the next events, pore over colour charts for card and crystals.
We are so excited to FINALLY be in full and ongoing development with hopes of flying high, just like the hot air balloon in our logo.
