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Creating a Sustainable Business

Sustainability Statement 

It is extremely important to us here at the Cushy Paws HQ to create a sustainable business that helps protect the environment rather than adding to the current problems that are resulting in climate change. 

The core of our business is recycling, reusing and repurposing fabrics. 

Cushy Paws Pet Portraits using recycled and repurposed fabrics.
https://cushypaws.co.uk/product-category/pet-portrait-commissions/

Unfortunately, Cushy Paws started as a result of waste being disposed of by a large company; the company would throw away mountains of fabric samples that were no longer on ‘trend’ or in season, and although this was a bad habit, it gave Cushy Paws a starting point for business and allowed it to grow into what it is today.

All our original artwork is created using recycled or repurposed fabrics from all different types of textiles companies; for example, some of our more intricate woven pieces are donated from a textiles silk weaving mill down south, who would collect all of their sampling and have nowhere for them to go; fortunately, a friend was working there at the time and asked if I would like any of the fabrics to re-work into my artwork pieces, and of course I said yes… 10 bin bags later… 

As Cushy Paws has grown, our printed collection has developed. All of our printed textile products are made locally to us within the UK; the offcuts or samples from my own designs have also been sent to me instead of being thrown away so that I can re-use these pieces in my original artwork pieces.

Other ways that Cushy Paws tries to create a sustainable business is by contributing towards the amazing work of ‘Ecologi’ who plant trees that offset our carbon footprint by funding climate positive projects all around the world. Ecologi was recommended to us from another small business on the Instagram community of ‘ Indie Roller’. 

Here’s the link so you can go and check them out to see what they do; https://ecologi.com

On a daily basis at the Cushy Paws HQ we recycle and re-use any packaging that we can, we try our best to use any eco-friendly packaging and are the in process of changing our cello wrap into something more eco-friendly (this is currently used to protect the fabrics as they are easily damaged).

This is something we are trying to work on and improve as the business evolves and is something that is always at the forefront of our minds when developing new products and ideas. 

NEW Floral Collection and Mother’s Day release

I am so excited to share with you all the NEW floral collection, inspired by a local florists amazing work, Leanne from Paeonia Floral in Leek and the bouquets she puts together and the inspiring arrangements.

Before starting this collection I asked Leanne if I could use her florals as my inspiration for a new range, Leanne currently stocks my greetings cards in her florists and I am so excited for when they are allowed to re-open and have this range of work sitting alongside the others.

You can check out some of her work with the link below, or head over to instagram @paeoniafloral to check out her latest work.

http://www.paeoniafloral.co.uk

I actually met Leanne a few years ago when we were at an artisan market at Wedgwood and she had a stall next to me selling candles that she made. And since then had stayed in contact on social media, until one day I walked into her shop in Leek at the start of her new venture in floristry.

Anyway, back to the floral collection, I wanted to create a collection that felt like a real bouquet of flowers, like an everlasting bouquet. I will definitely by adding to the range but I wanted to start of with a small amount of what customers had asked for.

You can check out our range of prints below

https://cushypaws.co.uk/product-category/prints/floral-prints/

Sunflower Print in office
Sunflower Print in office

With the range of prints we also have a range of greetings cards and coming very soon a collection of notebooks too.

The greetings card range will have a blank card, Mother’s Day card and a Happy Birthday card too.

https://cushypaws.co.uk/product-category/floral/

Red Rose Mothers Day Card
Red Rose Mothers Day Card

For Mother’s Day I also added a range of handmade wall hangings too which matched the prints and greetings cards as well as a few designs in our new range of embroidery hoops.

The original artwork pieces for these designs are also available on the website as a large wall hanging original artwork piece.

https://cushypaws.co.uk/product-category/textiles-wall-hangings/

Pink Roses- Wall Hanging
Pink Roses- Wall Hanging

We have also released a really great Mother’s Day gift set with Craftykidz, this includes a A4 print from Cushy Paws, with a greetings card and notebook and a make your own wreath kit from Craftykidz

https://craftykidz.co.uk/product/cushy-paws-craftykidz-mothers-day-collaboration-gift-set/

I hope you love the new collections and I can’t wait for them to be stocked in my stockists as soon as they re- open in April (fingers crossed) and hopefully back at the local markets and events.

Spring Fair @ Home

Next month I will be exhibiting Cushy Paws at the amazing Spring Fair… but this year with a twist… it will be virtual. Due to Covid-19 our 2020 event has been postponed to September 2021 but they didn’t want us to miss out, so they are holder a virtual event from the comfort of your sofa!

www.springfair.com


In July 2019, I won the #SBS Twitter competition supported by Theo Paphitis and his SBS team. So in February 2020 I invited to attend my first ever SBS event. AND I met Theo Paphitis in person and gave him his very own Cushy Paws Pet Portrait Cushion with Gladys his gorgeous dog on.

Theopaphitissbs.com

At the Spring Fair I will have a range of printed products available for wholesale customers as well as offering an artwork service!

I can’t wait to see what opportunities may come from this experience and I can’t thank the #SBS and the Spring Fair Team enough for this amazing chance to showcase alongside some of the leading retail companies in the industry.

Check out our Exhibitor profile on the 8th-10th Feb 2021

http://www.cushypaws.co.uk

Floral Collection.

Mother’s Day Floral Collection

So it has been a while since I have written a post so bare with me.

We have a few NEW products to add to the list and one of those is our BRAND NEW floral collection.

https://cushypaws.co.uk/product-category/animal-cards/mothers-day-florals/

I decided to create a collection of flowers to celebrate Mother’s Day this year and a print that would represent each month of the year, just like a birthstone. So the best way to introduce a new style into Cushy Paws was by introducing something exciting to celebrate Mother’s Day.

So I started off by creating an original floral piece to represent each month which would then be mounted on a wall hanging, and from each original flower I would then create a print and greeting card to sit with this piece, each representing a different month of the year.

Florals and months of the year…

January- Carnation

February- Iris

March- Daffodil

April- Daisy

May- Lily of the Valley

June- Rose

July- Larkspur

August- Gladiolus

September- Aster

October- Marigold

November- Chrysanthemum

December- Poinsetta

With each print I have also listed the characteristics of each month that is represented by each floral design.

They are all created the same way as all of my other Cushy Paws artwork using small pieces of fabrics, layered together and sewn down to create a 3D textured artwork piece and the original pieces can also be purchased. (Please follow our social media pages and contact me via Instagram or facebook to buy the original pieces.) https://www.facebook.com/cushypawspetportraits/

Stockists:

You can now shop the prints and greetings cards in four different locations, as well as on my website!

These four stockists include:

Two Doors Studio in Alsager

Foxgloves and Feathers in Leek https://www.facebook.com/foxglovesandfeathersfloristry

Garners Garden Centre

Bluebell and Ivy in Ulverston

I will also have a selection of both prints, greetings cards and wall hanging with me and my next two events in March at The World of Wedgwood and Northwich artisan market.

Three Counties Open Art Exhibition 2019

I am super chuffed to be selected to exhibit in the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition for the second year running.

My artwork piece of Nala the Giraffe has been selected and will be on show from 26th July 2019- 26th August 2019. Please go and have a look at all of the other artist work and support the local community of artist.

Location; Burlsem School of the Arts.

SBS Winner- Theo Paphitis Twitter boost.

Newcastle- Under- Lyme based Cushy Paws gets a Twitter Boost from Theo Paphitis.

A Newcastle- Under-Lyme based firm has received a business boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Last week, Grace Hancock, owner of Cushy Paws, tweeted Theo about her business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his 500,000 Twitter followers.  The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 2500 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.

Business and retail entrepreneur and self-confessed Shopkeeper, Theo re‐tweeted Cushy Paws message to his almost 500,000 followers and as a result, www.cushypaws.co.uk, @cushy_paws has over 100 more followers and lots more traffic through her website which could lead to more sales and orders. They are also profiled on the #SBS website (www.theopaphitissbs.com) that is exclusive to all Small Business Sunday winners.

Grace Hancock said, “ it is such a great way to help out small business owners around the UK to help raise our profiles and get our hard work recognised. My phone hasn’t stopped for the past few days with all the positive comments from Theo’s amazing following, it’s a great community to be a part of. And of course my next aim is to make a pet portrait of Theo’s dog Gladys’. 

Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.  My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Cushy Paws every success.”

Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.

Cushy Paws, Newcastle-under-lyme, 07917880179, cushypaws@gmail.com

For further information, photos and product samples, please contact Grace Hancock at Cushy Paws on cushypaws@gmail.com.

For further information about Small Business Sunday please visit www.theopaphitissbs.com

Social Media handle: 

Instagram: cushy_paws

Facebook: CushyPaws- Pet Portraits 

Twitter Cushy_Paws

Pedddle

Cushy Paws are now part of a community of other market traders/ stall holders/ artisan artists all bought together by Pedddle www.pedddle.com  

Pedddle, formally known as ‘My Artisan Markets’ was created as a base for everyone to find the perfect market to visit or attend. It is designed to help stall holders find new markets that best suit their products and for the public to either find new markets to visit or to find out who the company was that they had seen at the market. It is so easy to forget where you had seen something that you love when you are faced with so many different products, however peddle has all of that information all in one place.

https://www.facebook.com/PedddleUK

‘The Founder of Pedddle, Nicki Capewell has been a great help to my business and the market community. She has bought us together as a group, introduced many different makers in the area to one another and encouraged us with our business development such as marketing, SEO’s and social media coverage. Nicki is extremely friendly, very approachable and a great leader in guiding us small makers to  ‘peddle our wares’ in the right direction, helping us to find events and markets that best suit each of our individual products.  The Pedddle community often inspires me on how I can improve my business day to day and helps me to set goals on what I would like to achieve. Nicki has made all of this possible with her focus and innovation with Pedddle. ‘

Grace, Founder of Cushy Paws

www.pedddle.com/stalls/cushy-paws

 

Highland Cow Collection

Our NEW highland  cow collection has been so popular that our first set has already sold out. The next set is now available to buy online. Each artwork is an original textiles piece and has all been handmade by our Cushy Paws designer Grace Hancock. A few of the Highland cow canvases will be making appearances at the next few artisan markets over the next couple of months, so keep an eye out for them! Our calendar is on the website showing the dates and locations of our next few markets. The canvases are also available to buy online on our online shop at-

www.cushypaws.co.uk/product-category/artwork/

www.cushypaws.co.uk

 

 

Chatsworth Country Fair 2018

My first ever Country fair at Chatsworth country fair 2018 at the end of August this year.

Chatsworth was a great experience for my first big craft show and an amazing setting in the countryside of Bakewell.

I had a stand in the Eden Crafts tent along with a number of other craft stalls, the weather was perfect and a great first craft show.

http://www.edencrafts.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/events/233233417226321/

https://www.chatsworth.org