Carte Blanche Group

🚀 Exciting News! Our 2026 Me to You Calendars are here—with a brand-new PhotoFinish ‘Paper Craft’ concept! 🎨 💙 Handcrafted artistry meets paper craft – inspired by origami, each scene is built using intricate paper layers, folds & textures to bring Tatty Teddy’s world to life like never before! No CGI, just real craftsmanship. We sat down with PhotoFinish Designer Martin Pickering to hear how these incredible calendars come to life—from concept to creation. 🔹 Q: You started at Carte Blanche as a designer. How has your role evolved? "I joined in 2002, drawn to the harmony between my background in traditional illustration and the style of Me to You. Over the years, my role has grown beyond design—I now work as a photographer, model maker, set builder, paper engineer, and digital artist to bring Tatty Teddy to life in new and exciting ways." 🔹 Q: What does a typical day look like for you? "No two days are ever the same! I manage every step of the PhotoFinish process, from researching and sketching to building intricate paper sets and photographing the final shot." 🔹 Q: How long does it take to create one image? Each image takes a day or two—but that’s after researching, prop-making, and designing! Our stop-motion Tatty Teddy is about 1 foot tall, and every scene, prop, and costume is either handmade or sourced to scale—no CGI, just real craftsmanship." 🔹 Q: Where do your ideas come from? "Inspiration comes from everywhere—the outdoors, travel, and collaboration with our creative team. The best ideas are the ones that truly capture the heart and soul of Me to You in a way only PhotoFinish can bring to life." 🔹 Q: Me to You is over 30 years old—how do you keep ideas fresh? "Ah, that’s the magic! We always stay true to the essence of the brand. With 83% brand awareness and 48% of UK adults choosing Me to You for gifts, we know how much Tatty Teddy means to people. That’s why every image is carefully crafted to evoke emotion, making sure Tatty Teddy is always the star of the show." 📅 Order now at www.cbgtrader.co.uk or contact our Business Development team today.

📢 WE’RE HIRING! 📢 Are you a passionate Designer or an aspiring Illustrator looking to grow your skills? We have two exciting opportunities available! Designer (Full & Part-Time – 12-Month Fixed-Term Contract) ✅ 4+ years of experience ✅ Background in greeting card, product & packaging design desirable Trainee Illustrator (Full-Time) ✅ Love to draw or paint? ✅ Passionate about illustration & eager to develop your skills? ✅ Work alongside talented artists on one of the UK’s most recognisable brands For both roles you will have the ability to work remotely - must be able to travel for training & meetings If this sounds like you, we’d love to see your work! Send your portfolio & CV to apply@cbg.co.uk Applications close 14 February 2025. #Hiring #JobOpportunity #DesignerJobs #IllustratorJobs #CreativeCareers #RemoteWork

⏳ Last Call for 15% OFF Hotchpotch Cards! ⏳ As we wrap up our 30th-anniversary celebrations, we want to remind you that the clock is ticking—our 15% discount on all orders ends TONIGHT, 24th January 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to stock up on our bold and bestselling designs. Elevate your store’s card selection with Hotchpotch’s creative flair! 🛒 Place your order now: https://lnkd.in/d_qXT_VY T's & C's apply! Overrides any existing discount. T's & C's apply, valid while stocks last on orders placed between 00:01 21/01/2025 and 23:59 24/01/2025! #Hotchpotch30Years #TradeDiscount #GreetingCards #LastChanceToShop

🎉 Celebrating 30 Years of Hotchpotch! 🎉 For 30 years, Hotchpotch has been delivering bold, quirky, and trend-setting greeting cards to the trade. To thank our loyal customers, we’re offering an exclusive 15% discount on all orders placed between 21st–24th January 2025. This is the perfect opportunity to restock with our bestselling designs and bring fresh inspiration to your shelves. 🛒 Don’t wait—this special offer is only available for a limited time! https://lnkd.in/d_qXT_VY Overrides any existing discount. T's & C's apply, valid while stocks last on orders placed between 00:01 21/01/2025 and 23:59 24/01/2025! #Hotchpotch30Years #TradeCelebration #RetailExcellence #GreetingCardSuppliers

Me to You Launches Exclusive Valentine’s Day Range and Paris Trip Competition at Tesco. With their iconic cute brand, Me to You, Carte Blanche Greetings are soon set to unveil their Valentine’s Day range of Cards, Dressings, Plush, Gifts and Licensed products on a Parisian themed POS unit into 239 Tesco Superstores, with further brand presence in the Power Aisle in the majority of Tesco stores. The brand is also partnering with the grocer to offer customers the chance to win £1500 of lastminute.com vouchers to use towards a romantic getaway. To enter the exclusive competition, customers just need to scan a QR code which will be featured on all Me to You Valentine’s products and on all Valentine’s cards across the Carte Blanche portfolio of brands including Wishing Well and Hotchpotch. The competition and Valentines Day range will be promoted on a Me to You branded, 4- Sided Parisian- inspired FSDU, featuring a life-sized Tatty Teddy in a classic black beret and complimented by iconic symbols of love, to create a romantic experience for shoppers. This year’s Tesco Valentine’s range, in Tesco stores from 23rd January, features Me to You bears, greetings cards, gifts, dressings and licensed product from gifting licensee, Kimm and Miller and apparel licensee, Aykroyds, giving customers an array of Me to You products to choose from for their loved ones. What Me to You Marketing Manager Grace Elphinstone says of the campaign, ‘We are really excited to be partnering with Tesco for the 12th consecutive year running on this Valentine’s activity, cementing the appeal of Me to You as the ‘go to’ brand for sharing the moments that matter. Tesco shoppers have taken Tatty Teddy to their hearts with the brand delivering consistently strong, cross category sales year after year. With the largest shipper the brand has seen in twelve years, in this highly sought after space, Tesco shoppers will enjoy a one stop solution to buy into the brand they love this Valentine’s season.’ The campaign will be followed by yet more Power Aisle activity with the Me to You’s Mother’s Day range launching into Tesco stores mid- February and will offer one lucky winner a Spa Break worth £1500 in another Exclusive competition. LicensingSource.net PGBuzz | Progressive Greetings Progressive Greetings Live Tesco #ValetinesDay #Partnership #MetoYou

A very special Christmas Eve delivery of Tiny Tatty Teddy My First Christmas stockings and story books to the children and families spending the festive season at our local Neo Natal ward @UHSussex. Wishing you all a peaceful and safe Christmas.

🌟 Here’s what we got up to for Festive Friday! Last week, our team embraced the holiday spirit by sending out Christmas cards as a way to connect, celebrate, and express gratitude to those who’ve made an impact this year. 💌 🎄It’s always inspiring to take time for small gestures that brighten someone’s day. How is your team celebrating the holiday season? Share your ideas below! 🎁✨ #FestiveFriday #HolidaySeason #ProfessionalConnections

Looking forward to The Henries this Thursday! ✨ It's an immense honour to be recognised among the best in the industry, and we can't wait to attend the awards ceremony. Progressive Greetings Live Maxlively Event Production Co The UK Greeting Card Association #TheHenries #GCA #PGLive #GreetingCards

Carte Blanche Greetings is excited to be attending the GCA Annual Conference & AGM at the stunning Harbour Hotel in Bristol! This event offers an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow industry professionals, listen to inspiring speakers, and discuss key trends shaping our sector. It’s always a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow from industry peers who share our passion. Are you attending? Let’s catch up over coffee! ☕️✨ #GCACONF #CarteBlancheGreetings #Networking #Bristol #GCA2024 #GreetingsIndustry

🎉 We're delighted to share that our Me to You brand has been shortlisted for the Licensing Awards 2024 with LicensingSource.net! 🎊 ✨ Not only have we made the finalist list in the hugely contested Property category as Best Classic Licensed Brand but we're delighted that our amazing licensing partner Craft Buddy Ltd 🎨have also made the finalist list for their Me to You Crystal Art Card Kit in the Best Licensed Paper Products and Stationery category. With over 3,000 products and properties entered into the awards, we're thrilled to have made it to the Finalist list and have all of our fingers and toes crossed for success at the Awards on 10th September. 🙏🥳🙌 Bulldog Licensing @maxliveevents #LicensingAwards2024 #TeamWork #Shortlisted #TattyTeddy #MetoYou #Licensing #sharethesparkle #imacraftbuddy #craftbuddy #crystalart