Coronavirus brought us together! In March 2020 Nick & I suddenly found ourselves unable to run our normal business - due to the coronavirus lockdown, and in my previous life I was in the greeting card industry for over 20 years, it seemed the logical thing to do! Go back to my roots! 

I have always loved cards, ever since I can remember. I would buy them just because I liked them, and put them in my special box, for when the right occasion came along. (I still have the box, and some of the cards I bought over 30 years ago!) It was ironic, that in my early 20's that this was the industry I found myself working in. 

It's amazing to find that some of the suppliers I used to deal with back then, are still publishing their cards now!  Caroline Gardner, Sooshichacha, Blue Eyed Sun, Cinnamon Aitch, Dandelion, Harolds Planet for example. 

They have all moved on, but still all have their distinctive styles and I love them as much now as I did then! 

Why the Wonky Tree? 

I have been asked many times where did the name The Wonky Tree come from? Well, if you are from Cheltenham, you may be familiar with the tree at the top of the hill by the Pilons. We have been walking our lovely Springer - Hovis -  up there since he was a Pup, and we always used to call this tree the "Wonky Tree". It seems that we are not the only people to do this! 

But that is it, in a nutshell. Nothing to do with cards, just loved the name, and it reminds us of a place we love!.  We didn't get engaged up there either - that is a totally different story perhaps for another day! 

Once we had decided that we would bring to life the project I had been planning for so many years (but never had the time) We worked pretty fast to start selecting all of the fabulous cards we now have on our site. Birthday Cards, Occasion cards, and a few Coronavirus Lockdown cards for good measure! It seemed a little odd to think that we wouldn't be selling any wedding Cards for a while, and Driving Tests are out of the question too. But we have included them in our store, because we will get back to a new normal some time soon. 

We know that we will not be able to compete with the established online Card Retailers already in the market, like Moonpig, or Funky Pigeon. They are well established, and a lot of them offer the ability to personalise the cards. We want to showcase the Best of British, and all of our cards are made here in the UK! I would say that our selection is eclectic, quirky and fun. We hope you like them as much as we do :) 

Cards are not just for Birthdays...

I have always been of the opinion, that cards are not just for Birthdays and Anniversarys, but should be sent for now reason at all too!  I love to send a card in the post .... just because :) And during these strange times, it is even more appropriate to do this, and keep in contact with friends and family. I just love the feeling of seeing that handwritten card drop through the letterbox and wondering who it was from. I also have a love of stamps, and for me there is nothing better than a proper stamp on that handwritten card :) Especially the "fancy" ones that come out every month, to celebrate something good about Britain! I always buy them. and you will find them on any handwritten cards that are sent via our special send direct handwritten service.

So, there you have it. As I write this blog, it has been exactly 10 weeks since we temporarily closed Netball Fun League. We are embracing the change, and can't believe how far we have come in such a short space of time. We will of course still find time for Netball Fun League in our life, once we are permitted to return to matches, but until then The Wonky Tree will be our new normal. 

Bridget & Nick