“After 25 years with Abacus, now is the time for me to explore new avenues of opportunity, but hopefully I will retain my links with the greeting card industry that I love so much,” Bev Cunningham told PG Buzz, having just taken voluntary redundancy from Abacus, where she was creative director for many years.
Nick Carey, md of Abacus Cards and Clare Maddicott Publications paid tribute to the company’s long standing director. “Bev has been instrumental in the success of the company”.
Looking back at the last quarter century with Abacus, Bev said: “It has been wonderful to be part of building the company, being involved at such an exciting time of the greeting card industry’s evolution.”
Of the many card ranges that she has been involved in bringing to market, Bev says that Posies and Petals will always have a special place in her heart as it was very the first ranges that she created and some of the photographic images remain in the company’s best sellers to this day.
“I also enjoyed being at the forefront of the wave of male card ranges, with Locker Room and then Graphite,” said Bev. “I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed so many happy years with Abacus, working alongside the lovely Liz Ellis [Abacus art editor] for 22 of them!”
Bev is currently considering a number of business ideas, including pursuing her own photographic and styling skills.
“I am open to ideas. This is not something I had necessarily planned for, but I do see it as an opportunity.”
Prior to joining Abacus, Bev worked for M&S and Designers Guild on product development and selection.
Anyone wishing to contact Bev can do so on beecunningham@gmail.com
