Mum sets up family greetings business to showcase six-year-old’s artwork
Yvonne Caddell has set up a family business that truly lives up to the name as Little Giorgo’s Designs is based on her six-year-old son’s artwork, with her husband and young daughter all pitching in.
Having treasured Giorgo’s colourful drawings since he was tiny, Yvonne’s love for her tot’s work was reinforced by the reactions of his nursery teachers and other parents so she decided it was time to show the world.
Pic Ross Turpie / Daily Record Sunday Mail Reach PLC
“He’s a self-taught artist, and the most loving little boy there is,” Yvonne said, “and drew all the hand drawings proudly displayed on our products when he was three, four and five years old.
“There was always great enthusiasm from Giorgo’s teachers and other parents at the nursery for his joyful and funny drawings. I would just find all these hand drawn pictures of funny cows and cheeky dinosaurs lying on the dining table and think ‘these are amazing’.”
Starting out with 22 designs that she’s worked up from the hand drawings into digital files, covering general greetings, birthday, anniversary, wedding, Valentine’s and Mother’s and Father’s Day, plus prints and stationery, Little Giorgo’s Designs has expanded to 41 cards already which will be at its second-ever trade show this weekend, on stand LG16 at Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn, at Glasgow’s SEC on Sunday and Monday, 20-21 August.
New GCA member Little Giorgo’s Designs will also be at Autumn Fair, at Birmingham’s NEC over 3-6 September, on stand 6E20 within the GCA debut area, then on to Top Drawer Autumn at London’s Kensington Olympia on 10-12 September, stand W11.
It all came to a head last summer when Yvonne and college lecturer husband Dimitri Kozikopoulos were working out the childcare schedule for Giorgo and his sister Roses, then five and three.
“When I was taking the kids to Sainsbury’s and back,” Yvonne added, “I just thought Giorgo’s artwork would look so striking on the supermarket’s t-shirts or pencil cases – and my mum suggested she and my dad give me money that would enable me to give up my job, be there for him after school, and start the business.”
As her own creative background had seen Yvonne most recently working for Poppy Scotland, collaborating with designers to produce the charity’s learning materials, films, posters, brochures and branding, she expanded her knowledge with courses in Photoshop and Illustrator, then sorted through her son’s designs to be more selective about which to use under themes such as animals, jungle, dinosaurs, superheroes, Halloween and Christmas.
Having decided to go down the fully recyclable and biodegradable route, Little Giorgo’s Designs debuted in May at various craft fairs across Scotland, featured in Scottish national newspaper the Daily Record in June and then was showcased to trade for the first time at Harrogate Home & Gift last month.
Yvonne added: “Dimitri said ‘just go for it’, and it’s a great opportunity, so I’m trying to do my absolute best with it. It’s a family business and that means my husband is with the kids when I’m working. We’re all making this happen, including little Roses.
“One of our customers said: ‘When a young person receives this card, it will give them confidence to think, I could do that’. This idea really embodies our family company values – spreading the joy of children’s art, positivity, and the need for different minds.
“Over the last three years – out of his six on the planet(!) – Giorgo has drawn hundreds of happy-go-lucky farm animals, dinosaurs, superheroes, gaming characters and, sometimes, people, all of whom he imbues with his own kind and loving self.”
And there’s no fear of the company running out of designs just yet as Giorgo is still drawing constantly, although his tastes have currently moved on to space themes.
