25 years on, with two grown up sons and a heap of industry experience Dan and Jo finally decided in 2020 to take the plunge and set up their own publishing company ‘Paper Shed Design’.
This fulfilled a lifelong dream they’d shared to produce their own quality greeting cards featuring Dan’s charming hand drawn Illustrations. The business was initially based in the garden shed during lockdown, hence the name! 

Inspired by a shared love of nature and the great outdoors their charming ranges feature wildlife and pets, seasonal foliage and wild flowers. Dan’s relaxed Illustration style brings every character to life. He creates each artwork using soft pencil and watercolour. His beautiful creations have been used for many years in the greeting card industry by numerous publishers.

Having long outgrown the garden shed, their design studio and distribution are now based in a farm unit in rural West Berkshire, surrounded by beautiful countryside and inspiration. Dan and Jo like to start the day with a quick dog walk across the fields followed by a cup of tea, the radio goes on ready for a another busy and creative day at Paper Shed. 

'We are excited for the future and have big plans, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day!’
Filled with enthusiasm for all the possibilities that working for themselves has to offer. They plan to continue growing their business adding new designs, ranges and products.

Current ranges include ‘absolutely barking’, pawsitively purrrfect’, and the Henries finalist ‘the Bear the Hare and the Mouse’. 
Brand new for 2023 ‘Wonderfully Wild’, ‘ By the Seashore‘ and ‘Down by the river’. Greeting Cards available in open birthday, blanks, occasion, relation, and seasonal captions. Proudly produced in the UK on FSC accredited board and supplied with recycled envelopes. 

'We are passionate about our quality cards. A great deal of love and care goes into every element from planning to designing, packing and delivering. We hope everyone loves our cards as much as we do!’