Petal Post Prints.
- Terraceat43
- May 19
- 4 min read
[ DISCLAIMER ] Petal Post Prints is a working name. I have not yet bought a domain name, so the site URL may seem misleading. Once I have settled on a name, I will complete a page detailing my full marketing plan and branding for the business.
Background Info
It started with a sketchbook, one I bought to doodle in. What began as personal sketches gradually evolved into clothing designs, and it quickly became one of my favourite creative pursuits. This was a short 2-week project I did in December last year.
When I began my Extended Study in Illustration, I wanted to explore branding and packaging. I spent time developing concepts and designing for an essential oil brand, but I found myself increasingly dissatisfied with the direction. The concept felt hollow, and the process wasn't something I was passionate about. I pivoted to writing and illustrating a book, but again, the outcome didn't feel right either.
With three months remaining on my illustration degree, I made a deliberate decision: to do what I had originally joined this degree to do; find a sustainable way to earn income from my art. Things began to fall into place quickly.
By April, I had already spent January learning After Effects and February focused on my internship and the projects above. So I returned to a concept I had been developing the previous year. I designed a brand called Sepal and Bloom and began creating work. Below is some of my work from last year that i further developed when I returned to the project:
I knew the brand needed a clear concept and meaning. Initially, I focused on floral bouquets art prints designed to be gifted in place of flowers, with the idea that art never dies. I'm still developing these, and the process of creating multiple artworks with tailored packaging and stickers is genuinely exciting to me, and I believe it's a strong hook for my website. However, the practicalities of producing and distributing them at scale don't align with my goals for the coming months, but I will produce some for my hand-in for my extended study in illustration. Heres what I'm working on currently looking :
So I shifted focus toward prints and gift card products I can design from anywhere in the world and fulfil through a print-on-demand service integrated directly into my website. Once I have stable accommodation and income, I plan to develop the bouquet concept further, as I genuinely believe in it. But this project isn't being built for my degree; it's being built as a long-term creative business, generating passive income through organic social media growth and a considered marketing strategy.
The Plan
Step 1 - April to May
Creating three print bouquets, a series of gift cards, and individual prints. I'm utilising UWE facilities such as screen printing during this phase, as these techniques produce work that performs well on social media and will be important for building early engagement. These are methods I won't have reliable access to after graduation.
14th May - First round of artwork completed and photographed. (The second will be developed over May & June)
17th May - Mock up website - Designed for PPL3 submisson
From 19th May - Petal Post Prints Club
Art mail subscriptions are a popular and growing market. My version has a specific hook: rather than generic monthly art mail, subscribers receive a curated seasonal delivery at the end of each month, a floral calendar poster tied to the flower of the month, accompanied by a tailored sticker set. For the price of a coffee and cake, subscribers receive something tangible in the post: a piece of art to display and a small seasonal collection to enjoy. The market for general art mail is saturated, but a concept-led subscription with a clear theme has a stronger and more specific appeal.
Packaging and postage supplies have been sourced and quality-checked, costing 2.86p in packaging and postage.
Editing content like this is very time-consuming but key to my media design portfolio (not added to website as a section yet as I want more development) to demonstrate editing skills.
Social Media Strategy
The Petal Post Prints Instagram account is intentionally disconnected from my personal accounts; only me and whoever may read this post will know it is my account at this time. This is a deliberate choice. I want to track organic performance data without the influence of friends or existing followers, so I can accurately assess what content resonates with new audiences and how it performs within the algorithm.
I will also be launching on Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. Pinterest is a significant driver of external traffic and will be activated once the website is live, so I can track those metrics separately. TikTok's algorithm is particularly favourable to content like mine, and I anticipate it will be a strong growth channel.
The account launched just under three weeks ago. Since then, it has gained 24 organic followers, 88 interactions, and 1,700 account views, with views up 65% week on week !!! heres some of the content I've made so far, I've also filmed behind the scenes screen printing and phtotgrpahy i havent got around to editing these yet though! Im really happy with these results, as a lot of time has gone into editing and filming, im not trying to go viral, im trying to reach the right audience in my niche.
Looking Ahead
Long-term, I plan to exhibit at a trade show or industry event where buyers from major retailers such as TK Maxx attend to source and stock new products. Ive dm'd a couple of accounts already of similar creators who have stalls in London for advice!
My goal is to have a bulk print run ready and a strong enough portfolio of work to present to buyers at that stage. In terms of timeline, I anticipate the Instagram account reaching 200 followers by September, which will help demonstrate social proof and market demand. Depending on workload, I aim to have stock ready for a trade show appearance by December, though this may realistically shift into early 2027 if needed, and I'm comfortable with that.
Building this properly matters more than rushing it.
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