2022: Year in review
2022 has been a brilliant year! Both personally and professionally, there are so many things I’m grateful for, and that I want to thank you guys for. There’s also loads to reflect on for developing in 2023 – ways to improve my practice and new skills to learn, and how to maintain my good health. I’ll write a separate blog about this in January to share my hopes and plans for the New Year with you guys. For now, though, I’m going to bask in a happy reflective glow looking back on the successes and highlights of 2022, both for me personally and for our pet product business 😊
Personal highlights
Birthdays and births!
In 2022 I turned both 34 and 4 years old! March saw me celebrate my 34th Birthday, and shortly after in April I celebrated my 4th re-birthday; four years since my stem cell transplant which cured me of Leukaemia. Being diagnosed with a life threatening illness at 29 years old means I’ll never moan about getting older and always celebrate each year!
The highlight Birthday of the year though, must be the birth of my second nephew Cillian, born in June 😊 The wee guy is just as cute and happy as his big brother Eoin, and another very special addition to the family.
Holidays
After two years of Covid restrictions and my health complications meaning we were even more cautious about getting ‘back to normal’, 2022 saw the highly anticipated return to holidaying abroad. I was also fortunate enough to have a couple of ‘staycation’ breaks. We had a long weekend near Callander with my family in February, Nic and I visited the incredible Copenhagen in June to for our 7th Wedding Anniversary, me and my two best mates had a lazy few days in Cromarty in August, and we returned to sunny Cyprus with my in-laws in September. I don’t do things by halves!
Using my personal health journey to help others
I was so chuffed this year to be asked by Blood Cancer UK (BCUK) to help in their work supporting those dealing with a diagnosis of blood cancer or currently going through treatment. I now have a published article on their website ‘How to keep your positivity during treatment’ which I hope can help even one person to keep their head up during the hardest of times. I also contributed my experiences to their updated booklet for those newly diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, which will be available in 2023.
Professional highlights
Product launches!
This year we’ve added more products to the Oldmangrey Illustration collection than in any other year! We’ve created a stationery range, with the addition of our Puppy Pad and Moggy Memo notebooks and our Pawfect Pets Colouring Book, and of course my 2023 Pet Portraits Calendar at the end of the year.
For the cat and dog parents out there, we launched the personalisable ‘My Cat is My Kid’ and ‘My Dog is My Kid’ prints, to proudly display your furry family on the wall 😊 We also decided for the first time to add a famous furry face to our print range, with my digital illustration of the Edinburgh icon Greyfriar’s Bobby.
Another first was the addition of three typographic cards to our card range, which still reflect the pet theme of our products but with some light-hearted cheeky phrases to raise a smile! I also illustrated three new dog designs for our range of cards and prints; a Dalmatian, a Yorkie, and a Corgi, which felt very fitting for 2022. And finally, towards the end of the year, I designed four new festive cat and dog designs for my charity Christmas card packs...more on our charity fundraising below!
New places to find Oldmangrey
2022 saw us reach more customers in person, which after all the restrictions of Covid has been so enjoyable. Three years in, we’re delighted a selection of our products are still available in the wonderful Art & Vintage, and in November we joined new shop 101 by Support the Makers on Easter Road. This store and it’s owner Carmen are real advocates for independent makers, and it’s a joy to be a part of.
We also got back into the full swing of attending markets and fairs this year, with 11 days spent meeting you guys in person, and of course a whole load of your dogs too! From Musselburgh to Haddington, the West End of Princes Street to our front garden, it’s been so much fun and a real boost to return to selling at fairs and events. And especially in these really difficult economic times, it means so much that you like my artwork enough to part with your hard-earned cash – I really do appreciate it, and a lot more than Amazon would!
Another children’s book in the works…
I was approached by Amy Atkinson earlier this year – her partner Joel had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and was going through treatment. Their daughter Isla had coped incredibly well, but as with all children in this position it had been a struggle to help her understand what was happening in an appropriate way; where her dad was, and why he wasn’t always being or looking his normal self. Having searched for a book to explain the situation to their daughter and finding there wasn’t any available, Claire had taken it upon herself to write a book for kids whose parents are going through hospital treatment. I’m working on illustrating her wonderful story pro bono, and I’m really excited to see it come to life in 2023.
Charitable fundraising and donations
So, there are loads of things I want to thank you guys for…whether it’s buying our products, sharing our posts online, commissioning illustrations, or telling your friends about my work…THANK YOU! It honestly means so much to me and Nic and we’re really excited about the next steps for our business.
But the reflection I wanted to end on this year and the one for which my biggest thank you is reserved, is that you have raised more than £180 for Blood Cancer UK by buying my copies of the Christmas book I illustrated in 2020/21, and my Charity Christmas cards. As this amazing charity has funded 13 new research projects this year alone, your money couldn’t be going to better use. The final total you have raised will be confirmed, and the donation will be made, in January 2023 once confirmation is through of sales of our cards at our stockists through December. Keep your eye on our social pages!
My Christmas Cards are now completely sold out (even after a re-stock!) and while my own stock of the children’s books is also sold out, you can pick up a copy of ‘Twas The Morning of Christmas’ from the BCUK online shop now!
Thank you for reading if you made it this far! Thank you for supporting our business and Blood Cancer UK. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023.
