The Design of a Lifetime
A refrigerator decoration, a work office adornment – a child’s work of art is always priceless to mom and dad. But, when Stacey Bradley shared her daughter Cierah’s creations, she discovered a wealth of opportunity.

Coloring Outside the Lines

Originally conceived under the name of Me and C, Stacey’s love of art and printmaking spurred her decision to turn then three-year old Cierah’s drawings into greeting card prints for friends and family. Drawing upon her extensive design background, Stacey utilized her skills in advanced printmaking techniques to craft hand-carved linoleum block prints of Cierah’s drawings and then used them to personalize greeting cards. When Stacey showed the cards to a friend working in the marketing industry, he urged her to begin promoting her cards and marketing them on a larger scale. With his advice and some valuable assistance on compiling a marketing brochure and campaign, Stacey’s greeting cards were on their way.

Refining the Process

Stacey visited her local chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) for start-up counseling. She also developed a close working relationship with the South Carolina Women’s Business Center (SCWBC) and through the assistance of Business Counselor Eva Dobrowolski, Stacey received help in drawing up a business plan, researching available resources and obtaining a $10,000 loan.

Stamping Out Success

As Stacey’s greeting card line grew and she become interested in vintage textiles and patterns, new and bolder schemes and products were introduced. In 2003, Me and C became Perla Anne in honor of Stacey’s mother and as a reflective sentiment to her extensive design approach.

Stacey took her greeting card line to a new level when she exhibited at the National Stationary Show, a national stationary venue. During this trade show, her designs were picked up by Target® to be distributed nationwide. She has also picked up a major account from Anthropologie® and more than 120 other independent retail boutiques.  The product line has grown to include numerous card collections including cutpaper, wallpaper, Cierah, and box notes as well as journals, magnets, gift ties and some clothing options.

A Perfect Design

As Stacey looks ahead, her plans include a continued goal of incredible growth across the country, a vow to participate in more trade shows in upcoming years and most importantly, a renewed focus on customer service in order to maintain and realize more sales potential from current clients. The SCWBC is continuing to work with Stacey to organize the company’s books, facilitate industry research on the apparel niche of Perla Anne and assist in securing a larger Small Business Administration (SBA) loan.

“SCWBC has been a tremendous asset to me in the organization and facilitation of Perla Anne,” said Stacey. “The team members have real experience in handling a variety of start-up issues and were an amazing resource to draw upon. I would recommend SCWBC services for any up and coming business.”

Perla Anne
PO Box 20964 Charleston, SC 29413 
(T/F) 843.367.6222 or 888.212.4401