GCA Podcast – Rosie Harrison, Rosie Made A Thing

GCA podcasts – capturing greeting card history to inspire the industry of the future

Talking Cards with Industry Leaders, the Greeting Card Association’s podcast series, is a look at key greeting card designers, publishers and individuals whose passion, drive and talent has influenced and shaped the history of our industry.

It is hoped that listening to those who have made a major contribution to our industry talk about their journey, and advice they’d give their younger self, will help and inspire the next generation of our wonderful industry.

GCA Meets – Rosie Harrison of Rosie Made A Thing

Rosie Harrison, founder and owner of the Rosie Made A Thing (RMAT) speaks to GCA’s CEO Amanda Fergusson, sharing her background and her unusual steps into the greeting card industry – and how a ‘save the date’ card for her own wedding was the inspiration that led to building up her hugely successful business.

Rosie’s shares her journey from a sports career, living overseas and the teaching in London before a move back to Leicestershire led to her exploring ways of finding creative outlet, first in antiques and then the birth of RMAT.

Rosie speaks about her passion for the greeting card industry, the inspiration and support she received from Anna Dickens at Little Dog Laughed, a friend and key mentor in the early days. Rosie also shares an insight into the key steps that led to establishing the unique brand she has today, the importance of listening to feedback, being yourself and different from everyone else! She also gives an insight into how the RMAT community grew, with over 100,000 social media followers, and the importance of the team behind her that work to make it all happen.

Timeline

2014 Designed a Save The Date card for our wedding in 2014 which became one of my first card designs
2015 Attended first Spring Fair after crash course of Adobe training
2016 Began supplying John Lewis
2026 Won Best Humorous Range at the Henries
2017 Won Small Business of the Year in Leicester Mercury Women in Business Awards & employed Melanie, first member of staff
2018 Won Henrie and Launched first B2C website
2019 Louies Finalist – went to NYC. Won Henrie
2020 Covid hit. Online sales grew. Won 2 Henries online awards
2020 Bought small premises in my village to handle increased online orders
2021 Boris has our coaster on his desk!
2012 Outgrew premises and took on additional office space in village
2012 Employed 2 designers, Bineta and Charlotte, won 2 Henries & had a rebrand!
2022 Published book Wine Not? with Harper Collins
2023 Swanky new stand built for Spring Fair. Sponsored RETA Awards
2024 Went to San Fran and won a Louie
2024 Entered the GOTY Awards for first time and won 3 of them, plus won Henrie Best Humourous Range
2024 Started licensing Tipp Top
2025 Our 10th year in business: Self-published Happy Hour, a collection of cocktail recipes and funnies. Launched homewares including mugs and tea towels.
2025 Set to plant 10,000 trees by the end of the year

Rosie Made A Thing

Launched at Spring Fair in 2015 Rosie Made A Thing (RMAT) quickly became a well-recognised brand. Today RMAT’s funny, design-led greeting cards featuring quirky characters & cheeky humour and instantly recognisable. Inspired by the ridiculous side of everyday life, Rosie’s characters now appear on may products beyond the greeting cards where they started.

Winners of 16 awards in their first 10 years in business, RMAT has gone from a home-office business to an employer of 16 with a thriving wholesale and B2C business. In 2025, for RMAT 10th birthday, the business partnered with Treeapp to plant 10,000 trees in the UK and Indonesia.

Meet the sponsor

Windles Group

Windles, specialist printers working with many in the greeting card industry, are kindly sponsoring this Podcast. Passionate about cards, the family run Windles Group have an ethos of ‘research, develop, try, refine and create’ that underpins their daily work. Combined with their custom built eco-factory and advanced sustainability program, this brings them a “brilliant, loyal client base”. They’ve shared journeys with hundreds of publishers and have been instrumental in driving environmental principles and initiatives.

At Windles we all absolutely love working with Rosie and the whole team at Rosie Made a thing. We are honoured to be one of their trusted print partners and long may it continue. Looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years bring!!!

Nicky Marshall,

Windles Key Account Manager