shop@postmarkonline.mom
With a long-standing love of drawing and painting, particularly small watercolour designs, Ross began selling his cards at local markets before moving online in 2018. Today, he balances life as both a structural engineer and a part-time card publisher.
Inspired by everyday moments, his designs aim to bring a touch of humour and joy to anyone who receives them. With the support of his mum and wife, Ross has built a close-knit team that creates, prints, folds, and packages each card by hand - completely plastic-free. What’s more, 10% of all profits are donated towards planting trees and supporting sustainable projects.
Can you tell us a bit about your design process – do you plan ideas carefully, or are you more spontaneous?
A bit of both… I have a huge list of ideas that I add to regularly if I think of something randomly. This is generally where my everyday designs come from. If I’m wanting to create a new range then I’m a bit more focused and paint with more direction (though there’s always a random design that sneaks in!).
Do you have a favourite card or range you’ve created? What makes it special to you?
I really like the snowmen designs I have for my Christmas range. There’s just so much you can do with them and it’s really fun to think of new ideas. The inspiration from these comes from Calvin and Hobbes which always reminds me of my childhood too which is nice and nostalgic.
How did you first find your way into the greeting card industry?
It was a bit of a slow burn. I was too cheap as a student to buy any birthday cards so I decided to make them myself… and was encouraged by my girlfriend’s mum at the time to try and sell them to shops but this didn’t really develop into anything until I moved to London in 2013, where I did a load of markets and fairs while working as a Structural Engineer. Following minor success, I started to sell them online in 2018 which grew year on year until in 2024 I decided to go part time as a Structural Engineer and part time Greeting Card Publisher. 2025 was the first year RossJDesigns went properly into the wholesale industry which was exciting but also a big learning curve.
What inspired you to start your own card business?
I liked the idea of autonomy over what I’m doing and when I’m doing it. And I love drawing and painting so getting paid for that sounded great!
What’s been the biggest challenge of running your own creative business?
Balancing it with the engineering work at the same time. It is also a very demanding job and if I have deadlines for both roles then it can be a bit intense. This is particularly challenging during peak times for my online sales but I’ve got amazing help and support from my wife and mum so it’s not too bad!
What’s been the most rewarding part of owning your own business?
Seeing it grow and be successful is pretty amazing - seeing the cards in shops is really cool. I also used to love when people at markets would say they liked my cards. Nowadays, reviews online are the closest I get to that but they are still great!