Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Nurse plays her cards right with new career
A DUNDEE mum who started a greetings cards business last year says her creations reflect her personality and patriotism.
Sharon Reilly, 48, was working as a nurse when she felt that she needed a change.
So, in 2023, she decided to begin designing and selling greetings cards, gifts and prints, under the name Lunabuloona.
The mum-of-three then made the switch to self-employment. Her products incorporate Scottish phrases like “braw new hoose” and “ya wee star”.
Her business began as an online shop. Now, just a year later, she has been able to provide a wholesale option to shops for her products.
Sharon worked as a nurse for her entire adult life. However, she found that her job was no longer making her happy.
She explained: “During Covid, I just felt that I was extremely stressed, as were a lot of people in the country.
“Working at that time was detrimental to my mental and physical health. I just felt stuck.
“I’d always loved crafts and making people laugh. So, after some contemplation, I decided to run the business alongside nursing, with the view to eventually leave healthcare.
“My husband Paul has been self-employed for 20 years and he’s a good role model and a big advocate for self-employment. He has helped me navigate that world over the past year.”
Sharon creates all of her own designs. She wanted to communicate her own personality and is a very patriotic person. This inspires the majority of her products.
She comes up with the phrases and graphics that appear on the cards and gifts, then sends them to be printed.
“When I was starting out, I was lucky that I didn’t have the overheads because Paul works with websites,” said Sharon.
“In today’s climate, really the only option was an online shop.
“I’d love to have a physical shop but it’s just not financially feasible. The high street isn’t what it once was.
“That was one of the reasons we went wholesale and now we are in talks with shops to see if they’re interested in stocking Lunabuloona.”
One thing Sharon is particularly enthusiastic about is generating happiness through her products.
She said: “I love the idea of my products putting a smile on people’s faces.”