FROM ME TO YOU
ginny & stu fraser

CHILDREN HAVE MANY NAMES..."RUG RATS, CURLY DIMPLED DARLINGS, MOPPETS, SHAVERS, TOTS, TYKES, LADS, LASSES, LITTLE PEOPLE." NO MATTER WHAT ENDEARING TERM YOU REFER TO THESE INNOCENT-BUNDLES-OF-ENERGY, THEY HOLD A HUMONGOUS SEGMENT OF TODAY’S RETAIL MARKETPLACE. FOREMOST IN MOST PARENTAL UNITS’ MINDS AND, FOR THAT MATTER, THE GRANDPARENTAL UNITS’ MINDS, ARE THEIR OFFSPRING AND THEIR OFFSPRING’S OFFSPRING. BOTTOMLINE IS...PEOPLE LOVE BUYING FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR LOVED ONES. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT TIME OF YEAR OR WHAT THE OCCASION, CHILDREN HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MOST EVERYONE’S HEART AS THEY REFLECT ALL THAT IS PURE AND GOOD IN US. THEY ARE UNADULTERATED WITH PRETENSES, SOCIAL MANNERISMS AND POLITICS. THEY ARE, IN ESSENCE, ANGELIC...YEAH RIGHT!

LET’S BE PRACTICAL, THEY DO HAVE AN HELLISH SIDE, THOUGH IT’S NOT PREMEDITATED. IT’S SIMPLY THEIR INNATE CURIOSITY. ALL THAT IS ORGANIZED SHOULD BE UNORGANIZED; ALL THAT IS BREAKABLE SHOULD BE BROKEN; ALL THAT IS CLEAN SHOULD BE LEFT UNDAUNTINGLY MESSY. THAT’S THE WAY OF THE RUG-MONSTERS.

Thank goodness then for the interception of the Frasers, proprietors of innocent, warm and fuzzy graphics. The Fraser’s designs enrapture the divine attributes of the bumpkins; before any devilish traits intercede. Specialists in capturing the quintessence of a child’s, animal’s or even a flower’s sweet, pure and unblemished spirit, Ginny and Stu Fraser have found their nirvana through creating and licensing the chaste qualities of their subjects in the grand surroundings of Telluride - a place, they claim evokes creativity and inspiration.

The Fraser’s designs have been applied to greeting cards, calendars, baby bedding, popcorn containers, dimensional figurines, refrigerator magnets and many other products. To date, the Fraser Collection has adorned over $100 million dollars of retail products. Though their artwork generally appeals to those who love the guileless qualities of youth, it isn’t the only "look," they sell. Their portfolio of over 1,000 designs includes an extensive array of art that appeals to a broad audience. First and foremost in any acquisition of art, is its salability. If the piece conveys a "meto- you" feeling, it enhances its shelf-life and marketability.

Ginny Fraser, the primary artist of the collection and general partner, feels her artwork brings happiness to a wide range of people. "My goal is to satisfy our clients (JC Penney, Sears, K-Mart and Toys R Us to name a few), who in turn, of course, want to satisfy and appeal to their customers. Once the "me-to-you" feeling is accomplished, we know we created a saleable design, while, at the same time, made everyone down the line happy." One of Ginny’s most gratifying feelings is that the artwork applied to baby bedding, blankets and the like, embraces and warms thousands of infants and toddlers each night.

The love and passion she plied in creating the precious characters, she hopes is only transmitted to the tykes. As stated by one manufacturer, "I don’t want you to look at the royalty report’s numbers as much as I’d like you to think that 125,000 babies this last quarter are sleeping under your quilt." This comment made the Frasers glow. Though the numbers were good, what really made them feel special was that their gift of expression was being enjoyed by families around the globe.

Since her childhood, Ginny has been creating images that are whimsical in nature. "My designs are cute, warm and graphic. I get most my inspiration from home decor trends, nature and nostalgia." Often times Ginny finds herself walking into local shops such as At Home in Telluride, Dakota and Zia Sun for inspiration and to observe the latest trends. She claims, "Telluride is very with it. I don’t feel the least bit isolated here." Ginny earned a BFA degree from Syracuse University in 1969 in illustration. After graduating, Ginny immediately landed a position at America’s most prestigious greeting card company, Hallmark. For 13 years she collaborated on designs and perfected her art skills. Her work was consistently ranked in top of Hallmark’s testing programs. Near the end of her career with the huge conglomerate, Ginny managed 30 artists in making their art more refined and marketable. She graciously acknowledges that Hallmark set the foundation for much of her industry expertise.

Enter Stuart Fraser. A California native, a major in psychology and a dynamic sales person for Hallmark, Stu met Ginny in the corridors of Hallmark when he was transferred in 1978 to the Kansas City branch. There he moved to various departments in sales and marketing until he finally said, " It's time for a change." That was 1982. They moved to California and for a brief stint, Stu was a marketing director of a gift company in northern Hollywood, while Ginny was freelancing and creating designs for several greeting card and gift companies. Stu, got fired from his job; an experience he had not had before. Politics. But as Ginny said, "Good usually comes from bad." Things still weren’t right.....Stu needed something else. Some other motivation, challenge. Perhaps their own business? "He’s the risk taker, not me. Stu really wanted to do his own thing..." and he did; thanks to the advice of several friends.

Obviously, the survival of a business prevails over all else. Without sales, marketability and commitment, a company, particularly a small one, won’t be around for long. Yet, in order to fully commit, you must be passionate and confident in what you’re pursuing. Most of all, you should love it. It should be child’s play. These are exactly the feelings (mixed with a little tentativeness) Stu and Ginny submitted to when they started their own business in 1984 in Leucadia, California. After leaving the giant Hallmark Greeting Card Company for approximately a dozen years each, the Frasers seemingly obscure path turned into one that became more clearly defined; one that said to them, "Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road."

The farther the Frasers followed their yellow brick road, the more confident, courageous and successful they became. Within 18 months of their commitment to Fraser & Company, the Frasers sold to over 3 ,000 accounts . Back then they manufactured Ginny’s and one other artist’s work on greeting cards and other print media. Stu handled the marketing, distribution, press checks and the business aspects of the business. As the president of the company, he was in charge of new frontiers.... which eventually lead them away from manufacturing to a more streamlined and focused aspect of the graphic art field - licensing. "Licensing allows you to concentrate on creativity and marketing, rather than production." Marketing, new frontiers and management are really Stu’s forté and that is what he’s finally doing.

An old friend and associate from their Hallmark years, Bob Johnson, showed an aptitude in selling licensing agreements to manufacturers, so the Frasers brought him aboard as an independent contractor in 1989. Johnson has licensed Fraser designs to over 40 different manufacturers and is a "wonderful guy to work with."

After a mere three years, Ginny and Stu’s business took on a different dimension. They went through a few turnpikes, picked-up a few hitchhikers and then started coasting across a nostalgic route; one that allowed them to become specialists in their fields of endeavor again.

You see, as Ginny put it, "When we were with Hallmark, we were allowed the comfort to specialize in one subject matter. As business owners, we had to become generalists. We had to know a little about everything. As our business grew, changed and was streamlined, we were able to become generalists who specialize in our defined roles."

The synergism between Ginny, Stu and Bob is great. They are a team of players who want to create a "win-win" situation for everyone involved. Their mission statement even denotes a "from me-toyou" philosophy. It states, "To create artwork and market it ethically to a broad group of manufacturers." They believe in keeping everything upfront, open and honest. Basically, they want everyone they deal with to get a fair shake and to get the m o s t mi l e a g e from the images they produce. As the saying goes, "Wh a t g o e s around, comes around," and it seems that after years and years of being in the heat of entrepreneurism and working non-stop, the Frasers found Oz when they moved to Telluride.

"Telluride rounds us out! It gives us balance," explains Ginny. It makes them feel human, needed and noticed. As Stu recollects, "I used to go to the same coffee shop in California for three years. Day-in, dayout, I’d be there requesting a large cup of coffee and the waiter never knew my name or even took the time to see my face. In contrast, while visiting, we went out to dinner at the Excelsior Café in Telluride, Gin and I had seven to eight people stop and talk to us; they all knew our name. We liked that. Telluride is one of the friendliest places we’ve ever been. That’s what really prompted us to move here."

In August of '95, the Frasers and their collection moved to Telluride. First they resided in their Etta Place condominium and now at the Ski Ranches. They conduct their business here, but with a lot less pressure. They’ve learned that though they are doing the business they love, they need balance, diversity and friendly faces in their lives. Of late, Stu readily admits his pendulum has swung in the "opposite direction of work." For the first time ever, Stu says he is "involved" in a community and loves it. He’s president of the Regional Chamber of Commerce, an elder at Christ Church, on the boards of Telluride Visitor Services, Society for the Performing Arts and the Ski Ranches Homeowners Association. He plans on "walking" the Imogene Pass Run again next September, dabbles in photography (he is most proud of a photograph he took of an elephant while in Africa) and is truly enthused about all his friends and acquaintances in Telluride. Stu is so thrilled with the new interaction Telluride offers him, he called himself an "environmental hazard" as he drives to town nearly three times a day! "One of the main things I like about Telluride is that the people are accepting of outsiders," he says. He further explains that he thinks Telluride is compiled of "independent thinkers" and hopes that the town always welcomes newcomers. Ginny adds, "Telluride is a town that sees no age discrimination. We have friends in their late 20s to their late 60s." It’s a diverse and progressive town with a lot of friendly personalities they both agree. As far as Ginny’s new pursuits go, she’s gotten involved with singing by going on retreats and joining Wintersing. "There is so much heremusic, art, theatre...and it’s all within minutes of our home. I workout with Teddy from the Telluride Athletic Club, hike a lot in the summer and ski a lot in the winter. I must admit, I do like my time alone - when I can draw and create new images - that will always be my one, true passion."

"Ginny and I have made a conscious decision not to grow our business. We’ve done that-having had seven employees and over 4,000 square feet of operating facilities. We want to stay small and controllable while maintaining the balance we have finally found in our lives here in Telluride." The road the Frasers have taken since their California days is winding, scenic and has put them on an even-keel versus the one that was riddled with traffic jams, stop lights and blank faces. They’re not standing around tapping their heels together refraining, "There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home," but they do count their blessings for being in a place as pristine and welcoming as Telluride, while, at the same time, being able to pursue their lifes’ passions.

In your travels, keep an eye out for twin Scottish Terriers (resembling Dorothy’s Toto) facing each other. It’s the mark of The Fraser Collection and the symbol of the "from me-to-you" couple, Ginny and Stu Fraser.