Hello, we're Whale & Bird. We publish quirky illustrated cards and gifts that raise a smile!

Our Story

Whale & Bird was born in Oxford, back in 2012. As crowds cheered on athletes at the London Olympics, and radios across the country blasted "Gangnam Style", Jamie (working in a well-known card shop) decided to stop selling cards for other people, and have a go at selling them himself. 

Starting out small, with a collection of just 24 designs, Whale & Bird’s trademark sense of fun proved popular, and we grew! Today, we stock a range of over 900 different illustrated cards and gifts, including postcards, wrapping paper, enamel pins and more. 

Whale & Bird are now based just outside of beautiful Bath, where Jamie and his partner Mary run operations from their home office, powered by milky tea, speedy wifi and chocolate muffins. They’re accompanied by Molly the Cavachon, and assisted by Pickle, Percy and Nimbus, the cats (who need to put a little more effort into packing orders, and a little less into just sitting on keyboards.) 

Our Mission 

Whale & Bird are all about bringing a smile to people’s faces, and championing the work of independent illustrators and designers. We love discovering the talents of brilliant new artists and helping them reach a wider audience. (Does that sound like you? We’d love to chat!) 

We publish relatable designs that help people feel a little bit closer to the friends who sent them. To raise those smiles, we currently work with over 30 brilliant artists including the likes of Katie Abey, Purr In Ink and the very rude Forest Fr1ends. 

You can find our cards  brightening up shelves on a high street near you, in stores such as Paperchase, Scribbler, Clintons, Waterstones and Oliver Bonas, as well as an ever expanding number of independent shops across the country.