hi internet. i feel like no one reads blogs anymore… or at least i know i don’t. but here i am. writing to the abyss!
it’s been almost a year since i shared anything on this little page of my website. i’ve been busy!
after the stationery show in 2018, i did a lot of local pop up markets to try to offload inventory and get my art out there. out where? anywhere! out of my house. my business continues to grow (slowly! but it is growing each quarter!), and i had my first dream die in the form of paper source abruptly dropping my “miss ewe” card from their line after a year of steady reorders of hundreds of cards at a time. i was surprised and bummed out about that, because after they talked me down on my wholesale pricing…driving me to order a shit ton of stock to get a better printing price to improve my margins…they stopped reordering with no warning and then had the fucking audacity to email me (and lots of other small businesses in similar situations) in december, apparently not realizing that i wasn’t a current artist with them anymore, and ask me for $250 for them as a credit to open new stores. if you’re asking yourself “wait…what?”… all i can say is, yeah. i don’t know either. it’s fucked up. go big, but SHOP SMALL. always learning, i guess! the worst thing is, because i am an idiot, i have a couple hundred of this fucking card i’ll never go through unless my business really takes off in ways i do not anticipate. i won’t give up, but, it is definitely a bummer.
to be totally transparent with you, abyss, i cannot really afford to go do the stationery show in nyc this year…which starts sunday. i have FOMO because i have met some really wonderful people and had some wonderful opportunities come up through that event, but i am also glad to take a little time to reflect and continue to create. i would love to go back to the trade show next year… after three times exhibiting, each year better than the last, i still have not made back the money it costs to be there. i can’t tell if my shit sucks or my audience just hasn’t seen me. i hope it’s the latter.
so, this year, instead of the trade show, i’m planning to try to keep a leaner inventory to avoid the paper source style loss, and put more energy into some tangible communications with stores which will hopefully result in finding my people. <3 if that brought you here, hi!
i’ve also been really into pattern making in recent years, so i’m planning to launch some more patterns on my spoonflower page. i wonder how people get into designing patterns for, like, legit fabric companies. ahhhh the spark of a new ambition!
i just finished 9 new greeting card designs to launch with NSS/NYNOW. with this release, i’m mainly exploring some new pattern/floral designs, living my dragonfruit dreams, and filling in some gaps to try to give the people what they want (i didn't really have any "congratulations" cards before, aside from "you did a thing" which has been a great seller, and i think covers every accomplishment, but variety is the spice of life or whatever so now there are more options). oh also… at local markets, people are always turning my cards around to see the back…maybe looking for a price? but i’ve also started printing patterns on the backs to give people something to look at. because, why the hell not? all the same pattern for now, but it’s exciting and fun and i love it and i hope you do too. can’t wait to sell all the old stuff i have on hand and reorder it so i can reorder with the new patterns!
anyway, here are my new card designs!! <3 they’ll be in my online shop and ready for retail/wholesale this sunday, on feb 3! <3
