I'm not going to lie...it's been a fast year and a half!! Halfway through 2020 (yes...THAT 2020), my husband and I finally woke up and walked the plank in the two businesses we owned.
Can I TELL you how much Dog Walking fails during a pandemic?? We went from making around $2500 a month from that income stream alone, to making $40 a week. And our vintage small business? Dead in the dirt, without being able to source my cool tchotchke's!
During our fifth week of eating blue box, Mac and Cheese...it hit us.
For YEARS we've wanted to design posters and prints for the home, but we just hadn't found the opportunity or time to really figure out how to do it. Well...what better time than when you're home alone, rocking back and forth in the corner, dreading the bill delivery from the post man??
I've never been one to sit around and panic (for too long) so I just went for it. Josh (my husband) started throwing ideas at me...and I started researching how to design for posters...and how to sell them.
We launched our first Etsy store the same day and I started putting up (admittedly) really bad designs. Hey!! There's a learning curve!!!
I was putting up designs around politics, health...and I current events that might sell.
I think that first month we sold 1...and I apologize to the person who bought that VERY strange design. But I would ALSO like to thank them for their support.
After the first sale...
Although I DEFINITELY regret that design...that first sale told me we were headed in the right direction. I knew I hated WHAT I was creating...so I took a page out of the "book of Author's advice". There has long been a saying in the writing community..."Write what you know."
So, after some thought...I decided to take that advice and DESIGN what I know. I knew vintage. I knew retro. I knew the nostalgic feeling of coming across a piece of your childhood 30 years later.
And I KNEW the impact it could have. So I began designing shirts reminiscent of those times.
Skateboarding bears that remind you of shiny Sandylion stickers you used to collect.
That fluffy white kitten tee you're POSITIVE your gran wore in sweatshirt format year round.
The Marmalade geese that were EVERYWHERE in the 80's and 90's....
These are designs that are INSTANTLY recognizable and fill a buyer's heart with love and memories from decades ago. Six months after we started (June of 2020) we made our first $1000 and (along with the help of a few other income streams) were finally able to pay our rent on time.
It's the little things in life.
Although our goal was pay our rent...we both QUICKLY fell in love with the design and research process for our store. Our friends and family began sending ideas our way. And our customers began requesting specific designs from their own memories.
And one year later (and two more Etsy shops opened), our first store sold it's 1000 shirt. We are nearly two years into our journey and at nearly 3,000 sales, over 700 five star reviews, and thousands of AMAZING customers.
We had new designs weekly and are SO excited to grow and launch our new store here on Puddinthreads.com! The store will be updated with new designs weekly, many of which will ONLY be available here and not on any of our other stores.
So be sure to join the mailing list for weekly updates, discounts and news!
And thank you SO much for your support during these crazy times. I hope we can bring a smile to your face as much as you've brought to ours!!
