I'm one of those old fashioned people who still sends hand-written thank you notes. As such, I'm a sucker for creative stationary and paper goods, and was simply giddy when I came across today's featured shop. Designs by Tenisha offers graphic design services for unique notecards and invitations, as well as prints, bookmarks, and - my favorite - fun and nostalgic "cootie catchers"! And did I mention that all of these wonderful creations are super affordable!?
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| Monogram w/ Border Note Card |
TP: I studied graphic design in college and once I enrolled in my first typography class I instantly fell in love and realized this was the creative path for me. Then after looking into what type of graphic design field I wanted to get into I thought what better then starting up my own business! Around that time, a friend of mine introduced me to Etsy and I’ve been a member ever since.
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| 8x10 Print - Be Grounded |
CM: When and how did you start working with paper? Did someone teach you?
TP: I actually started making my own cards earlier this year, but I’ve always worked on the computer, especially in college. From those classes, I was able to figure out how to set up documents so they would print correctly on different types of paper. One thing I was taught in a graphic design class that has become really useful is knowing the different types of paper and their weights. It’s definitely helped me decide what kind of paper I want to print my products on.
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| Wedding Rings Invitation |
CM: How long does it take you to make a piece to sell? What's the process like? Your workspace?
TP: Usually the initial idea gets scribbled down on a note pad really fast, that way everything gets written down and I don’t forget anything. From there, I will spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days working with my camera taking photographs to then spending time on the computer getting the correct: layout, color scheme, and basically everything down to the little points and anchors in Adobe Illustrator.
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| Cootie Catcher - Typography - Party Favor |
CM: What's the best thing about selling on Etsy? The most challenging?
TP: I love selling on Etsy, the entire site is very user friendly, and all of the people who buy and sell are supportive of one another. The only challenging thing I’m still working on is trying to figure out what are the best times to post new items, especially with all of the different time zones, and the correct tags.
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| Lemon Note Card |
CM: What's your favorite item from your own shop right now?
TP: My favorite item in my shop is my cootie catcher, which I have four designs for sale right now. My friends and I use to make them as kids all the time in Elementary school, and now I’ve designed them to be used as party favors for any event: Weddings, Birthdays, Baby Showers, etc. Each one is customized with the customers own questions/answers and they can select everything down to the fonts and colors. It’s a great way to have the guests get to know the person or couple and I can also include a “Fill in the Blank” section in the center which guests can fill out.
Another favorite item of mine is actually a collection of cards I’ve created. I have taken various fruit and vegetable photographs, turned them into illustrations, and then inserted a simple tag line on the card to describe it: “Be Sour” (Lemon), “Be Squeezed” (Orange), etc.
CM: Do you have a favorite shop or item on Etsy? If so, which one(s)?TP: I came across this Etsy shop a couple of months ago called, vinylclockwork. They create custom vinyl record clocks, which look amazing. And such a neat way to use your old vinyl records!
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| Table Number Cards - Typography Column |
