It’s Friday! This has been the fastest and hottest July of my life, but the new shop is officially open for business as of today! I’m skipping normal Friday links to let you know a bit more about it, and we’re throwing pillows instead of glitter, because, obviously, pillows are more important than glitter today. And use promo code GRANDOPENING for $20 off a pillow purchase!!!
Pillows: I started designing pillows before we had kids, after realizing I was picturing my digital scrapbook paper designs as pillows instead of just potential paper. I will have small batches of pillows that are in stock that ship within 3 business days, and also made-to-order pillows that will ship in 2-3 weeks.
I’m saying pillows, but they’re just pillow covers for the foreseeable futures without the insert – this helps you save on shipping, and lets you use inserts you have, or pick new ones you know you love. I have a couple recommendations linked in the pillows in the shop, too, if you need some good leads.
Face Masks: Arguably less fun than pillows (but hopefully I can change your mind with my new designs!), I am even more excited about my new face masks than the pillows. This is truly designing with purpose, and for a product with a personal significance for me that extends back in time past the beginning of COVID-19. As an asthmatic that was basically triggered by everything for a while a few years ago, I was often the only person wearing a face mask in public. I was triggered by any second-hand smoke, neighbors’ fireplaces and bonfires, perfumes, you name it. And you know what my face mask looked like? A blank swathe of flesh-colored fabric that made me look like a mouthless bot of some kind. Thank God for mascara and eyeliner, because without eye makeup I was just washed out and even more self-conscious in those days.
I SO WISH there were as many mask options back then as there are now. Masks have been the norm in many Asian countries for years due to pollution, but since they hadn’t been accepted (not that they’re fully embraced now, but that’s a whole other rabbit hole) here until the past few months, asthma and allergy and immunocompromised individuals did not have any stylish options until recently. I’m going to keep selling masks long beyond COVID-19, because for those that need them for basic health outside of this deserve to protect themselves in style.
Honestly, a face mask should get the same attention as a scarf when putting together an outfit (which I often had to rush to cover my face with often before I got the aforementioned de-mouthing mask). You want something that accents your look, and in colors that complement your skin tone and eyes and all that jazz. I only have a few patterns available now, but I’ll be adding more over time. I’ve sourced the best masks I could find to do this right – and these babies are quilted, triple-ply jersey that honestly feel like a wardrobe highlight rather than a burden necessitated by a global health crisis.
And when I say they’re good, I mean it. I don’t want to brag (except for the purposes of promoting my wares), but a local phlebotomist I saw for bloodwork loved the quilting and said it fit my face really well. I probably blushed, but I was wearing a mask so she couldn’t tell. But that reminds me, they come in 4 different sizes, and while they’re not medical grade, they do have a latex-free elastic border that forms a better seal than many masks out there.
And guess what? They also ship within 3 business days! They’ll be at your door within a week in most areas.
Frontline Workers Discount: I’m honored to share that service workers on the frontlines (doctors and other medical personnel, military members, first responders and teachers) get a blanket discount in the store. Just sign up here. The discount also covers masks! Honestly, this was a no-brainer. Thank you for your service!
What’s Next: I’ve got a lone but lovely floral phone case design listed for iPhones and Samsung phones, and I’ll be working on more cases in the future, but masks and pillows are the priority right now. I also used to do wall calendars and art prints in my Etsy shop back-in-the-day, and I might do that again, but we’ll see how the work-life balance goes down before I make any promises.
Take a peek around the new shop, I’d love to hear what you think, what you’re liking, what you’d like to see more of. Don’t forget about the promo code GRANDOPENING for $20 off pillows.
Stay safe out there.
– Maura
