Design Brings Joy

People ask me where my craftiness comes from all the time. It’s my second most asked question after the age of my daughter, Sophie. I am not only lucky to have creative parents but am surrounded by inspirational friends and family. It’s astounding how creative actually. I specifically wanted to introduce you to my cousins Ian and Edana today because they’ve started a design company called Mustardstrip LLC as they’re entering their 30s. Not only are they an inspiration for new entrepreneurs but their requirement for design bringing joy is sensational. I’ll let Edana share their passion.

Mustardstripe was surprisingly not a planned venture and stemmed from me (Edana) seeking a creative outlet outside of my 9-to-5 Fashion Design job. I didn’t really know where to start, and to be honest, I got really lucky by finding some really great graphic design gigs online that served as a temporary outlet for me to explore and test my talents and design something other than clothes.

The extra cash flow was also nice because I had gotten engaged in the meantime and we all know weddings aren’t cheap.

From there, my gigs took a back seat and I used the wedding planning process as my creative source. I found myself creating and designing every detail of our big day and sharing sneak peeks on social media. Fast forward a few short weeks, I had multiple friends and family approaching me to create custom pieces for their personal events, organizations and businesses. Consequently, I knew I was onto something and decided to make Mustardstripe official with the help of my fiancee, now husband, Ian. He was the business and marketing brain child who not only encouraged me to seek my passions in a professional manor, but he also helped me figure out the financial and business aspects behind it. From there, Mustardstripe LLC was born and has quickly become more than just a business to me… it’s evolved into a passion.

art and design. It is extremely fulfilling to create something that connects people through self-expression, visual identity and custom designs. Plus, my job is never the same from day-to-day or client-to-client, which is pretty sensational.
 

Looking back, I think this business was always meant to transpire, whether it was planned or unplanned. When my dad passed away a few years ago, I couldn’t bear the thought of choosing between the painfully ugly memorial cards that the funeral home was offering. The designer in me wasn’t about to damper his memory and spirit with a tacky dove flying out of some clouds. Instead, I opted to design custom memorial cards and thank you’s that reflected him, his personality and our family. Not only did it do that, but it welcomed a lot of smiles and funny stories into the otherwise dreary room. To this day, I still have people reference those cards and tell me I should make a business out of them and I’d say I am on the right track. Making people and their businesses feel fulfilled and bright is the whole reason I am doing what I am doing.

 Now do you see why I’m creative? I have great inspiration all around me! If you want your branding, wedding or memorial cards to be something special to you and your family, send a message to Edana and Ian. They’re good people. You won’t regret it.