The Card Designer Highlight is a collection that includes impartial makers whose greeting playing cards you will discover in Paper Supply shops. Meet and be impressed by a brand new designer each month on our weblog!
This month we need to introduce our card designer Brittany Paige of Brittany Paige Designs. Learn the way Brittany has turned her love for all issues popular culture and classy moments right into a stationery and reward enterprise that brings individuals collectively.
How did you start your card-making profession?
Born out of an obsession with popular culture and whereas navigating early maturity in New York Metropolis, I began my enterprise with simply six greeting playing cards (all centered round break-ups). Throughout the nights and weekends of my company design job within the vogue business, I began illustrating playing cards that mirrored my private pursuits and social developments. Aspect hustle ultimately turned full-time gig, these six OG playing cards have grown into the stationery and reward enterprise that you just see right this moment — a model that creates items for the ladies that get it.
The place do you draw inspiration from?
After I was first beginning out, numerous my inspiration was drawn from my associates (single twenty-somethings actually do say the darndest issues!) Nonetheless because the enterprise grew and developed, I started looking past simply my social circle for inspiration. For this reason you’ll see quite a lot of references all through the whole product line, together with celebrities, viral social media developments, political statements and extra.
What does your day appear like as a card maker and designer?
My daily varies significantly as a card designer and I wouldn’t need it some other means! One of many best perks of being your individual boss is the flexibleness that it permits. I’ve two varieties of days — “artistic days” and “common days.” If it’s a daily day, I’ll usually begin my day with train after which do backend duties equivalent to answering emails, invoicing, ordering stock, managing buy orders, planning social content material, and so forth. Nonetheless, if it’s a “artistic day,” then I’ve to utterly block off the whole day. Principally, I’ve to permit for the least quantity of distractions so I can really produce concepts and illustrate. I discover that I’ve a restricted window to work creatively, and even scheduling a morning exercise class, can throw me off!
What’s your most well-liked medium?
I like utilizing the Procreate app on my iPad. After I first began my enterprise, all the things was illustrated utilizing pen and ink. I used to be first launched to Procreate at one in every of my company design jobs. Though I used to be initially hesitant to make use of it, I by no means regarded again as soon as I did.
What does your artistic course of appear like?
It utterly varies! I launch huge card collections twice a 12 months and I begin that course of about 6 months upfront. Typically it’s very analytical – I take a look at my total assortment and see what “holes” we’re lacking (Do I not have a ton of mom’s day playing cards? Did we’ve to discontinue some birthday playing cards as a result of the pattern handed?) I’ll use that information and attempt to design into these wants. Nonetheless as a result of my model is fashionable and infrequently chases after main popular culture moments, typically one thing will occur within the media, and I’m utterly impressed to drop all the things and create a card round that particular pattern.
What are you most pleased with as a creator and card maker?
There’s a lot to be pleased with! I lately hit the milestone of our merchandise being stocked in over 1,000 retailers worldwide. That was an enormous accomplishment that I had been working in direction of for the final 5 years! This previous 12 months I additionally employed my mother to work full-time within the enterprise. With the ability to rent my relations was a objective of mine from once I first began the enterprise in 2018 — in order that one actually felt particular. However I’ll say, seeing Simone Biles use one in every of our stickers on her water bottle was tremendous candy too!
Any private tidbits? Particular abilities/enjoyable info?
I’ve a golden lab named Crosby, who’s barely chubby however the sweetest boy you’ll ever meet. My vice is teen drama television reveals — OTH, GG, TVD, TSTIP, The OC. I gather matchbooks at each restaurant I dine at. I like to learn. I don’t drink espresso however I like the occasional food regimen coke!
