The Storenvy Blog

Easily one of the most hilarious, ridiculous and odd sites on the net, Everything is Terrible has made an artform of turning found footage from the 80′s and 90′s into viral videos. They just recently opened their storefront on Storenvy and are embarking on a 60 day tour to promote their new movie titled, DoggieWoogiez! PoochieWoochiez! We sat down to pick the brain of the man who calls himself Commodore Gilgamesh to see just exactly what Everything is Terrible is all about. Enjoy and beware!

For our readers that have yet to have their mind’s blown by Everything is Terrible!, can you give us a run down of what you do?

What the fuck! You haven’t had your minds blown by Everything Is Terrible!? Well, for starters, in what sort of hobbit-style hole are you dwelling? Secondly, may I come live with you in your underground home? It’s always been a dream of mine. Once we become holemates, then, oh my, I will talk all night long about the wonders of EIT! It might go a lil’ something like this, “We are a group of poochie pals who find VHS tapes. We edit them into short, comedic, psychedelic videos that we post everyday on our website, www.everythingisterrible.com. Once a year we take all of those videos and tear them apart and sew them back together to make a feature. We take that movie on very long tours, where we dress up in large furry costumes and hold the hands of our viewers as we take them on a journey into their own minds – a journey so journey that something changes. You’re never the same after EIT! That’s us!” I guess it won’t take that long to explain… I really hope that we don’t run out of things to talk about. Oh yeah! Everything Is Terrible! is trying to collect every Jerry Maguire VHS in existence!

If you were to pick one video to sum up EIT! which would it be?

Partying with Rux! I like any video that is too weird to be considered mean-spirited, too visually crazy to ever be called boring, and too short for a viewer to even consider not finishing it. Also, the transformation that we performed here from the original to the video we posted is so great! I like it when what we make it unrecognizable from its former self. Those video molecules take a fully transformative journey! I feel that this is what the videos want. This is why they were sent to us! I also believe that VHS tapes are reincarnated saints!

PARTYIN WITH RUX! from Everything Is Terrible! on Vimeo.

How in the world did EIT! get started and how many people work on the project?

EIT! began on the wings of a dream of a talking dog who had 7-10 pint-sized ninja kid friends. We were those ninja kids! Then we grew up and moved away from each other. We didn’t fit in our ninja robes anymore, the talking dog had passed on to the rainbow bridge, and we had all these damn VHS tapes laying around. So, we started the website to share our finds with each other, ultimately with the goal of making a movie out of them. Then all of our dreams came true!

Your latest DVD project DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! looks absolutely face melting, how long did it take to put together and where/how did you come up with concept? 

Thanks! It is truly a labor of lovehate! It is by the far the hardest and dumbest thing that any of us have ever tried. We’ve been working on it for well over a year now. I spent three months living in Ghoul Skool’s closet, which we called the dog house. I slept on a yoga mat for 6 hours a night, then I spent the remaining 18 hours of everyday combing through every dogdamn dog movie and non-dog movie searching for something that was in the least bit interesting. Most people are surprised to hear that 90% of all videos have dogs in them, but they are for the most part the most boring sights that a pair of eyes could possibly process. Just the most uninspired and repetitive garbage that the most over-payed, over-privileged ‘artists’ could muster. So the next logically step for us, as dog lovers, was to use all of that filth to remake our favorite movie of all time, The Holy Mountain! We wanted to turn our culture’s shit into gold!

Tell us about the DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! Tour. What can people expect if they come to one of the tour stops and where can they purchase tickets?

We love to tour. We just love it so much. We are going everywhere, like 70 cities! People should expect the most crime-biting, all bark and all bite, paws to the walls, furtastic, night of their short lives! A tail to share with their friends’ babies! The live show is like going to Showbiz Pizza, while on a vision quest induced by 40 days of fasting, praying, and constantly ingesting peyote. That pizza is gonna taste sooooo good! RRRRUUUFFFFFFF! For information about tickets and all that, check out www.everythingisterrible.com or our facebook page! We’re gonna have so much fun together!

We’ve heard that the EIT! crew is in full costume at each tour stop. What’s the deal with costumes? Undercover mutant aliens in hiding? 

Actually you heard wrong. We don’t wear costumes. We are dogs. Like i said, RUFF!

With 60 dates on the road for the DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! what are you guys looking forward to most? 

We are so lucky. We get to drive around the country in a van filled with our best friends, go to every thrift store in the country (so many Jerry Maguires to be saved!), meet the nicest and coolest people ever, perform every night, and eat so much delicious pizza! I’m really excited about seeing Spokane for the first time, and returning to Toronto. We like fun!

Let’s talk EIT! merch! We must admit you guys have some hilarious merch available including the one and only Duane tee. What else can customers find in your store and should we expect and new designs in the near future? 

Besides all 3 of our DVDs, which will be the best thing you’ve ever seen. We’ve got shirts, posters, stickers, and all that junk! We’ve also got a new item coming in very soon. I’ll give you a hint. It rhymes with ‘hand-sculpted dashboard duanes!’ Oh dear, and we’ve so many big plans, blacklight everything, jumbo buttons, Cousin Duane’s Olde Timey Culture Jam, yapper clappers! Someday soon all of your dreams will come true!

The floor is yours! Any last parting words or EIT! video recommendations? 

Stop looking for Everything Is Terrible! It was inside of you all along. GET IT OUT! before infection sets in and then you die and go to the rainbow bridge! Love Always, Commodore Gilgamesh! www.everythingisterrible.com

To help celebrate the opening of the newest Storenvy Market, Designer & Vinyl toys, we decided to sit down with artist Chris Moore. Chris has made a name for himself by making and creating amazing monsters and creatures. He recently opened his store, We Become Monsters and isn’t looking back.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Chris Moore and I make monsters. I originally went to school for prop / FX design and while I barely worked in that industry, I still had an urge to create. I began creating things for my own collection roughly 12 years ago and after much prodding by others and getting some drive myself, I decided to see if anyone else would be interested in my creations. Scaling down to toy size lets me go crazy without spending like I have a Hollywood budget. I am a huge horror movie fan, so monsters seemed like the thing to start with.

How did you first get started designing toys?

Most of the skills used in toy creation relate directly back to my training. Making molds, engineering articulation (coming soon to my toys!), sculpting, all of this is something I already knew how to do. On top of that I already collect toys, and toys are a great way to fool people who would not consider purchasing artwork into buying art.

What is your favorite item in your store and why?

The Skelechubs, all of them. I wish I’d made more cold cast bronze ones though, that one sold out already. I love cold casting since it gives them heft and really take on the properties of the metal used.

What other artists inspired you to start and create We Become Monsters?

Secret Base for sure, their toys are nuts. Huge Pushead fan as well. In the indie realm, almost anyone who’s been brave enough to jump in and try it has given me inspiration – the gang at October Toys forum, Custom Toy Union, etc..

If you had an alternate life (like a flash sideways in LOST), what would you be doing?

Honestly, toys. I had a phone interview right out of school with a toy company and totally blew it because I was such a snob collection-wise. I dumped on Mattel, Kenner etc..  seconds before the interviewer mentioned they did proto work for those guys all the time. I sometimes wonder what might have been – could have saved me some time.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

Time. I work 8-9 hours a day and then come home and lock myself in the garage and do 4-8 on toys. It gets tough to make yourself do that every day. Steven Pressfield’s ‘War of Art’ book really helped keep me going. The gist of it is if you are something, like and artist or writer, you are just going to be miserable if you don’t do the work, all the time. It is brutally true.

What’s your ultimate goal for We Become Monsters?

Short term, to be self sustaining. I want the toys to pay for the materials so I can do art. Long term, pie in the sky? To make a living sharing something I love doing – making toys.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to learn more or start collecting designer toys?

I think everyone eventually drifts over towards indie stuff, and you’d save a ton of dough by starting there. Indie toys are amazing and affordable.  The big boys make some amazing toys but you will pay through the nose for it if you are late to the game. Start small, buy what you love. Get shelves early.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy?

The feature set is fantastic compared to other online storefronts, even the paid options. Number one for me is that it is free – lower start up costs means everything to someone just starting out. Next on my list would be the facebook app. At first I wondered ‘why?’ but I really like how it looks on the We Become Monsters facebook page.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code with our readers?

I actually just created my first one in celebration of the new year. The code ‘2012die’ will get everyone 15% off.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Bianca Beck. I am a stay at home special needs mother to a little man named Skylar, who has an extremely rare birth defect Schizencephaly. I currently reside in South Florida. I absolutely love to paint, craft, sew and cook. I dedicate most of my time to cleaning, or therapy. When I get a break I love having movie nights at home, go sailing with my boyfriend and blog. (www.lovewhatsmissing.com)

What’s the story behind Love What’s Missing?

The following months after my son was diagnosed with Schizencephaly I realized how fragile everything was. He was suffering from infantile spasms which caused daily seizures, his development was deploring, and I knew my place was at home with him. I also realized with his birth defect came more ramifications than just the emotional toll, his medical bills were piling up. Being a stay at home mother has many perks, but I was not okay with a complete lack of income. I wanted independence; to contribute to his medical bills, therapies, and whatever necessities he may have.

Due to the extreme rarity of Schizencephaly, I also wanted to spread awareness. Most doctors, specialists, therapists, and people I have come to meet in our journey have never heard of it. So I began making and selling whatever I could at home, with hopes to educate more people and help Skylar out at the same time. Love What’s Missing derived from the very first time I saw his MRI, and witnessed how much of his brain was actually missing. After months of grieving over my son and these images I came to the conclusion that this vacant space was not going to define him. Schizencephaly will not pave the road to his future or who he will become. I learned to embrace this birth defect with open arms; I learned to love what’s missing.

What is your favorite item in your store and why?

My favorite item is currently the open rose adjustable rings. I’ve been wanting to start making accessories for so long, so I started dabbling a bit with different pieces. They’re perfect for any occasion and compliment any outfit. I wear one every single day.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Overcoming the fear of the unknown. When presented with a life altering situation for your child it changes every aspect of you. I spent over a year plaguing my mind in the “what ifs”, “will he ever”, and dwelling in what could have been. You learn to accept the cards you’ve been dealt with, and as cliché as it sounds- everything really does happen for a reason. Eventually you’ll realize whether your child is a genius, quiet, silly, or disabled, we are all exceptionally blessed to have them in our lives.

What’s your biggest inspiration?

Skylar. Witnessing him progress incredibly in his development, his hugs, kisses, contagious laughter, and his radiating dimples that light up a room is what fuels me. He has this inconceivable inner strength, and stands taller than any other person I know. He’s more resilient than a million men, and his smile compels me to tears. I don’t know another being that’s as influential as my son.

What’s your ultimate goal for Love What’s missing?

I am in the process of working on my most important project for Schizencephaly Awareness. All proceeds will also go towards all of Skylar’s future therapies, medical bills, and hopefully to provide medical insurance for my family. I want to educate the world and open their eyes, create awareness about this developmental birth defect and help out my family. Two great ideas in one. One day after I get us on solid ground I have hopes to start a nonprofit organization, and invest into research to find a cure for Schizencephaly for ones affected in the future.

What’s your advice to someone who wants to create their own brand?

As you can see from my shop, I have a wide range of products and still working every day on new things I want to create. Find something you love to do and don’t ever stop. Always stay optimistic, motivated, and keep your head held high. There is inspiration everywhere around you. There will always be people who will criticize you, and try to fill your mind with negativity. Break through those walls and move forward with a smile, you really can do anything if you put your heart into it.

What is your favorite thing about storenvy?

I went through two different sites before I discovered storenvy, and I absolutely love everything about this site. It’s incredibly easy to use and has a wide range of options to customize your shop. You guys listen to your users; provide great and fast feedback when needed. And most importantly I love the fact there are no fees, if I could hug every one of the staff members of storenvy I would. You guys are awesome; storenvy will always be home for my shop.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code to our readers?

Absolutely. Enter NEW YEARSwhile checking out and receive 10% off your entire order at lovewhatsmissing.storenvy.com

Tell us about yourself. 

I’m Christopher Ha, and I design apparel for Hooligans. I started doing this about two years ago when we felt like just designing for kicks on this new shirt line. I come from Alhambra, a city out by Los Angeles, CA. I was a dancer on our high school dance team and continued on until college. Much of our supporters come from this dance community that you’ve come to see on shows like America’s Best Dance Crew on MTV. I’m currently working at an ad agency and doing this on the side on my free time, so far so great!

Tell us a bit about how your brand got started and the story behind it. 

My brother and his friend thought about starting this brand coming out of high school. It wasn’t long before a couple more of us formed together as a team to get the project rolling full speed. It’s been a rough ride with a lot of ups and downs, but life kind of seems to be that way too.

I am aware that Contour Hooligans is actually a family ordeal. Who in your family plays what parts in the brand and how has it been building a brand with your family? 

I’m currently working with my brother and Dad, and another I consider my brother from another mother. My brother and I began working together from the get-go, he did the promoting and I did the designing. It wasn’t until later we found our Dad’s experience running his own pizza parlor business became handy with our ordeals with stocking and shipping product. My brother from another mother, Vidiu, handles project management and makes sure our company runs smoothly meeting our deadlines, love this guy!

What is your favorite item in your store and why? 

I would consider my favorite item to be the Rich Mahogany crew. The tagline was conceptualized by my brother and I didn’t think of it much at the beginning, but it started to dawn on me, “This was the greatest concept ever!” It represents our brand in the greatest way and it’s just so clever that almost anyone could relate to it. I once went to visit my doctor and one of the nurses were intrigued by the design and asked where to buy it.

Contour Hooligans seems to be tightly tied to breakdancing, was launching Contour Hooligans always part of your plan or something you felt the breakdancing community needed?  

Actually, it’s not just break dancing but a large amount of other types of hip hop choreography. We’ve always been rooted within this community, Contour has definitely played a role within the dance community as a symbol of those who support dance and just the plain expression of their art. You can see how apparent this is by the following we have on Facebook, more than half the posts are dance oriented and supporters post videos with them dancing with our gear. We promote heavily by vending at dance competitions year ’round.

What is your biggest inspiration for creating and growing your brand? 

My biggest inspiration comes from my Dad. He’s been through many hardships in his lifetime and I feel like he’s shown me how to never give up and always look on the bright side of things. Creating this brand was serious fun and taught me many life lessons that could be useful in the future.

What should we be looking forward to from Contour Hooligans in 2012? 

Be on the lookout for many new apparel for active wear. We’ve began exploring different ways we could cater our apparel to those who are physically active and live an expressive lifestyle. We hope this new gear would combine form and function in a way people would come to appreciate.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to create their own brand? 

You can never fail, only find different ways that don’t work. As long as you keep that mindset you can keep going. Determination is hard to maintain but once you’ve mastered it you can do anything.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy? 

Handling web design, I appreciate the ease of use Storenvy is able to provide. I’m working on a mobile version of the website soon and can’t wait to customize the store again.

Would you be willing to share a special discount code with our readers? 

Enter code ENVY for 10% off!

Since the launch of our newly retooled and restyled homepage we’ve had a ton of store owners ask how they can get their products featured under the “New Finds to Envy” section. With that in mind, we thought we would put together a handy guide filled with what we’re looking for when picking items for the front page.

1. Great Photo
When selling online, a quality picture can be the difference between you making a sale or having a customer scrambling for the back button of their browser. One of the most overlooked aspects we continually see from online stores is not taking the time to make their products look fantastic. You have to remember that an online customer cannot touch, try-on or inspect your product as they would in a traditional bricks and mortar setting. Literally, the only pieces of information a customer has to go on are the photos and description you provide. Having less than stellar product photos will most likely result in the potential customer not even reading your description, and even worse – not buying your product!

What exactly constitutes a great photo? Without writing an entire article on photography, there are three aspects we recommend concentrating on. Lighting, composition and creating something eye catching. For inspiration, and to measure your pictures against a benchmark, we highly suggest checking out the products that are currently making the front page. Additional inspiration can be found on sites and apps such as Pinterest, Instragram, Fab.com or simply check out some of your favorite online stores.

2. Great Product
This probably goes without saying, but we are always on the lookout for great products. We think great products are unique, eye-catching, innovative, quirky, edgy, funny, quality (and on and on). Great products are even greater when they are photographed well.

3. The Product Makes Sense for the Season
Unfortunately if you only sell super cool tank tops we’re going to have a hard time featuring you in the winter months. Products need to make sense with the season and upcoming holidays. Lucky for us all it’s always someone’s birthday. On occasion, we may for humor sake, do something like a “Christmas in July.”

4. In Stock
This probably can go without saying, but your product must be in-stock and ready to ship!  We shy away from products on pre-order as we want to make sure customers will receive their products quickly.

5. Active Seller
The more active you are as a seller the better! We love to see our store owners interacting with their customers whether this be in the forums or on Twitter and Facebook. Stores that show they care about what they are doing and make an effort to promote themselves and their businesses always standout, and we notice!

The overall goal with the new homepage is to showcase the stores and products that really make Storenvy a great place to shop and sell. See you on the homepage!

For those of us not familiar with whom Sket One is could you give us a short background? 

I’m Sket One and I design everything from clothes to toys to lifestyle product to custom pieces of artwork. I have been a designer for over 20 years and love creating.

You started as a graffiti artist before moving into toys, how do you feel that has played a part or shaped you in your career and style moving forward?

Graffiti is the essentially basis of everything I do, I feel if I didn’t grow up with hip hop and the graffiti culture I might not be doing and creating what I am today.

What has been one of your favorite projects to work on and why? 

I think my favorite to work on to dat is working with Bad JuJu Games. I am in a whole new realm of and industry I perviously had little exposure to. Gaming is beyond artistic it’s incredible not to mention the problem solving and challenges that come with designing and making cohesive IP’s

What inspired you to start designing toys? 

Collecting toys growing up played a huge part of it, I mean who doesn’t want to design their own toys? Its amazing!!. I am very fortunate to meet Tristan Eaton who heavily got me involved with doing and I thank him a lot for that. Incredible artist he is.

What is the best part of being an artist? 

I would have to say being able to create, having the mind open enough to explore and create. Making product and designing things from start to finish is a very full-filling emotion.

Do you ever fear not being able to come up with a new idea and what do you to overcome creative block? 

Yes of course! I think we all have are creative blocks, and when I do I drop everything and head out into the world, book stores, shopping, enjoy seeing inspiring objects and surroundings helps over come that for me at least.

Many of our readers are not entirely familiar with the toy scene, any advice for someone interested in learning about the culture and getting involved in collecting? 

Sure, I would say look up around you locally to see if there is a store that carries urban vinyl, if not visit places online like kidrobot forums, and blogs like vinyl pulse and spanky stokes to read through about the culture. There are magazines like clutter that cover many subjects and topics on designer vinyl, and last but not least visit the storenvy stores to view peoples work for sale!

You recently opened your storefront with us on Storenvy, how has your experience been and what are you enjoying about Storenvy? 

I love you guys! I can’t say enough good things about Storenvy the whole site from interface, to customization, to bandwidth is amazing and i’m so happy I am with you, and refer you at any chance I get.

Make sure to check out Sket One’s store at sketone.storenvy.com

Where in the world did 2011 go? With 2012 knocking loudly on the door we thought it would be fun to put together a list of calendars to make sure your 2012 passes in style.

We tried to show some variety on the list with calendars for photography, letterpress and typeface lovers alike. We have are featuring a calendar from Happy Herbivore featuring vegan recipes for each month of the year.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

1. Happy Herbivore 2012 Calendar 

2. Ruff House Mustache Calendar 

3. All Along Press House Calendar 

4. Paper Boat Studios Letterpress Calendar 

5. Lieullus Helveticalendar  

6. Rilakkuma Calendar 

7. Alex Likes Design 2012 Time Travel Calendar 

8. Musehorse Shelter the Cats Calendar 

9. Designs by Natys Completely Customized Calendar 

 10. Ruff House Art Woodland Whimsey Calendar  

One of the many features that sets Storenvy apart from other e-commerce platforms is the ability for users to completely edit and customize the html and CSS of their storefront and in turn transforming the way their store looks.

We wanted to take a minute to point out ten great Storenvy stores that have taken their stores to the next level and really made their store their own.

1. Cure Apparel Co.

2. Lil’ Chief Records

3. Walk in Love

4. Capitl Clothing Co. 

5. Wonder Forest

6.  Iridescent 

7.  Jeremy Cowart

8. White Pine Patriot

9. Contour Hooligans

10. Giveable Greetings

Tell us about yourself. 

Hi! I’m Dana! I am a twenty-something year old web and graphic designer. I live in the country by the beach in Ontario, Canada with my fiancé, little white dog, and our three cats.  I blog and create retro inspired plush critters and home products under the name Wonder Forest!  I love Reese’s and absolutely hate fax machines.

Tell us the story behind Wonder Forest. What was your inspiration and idea behind starting your brand?

Wonder Forest (the plush) started on Facebook of all places. I was simply inspired one day to create vintage looking deer out of old fabric scraps.  I love the look of old plush and wanted to see if I could bring that feeling back to life!  I posted some photos of my creations on my Facebook page and suddenly had messages from a bunch of friends wanting to buy one. That’s when I realized “I could have something here!”, opened up shop, and fell in love with creating them! From there, I expanded with a “Wonder Forest Living” collection… so there is a little something for everyone!

What is your favorite item in your store and why?
Right now it’s probably my Floppy Bunny plush. It’s a new item but it turned out exactly how I had imagined it. Something about it reminds me of my childhood… and I actually had an inner debate with myself about listing it, haha.  I can’t forget about my Magic Unicorns though. Second favourite for sure!

I absolutely love the customization you have done to your Storenvy storefront! Can you speak a bit on how the customization process was for you?

Thanks!! Customizing my storefront was easy. I love the different options Storenvy has available and how it caters to both the ‘beginner’ and the more “HTML savvy” person.   As I mentioned above, I am a web designer so this type of thing comes naturally, but it really was a simple process and easy to figure out how to change certain pages and styles.  I think this is what really drew me towards opening a Storenvy shop.

How important do you think product photography is for a brand and how have you approached it with your brand?

I think it’s extremely important!  They make up your entire storefront and are a visitor’s first impression of you.  Your photos should accurately depict your product, and nothing else. They should be clear and show multiple angles/close ups so the buyer knows exactly what they’re getting.  It’s also important to keep them consistent if you’re trying to develop a brand (i.e. don’t have one product on a plain background, and another on your desk with objects around it).  I actually went through about 5 different photo styling changes before settling on the ones I have now, which are very basic with the full length product on a blank background. Imagine, redoing ALL of your shop photos 5 times! I’m crazy, I know, but it was necessary to get the feeling my shop now portrays!

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome running Wonder Forest?

Probably just developing the brand in general and trying to make it my own. There are so many other creative people out there making similar products, and sometimes it’s hard to separate yourself from the rest.  I think I’ve done a good job so far in putting my little spin on things to make them unique.

What is your biggest inspiration?

I thrive off of feedback and love it when others love what I create. Their feedback inspires me to be the best at what I do and keeps me loving every moment of it. I try to give the same love back to others who create as well. A little “great job!” goes a long way!

Do you have any new or exciting plans for Wonder Forest in 2012?

YES!  I’ve been working on a bunch of new products for the new year!  I won’t tell you what they are though because that’s top secret information!  I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be amazing and I am ready for it!  ;)

What’s your advice for someone who wants to create their own brand?

Be serious about it. It takes a lot of work and your heart has to be in it. Don’t give up if you hit an obstacle, just try something new and work your way around it.  Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward (someone smart said that!).  Also, keep things consistent. From your product, to your photos, to your promotional materials. They should all have the same vibe and look professional.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy?

I love that you guys listen to what your users have to say. The Super Discounts came at just the right time (and I admit to bugging you about this feature on your Facebook page, so thank you for listening!). The customization is top notch as well. No other stores allow this much customization… with NO listing fees, no transaction fees, or any of those ridiculous monthly fees for a limited number of listings. What’s not to love really?

Would you be willing to share a special discount code with our readers?

Right now I have my special 25% off sale going on for orders over $25 until Christmas!  There is no code required, it will automatically be discounted at checkout!

wonderforest.storenvy.com

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Eric Liles and I’m a student at Park University. I live in the Kansas City area. In my free time I like to drum, watch movies, do my own design projects. My new calendars are a by-product of one of my projects!

Where did you first get the idea to design calendars? 

I’ve liked having a calendar ever since I started one of my first jobs working in restaurant. I would use the calendar to write down and track my tips for each day, that way I would know what I made each month. So since then I’ve always loved looking for that new calendar each year, and looking for what new designs and themes I could find. This year I thought I would design some calendars of my own to share with people!

Do you design all of the calendars on your own and how long did each one take to design?

I did all of them on my own. As a whole I’ve been working on them since about September. Some of the ideas came to me right away, but a couple others took a while to develop, like The Minimal Calendar. I wanted that one to be just right; to represent each month well, but not be too representative of a particular month.

What inspired you to start your brand and are you looking to expand past calendars? 

As a freelance designer, I guess my “brand” would just be my work as a whole- not any one product in particular- so what inspires me ranges from a lot of things. I’m always willing to start new projects and work with new people, so yes, I am looking to expand past calendars. Calendars is just what it happens to be right now. Who knows, next month it could be greeting cards or t-shirt designs or whatever!

What is your favorite item in your store and why? 

My personal favorite calendars are the Verticalendar and The Minimal Calendar. The Verticalendar stemmed from the idea that I wanted a very “untypical”-looking calendar. How much more untypical can you get than making the dates vertical instead of horizontal? The Minimal Calendar is a nod to minimalism and great minimalist designers all over the world. I love minimalism and I try to work it into a lot of my designs. Its true: less is more.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome running your brand? 

I’m relatively new to the whole freelance scene, so learning the basic ins and outs of selling your own product is an exciting challenge in itself every day. It can get confusing and tough sometimes, but it is equally exciting because its information I will continue to use to benefit my work.

What is your biggest inspiration? 

I try to keep my work divers, so a lot of styles inspire me: minimalism, the outdoors, movies, vintage design, and the list could go on.

Where do you see your brand headed next year? 

My hope is to keep being inspired so I can have more products to sell and share with people.

What’s your favorite thing about Storenvy? 

I was able to do all that I wanted to do in running my store. There is no charge to use the store, which is awesome, and I am able to put as much product as I want in my store! The options that I have really give me no reason to complain, which is what a good service should do.

lieulls.storenvy.com