Craft Your Life With Altenew
Craft Your Life With Altenew
Altenew Behind-the-Scenes: How it All Began
Where does Altenew's name come from? What is Altenew's Design Team philosophy? When did our co-founders first meet? Welcome to Craft Your Life with Altenew podcast! You will find the answers to these and other BIG questions you may have about your favorite paper crafting company. This is your chance to find out some juicy Altenew secrets!
In this episode, join Jen and Tasnim as they reminisce the moments on how they started crafting up until the day they co-founded Altenew. Gain insight into what it's like to be in the crafting industry, and share a few laughs along the way.
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Hello crafter.
Speaker 2:This is Jennifer Raza and I'm one of the co-founders of A lta n ew. Hello,
Speaker 3:This is this name, Ahmed, and I am the co-founder and president of ultra.
Speaker 1:Welcome.
Speaker 2:So the very first episode of craft your life with Alta new
Speaker 1:Today,
Speaker 2:We are going to share our story. So you can learn a little bit more about how often you came. Yeah,
Speaker 1:[inaudible],
Speaker 3:I'll start us off by talking about my crafting journey. When I look back, I think I always liked crafting, uh, I love drawing and coloring and making cards for my friends, but it wasn't until 2011 that I discovered stamping and clear stamps to be more specific. And I must say it was quite an amazing discovery as most of our crafty listeners can relate to I'm sure. Uh, I was immediately drawn into the world of stamping and card making. I was designing cars all the time, not just in the craft room, but also in my head when I'm lying in bed or in the shower and say that I was, it was a 24 seven engagement. Um, what about you, Jen? How did you get into stamping and card making or crafting in general?
Speaker 2:Well, I've always been crafty since I was little again, like you, I remember just always having art as a part of my life. Um, my mom actually recently went through a lot of old things from our house because they recently sold the house that I grew up in. And I remember she was on the phone and she's like, do you want these old cards that you made? And I'm like, yes, absolutely. So she sent them up to me and one of them was really funny and it was just unlike this neon piece of computer paper, like t he t hin paper, the card was written out in pencil. Like I doodled on the front and I wrote it to my brother. So I don't know why he didn't have it. I gave him the card, but I guess, b ecause he didn't want to cherish it and keep it. It was j ust kind of funny to see that I actually did make cards. C ause at first I didn't think I did when I was younger. I don't really have much recollection of making cards specifically. I just remember I always loved painting and doodling, but there are some like original J en R aza designs from back in the day.
Speaker 3:That's, that's amazing that you were able to find them again. Uh, I definitely don't have any of my old artwork, but I think I do remember making cars and giving to friends, but that's really
Speaker 2:As far as like when I decided to get into rubber stamping, um, that was definitely in 2006, actually just right beforehand, probably 2005. I got married in January of Oh six and I wanted some handmade touches in my wedding reception. So I thought it'd be really nice if I made the little place cards that you put out to tell you what table everyone, all the guests are at, but I wanted a special stamp for me and my husband. So I went to the art store and I got that rubber that you could carve. I don't know if there's a name for it. It was like that pink, pink, rubber slab. And I just got some Exacto knives, which I know are not probably the correct tools to use with that. And I carved a little stamp and I went ahead and I use that to stamp all of the table cards for the guests. But when I went to the store, I think I probably went to Michael's or something. I was looking at the different inks and I saw in Boston powder and I was like, wow, what is this? So I got the silver and Boston powder because silver was one of our colors. And what was really funny is I didn't realize I also needed to get a heat tool h ome. I did have the correct i n a id. So I g ot home a nd put down the e mbossing i nk. I s prinkled a powder on it. I'm like now what do I do? U m, so I looked up online again and I found out I needed the heat gun, but I was way too cheap to buy one. I'm like, I already spent the money on this powder and this be droom p i nk c o ver s tuff. So I saw that you could hold it over a lamp or a light bulb. And the light bulb would be hot enough to melt the powder. So I did that a hundred plus times for every guest and my eyes were like blurred out the entire time I was seeing stars ca use t hat light was so bright and my hands got so hot. I think I touched the lamp, the light bulb a few times, but it was kind of a disastrous start, but it did get me intrigued with all the other supplies that are offered an d p aper crafting and stamping. So
Speaker 3:That's a very fun story, very adventurous one, as you a re saying. So as y ou a s talking about the whole, you know, you're getting your stamp and embossing, I think it occurred to me how I used to, y ou k now, watch a video and see new technique and immediately like o ne t hose tools. And that's how I collected my crafting tools. Um, b ut going back to when I first discovered stamping and card making, and as I had mentioned earlier that I was immediately into it and I was designing all the time. I started by copying or let's say recreating other designers work. I think one way you can develop a skill is to first try to recreate an artwork. See, you kn o w, h ow if you ca n do it, if you ca n recreate it. And once you have done it enough times and put your own thought and time you de velop that skill, and eventually you're ab le to create your own style. At least that was my journey towards, you kn o w, b ecoming a card maker, a s t amper. So Jen, tell me about when you started your blog, u h, w a s that soon after you discovered stamping and card making. So how was that for you? How did you start blogging?
Speaker 2:Well, I realized that, you know, it was kind of, I'm going to say like the age of blogs where blogs were really popular. Um, it was about the time where I feel like it was easy to create a blog. There were a lot of hosting websites where you could sign up for free. And a lot of the inspiration I was looking up online, I found from blogs. So I was like, let me just put in my contributions. Maybe someone else would get some inspiration or some, it gets something out of seeing my cards, even if they don't like them, maybe be entertained by them. Notice there was a whole world like this whole community of people out there who follow your blog and leave comments for you and support you even when you might not be so excited to share something, right. Maybe it's a little scary, this didn't come out exactly the way I wanted, but I'll still take the picture anyway and I'll still post it and explain how I made it. And then just getting those positive comments was amazing. And then through that, I also discovered different challenges. And then I thought that was a great way to learn how to do this. New craft was following challenge blogs, and they would make a different challenge every week or every month, depending on what, when it was. And I found that through that, I was able to really push myself and learn new techniques and go outside of my comfort zone to try things I normally, otherwise wouldn't be trying.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I completely agree with that. Definitely challenges. Those card making challenges helped me grow my skill and one of the card making challenges that I still remember and always be close to my heart is the runway inspire challenge. And I know you started that challenge. So tell me about that. Do you remember what year you started it?
Speaker 2:I don't remember off the top of my head. I'm sure. While we're chatting, I could probably just go ahead and see if I can find it, but it's funny that you mentioned that challenge because again, it was something that I noticed that there was a new way to find inspiration to me it's like, well, you know, a lot of these challenges were based on photo references or they were based on card sketches or layouts or ideas like that. And my dad and I would always watch runway shows when I was growing up these crazy fashion shows. And like sometimes they were really normal fashions and sometimes they were crazy out there stuff, even when it was crazy, I could always find something like really artistic or color use or pattern use. And I personally found that that was a great way to recreate cards, was taking ideas that I found from fashion. And just like before with the blogging, I'm like, well, if it's interesting to me, maybe it's interesting to someone else too.
Speaker 3:Awesome. I'm glad you started the challenge because I remember when I suffer, saw the challenge as a, wow, this is a whole new level of skills here. And I think the standard was really high. And I remember it pushed me to try better and be a better designer as a card maker. And I D I really just, we submitted to almost every single challenge.
Speaker 2:Right. And I'm like, this girl is good.
Speaker 3:And I said, I have to, after when this time I have to win this day. So, um, yeah, there was, uh, I felt competitive and I think, um, as an individual for me, competitiveness definitely pushes me, um, to try better. So, yeah, but going back to when I first started blogging, I, it was actually my husband who pushed me to start a blog. Uh, so as I mentioned earlier, 2011 is when I discovered stamping and few months into designing cards and making cards, he's like, why don't you also start a blog? Because at the time I used to follow a few designers and I would watch videos and learn from them. And I remember there was one particular designer w ho i s to post a new video every Wednesday. And I couldn't wait for Wednesday. So I would see her a nd try to make that card. And he said, why don't you start your own blog? I said, no, I can't because I haven't made my own design. Yeah. You know, I just, I'm just recreating other cards. And I said, no, I think you should start it. Like, don't wait for it. And then he actually started the blog for me, me, like he created the blog for me and I thought to myself, okay, now I need to design my own card because if I'm putting something out there, I want it to be like in my original work. Um, so I'm putting some thought into it. And the very first card I designed was like a little, a hot air balloon is the very first clear STEM I had bought. And that's how I started blogging. And soon after I was submitting to all these different challenges, and eventually I got to the round inspire challenge, and that was like a love at first sight.
Speaker 2:We're happy because that's basically how we found out about each other. Cause I got to see your work from all the challenges that you were joining it. And you were obviously able to see my work because for every challenge myself and the amazing designers that I had on my design team, we all did our own interpretation of that fashion. So it was a really cool way for us to kind of get to know each other's work. And I did check to see when the runway challenge started and it was 2011. So that was the year that you got into card making my blog didn't start until 2010. So that means from when I got married in 2006, I did barely any card making after that first foray. And then I eventually got back into it. So it's funny. The timeline was a little more compressed in my head, but then seeing the years was interesting to kind of discover that I did sit on.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So you started blogging 2010 and I started blogging 2012. So it was pretty much very close to each other. Um, in my head, I thought like you were blogging from way before that. I'm not sure why, but I know while I was, um, submitting for the challenge, one of my goals, or let's say dreams was to be part of the design team o f t heir e lements, f irst challenge. S o I first saw a, u m, design team call. I said, okay, I'm going this, u m, I'm not, this was the very first one. I actually submitted to it to be part of a d esign team. And I think I was nervous, but also optimistic at the same time. And I put forward my best work, because that was a p art of the requirement. Do you show us, I think share three or five of your best wo rk. And I submitted and I waited, I think it was about a week perhaps. And then I got the answer that I got in. Oh my goodness. I was so, so
Speaker 2:Happy to have you on the team. Cause again, I don't know how I lucked out, but I had rockstar is on that team.
Speaker 3:Yes you do.
Speaker 2:It's like, Oh man, now this girl has, name's going to be on the team too. Like, it was just so fantastic to me that I couldn't believe it. I'm like, Oh my silly little challenge. Like all these talented women want to be a part of it.
Speaker 3:No, not at all. It was not. So to this day I still have the Pinterest board, you know, I'm sure you have it to where the runway, um, there aren't with pictures and sometimes I go there for inspiration. So
Speaker 2:No, I like it. A comment cause the blog is still up and everyone's smiling. Someone will comment or email me and asking me if there's more challenges coming. So unfortunately I don't have plans right now, but there is an altar new Academy class that I did last summer and it's runway inspired card making. So it is the same ideas from the blog, but done via an ultimate Academy class.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I remember that. It's, it's an awesome class. Everyone should check it out. Definitely. I want to talk about when is the first time we had the idea of designing our own stamps? So Jen, do you want to go first telling me like, when was it, do you remember?
Speaker 2:I feel like with me, it wasn't really like this one defining moment where the light bulb went off and I was like, I shouldn't design products. You know, it was more so coming out of little frustrations here a nd there that I would have this idea for a card. And then I would go and look for a stamp that fulfilled the requirements that I had for my idea. And I couldn't find it and hilarious. And I'm sure those of you who are familiar with A lton, you might find this crazy. When I started stamping, I didn't really like using flowers. There was so many flowers, dams, and they, not that they weren't beautiful, but they weren't unique enough. I'm like if I'm going to stamp with flowers, I want there to be something special about it. And if I'm going to stamp like a geometric pattern, I want it to be unique and cool in some way. And I felt like I just wasn't finding that like a lot of the flowers and florals that were out there seemed similar. Same thing for like there wasn't many other types of stamps that were popular either from other companies. It just seemed like animals and flowers for the most. I could find that. I just felt like I had that thought so many times, like I wish this existed. I wish this existed. That that just evolved into a thought of maybe if I put some of my love for art into this, I could do some designing too.
Speaker 3:Let me interject here. And I, it's funny that you said that you don't really remember. There was a specific point for me. It was actually quite the opposite. I remember the exact time and I say the exact moment when the first time the idea of designing stamps came to me, I was sitting in the back of a car. I think we just got home from somewhere and I was just sitting there and I was thinking how I think it'd be amazing if I could create a stamp set using my own sentiments, you know, celebrating things that are meaningful to me. And then I remember immediately I dismissed the idea. I was like, what am I thinking now? That's going to happen. Like I don't even draw, have I used to draw when I was little, I wasn't really like, you know, drawing all the time. And it's funny that I even really dismissed it, but I think the idea was born. And I think it was there in the back of my mind. And I think this was probably year and a half into card making. So I would say end of 2012, this was happened. And I know, um, I started thinking more seriously, a few months down the line because I remember I started planning for, um, also new in 2013. So I think a few months down the line. And especially when I saw a fellow crafter blogger start her own company. I said, if this can be done, if she can do it, you can do it. So I started thinking of what stamps would be exciting and that's not already out there. And one of the first designs that came to mind was something that would look more like a watercolor painting. So myself, I'm not that good at painting water coloring. And I thought it would be amazing if you could have a STEM set that would give you the look of watercolor. And I think that was the idea behind the stamps, that painted flowers. That was one o f o ur first l eering stamps. And I had a few other ideas and it was mostly flowers, but I also had t his other ideas and I'm not that good a t drawing. I thought, you know what? J en is good at drawing. I have seen her do this beautiful sketches on her cards. I wonder if she'd be interested in designing stamps and that's when I emailed you or I'm not s hutting the email. Do you g uys like J en a t t his? U m, I really l ike, I t hink the idea of us talking about both of us struggling with p resenting stamps game, when I first shared a card using one of the sample stamps and you asked me like, what do you remember that you asked me, Oh, I see you. How did that happen? Right. How do w e g o a bout, and I think yo u a r e t he one who mentioned that you had this thought of designing stamps, but never seriously pursued it. And then you got curious when it' s al l my sam ple. A nd I think that's when we started having the conversation of how about, you know, we started com ing. Y es.
Speaker 2:What's hilarious to people who I talked about Alta knew is that we still hadn't met each other in person. We never even had a phone call up until this point. Like we had just emailed each other. Our relationship was just like via typing.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I remember, I think eventually, even, even after we had decided like, Oh, let's do this. We were still emailing each other. And then I remember my husband has said, you still haven't talked to each other yet. Like, Oh, you guys should do a video call. And then I think we did a Skype video call.
Speaker 2:I was so nervous for that. I still remember it because I'm, I consider myself a shy person. I try really hard to pretend that I'm not and to try to fake it when I meet new people. But I really get anxious when I meet someone new. And even though it was just a video call and I was still like in the comfort of my own home and I had known you for years and I really liked you and respected you. I was still nervous.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I could not, I couldn't, I would never call you a shy person. I mean, to me, you were a school person who did skateboarding and so our own dress, you you're definitely carry yourself very well.
Speaker 2:Let's talk about those early days of the company. So I know that any time someone starts a company they're putting themselves out there, there is a risk involved there's vulnerability involved. And I felt like I experienced a whole range of emotions leading up to that release, designing the products, wondering is anybody going to want this?
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Even like
Speaker 2:Thinking it's Disney, I'm going to like this one, you know, just there was just so much up and down throughout all of it, mostly up, but just like that nervous feeling like in your heart and your stomach. I h ad a lot of that leading up to o ur, our grand opening.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I agree with you, Jen. I remember thinking like, I don't know if anyone is going to buy a bunch of for stamps if it was going to like them, but at the very least I knew that I liked them and you liked him. At least the two of us w ere going to use them.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I thought the same thing I'm like, is that selfish that, you know, we're just happy doing it for ourselves, but no, I think it took some of the fear out of it, right. That like, Oh, the worst case scenario is that this doesn't take off, but Tasmeem and I have some cool custom stamps.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Yes. And I think that can apply to anything. Like I remember when we used to try to set up a meeting let's uh, uh, my husband would say, okay, first get to people who are committed and then invite everyone else. So even if no one shows up, at least you have those two or three. Right. So I think that helps like having that kind of connection and commitment. I think for Je n, I know you mentioned just now that yo u a r e n ot sure if I liked it, but I think somehow it's a blessing that we, I think our designs, we, we connect or w hat like, is th ere's t h is, I don't think I ever disagreed with any of her designs. Like, Oh no, I think it s hould change it. Or, or t his is not clicking, bu t I think somehow it worked for us that we both, u m, l ike ea ch o t her s tyle and design work. So this, so eventually I think I remember the planning for alternate. You had started in summer of 2013 and there was a lot that went into it, you know, from designing products to designing packaging, um, sourcing those, uh, items as well as, you know, creating the website and the logo. Do you remember the whole story by itself? Correct. And while we're on that topic, perhaps we can speak about the name a little bit, because I know a lot of our customers and fans, they're always curious what the name like to this day, when we are at trade shows, people asked about what's the, what does the name ultimately mean? So one of the inspiration behind A lta new designs is looking at old artwork, old, u m, customs and cultures and bringing it into a s tamp form, u h, that you can do make cards with or different kinds of artwork. And I think the idea that you look at an old thing and bring it into it, look at a new light. It's what inspired the name. So in fact, uh, most of you must not know, but the origin lane that I had, or we had in mind was now, and then, so from now, and then it evolved, we wanted one word, one simple word and something that was unique. A unique word. Exactly. Yeah. And that was, you know, it clicked and it would stick with you. Right. So I was familiar with German and I knew that old is a lt is German for old. So I think with the playing with words, eventually old and new became ultimately. And I remember when we talked about, at first, we weren't li ke s uper big fan. We're l ike, Hm m. I'll te ll y o u.
Speaker 2:Well, because of course anything that's different, especially a made up word is going to sound foreign right away. But then we kept saying it over and over again, and like ultra new stamps that Ulta knew this all to do that. Oh, what's your favorite company? My favorite company is all too new. And it's like, if you have enough of those fake conversations and putting the name in use, like it did eventually like, Oh, it rolls off the tongue nicely. It's supposed to stay. It starts with the letter a, so it might pop up alphabetically at the front of lists And there's okay, let's go for it. And I remember you mentioned, you talked to your mom
Speaker 3:About it. It's like, what do you think of this name? Correct. And I remember when I was designing the logo, I was also attending a class and I had done like different versions with an ampersand in the center and whatnot. And then I would ask like, what do you think of this? And some people were reading as alt Anthony and simple read as Alton knew. And I was like, Hmm, this person thing is not working. Like it's not, is it an E? Is it an Emerson? So I would say that my market research and the survey, my classmates, but yeah, eventually we stuck with the name Elton you. And I'm glad we did because I love it. No, I love it too. It's small. It's unique. And it's, um, I think it's catchy. And then I think nine months down the line, we it's the first time we met Gretchen, we did. Yeah.
Speaker 2:We did eventually meet face to face, which was great. And a funny like side thing is that I grew up on long Island and my parents still had their house there. So even though I was living up in Boston at the time, I took frequent trips to long Island and Tasneem lived on long Island. So it was really perfect that when I was there visiting my parents, we were able to arrange this meeting. And we met up at the Roosevelt field mall and her daughter was there. Who was, uh, Fatima, like what three? At the time
Speaker 3:She was three. Yes.
Speaker 2:So cute. And I just remember feeling instantly at ease meeting you, you know it again, it was one of those things. I was so nervous, the whole drive over. I had my husband with me because I was way too scared to go by myself. So I'm like, a ll r ight, Dave, you'll come. And then you c ould just shop in t hem a ll while I'm meeting w ith his name.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I remember being in front of the red mango in the mall,
Speaker 2:But it was just like instant comfort, like, Oh, of course, like I know you so well, I've known you for years and we have a lot to talk about. And it was just instant friends.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I mean, I'm the same as you. I'm not super thrilled when I'm about to meet new people, but I knew I was nervous, but I'm always the kind of person who pretends that I'm not, you know, but inside I'm nervous and I'm like, why do I feel queasy? Oh, it must be subconscious nervous. But I was like, yeah, I can do this. I can do this. And then yeah, I drove there with Baltimore and we met, we talked and it's funny, like we even forgot to take pictures until the end. And then you husband was like, did you guys take any pictures? Or like, no, I'm glad he took a couple of pictures of us. I think we have from that first meeting. But it was,
Speaker 2:We posted that on the blog. So I don't remember which year it was, but we posted it for one of the anniversary celebrations. So if anyone listening to this wants to find that photo of the first day we met in person, it is on the alternate blog somewhere i n the, one
Speaker 3:Of the anniversary blog hops. So yeah. And the actual meeting was, I believe it was December, 2014. So we launched in April, 2014 and then we met first time face-to-face in December of that year. And we have mitten quite a lot of times since then, but I wish, I always wish we were closer and got seen more often.
Speaker 2:So funny. We were actually just texting the other day saying the same thing. Like I think about it all the time that I wish we could just hang out together more because anytime we do see each other, it's like business time, but you know, it's like all we've got meetings and we've got official stuff to discuss and we try to squeeze out as much casual hangout time as we can, whenever we get together. It's just so that we do get to spend time as friends and not just as colleagues.
Speaker 3:Exactly. And I'm always thankful for the time we get to spend during the trade shows and our retreats. Um, it's always feels very short, but definitely it's, it's amazing to have that kind of, you know, friendship and people with the, you know, you have similar, similar
Speaker 2:Yeah. Similar interests and values and everything like that. So here we are six years later, how does that feel to his name? Six years after we started,
Speaker 3:It's funny. It's sometimes it feels like we just started yesterday and sometimes it feels like it has been forever. I don't know if you ever get that feeling, you know, if you have the both feeling like, Oh, I've been doing it forever. And there was like, Oh, it was just yesterday it for stamps. Um, but I'm definitely grateful, very grateful to everyone who has played a part in Elton you and to our customers and friends and fans who support us all this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's amazing. Even just looking at our team and thinking that we were a two-person operation trying to juggle the tasks and I don't even know how you raised a young daughter while packing orders.
Speaker 3:And then you went to
Speaker 2:Went back to school and like, I just, I don't know how you did all of it. You're amazing.
Speaker 3:You're amazing too. I remember, I remember it was, it got to a point where I was barely sleeping or eating and then my husband said, okay, we need to bring in some help. And that's when we first had people come in to help with the orders. And eventually we had people help with the emails and then we had our design team to help with,
Speaker 2:It was funny and like a little unconventional that we did launch without a design team.
Speaker 3:Exactly. Yes. Um, because I always felt that if you're making CA if you are using some company's product, you should be compensated for it. And it was starting a company you're just starting, you don't know where it's gonna go. You don't have the bandwidth to, you know, necessarily compensate monitor. And we felt that it should be, it's only
Speaker 2:Be fair, but then it was so nice. And we got to bring in our team and just like how I felt with the runaway challenge, thinking these women that I admire so much for their talent and their creativity. Like I felt the same way when we had those designers join us. It's like, bro, they believe in us. And they believe in our product so much that they're willing to commit to all the new and be designers for us. It was really fantastic. And just seeing the way that they used the products that we designed in ways that I couldn't have ever imagined. It's just a crazy feeling.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Yeah. I agree. And I remember one of the things we had decided when we had design t eams that we were going to ask them to choose the stamps they wanted to use, not like, Oh, you take the whole release and make cards with it, but m ore like, Oh, you choose which ones you feel like you want to use. And y ou're like, a nd you know, make some c lass with those. And I was always grateful. Like I remember every time like, Oh, thank you so much for t h y ou k now, using the a lternate steps and so b eautifully. I t's always thankful for that. And now, y es, six years later, and we have a big team of designers and people who are working behind the scenes in an operations and marketing. Y eah.
Speaker 2:Our family is growing every year
Speaker 3:And it's, it's a blessing and we're very grateful to be where we are today. And we hope to continue growing and bringing innovative products. So when I designed a stamp set or any other product, I always think, is it unique enough if there's something already exists, how can I make it different? And is it something that I would buy myself? Correct. Um, so if I'm not willing to pay for this spotlight, then I expect that why should someone else would, so I was give my best, try to give my best and create a unique product.
Speaker 2:I agree. I feel like I, I do the same thing as well. And just again, I'm not sure if anybody would find this interesting, but I know Tasneem and I have laughed about it before. Is that on my computer? I have all my various release folders that are all organized by month. But then I also have the design graveyard folder, which is where I take designs that weren't quite working out the way I had hoped. Maybe just, I didn't like my drawing or I didn't like the approach I took. And I realized I'm not going to sink any more time into this. I'm going to put it in the graveyard and either it will go there to die and decompose never to be seen again, or I can resurrect it. And I have resurrected some design graveyard sets where it's like, you give it some time, a few months, even a year. Right. And you have a clear head, you have a better idea and you can go back to those old designs and, and bring them back and make sure that they are up at the level that we need them to be. Because I would hate to just like us to his name was saying to release something that I didn't find value in.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. I agree. Yes. It's not just, it's not like, you know, how is it different from any other job when you like sit down and you, and you do your tasks and you're done, but it's not like that. It's so different because it's a creative work and it's always there in the back of mind. Okay. What's going to be my next design, how it's going to be innovative, how it's going to be fresh now, how it's going to be exciting. So I feel like it is something that I'm always involved with and it's not necessarily bad. I think I've enjoyed designing and enjoy being creative. And I think that's, it's a blessing that you have that passion and be able to create something with that. I mean, just the other day I was, you know, I'll spending and, you know, inspiration can come any time, you know, you don't know when it will come. So you're always, it's like, you're always on. Right. And you're always looking at designs or other artwork and inspiration can come any time. I was designing a set of dyes and as I was putting it together, this idea came like, Oh, I need to, if I put it this way, it be easier for the customer to back-end because as a crafter, you know, I think it has helped us design products because we are crafting or using this product. And we're always thinking, Oh, how can this be easier? Or how can this be faster or more enjoyable? Correct. And I think that helps us as designers of products that asking,
Speaker 2:And even with specific product types, like layering stamps or layering dyes, um, which we've become known for. It's nice having that experience stamping because you need to know which layers to do in which way, because you can't stamp a light color over a dark color if you're using a dye ink. So you have to really think about how you're going to be using the product when it comes time to designing so that you don't accidentally do something that wouldn't be possible to recreate with ink and paper. Absolutely. So looking ahead, we have some great things. I don't really want to divulge any secrets here, but Tasneem and I, and all the rest of our team have been working on new products that are going to be releasing new product categories beyond the ones that we already have in a shop that are pretty exciting and some stuff that we haven't seen anywhere else from any other companies. So we're excited to bring those to our customers and our fans.
Speaker 3:And I'm always excited to be working on this new project. Sometimes all of these ideas work and some of them don't, but you know, you have to always keep the ideas going and eventually you come up with something beautiful and unique.
Speaker 2:So we just wanted to thank everybody for listening and for joining us to hear a little bit more about our story and about how often you, the company was born. And we want you to always remember to craft your own
Speaker 1:Right.