It's hard to believe that it's been 12 years since I first rented an $8 table at the Ann Arbor Artisan Market to sell my paper bag scrap books and handmade cards. On a good Sunday afternoon I'd make $80 or so and that's all it took for me to catch the art fair bug.
Before long, my boyfriend (now husband) Steve and I were participating in up to 35 art fairs a year around Michigan. Since a lot of people seemed to like our handmade paper wares, we took a leap of faith and showcased our goods at a wholesale trade show.
Pretty soon, quite a few gift shops and galleries were carrying our products and from that point on, things moved quite fast. Our two-person basement business now resides in a 6,000 sq. foot space and employs ten talented people. Now you can find our designs at over 800 retail locations across the USA.
Steve and I can't imagine a better way to live our lives. We've been so blessed throughout this amazing journey and are grateful for all the incredible experiences we've been a part of and continue to encounter.
If you're at all interested in reading the long version of this story, you can check it out at this link: how a.i. paper design came to be
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