TriciaMadeThis & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #688
This November will mark 8 years since I began my #SpreadTheKindness Movement. My earliest posts were all about plugging small businesses and celebrating the inspiring people I meet on my life journeys. I eventually merged these kindness posts with my weekly Link Up on the Edge and have since gotten away from regularly dedicating posts to people and businesses who deserve some public praise.
Since I just had an amazing experience with some products from an Etsy seller, I wanted to share it with you all. Plus I think it’s kind of a fun story how I came upon TriciaMadeThis and quickly became a big fan.
Since getting my “Saved from the Landfill” and “In the Garden” rag curtains on display at the State Street Market, I figured I needed new business cards. Check them out in their new space.
My current business cards are for my blog but I wanted something different and unique for Shelbee on the Rags. Mainly, I really wanted sustainable business cards since my raggery projects really do focus on saving heaps of clothing from ending up in landfills. After doing an extensive online search for sustainable business cards, the most affordable option would cost me $0.75 per card. I felt like that was quite a bit of money for a tiny piece of cardstock that most people will likely just toss in the trash.
But I wasn’t ready to give up. So I went to Etsy to see if I could find something less expensive and more to my taste. And that search led me to TriciaMadeThis. She makes the cutest upcycled blank business cards from cardboard recyclables. Each card is cut with rounded edges to the size of a standard business card. The assortment of cards includes lots of well known food brands and popular treats on the back and then you can customize the front however you’d like.
At first I thought, “Hey, that is a fantastic idea! I can cut cardboard boxes.” Then I realized that I don’t want to cut cardboard boxes. I want to cut clothing and tie the rags into curtains. But I think Tricia actually wants to cut cardboard boxes. Even if she doesn’t it, she already has it done. So I will pay her $10.50 for 100 blank cards and focus on what I enjoy doing.
I also ordered a custom stamper from Zazzle for $25, bringing my total cost per card to $0.35. But as I order more upcycled cards from Tricia, the cost per card will go down because the stamp should last me for the duration of my raggery projects.
Check out my new cards. They are exactly what I wanted and they literally make me squeal with delight.
After I added the cards to my Etsy cart, I saw that Tricia also grows her own catnip and makes the darlingest little catnip toys. My feline family members, Frank and Dave, are mad for catnip and our stash was nearly depleted. So I added 3 bags of Tricia’s non-GMO catnip, a bomb pop catnip toy, a mushroom catnip toy, and a dozen catnip candies to my cart. Look at all the cuteness.
When the box arrived just a few short days after ordering, my cats went berserk over it. I couldn’t open it fast enough and I had to hide the bag of catnip candy from them because they wanted it all at once. Here is a short video of Dave with his first catnip candy.
I have been making much more of an effort to shop small businesses instead of big box retailers. Sure, Target and Petco offer adorable and practical toys for our furry friends, but I don’t think Brian Cornell or Ron Coughlin need or appreciate my $35 purchase as much as Tricia Allen does. Therefore, I would rather give my money to Tricia because it makes me feel better about my purchase knowing that it was created and handled with the same kind of creative love and passion that I put into my own projects. So if you have furry feline friends who might be hankering for some new catnip products, my cats highly recommend anything from TriciaMadeThis.
What are your favorite small businesses to shop? I invite you to share them in the link party, too!
Featured Favorites
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Other Favorite: Estelle of Homemade on a Weeknight
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.
26 Comments
Jennifer
That’s soooo cute!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I think so, too, Jennifer! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
Great post and very interesting. Be nice to see the finished piece. Thanks for the feature. What a lovely surprise. Jacqui xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Oh my word, those cards are so lovely! What a good idea. And I love those cat candys. Mine love them too, they are always druling all over a toy worth catnip. Enjoy your weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! I am so excited about this sustainable business cards! And these cats of mine are catnip junkies! It is so fun to watch them play, isn’t it? Happy weekend to you, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
That’s great that you were able to get your fun, unique curtains in a store! I love it. And Tricia’s business cards are amazing. In our family, no cardboard ever goes into the garbage. I save it all year and it goes into my garden in the spring as a great weed suppressor! Thanks for the party.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy! I just received my second custom curtain order so I am really excited about this new journey in raggery! I love that you repurpose your cardboard recycling into weed suppressants! That is absolutely brilliant!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Really clever idea about recycling boxes as business cards. If I decide I need business cards, I will do the same. I’m not sure how I’d use them now. Sadly, with my print on demand shops, I have no access to customer information, so I can’t even thank them. And yet, I do love print on demand for the sustainability aspect that you mentioned. You don’t have a lot of manufactured product sitting in a warehouse somewhere that may or may not be purchased.
It is so awesome to see your raggery curtains on display!
The video of Dave with Tricia’s catnip toy is so cute!
xoxo
Michelle
https://www.michellesuzanneartworks.com/blog
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! These business cards are so perfect for what I wanted! Print on demand is so much better than backstocked inventory, for sure. I just received my second custom curtain order so I am really super excited about what lies ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Oh congrats! That is so cool!
xoxo
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you!
Di
Love your rag curtains, and am so happy you found an outlet to sell them! Glad to see small businesses thrive, and I try to buy local and small when possible. I don’t have a cat, but Tricia’s cat toys are so aborable, I think they would make great gifts for my friends and neighbors with kitties. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Di, thank you so much, my friend! I am now currently working on two custom rag curtain orders! I am so excited that people are interested in my bohemian crafts! I hope your weekend is amazing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Those cards are fabulous and her cat nip products look cute too.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my gosh, Joanne, I am beyond excited over these business cards! They are perfect for me!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amber Woodyard
Thanks so much for the feature this week! Those cat nip candies look awesome! I’m buying some right now for my furry friends. I’m a small business owner and I love supporting other small businesses.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh, that is so awesome, Amber! Thanks for continuing to support small businesses! What is your small business and how can I support you?
xoxo
Shelbee
Estelle Forrest
Thanks for including my Ramen recipe this week. I appreciate the ongoing support.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks for sharing with us, Estelle! I do love meatballs in soup so I definitely want to make this recipe!
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
I love the idea of upcycled business cards! That is a great way to cut down on waste and cost! Best of both worlds!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Laura! I was really excited when I found these cards. They are absolutely brilliant from a sustainability perspective!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
Congrats on finding a place to sell your curtains! I’m sure they will sell quickly, and you will be so busy making more! I loved watching Dave and his catnip toy! Does he get surly after? My grandcat loves catnip but he gets means as he winds down! And, what a clever way to recycle cardboard! I love your stamp, too!
Thanks for the link up, my friend!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so much, my friend! I already have two custom curtain orders in the works! I am so excited about everything to do with these rag curtains! My cats don’t get very surly with us after catnip. But now that you mention, they tend to get a bit rambunctious with one another shortly after consumption. They instigate and harass each other until one is snarling and swatting and then I have to break them up. Just like my human kids! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Those are some super cool business cards. Love them. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Patrick! I am beyond thrilled with these new sustainable business cards! I hope you have a fantastic week, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee