When I wrote my first monthly round-up in August, I wasn’t entirely convinced I’d have enough to talk about every month.
Apparently, that isn’t going to be a problem.
September has involved a lot of drawing, printing, cutting, new client work and turning one of my slightly overambitious ideas into something very real.
So, here’s a little look at what’s been happening behind the scenes at Polka Dot Teapot Studio this month. I hope you enjoy!
The Mail Club started as a small idea: a little parcel of illustrated post each month.
Then one sticker sheet became two, a few cards became an entire series and, before I knew it, I’d created a whole collection. Apparently, I’m incapable of having one sensible little idea. The first edition, Woodland Wanderer, is inspired by autumn walks with Aries and is my favourite project so far!
Join monthly or choose a one-off parcel.
At the opposite end of the design spectrum from woodland creatures and tiny stickers, September also brought a new project for St Nicholas Lodge in Thorne.
I created a six-page folded leaflet bringing together information about the lodge, Freemasonry and more than 135 years of local history.
The design needed to feel traditional and respectful without looking dark or dated. I used rich navy, warm cream and gold details, alongside historical photographs and plenty of carefully organised information.
It was a really interesting project to work on and something completely different for my portfolio. I also received some wonderful feedback when it was finished, which made it even lovelier.
The studio gained a new Cricut this month, arriving at exactly the right time for the Mail Club.
It’s already been busy turning my illustrations into sticker sheets, labels and tiny paper pieces. Seeing everything go from a drawing on my screen to a real product made here in the studio has been incredibly fun, and naturally, it’s given me several more ideas…
After creating my first monthly newsletter, I realised my original welcome email was starting to look a little left behind.
It still worked, but it no longer felt connected with the studio, or the much fresher style my emails seem to have developed.
So, I decided to give it a small refresh, which became a complete redesign (of course it did!)
While I was working on it, I started thinking about how important welcome emails actually are. They’re often the first proper conversation someone has with your business, but they can easily become something we set up once and then completely forget about.
I’ve put together six simple ways to make your welcome email feel warmer, more useful and more memorable.
September in the garden has been less about flowers and more about preparing for next year. I’ve started clearing the beds ready for the Great Spring Bulb Project.I’ve somehow ended up with nearly 700 bulbs to plant. Whoops!
Aries has been enjoying watching the sunrises on our early morning walks. We also visited Hatfield Moors, where he investigated plenty of important smells while carefully avoiding the resident snakes. Sunrises: approved. Snakes: absolutely not.
October is already looking rather busy! The first Woodland Wanderer parcels will be heading out, I’ll be attempting to plant nearly 700 bulbs and there are already several new ideas taking shape in the studio.
Thank you for reading my September round-up. I hope you’re enjoying the beginning of autumn and finding a little time for whatever makes you happy.
Laura & Aries x
