Summer & Emma Get On The Sticker Business

My girls and I love stickers! I keep my own stash but I also have a bunch which I let them use when we’re scrapbooking together or making greeting cards for friends. We also share a fondness for sticker-bombing our stuff, like bags, boxes and notebooks! They can’t stick stickers all over our house but they can inside their closet door, so that’s been sticker-bombed too! And because we love stickers so much, we did a little collaboration recently and created sticker sets using their own designs!

First, I made them draw on paper. They could draw anything they liked as long as it was big enough (fit half a letter size) and only line art (no coloring) using dark colored markers. Once drawings were finished, I scanned their work, then together, we colored and embellished their pictures on the computer. They “art directed” how each sticker should look — color, layout, elements — while I did the rendering. It was a fun and amusing process, I must say. Specially when Emma accompanied it with detailed storytelling. She has a backstory for every little thing!

Then, I sent designs to the printshop and had them turned into 2×2-inch stickers which we have been selling so the girls also get to learn a bit about earning their keep, a little bit of marketing and, of course, math.

The first set they made is called “Wonderland” and are pictures of their favorite things like ice cream, unicorns, mermaids, flowers and fashion. They come in bright happy colors, reflecting their very vibrant personalities. This set first came out at WarnerTV PopExpo in Bonifacio High Street and were sold at the Kendo booth. Of course, their Tito and Tita fans made sure to buy. (Thanks guys!)

The second set is Halloween-themed and are the cutest spooky things you’ve ever seen! There’s a good purple witch on her way to trick or treating, a peach spider that has more legs than he will ever need in his life, a laughing pumpkin who is, apparently, star-gazing, and a punk ghost also on his way to trick or treating.

The girls released their “Spookyland” stickers at the Cubao Expo Halloween costume party last week and even set up a little booth inside Kendo where they asked almost everyone who came in if they wanted to buy stickers. Nobody could resist!

The girls were thrilled to have been able to sell and have some money which we are now setting aside for Christmas so they can buy themselves a little something. But we’re also saving some so they can keep making and perhaps keep this sticker business growing haha.

It’s all fun and we’re all enjoying it, specially the creative process, but I’m hoping they do pick up a valuable lesson or two about art and business in this little venture.