This spring saw a lot of transition here at the Monaluna studio. As planned, I put the shop on pause while I shifted my focus from producing my line of fabrics to producing artwork and prints for fabric, as well as other products. That last part was something I was really excited about, but also presents a lot of questions. What products? How do they fit with the core value of sustainability in my brand? How do I source them? Do I carry inventory or do Print-on-Demand (POD)? What size boxes do I need to package and ship these products? (This is an ongoing challenge…)
Many of these questions are still being answered, but I have been enjoying the research and the creative process of figuring out this new chapter. I got some new samples in last week, so I thought I’d give you a peek at what is in the works. So far, I’ve been dabbling mostly with print-on-demand, but there are a lot of kinks to work out, like how to keep the colors consistent, the limited availability of eco-friendly products, unfortunately, and the inability to add personal touches to the packing and shipping, which is something I really enjoy. I’m also working on some organic linen products, recycled paper gift wrap, and I’m hoping to find a source for recycled paper stationery products. Stay tuned for those!
The mugs, papercloth lunchboxes and bento boxes are all print-on-demand, and I have a little work to do to make the colors match across different products, but it’s been fun to play with the prints and coordinates. The bento boxes are made of plastic and wood, so not as sustainable as I’d like, but I love that they are fun and playful reusable containers, and I’m planning to put them into rotation for when we pick up sushi or other take out foods. The restaurants here will pack them in reusable containers if you bring them, and that cuts down on a lot of plastic waste – perfect for Plastic-Free July!
I am hoping to get these products and more finalized by the time the new Monaluna for Windham fabrics arrive later in the month. At that point, the shop will be open again, and stocked with lots of new bundles, kits, patterns, housewares and other products.