Tell us about your company and/or your products.
Ampersand M Studio greeting cards and paper goods pair clever puns with vibrant botanical illustrations. Each design delivers a burst of color and a pinch of humor—bright, joyful, and perfect for sharing a laugh rooted in nature.
What’s your role at your company?
I am a solopreneur, so I do all the jobs, from product design and sales to inventory management and packing orders.
Why did you become a GCA member and tell us about your GCA experience so far.
A friend of a friend helped me join the Independent Greeting Card Makers Facebook group when I first started in the business, and when I posted some questions I had about working with a commercial printer, Brad Woods from Maginating kindly replied. Brad then spent almost two hours patiently answering my endless newbie questions. He suggested I consider the GCA, and I immediately decided that if the rest of the community is half as kind and helpful as Brad, I absolutely had to join.
What inspired you to get involved in the greeting card industry?
I started making puzzle cards back in 2003, just for fun, something to feed the creative side of my soul. Sharing them with friends and family brought me so much joy, and even though I had three different careers in the intervening decades, I always kept coming back to my love of paper and the visual arts. When I moved continents for the seventh time and took a pause in my corporate career, I decided it was a good time to explore this creative side. Cards are such a powerful way to convey really deep and meaningful emotions, and get them to the recipient for just the cost of a stamp.
What's something about you (a fun fact) that few people know?
I grew up in the Soviet Union, and immigrated to the US as a teenager. I am the oldest of four, which explains my big Mom energy. I have a really naughty sense of humor, which often surprises people.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I am genuinely, deeply grateful for the community I have found in the GCA. I have made so many friends (nemesis spot is still open if anyone is interested); have given and received help, and advice and support; have celebrated victories and managed failures, both my own and other people's. Thank you all so much!
Marina Kishkovich
Ampersand M Studio
|
