About
It was at a party that Annie and Catherine first had the notion they might work well together. They had decided to host what they referred to as an "Artsy Fartsy" party where they would entertain friends in their home and make available a fun assortments of hand-made objects d'art that could be purchased as holiday gifts. For months they created painted picture frames and glassware, sewn belts and handbags, and beaded jewelry to offer in addition to Catherine's already popular scenic calendars and Annie's budding note card line.
The party was such a success that before it ended the two artists began talking about how they might share print resources used in the making of both Annie's cards and Catherine's calendars. What started out a simple idea soon turned into a proposal not just to share resources, but to start an entirely new business.
What the artists had in common was evident from the start: a love of art, color and style. That, and their open, cooperative attitudes led to talk about developing a new business that would combine two artists' creative talents as well as utilize their 30 years of experience in the design industry. After just a few minutes of discussion about how they might best work together they decided (in true annie-catherine style) just to "go for it" and incorporate as annie|catherine.
They made it their first order of business to list the values they cared most about. Among them was a respect for the environment, a desire to help others, and a need to create art without market-driven limitations (not to mention the highly regarded and often utilized conviction - to just have fun!) These ideals combined with their family-first attitude has allowed the two to create an organic business model where the work is not as much a measure of the business' success, as it is a means to invest in the individual artist.
There have been many "Artsy Fartsy" parties since, and both Annie and Catherine still believe that if they create what is in their hearts, and have fun doing it, others will appreciate and support their work by purchasing one of the hundreds of products they now produce.
All of annie|catherine's products are made by your friends and neighbors right here in the USA. All incorporate recycled materials and/or paper. In addition, by continually donating to organizations that enrich the lives of others, annie|catherine continues to nurture the people and ideals they care so deeply about.
