As I mentioned on Wednesday, I had the pleasure of meeting Nikki Kelly at the Make It Edmonton show at the end of May. I hadn’t planned on going to the show, since we were supposed to be camping… but this is Edmonton, and we were chased out of the campground by an impending blizzard. Yes, really.

The silver lining to our aborted camping trip was a trip to Make It! I met many great crafters and designers, and was pleased to see some familiar faces and companies.

Nikki agreed, on the spot, to be our first “Feature Friday” interview candidate – as we discover the amazing talent in Canada, we wanted to learn a little more about the people behind the products, and so we’ll be asking a few of the artists to answer our C+H questionnaire! With no further ado, allow me to introduce Nikki:

C+H: What started the creative fire burning for you? Do you remember a particular moment, a favourite childhood activity, something you saw and wanted to recreate or improve upon?

Nikki: Ever since I can remember I’ve always loved drawing and if you look at my illustrations now, it’s pretty obvious my style hasn’t developed much over the years.  Of course that’s all part of my shtick though… My cards intentionally look sweet, but have a very vulgar edge.  As for how I came about designing greeting cards, I was reading cards in a local gift shop one day and it occurred to me how awesome it would be if there was a really sweet looking birthday card that said something really crude and unexpected on the inside.  Since I had diplomas in both Journalism and Design I figured I’d start creating cards like that myself!

C+H: Where do you look for inspiration?

Nikki: Inspiration comes from everywhere for me.  Sometimes I hear a word on tv that will inspire a card idea, other times it’s thinking about a certain friend or family member and developing a card around a certain personality trait they have.  Though ideas really occur anytime and anywhere so I’m almost always carrying a notebook with me so I can jot them down as they arrive.

C+H: What part of creating your pieces gives you the most joy and satisfaction?

Nikki: The most joy I get in creating my cards is seeing how people react to the finished product.  Since most of my sales are through retailers and online orders, I only get to see my customer reactions a few times a year at various craft shows. It’s reassuring to me to see that I’m not the only one with a twisted sense of humour.

C+H: What is it about your creations that sets you apart?

Nikki: Hug and Kiss cards are different from other cards lines because we look so sweet, but have such a sassy, sarcastic, sinister sense of humour.  Sure there are other vulgar greeting cards out there, but you can usually tell what sense of humour they have because of the illustrations on the front.  Having ours looking like they were drawn by a child really throws the reader off when they see all the swearing inside.

C+H: Why do you choose to work in this medium or format?

Nikki: Greeting cards were a medium that I just sort of fell into, but I think there’s room for my company to expand into other formats.  I’ve already expanded to magnets, t-shirts and paintings, but I’m hoping to branch out even more in the next few years.

C+H: How long does it take to create one of your pieces?

Nikki: A card can take anywhere from five minutes to a few weeks to create.  The copywriting has never been the hard part for me, it’s coming up with the illustrations that can take time.

C+H: Do you feel that living in Canada has influenced your work?

Nikki: I think in general Canadians have a really great sense of humour, which has made my cards really well-received.  It helps that we can laugh at ourselves too, which is almost needed as the receipiant of one of my cards.  Also, it seems we really like to support local talent, so people are happy to learn that my cards are all 100% hand-made here in Canada.

C+H: What advice would you give someone who is just starting out? Who has provided you with inspiration or mentorship on your journey?

Nikki: When you’re just starting out, you have to take risks.  Sometimes they can be really scary, but you have to get out there and give it a try.  I’ve been really lucky in having a very supportive family that has encouraged me not only to start this business, but to take it to the next level. My husband helped me out a lot when I decided to devote myself to the company 100% by quitting my part-time job.  Hug and Kiss Designs certainly wouldn’t be where it is without him.

C+H: Where can we find you online? (webpage, twitter, facebook, etc)

Nikki: My entire catalogue is available online at www.hugandkissdesigns.com You can also find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=22701847512&ref=ts

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Thanks so much, Nikki! We look forward to seeing you at many more shows, and to seeing where you take Hug + Kiss Designs in the years to come!

Cheers,
~Sarah and Jennifer