When I wrote a blog post in March about some of the collaborations I’ve been a part of over the past few years, I had no idea that another one was right around the corner. I wasn’t looking for any new illustrations, but when I saw Jessika’s interview a few weeks later with Sherryl of lizzie, izzie + james, I was completely smitten with the illustrations that Mayi Carles did for their product packaging.
I contacted Mayi to see if she’d be interested in a royalty-based arrangement similar to the one I have with Meg at olliegraphic. It took us a few weeks to work out all of the details and then several months for Mayi to create a collection of illustrations for sarah + abraham and for me to print samples, photograph everything, and prepare the website listings.
But it was well worth the effort! On September 12th I launched the Mayi Carles collection, and we’ve both received a lot of positive feedback. My customers are enjoying the new collection which complements my silhouette and olliegraphic collections nicely, and Mayi’s fans are now able to purchase all kinds of new products featuring her whimsical illustrations.
On a personal level, it’s been great to make another new online friend, and Mayi has been amazing to work with. In addition to her artistic talent, she’s also an expert at branding and running a creative business. So it’s been really great to collaborate with her on every step of bringing this new collection to fruition.
Have you collaborated with any other small business owners? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Please leave a comment and share with us!
