Meet Katherine Dunlop of Lucy and the Press in East Cobb

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Dunlop.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Katherine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hello! I am the owner and artist behind Lucy and the Press. I specialize in custom screen printed greeting cards of people pets.

I was introduced to printmaking my senior year of high school and decided I wanted to go to college that offered a variety of printmaking classes along with any other art medium I could get my hands on. I was accepted into Flagler College and graduated with a bachelors in art. While there, my love for printmaking grew with the help of my college professor Don Martin. After graduation, I moved to Nashville, TN for an internship at Hatch Show Print where I learned how to use letterpresses to create show posters for musicians. While living in Nashville, I met my husband! Shortly before we married, we adopted our dog Lucy (the inspiration for Lucy and the Press). That Christmas, I broke out my screen printing supplies and created our Christmas card of Lucy wearing a Santa’s hat to send to our family and friends. They were a big hit and in my spare time, I began to create t-shirts and greeting cards for family and friends and made a mini studio out of our hallway closet.

In June 2018, my husband’s job relocated us to Atlanta, GA and we saw an opportunity for me to try out my online store where people could purchase my cards and could request cards of their pets. Luckily, I had a spare bedroom to work from this time and with the love and support of my husband, I opened my Etsy shop Lucy and the Press on July 7th, 2018!

Since then, I have attended craft fairs, and created custom cards for people all over the United States! I love being able to create cards of people’s pets for all occasions the most popular theme right now is weddings. You can’t have your special day without your furry friends and I love being able to help brides and grooms incorporate their pet into their wedding. Every card is unique and it makes my job so much fun. Plus, Lucy just loves that’s the office is just down the hallway and she has the very important job of keeping my feet warm along with quality checking all of our products.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like most startups, it has been a bumpy road. Trying to figure out what to make and where you fit in online was a struggle at first. Also, being in a new area was a challenge I had to learn where everything was and research local craft fairs. My first craft fair was a huge milestone for me. While I didn’t make very much at it, it gave me great insight into what people were looking for. Now, I do a few craft fairs a year! I love getting people’s feedback and chatting with them about their pets. The whole process is a learning curve and luckily, I had support along the way from my family and friends. I couldn’t have done it without them. Most of all, my husband who has been so supportive of me on this journey.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lucy and the Press – what should we know?
Lucy and the Press specialize in creating handmade greeting cards of people’s pets. The process I use to make them is screen printing, I draw out my design and then, I make my own stencils for my screen. Each stencil represents a color of the design and then I print each layer overlapping each other to create the final image. Lastly, I go back into the print and hand paint small details. This process makes each card unique and their own work of art that you can’t find in just any retail store. I am proud to offer a quality product that showcases people’s pets, I do cards for all occasions but the most popular are weddings and Christmas themes.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The characteristics that I feel have made me successful is my creativity, passion and drive. Without any of those, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: lucyandthepress.etsy.com
• Phone: 6319037875
• Email: lucyandthepress@gmail.com
• Instagram: @lucyandthepress
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucyandthepress/

Image Credit:
Photos were taken by: Katherine Dunlop

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.