Rise Up Designs

One of my commitments this year was to become more involved in the small business community. This weekend, I participated in another small market at a local coffee shop. If you’ve followed my journey for a while, you know that most of my larger events are 10x10 booth spaces filled with products, displays, and lots of foot traffic. This market was much smaller—a cozy 5x5 setup—but it reminded me of something important. Of course, every small business owner hopes for sales when they attend an event. But I’ve learned that showing up isn’t always about what you sell that day. Sometimes it’s about building relationships, getting out of your comfort zone, and becoming part of something bigger than yourself. As I walked around the market, I took photos of the other vendors and shared them on Instagram. I tagged their businesses and encouraged people to stop by and support them. My thinking was simple: if someone comes out to support me, maybe they’ll discover another amazing small business...

 When I first started creating, my focus was pretty simple: tumblers, wraps, and learning everything I could about UV DTF products. Like many small business owners, I spent countless hours figuring out designs, testing products, and learning what customers responded to. But something interesting happened along the way. I realized the product wasn’t really the thing. The creativity was. The skill set was. The ability to take an idea and turn it into something meaningful was. For a while, UV DTF decals primarily meant tumblers for me. And while I still love creating them, I started asking myself: What else can I do with the tools I already have? That’s where the fun began. The same UV DTF products I was using on tumblers started showing up on: 📚 Blind Date with a Book bundles 🔖 Beaded bookmarks 🔑 Keychains 👜 Book lover totes 📖 Annotation kits 🎁 Reader gift bundles Instead of learning an entirely new craft, I simply found new ways to use the skills I already had....

Yesterday was my first summer kickoff market of the season, and overall, it was a great day. The weather cooperated, customers stopped by, and I had the opportunity to share some of my favorite products with fellow book lovers and market shoppers. But one interaction stuck with me long after the market ended. A customer stopped by my booth and began asking questions. Lots of questions. How do you make these? Where do the materials come from? How much does it cost to make them? Do you make them yourself? Do you buy them premade and resell them? As creators, we pour so much time, energy, and creativity into what we do. It’s natural to feel protective of our work and wonder why someone is asking so many detailed questions. But as the conversation continued, I learned something important. She wasn’t trying to copy my business. She wasn’t looking for shortcuts. She was trying to raise money for her church and was looking for ideas and inspiration that could help support their ...

If you’ve been following along, you know weekends are usually filled with market prep, product planning, inventory checks, and getting ready for the next event. This weekend looked a little different. After a trip to Waco and a week of feeling under the weather, I found myself doing something I don’t do very often: slowing down. No major crafting projects. No late-night prep sessions. No marathon product-making weekends. Just rest. At first, I felt a little guilty. As a small business ownerl, there’s always something that could be done. A product to create. A display to improve. A social media post to schedule. The to-do list never really ends. But this week reminded me that sometimes rest is part of the work. When we’re constantly moving, creating, and hustling, it’s easy to forget that our energy is one of our most important resources. If we don’t take care of ourselves, eventually our creativity, motivation, and excitement begin to suffer too. My next summer market is com...

This weekend I participated in a smaller market at a local coffeehouse, and honestly? It ended up being a really good reminder that growth doesn’t always happen in the biggest spaces. Usually, I work larger markets with a full 10x10 setup. This time, I had to scale everything down into a much smaller 5x5 space. At first, I worried about how much I’d have to leave behind or whether it would still feel like me . But once everything came together, I realized something important: Sometimes limitations force creativity. The market itself is still growing, and this was only their second event. The first time I participated, it rained most of the day, so there wasn’t much traffic. This weekend was different. The turnout was smaller than some of the larger events I’ve done, but the conversations were meaningful, the atmosphere was relaxed, and it gave me the opportunity to really pay attention to how people interacted with my setup. One thing I consistently hear at markets is how cohesive ...

This week wasn’t packed with pop-ups or new launches—it was something even more important: showing up where it matters. I started the weekend at the Heart Walk, which reminded me how much I love being part of something bigger. Walking alongside friends, survivors, and supporters grounded me in the work I get to do every day. The rest of the weekend? It wasn’t flashy. It was real life. Taking care of my mom (she is sickies). Making sure she had what she needed. Slowing down when it counted. I kept up with Etsy orders (shoutout to everyone who placed an order—y’all keep me going!), but otherwise, I gave myself the gift of presence. 💛 Sometimes self-care looks like slowing your pace. 💛 Sometimes “productive” means prioritizing the people you love. 💛 And sometimes the most creative fuel doesn’t come from crafting—it comes from connection. So today, I’m sipping slow, soaking in the little things, and getting ready for whatever next week brings. Here’s to love, family, and the kin...

  This past week, I had four days off from my full-time job — a rare stretch of rest, and I was so looking forward to it. But the July 4 weekend didn’t go quite as planned. We had family in town, but the weather in San Antonio was wild. Flooding, storms, and really heartbreaking news from surrounding areas. People lost their lives. Communities were shaken. It’s hard to celebrate when you’re also holding sadness. And then there’s the world — the news, the politics, the feeling of “what are we even doing?” It’s easy to get overwhelmed. And as a small business owner, I walk this line: ⚖️ Do I acknowledge what’s happening? ⚖️ Do I just post tumblers and keep it light? ⚖️ What’s the right thing to do? Honestly, I don’t always know. But here’s what I do know: I want to keep showing up. I want to be present. I want to keep learning, growing, and trying to do better — in business and in life. This week reminded me that there’s power in making space for both things: 🌧️ The ha...

Let’s talk about it—tariffs. 😩 I’m not here to get political, but I am here to be real: these new tariff hikes on imported goods? Yeah, they’re starting to squeeze small businesses like mine. Whether it's glass cans, bamboo lids, UV DTF wraps, or the little things like straws and packaging—it adds up . Fast. I recently had to do what I’ve been putting off: adjust my prices. Just a little, but it was tough. I know how hard people work for their money, and I don’t take any sale lightly. So if you're one of my customers, just know—this decision came with a lot of thought (and a few sighs). 👉🏼 Why the increase? Because the cost of almost everything has gone up for makers like me. And when you’re a one-woman show hand-making, packing, creating content, and running two businesses, you feel it in your bones (and your budget). 👉🏼 What doesn’t change? The heart, the care, the sparkle ✨ that goes into every order. I still include: Clear instructions with each wrap A l...