Maker’s Must: Cyn from River Dog Prints


I’m so happy to introduce you all to another Meetup pal: Cyn from River Dog Prints!

1. Where are you located globally?

I live in Avon, Connecticut, and am currently overhauling the playroom in our house for my home studio.

2. Where are you found online?

Website:: http://www.riverdogprints.com

Card Blog:: http://www.riverdogprints.com/photocardblog/

Dog Blog:: http://www.riverdogprints.com/dogblog/

Etsy:: http://www.riverdogprints.etsy.com

Facebook:: http://www.facebook.com/RiverDogPrints

Twitter:: @RiverDogPrints & @ScouttheDog

3. What is your favorite thing to make?

One of my favorite things to make are custom favor and gift tags. There is always so much happiness surrounding these events: showers; bar & bat mitzvahs; birthdays. Creating something that increases that happiness just a little is rewarding. I recently created a line of canning tags that are meant to label homemade canned gifts. Having my designs be a part of a homemade gift is simply wonderful.

4. When you’re making it…

a. what do you love most about it?

I have a confession… I have a baker’s twine addiction. I have eight color selections right now and will have more in June. It’s a problem that I hope benefits my customers ๐Ÿ™‚ So, my favorite part is adding twine or ribbon to the tags, giving them that finishing touch.

b. is there some part you really can’t stand?

I use a craft punch for all of my round tags. Trying to center the designs perfectly every single time gives me agita. I don’t like that feeling, but I do love the end result!

5. Do you consider yourself process or product oriented?

I play on both sides. For the most part in my paper goods line, I have a process of sketch to finished design. Lately though, a product will leap into my brain and I have to figure out how to execute it. Usually these products are something that will help me be more organized and keep my family organized – always a daunting task.

Thanks so much for sharing Cyn. I must say that you make something that could be so plain (like a label on a jar of applesauce) and make it so beautiful, and your product photos are fantastic! If anyone has a hankering for some of these labels, Cyn is having a giveaway for some of her tags and labels as well as the book Canning and Preserving with Ashley English… that ends May 10 – go enter now!

Cyn and I are twitter pals, and the other day she mentioned a Mother’s day sale she was having and I remembered that she has a stationary design that I’ve just loved for months now, but since the only stationary I use is business related, and therefor has to have my branding on it, I haven’t ordered any. (OK, it’s late – I’m sure that sentence could have been shorter…forgive me!) BUT, with that Mother’s day sale tweet I realized that the one person I do know who actually would use pretty stationary was my Mom! So off I went to order some, she got the order at like 8 PM and I had 2 differnt layout proofs to choose from by 9PM, I chose my favorite and she was shipping them off the next morning – how’s that for fast service? WooHoo! Here’s a photo ofย  my Mom’s stationary Cyn took for me:

Isn’t it fabulous! LOVE it! Thanks so much Cyn!

9 Responses

  1. cute stuff! i love those green + white ‘A’ tags at the top, super cute with the cut out! Candy, the cards you’ve gotten your mom are great. I love giving my mom personalized stationery, i know it’s something she loves, and something she wouldn’t buy herself! great work, cyn!

  2. I love River Dog Prints! I have Cyn’s canning labels and tags. They a gorgeous. A friend saw them and went bananas for them. I will be using mine on end of the year teacher gifts. I love stationers who think outside the “jar”!

  3. Thanks so much for your post introducing me to Cyn. She is going to create some new note cards for me and my Etsy shop. I love this blog!