I know you love beautiful designs, here’s a little story behind our beautiful, elegant Australiana designs from Andrea Smith, our Sydney artist.
I love art designs, and I wish that I had the patience and skill to whip up every idea I think of for our beeswax wrap designs…
Way, way back in 2016 when we had just moved out of my house and into the back of our local antique shop, we went out to lunch as a team.
It was Shelby’s birthday. Shelby was the centre of our team, my first hire, and the bolts that kept me on track. I had bought a cookbook for her because she had always raved about how the dinner prep smells would be so good and so distracting while she was working in my house. The joys of small business startups!
This book that I had bought at Organic Feast was wrapped in some beautiful wrapping paper that I had bought there, a gorgeous print from Earth Greetings along with the matching card.
I was so in love with the wrapping paper, it was just so beautiful and of course I had already been thinking the very thought; as soon as I handed it to Shelby she exclaimed and said right away “we need this design on our Apiwraps!”.
Of course we did!
We examined the paper looking for clues see who the artist was and where we could find them.
Straight away I searched out Andrea‘s socials sent her a message to get in touch. She was keen and we started talking ideas. Australiana, really pretty, elegant Australiana was what our retailers had been asking for… and Andrea’s skills were exactly aligned.
At that stage I had only made designs myself, and though I was dreaming of all the potential. It was very early days and we were having textile supply dramas in every direction.
Ever courageous and perhaps a little foolish, I had my lawyer write up a licensing contract, sent it to Andrea. We started our project! The lovely Australiana was actually going to happen!
The Perfect Australian Beeswax Wrap Design
The designs that Andrea drew up in draft were absolutely perfect. Oh that moment when you’ve hired someone to do a job and they deliver the most outrageously perfect work! It is just incredible. I love working with those people. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. Another one of them is our brand manager Dana, everything she sends me is so spot on I never even think about revisions. Happy sigh.
So, Andrea made some drafts that were perfect in every way and we had a contract ready and we were on our way into the sunset of product-design-happily-ever-after…
And then some wheels fell off on my side, and I didn’t follow up. Then when I did, Andrea’s wheels had fallen off and I recommended my favourite business book for when you’re inundated by all the things (Clockwork by Mike Michalowicz if you’re interested).
And the crazy thing is, despite us both being so excited about the project, weeks went by, and then months went by… and I remember I sent some Apiwraps to Andrea at one point just to let her know that I was still there holding a candle for her… And then the craziest thing happened because I realised that it had actually been a year or two or actually three, and we never made our beautiful designs!
I was so happy for Andrea when her project for Spotlight was released. But at the same time, I was a little bit broken-hearted. Seeing her distinctive style on textiles that I was hoping for.
Our Lucky Break
It was shortly after this that I received a call from ALDI asking if our next project could feature Australian animals. My mind was racing, beautiful elegant Australia! Oh yes! You can imagine how quickly I was on the phone to Andrea.
I had a really short timeframe to get this ready so I was jumping from foot to foot hoping and praying and wishing that “please would Andrea have time in the little three week window I had available to finish those designs off and get the final work to me??? Oh please!”
Well. As you can see here she did have time. Aren’t we all just so happy for that!
These designs are the ant’s pants, the best thing ever, the ultimate Apiwrap that has been preoccupying my dreams for nearly ten years now. And all brimming over with the most gorgeous Australiana you’ve ever seen. Cockatoos, kookaburras and all the flowers. Kangaroos and koalas, a cheeky baby koala too. The sugar glider is one of my favourites and the beady eyed magpie.
A Happy Ending
This is what I imagined Apiwraps would look like when I was visualising the ultimate amazing outcome that could happen way back in 2012. This is my BHAG. This is my Everest.
After their initial release with ALDI in 2021 the Andrea Smith collection has been reserved for our giftware stores and our online store only. You can buy them here, or find them in a sweet gift store that stocks beautiful Australiana near you.
I do hope you enjoy!
Freyja
