There are so many books written about decluttering that if you bought them all, they would, ironically, create their own pile of clutter. It feels great to get rid of unwanted stuff, especially papers overflowing a desk or a file.

Decluttering has become a religion of sorts, with its own gurus. Short of having gene therapy to change my essential nature, I remain someone who tends to hang on to stuff.

As Popeye liked to say, “I yam what I yam.”

There are treasures in those files. Looking at them again is like a trip in the Way Back Machine.

Had I not saved a note from my dear friend Trish urging me to start a textile business, I never would have thought to do that.

My files contain letters written to me by my kids when they were small. A note from Scout Camp read: “This is a hell hole. Get me out of here.” (By the time I got the letter, he was happy and would have stayed all summer.)

I have the letters and cards they sent later as they grew and traveled and matured. I have loving cards from friends and family. I have letters written from my grandmother to my mom when she was dating my dad and unable to decide if she wanted to marry him or not. Grandma said “STOP STRINGING HIM ALONG … Marry him, or let someone else have him.” Most poignant are letters from my own late, great mother in her unique voice that still haunts my dreams.

And all this brings me to note cards.

A small note card is the perfect way to make a big impact. And who knows…your note may just end up in someone’s file of treasured messages.

Image of Popeye via Pinterest

In 2014, a dear friend was in the recovery room, post surgery, when something made her think of me. Still woozy from the anesthesia, she wrote a brief letter in wobbly script so unlike her usual calligraphic precision, urging me to have my designs printed on other products. She listed 10+ items, from the sublime to the ridiculous. I found her note quizzical, flattering, and impractical, and put it away. Clay had been my life’s work for well over 30 years. Clay defined me. I was a one-trick-pony, or so I assumed.

The note resurfaced last year during a cleaning binge and this time it seemed worth considering. After all, my pottery is very labor intensive and maybe a textile line would be complementary. I did some research and realized I needed to make paintings, get them scanned, find appropriate textile products and a printer who could do the work. I spend my days painting imagery on clay, so how hard would it be?

If this was a movie, you would now hear the sombre, foreboding music…the kind they play right before the unsuspecting hero makes a major mistake.

I bought acrylics, only to find out I hated acrylics (& visa versa)…Watercolors were next. That turned out to be a VERY humbling experience. I was competent painting with underglazes on clay but now the rules were all different. Weeks of failures ensued, but finally the pile of rejects were replaced with good ones. The next step was to order samples of assorted textiles that were suitable for DTG (Direct to Garment) printing. I was disappointed to find that the things I liked the best were very pricey, and the more affordable items were not at all what I hoped for.

Late one Saturday night, I vowed to go through every page of Google listings until I found something I liked in the size, fabric, and price I wanted. Most of us never get past page 2 or 3 and there is a lot of junk and advertisements filling up those pages…but I was not going to quit until I located a US company close enough to keep shipping costs reasonable. I waded through listing after listing, and finally landed on Tea Towels by Factory Direct Linen

Note to readers: If you are a company with a “Contact us” link on your site, hire someone to answer those e-mails! So many companies invite you to connect with them, but never answer. But I e-mailed them, not expecting a reply until the following week if ever. Imagine my shock when I got a reply a short time later from the operations manager who graciously sent me samples…and he and his company have been part of my team ever since.

Another Google search led me to Top Banana USA a printing company in Philadelphia…an hour from my home. That meant we could meet in person and seeing his operation was a real treat. Taylor MCDowell is conscientious and pays great attention to detail. The colors on my finished products are crisp and clear and still retain the painterly quality I wanted.

I hope you like them as much as I do.