Go Ask Mom

Making people smile: Happy Tines serves up joy through art, cards, calligraphy

Caitlin Baumberger has raised a few things up in the last few years--two young boys and a business. Baumberger, who lives in Apex with her husband and two young sons, launched Happy Tines in 2017, offering illustrated greeting cards, art and calligraphy. "Inspired by happy color palettes and things that make me smile, my work is filled with color, hand-lettering details and whimsical hand-drawn illustrations," she tells me.

Posted 2021-08-29T15:38:52+00:00 - Updated 2021-09-06T00:38:00+00:00

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

Caitlin Baumberger has raised a few things up in the last few years—two young boys and a business. Baumberger, who lives in Apex with her husband and two young sons, launched Happy Tines in 2017, offering illustrated greeting cards, art and calligraphy. "Inspired by happy color palettes and things that make me smile, my work is filled with color, hand-lettering details and whimsical hand-drawn illustrations," she tells me.

I actually found Baumberger last spring as I was looking for a gift for my graduating fifth grader. She came up with the perfect piece that highlights one of my daughter's favorite quotes. I discovered her on her Happy Tines Etsy page, but you can also shop her items at boutiques like The Local Squirrel in Raleigh and Stylish Living in Apex.

I checked in with Baumberger to learn more about what she does. Here's a Q&A.

Go Ask Mom: How did Happy Tines Design Co. get its start? What was the aha moment?

Caitlin Baumberger: Shortly after college, I was working as a graphic designer in the corporate world. I needed a creative outlet, so I signed myself up for a traditional calligraphy class. I was engaged at the time, so my wedding was the motivating factor for my calligraphy practice. After designing wedding invitations for my own wedding and for my friends’ weddings, I fell in love with the invitation process and I launched Happy Tines in 2017. I started out primarily designing custom wedding stationery and illustrated wedding maps. I also taught in-person calligraphy workshops around the Raleigh area. Since having babies, I have switched to creating products for my shop and for wholesale. It has been such a joy!

GAM: What all do you offer?

CB: Happy Tines is a design studio specializing in creating colorful illustrated happy paper goods such as whimsical art prints, greeting cards, recipe cards, stickers, and more. I sell my products on Etsy and I also sell my products wholesale to other boutique gift shops, both locally and across the US. It’s so cool to see my products on the shelves of actual shops! I design and package my products in my home studio in Apex. I also teach seasonal online and in-person calligraphy and lettering classes.

GAM: Before COVID, you were teaching classes and you've shifted to virtual classes ever since. (I think, but correct me if I'm wrong). What did it take to make that shift, and what's the experience like for you and your students?

CB: If there’s one thing I have learned from 2020, it’s to adapt to the times. Before 2020, I was teaching in-person calligraphy and hand-lettering classes. Once COVID hit, the in-person classes stopped. I shifted and made the decision to start teaching virtually through Skillpop. Within five days, I taught three sold-out classes, all while I was 38 weeks pregnant! It was a whirlwind, but I knew I needed to take advantage of the opportunity to help others while they were stuck at home in quarantine looking to learn something new. Online classes definitely are not the same as in-person learning, but they have their advantages. I love the ease of online classes. There’s no commute, so you can show up in your pajamas to learn, you can watch the class again and again via the replay feature, and you can interact and ask questions during the live class. It has been a wonderful alternative during these crazy times!

GAM: What do you love about what you do?

CB: I love being creative and creating new illustrations for my products. My goal is for you to smile and feel happy through my bright color palettes, whimsical illustrations and hand-lettering details. I love searching for inspiration from bits and pieces of my everyday life, whether its flowers that I see on a walk, the pretty color palette from an ice cream shop, or something funny that my kids say. I love to incorporate bright colors, unexpected and quirky details, and the look of hand-drawn lettering and illustrations.

GAM: What are your hopes for the future of your business?

CB: I would love to partner and collaborate with local businesses and other brands to bring my illustrations to life in different ways. People always tell me that my illustrations belong in a children’s book, so it would be so amazing to illustrate a children’s book one day. I also think my designs would be great for fabric! I have so many ideas, but at the end of the day, I want to make sure I find joy in what I’m doing and make people smile along the way.