Studio Sunanda

Learn more about Studio Sunanda

What inspired you to start your business?

I’m a single, child-free millennial woman and I haven’t checked off all the “traditional” life milestones one usually does… but I have tried to build a full life with intention and purpose. When I go to stores and look at the greeting card aisle, the only milestones I see celebrated are weddings, babies, and purchasing a new home. I know there are a lot of other Canadians out there who, like me, have built lives of meaning and purpose and worked hard towards goals worth celebrating. That’s why Studio Sunanda exists: to celebrate ALL of life’s milestones… especially the ones that don’t come with a gift registry. And why greeting cards? I’ve always loved stationery and sending snail mail – it’s been my favourite way to stay connected to people I love and to nurture relationships. I think a little bit of analog connection can go a long way.

How do you describe your business?

My business right now is focused on creating hand-painted illustrated greeting cards for moments otherwise missed. My card designs are all painted and designed by me (no AI generation here!) and the intention is for each card to facilitate connection through warm & hopeful sentiments, with whimsical illustrations. I also do custom commissions, to celebrate other meaningful milestones with original art and I hope to create a variety of stationery products down the line as well.

PROCESS

I hand-paint each of my card designs with gouache or watercolour paint, scan the illustrations, and then leverage digital tools like PhotoShop to create the final card design. For small print runs and one-off orders, I print and prepare the cards myself. For larger wholesale orders, I’m partnering with a Canadian printer based in Calgary (Little Rock Printing) for the print production. After the cards are printed, I assemble the cards with an accompanying recycled paper envelope and a compostable clear sleeve, so that they are shelf-ready! It’s been really important to me that my packaging is eco-friendly, so I’ve found small businesses (like Crystal Clear Bags Canada and Slotbox) that produce environmentally sustainable and FSC certified paper and packaging materials.

BACKGROUND

I taught myself to paint a few years ago through lots of YouTube tutorials and trial and error. Prior to starting my business, I worked in the tech industry for 12 years, as a designer. Through that work, I picked up a number of skills in graphic and web design, digital marketing, and content strategy, all of which I put to use regularly in my business today. A big part of my professional experience was in user experience research & design: leveraging qualitative data from the actual users of products/services to design more human-centered experiences. That is at the heart of how I seek to run my business: put humans at the centre and listen to what people say. I’m looking forward to engaging customers through surveys and interviews, as I seek to understand the moments in their lives that have gone missed and the moments we SHOULD be celebrating.

WHAT MAKES THIS BUSINESS UNIQUE

When you go to the greeting card aisle of any big store, you will see a sea of nearly identical generic cards with general sentiments. Studio Sunanda cards speak to specific experiences that make people feel seen. Looking for a card to celebrate your sibling running their first 5k? Or a card to congratulate a friend for taking the brave step of freezing their eggs? What about a card to celebrate someone coming out or sharing their new pronouns with the world? Studio Sunanda has got you covered.

What’s your bestselling product?

My “pair of pears” card: it has a watercolour illustration of two happy pears, standing side by side and the text reads “We’re quite a pear!” The second most popular card features a wedge of cheese and a cheese grater smiling and holding hands, with the text reading “I think you’re pretty grate.”

Why do you think it’s so popular?

There’s something delightful about an unexpected pun – and particularly a food themed pun! I also think it speaks to how much people WANT to connect with the people they care about. These two cards are perfect for letting a long-distance friend know that you miss them, for letting your work bestie know how much you value you them, or anyone else in your life that doesn’t fall into traditional card categories, like parent/sibling/spouse.

There’s also something very clearly human and handmade in the illustrations. My style of art is not about perfection. It’s about showing you care with warm and earnestness… and sometimes that means wobbly lines and texture. People are craving authenticity and deepening of relationships and I hope that my cards can help facilitate true connection, through both their sentiments and design.

What’s your personal favourite product from your shop right now?

Either my “congratulations on your Canadian PR” or my “congratulations, you’re a Canadian citizens now!” card. I became a Canadian permanent resident last year and it was such a big milestone in my life. I threw a Canada-themed party (with butter tarts, Tim Bits, and name-that-province trivia) and was so touched by how my friends and community showed up to mark this important moment for me. Going through the immigration process in a new country is not easy and I hope that these cards can make my fellow newcomers feel extra warm and fuzzy as they step into the next chapter of their lives here.

What’s your favourite local Toronto shop?

Book City and Type Books are my favourite independent bookstores in the West End of Toronto. I also love Rois Cream and Giggli Cafe (super cute cafes in the Junction neighbourhood). I love living in the West End of Toronto! 🙂