Life Instyle sat down with Emily May And Sidonie, Co-Founders of The Nonsense Maker to discuss their vision for playful, fun, and whimsical collections of greeting cards, wall art prints, unique gifts, and wedding stationery.

What was your inspiration and your brand mission?

The brand was originally inspired by our artist Emily May’s adventuring alter ego – The Nonsense Maker! While traveling Europe Emily discovered a love for old world storybook illustrations and vintage bookshops, which you can see in her artworks and through The Nonsense Maker’s branding and packaging. Our brand mission has always been to bring a little more Nonsense to the world, one illustration at a time.

What sets your brand apart from others in the industry?

The creativity and imagination in the designs are what give The Nonsense Maker the unique playfulness that we are so proud of. The vibrant colours and highly detailed illustration style give the products a distinctive vintage aesthetic with a modern feel, so they are also very versatile. We are proud to say all of our products are ethically made in Melbourne, Australia.

What is your favourite product and why?

The Aussie Teacup Artist Tea Towel is a favourite of ours. We love that it is beautiful and functional, and makes an amazing gift for travellers or a souvenir to send overseas. We also love that our artist tea towels are designed, small batch printed, and ethically sewn in Melbourne by local small businesses.

 

What were the first steps you took to launch? And what would you say was the scariest part/your biggest fear?

We started The Nonsense Maker when we were quite young so it was a very slow and steady progression to get to where we are now. In the beginning we were both studying and working part time, doing design markets on weekends, and gradually growing the brand and product range in our spare time.

One of the scariest but most exciting steps was both quitting our jobs in the last few years and becoming full time Nonsense Makers!

What do your customers love about your products?

Customers often tell us how much they adore our quirky hand illustrated designs, and how they love the reactions they get from friends and family when they receive a Nonsense Maker card. Our customers also love the bespoke quality of our products and the little extras we include, like the whimsical poem and vintage book inspired backing board that comes with all of our art prints – some customers have even framed the packaging!

What path led you to Life Instyle and what about the show makes it a great fit for you?

We began our wholesale journey with a few small gift shops approaching us at markets and on Instagram. We were incredibly lucky to have these wonderful people to guide us through the process while we were still finding out feet in the wholesale world! When we eventually decided to do trade shows Life Instyle was the obvious choice for us because of their focus on bespoke quality and unique design.

Can you share your proudest moments in business so far?

There have been so many, we are so proud of our little business! One that stands out is the day we got our first studio space in Collingwood. The shared space was noisy, freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer, and even smaller than our stand at Life Instyle – but it was ours and we loved it none the less!

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?

Our stockists give us little bits and pieces of feedback and advice all the time, which often lead to some of our most wonderful work! As we do fewer markets we don’t get as many opportunities to meet the end customer and hear their feedback, so this is really valuable for us.

 

Who are some of the other brands in the industry that you love/admire?

We find that the Australian art and design industry is very supportive rather than being competitive, which is a lovey thing! A special shout out to Anna and Gareth at Able and Game who we met at The Rose Street Market in Fitzroy many years ago. Despite being a competing greeting card brand they have helped and mentored us the entire way. Fox and Fallow is another great card brand run by beautiful people.

Quick Fire Questions

 

1.      Where do you see The Nonsense Maker PTY LTD in 5 years’ time?

We are hoping to expand our product range over the next few years to incorporate more bespoke hand illustrated homewares, giftware, and unique stationery.

2.      Tell us a fact about yourself that will surprise our readers!

We met at a Melbourne fashion school when we were just 18! After a brief stint in the fashion industry we each felt it wasn’t for us, and decided to move into illustration and small business instead.

3.      Your Favourite meal

Every December after the Christmas madness wraps up we take ourselves out for a special end of year dinner to celebrate another year of business and friendship!