Featured Local Business
Mom and Pop Web Stuff has been busy! Apparently, after the holidays is when everyone decides they need web services – not complaining, it’s awesome. But I’ve fallen behind on keeping up with my Featured Local Business. Today we want to feature Buffalo in Love Designs. Lots of custom portraits and designs will all the Buffalove you can handle.
It’s been great networking through Mom and Pop’s Community Board with other small business owners. And I’ve loved learning about the owners and the process that has brought them to the point where they are at.
Buffalo in Love Designs
Our next Featured Local Business is Buffalo In Love Designs – created and maintained by Chelsea O’Donnell of Buffalo, NY. I found Chelsea through my Instagram and a referral from Akasya Crosier during her featured article; Dance with Akasya Crosier – Mixed Media Artist from Buffalo, NY. Chelsea and I share our irritation with Social Media – the necessary evil of business.
Chelsea started the business in 2017 with Buffalo-inspired greeting cards (featuring a buffalo depicted as doing things specific to the Queen City), but since then have expanded to include custom work, including cards, portraits, and logos.
Interview with Owner/Creator: Chelsea O’Donnell
What do you specialize in?
I primarily create greeting cards, but in the past couple of years, custom portraits have also become a big part of my business. Typically I specialize in portraits of couples, but lately, I’ve been frequently asked to do drawings of families, which is fun! I’ve also been hired to create logos, merchandise designs, and even an album cover for a Buffalo-based band.
How long have you been in your field?
I’ve been drawing and creating cards for loved ones since I was a child, but I didn’t officially start to pursue visual art as a business venture until mid-2017.
How did you come to start your own business?
At the time I was working in the Children’s Department at the Buffalo Public Library and a lot of my daily tasks were art-related, including creating the displays for the Children’s section, so I always had pens and colored pencils laying around.
Sometimes on my breaks, I would doodle for fun, and one day I randomly drew a picture of a buffalo eating chicken wings with hearts for eyes. I thought that if it were a card it would be funny to write “You’re really hot,” on the inside, obviously as a nod to hot wings, and that spurred the idea to create a card line specific to Buffalo.
I drew up several designs featuring my little buffalo doing random Buffalo-related things, such as going over Niagara Falls, ogling the statue of David in Delaware Park, cheering on the Bills, and more. Shortly afterward I communicated with different local shops and found them a home at Thin Ice in the Elmwood Village.
That was all in 2017. I didn’t open up my Etsy until the fall of 2018 because, long story short: I moved to Nashville to pursue music (I’m also a musician), but then succumbed to some chronic health issues that had been flaring for a long time and wound up having to come back for a surgery.
After being discharged I had to move in with my parents, and in time it became clear that I would not be going back to TN. I was devastated, but Buffalo in Love gave me something to focus on that I could manage to do while healing.
Since then things health-wise have, thankfully, improved, and I’ve been able to build the business some more via selling in shops, craft shows, and word-of-mouth.
By the way: one of the primary health conditions I deal with is ulcerative colitis, and during that healing period I made up a goofy line of cards called Sh*t Talks featuring drawings of, well, poop with dumb potty humor i.e. a drawing of raining poop with two umbrellas with the words “Together we’ll weather the sh*t storm.”
Gross and immature? Sure, but it did help me to cope.
What type of help or resources did you use to start your business?
If I’m being totally honest I’ve never been a big fan of social media, but it’s been a necessary tool when promoting my music, and so I found it helpful to carry over what I had learned through trial and error when I finally decided to create an Instagram for Buffalo in Love.
Additionally, over the years there have been fellow local vendors, including Obsidian Design Co. and Love Lake Valley, who have been kind enough to include me in Instagram giveaways, which are a great way to turn people onto several businesses at once.
Early on I also attempted to utilize Pinterest and got a tiny bit of buzz going for a few of my items, including a set of Lizzo stickers I created.
However, ultimately I think that friends and clients spreading the word and sharing my work have been the most helpful in building my business.
What are the favorite parts of your job?
I get a lot of unique custom card orders, and it’s always cool to learn the stories behind them. I once had a client from Ireland who was celebrating his 10-year anniversary with his girlfriend and wanted a drawing of them sitting at the bus stop where they first met.
Another client came to me with a custom couples’ portrait order including their cat, but then a year later they adopted another kitty and so she returned with a request for a little cut-out drawing of their new friend to be pasted into the existing portrait.
When I get into a flow with art hours can go by and it feels like no time at all. I feel really lucky that people trust me with their visions and that I get to be creative at the same time!
What do you love about Western New York?
I really like the sense of community in the arts scene. By and large, I’ve always felt supported and embraced by people in the creative community, and I’m under the impression that other artists involved feel that too.
Do you partner with any other local businesses?
As I mentioned before, I sell my cards at Thin Ice Gift Shop, as well as Put a Plant On It, both on Elmwood Avenue – in fact, they’re neighbors!
Do you have any local businesses that you love (related or unrelated to your field)? Definitely! Some other artisans that come to mind are Swanekamp Design, Akasya Crosier, Nickel City Wax and Wane, Christina Riccio Ceramics, Geologic by Calla, Buffalo Seamery, Papercraft Miracles, Harsh Astrology, Thin Ice and Put a Plant On It.
Some other businesses that pop into my head: are Pilates Art Studio, BreadHive, Two Wheels Bakery, and Chuckuterie.
Unfortunately, I’m sure there are many more that I’m forgetting at the moment and will think of after I submit this form!
Any advice for other business owners?
Art is not my sole source of income, so I can’t claim to give advice on how to make it your business model. However, I do think that if you have an idea and you’re passionate about it, you might as well find a way to give it a try. There are always other factors to consider, but ultimately, you don’t want to live life with regret.
Contact Buffalo in Love Designs
Are you interested in having Chelsea of Buffalo In Love Designs do some custom work for you or people you tolerate (loved ones)? Visit her Etsy shop, Instagram, or Facebook. Want to contact her directly? Here’s her Email buffaloinlovedesigns@gmail.com
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If you haven’t checked out other great local services on our Community Board, head on over there. Do you own a WNY small business and would like to be our next Featured Local Business?! It’s completely free advertising in hopes to increase traffic for great small local businesses! Please fill out a form here. We look forward to promoting you!