Dreaming Big: Kristen Ley with Thimblepress

Happy happy Tuesday, friends! Hope you're having the best start to your week! We are so SO excited to be sharing more today about one of our favorite humans, Kristen Ley. She is the master mind and creative genius behind Thimblepress and this is her story...

Kristen Ley wears many hats: an artist, a designer, successful business owner, daughter, sister, and most importantly a devoted lover of Christ. Her boundless creativity and endlessly positive spirit has been inspiring Mississippians and the rest of the world for years. Kristen was born in Texas and relocated to Mississippi with her family at twelve years old. For as long as she can remember, creativity has been an integral part of her personality and purpose. "I remember selling my first paintings to MiGi's Boutique when I was in 9th grade, I've always loved art!" smiles Kristen. After graduating from Jackson Academy, Ley headed to Mississippi State University knowing she wanted to major in Graphic Design. It was during the pursuit of her undergraduate degree that Kristen fell in love with design. "I'm a doer, I loved doing the different design projects and I excelled in the program," says Kristen. Her passion for design translated into success on the national level; Kristen won an American Advertising Gold Award as a senior in college. After her time at Mississippi State, Kristen moved to Charleston, South Carolina to open a business with a fellow Mississippi native. Cultagraphic Creative was Kristen's first experience as a business owner. "I remember going to the public library in Charleston and reading Business 101 for Dummies, education was not at your fingertips like it is now," reminisces Kristen. After four and a half years in Charleston, Kristen was led back home to Jackson where she accepted a job offer at Jackson Academy. "It was the perfect storm really, my mother was teaching there at the time and my sister was a senior in high school at JA. I loved being able to work with my family!"

While working at Jackson Academy, Kristen discovered another set of unique talents by facing a fear. "I had this 900 pound letterpress I had purchased. I was terrified of it! It took me eight months to even touch it," laughs Kristen. She began printing on the machine and selling the items on the online craft marketplace Etsy as a hobby in her spare time. Kristen adds, "I did not start printing thinking it would become a business, but eventually it became clear that my hobby could be, well, much more than a hobby!" For a while, Kristen balanced her full time job with craft shows on the weekends and nights spent creating products. "I had too many balls in the air, I knew that I could not do both. I turned to God and told him that if his plan was for me to open another business by creating things I loved, I would do so with my whole heart. Ultimately, it was in His hands."

     Since its inception over six years ago, Thimblepress has spread joy around the world through beautiful, bright, and creative products that are all designed by Kristen. "Everything we do at Thimblepress is meant to celebrate someone, or something amazing. Our products are used to share love or create memories. I get choked up when I think about all the cards that have been used to lift people up," smiles Kristen. One of Thimblepress' most popular products is their push pop confetti.
     The push pop confetti is most definitely a labor of love. "My parents will tell you that I always pick the hardest way to go about things. The push pop confetti was no different. The idea came to me when I wanted to create a literal party in a box to send to individuals as an invitation to my booth at the National Stationery Show in New York City. I got to thinking about what makes a party a party. Confetti immediately came to my mind. I wanted to package the confetti in a way that was unique and interactive, a way to allowed the recipient to actively celebrate when they opened it!" says Kristen. Out of this desire, a fantastic idea was born. Kristen made the first 100 push pop confettis by hand; she shredded the confetti herself and individually glued every custom label to the containers. Now customers can purchase push pop confetti in a wide range of colors, there's even a biodegradable option!
     Kristen's passion for spreading positivity doesn't stop at Thimblepress. She recently launched Kristenley.com and is offering consulting to small business owners on everything from product development to branding. "I have such a passion for encouraging others and helping others succeed. I know that God would want me to share the knowledge I've gained from the opportunities He's given me with others," smiles Kristen. Kristen will be mentoring other small business owners through intensive weekend workshops, online resources, and individualized consultations.
​     You can keep up with Kristen on Instagram @kristen_ley. Be sure to checkout www.thimblepress.com or visit select retailers to see what Thimblepress can add to your celebration.

Photography: Christina Foto