The Winter Solstice is officially upon us — which means half the earth is officially tilted as far away from the sun as it can possibly get. While Pagan rituals to commemorate this annual event included decorating homes with evergreens — think boughs of holly! — and putting up a Yule tree, personally I need a space heater blowing at my ankles and a cavalcade of light- and color-filled designs to warm my freezing-cold soul.
And when it comes to pure bright color, Evergreen Summer is one of the first ranges to come to mind. At the center of it all are Meg Crocker’s lively abstract paintings, carefully executed stroke by stoke to spark joy, creativity, and inspiration to live an artistic, beautiful life.
Can you think of any better qualities to put in an envelope to send a far-flung friend? Meg’s offerings are summer in stationery form, so it’s fitting to share her thoughts and a peek into her process on this, literally the darkest day of the year.
SS: What prompted you to start a stationery range?
MC: Evergreen Summer was an idea in the back of my mind for a long time before I actually started the business. I grew up loving art, and honestly I’ve been making cards for as long as I can remember.
As a kid I would make drawings for my Mom on Mother’s Day and deliver them with breakfast in bed. I would paint all of my friends little pieces of artwork for their birthdays.
Flash forward to college where I graduated with a degree in art direction, and painting became my main hobby and creative outlet while working long hours at an ad agency in NYC.
I was still making cards for friends and family for birthdays and holidays and after enough people said, “Have you ever tried to sell these?” I figured I’d give it a shot.
It took me over two years to find a printer I liked, because I wanted the cards to feel like real artwork. During that time I did my research on starting a business and the stationery industry to see what it might take to start a card business and how I could create designs that would stand out.
I started the line in 2018 with 25 cards and was selling to mostly friends and family at first. I brought the cards into my favorite bookstore, McNally Jackson, and asked the owner if she might want to stock the line. I’ll never forget when Sarah told me the artwork and printing was beautiful and she wanted to put an order together. I’d spent hours in the shop over the years admiring her taste and curation of goods, and to be included there gave me the motivation I needed to take the next step.
It became clear that exhibiting at a trade show was key to establishing myself, so I signed up for NY Now the following year (2019). At the show, my booth was sandwiched between several well-established letterpress lines, all white cards with minimalist designs and witty sayings. And there I was, with a surfboard in my booth and color everywhere, smiling at buyers as if I belonged. Throughout that show I kept hearing, “These make me so happy!” and “I’ve never seen anything like this,” which is when I knew I had something special.
I only wrote five orders, but it was enough to cover the costs of exhibiting. The other exhibitors in my area gave me advice on the stationery world and encouraged me to expand the line and keep at it. I’ll never forget how kind they were or how much I admired them. Their lines were huge — hundreds of cards — and they were writing orders all day. “One day that will be me,” I thought.
I went home from that show more excited than ever. I had no idea what the next step was or how I was going to go from there, but that’s when I knew my desire to make Evergreen Summer a successful stationery business was real.
SS: How have you evolved since you started?
MC: Since that first trade show, my line has gone from 25 cards to almost 300 — it will be over 300 in the Spring ‘24 release! I’ve expanded to include notebooks, notepads, mini cards, art prints, and a custom collection of handpainted items (vases, ornaments, etc.) each year. I’ve gone from one retailer to hundreds in the US, as well as nationally at Anthropologie and internationally in Canada and Bermuda.
I would say my style has grown as I have journeyed through life. Since starting Evergreen Summer I’ve been through the pandemic, gotten married, moved from NYC to the beach permanently, traveled to several new countries, and learned what my audience likes best and is drawn to. With every life experience, travel, or adventure I find new inspiration, and I’m constantly working on evolving my offering.
As much as my style has evolved, my goals haven’t. I aim to create things that spark joy, make people happy, and inspire them to find a little creativity in their own everyday lives. I want to create beautifully crafted, quality goods that feel usable in everyday life, not just for special occasions. I hope to motivate people to elevate the casual, small moments in their lives — writing a to-do list, sending a birthday card, and so on — because the little moments added up are the ones that matter most.
And then of course there’s the summer bit. I am so drawn to the beach and the ocean and the free feeling of summer and want to do everything I can to make that magic last all year-round.
SS: Anything new for ’24?
MC: Yes, so many things! I’ve just started a new landscapes series I’m really excited about which have more detail than my more abstract works. I’m also working on a new neutrals collection for the Spring release, because as much as I love color, there is a softer side to summer that I’d love to come through as well. Product-wise I have a ton of new ideas in the back burner that have been floating around for awhile that I might test out for holiday next year. The #1 request I get is for more calendars and planners, as well as gift wrap, coasters, matches, and clothing. So we’ll see 🙂
Thank you Meg for sharing this peek into your process and backstory! Start your shop here; if you are in the trade, head on over to Meg’s Faire Shop. Since screens do not do Evergreen Summer justice, be sure to visit its booth at Shoppe Object February 4-6. I’ll be there — I hope to see you too!
