About Me

Hi!

I'm Gabriella, the founder of Teddy Rae Prints. Teddy Rae Prints started as a way to save some money on Christmas gifts during my first year of law school. My extended family is fairly large, and they mean the world to me, so I decided to create artwork out of the things that mean the world to them. I have always dabbled in graphic design, but this was the biggest project I ever attempted.

Starting in September, for each household in my extended family, I made a list of eight to ten items that remind me of them. Then, I began drawing those items, from pets to pizza. With each print, I included a piece of cardstock explaining why I chose each element on the print and why it reminded me of the person. As I worked on the prints, finishing the last one about 45 minutes before everyone showed up for Christmas Eve, I realized that this was something I actually really enjoyed. It didn't feel like work. That's how I decided to make Teddy Rae Prints.

I toiled for months to come up with a name for the business that was fun but also paid tribute to my family, the reason the whole thing began. At the suggestion of my mom, I started looking at the names of my ancestors, many of which were artists and creators. I have always enjoyed creating things, from music and art to cooking and baking, and I come by it naturally enough. We have had countless piano players, bakers, and poets throughout the generations of my family. With this information in mind, I decided Teddy, after my great-grandfather Theodore, and Rae, after my great-grandfather Raymond. Theodore, or Ted as he was more often called, was a piano player, and his piano was eventually passed to me, fueling my love of music. Raymond, or Ray, was my grandmother's dad. My grandma and mom did all kinds of arts and crafts with me growing up and showed me that I could create anything I wanted. And so, Teddy Rae Prints was born.

I started out doing only custom work. I would gift prints to my friends for their birthdays, and then they would commission pieces to gift to their family members and friends. As I honed my skills, I decided to do a print for Dallas. I loved how it turned out, so I printed out a bunch of copies, signed them, and put them in the welcome bags for my out-of-town wedding guests this past June. I also began drawing icons for more of my favorite cities. This inspired me to add more collections, like the campus collection and the seasonal collection.

Now, I work every day to expand my brand recognition and add on to my collections. Eventually, I want to not only have hundreds of prints for sale and take a lot of custom orders, but I also want to expand Teddy Rae Prints into an entire lifestyle brand. I know that accomplishing big things takes many small steps and a lot of grit, but I am up for the challenge.

If you're still reading, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and I hope you will follow along to see what Teddy Rae Prints can become!