Interview with artist Katrina Sophia about her new festive themed products!

Like a lot of you, my thoughts are turning to… Christmas!

I absolutely love the festive season yet with the current climate crisis I feel especially mindful of what I’m buying this year (no plastic, for example!) and also looking for earth friendly ways to wrap my gifts!

I was thrilled to see that one of my favourite artists (who we featured last year in the Limping Chicken) has released a new botanical inspired Christmassy range of products and – what’s more – she’s created a gorgeous range of eco-friendly washi tapes to secure those gifts. Who needs sellotape?!

With the push to buy local and sustainable, I can’t think of a better way to spend my pennies for Christmas goodies this year. I chatted to Katrina so you can find out more about her work.

Hi again Katrina! Some of our readers may recognise you from our last article, but for those who are new to your work, can you tell us a bit about you?

I am Katrina, an illustrator and designer from Nottingham. When I am not painting and running my business, I can be found doing the gardening, walking with our greyhound Bonnie, and watching cooking programmes!

‘Katrina Sophia’ is where I create and sell cards, prints and stationery made from my watercolour paintings. In recent years my range of products has grown bigger with exciting products such as bags, wooden hanging decorations and washi tapes!

I sell my products from my online shop – katrinasophia.com – and you can also find them through my stockists across the UK, such as the RHS, Nottingham Castle, and many amazing indie shops.

How has business been over the last year or so?

It has been going great despite the pandemic. I saw ups and downs during the lockdowns but my business is starting to find stable growth over the last couple of months as the world is opening up.

Have you had any challenges or obstacles to overcome?

During the pandemic I was unable to attend markets due to the mask wearing and it was demoralising. I lost lots of potential sales. My social anxiety shot up.

But I was grateful to participate in ‘online’ markets where I could sell my products virtually. I have another one this weekend and I hope to see more of them in future!

The postal system and manufacturing process also slowed down so my supplies and products do not get around as speedily as they used to.

Now the bit I’m most excited about! What are your newest products in your shop?

My newest products this year are seasonal cards, a tote bag, hanging decorations, and washi tapes! The latter have been flying out of the door since I launched them last week.

How did you get the inspiration for these? How did you develop them?

I get my inspiration from my wild garden, countryside walks, natural history books, and while looking after my abundant houseplant collection.

My products began their life as watercolour illustrations, scanned in, edited and then sent off to my manufacturing suppliers.

The freshly made products are packaged and shipped from my home studio to my customers and stockists.

I notice your work is rather eco-friendly with thoughtful, conscious materials & the new washi tape of course – can you explain why it is important for you to be mindful of this with your work? 

I hope my business will only get bigger and busier, so it is important to stay environmentally friendly and keep finding better alternatives to manage impact. I always aim to reduce wastage and steer away from plastic based materials wherever possible.

Before I get my products made I always research for the most environmentally friendly materials to make them from.

How hard/easy is it to ensure the way you work is as sustainable/eco friendly as possible? What adaptations have you made, if any?

It is not too hard to work in a sustainable way – I was brought up to recycle and reuse very well and I understand what needs to be done. Of course there have been some dilemmas I had to deliberate on.

I’ve switched the plastic cello bags to a compostable version. I have changed to a more reliable printing supplier to reduce production waste, as the previous printer kept sending me misprints.

I have a sustainability page on my website too if you wish to learn more!

What are your favourite pieces from your current collection?

I have so many! I am extremely proud of every single creation. At the moment I would say Wildflower Pattern notebook set, Plants Are Magic tote bag, Monstera Deliciosa hanging decoration, and Citrus washi tape!

Can you tell us more about your Christmas inspired pieces?

I was excited to create a houseplant inspired Christmas card collection where I painted four well known indoor plants with festive fairy lights weaving around the stems and leaves. They are printed with gold foil for an extra festive touch. I am pleased that these sold well – it seems they are appealing beyond a certain niche!

I also brought out more designs for hanging decorations, which are all inspired by houseplants. They can be put on a tree or anywhere else in the house and I hope people will display them all year round!

What are you hoping to create next?

I am currently working on a new collection about gardening which will launch next February. I am hoping to bring out a new type of product next year but I am still deciding between a few – possibly a wash bag, tea towel or an enamel pin!

Any news in the pipeline for us to share?

I am going to have another tradeshow next January where I get to meet buyers and shop retailers. I hope you will be able to find Katrina Sophia products in even more locations around the country soon!

Final fun question – what is your perfect way to spend Christmas Day?

My perfect way to spend Christmas Day is baking cinnamon biscuits and homemade sausage rolls, going on a long wintery walk while the streets are quiet, doing jigsaws and watching festive films until late.

Is it too early to say Merry Christmas?!

You can browse Katrina’s shop here:
www.katrinasophia.com