THE BIG DAY ♡

Well, it's here! After 8 months (yes, 8 months) of prepping the day has finally come that JackiConeInk.Co is officially live! In the past few months I have learned quite a few things about coding, html format.. I think?, shipping policies and a whole bunch of other things I never once thought I would need to know. BUT, we did it. I'm sure there will be hiccups with this launch as I'm not perfect and I'm certainly not a website designer but I hope you will bare with me as I learn and grow through this process. 

 A couple of fun facts about me that help paint a picture of how we got here! I am a 4th generation teacher on my mom's side and a 3rd generation self-taught artist on my dad's side. I have been drawing since my parents discovered I was a lefty, so like two years old? I spent most of my summer vacations on our front porch, surrounded by markers, colored pencils and lots of paper, listening to Harry Potter audio books. My grandmother "Bobe" is an artist and would take me down into her studio whenever I went to visit her and we would practice drawing. Never did I ever imagine having a small business selling my own art - it wasn't ever part of the plan. 

Growing up, we visited my family in Hawaii often. Kailua quickly became my favorite place, I would cry as we went through the tunnel on the H3 coming home from the airport, knowing my home away from home was minutes away. I would pray that our flight got cancelled when it was time to return home so that I could have just another 24 hours in my beloved Hawaii. In 2013 after graduating college and quitting my job working at a radio station, I made the decision it was time to move to Hawaii and pursue my Master's Degree in Education. I sold off many of my belongings, packed up a few duffle bags, and headed off to my new home. While in Hawaii I rediscovered my love of drawing. It was there, under the beautiful palm trees and the warm Hawaiian breeze that Jacki Cone Ink was born.

It started slowly, just me with my Sharpies & Crayola markers making resources for my many tutoring clients, then I was painting murals in my bestie's classroom, then I was painting banners for every single party & function we had at our house, and then one day our home was burglarized. All of our electronics were stolen and needed to be replaced. My old iPad mini (they literally don't even make these anymore) was gone and I was finally presented with an excuse to upgrade my iPad to one that allowed me to use an Apple Pencil. GAME CHANGER. My roommates had been telling me for years to get an iPad & Apple Pencil so that I would stop carting around a bucket of markers and paper everywhere I went. Suddenly I was able to create the exact same type of art - same style, same everything, at the beach, at Starbucks, by the pool, on the plane! I haven't looked back since. 

*afore mentioned roommates who put up with my art supplies being scattered all over the house for the better part of 3 years

I moved back in Maine in 2019, Hawaii was becoming too expensive for me to keep myself afloat financially. Less than a year after moving home, I found myself alone & quarantined in my one bedroom apartment, teaching remotely, with nothing to occupy my days except for Real Housewives & digital illustration. I began dreaming up ways to turn Jacki Cone Ink into a business. I had tried Greeting Cards in the past but that didn't seem like "it". In December of 2020 my dad gifted me a Cricut for my birthday and it hit me, STICKERS. People laughed, my boyfriend doubted me, "Stickers? Are those are thing?". Turns out, they were/are! In April of 2021 JCI opened on Etsy.

*original launch day promo

In the past 2 years we've collabed with incredible businesses, educators & influencers who have helped to grow the brand. Josie Bensko, @TeacherCareCrate,  Alexia Perkins, Kelli Sanders, Madison Rowe, Karina Bolier and so many more have been our #1 supporters since day 1. BUT, without the support from over 8,000 unique customers, I wouldn't have ever had the courage to open my own website. So it's because of you, the JCI Fam, that we have this platform today. To quote Scheana Shay, quoting Almost Famous, "it's all happening." Thank you for continuing to support my small business and happy shopping!