From the Studio: The Café That Kept Growing
The little café keeps growing.
When I first illustrated The Waiting Cat Café, I never imagined how much this little place would grow.
What began as an illustration for our coffee soon found its way onto our very first tote bag.
But I wasn't quite finished with the café just yet.
There were still little corners to explore and more details to draw.
So, I picked up my apple pencil again.
A little more room at the café.
This time, instead of creating something entirely new, I decided to revisit the original illustration.
I drew a little extension to The Waiting Cat Café, giving this imaginary place a little more room to grow.
It was lovely returning to a familiar illustration and imagining what else might exist beyond the original scene.
And slowly, my little café began to feel a little more like a real place.
My very first postcards.
With the extended illustration complete, I wanted to create something that would let people enjoy the artwork in its entirety.
And what better way than a postcard?
Receiving the very first batch of postcards felt a little surreal.
I've enjoyed the countless hours drawing these little worlds while drinking my Ice oatmilk latte, staring at my procreate, zooming in and out, and fussing over the smallest details.
But seeing my artwork printed for the very first time, and actually being able to hold it in my hands, was like a dream come true.
Running my fingers across the textured eggshell paper, seeing the colours and all those tiny details come to life... it was a moment filled with so many emotions.
A little scared but a lot of happiness.
Something that had existed only in my imagination was now something real. Something I could touch, hold, and share with others.
And that made this little postcard feel incredibly special to me.
A little note on the back.
Turn the postcard over, and you'll find two little words: The First Brew.
It's a small detail, but one that holds a special meaning.
The First Brew marks the beginning of Sneaky Beans, and the very first collection of illustrations that brought this little world to life.
I wanted to leave a little reminder of that beginning on the back of the postcard.
Something to look back on someday, when hopefully, there will be many more little stories and illustrations to share.
A tiny café to take along.
Before the postcards came along, I had another little idea for The Waiting Cat Café.
What if I could turn the original café illustration into something small enough to carry around every day?
And that's how The Coffee Brew Carabiner came to life.
Shaped like a little brewing cup, the carabiner features a miniature version of the original café illustration, complete with its familiar cats and cosy little details.
But I wanted to add a little something extra.
So, I designed a tiny café menu card to accompany it, inspired by the menus you might find inside The Waiting Cat Café.
On the back, there's Today's Special, along with a little note from the café.
I love creating these little details. They're not always the first things you notice, but I think they make each creation feel that much more special.
It's almost like taking home a tiny souvenir from a café that exists only in my imagination.
One little illustration, so many possibilities.
Looking back, it's quite wonderful to see how much The Waiting Cat Café has grown.
From a coffee illustration to a tote bag, an expanded café, a postcard and a miniature carabiner.
Each new creation has been another opportunity to revisit this little world and imagine something new.
And that's one of my favourite parts of creating Sneaky Beans.
The illustrations aren't simply designs that go onto products. They're little worlds that I hope to keep exploring, one drawing at a time.
Until the next chapter.
There's still so much I'd love to create, and so many little stories waiting to be told.
For now, I hope these new additions bring a little piece of The Waiting Cat Café into your everyday life.
After all, there's always a seat waiting for you here.
