As I cruised down a green street in East Nashville looking for maryink’s studio, I spotted the Etsy stickers adorning the bumpers of their cars and I knew I was in the right place. It was like a beacon drawing me into the sunny space where the screenprinted magic of maryink happens.

 
Mary Helt and Chris Sittel are the heart and soul behind maryink. They live and work in East Nashville with their two lovely cats (who I was secretly scheming to kidnap and bring back to the Etsy Labs). Mary and Chris are both Nashville natives, who recently returned to their hometown after years of living elsewhere, including the Virgin Islands. They find Nashville to be an ideal place to run a small creative business, due to low living costs, lots of space, and a community of creative people.

The pair has been working together for the past few years and were recently featured sellers. They each wear many hats in the business collaboration, from designing to mailing the finished product, and all steps in between. Mary does most of the designing, while Chris does most of the printing. They create t-shirts, totebags, aprons, and votive candle holders, all printed with their signature graphics, inspired by themes such as animals, plants, ferris wheels, and vintage motifs. One day they might start selling hand-sewn items with their prints, so keep your eyes on their shop.

Chris and Mary have transformed their garage into a printshop, decked out with a six-arm screenprinting press, heat lamp, supplies, and screen storage. They print primarily with plastisol and dye-discharging ink. Chris noted that he embraces the accessibility and democratic nature of printed multiples, which makes handmade goods available to a wide spectrum of people.

Their creative process also spreads its tentacles into much of their house. In one room, Mary has a set-up for designing images, making other crafts, and a mailing station. The rest of their house is also full of art and vitality, including their own artwork. Many of the pieces Chris made are layers of imagery printed onto canvas from designs created over the years.

My glimpse into maryink's buzzing business was further proof to me that the handmade life is the best life!

Check out more photos of the maryink process here.