The Ivytree Studio Story – Part 7: How Ivytree Studio Was Born

Sometimes dreams begin very quietly.

Not with big announcements or perfect plans, but with a small step of faith and a willingness to simply begin.

When I look back at how Ivytree Studio started, I can clearly see that God had been preparing me for far longer than I realised.

Every lesson, every skill, every difficult season, every creative longing — all of it eventually found its place in the story.

This chapter is where the dream finally began taking shape.

In 2014, I opened an online store in faith with the simple dream of one day offering my own digital and creative products.

At that stage, it was just an idea.

I wanted to create and sell my own artwork instead of constantly designing for other people. Creativity had become deeply woven into my life, and I sensed God nudging me toward something more personal and purpose-filled.

At the time, the e-commerce platform I chose was a small local South African platform that was later bought by Ecwid, an international company. I decided to stay with Ecwid and slowly began building what would eventually become a large digital store over the years.

During that same season, I was invited to participate in an Art Block exhibition by a successful local artist connected to our family. She invited me to submit eight artworks. Honestly, the idea terrified me.

Instead, I asked my artist sister, Surita, to join me and we each submitted four art blocks together.

Seeing my artwork hanging on a wall alongside other local artists made me incredibly happy.

I didn’t sell anything at the exhibition, but strangely enough, that wasn’t what mattered most to me. I could have sold all 4 if I wanted to, because a gallery owner offerd to buy them if I dropped the price. I felt strongly that if I didn't value my work, no one else would. That experience had a different lesson and purpose and it wasn't about sales or money. What mattered was being included. Being part of something.

Not standing quietly in the background like a wallflower, but becoming one of the artworks on the wall — contributing something meaningful alongside others.

That season taught me many important lessons about creativity, opportunities, boundaries, and identity.

A couple of years later, Ivytree Studio was officially born.

The vision was simple:

Stop designing only for clients and begin creating products that fellow creatives would genuinely want and find meaningful to use.

I wanted to create something authentic.

Something beautiful.
Something useful.
Something encouraging.

As my sister and I developed our early product ranges, we naturally gravitated toward paper products, journaling supplies, memory keeping, and creative storytelling.

Our mother had worked as a layout artist and typesetter for botanical books at the National Botanical Institute, and we grew up surrounded by flowers, gardens, design, creativity, and beautiful printed materials. Those influences naturally found their way into our work through botanical elements, floral imagery, paper collections, and creative journaling products.

We created physical scrapbook collections, journaling products, and stencil designs. But the creative industry quickly proved far more difficult and competitive than I expected.

I faced many disappointments in those early years.

Ideas were copied quickly.
Products were imitated.
Retail relationships were difficult to navigate.
And the wider creative industry often felt deeply worldly, competitive, and exhausting.

As a Christian woman trying to operate with integrity and faith-based values, I increasingly realised that I did not desire a place within the darker aspects of that environment.

Instead, God placed something very clear on my heart:

Create products for Creative Christian women that are pure, beautiful, encouraging, and spiritually safe.

That conviction shaped the entire direction of Ivytree Studio.

I wanted women to feel peace when they sat down to create with my products — not confusion, compromise, or hidden spiritual darkness disguised as creativity.

Over time, God slowly expanded what started as a small creative store into something much bigger than I originally imagined.

We developed digital products, physical products, workshops, online retreats, memberships, Bible studies, journals, devotionals, and creative experiences for women all around the world.

And somehow, through all the ups and downs, God remained faithful every single step of the way.

Looking back now, I can see that Ivytree Studio was never simply about paper or products.

It was always about people.

About creating spaces where women could slow down, breathe, process life, grow in faith, and connect with God through creativity and journaling.

And perhaps most importantly, I learned that obedience often means building slowly and faithfully even when recognition, applause, or inclusion from others never fully arrives.

Because ultimately, our true place is found in God’s presence, not in human approval.

The next chapter became one of the hardest and most refining seasons yet.

👉 I’ll share how changing seasons, exhaustion, technology shifts, menopause, AI, and rising pressure nearly pushed me to walk away completely — and why this new launch carries so much meaning for me personally.

Thank you for continuing this journey with me.

If you have ever tried building something meaningful while protecting your peace, your values, and your faith, I hope this story encourages you to keep going slowly and faithfully.

And if you enjoy creativity rooted in faith, journaling, and Scripture… click my Linktree: linktr.ee/ivytreestudio and get started today.