About PocketDoodle and my vinyl stickers

I’ve loved art ever since I was very young, and I’ve experimented with various different styles and mediums. This includes abstracts in oil paint, digital portraits, charcoal, pen and ink, markers, and 3D work in Blender.

For the majority of my life, I’ve had an illness that’s limited everything I can do both socially and with work. It leaves me feeling awful almost every day, and it’s taken its toll mentally over the years as well. I started Pocket Doodle because I felt I was lacking purpose and I wanted something to focus on. It gives me a reason to create, which is a big thing when you’ve spent so many years without that.

I live with my partner and four cats who turn up on my social media occasionally. They (the cats, not my partner!) very much enjoy bumping my arm when I’m drawing so they feel they are helping.

In the future, I hope to expand into other stationery items such as bookmarks, notebooks, and magnets. I also aim to do more pen and marker work as I’ve been really enjoying that process lately.

My artistic journey

How I make my stickers

Every sticker I make starts with me either drawing on my iPad or on a piece of paper with a pencil. I either come up with an idea straight from my head or I use a reference image. I don’t trace lines, I don’t use clip art and I don’t use AI images.

Once I’ve drawn the artwork, I prepare it for printing. Paper drawings get scanned first, and then I move my work into Affinity Designer to create a path around the edge of the artwork that shows the printer where to cut.

I send my designs off to professional printers here in the UK to be printed onto waterproof vinyl. I outsource my printing because they can use Eco Solvent inks which are completely waterproof and much more UV resistant. If I printed at home, the stickers wouldn’t be as durable.

Once the stickers get back to me, I start the process of taking photos and listing them for sale.

Once you order

When you make an order, I’ll ship within 24 hours. I get the stickers you ordered out, check them over and then very carefully insert a small circle of sticker paper between the backing and the sticker to make it easy for you to peel.

I pick out a random hand drawn or hand stamped sticker as a freebie which gets sealed in its own tiny little envelope. Then I place your order in a paper pouch and into a paper envelope. All my packaging is made from recycled paper, except for the shipping label if your order is going abroad. If it’s a UK order, I handwrite your address for that cosy letter experience.

After that it’s off to the post box and they begin their journey on the way to you.