Year Three is the Charm

April plus Madison completes its third year as an official business!

Three years ago, I officially founded April plus Madison as a company. I say, “officially”, because even though Madison and I had been collaborating for years, I was granted an EIN (Employer Identification Number) by the IRS in 2021, allowing this to be an honest-to-goodness business, not a hobby.

But what is April plus Madison? Well, it is about healing mind, body, and soul through the arts, angels, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. (For those new to my world, Madison Hatta, Sonneteer is not a flesh-and-blood person, but the guardian angel of my sense of humor who began sending Alice in Wonderland-inspired rhymes through me starting in 2011.)

I am a musician by inclination and training, a soprano. I love singing baroque music and Christmas carols. I also have training in graphic design and arts & crafts. Beginning in 2010, the whimsical worlds that Lewis Carroll created in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass completely transformed the direction of my creative output. Simple greeting card illustrations were replaced by flying tea cups and clock faces in my rubber stamping/collage practice.

Finding the best way(s) share these creations with others was a challenge since these were no longer cards created after a template, but miniature, original artworks. Enter the fabulous world of print-on-demand! Now I can scan my originals and upload them onto a canvas, mug, or notebook. I can also create art on the computer and have it go directly onto an item. And I can put these into an online store for others to discover and purchase.

That online store is April plus Madison's Whimsical Things Shop and it is now open! There, you can see three fledgling collections of Wonderland-inspired decor, drinkware, and more that would just love to go home with you. I hope you feel the same way about them.

Get an early start on your holiday or Unbirthday shopping today! From now until November 1, you’ll even get an Early Bird Discount by using the coupon code CHARM at checkout. Much graTEAtude in advance for your support!