Hummingbird Paint-by-Number Kit

Born and raised in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, Rachel Austen majored in art while attending community college, then transferred to Portland State University, graduating with a degree in Business Administration. "I've had entrepreneurial inclinations since I was thirteen years old and rented a booth at a local fair to sell my handmade polymer clay jewelry," she says.

After a 15-year career as a graphic designer for local arts organizations, Rachel began creating her paint-by-numbers products. I've always loved a vintage aesthetic, she says, so the nostalgic kits "seemed like the perfect fit. Her initial designs were more complex, but by talking to customers at craft shows, she realized that most of them wanted a shorter project time that felt achievable. She loves that the entire process has been creative: not just making the illustrations, but creating the color formulas and designing her sustainable, locally-made packaging, too.