About Us: Our Story Scrapbook
The Story of TradeMark Catholic Stationery
Growing up in the wilderness as we did, my best friends after my siblings were our animals. Henrietta, the red hen, was my first pet. She laid an egg every morning under the house like clockwork. Wilbur Duck, would fly clear across the yard to greet me when I walked out the door. Jose’ the crow would sit outside of my bedroom window and repeat nonstop “Good Morning Jose” in a raucous voice until I showed up and went hunting grasshoppers with him. Freda the raccoon was a ball of fun until she began eating the Henrietta’s and Wilburs on the farm! (We took a walk to Lake Ellen then, a few miles into the mountains to learn how to eat crawdads. Didn’t work though. Freda knocked on the door a few days later, hungry for fowl.) We had a herd of goats, and my sister and I would take them into the woods to forage every day. In between skipping rocks on the water and running after goats, we’d find a comfy tree for shade, and read or draw, or build churches. Fritz, my German Shepherd, was my best buddy. He was closer to me than any human until I met my husband. We did everything together. He chased away the rattlesnakes and bears on our hikes through the mountains. I would grab his tail on a steep climb and he would go into 4 wheel drive, and pull me up. He would even go to work with me, and whenever a person would ask “Do you take checks?” He would leap up from behind the desk and bare his teeth… End of story. They paid cash. I still have dreams of us hiking together. I cannot help but pray there are dogs in heaven!
My buddy Fritz in our backyard
But talking with animals can be rather limited, and so if I wanted to have a conversation of a more human kind, it was through letter, with my pen pals. I found most of them in the back of Western Horsemen magazine. Those horses I loved to draw found their way onto my stationery, and pretty soon I had a crude little hand drawn catalog of horse postcards I was selling, or I should say, trying to sell. I finally sold one for a whopping .75 cents to a kind friend of the family. I even glued a cardboard easel on the back of it for him, because he said he liked it so much he was going to keep it just for the picture. I grin now at his kindness, because the art I realize now was really awful!
1994: The Seed is Planted
Little did I know then, that that was the beginning of TradeMark Stationery. The horses were replaced by Jesus, Mary and the Saints. As I grew older, and realized one needn’t look far for conversation, as our Heavenly Family is ever near, ever ready to converse, ever listening… my interests in art began to reflect my heavenly friends, and so I endeavored to draw them. My source of inspiration was our holy card collection, and old Catholic books, which featured such beautiful drawings throughout. Artists we will never know the names of, as few signed their work, and painted mostly for the love of God. So most of the artwork you see on our cards, starts with them. While my patient husband held a real job and supported us, I was able to nurture my hobby in our basement, printing everything with a black and white laserjet printer myself, one sheet at a time. In 1998, my dear mom, who was not a wealthy woman by any means, loaned me a few thousand dollars so I could print the stationery in full color!
2000: Our Lady Takes Over
The company was formally consecrated to Our Lady, and she became the owner. Dear friends who struggle in life and business, if I have any words of advice for you, it is to put yourself totally in the hands of our Mother. Let her guide you and you will be blessed. I do not mean monetarily especially… money is not the definition of a blessing! But you will find peace and joy regardless of your situation. She will bring you to her Son, as true happiness resides in Christ alone. He is in all places, sorrows and joys alike, even in paying the bills. Our Mother will show you the way, her way, if we only let her!
2001: The Tree bears Fruit
God blessed us in 2001 through the adoption of our children, Dmitry and Katia. To us, they are the real fruit of our efforts and prayers, the apples of our eye! Thanks to your support and purchase of our stationery, we were able to save just enough so that we could go through the expensive adoption procedure, and bring our children home from Russia. I don’t think one really learns how to live, until children show us how! Dear God, I never knew when I prayed for patience, for greater love of God and neighbor, it would be answered in the form of a child. They are a constant Catechism lesson in 3-D! "Oh mom, why do I have to eat my veggies? Yuck!" helps answer my own question to my heavenly parent. "Lord, why do you give me these crosses?" Ah, my child, it is for your health, trust me. It was quite a rollercoaster ride for us, balancing children on one hand and business on the other, but somehow, we all survived and are so much the better for it. Glory be to God! Today The business has moved out of our basement, and into our permanent home a few miles away, a humble store, The Catholic Peddler, and attached TradeMark Stationery Mailorder and Warehouse. Interestingly enough, it is located in Mount Carmel. When I was about 15, I created my first religious artwork for another company, Mother of Our Savior Catalog Company in Indiana. They paid me with a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She still sits in my office and watches over every new design. God has blessed us with a wonderful team of fine people who answer the phones and fill orders… they stop everything and pray the Angelus at noon. So if you call and don’t get an answer at that time, that’s why! Because they are so competent, I am allowed to be at home with our children most of the time and focus on home school. It wouldn’t be possible without all of you! Thank you dear people, for your love of God and our Holy Faith. I am ever amazed that in an era of email, this business goes on… but somehow, it does! May every card glorify our Lord! Amen!
Kathy Holbrook & Family
