MY STORY
THE LABEL
In 2008 Monica McNab designed a small range of unique illustrated greeting cards for a London greeting card company Touchnote. This sparked the initial ideas and on return home to Australia in 2009 she further developed the range to establish the sustainable brand Monica McNab. Starting small as a hobby out of her love for creating and making, Monica’s products have blossomed with a wide variety of unique quirky cards, prints, tasteful souvenirs and much more.
​Monica's products all contain her hand illustrations, which are charming, cute, funny and full of character. Her work helps express the connections you feel between people and places.
People often ask Monica what inspires her. She says “It’s my love of people and nature that inspires me the most. I like nothing more than to see people smile and laugh, and to do my bit for the environment. I like making things for people, and I enjoy helping people express their sentiments to each other through the timeless art of illustration and hand writing.”
Whether you need to tell someone you love them, make them smile, share your latest travel experience, or are simply after something cute with a touch of whimsy, you've come to the right place!
It all started during a trip in Italy as a small child watching street artist paint beautiful pictures of quaint little villages. I always knew from that day that painting and drawing was my thing.
It took 20 years of nurturing this inner desire for my creative journey to take off. With a BA in textile design in my left hand, and a diploma in painting in the right, I travelled far and wide gaining inspiration and experience, stopping in the USA, Hong Kong and then Europe.
On returning home from my adventures I have realised my dream and now am pleased to bring you my unique illustrations and designs.
SUSTAINABLE FACTS
Monica’s products aim to show that sustainability can be beautiful and desirable. Everything is designed with the intention of valuing sustainability and reducing carbon footprints.
Things that are going on behind the scenes to help with sustainability;
- Creating products from paper, which is a renewable and natural resource. Furthermore, trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow, and wood products retain carbon throughout their lifetime;
- Choosing natural recycled paper or FSC-certified papers, not bleached or coated, making them better for biodegrading once discarded or sent for recycled;
- Printing on demand with small runs reduces waste and dead stock;
- My Studio is powered with solar
- Paper sizes are standardised to reduce off-cut waste;
- A minimal illustration style, using the natural paper as a background, reducing, saves precious mineral resources.
- Products, if packaged, are packaged in biodegradable cellophane;
- Sourcing supplies locally; reducing the use of fossil fuels in transportation;
- Printers use soy based dye or recyclable ink cartridges;
- High quality ink is used, ensuring that the product will last for many years and reducing throw-away culture;
- Package materials are recycled in-house, reducing landfill;
- Products are sold in do-it-yourself flat packs whenever possible, reducing packaging and inducing the IKEA effect. The IKEA effect is a cognitive bias in which consumers place a vastly higher value on products that they helped to create. A stronger sense of pride and emotional attachment is formed, the result is a better likelihood that items are cherished and not throw away so quickly.
Ethical business practise;
Using FSC certified papers means that the forests are responsibly managed, with a focus on conserving natural habitats for plants and animals as well as respecting the rights of forestry workers and local communities. Products are manufactured in Australia, where strict regulations govern proper pay rates and working conditions are safer due to high health and safety standards.
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If you have any suggestions on how to be more environmentally friendly or if you have any questions please contact me.
