Pupcakes + Cupcats Interview: Sweet Peets and Boba Tea Cats!

Etsy has been on my endless cycle of doom scrolling during this pandemic. I endlessly click through the endless recommendations of handmade, original creations from artists all over the United States. While not without flaws, I do appreciate how many small business owners and incredible artists I have come across because of this merchant-centered website. My credit card has been getting a lot of exercise on here, and I have ZERO regrets. What I also wouldn’t regret purchasing, would be the super cute work of Dandy of Pupcakes + Cupcats! With a plethora of cute doggos, boba cats, and sweet peets, this store has a fabulous collection of apparel and stationery. I had the opportunity to interview Dandy, so please enjoy the insight she afforded me into her creative life!

Black Nerd Problems: Please tell us about yourself! What’s your origin story and how has your Hero’s Journey been so far? Dandy: Hello there, my name is Dandy and I’m the Black owner, illustrator and maker of all things Pupcakes + Cupcats! I’ve been working corporate graphic design jobs since I graduated college and after 10 years of doing work that had left me feeling largely underpaid and undervalued, I was done. This 10 years was peppered with amazing and encouraging experiences selling at anime and gaming conventions. During that time I was selling mostly fanart and enjoying that very much. But I had ideas of my own and I saw so many other artists making and selling their own original goods (Sugar Bunny Sh…