About
Hi! I'm Gabi. ☺
I'm the artist and maker behind Mabel & Magic. I make greeting cards, art prints, and other handmade goods with my original hand-drawn designs, primarily inspired by the natural world!
My Background
While I am currently living in Toronto, I spent the majority of my life in Vancouver, BC. I have always been inspired by the outdoors, having spent so much time in and around it, and my love for the Flora and Fauna of where I grew up is the primary inspiration for my designs. After moving to downtown Toronto, focusing on nature-themed illustrations has helped me stay connected to both the natural world and to the West Coast!
My Process
I hand-draw all my designs on paper with Micron Sakura Pigma ink pens, scan them, and print them directly onto my paper products with my Canon Pixma printer (aside from my stickers, which are outsourced and printed by the lovely folks at StickerApp)! For my fabric products (Totes and Pouches), I print my designs onto heat-transfer paper, cut them out, and iron them onto the fabric.
In terms of selecting what to draw, I select plants and animals based on two categories. 1: Do they have a recognizable shape or primary pattern that would lend itself well to my personal style? And 2: Are they cool? That's it ☺
Why "Mabel & Magic"?
Mabel and Magic are the names I gave to two of my most cherished stuffed animals (cats, of course) that I've had since I was two years old.
To me, naming my business after nostalgic symbols of my childhood reminds me why I decided to start this business in the first place. I've loved doing art for as long as I can remember, but never believed I could build any sort of career out of it. I've recently realized that there will never be a better time to try to get my art out there than now, and my younger self would be very excited that I've decided to pursue my artistic endeavours. The name Mabel & Magic reminds me of how far I've come in terms of embracing my childhood passions in my adult life -- my passion for creating has stuck with me all these years, just like Mabel and Magic have.
Hand-drawn, Hand-printed, Hand-packaged.
