Encourage Kindness, Inspire Fun: Kristen Ley
It is the mission of Jackson, Mississippi-founded Thimblepress® to "encourage kindness and inspire fun with the colorful, happy and innovative products they create, the stories they tell and how they operate their business."
The vibrant and inspirational brand, founded by Jackson native, Kristen Ley Allen, was nurtured from early on. Allen's creative family propelled her to pursue an arts education at Mississippi State University, and, in 2007, she founded Cultigraphic Creative® with fellow MSU classmate, Catherine Yerger.
In 2011, she purchased an antique letterpress in Kentucky and opened Thimblepress, a name inspired by her childhood thimble collection.
Product lines include the inspirational and whimsical, from stationery to gifts, apparel, mugs, calendars, candles and more.
Allen's work has been spread nationally and internationally, with collaborations with Target and Staples, among others, and featured on the Today Show. But, locals appreciate her State Street storefront (113 North State Street) where they pick up greeting cards, inspirational journals, notebooks and other encouraging works of art.