Ocean Tumbler Wrap
This tumbler was a personal creative project where I combined digital design, sublimation, and styled product photography to bring a coastal‑inspired concept to life. I selected a serene ocean image and paired it with the quote “The cure for everything is salt water: Sweat, Tears, or the Sea,” creating a calming, reflective design that wraps naturally around the tumbler. After sublimating the artwork onto stainless steel, I staged a beach‑themed photo shoot using shells, textured fabrics, and soft lighting to reinforce the mood of the piece. The final result showcases my ability to blend imagery, typography, production, and visual storytelling into a cohesive, emotionally resonant product.
Bus Tumbler Wrap
I created this design as a personal thank‑you gift for my son’s bus driver, Ms. T, who has always shown kindness and care toward the kids she transports every day. I illustrated a bright, cheerful layout featuring sunflowers, tire tracks, and a bold school bus graphic, then paired it with playful lettering to celebrate her role and personality. The piece was meant to feel uplifting and heartfelt, turning a simple appreciation gift into something custom, meaningful, and visually fun. It reflects how I use design to show gratitude and create small moments of joy for the people in our lives.
Santa’s Key & Reindeer Food
I created this Santa’s Magic Key design as a special holiday product for my customers, writing the poem myself and offering both singular and plural versions so all families could enjoy a personalized experience. I paired the printed tag with a decorative metal key to make the tradition feel tangible and magical, giving kids without chimneys a way to imagine Santa’s visit. I also designed a coordinating reindeer food card and packaged it with a tube of oats to complete the set. This project reflects how I use illustration, writing, and thoughtful presentation to create festive keepsakes that bring joy and imagination to families during the holidays.
Tumblers
During my time running Dare to Be Rare Designs, creating custom tumblers became one of my biggest creative outlets. I produced hundreds of them, each one giving me the chance to experiment with new techniques, color stories, textures, and themes. No two designs were ever the same. Every tumbler started as a blank canvas that let me explore whatever idea, mood, or aesthetic I wanted to bring to life, whether it was a cosmic galaxy, a nature scene, a motivational quote, or a bold pattern.
I worked with a wide range of methods to achieve different effects. Some tumblers were built through digital illustration and sublimation, where I designed full wraps that flowed seamlessly around the surface. Others were created using glitter layering, ink blending, or custom vinyl work to build depth and movement. I loved pushing the boundaries of what a tumbler could look like, mixing techniques to create gradients, silhouettes, metallic accents, and atmospheric scenes. Each piece required careful planning of composition, color balance, and how the design would curve around the form.
Beyond the design work, I also styled and photographed many of the finished tumblers myself. Every photo shoot was an opportunity to reinforce the mood of the piece, using props, lighting, and backgrounds that matched the story behind the design. Whether it was a beach‑themed setup, a nature‑inspired scene, or a dramatic cosmic backdrop, the photography helped elevate each tumbler from a product into a piece of art.
These tumblers represent a period of complete creative freedom for me. They allowed me to experiment, learn, and refine my craft while building a collection of work that shows my range in illustration, color theory, composition, and product presentation. Even now, they remain some of my favorite examples of how I turn ideas into tangible, expressive designs. Here are just a few examples of my work.
Check out my other work on Dare to be Rare Design’s Pinterest page