How it all Began

Hi, I’m Amanda Holden, the artist behind Amanda Holden Designs and Isa Tasi Co.

Here is the story of my humble beginnings:

After moving to Idaho in 2015, I first got the idea to start a greeting card business because it felt like a small way to share my art while making a little extra money too. I named my shop “X My Hart Workshop.” Closing my eyes right now because…why? I obviously changed it. :)

I was still in the very rough stages of getting my little business going and had a lot of trial and error when it came to drawing again. I had no vision, no understanding of color theory to save my life, and I still needed to truly hone my craft—which required a lot more time and practice on my part. It…was…interesting.

At the time, I was still drawing everything by hand on paper, but I knew I wanted to eventually go digital for the ease of it all. So while I was still scanning hand-drawn images into my computer, I decided to do a vendor event…a wedding vendor event. Shrugs.

I quickly threw together a bunch of framed art to sell, drew a hedgehog and the Eiffel Tower as art prints (printed in many colors…why?!), and made some cards too. It was a downright disaster. People felt bad for me. I felt bad for me because I truly had no idea what I was doing. No sales whatsoever. But I didn’t let that one disaster deter me from my goal. I knew I could do this—I just needed to learn. So I did.

Then the iPad came out with Procreate and finally answered my need for digital illustration. It truly felt like a blessing, and that’s when I really began searching for my artistic voice. It was hard because I liked everything. I wanted to draw anything cute and colorful, but I knew that alone wasn’t enough.

Luckily, I started tapping into designs that people genuinely seemed drawn to. Plaid! I applied for my first Wintry Market in Boise for the holidays and made all things plaid. Christmas cards, bags, mugs, little trinkets—you name it. And it was a huge hit! I made over $2,000. Not bad for a little rookie. That’s when I knew this was truly what I wanted to do.

My little business continued to grow as I began showing up at vendor events around the Treasure Valley. I even opened an Etsy shop, and suddenly people started reaching out about wholesale. So naturally, I opened up to wholesale too. As the business continued to grow, I eventually launched my very own website.

In addition to this little art business I’ve built, I also started a Guam-inspired collection in 2020 called Isa Tasi Co., along with a CHamoru children’s collection called Kiko & Friends. Story pending!

Note to Reader:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for your support! I hope to continue making beautiful things for all to enjoy! God bless! 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Amanda  

Wintry Market 2018 | Some of these designs are still popular today!