Wicked Widow was not a new concept for me. When my handmade business was still Stuff N Junk by Heidi, I craved a creative space that wasn’t bright, pastel, and strictly educational. Wicked Widow Stitching was the second handmade business I opened, but my heart wasn’t all-in yet. Eventually, I retired Stuff N Junk, rebranded to Heidi Mein, and pushed Wicked Widow into a quiet corner of my brain. But I never completely let it go.
And then, I got this crazy idea.
I’ve been a planner junkie for many moons now, but nothing has ever really stuck. I just don’t think I’m Type-A enough for Big Box planners and journals. They feel like homework. So, I pulled Wicked Widow back out of the shadows and decided to add “publisher” to my creative resume. But before I started plotting grid points and picking paper textures, I needed a vibe, an atmospheric cocoon I could wrap around myself while creating.
As a child, summers meant the absolute bliss of playing in the Santa Cruz sunshine, usually being so wildly busy running around that we completely forgot about sunscreen until it was too late. It was all pure nostalgia, peeling shoulders, and the inevitable tragedy of finding sand in every single crevice. But as an adult? I live for those micro-cations during the spring and fall when the heavy fog sits over East Cliff Drive for most of the day. The damp sea breeze, the crashing waves, and the salty air are my absolute magic potion for creativity. It’s a mood that is dark, velvety, and peaceful, but with a sharp edge of attitude.
I got to work creating a digital vibe that could shake the cobwebs from my non-linear brain while I spun my ideas into physical products. From this, the Wicked Widow Blank Books were born.
These are not your generic, soul-sucking office supply notebooks. Our brainstorming didn’t just trickle out into your everyday, mindless “rinse-and-repeat” layouts. Instead, we engineered specific pockets to protect your most valuable thoughts, your sudden lightning strikes of inspiration, and your rawest moments, so you can return to them and feel all those feels, time after time.
Even better? This isn’t a solo venture into the shadows. My spawn are the brilliant artists working behind the curtain with me, partnering to forge the custom artwork that brings these pages to life.
Consider this your open invitation to join a collective of voracious readers, pop-culture junkies, and creative rebels who feel right at home in the dark. Step behind the curtain and embrace the insanity.
We’ve saved a seat for you at the table, and the coffee is always brewing. Don’t worry… your spirits are safe with us.