Amy Heitman, a designer of greeting cards, journals, and gift wrap, has made it her mission to create stationery that sparks connection and joy.
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and later moving to West Michigan just over eight years ago, Amy never imagined she would enter the world of paper and ink. After graduating from Trinity Christian College with a degree in Art Education, she taught art for two years. “When I chose to leave teaching to stay home with our daughter, I began looking for a creative outlet,” she recalls. What began as a small portfolio website featuring murals she had painted for the school district along with wedding stationery she had designed for friends quickly became a blossoming Etsy shop—and the start of a lifelong passion for designing beautiful, thoughtful products.
Finding Creativity in Unexpected Places
Amy’s journey into stationery was anything but planned. “I never imagined I would find myself part of the stationery world,” she says. “After several years of designing custom stationery, I felt the pull to create something that could live beyond a single day—something that might encourage connection and help people love and bless those around them well. I designed my first collection of greeting cards, thinking that if nothing else, I would always have a collection of cards on hand to help me be more encouraging, intentional, and thoughtful.”
The timing of her Etsy shop was serendipitous. Just a month after opening it, while pregnant with her second child, Amy was placed on bed rest for five months. “During that season, the shop became an unexpected gift. It gave me something meaningful to pour myself into, and I fell in love with stationery and print design—and with the joy of seeing my designs come to life on paper in a tangible way.”
Even now, the memory of that challenging season informs her work. “Walking alongside friends in different seasons of life, I’ve often found myself wishing for the right card, and it is such a joy to be able to design something that feels like it might connect in those moments,” she explains.
Designing with Heart
Amy’s approach to stationery is deeply personal. She begins each design thinking about what she would want to give—or receive. “The desire to communicate care and connection plays the biggest role in creating pieces that feel personal and meaningful,” she says. “As far as journals and tea towels, it’s been especially fun to design gifts that are easy to give and feel both practical and beautiful. I love the idea of spreading beauty into spaces and being able to gift something that someone will use or interact with daily, and that might carry with it a bit of warmth, beauty, and joy into their day.”
Her work extends beyond aesthetics; it is rooted in human connection. “While I think there is real value in digital connection—it allows us to stay in touch across time and space—there are also real limitations to the level of connection that can be found through it. Something is lost in the ease and speed of it all. There is something beautiful in pausing to hold time and space for someone, in putting pen to paper, and even sitting in the discomfort of searching for the right words,” Amy says.
Handwritten notes, she emphasizes, are an act of love. “They say love requires sacrifice or costs you something, and in a world today where our schedules are so full, taking the time to choose a card for someone and then sit down to put words on paper can be a meaningful act of love—a way of offering presence, care, and intention. As the receiver, care is felt in seeing someone else’s handwriting and carefully chosen words. Handwritten notes carry with them a depth of thoughtfulness and love that can’t be captured through a screen, a quick tap, or an emoji.”
Collections Inspired by Life and Literature
Amy draws inspiration from her own life and the seasons her family is experiencing. Over the past eight years, she has homeschooled her three children, and many of her designs are influenced by the literature and ideas they explore together. “The Midsummer Night’s Dream wrap was directly inspired by lines from the play itself, while The Grove of Daphne wrap and collection was inspired by a description from the Grove of Daphne, an Eden-like garden described in Ben Hur,” she explains.
Some designs carry a more intimate family connection. One of her assorted scalloped card sets is especially dear to Amy, as it features her father’s handwriting. “He has the most beautiful handwriting, and growing up, most mornings I would wake up to find a note he left for my mom on the back of a daily calendar page,” she shares. It is this personal touch—the echo of real love and connection—that defines much of Amy’s work.
Journals, Rhythm, and Reflection
Beyond cards and wraps, Amy has expanded her line to include journals, a reflection of her own lifelong practice. Journaling became a lifeline during her bed rest with her second child. “Stillness has never come easily to me, and when I felt distracted and unsure of what else to do in a season so far outside my control, those pages became a place to pour out the emotions I was carrying—fear, anxiety, and hope—and to invite God to speak into my heart. Since then, journaling has become a daily rhythm. Over the past thirteen years, I’ve filled forty-three composition notebooks, writing every morning.”
Her journals are designed to bring that same daily rhythm and joy to others. “For years, I’ve wanted a place to write that felt worthy of the words it held, and something simple and beautiful enough to live out in the open, rather than tucked away,” she explains.
The Joy of Touching Lives
Amy’s work has reached clients across the country, from Barnes & Noble to local shops. Yet, the most meaningful feedback comes from individuals whose lives are touched by her creations. “By far the most rewarding part has been the notes I’ve received from people who share how much a card meant to them or how it brought encouragement at just the right time. Designing cards is such a small simple thing in the grand scheme of the world, but it is such a gift to be able to play a role in meaningful moments of people’s lives and stories. Creating something that helps people connect with those in their corner of the world is such a blessing—and one I’m so grateful for.”
Just Do It: A Call to Write
For anyone wanting to bring more personal, handwritten joy into their everyday life, Amy has one simple piece of advice. “I’m borrowing a phrase from Nike here, but just do it. The fear of saying or writing the wrong thing can sometimes keep us from saying anything at all, but most often, something (even imperfectly or awkwardly worded) is truly better than nothing. Think of how meaningful others’ words through handwritten notes have been in your own life and let that be an encouragement to pass the same kindness along to someone else.”
She also notes that preparation can remove barriers: “Keeping a small collection of cards on hand for different seasons and occasions also eliminates the pressure of not having time to find something in the moment and allows you to be ready when the moment arises. There is so much joy in the act of giving or encouraging someone else, and sometimes the simplest gesture can mean more than we realize.”
