Why I Don't Chase Trends

Inside The Craft Cache Workshop: Why I Create What I Create

When people ask why my shop doesn’t always look like every other online store full of trending designs, my answer is pretty simple.

I don’t really chase trends.

That doesn’t mean I avoid them completely. Sometimes a customer comes to me with an idea inspired by something they’ve seen recently, and I’m more than happy to work with that. But even then, my focus is never on copying what’s popular—it’s on turning it into something personal. Something that reflects them.

Because at the end of the day, I like to create things that are custom to the individual.

Where my ideas actually come from

A lot of my ideas don’t start with a trend or a business plan. They start with everyday life.

Sometimes I’ll think about what kind of door hanger I’d want on my own front door for the season. I’ll scroll through ideas until something clicks, and then my creativity takes over from there. I’m not trying to replicate what I saw—I’m trying to make something I would genuinely be excited to hang on my own door.

Other times, I think about things I want to make for my own family. Pet collar tags, small keepsakes, little personalized pieces around the house.

Funny thing is… I usually don’t get around to making those first.

It’s a bit like the old saying about the cobbler whose kids have holes in their shoes. I spend so much time creating for other people that my own ideas sometimes sit on the back burner—even though I have all the materials and tools right here in my workshop.

What matters most in my work

The best part of what I do isn’t the laser cutting, the printing, or the design work itself.

It’s seeing an idea turn into something real.

When someone orders from The Craft Cache Workshop, my hope is always the same: that when they open their package, it feels like exactly what they had in mind. I want them to look at it and think, “Yes… this is it. This is what I wanted.”

Even more than that, I hope they can tell someone listened. That their idea mattered. That it wasn’t just pulled from a shelf of mass-produced designs, but thoughtfully created just for them.

And if they think, “Cheryl helped make this happen,” then I’ve done my job.

Why I keep doing this

At the end of the day, I’m not just making shirts, signs, or engraved gifts.

I’m helping turn people’s ideas into something they can hold, wear, gift, or display.

That’s what I love most about this work. Not just creating things—but creating their things.

And maybe, just maybe, the next time they need something custom—whether it’s a gift, a sign, apparel, or something they haven’t even thought of yet—they’ll think of my little workshop first.

Thanks for being here and supporting handmade, thoughtful, custom work. It means more than you know.

— Cheryl
The Craft Cache Workshop