What we do.
Lollie & Bee combines a love of fine art, illustration and writing, to bring happiness and connection through high-quality paper goods.
Why we do it.
At Lollie & Bee, we like to keep our greeting cards because they take us back to special times and places. With connection and joy at the heart of everything we do, our goal is to create and share paper goods that can be kept and enjoyed for years to come, not just moments in time.
To support our goal of product longevity, we’ve put a special focus on quality. Not all materials are created equal, and we put meticulous effort into providing the highest quality paper goods so that you can enjoy them well into the future. Our giclée art prints are made using pigment-based inks and 100% cotton rag paper, so these babies can be enjoyed by your great-grandchildren. And why stop there? Because the art of handwriting is so important to us, our greeting cards are also printed using pigment-based inks and 100% cotton rag paper so the recipient of a Lollie & Bee card can keep their note (and art) forever.
How it started.
It all started in January 2021, when the artist behind Lollie & Bee, Lauren Wege, was thinking of ways to bring joy to the people around her while simultaneously working on things she loves. At this point, she had spent nearly nine years in marketing and communications, and not much time on “hobbies.” Throughout her life, however, she always loved painting, writing and connecting with people. So she got out her watercolor paints, and began thinking of creative subject matter that would catch her, and others, by surprise. She landed on animals doing human things. But where to start? Then the idea of a raccoon on a scooter popped into her mind. She quickly went to work, and Reggie the raccoon was born. She snapped some photos to share with family and friends and the response was exciting.
In June 2022, Lauren thought of making greeting cards using her “animals doing human things” paintings, as she has always loved handwritten letters and notes and wanted to promote this important form of connection. She also thought of making and selling original art, prints and stickers. Lauren got really excited about the potential, so she came up with a business name: Lollie & Bee. This started the beginning of building the brand, leading to its launch in July 2023.
The meaning behind the name.
“Lollie” was Lauren’s nickname growing up, and she was always running the other way from bees. Likewise, throughout high school, college and her professional career, she was avoiding pursuing art as a career because of the idea of not being able to make it as an artist. However, because she had already taken a large career risk by quitting her corporate job and starting her own consultancy, she figured she’d try what has always been in the back of her mind: sharing her art, with the ultimate goal of promoting joy and connection. Just as she decided to not be afraid of bees, she decided to not be afraid of pursuing her passion, so “Lollie” and “Bee” unite.
Location.
We make all of our products in Oregon. All printed artwork is produced from Lauren’s original watercolor paintings. Our greeting cards are printed, cut, scored and packaged in-house, our prints are printed and packaged in-house, and our stickers are printed, laminated, cut and packaged in-house.
We take great pride in sourcing most materials used in the making of Lollie & Bee products from U.S. based businesses that also manufacture their products in the U.S. We’ve personally contacted our vendors to verify sourcing information in an effort to provide you with an item that’s as close to home as possible.
We believe that businesses have the potential to positively impact our nation and beyond, and are thankful for the opportunity to have a little chunk of the pie by running our own small business. It’s our goal to support other businesses within the U.S. at every turn.
