After dabbling and mucking about with screen printed cards for friends and family, a self-taught creator has begun stocking rural shops with colourful and modern, farm-themed occasion cards.
A sea-change about 12 years ago led Sheree Riggs to the Hallett area, after her parents moved from Adelaide in search of country life.
"Basically, my parents moved up here for a change of pace because Dad was involved with horses," she said.
"I went with them to save for a trip to Europe and afterwards, I never went back to Adelaide."
Sheree worked at the local pub until she met her husband, Lachie, a mixed-farmer from Hallett, and decided to stay put and embrace rural life. She worked at Princess Royal feedlot before working full time on the family farm.
The family also run a further two sheep stations, and when Sheree is not busy mustering and driving tractors at harvest, she is flat out in her studio making cards for her business, Little Print Farm.
Sheree is a creative person who is always conjuring up new ideas to remain creative while raising her two boys, Jack and Harry.
It was not long after Jack was born, about five years ago, Little Print Farm began operation.
It started as an Etsy store when she began drawing animals and screen printing for a creative outlet.
"I was just doing it for some fun and then my friend took over the Burra IGA and asked to stock my cards in it," she said.
"After this, it basically just took off."
Sheree is self-taught but certainly took a tip or two from her dad, who was a screen printer in the 1980s.
"When I bought my first screen printing kit, I got Sad to show me what he could remember and then I realised I wanted to do it more. So I attended workshops to build on my skills," she said.
"I also used YouTube and Instagram to try new things."
Inspiration for Sheree comes from trying to put herself in the consumers shoes and zeroing in on what card prints she could relate to.
"When I moved out here, I could never find cards which showed modern country life. I was always searching for bright, modern cards with animals to show where we lived," she said.
Sheree is also focused on ensuring the business remained sustainable by using recycled paper and eco-friendly ink.
With cards stocked at Burra, Clare, Orroroo, Hallett, Yorke Peninsula, Barossa Valley and in NSW, Sheree is pretty happy with her success so far.
"I am always trying to make different products to progress the business. I have experimented on wood and I also have a few new ideas to test out," she said.
"But, I am pretty happy with how busy I am at the moment."
Last year, Sheree also made Christmas ornaments and hoped to make more this festive season.
Sheree has also began painting again.
"Who knows what could come out of it but I am enjoying it - it is really important for me to have a creative outlet which is just for me," she said.
Vanessa Binks
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
