In 2017, local mother MaryAngela Weeda was on her second maternity leave looking for an outlet for all her pent up creativity.
She had recently received a vinyl cutting machine as a present and decided to make a customized t-shirt for a friend, who then wanted another shirt for another friend. From there, her little hobby had eventually “snowballed” its way into a business.
“I decided to register for a business and see where it would take me,” she reflected.
“I have always wanted to be a mompreneur, to be able to work from home doing something I absolutely love and what I found was a great way to use my talent to help support my family.”
She decided on the name Cute.Tees, because she loves seeing the reactions of the people who receive her customized gifts, with many of them noting how “cute” her products are.
“Nothing is more gratifying,” she said.
Weeda is a teacher by day, and crafter by night. The majority of her spare time spent working on orders into the wee hours of the morning, after her kids have gone to bed.
“Our working hours are 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.,” she explained.
“If you've ever ordered from me you'll see emails come in at 2 or 3 a.m. I love what I do and sometimes I can't stop the creative juice even when I should be sleeping,” she admitted.
From tee-shirts to keychains and mugs, Weeda offers a wide selection of customizable products for her clients.
“This market can be a bit saturated so reinventing your brand is part of the process. We have added new equipment at least once a year and we are currently at our next steps. It's really important to pivot and find a niche that you can cater your products to,” she explained.
“We are constantly changing. We are currently looking for some new product to carry so be on the lookout,” she said.
She says her busiest times of the year are Christmas and Father’s Day and when she is not so busy, she enjoys spending time with her husband Nick, and their two young boys.
Weeda says her business wouldn’t be possible to run without the support of Nick, who she says does a lot of the behind the scenes work.
“He is night next to me at every event, he does 100 percent of the pressing and packaging and without him none of this would be possible. He deserves all the credit because he is just so darn amazing,” she gushed.
The Weedas moved to Bradford in 2016 and love its tight knit community feel.
“Bradford is the best town anyone can live in and raise a family in,” she said.
“I have met so many beautiful people in this beautiful town. The support we have received over the years has been astronomical and we couldn't be anymore grateful.”
To learn more about Cute.Tees, check out their website here.
