Their presence is always a welcome gift. They invite smiles, kindness, and fun. They can be given, received, displayed, and cherished.
"I love that Andi's People make me smile. I love that these little people have been with me throughout much of my life, beginning in high school. I am stronger because of them. When I think of all the smiles out there because of this menagerie of little people with long legs and warm smiles I smile too. And I am thankful.” - Andi
Andi's People are whimsical illustrations capturing the simple moments in greeting card form. Their presence is a welcomed gift. They invite smiles, kindness, and fun. They can be given, received, displayed, and cherished. Each Andi’s People character is different and lovingly hand-drawn and painted. They play lots more than piano and golf, and they engage in more than yoga, knitting, fishing, running, and skiing.
Andi's People are ageless, recognizable characters that are all of us in playful fashion. Anne (Andi) Schroeder is the talent behind the unique hand-drawn artwork and the owner and creator of Andi's People, an enchanting greeting card business.
Andi's People have been around since Andi's high school days. They have been steady companions along her life journey, inspiring dreams, generating smiles, and connecting people across the country and around the globe. In her early 20's Anne was living in Hawaii and was encouraged to obtain a copyright for her illustrations. She set a goal back then to someday build a greeting card business to share her whimsical people nationwide.
Even as she has refined her artistic style, Anne’s illustrations have maintained their original heartwarming look and energy with an added touch of sophistication. Andi’s People are unique and recognizable. An acquaintance of Anne's from the '80s recognized and identified her people as hers when he came across them on display at the Marshfield General Store more than 20 years later. They represent the simple joys and moments in each of our lives. They represent us; ageless, carefree, and happy. They encourage us to smile. They are hard to forget once you have met one.
Each card is a delightful illustration perfect for spreading joy. Andi's People are for the customer who values uniqueness, quality, and the added personalization aspect of choosing a card/design representing a recipient's passions. They are often treasured and pinned to bulletin boards and framed for keepsakes.
"Just thought I should have told you I received the cards...so delighted with them. Your art just cheers me up !!! Thanks again!” - Carol."
Andi' People re-launched in 2010 after Anne made the switch from teaching middle school Reading to full-time Andi’s People. Since then, she has upped her game, acquiring a variety of new skills, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Facebook and Instagram, Squarespace, and Etsy. While the constantly changing technological landscape keeps her challenged, she keeps it up, "...because it is a deep-rooted passion. Sharing Andi's People means more and more people smile, especially now in a device-driven world when it can be difficult to find ways to really connect. There are times when sending an email or a text message just isn’t enough to show how much you care."
The Andi’s People community continues to expand! Customers return to this loveable cast of characters. They have been featured in the Patriot Ledger and South Shore Living. She has participated in the National Stationery Show, and Andi's People cards have been sold in the San Francisco Symphony gift store as well as locally-owned small books shops and gift stores such as Buttonwood Books Cohasset, MA, Maine Street BookEnds, Warner, NH, and Bear Pond Books, Stowe, VT among others. Andi's people have traveled to mailboxes In Hawaii, across the U.S. and Europe, and as far away as Australia and New Zealand!
“LOVE your creations! Thank you!” Joan
An OFD (originally from Dorchester), Anne grew up in a large family in St. Mark's Parish. She walked everywhere, rode her bicycle, or took the MBTA. Art, music, outdoor activities, and travel give her pleasure. She is always game for a challenge. In 1988 she bicycled cross country. Today, Andi's People continue to challenge her commitment to keeping moving forward. She and her husband, Jim, have been married for 31 years and raised three children in Duxbury for the past 30 years. Her children are in their twenties and live on their own now. They are a close family.
A yoga instructor since 2011, her love of the practice is often found in her art and approach to life. She is passionate about making a positive difference in the world. Through Andi's People and teaching yoga, she hopes to bring peace and joy to those she becomes connected with, whether in person or in a far-off town
At the start of the Pandemic, her yoga students reached out to her to continue her yoga classes virtually. In an effort to make the difficult time more bearable, she began teaching yoga on Zoom. She continues online yoga as well as in-person and publishing a weekly yoga email in which she shares personal anecdotes, quotes, and inspiration, which someone described as ‘receiving a bouquet of flowers’ with its varied content.
In February 2018, Anne and her family suffered one of the most unimaginable tragedies. They lost their oldest and cherished son Ryan in an accident that happened on a business trip. Andi's People and Yoga have been her lifelines. Ryan was her biggest supporter, and she continues with Andi's People for him.
"Andi's People is inspired by the simple moments. The moments that matter; listening to music, playing sports, practicing yoga, or sitting at the beach with a book. They represent the things in life that are free and memorable."
Moving forward, Anne plans to diversify by adding stickers, post-it notes, and other items to her brand. A view that Anne shares with Andi’s People customers is that note writing is a personal and memorable act of kindness that will always be one of life’s niceties. Remembering and being remembered is such a treasured gift.
One of Anne’s creative outlets is cooking. When the pandemic invited us to turn to the pantry, Anne created Andi's People recipe cards. She shares sets of favorite recipes with friends, family, and yoga students. Her current favorite and most requested recipe is feta dip with marinated grape tomatoes and shallots in a red wine vinaigrette.
Andi’s dream is to continue to spread delight through the nationwide distribution of Andi’s People whimsical cards and art.
Cards can be purchased at andispeople.com, through the many stores listed on her website, and through social media. Get in touch with Andi -- whether you know her as Andi or Anne!
Facebook: AndisPeople Greeting Cards & Stationery
Instagram: andispeople
Email: andi@andispeople.com
Written and designed by Rachel Rich at Rachel Rich Content Writer
