Floorboard Findings Year in Review: What We Built, Learned, and Dyed

Every year I tell myself I'm going to slow down and simplify, and every year the opposite happens. This Floorboard Findings year in review is a look back at what actually went down: the growth, the new directions, the things that worked, and the things I learned the hard way. Running a handmade boutique and wholesale operation out of a home studio while raising two daughters with a husband who works shifts as a firefighter and paramedic doesn't leave a lot of room for coasting. But it turns out I'm not very good at coasting anyway.

The Fire Department Line Changed Everything

The biggest development this year was launching the Fire Department apparel line in 2026. This started organically. Cory's world and my world finally overlapped in a way that made sense for the business. Local fire departments needed custom apparel for fundraisers, station pride gear, and community events, and I already had the equipment, the blank relationships, and the print quality to deliver exactly what they needed.

What surprised me was how quickly word spread within the fire service community. One department orders fundraiser tees, their members wear them to a county event, and suddenly I'm fielding inquiries from three more departments. Fire department apparel isn't just merchandise. It's identity and community pride. These crews take their gear seriously, and they notice when the blank quality is better, when the print doesn't crack after five washes, when the Comfort Colors crewneck actually feels good instead of stiff and cheap. Producing work that people are proud to wear is the whole reason I started this business, so seeing that translate to a completely new market was one of the highlights of the year.

Wholesale Growth and What It Taught Me

Wholesale has become the backbone of Floorboard Findings. The partnership with Pine Ridge Campground continued to expand. We added new seasonal designs, grew the product range in their camp store, and refined the workflow between concept and delivery. That relationship, which started in 2024, has become the model for how I approach all wholesale accounts: personal communication, premium blanks, reliable timelines, and designs that actually represent the partner's brand rather than generic clip art on a cheap tee.

The custom graphic tee program saw the most growth this year. DTF transfers have made it possible to produce full-color, photographic-quality prints on dark garment-dyed blanks without the setup costs of traditional screen printing. That's been a game changer for small businesses and organizations that need 24 to 200 pieces — quantities that are too small for most print shops to take seriously but too large for a home crafter with an iron-on setup. We fill that gap, and there's real demand there.

What wholesale taught me this year (or maybe reminded me) is that consistency matters more than volume. I'd rather produce 50 perfect pieces than rush through 200. Every shirt that goes out with a partner's logo on it is a reflection of their organization and my studio. That's not a standard I'm willing to lower for faster turnaround.

The Boutique Side: Ice Dye and Crystal Jewelry

On the boutique side, the ready-to-ship ice dye collection became a bigger focus this year. Customers love the immediacy of seeing the exact piece they're going to receive and knowing it ships right away. I've been deliberate about building up ready-to-ship inventory so there's always a range of colorways and sizes available, rather than running the shop primarily on preorders.

Preorders still have their place, especially for coordinated sets, specific colorways, and sizes that move fast. But having a stocked collection of finished pieces gives the boutique a different energy. People can browse, find something that catches their eye, and buy it knowing it's one of a kind and it's in their hands within days. That sense of discovery is part of what makes shopping for handmade ice dye different from scrolling through mass-produced inventory.

The Swarovski crystal jewelry line continued to hold its own. Crystal jewelry is where Floorboard Findings started back in 2015, and it remains a steady part of the product mix. This year I focused on creating pieces that pair naturally with the ice dye apparel — earrings and bracelets in color families that complement the most popular dye colorways. The idea of a complete look from one brand (a hand-dyed crewneck, a pair of crystal studs, maybe a layered bracelet) is something customers respond to because it feels curated rather than random.

Behind the Scenes: Studio and Process

I made some real investments in the studio this year. Nothing glamorous: industrial washers for the rinse process, better organization for blank inventory, a simplified packaging and shipping workflow. The kind of improvements that nobody sees but that make it possible to increase output without sacrificing quality.

The shipping process got tighter. Every order goes out in branded mailers, packed with care, with tracking provided. I ship daily and use USPS and UPS depending on package size and destination. For wholesale orders, UPS handles the bulk shipments. Getting packages out the door consistently and on schedule is one of those behind-the-scenes disciplines that directly affects whether a customer comes back.

What Didn't Work

Not everything this year was a win, and I'd rather be honest about that than write a highlight reel. I overcommitted on seasonal launches a couple of times, trying to release too many new colorways and graphic designs simultaneously while keeping up with wholesale orders. The result was stretching myself thin and feeling rushed on pieces that deserved more attention. The lesson was obvious in hindsight: quality over quantity, always. Fewer releases with more thought behind each one is the direction going forward.

What's Coming Next

Looking ahead, the focus is on three things. More ready-to-ship ice dye inventory so the boutique always feels full and shoppable. New spring graphic tees and seasonal designs. And expanding the crystal jewelry line with new sets designed to coordinate with ice dye colorways.

The foundation is solid. The wholesale relationships are strong. The studio is set up to handle growth without cutting corners. Now it's about being smart with that capacity — creating work I'm proud of, building partnerships that make sense, and keeping this brand rooted in what it's always been about: one-of-a-kind, handmade, color with backbone.

Thank you to every customer who ordered this year, every wholesale partner who trusted me with their brand, and everyone who follows along on Instagram and Facebook. This business exists because of you. Now let's see what next year brings.