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Turning Creativity into Income: The Business of Oddarette’s Stickers
Digitalartsi, Charongess… although illustrator and creator Lana Ansay goes by many names, most of you probably know her as @oddarette. Frequently featured on StickerApp’s social media, her (mostly) transparent sticker art is always cheered on and celebrated for its creativity and flawless execution.
From constant doodling as a child to running a 5-star Etsy shop with over 40,000 sales, here’s a glimpse into the creative world of @oddarette.
TL;DR: Lana went from designing classroom clipart to building a sticker business that reconnected her with her creative roots and audience.
With StickerApp’s artist-friendly platform and transparent materials, she turned nostalgia into a thriving creative outlet - and a blooming business.
The Making of a (Sticker) Artist
To quote Lana herself:, “I’ve been making art ever since I could hold a pencil.” Her passion for art and creating led her onto a career path in graphic design. Today, she’s a creator of many things - but before she ever made a single sticker, Lana was creating something completely different.
“I was a commercial artist designing clipart, mostly for children’s education and classrooms,” she says. “But after a while, I started losing interest in that art style.”
She missed something: a sense of play, color, and nostalgia that had once sparked her creativity. “I wanted to recapture some of that teen-era energy I used to have. And I was obsessed with stickers as a kid.”
That childhood obsession would soon become the foundation for a new creative chapter and an entirely new business.
A creative shift, and a big leap
Transitioning from digital downloads to physical products is no small change. For Lana, it meant building a new business model from the ground up.
“There were definitely challenges,” she says. “I was worried about switching from one art style to something completely new, especially something that involved selling physical products instead of digital files.”
It wasn’t just a creative shift; it was a mindset shift. “It’s not an overnight process if you’re totally new to it,” Lana explains. “It takes time, confidence, and a lot of work, especially when you’re managing a lot of different designs.”
From hesitation to experimentation
That early uncertainty could have stopped her, but instead, Lana leaned in.
“I gained a lot of confidence and knowledge over the first year or so I started getting stickers made,” she says. “Once I understood the process and saw the results, it all started to click.”
She didn’t know it yet, but those first experiments would open the door to a completely new audience, new products, and a creative style that felt more her than ever before.
Finding her fit with StickerApp
When Lana first discovered StickerApp, something about it just felt right.
“I can’t quite remember how I found you guys,” she laughs. “But I remember feeling like you had a much more artist-friendly vibe than other sticker companies. I saw all the real art being featured on social media and thought, ‘Yeah, I’d fit in here.’”
She placed her first order, unsure what to expect, and was immediately hooked.
“I don’t even remember what my first sticker was,” she admits. “But I do remember knowing this was going to be a long-term interest.”
From the very beginning, one thing stood out.
“My go-to favorite was almost immediately the transparent material,” Lana says. “Something about it just worked perfectly with my art. Over the years, I’ve learned to master material effect placement and know exactly where to use what effect.”
Reclaiming creativity and connection
Lana’s new designs quickly found their people. “It took about six months for me to really be happy with my sales,” she says. “People love how my art style translates to a transparent sticker effect.”
But more than the numbers, it was the feeling of communicating through stickers that stuck with her. “Sticker-making changed how I view my business,” Lana says. “I feel like I reclaimed a part of my childhood through this creative outlet.”
Recently, she started selling in person for the first time. “The amount of younger people who showed up excited about my work was so sweet,” she says. “It felt like I got to pass along that same joy I felt growing up.”
Stickers that tell a story
Today, StickerApp is Annie’s go-to manufacturer. “StickerApp is my primary sticker manufacturer at the moment,” she says. “If I had to describe you guys in one short sentence, it’s that StickerApp is great for artists.”
From transparent finishes to custom die-cuts, her stickers now reflect both her art and her story, a mix of nostalgia, curiosity, and bold experimentation.
And this is just the beginning.
What’s next for @oddarette
“A lot is next for me actually,” Lana says with a smile. “My sticker project is helping fund my goal of releasing a manatee-themed coffee table book, and a lava lamp-themed one after that.” (ICYMI: manatees and lava lamps are among Lana’s favorite themes.)
Her next chapter will focus on long-form illustrations, built on the confidence and creative freedom she’s gained through sticker-making.
“If I could give anyone advice about making their first order, it would be this: have fun with it and experiment,” Lana says. “No matter what happens, you’ll learn something new.”
Lana's Top 3 Tips for...
Mastering transparent stickers:
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Upload files with at least 50% opacity for the transparent parts. Sometimes I layer different opacities for the same sticker, for example, some parts with 50% opacity and some with 65%. It creates layering effects with color depth and texture.
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Be aware of what type of surface background you intend each sticker to be on. The darker the background, the less transparent the colors will show up on it.
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Understand the principles of transparent objects in a 2D space. Highlights are your best friend, but don’t abuse them.
Succeeding on Etsy:
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Be prepared to keep a regularly updated catalogue of new items - people unfortunately tend to lose interest if your shop never adds new items.
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Focus on things you personally enjoy. It's your space, and in general, people can learn to love something if the vibes are right. You do you!
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Understand that not everything will be a raging success. Some of my favorite illustrations bombed pretty hard. That’s ok! I still learned a lot from the process.
Thank you so much for the chat, Lana, and best of luck with your future adventures!
To keep up with Lana, follow her on IG, @oddarette, or check out her amazing Etsy store.
Author
Annie