about Elle Crée
Elle Crée – or “she creates” in French – produces artist-quality paint-by-number kits that foster creativity and self-care! Our company was founded by Portland illustrator Rachel Austen in late 2016 out of her desire to create a nostalgic product from her illustrations that customers could interact with and that would spur their own creativity. Her kits feature a diverse array of subject matter, including still lifes, botanicals, and inspirational history-makers! Kits may be purchased online or in-store at over 500 retailers across the United States.
Elle Crée seeks to reduce our impact on the environment by carefully sourcing components that are eco-friendly and locally made. Our custom paint colors are mixed by hand from non-toxic USA-made acrylic, and our kits are assembled with the help of a small staff in Portland, Oregon. We strive for green business practices in our workplace and as close to zero waste as possible. As well as being an eco-friendly brand we’re also committed to being an organization of diversity, inclusion, and most importantly inspiration for budding artists everywhere.
Elle Crée supports relevant causes which enhance our mission by donating 5% of net profits to social and environmental causes. We are currently donating to the Portland-based 501c3 Brown Hope - which works toward racial justice and healing.
Other past and present recipients include:
- Terrapass (a monthly carbon offset subscription)
- The Southern Poverty Law Center
- The Oregon Food Bank
- Naya Family Center - a Native American youth and family center that offers programs and services to enhance the diverse strengths of urban Indians in partnership with the community through cultural identity and education.
Rachel Austen
Elle Crée’s history goes back to 2016 and is the work of Portland-based artist Rachel Austen. Rachel’s first entrepreneurial venture was selling her handmade jewelry at local craft fairs when she was 13 years old. After a 15-year career in print and web design, she’s happy to return to her maker roots and embark on a project that’s truly her own.
Rachel started making paint-by-number kits out of her desire to create a nostalgic product from her illustrations that customers could interact with and that would spur their own creativity. Like many, Rachel has always loved the aesthetic of vintage paint-by-number kits. She realized that most modern-day kits had become mass-produced, were of poor quality, and had lost a lot of the original stylized aesthetic of the mid-century kits – and so the idea for Elle Crée was born.
