our mission
Elle Crée produces paint-by-number kits for people to create and participate in self-care. We work to cultivate an informed customer base that takes ownership of their purchasing decisions and the environmental and social impact those decisions make. We are striving to bring our products to the marketplace in a responsible way and we pursue partnerships with resellers who have a shared brand mission and purpose.
Our paint-by-number kits are designed with the conscious consumer in mind. Our kits are made in the USA and our components are of great quality and meant to help our customers create wall-worthy artwork that is enjoyed for years to come. You can find cheaper kits out there on the market – either mass-produced overseas or made in the US with less carefully sourced components – but your interest in Elle Crée kits means you care about how things are made, the environmental impact that you make, and the social good you create. With that in mind, Elle Crée was founded on several principles:
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1. art accessibility
Everyone remembers doing some kind of painting as a kid and there is very little barrier to entry because everyone knows how to hold a paintbrush! The only skill you really need is patience. Paint-by-number is a great way to boost your creativity and enhance your sense of artistic concepts like light and shade, composition, and how colors complement each other. Regardless of a person’s artistic capabilities, paint-by-number allows anyone to tap into their creative side and feel like an artist!
2. self-care
Paint-by-number kits are intended to cause the customer to slow down, disconnect from media, and engage in a creative activity that contributes to a sense of calm. Paint-by-number is a form of “artistic meditation” as you become completely engrossed in painting and focused on one brush stroke at a time. The great thing about paint-by-number is that you get to be creative without having to make any decisions. The color palette is all laid out for you. All you have to do is concentrate on your brush strokes. When you’re focusing on your steady hand and paint application, your mind can’t swirl with the busyness of the rest of life. That kind of focus can bring a sense of calm.
3. inclusivity & representation
We believe that representation matters. Our line of history-maker kits is intended to represent a diverse lineup of iconic figures. We strive to inform through educational biographies included in each kit. While we continue to add to this kit design category, we hope you find inspiration in these subjects who have inspired our creativity!
4. sustainability
We hate excess and waste! Elle Crée is mindful of the environmental impact involved in every business decision and seeks to source product and packaging components responsibly and locally whenever possible.
One of our main concerns is to bring this product to the marketplace in a responsible way that doesn’t harm the environment or result in wasteful consumerism. Rachel spends a lot of time researching component sourcing and packaging design that is as locally produced as possible and as green as it can be.
Elle Crée commits to donating toward carbon offset on an ongoing basis. Customers can rest at ease knowing that their purchase is a vote of confidence in green business practices and intentionality.
5. fair labor & local jobs
Our kits are locally made - designed and assembled in our workshop in Milwaukie, Oregon, by our small team. We love creating jobs in our community and we believe in fair wages and healthy working conditions. If we outsourced the production of our kits overseas, it would be much harder to guarantee that the people making our kits were being treated fairly or paid adequately.
We also believe the quality of our products is too important to outsource. Our paint is manufactured here in the US in accordance with health & safety standards. Our staff takes great care in assembling our kits to make sure you have a great experience with a quality product.
6. community contribution
We donate 5% of net profits to social and eco causes, so your purchase not only provides a relaxing self-care activity for your customers, it also allows us to make contributions to many worthy causes.