From Blueprints to Sticker Sheets

Some people collect stickers. Teresa Castle builds her life around them. A structural engineer turned sticker entrepreneur, Teresa is the founder of Violette Stickers and, for the past six years, the Violette Sticker Club, a monthly subscription that drops fifteen sheets of beautiful, commercially printed stickers straight into members’ mailboxes.

What began as a way to share her own designs with fellow sticker lovers has grown into a small but devoted community of subscribers who look forward to that envelope all month long.

We spoke with Teresa to talk surprise stickers, seasonal favorites, her dream collaboration, and the advice she’d give anyone thinking about starting a club of their own.

Letter Clubs: Tell us a bit about yourself and your background. What were you doing before you started your letter club?

Teresa: My name is Teresa, and I love stickers — all types and all brands. I started the club about 6 years ago after my sticker company started taking off. I used to be a structural engineer, and when my kids were young I started the sticker company, Violette Stickers.

LC: What inspired you to start your letter club? Walk us through your founding story.

Teresa: I loved the idea of getting surprise stickers in the mail. What better way to share my stickers with other sticker lovers! I started small, with about 15 subscribers, but that soon grew to over 400. It’s settled down a bit, but I still get new subscribers every week.

LC: What makes your club special and unique compared to other mail clubs?

Teresa: My club is all about beautiful quality stickers, and value. I enclose 15 sheets each month, and they’re the best! My stickers are commercially printed and have beautiful color, diecuts and layouts.

LC: How has running the club been going so far? What have been some of the highlights?

Teresa: My favorite months are Valentine’s Day month and Halloween month. I love sending holiday stickers that coordinate with each other. I also love including Mary Engelbreit designs, as many of my customers love her artwork.

LC: What has surprised you most about running a letter club?

Teresa: It’s a lot of work to make up the packets. It takes longer than expected, but is always rewarding to mail them out!

LC: What’s your dream or vision for where you’d like to take your club in the future?

Teresa: I’d love to include some Disney artists in my sticker work. That’s my dream collaboration!

LC: Besides your own, what’s your favorite mail or letter club out there?

Teresa: I love Three Bears. I just think those are some of the cutest stickers you can find!

LC: If you could have any celebrity or public figure become a member of your club, who would it be and why?

Teresa: I would love for the Royal Family to join. I know Princess Charlotte would love the stickers she’d get every month!!

LC: What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting their own letter club?

Teresa: Use exciting new designs. Even if it’s different and people aren’t used to seeing it, you never know. Trust your instinct — if you think it’s cute, there will be others who agree.

LC: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about your club or your journey?

Teresa: I’ve remained a relatively small family company, but that’s okay! You don’t have to be the biggest or the most popular. You’ll still have lots of followers and fans. Don’t be hard on yourself — ever!

Thank you to Teresa for sharing her story. Check out the Teresa’s Violette Sticker Club, which we're proud to feature on Letterclubs.com.