+ When did your company form, who started it, and what are their backgrounds?

Author/Artist Christina DiMari started Ocean Star Gifts in 2005. Christina grew up in the surf/beach culture and has been using her gifts of writing and design to encourage others to pursue their dreams and to live a life that shines bright.

+ How did you get started? How has the growth of your company been, how is the market, and what has you guys most excited when you look at your business?

Actually, its kind of a cool story how it all began. I was finishing up my memoir, Ocean Star, when my publisher called to say I needed to narrow down the themes that I wove throughout my book to one that is the most important thing I want to say. Then we were going to play with the title around that one theme. I had just finished surfing and was hanging out on the beach. I walked down to the waters edge and started writing down all the things I wanted to say to my readers. Look Up, Believe, Celebrate, Enjoy Life, Love, Dream, Thank you…I kept writing leaving a trail of encouraging words for the people coming up the beach behind me to read.

The last word I wrote was Shine. I sat down next to it and knew that was the strongest message I wanted to come across in my story. Not only how we each are a star that is designed to shine, but how we can also help others shine.

Over the next hour or so many strangers stopped to read my words and they asked me what I was doing. One particular elderly couple stopped. When I told them what I was doing and the dream I had for sharing my story to shine for other girls and women, the women took hold of my arm and said, “Honey, you need to take pictures of these beautiful words and turn them into greeting cards. You can use the back to share your dream and it can help you make some money to do the events you want to host for girls around the country!”

It didn’t matter that I didn’t know the first thing about making greeting cards. What mattered is that someone came into my life at just the right moment and shined a light to help me see how I could live my dream.

Within a few months I launched a few cards..and well…everything happened just as she imagined. My card line is now sold in resorts, beach stores, surf shops, bookstores and a bunch of other stores all over the country. Not only did it give me a platform to share my dream, but I have brought in art from other girls and used their cards to share their dreams. And the whole line is helping fund the events I host in beach communities for girls ages 8-88 where I encourage the girls/women to SHINE BRIGHT!

The market is great for me for a few reasons. Most of the resorts and surf shops don't carry greeting cards. For the most part they don't carry them because they haven't found any that reflect the culture or say what they want them to say. As soon as they see my line, they were like...oh, I love these!! So I kind of found a nitch and its been very fast sailing ever since.

What has me most excited is knowing I created a line that people get excited to buy. Most of my buyers have said to me that their customers don’t just buy one card, they buy them in the handfuls. A lot of customers frame them and use them as home décor’ as well as sending a note to those they love, miss or just want to encourage.

I also enjoy using my business to allow other girls to share their art and dreams. I love to encourage other girls to use their gifts to shine for others so knowing that their art is enjoyed by buyers around the country gets me pretty stoked!

+ Where are you located?

I’m from California but we ship out of a west coast and an east coast location.

+ How did you choose your name and what does it convey?

I chose the name Ocean Star Gifts because I created the greeting card and print line to go along with my memoir, Ocean Star, which was published by Tyndale House Publishers in the spring of 2006. In both my memoir and the greeting cards/prints I convey messages of hope and cheer that inspire, encourage and shine.

+ What product do you think you are best known for?

I'd have to say our most popular line is the SAND WRITING. We have several sayings to choose from like, Happy Birthday, Thank you, Believe, Congratulation, Life's better at the Beach.

Our HOT item right now is CUSTOM ORDERS where the customer can ask us to write their location or name in the sand. These are selling really great in the resort and tourist area’s all over the world!

 + How is the growth of your company been, how is the market and what has you most excited when you look at your business?

Since I started the business a few years ago, I have pretty much doubled my sales each year. The market is great for me as long as people continue to love the beach and care about others. My line is pretty simple. They go to the beach, think about someone they want to send a note to, visit a local store and go…Oh…that is exactly what I wanted to say!

Every once in a while a store closes so that’s a bummer because I really get to like my buyers. But new stores are always opening and that’s important to keep looking for growth to keep the momentum building even when a few others may drop off.

What gets me most excited…is that people buy my cards.

I love that I created something that people like.