How It All Began...

I started a company five years ago selling reusable shopping bags. I wanted to do the right thing and buy reusable shopping bags, but the ones the grocery stores were selling were incredibly ugly. Since we own a printing company, my husband suggested that I should come up with some designs that I like and print my own.  

So S.O.P.TilYouDrop was born. Terrible name, good intentions. The S.O.P. stood for "Save Our Planet" and it was supposed to be a play on the phrase "Shop Til You Drop." I thought it was brilliant. Amazing how our minds work, isn't it? I sat with our designer to create nature inspired designs such as whimsical flowers and vegetables, and we printed the designs on reusable shopping bags and organic tote bags. While many loved the idea, they weren't great sellers.

I struggled with design ideas until I took a look in my closet. I had a fun summer dress that was covered in seahorses, and one day I looked at it and it hit me. I needed a seahorse on my bags! From there the ideas began to flow and the ocean and sea creatures kept on coming. I also realized that I needed a new name.

The original seahorse design.

Five years, two name changes and many designs later, I have found what inspires me and and what I truly enjoy creating and selling: simple, clean designs inspired my love of the ocean. 

Tidal Effects has grown into much more than reusable shopping bags, but it's important to remember where we came from, no? My love for the natural world has driven many decisions in my life, including those to live on Cape Cod and to have a house with very large windows. Natural light is where it's at! And the beach. The beach is where it's at too. :)

Other designs followed - lobster, mermaid, starfish.

Nancy 

Nancy Sawyer

www.TidalEffects.net