Welcome to Mini Wim Mini Wim = minimal & whimsical (our keystone)
We are a team of crafters ♥ That's how we all got our start. I (Aranh Pen) am a scientist who taught myself graphic design. In turn, I taught our crew of professional graphic designers how to wield a laser (for the greater good, of course!).
What does this mean for you? ♥ Every item that ships out from our shop was created by one of our artist's hands. All of our items are designed and laser-engraved or printed in Holland, Michigan.
Our goal ♥ To provide people with meaningful items that have been artfully designed and executed in a meticulous and precise manner, so you get the best of both worlds ... professional quality items and the creative design and personalization that makes an item unique and truly yours.
Mini Wim is rapidly growing in size thanks to our wonderful customers!
I'm a scientist. I'm an artist. I'm a business woman.
I love my family. I love learning. I love my job.
My very long story | I went to school for forever and eventually earned my Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2009 from the University of Chicago. I moved back to Holland to join my daughter and husband at the time, but I was having a very difficult time finding a geochemistry job (or any job, for that matter) in Western Michigan, and since I cannot sit still for long, I took up some more hobbies. I taught myself some graphic design and learned how to play with vector graphics. One day, I decided I needed an herb garden, couldn't find very cute ones for indoor use, so I fabricated some adorable ones out of pure copper and designed my spiral stake that kept the tag permanently in place and started selling them. I then began making and selling constellation jewelry because I am in awe of the universe beyond us, and star-gazing makes me feel one with it. Shortly after that, I was offered a nuclear chemistry position, and knowing nothing about nuclear chemistry (nuclear chemistry = unstable isotopes, while I was trained in stable isotopes), I accepted. I led a team of nuclear chemists, physicists, engineers, and I taught myself electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, and dabbled in enough programming to get the job done. We built an automated water target system to collect radioactive beams because you don't want to be anywhere near the system during the experiment. Our successful experiments turned my temporary two-year position into 6 years due to receiving additional funding.
Then ... the dreaded job search. I, again, applied all over the states, and during this time, was really soul-searching. Science makes my heart flutter, but unfortunately, I'm not doing science all the time. There's lots of grunt work involved. I also did not want to uproot my family. I am quite happy in Holland, MI, so I decided to get back to selling garden tags and jewelry again. This time, I wanted it to be more automated, so I bought a CNC mill and taught myself how to engrave and cut out copper, aluminum, and wood, but dang, this was so nerve-wracking, and after a few computer glitches that resulted in the loss of large copper sheets, I decided to go a different route. I took a short break to re-evaluate what it was I REALLY wanted to do.
I love offering personalized items and giving people products that they wanted. My garden tags were completely customizable (all 10 herbs/veggies were the ones in their garden). I did my research, looked into the positives and negatives of laser cutting and laser engraving machines and decided that I was going to laser engrave and get all of my items produced for me, as long as I got to design them to ensure great quality, so I could focus on doing the really fun work, which is coming up with awesome designs and having the time to expand my line so that I could offer my customers more options for personalized merchandise. I taught myself how to use and optimize a fiber laser to give the best engraving quality possible. I taught myself the basics of marketing, customer service, and running a business ... and oh man, I AM HOOKED.
This is the most fun I've ever had. I can't decide what's more fun, though, the business aspect OR burning/vaporizing stuff.
These days, I am trying to stay healthy and doing my best to balance work & life!
I’m an illustrator, designer and printmaker with a passion for big bodies of water and animals. I was born and raised in the greater Detroit area, but moved to Nashville, TN where I earned my BFA in Graphic Design from Watkins College of Art. Turns out that Tennessee wasn’t the state for me so I headed back up north to Holland, Michigan where I happily live with my husband and ever so beloved dog, Sansa.
I am a big fan of swimming in the deep parts of lakes, snowboarding, hiking, off-roading, cooking, and learning new skills! Also I love my job, my awesome boss ladies and the noises that the lasers make are cool.
I love our matte bar necklaces and how versatile, minimal, and cute they are! They’re one of my favorite gifts to give.
♥ Our mission is to craft quality items with meaning. We want to make purchasing something special a breeze! We'd love for each and every piece we create for you to bring you joy, whether it's for a special occasion or for simple day to day life. We believe in surrounding ourselves with the things we love and things that have a positive impact on our lives. We hope you enjoy perusing our shop. Made with love and light. ♥ - Mini Wim Team
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Mini Wim = minimal & whimsical (our keystone)
