Ipswich River Craft - Customized Nautical Signs
Published: Tuesday, March 28, 2023 12:00 pm
By: Pamela Tomlin
The north shore of Massachusetts is all about the water – for centuries, it's been home to sailors, fishermen, lighthouse keeps and sea captains. In 2020 as the world hunkered down, creativity was sparked in thousands of homes across the country, and one was on the North Shore. Pamela Tomlin was an award-winning freelance television producer experiencing the seasonal lull between projects. And that's when she decided to make the first nautical flag sign for her house – she and her husband had nicknamed their cottage, Clambox.
"I've always been attracted to the water…and loved everything nautical."
Stuck at home, watching back-to-back episodes of "Gray's Anatomy," Tomlin asked her husband, John, to help make the sign based on the nautical flag alphabet. John Tomlin is the Executive Producer of the PBS television show "This Old House." He was happy to help.
One night, early in the Covid shutdown, the Tomlins were sitting around the fire pit admiring the sign hanging on the house when a friend suggested she make more. That night Pamela put a post on Facebook and got ten orders. In less than a year, she made close to one thousand – today, it's over four thousand.
Creativity is in Pamela's blood. Her great-grandfather came to America from Italy as a sculptor. He turned that artistic skill to the theater, opening vaudeville palaces, 40 in all, up and down the East coast. Many survive today as cultural landmarks.
Pamela's grandmother also had the creative gene, creating a business out of her love for puzzles. And Pamela turned her creative energy to the small screen, producing television for over twenty years.
So how do you get from television to nautical signs?
"I've always loved the water having grown up on the Connecticut shore," said Tomlin. "Nautical flags, beachy attire and boating designs attract my attention. They're bright and colorful and always brighten my mood." For her, the nautical alphabet signs were a natural evolution.
It started as a hobby out of her one-car garage with a fantastic view of the Ipswich River. That was the inspiration for the company name, Ipswich River Craft. Throughout the spring and summer, during the Covid lockdown, people would walk by the garage and check out what Pamela was making, and the orders started coming in.
Most people ordered last names, boat names, kids' initials, dog names, or special words like "Welcome," "Love," or "Home."
From the beginning, everything was made from scratch – and only the best materials were used. The goal was an authentic-looking New England sign. The design is simple, yet elegant. Painted flag Blocks sit on a gray background surrounded by a white frame cut specifically by a local woodworking artisan.
"I've learned a lot along the way – and thank God for connections …The pros from 'This Old House' have taught me everything I know. Tom Silva taught me to use MDO (Medium Density Overlay Plywood) and make jigs for consistent sizes. Mauro Henriquez taught me about Frog Tape and told me the best paint products to use." Tomlin explained.
After much trial and error, Pamela settled on five sign sizes. Large is best for outside and cavernous indoor spaces. Medium is the most popular and is good for inside and out. Small and mini sizes are nice choices for inside applications. And our Skinny Mini is a great decision on a boat where space is tight.
Not only are custom last names popular, Ipswich River Craft now creates home address plaques using nautical number pennants. As the pandemic year dragged on, there was another inspiration. "My husband thought we should do a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot sign – which has been a major hit. Wink wink – WTF … where's the fish. We've made over 500," said Tomlin. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot became so successful she made hats, tees and hoodies to fill the demand.
In the beginning, it was just Tomlin and her husband who made everything, but then Father's Day hit and she asked her neighbors to help. "If you drive around the island we live on here in Ipswich, there are over 60 signs hanging on houses. In Ipswich, we went viral," says a smiling Tomlin.
And Viral happened again after being featured on ABC World News Tonight with David Muir for being Made In America. We got over 700 orders in 2 days and that was at Christmas Time. ABC News highlighted their US Service Plaque, which includes the United States American Service Flag with the Veteran's three initials underneath the Flag. For each one sold, Ipswich River Craft makes a donation to HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS – a national organization that helps build housing for injured Veterans.
These days you might find Tomlin in Newport, Annapolis, Miami or West Palm Beach. Her pieces are a huge hit at boat shows. Pamela and her team set up booths and challenge the nautical skills of boat enthusiasts, who use her painted blocks to try and spell their names. She also posts regularly on social media where her dog pals are part of the show. She calls their posts "Nauti Dog Videos."
"Never in a million years did I think I'd be the sign lady wearing paint clothes every day…. hanging out in my garage – but hey – I love making people happy and that's what happens when customers pick up their signs. The only downfall is I haven't had a manicure in a couple of years."
Ipswich River Craft has a website at IpswichRiverCraft.com
tags: Beyond the Great Lakes, Boat Show, boating business, Boating News, Decorative, East Coast, Industry News, Women In Boating
