AMMAN — A creative online shop, started in 2013, showcases
two sisters’ works of art on a unique canvas: mugs.
Mug Mug was founded by two Palestinian-Jordanian sisters,
Ahlam and Malake Al-Said.
اضافة اعلان
While Malake, a 30-year-old English translation graduate,
operates Mug Mug as a way to share her passion for art, she is also an art
teacher in one of Amman’s art centers for children, where she teaches art and
crafts to children between the ages of 4 and12.
“Through these 8 years of operating Mug Mug, we advanced our
products and services in a way to satisfy our customers and make them happy,” Malake
said in an interview with Jordan News.
The beginnings of the online shop involved a process of
development, which included the development of materials used on painted mugs,
the quality of the mugs used for the product, marketing strategies, packaging,
and most importantly the development of their art skills.
Since the sisters’ business started on social media, during
the first years they depended on organic followers. Their focus was on
developing a high-quality product for their customers.
Since then, their follower base has grown to some 20,000 on
Instagram.
The sisters spend four to five hours working on each item,
but the product still needs some time for the paint to fully dry before it can
be sold.
First, they choose the mug shape that is requested by the
customer. Then they draw an initial sketch on the mug and start with the
coloring process and leave it to dry. After that, they start outlining and
adding details using pens and colors to give dimensions and life to the design.
Finally, they add a transparent protective substance to preserve the colors
before the mugs are packaged and ready to be sent to their new owners.
Malake and Ahlam are hoping to get more exposure in the
community and to someday open their own physical shop. Mug Mug now has a
station at The Cake Shop to display their products. «We dream to see Mug Mug
become a big name, where many projects related to art fall under its umbrella,»
the sisters added.
Mug Mug gained recognition in part through participating in
bazaars held in many places across Jordan, such as Souk Jara, Four Seasons
Hotel Christmas Market, University of Jordan, and other crafts markets. These
events gave the sisters more recognition and more connections with similar
online businesses based on handmade products.
“We are beyond happy and grateful for the number of people
that love our work and for the amount of exposure we are currently getting,”
the sisters said. They are also extremely pleased that society is paying more
attention to artists than before.
Their work has also been featured on Roya TV and Jordan TV,
helping them to reach an even broader audience and promote their artwork.
“Our practice certainly changed to cater to the tastes of
customers, with innovative, creative, and fun designs on tea mugs,” Malake
explained. “We also used other materials to draw on, such as wallets, bags,
passport cases, photo frames, glass jars, travel mugs, coffee containers, and
graduation books.”
The business’ success was not without challenges. The
sisters faced difficulties in finding the right materials to paint the mugs and
protect the drawing from fading out with every wash. When they did find the
perfect materials, sometimes they were not available in Jordan, which often led
to delay and overpriced shipping costs.
They have also struggled to deal with copycat competitors. “Many
other pages started their own business of hand-painted mugs or cups using our
designs and artworks while claiming it as their own,” the sisters mentioned.
The two creative sisters advised anyone who wants to start a
new online business to start a business they are passionate about.
“Have patience, because it needs time to get to where you
want to be, and you need time to be successful,” they said. “Bear in mind that
there are ups and downs and times when you succeed, while there are times when
you fail, and that’s fine because failing is part of learning and changing for
the better.”
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