Ladyfingers NewsLetter Press: Email #6

September 18, 2026

The Worst Ideas We've Ever Had:

An Incomplete List Of Our Failures & Other Things That Seemed Like Good Ideas At The Time

Listen, failure is just a part of life. For some of us, it’s how we learn. For the rest of us, it’s an excuse to have a strong Manhattan that evening and try as hard as we can to deflect all responsibility. I won’t tell you which is our strategy, but hopefully you're able to tell. (By the way Morgan, we’re out of bitters.)

Ladyfingers has had a lot of failures in the past 16 years, most of which started out as good ideas with good intentions… but sometimes you just don't know how things will turn out until you try them, you know? Just because we had a good idea that failed doesn’t mean it was a bad idea. Some of my best friends are bad ideas! And some of the worst ideas I’ve ever had turned out to be some of the best decisions I’ve ever made: like when I willingly chose to live in an old half-burned-down-library-turned-feminist-art-collective where my room was directly above the space where my roommates would rehearse their experimental noise music and where I learned how to screenprint AND install electricity in the make-out nook; or deciding to date my co-worker! Then there are the the ideas that seemed like good ideas at the time but ended up being actually like, really bad… Like the time I got a perm in the 4th grade or started collecting vinyl (and then there’s the ones that Morgan won’t let me put in writing!) 😂

Whenever someone asks me if I was ever prepared for parenthood, I tell them it's not the first time I've lived with a bunch of anarchists.

For us, part of being an artist means always experimenting, always following ideas to their furthest (and sometimes most insane) extent, and being willing to take risks in our work knowing that some of it will stick and some of it won’t. That’s just the nature of creative output. However, this art-forward, intuition-based logic-defying strategy is—believe it or not—a terrible business model that no one in their right mind (nor anyone with a masters in business) would recommend.*

Sure, we've failed a lot—but that's only because we've tried a lot. And you know what they say, you gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prints!

There are some cards that we designed 13 years ago that are still paying our bills and there are some cards that we released recently that haven't even scratched the surface of a sale. And then there's our protest posters, which we essentially sell at cost because we believe that their success is defined by the breadth of their distribution and not by financial gain.

The weird, unpredictable truth about making the kind of work that we do is that sometimes there's no telling what will do well in our line and what won't, or what will generate enough sales to cover not only our overhead, but the expenses of our failed ideas. We have to be ok with the fact that sometimes people will not respond to our work in the way we'd like them to and that no matter how much we love them, sometimes our best ideas:

End up being a flash in the pan (aka they sell like hotcakes at first but then totally fizzle out).
Totally don’t sell at first, but just when we’re about ready to discontinue them, something in the universe shifts and they start flying off the shelves.
Totally miss the mark by the way we’ve written the copy, drawn the illustration or presented the concept and we’ve wasted a great idea on sloppy follow-through.
Do very well in certain cities, states or countries and terribly in others.
Could be considered a financial failure by some yet are considered an overall success by us in that they fill a gap in the industry and help move the needle towards a greater good.
Are too niche to be widely distributed, yet so mind-blowing to those who needed to see it.
Are only funny to Morgan and I.

(This card? Didn't sell ever. Then the pandemic happened and all of a sudden viruses had manners!)

So without further ado, may I present to you, in no particular order but we numbered them anyway, a list of 20 good ideas that turned out to be 20 bad ideas:

#20 You Can Lean On Me

We made this as a sort of friendship/encouragement kinda card, like “Hey, I know things are hard but if you lean on me I’ll carry you/transport you/help you make it through...” but apparently everyone hates Segways so much that metaphorically calling yourself one is something people would rather not do.

#19 Booze Bags

When we made these a zillion years ago we thought they were so dang cute, but we either didn’t quite know how to market them, or we didn’t quite know how to market them. I guess you could say we just didn’t quite know how to market them!

#18 To Do Send Birthday Card Checklist

I mean, don’t we all have lists like this? Yes, we may be a procrastinating, anxious mess but at least we’re trying to get ORGANIZED over here, see? Huh? What's that? What do you MEAN you don't want to advertise your cleanse on a birthday card?!

#17 I’m Not Always This Dinghy

This was supposed to be a light-hearted apology card, but maybe there’s not as much of a demand for nautical-themed sorry cards as we thought.

From Now On All Our Troubles Will Be Out Of Sight

#16 From Now On Our Troubles Will Be Out Of Sight

I love the way the song swells with this lyric and I was really happy with the way the lettering came out (also hello hot foil!), but I guess talking about our problems on our annual holiday card is not a great look.

#15 Does This Card Make Me Look Responsible?

Did we just miss the mark on this idea, or am I the only one who wants a gold star for getting my shit together and sending a thank you card on time (which, ironically, I suck at)?

#14 Clean House Full Fridge Can’t Lose

OK maybe Friday Night Lights was more of a thing in 2014 when we made this card than it is now, but I thought at least this riff on “Clear Eyes Full Hearts Can’t Lose”would stand the test of time! No? Ah, come on!

#13 May Your Days Be Merry And Bright

Oh, I thought I was being sooooo clever with this one, but turns out it’s just waaaaay too real.

#12 That Wasn't A Marriage, He Was A Bad Boyfriend…

When we’d do the trade show circuit before Covid RUINED EVERYTHING, we always loved running into our pals from Black Ink from California, and one day we were talking about divorce and this quote came up. We immediately made it into a card, but like a bad marriage, nothing lasts forever.

#11 You're The Best Husband/Best Wife

I really loved these ~~straight cards that even gay people can buy~~ gay cards that even straight people can buy but maybe not everyone sees their partner as being a total catch by people of every gender expression?!

#10 U Bee Awesome Sticker

Honestly, I have no idea why we made this. I do not miss it.

#9 Demanding Bitch/Bridesmaid/Maid Of Honor

I remember going back and forth on the grammar of this one: should it read, “I promise not to be...” or, “I promise to not be…” so I am just gonna say it failed because I am not an English major and not because the bride didn’t want to make promises she couldn’t keep.

#8 Bands, Albums, Songs, Podcasts and Good Advice That I Outta Listen To Notebook

OMG this notebook!!! 😂 OK so I was really pumped for this one, until a store we sell to wrote and pointed out my obvious typo. But because this is hot foil stamped and getting a new die is expensive, we thought we OUGHTAjust retire it.

#7 Faggots for Brains

Maybe the lettering is hard to read? Maybe it’s the sentiment? Maybe it’s Maybelline? Whatever the reason, the fact that this doesn't sell makes me feel like I had maggots for brains when I made this sticker (plus this hat that I love, which I guess is just as unpopular and illegible as the sticker, if not more).

#6 Now That Your Wedding Is Over You Can Finally Stop Pinning…

This one was part of our first ever release in 2013, that rosy time in our past when the world was filled with optimism and excitement… and fiancés and fiancées everywhere were fully consumed with planning their indie weddings using this new thing called Pinterest! Ah, the good ol' days!

#5 I Love My Font Family Car Decal

OK I realize this is niche, but I thought surely there were enough typography nerds out there with families who would be interested in pretending they're suburban normies with stick figure family stickers on their cars, but I guess not!

#4 "How Hot Is Your Meat?" Art Print

We literally have this print in our kitchen and I refer to it regularly. I don’t know why every kitchen in America doesn’t have it. What is wrong with you people.

#3 Congrats On Your Bun In The Freezer (Mom & Dad version)

Back in 2015, Morgan and I were going through IVF and had the idea to make this card. The initial design had the little test tube in a scarf saying, “Hi Moms!” and to our absolute and total surprise, it won Card of the Year at the Greeting Card Association’s Annual Louie Awards! However, just because a panel of lovely judges deemed it the best card that was made in all of 2015doesn’t mean it sells well. We have a “Hi Dads!” card too, but this hetero version just doesn’t seem to do as well as the gay ones for some reason.

#2 Your New Place Is A-OK!

Morgan loves this little A-frame house drawing I did, and we’re always trying to think of more “new house/congrats on the move” sorta cards, but I guess this card just comes across as, “Your new place is ok… I guess….”

#1 It's A Sham!

Coming in at the #1 worst card we’ve ever made is this ABSOLUTE TREASURE. Seriously, I love this card so much so if you all can tell me why you are not buying it I would really like to know. Should it have read “What A Sham” instead? It’s such a good card for so many things! Didn’t get the job? It’s a sham! Cute girl you’ve been texting with ghosted you? It’s a sham! Amazing card that’s both funny and appropriate for numerous occasions but won’t sell? IT’S A SHAM!!!

Have any thoughts or feedback on these ideas, like why you think they suck? We'd love to hear from you!

In wrapping up, I leave you with a few parting gifts:

If you would like to be mailed a MYSTERY PACK of 20 items (maybe some cards from this list, maybe some other random things from our shop!) for $20, you can order that here!
This video about the origins of the popular House Number Font, that was made by someone I have never heard of before, but I love how nerdy and excited he is about the subject matter.
This stupid video that just made me laugh so hard (NSFW for language).
I was told the sweetest thing from a reader about last week's email, where she had a DREAM about my story, which is the most Rumbleresque compliment a Rumbler could ever receive.**
Don't forget, the goal is to fail just enough so that you keep learning new ways to adapt. After all, isn’t succeeding at swimming simply failing at drowning?

FOOTNOTES:

* A perfect example of a bad idea that ended up being a good idea!

** Not to keep talking about how Morgan and I first met,but when Morgan and I first met I had a dream where my friend was trying to get me to visit California because he wanted to introduce me to someone. At the time, I was kinda sorta trying to date someone but it wasn't really working out, so in my dream I told him, "Thanks, but there's someone here that I really like..." and when he asked me what her name was, I stuttered, trying to recall her name but it wasn't coming to me. So I blurted out, "It's... Morgan!" And because I have absolutely no chill whatsoever, of course I tell Morgan about this dream I had the night before, where I admitted I was in love with her on like, our first date. See? Thought it was a good idea but actually it was a bad idea, but then it turned out to have been a great idea.

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