Meet our Featured Designer Peppermint Magazine Founder Kelley Sheenan
To celebrate our latest tampon box design, we caught up with illustrator and Peppermint Magazine founder and editor Kelley Sheenan in lockdown who highlights the importance of community, shuts down period shame and stigma and talks rainbows of hope - because we love those rainbows.
Guest Blog by Bare Health Studio: Eating for Healthy Hormones
Hormone loving recipes and eating for optimum health with Lily and Anushka of Bare Health Studio.
A Q&A with Jessica Taylor from QENDO
Meet Jessica. The President of QENDO, an organisation that exists to support anyone affected by endometriosis. Learn about Jessica's journey with endo and how QENDO is providing such important support and education.
A Q&A with Dr Kate Young for Endo March
During a chilly morning in a (very cold) warehouse I was renting at the time, Kate told me all about the research she'd just embarked on, and subsequently, because it was the first time I'd heard of Endometriosis, she told me about the disease that can impact 1 in 10 women around the world. We thought it was time to chat endo again!
Meet our Featured Designer Shuh Lee
The way our collaboration with Shuh Lee came into fruition is emblematic of how supportive the creative community in Melbourne is. Shuh first met Roz at Finders Keepers in 2017 before deciding to work together on the overnight pad box design. Shuh is an incredible multi-disciplinary artist, working with jewellery to illustration, creating window installations as well as bedding and scarves! At the centre of her practice is the belief that art is about sharing and learning from the community around you- we love that.
Hi there, can you please tell us about yourself and what you create?
My name is Shuh Lee. I am the designer/maker behind the label 'shuh.'. I am always experimenting with colours, fabric and all things crafty. Through my fashion background I developed a love for hand stitching techniques, illustrations and textiles, which became the core of my practice. My work is about playing with a mixture of art and craft, and creating usable, wearable and fun objects for everyday life. Since its beginning, my practice has expanded into jewellery, clothing, ceramics, prints and bedding.
Why is funding girls education (and/or helping to end period shame) important to you?
I studied in an all girls school, both primary and secondary school. At school, I made some of my lifelong friends. The girls’ support and friendship are one of the most important keys to my life. Now we are all doing what we love, and we wouldn’t have achieved this without proper education and support. Through my experience I am extremely passionate about funding girls education.
Now let’s get personal, when did you get your first period, and how was it?
I think I got it around 13/14 years old. I was terrified and embarrassed, wondering why this is happening to me. Luckily with the girls around me, I soon got used to it.
What do you hope that your collaboration with TSUNO will do?
I hope the collaboration will reach out to new audiences and help raise more awareness about TSUNO, the brand and products! I love that TSUNO pads are made from natural bamboo and individually wrapped in biodegradable sleeves and tampons are certified organic cotton. On top of that, 50% of your profits are donated to charities that mainly focuses on empowering women in education and menstrual support.
Are you a pads or tampon gal? Pads gal.
What do you wish you knew about periods earlier?
That it is nothing to be ashamed or shy about. Instead, it should be celebrated with lots of calming tea, good dark chocolate and rest time.
Are you a colourful underwear gal or nudes/blacks gal?
What a fun question! Nudes and blacks please. Simple is best!
Finally, can you hand draw for us your favourite undies or knickers and explain why they are so good?
Thank you Shuh, you rock x
Would you like to design a box for us? Or would you like to be interviewed on this blog? Or would you just like to say hello? Hit us up! hello@tsuno.com.au
Meet our Featured Designer Lori Camarata
Hello! We are lucky to feature the work of Lori Camarata on our latest panty liner packaging. Lori not only created this cute design, but also kickstarted our relationship with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre when she asked many moons ago whether it’d be ok to send part of her order to them!
To celebrate the amazing Lori and her generosity, we’ve created a $5 off discount code LORILOVE for orders over $30 AND every time this code is used until Christmas we will donate a box of Tsuno to the ASRC!! Now is a great time to start that subscription!
Hi there, can you please tell us about yourself and what you create?
My name’s Lori and I’m a multidisciplinary designer and illustrator, my background is in Textile Design and fashion which had been my full time job for a while, but I now have started expanding my practice into freelance illustration, painting and ceramics which is where my focus is at the moment!
Why is funding girls education (and/or helping to end period shame) important to you?
I have been lucky enough to always have access to education and support which has given me the opportunity for a great quality of life and growth as a person, so I think it’s so important for easy access to education to be available to everyone regardless of gender. Which for me, ties into ending the shame and stigma around periods and the accessibility to period products, which can negatively impact lives and interfere with girls and womxns education, employment and health.
Now let’s get personal, when did you get your first period, and how was it?
I got my period exactly one month and one day after my 13th birthday, lucky I remember the exact date so I can celebrate my period birthday! It was kind of exciting as I was one of the last girls to get their period in my friendship group. I grew up in a family that was pretty open with talking about periods, and went to an all girls school so was surrounded by a lot of information and felt somewhat prepared for it.
What do you hope that your collaboration with TSUNO will do?
I hope my collaboration will spread the word about TSUNO and the work they do to more people! I’m also really grateful to be able to contribute to a brand that helps so many people, with donating to places like One Girl and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
What do you wish you knew about periods earlier?
I wish I had known that people experience periods differently and that different bodily functions are nothing to be embarrassed about!!
Do you have a period nickname / period pun you use in your house?
I’m usually not subtle when talking about my period so maybe something like ‘I’m bleeding out of my vagina’ :D
Are you a colourful underwear gal or nudes/blacks gal?
nudes/blacks for sure!
Finally, can you hand draw for us your favourite undies or knickers and explain why they are so good?
nudes/blacks for sure!
Finally, can you hand draw for us your favourite undies or knickers and explain why they are so good?
Thank you Lori, you are the best x
Would you like to design a box for us? Or would you like to be interviewed on this blog? Or would you just like to say hello? Get in touch! hello@tsuno.com.au
Say Hello to Cuppa and Co
If you've been following Tsuno for a while now, or have recently started with our $30 subscription box you may have noticed the beautifully designed loose leaf teas by Melbourne based brand, Cuppa and Co. Just like we want everyone to know what goes into our pads and tampons, we also want to share a little bit more information about the brands we work closely with! We recently sat down with Miles, one half of sibling duo who founded Cuppa and Co, to talk all things tea and small business.
Hi Miles! Tell us how Cuppa and Co began?
Both Hanna and I come from a long line of tea drinkers so delicious tea was always on the table when deciding how we could collaborate with a co-brand. We began with the idea of an on-the-go size pack that was fun, floral and friendly but also packed with good ingredients, values and no nasties and the brand grew from there, we're still learning new tricks every day and definitely taking the slow and steady path on our business journey.
Where is all the Cuppa and Co tea sourced from?
Beautiful Sri Lanka is the main source of our tea, especially black and green tea. Other Ingredients are imported from places over the world including Madagascar, Egypt, Australia, Germany and India. We strive to source fair trade and quality ingredients wherever we can, so our suppliers make up a huge part of our company and maintain our values.
What is involved in the process of creating a Cuppa and Co tea?
More then one would think, It starts with the initial flavour of the blend, what we've tried and tested and think would be a great combo, then further sending ideas to our team in Sri Lanka to develop our signature take on it, including organic ingredients and their percentages until the taste is right for us. We then move on to the product's packaging and how we can showcase this flavour in a new and fun way. Our final packing designs then get printed and sent to our warehouse in Sri Lanka where a team of pickers and packers weigh the tea into gram size then place the tea into the inner bag before making up the box and placing it into the master cartons.
What does an average day look like for you at Cuppa and Co HQ?
One of the best things I love about my job is that every day is completely different. Some days are spent talking to magazines and beautiful stores about how they can feature your product in wonderful ways and other days are sifting through 6 hours of admin emails and small business financials, less fun. Whatever the day throws at us, we're generally ready for it.
What are some positive lessons you've learnt from running Cuppa and Co?
There's way too many to mention as my main source of knowledge has been learnt through this company but the key lessons I take away every day would be, small business is a rollercoaster, there are days when you feel your business is thriving and exceeding goals and there are days when it's really tough and from that it's to know how to manage your work/life balance and when to step back for a little and take a moment for yourself, as without you this whole company wouldn't exist, I find I'm definitely too hard on myself a lot of the time.
I think a lot about how from Cuppa and Co I've met some of the most inspiring people in my life today and how we've worked together further and because of this brand, along the road you meet so many people that have a huge impact as they understand what it's like providing a product for the public and collaborating with them would be one of my most successful moments in business. It's not the end result to be proud off, I believe it's the entire road getting there.
If you could only drink one Cuppa and Co tea for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
It would hands down be our classic Breakfast in Bed signature black tea for me with a dash of milk and a dollop of honey.
You order Cuppa and Co's delicious teas here
All images are sourced from Cuppa and Co's instagram.
Getting Period Positive with Beyond the Cusp
If you are a parent of a soon to be teenage daughter, this one's for you!
How Tsuno Fights Against Plastic Pollution
Being environmentally conscious underpins every decision we make, from the sustainability and biodegradability of our bamboo pads, organic cotton tampons and wrappers to the way we decide to package your orders every morning.
This means that every time you purchase one of our pads or tampons, you're also making the choice to support a business that is committed to the future of our environment.
Say Hello to Hey Tiger
As you may have guessed we just adore Hey Tiger chocolate, for so many reasons. So when we had the chance to sit down and talk chocolate, coco and social enterprise we jumped to it.
An Endometriosis Journey with Leesa from Endo Health Hub
A few months ago we put up a blog post during Endometriosis Awareness Month to try and help raise awareness around the disease which today still affects over 176 million of us. As we noted, one of the best ways to keep raising awareness about endometriosis is to get talking. We recently touched base with Leesa Joy of @endohealthhub to chat about her experience with the disease, how the Instagram community has impacted her and how we can all uplift and give voice to the illness.
On diagnosis:
It’s difficult to find a diagnosis because in the medical world’s eyes you should only have two reasons to have abdominal pain: 1. Appendix and 3. Bowel upset. They don’t take the time to listen to the symptoms and put two and two together. Like, as I got older I understood it came halfway through my period cycle, and then I learned about ovarian cysts.
I found Doctor Macbeth through my GP after spending 7 hours in a hospital waiting room only to be sent home. I nearly lost my ovary.
The system is so keen to pump people out of the systems they do not take young women seriously. There is a lot of stigma around the issue as though we are overreacting or faking it. Where as if a male arrived with the level of pain we experience they have more thorough treatment.
The diagnosis takes so long and there is no clear path. I kept ending up in hospital, fed pain medication and sent home. They have no clear answers. At this time I was only 20-21. It wasn’t until I changed GPs and given a referral for Dr Macbeth that I began to get answers.
On the Instagram community:
Instagram means I have a chance to tell all women about the signs of this disease and talk openly about the battles we face. Before Instagram I had no way of talking about the physical and emotional strain the illness has.
I have had so many women message me and thank me, saying they feel validated and not crazy!
On how we can all help:
In everyday life I start conversations with women I know. Even from as simple as do you track your period? And symptoms that come with it?
Open up a conversation about how we feel. Share my artworks and show a bit of lighthearted fun.