Illustrated Cards and Artisanal Store
Littlethings
Overview
Littlethings made cute, quirky illustrated gifts — primarily greeting cards — and ran a physical art store in Jhamsikhel, Kathmandu, that sold our own products and gave shelf space to other local artists and artisan brands on a commission basis.
Roles
Design and Operations
Timeline
Sep 2015 - Jan 2020
Stats (as of 2025)
Jhamsikhel, Kathmandu
Store
8+
Partner brands
2017
Store opened
The Idea
Littlethings grew out of a simple belief that small things matter. Illustrator Abha Dhital and I started collaborating in 2015 on cute, quirky illustrated gifts — cards built around illustrated puns, playful ideas and happy thoughts. The name came from Abha's own social-media hashtag, #littlehappythings. We launched a website in 2016, registered the business, and finally opened a physical store in September 2017 in Jhamsikhel, Kathmandu.
My Role
I co-founded Littlethings and ran its design and operations — bringing the startup, financial and operational experience from my earlier ventures while Abha led the illustration and creative voice. Together we handled everything from product design to running the shopfront day to day.
What We Made
The catalogue started with cards and grew into mugs, badges, bookmarks, tote bags, pillows, calendars and bottles — small-format, minimally designed pieces meant to grab your attention. Marketing was almost entirely organic, and we deliberately kept things spontaneous, with no rigid product roadmap.
The store was as much a platform as a shop. Rather than operate alone, we shared the retail space with other art-focused brands and artisans on a commission basis — names like Butta, Whaddafish, Sattya, Mint Studio, Mom's Creations, Kazi Studio and Karkhana — turning Littlethings into a small home for Kathmandu's independent makers.
Impact
Within months of opening, Littlethings carved out a spot in the market and became a sought-after destination for art lovers of all ages. Beyond selling our own work, the store gave local artists and artisan brands a physical platform to reach customers — proving there was real demand for homegrown, illustrated design in Nepal.