About Ruth & Dottie

In my previous career as a newspaper reporter and page designer, I got used to fitting a lot of good stuff in a small space. And that's still what I do, but now, I write on pencils and design buttons. Same idea, right? Ruth & Dottie combines lots of things I love: color, kindness, crafting and the '80s. It's named after my grandmas, Ruth and Dorothy, who were also creatives, dabbling in knitting, painting, paper crafts and crochet. I opened my shop in 2013 to sell handknits, but flair buttons (pinback and magnets) became my signature item a few years later, and pencils joined the crew in 2021. I love to dream up themes and find ways to make people smile in 1 inch of space, or a single line of text on a pencil. I live in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. with my husband and two teenagers. I love to read, knit and watch baseball (Go Nats!). If you're looking for custom buttons or pencils, I'd love to chat. Please get in touch and we can brainstorm ideas.Read their story