Our Story
Every journey deserves to be mapped — including ours
I'm Kelly, the creative behind ART + ARCHIVE.
My adventure in memory-keeping began back when I was designing greeting cards and keepsake products for a major brand... Long before I launched this business.
I loved creating tools that helped people preserve their special moments. But I noticed something: many customers felt they "weren't creative enough" to make something meaningful on their own.
This insight stayed with me, but it wasn't until a deeply personal experience that it transformed into action.
Once Upon a Time...
The journey behind our creative adventure
In 2023, life threw a curveball that changed everything. My gentle giant of a dog, Jax, was diagnosed with bone cancer. The whirlwind that followed—specialist appointments, a life-altering amputation surgery, and adapting to his new three-legged reality—left precious little time for documenting what suddenly felt like borrowed time together.
As Jax wobbled through those first post-surgery days, determination shining in his eyes, I realized that if there was ever a story worth documenting, this was it. But between keeping him comfortable on pain meds and fashioning makeshift ramps, who had time to create elaborate scrapbook layouts? Not this exhausted pet mom!
That's when inspiration struck. What if I created templates that did the creative heavy lifting for people like me—people with stories bursting to be told but without the artistic confidence or time to tell them properly?
With Jax as my muse and co-pilot, my family embarked on a bucket-list road trip across America. Each mile brought not just healing, but sparked ideas for what would become my pet product lines (Tails & Tales Co.™), blog and memoir about three-legged dog life (Tripawd Tales™) and, eventually, travel-focused offerings (Waypoints™).
Our Mission
Organize scattered memories
ART + ARCHIVE was born in the passenger seat of my SUV, with a three-legged dog snoring beside me and the open road ahead.
Our mission became clear: to be the creative companion for life's journeys, providing products and tools that transform scattered memories into treasured keepsakes—without requiring artistic talent or endless hours of crafting.
I believe every life is an epic adventure waiting to be chronicled, and so I help you map out your unique story, even if you can't draw a straight line with a ruler.
Direct-to-Consumer Origins
Memory-keeping made simple
I launched ART + ARCHIVE in late 2024 with a laser focus on fellow DIY crafters—people who wanted to create beautiful keepsakes but needed a creative shortcut. My first products were digital downloads: the Ultimate Fur Baby Memory Books™, Pawsome Memories™ journals, and Pawsome Greetings™ card templates.
These weren't just any templates—they were designed for real people with more love than artistic ability, more photos than design skills, and more memories than time to document them. The digital format was perfect for my initial audience of DIY enthusiasts who enjoyed printing, customizing, and assembling their own creations at an accessible price point.
These downloadable products remain the heart of our business today, allowing crafters to create personalized keepsakes while giving them the freedom to make each project uniquely their own—all without needing a design degree or a week of free time.
Wholesale Expansion
Growing the audience
Within months of launching the digital products, something unexpected happened. My inbox filled with messages that all essentially said: "I love these designs, but could you just make them printed and ready to fill out?” It was clear there was another audience out there—people who loved the idea of beautiful memory-keeping but wanted ready-made solutions for themselves and to give as cherished gifts.
Recognizing this opportunity, I expanded into physical products—first through self-publishing on Amazon, and then by developing a dedicated wholesale line for retail partners.
The response was immediate and enthusiastic. Pet boutiques, gift shops, and specialty retailers quickly embraced these unique memory-keeping products that fill a gap in their offerings. The transition from purely digital to physical products allows ART + ARCHIVE to reach an entirely new audience while staying true to our core mission of making creativity accessible to everyone.
Brand Evolution
Meet our family of creative imprints
As the business grew, it became clear that our diverse product offerings needed distinct identities while remaining under the ART + ARCHIVE umbrella. Like branches from the same tree, our brand architecture took shape:
Tails & Tales Co.™ became our flagship brand for all pet-related memory products, offering a playful, interactive approach where pets become co-creators in the memory-keeping process.
Tripawd Tales™ emerged as a specialized imprint focused on our three-legged pet memoir and resources, creating a community around differently-abled pets and their unique journeys
Waypoints™ was conceived as our future travel imprint, inspired by the cross-country adventure that started it all and my lifetime of travel experiences to far-flung lands (launching 2026)
Each brand maintains its own personality while sharing our unwavering commitment to thoughtful design and accessible creativity.
Our Creative Philosophy
Helping you preserve memories
At ART + ARCHIVE, we've built our brands around core beliefs that guide everything we create:
- Everyone has a unique story worth preserving, regardless of artistic ability
- Memory-keeping should bring joy, not stress or pressure
- Well-designed templates should do the creative heavy lifting while leaving room for personal touches
- Physical keepsakes create connections across generations in ways digital storage cannot
- The best memories are the ones we make... and then remember to document
Looking Ahead
Always an epic adventure
The ART + ARCHIVE family of brands is growing rapidly, with new books and products scheduled for release throughout 2025. And the adventure doesn't stop there—keep an eye out for exciting new imprints launching in 2026!
What started as a solution to my own creative challenges blossomed into a mission to help others preserve what matters most.
I invite you to join us on this journey — whether you're documenting your pet's adventures, preserving travel memories, or celebrating life's everyday moments.
Let's create something beautiful together!
With creativity and joy,
Kelly Bakos
Founder, ART + ARCHIVE
ART + ARCHIVE is a publisher and portfolio of creative brands including Tails & Tales Co.™, Tripawd Tales™, and Waypoints™ (coming 2026). We craft thoughtfully designed ephemera, journals, and books that transform everyday memories into beautiful keepsakes—no artistic skills required.
Creativity for memory's sake
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