Everyone is said to have a story and it took me a while to realize what mine was, although I pretty much knew it all along. So, who is Susan Ball? On the surface, I am a mom to two wonderful boys and one just as wonderful step-son. I'm also a wife to a wonderfully supportive, die-hard Yankee fan. I am an artist, an entrepreneur, an optimist, and lover of industrial design and that great vintage find. However, underneath the surface, what has molded me into the person I am today, aside from my amazing parents, is being a breast cancer survivor. For a long time I hated the label of having had breast cancer. Even years after my treatment, every once in a while someone I hadn't seen in a while would ask me "how I'm feeling". I HATED that. Now, I knew they meant well, but I hated the label. I hated that the first thing they thought when they looked at me was, "poor dear, she had breast cancer..". Hated it. I didn't want to be defined by that. I was SO much more than that. But, as I look deeper, I realize I AM defined by that. Having gone through the experience has very much made me who I am today. I had a battle to fight and there was no way I was losing. I kept positive. I kept focused on my son and my end goal. Because of it, I am a die-hard optimist. I appreciate the little things like wind blowing through my hair, the feel of grass between my toes, laughter, smiles, and yes, even the struggles in life. Like studying with my youngest son.. he can get so frustrated, but I'm thankful I'm even here and am able to teach him patience.. while I practice it. :) I thank God often for all these things. So I suppose through the products I create, I want to share this optimism, this feeling of appreciation, this "make it happen" attitude (my mantra) with others. I want to inspire, to make people smile and feel good about what they are buying whether it's a gift for someone or a gift for themselves.

Tickled Pink started in 2000 as a custom candy bar wrapper business. I created highly customized candy bar wrappers for wedding receptions, sports teams, birthdays, graduation open houses, and any other occasion you can think of. While designing candy bar wrappers was fun, I needed something that wasn't so customized that would create some income when there weren't special occasions to be celebrated. I decided to combine my love for design and my obsession for paper products, and created my first line, Retro Divas. I opened my first Etsy store in April of 2009 and immediately received a great response. I expanded my product offerings in September 2009, opening a second Etsy store for glass tile pendants and have slowly added additional items over the years. In 2011 I opened yet another Etsy store featuring my line of canvas wall hangings.

Tickled Pink currently sells on Etsy, and also sells on consignment in shops across the country and has some wholesale accounts.