Draquel is finally back – and Etsy can kiss my art!

Alessanara
May 24
3 min read

Once upon a time, there was a little Etsy shop. Lovingly stocked. With art, passion, and a reach that fluctuated somewhere between "hello there" and "just forget it."

One sale every six months. In return: monthly listing fees, systemic humiliation, and the glorious feeling of rowing against an algorithm that prefers to promote vintage coat hangers over my animal illustrations.

And so I sat there. Full of ideas, brushes, and conviction – and precisely zero desire to keep bending over backwards for 20 clicks a year.

So: Goodbye Etsy. Hello empowerment.

And now, my darlings, I proudly present – with a slightly hysterical smile: The return of the Draquel series. On my very own website. Free, fierce, satirical. And blissfully Etsy-free.

What is "Draquel"? And why does it sound like a Belgian wizard?

Draquel is not a new fantasy character. Nor is it a vegan liqueur. Draquel is my drawing style.

A hybrid creature born from exaggerated animal affection, a botanical obsession, and a deep love for the good old coffee look. It all started years ago when I, once again, drew far too many animals.

The rest is history.

Draquel is charming, slightly branchy, always a bit obsessed with detail, and full of illustrative joie de vivre.

„But Acrylic and Draquel?!“

Yes. I know. I was skeptical too. Acrylic has always been my oil-in-the-heart-and-black-in-the-blood channel.Dramatic. Bold. Expressive. The big canvas, the blank wall, the artist’s soul.

Acrylic didn’t swallow Draquel. On the contrary. It shines. It breathes. It’s a blast. And ever since, my coffee drawing style is officially upgradable.

So, what’s the deal?

Let’s cut the crap and stick to the stickers: What exactly do you get when you dive into Draquel?

Answer: Everything a tidy heart and a chaotic mind could ask for.

Greeting cards: For births, birthdays, and breakdowns.

Envelopes: So your mail looks like it wandered out of a dreamy mushroom forest.
Motivation cards: For your inner couch potato. Or your best friend. Or yourself.
Gift tags: So your gift looks cooler than what’s inside.
Notepads: For thinking, dreaming, making lists and crossing them out again.
Bookmarks: So you don’t start on page 43 again. Or at least your book looks cute while you keep ignoring it.

What's coming next?

(Spoiler: way too much, but I can't help it.)

I’ve got plans. BIG plans. And a whole lot of fabric. Literally.

Coming soon in the Draquel universe:

Fabric goods: Backpacks, tote bags, pouches – all portable and illustrated.
Cocoa mixes: Yes, you read that right. Cocoa with soul. Wrapped in satire. Warm, tasty, sarcastic.
Recipe cards: Because I love cooking. And because I believe food can be just as beautiful as art. And because you can never have enough recipe cards.
Calendars: For people who are organized – or at least want to pretend to be.
Stickers: Because there is absolutely no adult reason not to love stickers.

Why all this?

Because I’m done fighting for visibility on Etsy against paid bots. Because I want to create art that’s fun, that works, that you can gift, use, touch. Because I love Draquel. Because I love plants and animals. Because I believe that art doesn’t have to be heavy with meaning to be meaningful.