Words: Alexa Alley Photos: Rachel Benavides
Angelica Demiris’s love of laughter led to the creation of ACouplePuns, a greeting card business based on puns and her own illustrations. “Ever since I was a kid, I have always been the comedian of my friends and family. So for me to turn my love for laughter into a business comes to no surprise to those who know me,” Demiris says.
It all started when she and her fiancé were dating long distance. They would communicate with puns throughout the day. “It made the distance seem shorter because we were always laughing and seeking out fun puns or wordplay to share,” she says, reminiscing. When they did see each other, she would take photos of him and write clever captions about what he was doing or holding. Once she began sharing the captioned photos on social media, her friends encouraged her to expand on her artsy inclinations. That’s how ACouplePuns was born.
After moving to Corpus Christi from the East Coast, Demiris had to work hard to make Corpus feel like home. “I had to really push myself out of my comfort zone. It’s that feeling that inspired me to start something I could take with me wherever I end up, utilizing my talents and my professional experience,” she says.
Her professional marketing experience helped her grow ACouplePuns into the successful business it is today. “I started this knowing how to turn a creative idea into something tangible,” she says. Ever since the summer of 2017, she has been illustrating greeting cards and writing “punny” captions to go with them.
Some of the illustrations come from her imagination, while others are photos from interesting places. Describing her design process, Demiris says, “Whenever I am planning a trip, I scope out popular blogs and find out where the best murals or fun photo-ops are, and I’ll design my cards specifically for a trip I plan to take.”
ACouplePuns has taken off since launching in the summer of 2017. Demiris exhibits her greeting cards at one to two markets every month, including SXSW in Austin this past March. Locally, you can purchase the cards at the Texas Surf Museum’s gift shop or online through her website and Etsy shop. She considers it a gift to be able to collaborate with other small businesses.
“Whether it’s through a card or through social media, this is a medium for me to connect and share my love for laughter and art. And I hope to continue to do that.”
