“Move, play, and sing. Have fun and laugh!”
Tinttu.com v. 1997-2018
Pomenia’s magical world was first brought to life over 25 years ago, when I sewed a dragon hat I had designed myself for my firstborn son.
Pomenia’s magical world was first brought to life over 25 years ago, when I sewed a dragon hat I had designed myself for my firstborn son.
Although the first hat was created out of a little boy’s need to play and be a fierce dragon, the design was not a coincidence. Behind it was – and still is – a strong child-centered value base. That’s why the dragon hat, troll hat, and Pupu, Kettu, Katti, Hiiri Hissuli (what else was there…?) came into the world – all those funny hats and playful designs with ears, tails, and horns. And most importantly, children got to be the heroes of their own stories and play in their everyday lives.
A fairy tale dressed up as a child.
This is how Tinttu.com was born – a
The right of children to play their own games enthusiastically, “without adult supervision,” creatively, and imaginatively is a matter close to my heart.
Why?
Because through the magic of play and stories, children—and adults too—can let go, explore and express themselves, create new and unexpected things, and see the impossible as possible.
Tinttu.com was born out of a love for children’s right to play freely and have fun while learning important life skills.
The philosophy of child-centered design
Start the game without toys.
Let your child be the scriptwriter and director of their own play.
Children are too beautiful to be adults – don’t dress them up in adult and teen fashions, but let them play and be as childish as they are.
Transform your everyday life into a source of pleasure and play.
Create worlds that are safe, inspiring, beautiful—and a little bit silly for children. Craft stories that stand the test of time and contain a touch of magic.
In ten years, I grew Tinttu.com into an international children’s clothing brand. I traveled around the world to textile and clothing fairs, gaining retailers in Europe and Russia, among other places. I also scaled up production to meet international quality standards, and in 2008, I first moved production to India. After the financial crisis in the U.S., I moved to China, Lithuania, and Poland.
Despite all my success, however, I was not satisfied, because I knew all along that I was more than just a designer.v
The design was inspired by stories I told my children and fairy tale characters I created. I wanted to showcase them in a way other than just murals or T-shirts and stickers.
In 2015, I decided to try out how a magical story world would work alongside a children’s clothing brand. So I wrote and published Pomenia’s first storybook, Keijun Taikapöly (Fairy Dust).
To my surprise, the storybook sold out – and I was encouraged to continue.
To my surprise, the storybook sold out – and I was encouraged to continue.
I never really stopped Tinttu.com… I just put it aside for a moment so that I could create and bring to the forefront Pomenia – the magical world, stories, and fairy tale characters. All of them who had been there from the beginning.
It was completely impossible to juggle two careers and a large family – and I didn’t even want to try to see if I could do it. So I put one aside and focused on the other, so that I could achieve what I knew was possible. Without this major change, Pomenia would not exist; it would have remained in a desk drawer forever.
This is how Pomenia’s Magic World officially began.
Dare to fly! Dare to dream!
Tinttu.com and Pomenia were just dreams at first. But I didn’t let impossibility stop me. I wanted to know what I was capable of and what I could do, and the only way to find out was to try, to do more than my best.
First, just thoughts and dreams – then reality, because I dared to imagine, think, and act. Motherhood and family were not obstacles but resources. When we think about our lives and dreams, we should not be afraid to reach for the stars. Because that is where we will find ourselves and our true potential. You won’t know what you’re capable of unless you dare to try.
Make your dreams come true – even if it’s with dragons… or at least with Sisu the dragon. ❤️
Magic lives in all of us.
-storyteller Petronella-
