◆ No two tumblers are exactly alike.
By Breanna Call, SVI Media
This article appeared in the March 1, 2023 edition of the Star Valley Independent in coordination with the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce –
“I just have to create,” says Tracey Trefren. “It’s what keeps me sane.” Working in a high-intensity job as the victim services coordinator at the Jackson Police Department, Trefren needed an artistic outlet to help her unwind. To do so, Trefren taught painting classes through her Everyone Paints business. Then, COVID hit, and painting classes were put on hold. This meant Trefren had to look for additional ways to implement her creativity. “I just wasn’t being able to create as much and interact with people as much,” says Trefren, “other than my normal job, which is pretty stressful. So I needed some kind of a creative outlet.”
Then one day, as Trefren was keeping her eyes open for ideas, a coworker posted a photo—and it set everything in motion. “In the background,” says Trefren, “was this tumbler, and it had the Wyoming flag on it. It was so cool, and so I was like, ‘I want one of those.’ And I got online, and I couldn’t find them anywhere, and so I figured I’d just make one.”
“I Googled what it was I needed and ordered in a little turner to spin the cups and ordered in some metal cups and some epoxy,” explains Trefren. “I started it in my kitchen and then that quickly proved that it wasn’t go- ing to work out because epoxy has fumes and glitter gets every- where. . . . Having glitter all over your dining room and kitchen is really not conducive to everyday life.” Trefren’s parents, who own the firework stand in Thayne, cleared a space there for Trefren to create. “I started doing it back there,” says Trefren, “and it just was a trial and error, really just teaching myself how to do it and different techniques that worked and different things that were epic failures.”
After a few tumblers, Trefren was hooked. So much so, that she started Jackalope Press, a business dedicated to creating unique and personalized tumblers. “It’s just a really great outlet for me. I go into Glitter World—I call my space Glitter World—it sounds so silly, but that’s what I call it. I go into Glitter World, and I’ll tell my family, ‘Okay, I’m just going to go in and flip a cup or two. I’ll be home in an hour, and they know to multiply that by four because it’s almost impossible for me to go into Glitter world for just an hour. . . . I get in there and I just start creating and I kind of lose all track of the outside world. I love the challenge of it and coming up with ideas that are different or unique. Or when somebody calls me and says, ‘Hey, I saw this cup, and I want something like it. Can you do something?’ I don’t do the exact same cup. I like to make it my own. To be able to provide people with something that they can have and gift or use, that hopefully means something to them.”
Jackalope Press has a variety of tumblers for sale. You can purchase them online at jackalopeco.com or in person at Make Ur Own Happy in Thayne. You can also see more of her designs by following her on Facebook (Jackalope Press) or Instagram (@ jackalopeco.glitter). “There’s no shortage of ideas,” says Trefren.
Trefren not only sells her own creations but also works with clients to create personalized cups. “If people have an idea, and they’re like, ‘I want something for a guy, he really likes hunting turkeys’—I got it for him right at Christmas time. But he didn’t want glitter, so we hand painted wood and then we put the Tetons on it and then we put wild turkeys. I made it how he liked it.”
You can work with Trefren to create a personalized tumbler that fits all of your needs. “It’s really limited by your imagination,” says Trefren. She has options for glitter or glow in the dark add- ins; she hand paints or uses other illustrations to fit your needs. Anything you can imagine, she can work with you to create.
The cups at Jackalope Press have a variety of ounce sizes and styles: skinny, wide, sippy cup, handles or no handles, bullet tumblers, and more. These options combined with your personalized design choices makes every cup unique. Her tumbler style cups not only keep your beverages cold or hot but also are good for the environment. To order your tumbler, contact Tracey Trefren at (307) 413-7677 or jackalopepress@yahoo.com.
