URSEL – PRODUCT

Ursel stands for:

Unique

Responsible

Service (for)

Environment (and)

Life

​

Translated into German, it's "Unique, responsible service for the environment and life." The English version is more memorable, and the name Ursel is a shortened form of Ursula. Ursel or Ursula means "the little bear" and is derived from the Latin "ursa" (she-bear). May "Ursel," like a bear, succeed in doing the best she can to preserve our environment and our fellow creatures!

Shortly after graduating, I had the idea of ​​sustainable products, where a fixed percentage of the profits are "reinvested" in nature conservation, science, and species protection projects. At that time, the idea of ​​conservation art projects hadn't even been conceived, and it was still unclear which products would be suitable for such an undertaking.

But orchids and science never left me after graduating... When my plans to apply for a doctorate, which would have built on my master's thesis, fell through during the first Corona lockdown in spring 2020, the idea for the first nature conservation art project, "The Orchids of the Danube-Auen National Park," was born, and I began painting and working on it in autumn 2020.

Then the idea arose to produce limited edition prints, postcards, calendars, etc. from the painted images and use them as a multiplier for my public relations work, making my concern for nature conservation and science accessible to a wider audience. Then I remembered my "Ursel" idea and realized that it complemented and could be perfectly combined. With the sale of the "Ursel products" and the hopefully resulting profit, I would have the opportunity to actually reinvest a portion of the profits in sustainable research projects or nature conservation projects. Years later, exactly what I've always intended is now, step by step, becoming a reality!

And what's the deal with origami greeting cards? How does that relate to Ursel? I don't remember exactly when, but sometime in the last five to eight years, I discovered origami folding, and a great passion and fascination arose. This has now given rise to my own origami greeting cards, each one featuring a removable origami magnet element. With these origami greeting cards, I strive to create unique, handmade greeting cards, produced in Austria and using as many regional materials as possible (folding cards, magnets, paper). The respective origami elements and card color combinations are usually available in fewer than 10 identical copies, and usually cannot be reproduced on request. This makes the cards unique, and they are all handmade by me from start to finish. The first origami magnet greeting card I created was the origami heart motif. A gift from heart to heart, but also one that helps make this world a little happier, more loving, and more peaceful, AND a heart that helps preserve our planet's biodiversity, thanks to URSEL – PRODUCT! I enjoy the creative process of making greeting cards—selecting the paper, folding, and finding suitable color combinations. The joy of holding the finished product in my hands at the end. The world is full of wonderful, unique people, and so a greeting card should also be unique, not a cheap, mass-produced product somewhere in the world.

Think big ! I'm still relatively at the beginning of my self-employment journey, with my ideas surrounding URSEL and my conservation art projects. Costs are still below income, and there's no profit yet. But I'll keep going! Nothing ventured is lost. And that's why I'm taking the plunge and continuing. Step by step, you'll reach your goal!