April 23, 2014

By Rumasa Noor

Some people start their businesses with the intention of helping the society and the environment. One such person is Alexandra Pitsch.

Pitsch, owner of Zany Du Designs, offers screen-printed T-shirts, earrings, rugs, scarves and more. She said she makes new things out of old or used materials to prevent them from going to waste.

“You can take something old and garbagy and turn it into something new,” Pitsch said. “It makes me feel good, and you just save it from the dumpster. If I can save a couple of bottles from the dumpster, I feel good about it.”

Pitsch also is a UW-Whitewater alumna. She majored in graphic design with an unofficial minor in screen-printing.

During her last semester of college, Pitsch took screen-printing classes which made her interested in doing some actual screen-printing work.

“I wanted to get some actually good learning, like professor learning so I took it, and then I kind of felt like I needed to keep doing something creative after I graduated,” Pitsch said.

She started the business two and a half years ago after graduating. Her brother granted her a no-interest loan to get her business started. She said it started off as a screen-printing business.

Pitsch was involved with student organizations at UW-W as well.

“I was involved in SAGE when I was in school and always kind of had a passion for environmentalism,” Pitsch said.

She also was present at the Stand 4 Freedom event, led by UW-W student organization Freedom Force. She said she had a chance to interact with people one-on-one, and she sold quite a few things that day.

“Everyone had nice things to say; I made good money that day, too, so that was nice,” Pitsch said. “Part of my portion went to their cause, too.”

Zany Du Designs is an online business. Pitsch makes the earrings from wine corks, and she makes the rugs from old T-shirts.

“I like the idea of nothing going to waste,” Pitsch said.

Pitsch gets customer orders and makes the designs herself.

“I only have a few of my own designs mostly because people keep asking for custom orders and stuff, which kind of sets me backs on my own designs,” Pitsch said. “A lot of the times they [customers] say that I want to get something for my friend’s baby, can you put a dog and her name on it kind of thing, but otherwise I try to keep to my own designs.”

Pitsch does not have employees, but she has a friend who helps her as a volunteer with mailing things.

“I enjoy pushing myself; I didn’t know how to do jewelery before I did this, I didn’t know how to crochet before I did this, I didn’t know how to do a lot of things until I sat down and made myself learn it,” Pitsch said.

Pitsch was laid off in January. That is when she decided to give herself a 30-day art challenge, where she would make something new every day to keep herself busy. She got good feedback when she showed those items to other people.

“I am enjoying where it’s at right now, and I obviously would love to keep growing it, and I think someday, hopefully, in a couple of years I can take that plunge and just be full-time Zany Du. Someday a store.”

Customers can order items online by going on zanydudesigns.com.