Ipswich nautical sign company raising money for homes for wounded veterans

IPSWICH -- Pamela Tomlin says around Ipswich, she's known as the "sign lady." It all started out with a sign she made for her house in Ipswich.

"A friend of mine suggested you know maybe you should make more. So I put it on Facebook and that night I got 10 orders," Tomlin told WBZ-TV.

That was in April 2020, and from there, Ipswich River Craft was born.

"What we do is we spell out words in the alphabet with the flags. Most people that order from us ask for their last name. That's super popular. Boat names, kids initials, favorite words," Tomlin said.  

The company is now putting its popularity to good use, with a campaign now through June 21st called "Spring for Our Vets."

"Any sign that we sell that's framed, $25 will go to Homes for Our Troops and they are an organization that builds housing for disabled vets," said Tomlin.

Each custom nautical sign is handcrafted and hand-painted. 

"Sometimes I'm putting blocks together, sometimes I'm painting, I've even learned how to make frames, and sand and paint," said Ipswich River Craft artist Wilma Gooby.

Two years in, with a workshop overlooking the Ipswich River, the company now produces an average of 100 signs a month.

"Over Christmas it really picked up and we had tons of people here and we were just going, going, going," said Ipswich River Craft artist Johanna Corwin. 

And with each new order, the "sign lady" and her team will be ready. 

"Sometimes I just sit back and I look at my wall of blocks and all of the artwork," said Tomlin. "And I can't believe what we've made."