Boynton's studio is not far from the farmhouse that she and her husband, McEwan - also a children's book author - bought 28 years ago. In addition to creating greeting cards and children's books, the couple also raised four children there, now ages 18 to 28.
There is no Inc or LLC after her name. She prefers to be an unincorporated business with an orbit of "licensees," for lack of a better word, around her.
Whenever she has made products like stuffed animals, mugs, jewelry, sheets or towels, she has maintained control over the finished product so it doesn't stray from her vision - or saturate the market.
"Theoretically, I could choose to trade artistic autonomy and pride in my work for increased income - say, by broadly licensing my characters to be used for television," she says. But that would be foolish, she says.
"I love what I do, I love the people I work with, I care very much about the value of the work I create, and I don't need more money than I have. This is not revolutionary philosophy. It's just common sense."
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