Community
Hampshire, Illinois
Local storefronts, familiar roads, school spirit, and community celebrations come together in this hometown drawing. The words on the mug say it beautifully: “Where town and country meet.”
Hand-drawn hometown collection
The Hampshire Mug
A hand-drawn celebration of Hampshire, created with Hampshire Social and encouraged by the community.
Where to find it
Hampshire Social
124 S State St
Hampshire, IL 60140
Store hours
Plan your visit
Hampshire Social
Monday–Saturday: 6:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Checked October 7, 2026. Holiday and special-event hours may vary.
The collaboration
A local request became a Christmas collaboration.
After I had made mugs for DeKalb, Sycamore, and Genoa, some locals from Hampshire reached out and asked whether I would make a Hampshire mug. I loved that the idea came from people who wanted to celebrate their own community.
I contacted Hampshire Social to see whether they were interested in collaborating, and they were. I put together the mug design, then worked with their feedback and refinements to bring it together.
We launched the Hampshire Mug for Christmas, and the response was so encouraging. I was really thankful for the positive feedback from the locals, including the mayor, and for the way the community embraced the mug.
More recently, following the ownership change at Hampshire Social, I added a hot dog on the front as a nod to Double R Dogs. Holly Simpson and her fellow owners also own Double R Dogs, so it felt like a fitting detail for this next chapter.
It has been wonderful working with Hampshire Social and seeing the Hampshire Mug do so well. I’m grateful for the collaboration and for the community’s continued encouragement and positive response.
The artwork process
Hampshire, one drawing at a time.
The mug begins with drawings on paper: the water tower, downtown storefronts, and the local details that make Hampshire feel like home. I brought those drawings together into the wraparound design, refining the artwork with feedback from Hampshire Social.
At Hampshire Social
A hometown mug with a local home.
From the Hampshire collection
A mug made for everyday memories.
These photos celebrate the original Hampshire design, before the hot dog was added as a nod to Double R Dogs.
A personal connection
Where we brought our first baby girl home.
Hampshire also holds a special place in our family’s story. Matt and I lived there during a transitional season in our lives, when we were expecting our first baby girl. I spent part of my pregnancy in Hampshire, and it was to our home there that we brought her home.
We only lived in Hampshire for a couple of months, but we really enjoyed our time there. That short season became part of a much bigger beginning for our family.
I love the phrase “Where town and country meet,” which appears in the mug’s artwork. It feels so fitting for the Hampshire we enjoyed living in, and for the community I later had the joy of drawing.
The story behind the mug
From a local request to a new chapter.
Hampshire locals reach out
The DeKalb, Sycamore, and Genoa mugs prompted requests for a mug celebrating Hampshire.
Hampshire Social helps refine the design
I drew the artwork and worked with the shop’s feedback to shape the finished mug.
The community welcomes its mug
Encouragement from residents, including the mayor, made the launch especially memorable.
A nod to Double R Dogs
A hot dog on the front recognizes the connection with Hampshire Social’s new owners.
Inside the illustration
Six Hampshire details, drawn by hand.
Landmarks, local traditions, and everyday hometown symbols give the wraparound artwork its Hampshire character.
Hampshire water tower
The tower bearing Hampshire’s name is one of the recognizable hometown silhouettes in the wraparound drawing.
Downtown Hampshire
A streetscape of familiar storefronts brings the town’s everyday gathering places into the illustration. State Street remains a setting for community celebrations and local business.
Coon Creek Country Days
The festival’s name, carnival imagery, and fireworks celebrate a tradition of music, rides, parades, and neighbors gathering together.
Routes 20 and 72
The illustrated highway signs are familiar local markers, connecting the artwork to the roads people travel around Hampshire.
Whip-Pur pride
The Whip-Pur name, paw print, and sports details recognize Hampshire’s school spirit and the community that cheers its students on.
Double R Dogs
The latest edition includes a hot dog on the front, a nod to Double R Dogs and its shared ownership with Hampshire Social.
A meaningful local gift
A little Hampshire to enjoy every day.
For someone who calls Hampshire home, a friend who has moved away, or a neighbor celebrating a new beginning, the Hampshire Mug brings a familiar hometown story to their daily coffee.