Christina Hill

I love receiving hand written letters from friends and family. It is an art that is slowly dieing out with the convenience of the internet, E-mail, and text messaging. Nothing really replaces a beautiful card with a hand written note inside though. Drug stores are packed full of cookie cutter cards, mass produced with pre-conceived sentiments that you need only sign your name to, but if you’re looking for something more personal for that special someone for the same price, why not buy a card that has been professionally and lovingly handmade? Christina Hill offers cards made with beautiful papers, ribbons, and fun accessories.

Christina’s favorite material is quite obviously the beautiful papers that she uses in her designs. “I am greatly inspired by the papers themselves. They set the tone for the piece you are working on.” She keeps her papers right next to her dinner table for easy access after supper crafting.

Friends and customers are Christina’s constant encouragement. “When somebody buys something, that is the greatest feeling and compliment I can receive. It makes me want to do more and more.” This wonderful desire to create was seeded in Christina at a young age by her mother. “I learned such a great foundation of crafting from her that I often have a hard time deciding on one type of craft. Between us, we are the department stores of crafting.” They crafts that they did together include sewing, batik, book making, macramé… the list goes on. They are definitely a crafty pair!

Card making isn’t the only outlet for this crafty girl. Christina’s crafting room overflows with supplies, ranging from glass, jewelry making, sewing, cross stitching, and more card making supplies. “I am the queen of trying out different crafts.”

Papersilly

“Loving what you do is reflected in the work that you do. It is seen in the care and detail that you put into your products. It is seen in the creativity of your designs. Your products are like your fingerprints your leave behind-----they are unique only to you and they reflect who you are as a person, a crafter, and an artist.”
~Rowena Saenz of Papersilly

When you visit Papersilly, you’ll be swept away immediately by the fun and vibrant paper selections that are used in each hand assembled piece. Journals, note cards, photo albums and more can be found in an array of decorative, feminine papers. Rowena has tried her hands at many different crafts, but her favorite is working with papers, and it shows. She loves to work with papers that come in collections because of the cohesive nature of the designs. “I love beautiful paper designs and color combinations that just catch your eye and draw you to the paper.”

While Rowena works a full time job at a law office, she’s always creating in her mind. “I can only craft part time because I work during the day. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I am constantly thinking about new products and implementing ideas.” She tries to spend every moment she can crafting, before and after work as well as on weekends.

Rowena’s supportive husband encourages her to create and devote her time for the crafts that she loves. She is also a member of the Etsypaper street team.

When asked if she has any advice for other Etsy shop owners, she urged people to act like a business if they expect to be treated like one. “You must have a strong work ethic and responsible and ethical business practices. Good customer service must be your top priority. You must be proud of every item you list for sale and anything less than your best is a disservice to your shop, your reputation, and most of all, your customer.”

Click to visit Papersilly