From Paper to Perfection: Why We Fell in Love With Crafting

Every great thing comes from a small beginning, and this holds true in paper crafting. Even a gorgeous card project was once just a scrap of paper! If you have ever marveled at the beautiful crafts that our Design Team at Altenew releases daily on the Card Blog, Youtube channel, and even on our Instagram and Facebook, then today's your lucky day! 

Crisp Dye Inks for Crafting

Today, we'll be featuring a different type of content as we go back to the roots of some of our Altenew designers. In today's blog post, we will look back on how they started their journey - what got them into paper crafting, what they first started out with, and what paper crafting means to them. In reading these stories, we hope that they mirror your own and that you become inspired to continue and improve on your crafty adventure as well. Happy reading! 

Where the Love of Crafting All Started

Whether it stemmed from your childhood or you stumbled upon it on Youtube, paper crafting has a way of making you fall in love at first sight - or should we say, with your first project (LOL)!

For most of our Altenew designers, their passion for crafting started at an early age. From their art teachers seeing their potential to their family members inviting them to do some quality bonding, these early stories paved the way for these crafters to make the beautiful projects that you see now.

"Ever since I was a little girl I have been interested in art and crafts-related activities. As I got older, I found something called YouTube where I started to watch different video tutorials and slowly started to discover this wonderful world of paper crafting." - Maryam

Like Maryam, many of us turn to Youtube for crafty tutorials and techniques. The Internet is amazing, and we just can't get enough of all the endless inspiration available in just one simple click!  

"I have been creating for as long as I can remember. I used to craft as a little girl with my Nain (Welsh for Grandmother) and my Aunty." Lydia, on recounting her early days of paper crafting. How sweet! Indeed, paper crafting brings families closer together - not just in the act of giving cards but also in creating them together! 

"As a kid, I had a great sense of color and was also good at illustrating whatever I saw. My art teacher picked up on this and encouraged me to draw, color more and experiment with my color combinations. She also turned my drawings into cards, which blew me away; I saw a new aspect of paper crafting and started converting my drawings into cards." - Erum.

Some of them got introduced to paper crafting thanks to their friends. After all, there is no greater bond that can tie friends, like making memories and preserving them together!

"A couple of my college friends were into scrapbooking and introduced me to the concept - after I got married, I created my own wedding album and then transitioned into cardmaking and other paper crafting forms as they suited my lifestyle more." - Nicole.

Of course, for some of us, our paper crafting stories started because we just couldn't resist the allure of the pretty supplies! Like Virginia, we can relate to her story of buying lovely stationery and seeing beautiful stamps and dies on sale - and the rest is history!

Stampwheel

"I love shopping for stationary, and I grew to love anything and everything with paper. I saw a stamping demo in my local stamp store over 20 years ago, and I was hooked. Everything about cardmaking intrigued me. I have been in that rabbit hole since!" - Virginia.

What Paper Crafting Brings to Each One of Us 

As Wayne Dyer eloquently put it, "Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life". We relate to that as crafters so much because not only does paper crafting give us an abundance of happiness, but it also gives us an abundance of need for supplies (LOL!)

Kidding aside, what crafting gives us is worth so much more than anything. Paper crafting is a hobby and a profession that gives us relaxation, joy, peace, and respite from the hustle and bustle of life.

"Crafting, in general, lets me relax and center myself." - Lydia.

"It brings me a sense of calm and satisfaction. Whether I spend 5 minutes or 5 hours on paper crafting, I truly benefit from the joy of creating. I know that if I ever get stuck on an island, stamps and dies will keep me content and happy." - Virginia.

It gives us a chance to disconnect from our screens and reconnect with ourselves. Crafting is our safe space, our own little world, our personal corner that will always be there for us, no matter how hard our everyday life gets. What's even better is that by giving the projects we make, we also share that sentiment with our recipients too! 

"It is relaxing and therapeutic, where I can focus on just creating and not stress about other distractions from day to day life." - Nicole.

Whether you're a busy mom with two kids or a working employee stressed out from deadlines, it's nice to know that there are a set of stamps, dies, inks, and other supplies sitting on your desk ready for your hands to tinker with. Even if you only have a few minutes to yourself in the day, when you make a simple one-layer card, it feels like everything is alright with the world. 

"It brings me joy and helps me relax as well." - Maryam.

"Creating inspires me. I have so many ideas that I can not craft fast enough when I craft. So I try my best to take out only a few days to create and do nothing else because I can't stop. I am happiest when I am creating." - Erum.

The Beauty of Paper Crafting: In One Word

“Experimental. Love. Inspirational. Evolving. Fun”

All in all, for many of us, paper crafting is more than just a hobby - it's a way of life. It's a way to connect with others, express creativity, and bring beauty into the world. For some, it's a chance to experiment with new materials and techniques, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with paper.

For others, it's a way to express love and affection through handmade gifts and cards. Whatever your reason is, it's simply a fun and enjoyable way to spend time, whether alone or with friends and family!

Perhaps most importantly, paper crafting is inspirational and ever-evolving. There's always something new to learn and discover, whether it's a new technique or a fresh source of inspiration. As the paper crafting community continues to grow and evolve, it's clear that this passion for paper is here to stay. 

So, what does paper crafting mean to you? Is it a chance to experiment, a way to express love, or simply a fun pastime? Whatever it is, we hope that the joy and inspiration of paper crafting will continue to bring happiness to your life for many years to come.

In that journey of joy, we hope that you continue to craft your life with us, Altenew. All the love, from our crafty family to yours!