What's in a name?

Once upon a time, this blog was called papersparkle. At the time, I was a papercrafter- not yet a Stampin' Up demonstrator. When I joined Stampin' Up!, I left the blog name, and created a Facebook page called Stampin' with Andrea. It was suggested I get my page up and running as soon as possible, and at the time, that's what seemed like the most logical choice.

Last year, I started to think more about the direction I wanted to take my business, and how I wanted to change it to better reflect what I am about, and what is important to me. 

I'm a prairie girl- born and raised in Manitoba. I have lived on the prairies most of my life- I went to college in Brandon, MB and moved around to several small towns and cities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan until I met my husband in 2002. He was in the military, and we moved to Trenton, Ontario and Halifax, NS, and then back to Winnipeg. When he retired, we decided we wanted to move back to the East Coast. While I do love it here, a huge part of my identity and heart belongs to Manitoba. I still cheer for the Bombers (GO BLUE!!!!) and am a Winnipeg Jets fan. My children were born in Manitoba, like I was. The ties to that province are strong.


When I started thinking more about how I want my business to reflect me, and what I want people to take away from it, I kept going back to my collection of stamp sets and seeing which ones I was continually drawn to. The ones that speak loudest to me, and I regularly use, are nature-based, or have to do with simple lines and designs. Creating is, for me, a calming venture. Expressing myself with stamps and ink, and creating things for people to enjoy makes me happy.

My husband also says that I have big ideas, and I can go off in all directions. The potential is limitless, just like the prairie sky. Having flat land all around you means that the horizon can been seen for ages. There is nothing quite like the prairie sky. Especially at night, when the stars seem miles away and touchable at the same time. 






Paper crafting is much the same- I am in awe of what people can create, and sometimes what I see seems to be unattainable, but with practice and patience, you can learn anything. That's what I love about this job of mine- being able to show people how they can create stunning cards, and projects, with just a little bit of paper and ink.
I am going to be branching out to create more than just cards in the coming months. I need to stretch my own creativity, and not everyone is drawn to the same thing. I'll be experimenting with decor items, framed projects and other 3D items. I am excited for this new branch of my journey. I cannot wait to share it with you.
Be sure to join my Facebook page, and join my mailing list to get the latest info about classes and promotions! 

Happy crafting! See you again soon!