FRIDAY FEATURE - TINALINA

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
I created my shop a little over 7 months ago. I had been stamping cards as a way to relax and heard about Etsy though a friend from high school. She helped me put a shop together a the rest is history.
Everything in my shop is hand-stamped. I used all kinds of rubber stamps, but more specifically Stampin' Up images. The goal main goal I have for my shop is to help people reconnect with family and friends in a personal way. Email and texting is great, but I feel it kind of takes the intimacy out of the relationship. Plus, receiving cards and letters in your mailbox is pretty fun!

How did you select your name?
About 7 years ago when I was applying for college I had to come up with a new email address. At the time I was ready for a change, so i asked a friend (the same one who helped me create my shop years later) what my new address should be. She looked at me smiled and replied, "tinalina!" She used to call me tina, a nickname only a few were allowed to call me) and it just seemed to fit. The name stuck and it seemed only right to use it for Etsy too.

What makes your shop unique?
This is a hard question. Maybe the simplicity of my cards? I think that sometimes we get caught up in the intricacy and details of things. I like my cards to be simple, pretty and fun; not too detailed, but not bland. I hope I reach that goal.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
No, currently I am strictly an Etsian. I mean, once in a while my mom or a friend will just tell me what they want and I'll make it without using Etsy, but not often.

How long have you been making your craft?
I've been working with paper for many years (I used to scrapbook). But as far as stamping, only a little over a year or so.



Is it your full-time job?
No, by day I am a 7th grade Geography teacher at an Orlando middle school As of now my cardmaking is somewhere between hobby and very small business.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Right now its pretty easy to balance everyting. My husband is in seminary, so when he is studying or writing papers I'm stamping or on Etsy. We don't have any kids yet, so that allows a lot more free time to work on my craft.

What is your favorite material?
Well, cardstock paper is a must in cardmaking. I love using rubber stamps. I cannot draw at all, so they allow me to create images without doing the actual drawing!

What inspires you?
I get random spurts of creativity so lots of things inspire my cardmaking. It could be the color scheme in a magazine, a friend's outfit or other pieces of art. Right now I'm intrigued by a blue and plum color scheme I saw somewhere on Etsy and am wondering if it will look as good on paper and ink.

Click HERE to visit TinaLina 's Shop