Featured Artist: Tinalina

When you first visit Tinalina, the first thing you notice are the care that goes into each of her designs. My first impression is that of simplicity, something many artist strive for but fail to achieve. If you are looking for just the right cards, I highly recommend you get yourself over to her shop!


1.Tell us a little about your craft, what is it and how did you get started in it?
I'm a cardmaker who primarily works with rubber stamps. I used to be big in to scrap-booking, but after I started Grad School it just kind of petered out. A friend's mom was into card making and stamping, and in turn converted me into a full blown cardmaker. I like being able to actually use what I create by sending it to someone. I've been stamping for a little over a year now and have been on Etsy for about 7 months now.

2.What inspires you or helps you create?
I get random spurts of creativity and my ideas often come from color schemes I see around me. It could be in a magazine, a friends' outfit, or another piece of art.

3.What do you love most about being a crafter?
Honestly, working with paper calms me. I teach middle school, so crafting is an outlet; a way to de-stress. I love crafting with rubber stamps, primarily because I cannot draw and stamps enable me to create pretty things without having to expose my inability to draw.

4.What one thing would you tell a new designer that you wish you had known when you first started?
You will not like everything you create. Sometimes a project just is not working and you have to be okay with scrapping it and starting over. Don't expect yourself to always meet your own, or other people's, expectations either. Do what you do because you enjoy it, not to meet the needs of others.

5.Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I see myself continuing with the plan my husband and I have. At that time we'd love to be in South Carolina staffed by a church (my husband is in seminary) and with children. The goal also includes continuing card making and who knows; maybe I'll even be able to make it my full time job one day!