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Cute and Funky with a Twist

in Featured Crafters, Handmade, Quilling on

“Handmade means made with love. As a handmade paper crafter there is no way I can create a beautiful product if I’m not into it. When you take the time out to create something for someone else (especially if there is a backstory) it becomes a keepsake. Not just another tchotchke.”

Sandy Diaz

Random Facts About You?

I have identical twins... I hate my freckles... I just learned how to drive after having to renew my expired permit 3 times (New Yorker baby)! I love the sweet and salty mix of kettle corn...



What got you started crafting?

I was blessed with the news that I was expecting TWINS only 5 months after I got married. Anybody ever babysit twins? How tired were you after that? Now imagine that every single day 24/7!!! Needless to say, I needed an outlet. I have always loved paper. I can walk around Staples and gawk at all the Post-its and paper pads for WAY too long.

A few years ago I came across a book about quilling - paper filigree. Quilling is rolling and shaping thin strips of paper and grouping the shapes into designs. (Which I had learned to do in Junior High art class). I remembered how easy and inexpensive it was and how it lent itself to many possibilities. You can basically quill anything you can think of. So I started making greeting cards with my quilled designs and I'm feeling calmer and cooler since then (2 things I'm sure my boys and my hubby appreciate).



What is your source of inspiration?

Every day special occasions. By that I mean non-holidays (I actually don't sell holiday cards). I think people become too involved with the day to day and only reach out to others whenever the calendar dictates. But, isn't it true that whenever you get a "just because" card in the mail your whole day gets brighter? Well, that's the sentiment I always try to keep in mind. I'd much prefer to get a handmade card that has a handwritten sentiment inside of it than to get a mass mailed pre-printed card with a corny "from your friend" speed written on the inside. I'm big on the idea that a little humor and some thought can make any person's day/week/month/year. Isn't that why we as humans establish relationships? My kids and my hubby help out a lot as well. They are ROTFL funny...all the time. My husband and I have a running joke that we should publish a book with all the hilarious one-liners our kids come up with. But, then again, I guess all parents think their kids are hilarious.



What have you made recently?

I recently created a very special handmade paper collage for three of my closest friends who are all roommates. One had just recently lost her mother to a fight with cancer and another one had lost her mother in a horrible hit and run car accident. The third is dealing with very sick/aging parents that live far away and she has a lot of decisions to make in the near future. All I see are three young, vibrant women. They just moved into a new place and were in the process of redecorating so I made them a collage with special symbolism. It included references to their moms in a positive light as well as the fact that they can get through whatever they may be facing. The sentiment was "friends are family we choose". They loved it and they all cried when they saw it. That's what I mean by every day special occasions!





Where do you sell your crafts presently?

I sell my cards in my etsy shop and I also accept custom orders via e-mail.



Why are handmade crafts important to you?

Handmade means made with love. As a handmade paper crafter there is no way I can create a beautiful product if I'm not into it. When you take the time out to create something for someone else (especially if there is a backstory) it becomes a keepsake. Not just another tchotchke.



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