Our Behind the Design series continues with a look inside the mind of our newest designer Erin. Her exceptional eye makes her a style guru when it comes to design and walking the halls (We just love her wardrobe!). Enjoy getting to know her creative style, and be on the look out for products featuring her designs this summer!

Name: Erin Burke
Years with Paper Source: Just a few months
Expertise: Design & Illustration

Q: What inspires you to Do Something Creative Every Day?
A: I get into moods where I feel anxious if I’m not creating something. When I see things in stores and online, I always think “Hey, I could make that!”, and then I go try.

Q: If you were not designing, what would you be doing?
A: I love to bake, so maybe I would have gone into that. Right now I have a weird interest in taxidermy too, but I probably don’t have the stomach for that.

Q: As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I honestly think I wanted to be an artist.

Q: What was your very first job?
A: Working at my father’s Pharmacy for most of my teenage years.

Q: Who was your favorite art teacher?
A: I had a really great art teacher in high school, she taught an advanced class of only 3 people. She was such a “free spirit” she basically just let us do whatever and create whatever we want. It was really enjoyable.

Q: What is your favorite PS design, not created by you?
A: Baby Animals Cards, Marigolds, Bikes Wrap

Q: Is your home decor totally kick ass?
A: In terms of well-designed? No. Does it consist of an overwhelming amount of paints, papers and craft projects and somewhat look like a hoarder lives there? Yes.

Q: Have you designed your own birthday, wedding or party invitations?
A: Since I designed my older sister’s wedding invitations, I’ve gotten quite a few friends who have asked me to do theirs. It’s something I really enjoy doing though. You can be so creative with it.

Q: What do you love about paper?
A: Depending on the content and use, it can be something people look at once and throw away, or something people keep forever.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: My mom. As kids she always had a new craft to teach me and my siblings; jewelry-making, sewing, painting, stamping. She’s like the Macguyver of the craft world.

–Erin B., PS designer
PS colors: aubergine & persimmon
Latest fave: Envelope Template Liners

As part of our series dedicated to the fabulous minds behind our designs, we continue with a look at the amazing work of Claudia. You are probably familiar with Claudia from our post about the Paper Source Craft Design Team. But, this spirited designer has more up her sleeve (you might even find a pair of scissors too) – from Paper Source kits to marketing design, Claudia does it all! We hope these 10 questions will help you see where her incredible energy comes from.

Name: Claudia Aguilar
Years with Paper Source: 5 1/2 Years
Expertise: Handcut Paper Creations

Q: What inspires you to Do Something Creative Every Day?
A: The looming possibility of boredom; if you create every day, then you’ll never have to experience it.

Q: How did you start designing?
A: I think it probably started with my choice of toys as a little girl. I gravitated towards anything that allowed me to create, and I really got a kick out of seeing a finished product. I loved Legos, Playdoh and my Easy-Bake Oven and Lite-Brite. My mom says she first realized I was creative when I would flip over my used Lite-Brite templates and make my own patterns. Plus, I had an imaginary friend named Erica, so I pretty much designed her whole existence.

Q: If you were not designing, what would you be doing?
A: I’m an animal lover. I’ve made it my mission to rescue the ones in need and be their voice whenever possible. I really appreciate the unconditional love and companionship they give, so I’d probably be doing something that would let me give back. I volunteer now, but I would love to start my own animal/art therapy program. It’s awesome how both of these things can open people up and get them more in touch with themselves.

Q: As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be Paul McCartney’s wife. But Paul McCartney circa 1964. That was the only image of him I was familiar with as a kid.

Q: Where do you seek inspiration?
A: I love looking for stuff when I’m out shopping at ordinary, everyday places. Some of my favorites are hardware, pet, toy and grocery stores.

Q: Do you have advice for budding designers?
A: Don’t feel the need to label yourself. When I was in high school and college, I really struggled with choosing a design field because I got it into my head that I could only be a “graphic designer,” or an “interior designer,” etc. It took me awhile to realize that design is a way of life. If you have a love for it, then you can apply your eye across many fields. It is really amazing when one area of design influences and inspires work in another. I think the most interesting designs are collaborative efforts.

Q: Have you designed your own birthday, wedding or party invitations?
A: Of course! For myself and for others. I also never give store bought cards. I enjoy making a personalized creation for each occasion that comes up, but I also think if I gave my friends or family something I bought, versus something I made, they would be so disappointed! It kinda comes with the territory.

Q: What do you love about paper?
I love how unassuming yet versatile it is. A simple sheet can be manipulated in so many different ways — folded, cut, scored, curled, layered, shredded — and produce incredible results. It literally feels like I’m making something out of nothing when I work with it.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: My dad is the most creative, innovative person I’ve ever met. I really admire his ability to constantly and consistently come up with stuff. He is completely self-taught and for as long as I can remember he has always been creating. He has a way of looking at ordinary things in an extraordinary way, and has made everything from board games to metal flowers to a patio in our backyard.

Q: PVA or double-stick tape?
A: Double-stick tape all the way. I actually didn’t discover it until college but I’ll never use anything else, especially for wrapping gifts. Frosted tape gives me the creeps.

–Claudia A., PS designer
PS colors: fuchsia & curry
Latest fave: Stamp Cleaner & Stamp Cleaning Pad

Rounding out our feature on the Paper Source Design Team are the wonderful ladies who lead our craft, kit and sample creation. And, man, do these gals rock!

Maria and Estella (pictured at left and center) are the early birds in the Design Area. We are so lucky to enter our space each morning to see wonderful colors and inventive crafts, as well as to be greeted by two smiling faces and a cheery, “Buenos dias!” It’s the perfect way to start the day.

By the day’s end, we’ll catch glimpses of some pretty incredible things – new samples for our stores, like handmade cards or invitations, or special sneak previews of upcoming store window displays.

This small, but mighty team is also responsible for our Paper Source kit concepts. Claudia (pictured right) is one of the talented minds behind the one-of-a-kind paper kits sold in our stores, like our Paper Doll Kit and our new Holiday Gnomes Kit (available later this season). The largest of our Holiday Gnomes will be in Paper Source store windows this holiday!

Until then, you can find him roaming around the craft area, inspiring us all to Do Something Creative Every Day.

As part of our Paper Source Design Team spotlight, we spent a few moments with our newest graphic designer Malcolm to understand the influences that have shaped his aesthetic and career. You will see his modern style reflected in our 2012 holiday assortment and in our new personalized note pads. Be on the look out for more of his style as we add new products and designs in the new year!

Name: Malcolm Felder
Years with Paper Source: Just started
Expertise: Graphic Design

Q: How did you start designing?
A: In high school I designed flyers for my punk band “Boring Crime”

Q: If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
A: Toasting in a Jamaican dance hall band

Q: As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A spy

Q: What was your very first job?
A: Lemonade stand at a county fair

Q: Who was your favorite art teacher?
A: Mrs. Loken was my high school art teacher, and was great. She actually showed up at our 20th reunion because we were her favorite class.

Q: Where do you seek inspiration?
A: Thrift stores in foreign places. Nature.

Q: What design blogs do you follow?
A: I like this one: http://gurafiku.tumblr.com

Q: Do you have advice for budding designers?
A: Step away from the computer now and then.

Q: Is your home decor totally kick ass?
A: We have a lot of canvas screen-prints from the 70s by Michigan artist Marushka, who does kick ass.

Q: Have you designed your own birthday, wedding or party invitations?
A: Designed my wedding invites last year.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: Pee Wee Herman or maybe George Jones.

Q: Do you line your envelopes?
A: I can’t remember the last time I used an envelope that didn’t come with my credit card bill. But no, I don’t line those.

–Malcolm F., PS designer
PS color: clover
Latest fave: Paper Bag Paper (in 8 1/2″ x 11″)

As part of an ongoing series dedicated to showing you the minds behind our designs, we hit up PS Designer Leslie for a quick 10 questions about the many things that inspire her designs and her whit. Leslie has contributed to several notable Paper Source products, including our 2012 Letterpress Calendar. And how can we overlook the ever-popular Retro Bike Glasses?! They are a customer favorite and we’re sure you’ll appreciate getting to know this hip mom just as much!

Name: Leslie Hamer
Years with Paper Source: 1 1/2 Years
Expertise: Stationery Design, Letterpress

Q: What was your very first job?
A: When I was 15 I started working as a shampoo girl in a salon on the weekends. I quickly found that massaging the scalps of old ladies was not my cup of tea.

Q: Is your home decor totally kick ass?
A: Ha! I’m hopeless when it comes to picking out clothes or home decor. If anyone is an interior designer out there and wants to be my best friend I’m in desperate need of help.

Q: If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
A: Yoga. My husband is a yoga teacher and I get serious job envy every day. We designers tend to spend a lot of time sitting at our desks (eating baked tostitos and salsa in my case), and my body and health is certainly paying the price!

Q: As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: Definitely a scientist. I love social anthropology, archaeology, biology and geology in particular. I wasn’t a particularly artistic kid, I was much more of a bookworm than anything else.

Q: Have you designed your own birthday, wedding or party invitations?
A: I designed my own poster sized wedding invitations in 2005. It was such a blast to see the response they got.

Q: How do your fellow designers help you through product development?
A: We are a small team here at PS, and we’ve found it’s important to touch base with each other to make sure we aren’t developing the same or similar concepts. Great minds think alike!

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: My 5 year old son. Hands down.

Q: PVA or double-stick tape?
A: I reject your choices, and choose the almighty glue stick!

Q: Of your colleagues, who would you pick to design your invitation or announcement?
A: Definitely our newest designer Malcolm. We both have very modern and clean sensibilities.

Q: What inspires you to Do Something Creative Every Day?
A: Days where I don’t create anything new are awful! I need to be creative everyday – even if it’s just making up silly dances in the kitchen with my son – otherwise life is one big yawn.

–Leslie H., PS designer
PS color: paper bag
Latest fave: My Quotable Kid Journal

We continue our series dedicated to the minds behind our designs with PS Designer Alanna. Since her early days as an invitation designer in our stores, Alanna has designed a number of Paper Source products like our calendars and stationery. But Alanna is also instrumental in bringing designs to our website for you to customize, working with the web team to launch custom stamps, wedding invitations and our new personalized note pads. We hope you get a feel for the energy she brings to the office every day – it’s infectious!

Name: Alanna Backus
Years with Paper Source: 5 Years
Expertise: Project Management

Q: What inspires you to Do Something Creative Every Day?
A: The people in my life; learning, observing, and new experiences – in general, a little bit of everything!

Q: How did you start designing?
A: As a kid, my parents always encouraged creativity… my sister and I were always making craft projects, playing outside, cooking with mom, or “working” with dad (tinkering with his tools!) I never really considered art to be anything beyond a hobby—I actually started out as a pre-law major my first year in college!—but when I realized I could make a career out of something I loved, it seemed like a no-brainer!

Q: If you weren’t designing, what would you be doing?
A: That depends, are we talking business or pleasure? If business, then either something in the event-planning industry, interior design, or social services… maybe even art therapy. If pleasure, definitely all of the things that I love to do and wish I had more time for like cooking, reading, running, hanging out outside or in the city, and spending as much time as possible with family and friends (and my dog, Brix)!

Q: Who was your favorite art teacher?
A: Definitely Mary Russell from Robert Morris University! She was the first person I met with when I decided to check out design school, and I remember her great creative spirit and friendly personality being magnetic, so I was really excited about college and the choice I had made. I remember thinking, “I want to be like her someday!”

Q: Where do you seek inspiration?
A: Blogs, magazines, and just being out and about in Chicago – this city is full of inspiration everywhere you look, whether you’re going to a museum or checking out a little shop, walking down the street, window shopping, people watching, or simply the parks and lake, little refuges of nature within all the hustle and bustle.

Q: Do you have advice for budding designers?
A: Immerse yourself in everything you can! Interact with a wide variety of people, build and strengthen relationships both for networking and also for your own personal development. Do a variety of internships to see what you like and what you’re good at. Explore, ask questions, learn, do and create – and keep creating! Not everything you do is going to be great (some of it won’t even be good!) but that’s all part of the process.

Q: What is your favorite PS design, not created by you?
A: Wow, that’s a tough one. I work with some pretty amazing designers and their work always blows me away! But I think if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the artwork calendars (Wall Art & Art Grid) – that technically gives me 24 pieces of art that I like, not just 1 or 2… is that cheating?!

Q: What’s your favorite Chicago neighborhood?
A: Rodgers Park – the perfect blend of artsy, urban & diversity.

Q: PVA or double-stick tape?
A: I’m definitely a double-stick tape girl… I’ve even been known to carry it in my purse upon occasion!

Q: What do you love about paper?
A: That it’s a tactile media. I love that there are hundreds of varieties, how you can feel and sometimes even see the fibers that make it up, all of the different colors and patterns and textures. How it has a story behind it – not just the history of the creation of paper itself, but also of the specific paper you’re using – who made it, where it came from, how and what it was made with.

–Alanna B., PS designer
PS color: gravel, pool, paper bag & rhubarb
Latest fave: PS Calendars

As part of a series dedicated to the fabulous minds behind our designs, we are kicking things off with Paper Source Designer Karen. One of our senior designers, Karen has played a hand in many designs and products over the years. Her work is found in Paper Source calendars and she helped conceptualize the latest customer favorite – Paper Source Owls! Karen’s love for Paper Source is felt in every design and in any interaction you have with her. She an absolute joy to be around and we hope these 10 questions will help you get to know the warm and creative spirit behind many of your favorite designs.

Name: Karen Davis
Years with Paper Source: 7 Years
Expertise: Drawing & Doodling

Q: How did you start designing?
A: I started with note-taking in class – organizing my notes with hand-drawn titles and illustrations to coordinate with the discussion of the day. Then, my mom put me to work creating posters and banners for every possible occasion in our lives – sporting events, birthdays, dad home from a 1-day business trip, you name it, we needed a banner. In high school I had my first opportunity to learn about graphic design and loved it. I couldn’t decide whether I would prefer to be a designer, or to teach art so I could do more painting and drawing, but I’m so glad I chose design.

Q: What was your very first job?
A: Babysitting. I took it very seriously. I started out babysitting for my 3 little sisters, so with that as experience I had a lot of credibility in the neighborhood!

Q: Do you have advice for budding designers?
A: Practice, practice! And try to find time and space to let yourself be inspired – going to museums, going outside for a walk. We create a lot of work under pressure and it’s great practice for working better & faster, but it’s also good to slow down sometimes and recharge, and take another look at something you’ve been working on.

Q: What is your favorite PS design, not created by you?
A: I love the typography layout for the Booklet Calendar that Alanna did this year!

Q: How do your fellow designers help you through product development?
A: Our team is great at giving good feedback – I always walk away with a great idea of how to improve a design that isn’t quite there. They are also really nice and great to work with, which just makes designing with them all the more fun!

Q: Is your home decor totally kick ass?
A: No… I’m pretty 2-D, not 3-D. My mom is awesome though – I’ll send her to your house if you want!

Q: What do you love about paper?
A: I love paper that is printed. I love pattern. I love color! I love that something printed on paper can convey so many different things.

Q: What is your favorite Chicago attraction or landmark?
The Russian Orthodox Church designed by Louis Sullivan. And really anything Louis Sullivan, I adore the ornate detail he applies to buildings – I can’t believe how many of his buildings have been torn down.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: My mom. She is, as she laughingly says, “full of it.” She’s always full of crazy new ideas, every event has an accompanying theme, pun, tshirt, poster. I often run card ideas by her and ask her for ideas on sentiments.

Q: Do you line your envelopes?
A: Sometimes, I really love it when I do!

Q: What is your favorite Paper Source product?
A: Our envelopes. I remember as a customer many years ago, reading in the Paper Source catalog about how Sue, Paper Source founder, modeled the pointed flap of the envelope on a European style envelope, and I thought it was just so beautiful. Also, I met my husband Sean at Paper Source when he was in charge of envelope production and distribution. The first note he wrote to me he signed, “Seanvelopes.” So envelopes for me will always be love!

–Karen D., PS designer
PS colors: persimmon, moss, paper bag, papaya (jadeite, I still miss you!)
Latest fave: PS Envelopes

Many of you have grown to love our products through the 300+ associates who work in nearly 50 store locations nationwide. These folks have introduced you to so many unique products and designs – but have you ever wondered who dreamt them up?

Our very own Chicago-based Design Team is behind the Paper Source exclusive products and designs you see in stores and on our website. This team may be small in numbers, but they are certainly big in ideas, handling everything from designing our invitation and stationery lines to dreaming up new kits and products to providing exceptional photography services.

Managing this talented group is Cindy Prangl, who has been developing our product offering since 2002. She worked closely with Paper Source Founder Sue Lindstrom to develop our original aesthetic and has been expanding the offering with the help of many talented designers.

To help you get to know the people behind the designs seen in our stores, we interviewed each of our designers to let you in on the memories, experiences and every day occasions that keep them inspired.

Check back daily as we post interviews with Karen, Alanna, Leslie, Malcolm and give you a behind-the-scenes look at our Crafts Team. It’s time for a glimpse inside Paper Source designs.