Paper Shop Ink. (the period is part of the name) is a boutique run by the ever amicable Candis, who first caught my attention with the Tobi Wood notecards in her shop. Candis carries paperie with the look and packaging of couture cards but at affordable prices; some of my favorites can be found in her store, including Pink Bathtub, Mudlark and of course Tobi Wood.

Of course, most special occasions will require special stationery, which is where Candis comes in: she’ll create custom invites for births, weddings, christenings, baptisms and engagements; with minimum orders as low as 20, this works out to a pretty good deal for those of us with smaller events.

As someone who also “stores and blogs” at the same time, I know that Candis’ experience is one that is of interest to many crafters and Cuteable readers. I am therefore delighted to present to you this interview with Candis:

Cuteable: Thanks for giving us the opportunity to interview you, Candis. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Paper Shop Ink.?

Candis: I’m a graphic designer in Cleveland Ohio. Currently I work for a public relations firm called Akhia. I live in between Cleveland and Akron with my husband Sean, Chocolate lab named Izzy and two black cats.

Since college I have worked as a graphic designer for in-house marketing departments and local advertising agencies. But while working full time I always wanted to have something of my own. I decided to start Paper Shop ink. with the help of my husband and grandmother. I’ve always been interested in stationery design. My husband and I are very career focused and always have new ideas. This one actually stuck and made it to the web!

Cuteable: How are you enjoying running a store, creating custom invites and blogging at the same time? Do you have any experiences you’d like to share with us as a shop owner, designer and/or blogger?

Candis: I’m enjoying every aspect of Paper Shop ink. right now. There’s so much I want to do with the site, that most days I’m very overwhelmed. There just are not enough hours in the day. The blog is something new to me but so far I’m loving it. I never realized what an awesome networking tool it is.

I feel like I meet new friends everyday through blogging! Creating the Custom Invites is my favorite thing to do. Within the next two months I will be launching new collections of Custom invites (Cuteable: see the picture directly above for a preview!). You can choose from Shower Invites, Birthday Party Invites, Bachelorette Party Invites and etc.

Cuteable: Are there any particular invites that you’ve created that are particularly meaningful to you? (E.g., something you created for a close family friend, etc.)

Candis: Not specifically. They all have meaning. When parties are planned out and thought is put into them it’s really nice to be a part of that when designing custom invites. Especially when it’s for a special event like a bridal shower or child’s christening.

Cuteable: What would you say are your primary influences and/or sources of inspiration? I.e., are there any specific people, things or events in your life that have been particularly inspiring or influential?

Candis: You can learn something new from everyone you meet. I feel that I try to surround myself with great influences everyday whether it is with music, design sites, good magazines etc. I try to stay updated on trends and technology. I read a lot of blogs!

I’ve worked in many different environments throughout my career so far and they all have been influential. Not always in a good way but they have definitely helped me get where I am today.

I’m in a good place now, and I think it’s important when people appreciate the work you do. My husband has definitely inspired me on the technology side of things. He’s very knowledgeable and I always appreciate his help and guidance.

Cuteable: What are your plans for the future, in regards to Paper Shop Ink.? Do you have any goals that you’ve set for yourself?

Candis: Well I have a few goals, and it seems that everyday I add something new to the list. My goal is for my blog and designs to be a source of inspiration to viewers. I plan on continue to create custom invites that are modern, trendy, sophisticated and definitely affordable. I definitely want to expand the Paper Shop ink. shop. As well as adding my own creations I intend to add products from other talented designers.

Cuteable: Can you list a few of your favorite websites that you’d like to recommend to our readers?

Candis: This is a tough one. There are so many great sites out there. Of course Dooce.com and DesignSponge.com are daily reads. Just to name a few I also enjoy Oh My That’s Awesome!, Bluefly, HELLO my name is Heather, frederiksamuel.com, Leading Hands, finetune, Woot, I could go on forever here but I won’t. =)

Cuteable: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or Paper Shop Ink.?

Candis: I write two other blogs besides Paper Shop Ink. One is for Cleveland.com and the other for my design services at BlogSpot. Paper Shop ink. has not been around very long so definitely stay tuned for more great stuff. I hope everyone continues to enjoy the daily posts!

Cuteable: We will, Candis! Thanks again for this insightful interview!

Candis: Thanks so much!