Cath with Paper Crafts Planet brings us this fantastic feature on the CEO/Head Designer of Graphic 45, Diane Schultz. Check out Cath's publications with the links below.
I'm thrilled to bring you this interview with
Diane Schultz from
Graphic
45, friends. From the first moment I saw her work just over two
years ago now, I knew that she was bringing something extraordinarily
unique and fresh to the paper crafting market.
With her
unprecedented approach to vintage and retro design, Diane brings a
unique style to the paper crafting world whose attention to detail is
utterly astounding. The color combinations she incorporates are rich,
the images she freezes in time are vibrant, and her ability to capture a
not-so-forgotten era is utterly astounding.
What's more? She is
one of the nicest people you will ever meet! Quiet and demure, Diane
offers a polite grace and gentle demeanor that you can't help but love
to pieces!
Let's
get to know her a little better, shall we? Take it away, Diane!
It's
always difficult to describe yourself. I wear a lot of hats and love it
that way. I'm a mother, an artist, a lover of all things old and
beautiful. (In the days when the airlines would allow, I once returned
from a trip with an old china wash-basin on my lap.) I'm the owner, CEO,
and head designer of Graphic 45, an award-winning paper crafting
company—and I'm living a dream! Working with my daughters, Aimee and
Charee (two of my six children) is the best part of that dream. I
oversee the creative end of things from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Aimee
heads operations in our beautiful Portland, Oregon office. I'm
passionate about being creative and eager to make it possible for others
to find their creative voice. My background includes stints as a
designer for, McCalls, Simplicity, Vogue/ Butterick, Mattel Toy Company
and a host of other jobs that each, in some way, led me to what I do
now. At 45 I went back to school and got my degree in graphic design— I
named my company to celebrate that achievement.
Lil
Darling
Safari
Adventure Club Pattern for Simplicity
Absolutely—trend watching is
essential to being creative! I am always on the look-out for fresh,
innovative ideas. When I first started designing 30 years ago, I learned
the importance of paying close attention to what was going on, not only
in my industry (apparel and conceptual design at that time) but other
industries as well. I followed color forecasts, product design, and
theme trends. I believe inspiration comes from opening your eyes—right
in front of you is a new idea!
Where
do you find trends?Everywhere: nature, magazines,
televisions, movies, billboards, apparel, textiles, and junkyards. I am
inspired and challenged by combining current trends with those that were
popular decades ago. Trends recycle themselves—if I can marry past and
present— something fabulous is created!
What websites, blogs, magazines, ads, etc.
are the most inspirational to you in terms of trend watching? Why do
they motivate you?I eat up home decor and graphic design
magazines, especially
Veranda,
Architectural Digest, and
Communication Arts, and am truly
in heaven when I find dusty old books and magazines in used bookstores
or unexpected places!
Name a designer
(or two) in the scrapbooking industry that inspires you. What do you
like about his/her work?I am most inspired, of course, by
the users of our product. Our
online galleries are
full of genius works of art by our outstanding design team and other
contributors who truly amaze me.
I was influenced early on by fashion designer
extraordinaire,
Coco
Chanel, who taught me that good design is timeless. An individualist
who was unafraid to think outside the box, her classic style has
remained alive and vibrant long after her passing. I’ve also been
influenced by
Art
Nouveau,
Art Deco,
and the
Arts
and Crafts movement.
Without giving anything away that you are
working on, what trend(s) are you currently watching?I am
so excited about our product launch for July CHA. We will be
introducing our first line of embellishments, adding four new papers
(eight designs) to our current
Christmas Past
collection, and releasing two new paper collections that really push the
envelope. I get goosebumps thinking about it!
Best of
Show CHA Booth
People are really trying to
think outside the box with techniques and embellishments. The altered
art look using ephemera and found objects has become very popular. Some
of the best inspiration and embellishments come from non-traditional
sources like junkyards, antique and consignment shops, and yard sales
(my personal favorite places to treasure hunt.) Again, many of us are
looking for ways to tell a story by connecting to the past.
Diane
in an Australian junkyard
For 30 years
patterns and textiles were my mediums. In the past two years, paper has
become my passion. I have found that there is very little difference
between them. Creating beautiful artwork is a delight across many
mediums.
What is your favorite
part about your job and why? What is your least favorite part about your
job and why?Owning your own company is a double-edged
sword, allowing both freedom and responsibility for creative choices.
That said, I absolutely LOVE the journey I am on, especially the
opportunity to work with my INCREDIBLE daughters, Aimee and Charee—the
other half of Graphic 45. They take care of the day-to-day business that
can be a big distraction to a designer and they keep me grounded with
the title (and inside joke), “Grand Pooh-Bah”. I can’t say enough about
our staff and design team, they are truly remarkable people! Finally,
this industry is amazing—in our travels we have met so many wonderful
creative people. So really, there is little to complain about other than
a twice yearly zombie-like state due to 80-hour work weeks and little
or no sleep.
Charee,
Aimee, and Diane
When Graphic
45 first entered the market two-and-a-half years ago, our goal was to
become a front-runner in the paper crafting industry by offering a
unique product with broad appeal. Although Graphic 45 is recognized for
vintage design, we work hard to make sure that the interpretation is
new, fresh, and always evolving. We believe that almost anything can be
transformed into art with the use of beautiful paper and embellishments.
Come visit our booth at CHA to see what I mean!
Thanks, Diane, for taking the time to answer
these questions about trends and how they influence your design!
Friends,
I'd love to hear what inspires you the most about what you've read here
today. Leave Diane a comment
by
midnight MDT on Sunday, June 20 and I'll draw one random winner
to receive the
Le'
Romantique collection as my thanks for showing her some love!
Me?
I'm most inspired by the vast amount of experience that Diane has in
the art world--and I love that she started this journey into the world
of paper crafting at the age of 45, proving that it's always a good time
to pursue your passion!
Grateful for Diane,
~Cath
Thank you Cath for the amazing feature.
Happy Papercrafting!
Team Graphic 45!
We are so excited to begin shipping our newest collection Hallowe'en in Wonderland! Since we unveiled the collection last week we have been bombarded with all of your wonderful comments and as many of you know two lucky winner who posted a comment on our blog will receive Hallowe'en in Wonderland 12x12 paper pads! So without further ado the winners are. . .
Barbara Hartling and Rae Barthel! Thank you for these great comments.