Meet the Members - Nuts for Paper

We're back with one more interview.

Now you'll meet one of our newest members, or should I say two of our newest members, its a team effort, a collective, illustrators Mafalda e Catarina and their shop Nuts for Paper.

Enjoy!

Ilustrated Cookbook Notebook by NutsforPaper

Name: Ana Mafalda Fernandes and Ana Catarina Lopes
Etsy shop: NutsforPaper.etsy.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NutsForPaper
Blog: nutsforpaper.blogspot.pt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NutsforPaper

Hello! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, we are two friends (and friendly) designers, both named Ana. Born and raised in Torres Vedras, Portugal, since 1989, we measured 1.65 m, our shoe size is 37,and no, we are not twins (as you can clearly see in the photo).

We are two creatures who crossed each others path in 2004 when we went to the Visual Arts course at Henriques Nogueira High School and since then we've been best friends with a huge passion for design, illustration and typography. In 2007 we graduated High School and each one followed different paths, without losing connection.

The oldest Ana, older by 3 months and 13 days, is best known by Mafalda, she is a curious by nature, with a slight obsession for chocolate chip cookies and books. Very determined and sure of herself, she decided to head to Lisbon to study Design at IADE, accompanied with her notebooks and sketckbooks, which she cannot live without. Always ready to go in search of new cultures, in 2011 she decided to do Erasmus in Germany, from where she brought a few more souvenirs to add to her collection of postcards and recipes. If she was an animal it would be a blue elephant. Her memory is fallible, but in that the other Ana complements her.

Excellent memory, British punctuality and clumsy every now and then, that's how Catarina is known for. And not even the taste for sleeping stopped her from graduating in Graphic and Multimedia Design, in Caldas da Rainha back in 2010. Since then, train became her favourite mode of transportation and books her travel companions. She cherish
very much cats, the yellow colour and her collection of gift's bows.

Mafalda and Catarina aka Nuts for Paper

What made you choose this craft and art?

Coming to a halt at professional level, and knowing the best of each other, we decided to unite and there was born the project "Nuts for Paper", which conveys our creative vision through products made of paper. With this project we wanted to fulfill our creative needs. We have an overwhelming passion for graphic design, typography and illustration, and both of us are collectors of notebooks and notepads of all sizes and shapes.
That inspire us to create our own line of unique products exclusively handmade, where the paper is the king. Though our path started in the design area, both of us still believe in print and handmade things. We value a lot the handmade process, therefore that was the path we choose to take. Everything you find in our shop is cut and assemble by hand. The illustrations are unique and exclusive to each notebook. We believe art should be accessible to anyone, and this is our way of doing our share.

Why sell on Etsy?

Why not? We live near, but apart, etsy is a away we easily share a space with our products. Besides all that its a community of makers, and we thought it would be a perfect place for what we do. We can see, appreciate and support other makers, and they can do the same with us. We believe its a place were people share a lot, and that's something
we appreciate too. We can learn, teach and inspire with each others.

Wish List Note Pad by NutsforPaper

What do you find most inspiring?

We are two creative creatures, anything inspire us. Give us a theme, a song, a person and like magic we have a hole new story to present to the world. We just like to share our vision and stories with everybody.

You were involved in the "Mentor Month" program on Etsy. What was the most important thing that you took from it?

As we are new, and still learning how all this works, being involved in the "Mentor Month" was a huge help for us. Our Mentor gave us tips, things that we hadn't think would be important, which has made improved our store. In general, a cohesive brand and a clean photographic presentation is very important to attract new costumers, but lets not forget about the tags and S.E.O. And in this particularly theme, our mentor spared no efforts in helping us.
We hope to see more improvements for now on, and finally get our first sale on etsy.

the studio or where the magic happens - Nuts for Paper

What do you like to do with your free time?

Besides drawing, which is an obvious fact, we both love read romances and literature in general. Music is also a fundamental part of our days, and committing an indiscretion, we sang for several years on two different choirs in our city. As hobbies, Mafalda loves to photograph and travel (if time and budget allows it), on the other hand, Catarina likes to spend her free time hanging out with her friends and to  go to music festivals.

All pictures by Nuts for Paper.

Check the other Meet the Members interviews.